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 returng last night
I determined to set apart to day for
this promised visite and accordingly
left a 3:30 call with the night clerk. pPromptly at that hour there came
a thump at my door, that would
have roused a heavier sleeper than
myself. Arrising I dressed hastiely &
after aranging a few nescessaries in
a hand grip I madye myway down stairs
over
Page 2
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 the banks of East River a beau-
tiful panoramic view of changeing varrying
hues of lights presents itself, presently
the Harlem is croseed and we are
speeding along the shore of Long Island
Sound toards New Haven, where I leave
the Boston Express and board a train
bound for Northampton. Numerous
towns & hamlets are passed as we
move northward, over the rolling
Page 3
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 to the church yard, I proceded to the Post Office & kept by
a Mr Bishop & enquired the address
of MrsHatch, who informed me she lived
about 2 1/2 miles distant & deeming the
distance too far to walk I secured
the services of a native rejoicing
in the subriquet of Gabriel, to drivinge
me over in his cutter. While he was
hitching up I walked over to the
graveyard and meanderd among the
(over)
Page 4
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 MrGabriel's porch. The ride
over behind a good horse was charming
the road we took leads out of Avon
1/2 mile to the south when it bends to
the right & crosses a valley almost due
east for a mile & 1/2 forest
sprinkled with evergreens, when on reach-
ing MrEd. Woodfords house it turns to
the south again. About 1/2 miles down
this road a big apple tree stands
throwing its branches far over the
Page 5
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 MrsHatch. 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 her welcome
was genuine & I was made to feel
perfectly at home from the start. She
was much disap^p^ointed when I told her
I would have to return by the evening
train, as she had expected me to stay
two or three days. She introduced me
to her husband, MrHatch, a very agreeable
sort of New England farmer; also to Ann Cossett, and a niece named Hattie
(over)
Page 6
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 gave
her to understand most emphaticaly
that I was having partaken of break-
fast earley, yeasterday. She soon
had prepared some delicious butter
toast beef steak & coffee & it did taste
fine after my long ride. Breakfast
over MrHatch hitched Charlie into
the cutter. While Aunt Lin muffeled
me up in a big comforter & with Hattie as my fair guide, we proceded
to visite the places of greatest intrest
We drove first to the cemetry & dismounting dtied to horse up to the fence and
Page 7
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
& thought that perhaps you had stood
on the same spot many years before.
It may have been the cold that caused
my eys to moisten. this is a delightful
spot at sutch as one could wish to rest
in till called forth to a brighter existence
an iron fence surrounds the yard
& a row of splendid pine's cast their
approving shadows upon this matchless
home of the dead. With slow steps
(over)
Page 8
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 of the sleigh. Two brothers named
Hohnes are running the placed. One
of them we found raking ice out
of the race, so the water could reach
the wheel which is situated at the
back of the highest part as shown in the
photography. the water is carried to it
by means of an 18 inch inclined wooden
pipe, the upper end of which connects
with the old race as it stood when
you left it half a century ago. I entered
Page 9
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 house & secureing our horse to
a ring driver in the large maple
at the south east corner, we crossed
the old threshold which your feet so
often trod in childhood. The place
has ben somewhat changed since you
left, the door in the west centre has
ben closed & a new one cut nearer the
south corner. The north west room
where you were born has ben enlarged
over
Page 10
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 wood & other
debris. The shingles are well twisted
& cracked, as are also are the siding
which seem to be trying to wrist
themselves free from the bonds that
have held them for so many ages
The hill to the South east is still
well coverd with timber. I followd
along the banks of the creek where
you used to catch the specled
beauties, but did not attempt to fish
Page 11
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 MrHatche'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 Lin had a nice dinner ready at
four oclock after partaking of which
we had a pleasant visite, and Hattie
drove me over to the station in time
for the 7 oclock train, which brought
me safely back to New York, and
here I am happier & better with many
a pleasent memory indelibely impressed
over
Page 12
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
whether you adress 136 Grand St. or 90
St. Denis. I will get them at either
place. I did intend to start home
Thursday bu[t] Miles has just received
word to wait a few days longer to
select carpets for the Temple So I will
either have to return alone or wait for
him, but will write again tomorrow
With love to all the family I
remain your Affectionate Son