TRAGEDY STRIKES THE TOWN
Candles were also home made. One important day in each year was candle-dipping day. These had all to be dipped by hand, a long and tedious process. Later molds were produced, which helped to shorten the task.
Another essential commodity found in each household was the barrel of soft soap. This was made by the housewife, would last for a long time, and was used for all ordinary cleaning purposes.
In a manuscript entitled ''History of the Old, Red House," written by Henry L. Woodruff in 1884, we are given a description of an early farm house and the buildings which made up the complete outfit. This house stood at the corner of Old Tavern Road and Lambert Road. It was built about 1775 by Matthew Woodruff, and was destroyed by fire on July 10, 1883. The cellar hole may still be found on the southwest corner of Corbin's hill.
''Directly south across the road stood the gigantic barn, of unknown age, surrounded on three sides by the necessary out buildings. A little to the east, and on the rise of the knoll, on a line with the house, stood the massive two story cider-mill, and just beyond, in a little depression, under the shelter of the hill, was the flax mill. Altogether a group of farm buildings, which for style, convenience, and amplitude, were not excelled by any in town. The red house was forty feet front and thirty-two feet, rear, with a chimney twelve by thirteen feet square[.] The barn was undoubtedly much older than the house. It was said that the timber was cut from the forest immediately adjoining and that the settlers came up from Milford, bringing their rifles with them as a means of defense against the Indians, while they were at work.
''Nearly every farm included the cultivation of flax, which was a necessity in the manufacture of cloth. When it was fully ripe, the flax was pulled up by the roots and spread thinly and evenly in rows on the ground, and thus left exposed for some weeds in order to rot the central woody stalk, so that it could be broken up and separated from the back, or fibre. Then it was gathered into bundles and carried to the flax house, where was the rude, special
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