| |
In 1892, the Price, Lee, & Adkins Company published a book, edited by Joseph Anderson, titled The Churches of Mattatuck: A Record of a Bi-Centennial Celebration at Waterbury, Connecticut, November 4th and 5th, 1891. Until time allows for a more up-to-date summary on the history of Waterbury churches, we share the preface from Anderson's book below.
It appears from an Indian deed of 1657, and from certain entries in the colonial records in 1673, that the name by which Waterbury was first known was Mattatuckokë,—which means, "the place without trees," or, "the badly wooded land." The name, like all Indian geographical names, was accurately descriptive; but whether it was originally applied to the treeless meadows of the Naugatuck, which are so extensive in this part of the valley, or to some other badly wooded place, cannot now be positively decided. However this may be, the name was used but a short time by white men ere the termination okë (meaning "land" or "place") was dropped, and the name in its shortened form, Mattatuck, came to be applied to the entire region afterward incorporated as the town of Waterbury. This territory embraces to-day the towns of Waterbury, Watertown, Plymouth, Thomaston, Naugatuck and Middlebury, a large part of Wolcott and Prospect, and portions of Oxford, Litchfield and Harwinton.
The Congregational churches of this region may without impropriety be designated "The Churches of Mattatuck," and this is the name assigned to them on the title-page of this volume. These churches, although scattered over so wide a field, and not all in close fellowship with one another, are brought into a well defined group by virtue of their common descent from the church organized at the centre of the ancient town in 1691. The aim of those who had charge of the bi-centenary of the original organization was to have this entire group of churches represented in the public services by their pastors.
The papers read by these pastors, and the addresses made by other speakers, are reproduced in full in the following pages. The addresses of those who spoke without manuscript were stenographically reported. Of the paper by the Rev. E.B. Hillard, of Conway, Mass., only a synopsis was given at the celebration. While histories have been published elsewhere, in pamphlet or book form, of the other older churches of the Waterbury group—Watertown, Wolcott and Naugatuck—no history of the church in Plymouth has hitherto appeared except in a series of articles in a local newspaper. As Plymouth is with one exception the eldest daughter and has been the most prolific of all, and as her record strikingly illustrates the painful process by which derivative churches and towns were brought into being in early Connecticut, it seems appropriate that Mr. Hillard's transcript of Plymouth history should be given in full.
In the service devoted to the derivative churches, two of three of those churches were not heard from. That Northfield had a place among the "grand-daughters" was a fact I was not aware of until after the celebration was over. The relation of Oxford to Waterbury I was not sure of. I have prepared (not without considerable labor) sketches of these churches, also of the church at Terryville and the little church at Reynolds Bridge, and for the sake of completeness have included them in this volume, where they may be found in their proper chronological order.
In preparing the various addresses and papers for the press I have added bibliographical and other notes which may be of service to those desiring to pursue still further the history of a church, a district or a period. I have also prefixed some historical memoranda, by the help of which the proper place of Waterbury in the early development of Connecticut may be definitely recognized, and have given a careful account of the bi-centennial celebration itself, reproducing therein the program of the entire series of services. Other matters connected more or less closely with the occasion are given as "addenda." The additions thus made— including a full index—constitute about one-fifth of the volume, and represent the earnest desire of the editor to give to it such completeness as was possible within prescribed limits. In this way may also be explained—in part at least—the long delay in the publication of the book.
In the public celebration, but little reference was made to those who have served as pastors of the First church since the death of Mark Leavenworth, and accordingly this record of that celebration contains only their names and the dates of their pastorates. Some of these men were undoubtedly as able and devoted, and as well worthy of commemoration, as those whose lives are here recorded. But the exigencies of the occasion were such that, although materials were not wanting, detailed accounts could not be presented. To complete the history of the mother church, even on the basis which the present compilation indicates, would require a second volume, giving biographies of the pastors of the present century and an accurate account of the relations of the church to our other churches and to the large and busy life of the Waterbury of to-day.
Joseph Anderson
Waterbury, May 4th, 1892
|
