The Collins Hotel in Straitsville (part of Rt 63, Naugatuck) served
as a stopping point for the stage coach line that traveled from
New Haven to Litchfield. Owner, Ahira Collins, and his staff were
very busy seeing to the needs of tired and hungry passengers. Collins
offered some of the finest food in the area, and his kettles were
always filled on the fires of the four brick ovens. Ahira was a
short, thickset person with a jovial disposition. He is remembered
not only for his food but for his famous fruit punch as well.
Stories abound about the Hotel, the Post Office there and the small
store Collins kept across the street. Two elderly sisters who lived
down the road were among his customers. The sisters’ dislike of
humans, especially men, led to their conducting business through
the use of signs. When they needed supplies, they wrote an order
and place it on their back porch with a blue flag in the yard as
a signal to the grocer to get the grocery list. The food was placed
on the porch steps, and one of the eccentric sisters would come
out to take it into the house.
Too romantic to be acceptable is another story concerning one of
the sisters. She had a lust for a handsome young husband in the
Revolutionary War. Supposedly, the husband was captured by Native
Americans and many long years later escaped to search the house
for his wife. He found the two sisters dead in each other’s arms
in an empty house.
Collins is noted for being something of a practical joker but had
the tables turned on him by one of his patrons. On one occasion,
a traveler had a meal for which he complained of the charge, saying
that it was only “pork and beans.” However, he settled the bill
and went on his way. A few days later, Collins received a letter
for which, as was usual in those days, he paid 25 cents in postage.
Inside, without a signature, was a simple message: “Pork and Beans.”
This happened a second time, but when a third letter arrived, Collins
finally refused to accept it.
After 30 years of seeming prosperity, people thought that Collins
was a wealthy man, ready to retire from business. To the surprise
of all, he went into bankruptcy which was caused in large part by
his three sons, Oscar, Orville and Sheldon. They were adverse to
working, and spent their father’s money on sports, women and strong
toddy. Collins was forced to retire and died a poor man.
Taken from the February/March
2008 issue of the NHS Newsletter
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