Asahel Jan 19, [18]93. ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUROPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPREITOR. Jan 19 1893 Dear Father and Mother To day has ben a red letter day in my life vis a visite to the Birthplace of my fathers in Conneticut, a brief description of which I will try and relate, for while it is now past midnight, yet buisy fancy plays upon my mind & sleep will not come to me. On ...

and leaving the hotel proce^e^ded up Broadway to Union Square where I secured a cab and which drove me rapidly to the Grand Central Depot on 42nd street, arriving there 430 minutes before train time. These 30 minutes I paced impatiently up & down the waiting room anxious for 5 oclock to come, as the air was very keen, the thermometer rangeing somewhere below zero. Finaly the welcome sound rings out "all aboard for New Haven and Hartford". As the train procedes up ...

ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUROPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPRIETOR. undulating country, with all its diver- sified scenery of field & forest scene brown & bare, while others are clothed with everlasting verdure. Passing through, Centreville, & Mt Carmel, Plainville, Farmington & other places we at last reach Avon at just 8:41, having ben 3 hours & fourty minutes on the road. Leaving the station which is built at the entrance ...

toomb stones in hopes of seeing a familiar name, but none was there to reward my search. There are many Woodfords & Thompson's but no Woodruff's My Angelic companion now being ready I climed into the cutter tucked the robes carefuly about my feet, thrust my hands deep into two spacious overcoat pockets & announced my read- iness to start. If it was cold in New York, it was still colder up here the thermometer registering 8 degrees below zero on Mr Gabriel's porch. The ride over behind a good ...

ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUROPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPRIETOR cottage standing back of it. Here my driver pulled up & with an evident air of satisfaction and announced this to be the home of Mrs Hatch. I had gone but a few steps to^w^ard the porch when the door flew open & a grey haired pleasant faced ladeyy stepped briskley forward, with the exclamation "well and this is cousin Asahel" you guessed right that time said I. There was no mistaking that ...

Woodruff, about 22 years of age, who proved to be of great sevice to me during the day showing me around. A Mrs. Woodford was over visiting when I went, but Aunt Lin (everyone calls her by this name here) invited her to go home and call another day, as she wanted to devote this one to me. I discovered this frank manner about her in several ways before the day was over. She was thoughtful enough to enquire if I was hungry, & I ...

ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUOPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPRIETOR entered this sacred spot, proceding up the centre walk we soon found Great-Grand Father & Grand Mother Woodruff's resting places with the toomb stones faceing West. I recognized them in a moment from the photos which you have of them. It would be difficult to describe the feeling which came over me as I gazed upon this halowed resting places of my long since departed kindred ...

we quit this place, but not before gathering a bit of evergreen from one of the graves. our next call is at the Allen place of which I am content with an external view. proceding some distance farther east on this road we turn to the south and pass the old juddge place which is somewhat dilapidated & unoccupied at present. And now comes the most interesting experience of all the visite to the old Old Mill & your birthplace. We tied our horse at the mill and got out ...

ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUROPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPRIETOR. the old saw mill and picked ofut what must have ben the past where you broke your leg when riding the log carriage—the race is well grown over with young maples. The high part of the mill was partly burnt after you left & has since ben rebuilt, the lower part is used as a grist mill & the upper part as a turning shop—having satisfied myself here we drove up to the ...

by the removal of the staircase, which has ben replaced by a new one oppos- ite the entrance, before refered to. The old bake oven is now used for a pantry, and the large rough stone at ^the^ entrance to ^the^ same remaisns undis- turbed. I entered a back store room in the garret, which has no embelis- hments other than the rought hewn rafters & nail penetrated sheeting. this is probabely as it was 85 years ago The annex at the annex at the back contains a rock lined cellar partly filled with blocks of ...

ST. DENIS HOTEL. BROADWAY & ELEVENTH ST. NEW YORK. EUROPEAN PLAN. WILLIAM TAYLOR, PROPRIETOR. any as the day was cold. Thanking Mr & Mrs Hohnes for their kindness we proceded down the road in a southerly direction, untill turning the point of a pond we bend to the right & finaly back to Mr Hatche's having described almost a circle in our journy We pass the old house grandfather build, on our way back. Which we visited later in the day on foot. Aunt

upon my memory, by this one days visite to our grand old New England home. Hoping I have not wearied you I will say another word & close, on arriving here I found letters from Father Owen & Naomi all of which I was very glad to get and will answer soon as possible. I am sorry to heare of Fathers poor health, & trust it is only temporary. I think I have got all the letters that have ben written me, it is innmaterial ...