The moose deer were common, and panthers prowled around ; the last panther seen in South Salem was shot by Hezekiah, a son of Mr. Ruscoe, when a boy, in the vicinity of his home. The sons of Mr. T. Ruscoe were Theophilus, Gamaliel, and John, who was baptized by the Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee, 26th of April, 1780, together with his sister Abigail. * Hezekiah married Sally Dean, and left issue, besides two other sons and three daughters, Mr. Silas Ruscoe, a vestryman of St. John's church, Lewisboro.
Close to the residence of Mr. William E. Knapp is the best entrance to Lake Peppeneghek or Cross Pond, a beautiful sheet of water covering ninety-seven acres of ground, fed entirely by perpetual cold ice springs and charming rivulets from the highlands of Harahames and Asoquatah. The water commissioners of New York are now employing a large force of men in deepening the outlet of the lake and constructing a fume with a view of increasing the annual flow of water into the croton reservoir and renewing the supply if necessary. The lake during the fall of 1876 yielded twenty-two millions of gallons for the croton supply. The shores of Lake Peppeneghek are almost bordered with high hills covered with hanging woods which reach down to the water's edge. Pickerel and other fresh water fish abound here. A short distance to the south lies Lake Asoquatah, or Trinity Lake, that supplies the town of Stamford with water ; near the Welton angle or monument in the south-east corner of the town, is Vista -- a pretty settlement on the New Canaan road. Here is a post-office, two churches, shoe manufactory of Eleazer Fancher&Co., and several dwellings, and a Methodist Episcopal church was erected on land given by Mr. Michael Ruscoe.