The various places in which I resided. My busines and manner of Life and experience up to
the time of my being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
I spent my early life in the north part of Farmington now called Avon Hartford County Ct
which was the plase of my birth, as soon as I was old enough to travel two miles to school (which was
the distance to our district school house) I attended summer & winter with my two Elder Brothers
untill I was ten years of age, at which time My Father sold out his Property consisting of a saw
mill, Flouring Mill, Carding Machine, & a large Farm & a stock of cattle this was done in order to pay
his debts as he had become much involved by loaning money & undersigning men at the bank
My early sports consisted chiefly of angling for the spotted trout which abounded in the stream
which fed my Fathers Mill Pond My Brother Thompson & myself were considered the most
successful Fisherman of any persons who visited the Brook. During the winter season we would set box
traps for gray Rabits & we caught a good many. My mind was rather more taken up upon these subjects
in my boyhood than it was in learning my books at school, for in those days Parents did not feel the
importance of looking after the Education of their children any more than merely to send them to school
considering that the Education of their children was wholey depending upon the school master.
when I was 8 years of age there was a revival of religion in our Neighborhood mostly conducted by the Baptist
denomination. Elder Brooker also Elder Quishman of Hartfort County Countynecticut preached at my Fathers House
and baptized my step Mothers & several other relatives, both of my brothers made ^a^ profession of religion
I attended their meetings, & prayed with the young People & tried to get religion but it soon wore off from my
mind as it did from the mind of Brother Thompson But Brother Azmon was very faithful to his prayers
his bible & his God through all the days of his youth & manhood up to the time of his embracing the fulness
of the everlasting gospel. My Father having sold out his property in Northington now called Avon moved
with his Family to Farmington and Engaged to attend the Farmington Flouring Mill built upon Farmington
River & owned by a company by the name of Cowles Deming & Camp, He took possession of those mills
in & He continued in charge of them nearly all the time up to I remained with my Father
attending school in the Town of Farmington untill I was 14 years. The I went to live
with Col George Cowles & remained with him two years attending school during the winter season & worked
upon his Farm through the summer. while with him during the year I passed through another great
revival of religion among the people I like the rest of my young companions attended enquiring meetings
& prayer meetings among the Pryesbeytarians they being the ownly religious society in the town I also attended their
Sundy school I laboured & prayed & tried to get religion, but there was sumthing in there manner of teaching
& exhorting us to give our hearts to God without telling us what to do or pointing out the way so that we could
understand it or comprehend it that with me it created darkness & not light, misery & not happiness & ther
teachings did not seem to enlighted my mind or do me Good although I laboured hard to obtain benefit from
it. many young people were making profession of religion but I did not wish to make a mock of those
things or profess to be converted & have religion unless I could be made sensible that I had received light
& truth & sumthing tangible that would be of benefit to me I did pray & labor hard to obtain religion
but did not feel that I obtained any special light truth or benefit in trying to follow the teachings given me at that time
CHAPTER III.
The various places in which I resided. My busines and manner of Life and experience up to
the time of my being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
I spent my early life in the north part of Farmington now called Avon Hartford County Ct
which was the plase of my birth, as soon as I was old enough to travel two miles to school (which was
the distance to our district school house) I attended summer & winter with my two Elder Brothers
untill I was ten years of age, at which time My Father sold out his Property consisting of a saw
mill, Flouring Mill, Carding Machine, & a large Farm & a stock of cattle this was done in order to pay
his debts as he had become much involved by loaning money & undersigning men at the bank
My early sports consisted chiefly of angling for the spotted trout which abounded in the stream
which fed my Fathers Mill Pond My Brother Thompson & myself were considered the most
successful Fisherman of any persons who visited the Brook. During the winter season we would set box
traps for gray Rabits & we caught a good many. My mind was rather more taken up upon these subjects
in my boyhood than it was in learning my books at school, for in those days Parents did not feel the
importance of looking after the Education of their children any more than merely to send them to school
considering that the Education of their children was wholey depending upon the school master.
when I was 8 years of age there was a revival of religion in our Neighborhood mostly conducted by the Baptist
denomination. Elder Brooker also Elder Quishman of Hartfort Counnecticut preached at my Fathers House
and baptized my step Mother & several other relatives, both of my brothers made a profession of religion
I attended their meetings, & prayed with the young People & tried to get religion but it soon wore off from my
mind as it did from the mind of Brother Thompson But Brother Azmon was very faithful to his prayers
his bible & his God through all the days of his youth & manhood up to the time of his embracing the fulness
of the everlasting gospel. My Father having sold out his property in Northington now called Avon moved
with his Family to Farmington and Engaged to attend the Farmington Flouring Mill built upon Farmington
River & owned by a company by the name of Cowles Deming & Camp, He took possession of those mills
in 1818 & He continued in charge of them nearly all the time up to 1846 I remained with my Father
attending school in the Town of Farmington untill I was 14 years. The I went to live
with Col George Cowles & remained with him two years attending school during the winter season & worked
upon his Farm through the summer. while with him during the year I passed through another great
revival of religion among the people I like the rest of my young companions attended enquiring meetings
& prayer meetings among the Presbytarians they being the ownly religious society in the town I also attended their
Sundy school I laboured & prayed & tried to get religion, but there was sumthing in there manner of teaching
& exhorting us to give our hearts to God without telling us what to do or pointing out the way so that we could
understand it or comprehend it that with me it created darkness & not light, misery & not happiness & ther
teachings did not seem to enlighted my mind or do me Good although I laboured hard to obtain benefit from
it. many young people were making profession of religion but I did not wish to make a mock of those
things or profess to be converted & have religion unless I could be made sensible that I had received light
& truth & sumthing tangible that would be of benefit to me I did pray & labor hard to obtain religion
but did not feel that I obtained any special light truth or benefit in trying to follow the teachings given me at that time
