It's Blooming in Bristol

Well the flowers have arrived and they're great this year. I hope the rain this weekend doesn't ruin them. Last week the kids were over for Poppy's birthday and they all enjoyed our new addition. His name is Koda and we got him 2 weeks ago. He is well behaved and great with the kids. he came with a collection of toys which he tosses around. He has chewed up several so far.

Its 9;45 pm and he's in the crate resting.

More Pieces to the Barnes Puzzle

I must say the Barnes family can be Linked to many prominent early families of Connecticut. I found this on line the other day and it not only helped to fill in some dates I didn't have, but added to some stories that I had come across earlier.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~khokkanen/hall/ives.htm
Take time to read about William,John and Gideon Ives. Gideon's son Elanthan
(spelled at least 3 ways so far) married our Abigail Frisbie whom I've mentioned
earlier.

I have one story about Gideon, related in a History of Bristol, being a great hunter and came to the Bristol area (then known as the West Woods) often.

His hunting companion was Capt. Jesse Gaylord (another name of our area) They were being stalked by an Indian who was taken aim one of them and the other man shot the Indian, who they buried in a swamp. The two families have different stories as to who shot the Indian. The story was never told until old age as not to cause an Indian attack. I think the real reason was they were from the New Haven colony and The west woods were part of Farmington.
I also found a great site that I need to explore, but haven't had time yet. It has info on Grandmother Ida Allen Barnes family. I have so many directions to go, but am fascinated by this local history.

Back to Litchfield,Milton and Washington, Connecticut

Today we traveled up to visit sites in Litchfield and Milton which is small village within Litchfield. We stopped first at a home Nancy had visited often as a little girl.The Morgans lived at the home which was dated 1882 and had the names Frank and Anne Barnes as the original owners. Now this will bear additional investigation as Nancy's GGrandfather was a Frank and his Mother was an Ann.

We traveled up the back roads to find the Milton village where Frank Monroe Barnes ran a store for a period in the late 1880's. it was his first venture from the Bristol/Burlington area. It was like stepping back in time, as it was very rural with very old authentic homes. I asked a local man (yes men do ask directions) about a possible store and he directed us back to the building shown. Its being lived in probably by rich out of staters. I would say by the style it was a feed and grain store with living quarters. It is listed with the National Registor of Historic Places. Its dated 1756.

We then traveled down to Washinton, Ct. to visit the gravesites there to verify dates and names. There are at least 4 generations there. I believe the Barnes are there though Katherine whose mother and father (Watts) are buried next to them.
The geo-tag for the Milton home of David Welch is Potash and Milton Rds.
41°46′13″N 73°15′59″W

Edward Frisbe Home Branford Ct.

Today we traveled to Branford, Ct to investagate another name in the Barnes line. Abigal Frisbie was the Great-granddaughter of Edward Frisbie. She married an Ives and their daughter married Wise Barnes and so that how we are connected. Its a great big puzzle that has not an edge nor a corner. This home is on U.S Rt 1 must have seen much since 1685. Edward's story is a long one as he is purported to have been born in Jamestown Virginia. I have much info if interested. We also were invited into a Capt. Frisbie's home down the street in Stonybrook, which I had gone to first and found it was the wrong home. He is probably indirectly related to us. Ben asked the lady "do you have any boys?" He's so charming I think that's how we got in.

Sherman & Monroe Barnes Home and Shop

Today I stopped by the site of the home and machine shop of Sherman (1793-1878) and Monroe (1823- a.1880) Barnes on Bradley St. in Burlington.
The remains of the shop are across the street from the home. You can see below the dam (not the original) large boulders along the stream and to the right that formed the foundation for the shop. The home across the street dates from about 1812. The section on the right being the original section.
The site is marked S.Barnes and Barnes Machine Shop on a 1855 map of Burlington, located at the town web site in the Library section under history. http://www.munic.state.ct.us/Burlington/burlington.htm
A later map from 1867 labels the home as Monroe Barnes. The home still stands in the Whigville section of Burlington. The village is so named after the Whig political party (later to become the Republican Party), because at one time all the households except one belonged to that party.

I've been thinking today on how I want to proceed with the blog, do I start with our mother's and father's or with the the 12th generation? So while I mull this over, I'd like to comment on the Fort Larrabee monument picture. I had said in the previous blog about not forgeting our past. This monument sits along a river in Maine, back along a trail through the woods, which my brother Jimmy found. It sits there almost forgotten as the world wizzes by up on Rt 1 or I 95.
Its thru the efforts of our ancestors that we enjoy todays freedoms.( those mentioned on the plaque are nephews of our 11th gen. ancestor)
I hope to find other records of their passing, whether a gravestone or a home.
One thing I've found amazing is that on the Barnes' side 5 generations from about 1750 to about 1900 lived within 2 miles of our home.