EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region’s history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.

Comfort Starr Mygatt (1763-1823) was a pivotal figure in the early development of Canfield. His life bridges the American Revolution and the westward expansion, marking him as a key builder of the community.

Born in Danbury, Connecticut, Mygatt served the American cause as a Fife Major during the Revolutionary War. He later reaffirmed his commitment to the new nation by serving as a corporal in the War of 1812. By trade, he was a silversmith, but he soon expanded into general merchandising.

Family life shaped his journey. In 1783, he married Lucy Knapp, with whom he had eight children.

After her death in 1804, he married Eleanor Stewart Stiles in 1805, with whom he had seven more children, creating a large and interconnected family.

In 1807, prompted by his son-in-law Elisha Whittlesey’s settlement in the region, Mygatt relocated his entire family from Danbury to Canfield.

He arrived not as a pioneer farmer, but as a seasoned merchant and capital investor. He immediately purchased village Lot 17 and formed the mercantile firm Mygatt, Canfield & Fitch. This enterprise became a commercial hub for the entire surrounding region, which was vital for a cash-poor economy that relied on barter.

Mygatt’s impact was immediate and physical. He constructed a large, two-story store on the main corner, a building that would later house early newspapers. In 1809, he built a spacious family home designed for hospitality, which long stood as a local landmark.

His influence extended beyond commerce. A dedicated Federalist, he represented Danbury in the Connecticut legislature and, in a notable moment, was offered an interim U.S. Senate seat by Ohio Gov. Samuel Huntington in 1809.

He declined, citing political differences with the state’s majority. During the War of 1812, he personally guaranteed funds for camp supplies for General Elijah Wadsworth’s campaign, demonstrating his commitment and financial standing.

Mygatt was a pillar of the Congregational Church, often conducting funeral services in the absence of a settled minister. A contemporary, Dr. Jackson Truesdale, noted that the three most prominent early settlers of Canfield were General Elijah Wadsworth, Elisha Whittlesey, and Comfort S. Mygatt, whom he called “the most prominent as an all around and every-day business man.”

His active life was cut short by typhus fever in October 1823, which he contracted after a trip to Columbus. He left behind a legacy not just in his numerous descendants, but in the commercial and civic foundations he helped lay for the growing community of Canfield.