We’ve noticed many references to “Clay Hill” or “Clay Hill Rd” as we research land titles or peruse newspapers in the 1800s and 1900s. What is Clay Hill? The clipping sfrom 1800s newspapers have some clues. Let’s follow the mystery to its answer:

Mr Town’s Shop must be near the corner of Town Hill Rd and Main St. Could Main Street refer to CLAY HILL? The deep snow is impressive even then on April 12 1862.

W M Noyes is selling his house on CLAY HILL. It is a distance from the Union School House which was where the Elementary School is. He says the house is opposite the Hospital. Since the Heaton Hospital was not built yet this must refer to the Sloan Civil War Hospital which was the original set of buildings at the current College Green from around 1864 to 1866. I could imagine that without trees obscuring the view Noyes could look down College Street to it from his house on Main Street. CLAY HILL?

And here is the first of several accidents on Clay Hill! Luckily Chaplain Webster survived.

So it seems CLAY HILL is steep! Our current Main Street is all up hill for quite awhile. OR down hill. The Dudley’s suffered!

So this farm for sale by PD Humphrey seems to be ON Clay Hill Rd. We’ve researched that farm and it was settled quite early by Captain Lemuel Brooks and his wife Rhoda about a mile off the current County Rd on Cummings Rd. The land has been absorbed into the current Morse Farm, making use of the “sugar orchard”.

Oh! Here is mention of CLAY HILL, but also of a Brick Yard being built by Pitkin, Lane and Brock! It’s a 50 by 60 foot brick Foundry, which must mean a kiln? The plot thickens. There is a brick yard marked on the 1853 MS 1858

And here is a parade. Quite a lot of action on CLAY HILL.