Stories From The Past

"When this you see remember me Jacob Benton" 1738/9 *

This site is for those who find personal stories and interpreted records a fascinating way to better understand the lives of our early American ancestors. I don't imagine I am the only one who slept their way through school lessons concerning American History. I hope you enjoy what I have published from a large assortment of sources along with my personal observations and opinions based on details recorded long ago.

Future additions include but are not limited to:

The humerous but sometimes tragic lives of the settlers

Construction and evolution of the Colonial homes

Family and religious connections of the first settlers

Land grants and methods of division

Creation and establishment of a 1700s community

Movements of the second and third generation Americans\

Transportation methods of those who chose to "go west"

* In February 1738/9**Jacob Benton, newly elected Town Clerk, took possession of the First Harwinton (CT) Book for Town Records and the recording of deeds priced at 4 pounds.*** On the inside title page below the same Jacob entered his personal family marital and birth records. The above quote is at the page bottom. It makes one wonder if the man had any idea that 261 years later so many of us would still care.

** In 1752 new years day was moved to 1 January, from 25 March, thus 1751 consisted of only 282 days. As historians and others responsible for record keeping recognized the confusion, many dates of the 1700s, from 1 January to 24 March are thus entered with the old style year along with the newer one. I must note one other abnormal event of this time. The astronomers recognized a small error in calendars because the vernal Equinox was occurring before 21 March. September 3, 1752 was called September 14, thus the year was shortened by 11 days. The rule which states that the end of century years (those ending with 00) must be divisible by 400 to be leap years has fixed this problem for a few thousand years into the future.

*** Imagine the price of a blank record book equal to that of an acre of land or more.