The winter of 1895 was brutal, with below zero temperatures, high winds and 10 inches of ice on rivers and lakes.
Thomas Lecount, a grocer in Niantic, wanted to move his summer house from the south shore of Gardner Lake in Salem to the land he owned on the east shore. A contractor from Norwich named Woodmansee was hired to move the house.
Because it was less expensive to move the house over the ice, rather than traveling on the road, Woodmansee decided to take the house over the frozen lake. Paths were shoveled, horses and cables were brought in, a crew of men was assigned. The work began Feb. 13, 1895. About three-quarters of the way across the lake, the 28-ton house, sitting on skids or runners, slid into a snow bank.
It was getting dark, so the workers decided to wait until morning to dislodge the house and finish the job. It was an unfortunate choice.
The Falls Mill in Norwich had water rights to the lake. Oblivious to the house-moving venture, overnight it drained substantial amounts of water at the dam, creating space between the ice and the water.
This weakened the ice. By morning, the house had broken through. Efforts to save it were futile, and the house rested in about 15 feet of water. Eventually, it sank deeper into the mud until it disappeared.
Popular legend says the house took years to settle, and skaters and swimmers enjoyed the visible top half of the house above the water.
In recent years divers have explored the sunken house, retrieving pieces of pottery, a door, a shotgun and shingles from the roof.
Gardner Lake has one other distinction. Near the middle of the lake is Connecticut’s smallest park — Minnie Island — which is less than an acre in size and named for a niece of Orramel Whittelsey, the founder of Salem’s Music Vale Seminary and Normal Academy of Music.
——————————————————————–
Some say Adams Tavern began as a trading outpost in 1647, 12 years before Norwich was incorporated. Others say it started as a beaver hat shop in 1780. The date of origin remains a mystery.
Adams Tavern stood just west of the present Sholes Avenue until 1993. Mark Howard, a professional restorer of old buildings from North Stonington, learned the building was going to be destroyed. The decision to demolish it happened after the city failed to raise enough money to keep the historic building intact.
Howard decided to rescue the building. He bought it and over a period of four months carefully dismantled it. It required numbering each 800-pound oak beam, wall and weather board and collecting each brick and nail.
His original goal was to reconstruct the building as his home on his farm in North Stonington. But that didn’t happen. He bought a 1773 saltbox for his house instead.
Howard had dismantled many buildings and his efforts showed that this Norwich gem was in superb condition. His 12-hour days of toil also convinced him the tavern probably had been built in the 1600s. Its framing had no sheathing under the clapboard and the clapboard itself had been hand-split, all practices Howard said were from the 1600s.
He also estimated the bricks used in the construction were made in early 17th -century England and were used as ballast aboard ships that transported some of the first colonists to America. He also believed the nails used in the construction originated in England.
1647 not 1780
All these clues convinced Howard that Adams Tavern had been built around 1647, despite other historians and experts putting the date at 1780.
When the tavern was a beaver hat shop in 1780, its manager or owner was Aaron Cleveland, great-grandfather of President Grover Cleveland. Aaron Cleveland was a member of Connecticut’s Legislature and the first lawmaker in America to introduce a bill abolishing slavery.
More than 300 people responded to a Yankee Magazine article advertising Mark Howard’s dismantled building. It was finally acquired by Gary Egloff, an investment banker from Stamford and lover of Colonial architecture.
As it turned out, Egloff was unable to rebuild the tavern and sold it to someone in rural Vermont who had hoped to reassemble it on his property.
At this writing, it is unclear whether the former tavern has seen the light of day or ever will again.
——————————————————————–
Norwich made many contributions to World War I.
Connecticut factories began production of arms and munitions before America declared war in April 1917. The war in Europe had begun in July 1914. Munitions were probably Connecticut’s most significant contribution to the war effort, historians say.
But Connecticut began mobilizing troops a month before war was declared. Twenty thousand Connecticut men enlisted in The Home Guard, which was established to defend the state’s industries, considered crucial to the war effort. New London County had three infantry companies and one machine gun company.
Nationally, Liberty bonds were sold to help finance the war. Connecticut purchased more bonds than any other state.
On the home front, communities conducted meatless and sugarless days to ensure overseas troops had enough to eat. Victory gardens were planted on lawns across the country, with 1,200 in Norwich alone.
General Pershing
The leader of American forces in Europe was Gen. John J. Pershing. He introduced air power and tanks to warfare. Planes first were used as intelligence tools, then as fighters and finally as bombers.
In Norwich, Hopkins and Allen manufactured rifles and bayonets; the Marlin-Rockwell Co. sent nearly 120,000 Mauser rifles to Belgium. According to “Twentieth Century Norwich,” Marlin-Rockwell made half of the country’s guns for airplanes, plus Browning machine guns.
Yankee Division
Then there was the outstanding Yankee Division, with many members from Norwich who returned home after 18 months in combat.
Forty-seven men from Norwich died in the war.
And then there is Dr. Ier Jay Manwaring.
Born in Montville in 1872, she lived in the East Great Plain section of Norwich and her early education included Broadway School, East Greenwich Academy in Rhode Island and Mary Baldwin College in Virginia.
She earned a degree at Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia in 1895 and became one of the first female medical doctors in Norwich, quickly establishing a successful practice.
When America entered World War I, Manwaring joined the American Women’s Hospital Corps, and went to France, where she eventually took charge of a hospital.
That makes her the first woman doctor to go overseas in an international conflict. She remained there for 14 months until the war ended before returning to her practice in Norwich.
——————————————————————–
The Sons of Liberty met all over the Colonies to get the latest news, make speeches and work to repeal all restrictions placed on them by the British.
Often, they met on a town green near or under what was called a liberty tree, even if the tree was really only a lofty pole.
The Sons of Liberty movement started more than a decade prior to the Revolutionary War.
Other activities included burning effigies of British officials and tar-and-feathering.
Some of the real liberty trees were cut down by Loyalists, who then used the lumber for firewood.
In Acton, Mass., the Sons of Liberty had an elm designated as their tree, and it lived until 1925, when it was replaced by a Norway maple.
Some trees, such as the one in Woburn, Mass., were erected on private land.
Liberty poles often were erected in town squares. Among the places that boasted them were Concord, Mass.; Newport, R.I.; Savannah, Ga.; and Englewood, N.J.
Norwich’s pole on the Norwichtown green was decorated with ribbons, other colorful items and a cap on top.
From the basic idea of liberty trees, flags were designed with a white background and a prominent green pine tree. Horizontal green borders ran across the top and bottom of the flags.
Some of those same flags can be seen in various battle scenes of the war.
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1764. It required anyone buying any type of paper to purchase a certifying stamp from Britain. England had already limited the number of paper mills in the Colonies, making the procurement of any kind of paper more difficult.
In Connecticut, Gov. Thomas Fitch agreed with England’s actions regarding the Stamp Act and called his council together for an oath ceremony. Seven of the 11 members, including Hezekiah and Jabez Huntington, of Norwich, refused to witness a ceremony so offensive.
In 1765, Maj. John Durkee, of Bean Hill, took command of a large group of Sons of Liberty from Norwich and surrounding towns, whose express effort was to prevent the distribution of the stamps in Connecticut.
They traveled, overtaking Jared Ingersoll, the Royal Stamp distributor, on his way to Hartford’s Assembly, and demanded his resignation.
He resisted but finally resigned in Hartford, saying “It’s not worth dying for.”
Thomas Jefferson once told a group gathered in Congress, “The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766.
Norwich held a town meeting Dec. 14, 1767, voting not to import or purchase products produced outside of North America.
Frances Caulkins, in her book “The History of Norwich Connecticut,” wrote, “No bolder spirit was manifested in Boston than in Norwich.
——————————————————————–
Harry S. Truman was a combat veteran of World War I, and his early career experience was as a farmer and a businessman.
Yet presidential historians now generally agree that as president, Truman probably made as many important decisions as any president before him, or more. But he came close to losing his only pure presidential election by the American people.
Truman, as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president, moved to the Oval Office when Roosevelt died in office in April 1945. Truman’s became the last president without a college education.
The presidential campaign in 1948 pitted Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey against Truman.
In the spring of 1948, Truman began his now famous Whistle Stop Tour of rural America, in which his speeches at each stop were made from the back of the caboose on his campaign train.
When his train stopped in Norwich, a large, enthusiastic crowd gathered and was told by the president that if the Republicans were to win the election, the country would go into a deep economic depression.
The crowd began a most familiar chant, yelling, “Give ’em hell, Harry!”
As exciting as that encouragement was to the unflappable commander-in-chief, his wife, Bess, had told him earlier that she had her doubts about his winning the race. His own staff believed the tour would be his “last hurrah.”
The only one who thought he could win was Truman himself.
In the final weeks of the campaign, two short newsreel-like films in support of the two candidates were played in movie theaters. Truman’s film had been hastily put together with little money, but somehow, it reinforced the image of Truman as engaged, decisive and presidential.
On the other hand, Dewey’s film, much more elaborate, cast him as being aloof and distant.
Years later, historian David McCullough wrote that the Truman film was an important factor in obtaining the votes of undecided voters. Truman won the election.
In office, Truman projected a lackluster image, but as the decades flew by, his standing increased so that today he is remembered by many historians as one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century.
Some little-known facts:
——————————————————————–
It stands proudly today where it stood more than 51 years ago, at 310 Franklin St. in Norwich.
It’s grown quite a bit since it played a dramatic role in the history of the Rose City.
It was March 6, 1963, when the Spaulding Pond Dam at Mohegan Park burst.
A wall of water exploded in its forward thrust following a natural gravity flow, shattering through a number of streets and into downtown Norwich.
Some of the streets affected by the rush of the water’s downward flight presented an almost ghoulish set of designations, such as Lake, Pond and Brook streets as well as Spaulding Street.
On its fateful trail, the raging water slammed into the Turner-Stanton Mill on the corner of Broad Street and Boswell Avenue.
Hearing a verbal warning, Tom Moody, Sr. and his family at 55 Lake St., along with Tony Orsini, a teenaged neighbor, quickly loaded up the Moody’s family car.
But when they got to the Lake Street playground, the automobile was “tossed” by the force of the water onto a roof below. It was there that Tom’s wife, Margaret, (Honey), was sadly swept away by the relentless water.
The surviving quintet moved through the water to a nearby young sugar maple tree and perched themselves in the V part of the sapling.
After an hour or so, the family and Orsini were rescued from the tree and were brought to the hospital by first responders.
The city began to assess the flood’s damage. Aside from the obvious destruction, six people lost their lives in the catastrophe.
A permanent monument to those lost was unveiled at Mohegan Park in 2006. Thomas Moody Jr., who was 4 at the time of the flood, wrote a book about the event and its effect on his family and the city itself that was published in 2013. Its title is “A Swift and Deadly Maelstrom: The Great Norwich Flood of 1963, A Survivor’s Story.”
Moody is a nuclear power plant supervisor in Texas.
In the meantime, the little sapling, now much bigger, has been listed in the Connecticut College Notable Tree Database.
The tree is now called A Tree of Life and is a living symbol of the Great Norwich Flood of 1963.
At 10 a.m. on July 26, a plaque will be placed near the tree at 299 Franklin St. with appropriate ceremonies.
The observance will include the singing of an original song by Tom Callinan, Connecticut’s first official state troubadour, titled “Norwich’s Lifesaving Tree.”
——————————————————————–
When, in our history would they ever need a substitute for the first lady? When an elected U.S. president was either a bachelor or a widower, a “pinch hitter” would need to step in. Also, if the wife of a president becomes unavailable for her unofficial duties, a stand-in could temporarily take her place.
That’s exactly what happened when President John Tyler’s wife, Letitia, became ill. She had the dubious honor of being the first president’s wife to die in the White House. Tyler’s daughter-in- law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler, assumed White House obligations during that difficult time.
Before the American Civil War, President James Buchanan, who was unmarried, recruited his niece, Harriet Lane, to fill the role of first lady.
Other substitute first ladies include Martha Jefferson Randolph during Jefferson’s presidency (he had been a widower for 19 years when he became president), Emily Donelson and Sarah Yorke Jackson during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, Mary Elizabeth Bliss during Zackary Taylor’s presidency, and Mary Harrison Mckee during Benjamin Harrison’s presidency.
Angelica Van Buren, that president’s daughter-in-law and Mary Arthur, that president’s sister, also served as hostesses.
As many know, the first lady position carries no official duties. Still, their roles have been most important to their respective presidents. Each has been the closest ally to their presidents as sounding boards.
Potential first ladies can influence voters prior to elections. They can speak on campaign issues and about the candidate’s accomplishments. First ladies can reword speeches into simple language, advise the president about women’s issues and assist in fund raising.
Robert Watson is an American studies professor at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. He has made a study on this topic and says it has been some time since a sitting president has been without a first lady. The most recent one was Woodrow Wilson, a century ago. Wilson’s wife died while he was in office and years later, he remarried. In the interim, the president’s two daughters served as White House hostesses.
Anita McBride, director of American University’s first ladies’ program, verifies Watson’s facts and adds that first ladies often fill in for the president and use their positions for the good of the country. McBride was Laura Bush’s chief of staff and speaks from personal knowledge. When Laura Bush delivered a keynote address at the 2000 Republican Convention, she received national attention.
After the American Civil War, Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms as president. During his first term he was unmarried and his sister, Rose, substituted as first lady. After his marriage to Frances Folsom, she assumed the role of first lady in Cleveland’s second term.
Cleveland’s great grandfather, Aaron, lived in Norwich most of his life. His grandfather, William, lived on the outskirts of Norwich most of his life and the president’s father, Richard, was born in Norwich.
Norwich native Edith Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s wife, sewed for the needy during her husband’s time in the White House. First Lady Jackie Kennedy once joked that the phrase “first lady” sounded like the name of a prize saddle horse.
——————————————————————–
Most of us count two remarkable men among the most famous inventors in our history. They are Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Alva Edison.
There were perhaps hundreds of other creative geniuses we never read about in our youth.
Today’s column is about one of those other important inventors in our nation’s history.
Emile Berliner was an immigrant from Germany. We are familiar with Edison’s attempts to design a consumer sound or music device for popular use. Edison had invented a tin foil phonograph in 1877. The word phonograph must be credited to him; it was his trade name for the machine which played recorded sounds from round cylinders.
But the sound quality was less than desired, plus each recording lasted for only one play.
Bell’s efforts with his graphophone using wax cylinders could be played many times, but each cylinder had to be recorded separately, making mass production of his product impossible.
Berliner was working in Washington, D.C. It was he, who, on Nov. 8, 1887, patented a valid system of sound recording. He was the first successful inventor to cease recording on cylinders and begin recording on flat disks or records.
Those early records were made of glass, then, in time, made of zinc, and eventually plastic.
His disks could be mass produced and, indeed, Berliner founded his gramophone company, which manufactured his records as well as the machine which played them. The creative inventor then launched two iconic promotional strategies in order to move forward on his master plan.
First, he persuaded popular musical artists of the day to use his system to record their music. Enrico Caruso and Dame Nellie Melba were the earliest performers to take advantage of Berliner’s new innovation. There would be others.
His next idea was to adopt an official trademark for his company, which he did in 1908.
Berliner was aware of an artist by the name of Francis Barraud who had earlier painted a dog listening to his master’s voice being played from a gramophone. The terrier’s name was Nipper and an image of Nipper became Berliner’s trademark for his product.
A caption contest was won by a British man named Ralph Mountain who had submitted the now iconic phrase, “His Master’s Voice.”
The image of the dog and gramophone was printed on envelopes, advertising, catalogs and invoices and it became one of the most well-known trademarks in the world, still in use today.
In 1901, Berliner and a partner founded The Victor Talking Machine Co.
In downtown Norwich during the end of the 19th century, into the turn of the 20th century, talking machines became “the rage.” While Eastern Connecticut’s largest department store, Plaut-Cadden, in Norwich, certainly had the largest assortment of talking machines, there was even a store a little later in downtown Norwich called The Talking Machine Shop right on Franklin Street. A large image of Nipper was used in the store’s promotional materials.
Berliner, in time, was also instrumental in inventing a microphone used as a telephone speech transmitter, a radial aircraft engine, a helicopter and acoustical tiles, among other inventions.
Berliner was lauded by Herbert Hoover as “an inventive genius.” Does this native of Germany belong in our history books for young people to study? You decide.
——————————————————————–
After World War I there was a popular form of entertainment which began in the early 1920s. Former pilots who had perfected their flying skills in the service were able to purchase army surplus planes such as the JN4, affectionately called Jenny.
An ex-pilot could own a Jenny for a small amount of money and travel around the country giving rides to people for a small fee.
It started quite informally when a pilot would see a farmer’s field and land his plane near an adjacent barn. He would ask the farmer if he could use the field for his base of operations and store his plane in the farmer’s barn.
The pilot would then buzz the small village, dropping handbills from the air to interest folks who would like a ride in his plane.
At that time, most people had never seen a plane, much less up close or been given a chance to ride in one.
Some of the ex-pilots would also do a few tricks in the air for any audience in addition to the ride opportunities. Because of the circumstances, those pilots became known as barnstormers. The farmer’s barn soon played a secondary role to the more active theater in the sky.
In time, the possibilities broadened for the aerialists who would bring a friend so that audiences could see a prepared show of daredevil stunts in addition to getting a ride. The stunts included spins, dives, loop-the-loops and barrel rolls. Stories are still told how small villages would shut down as the whole town trotted out to the field to attend a show. Things became more sophisticated when these flying circuses would employ an advance man or promoter to book shows in towns ahead of time. This was not unlike what carnivals do today.
A number of well-known people were once barnstormers, including Mable Cody, Buffalo Bill’s niece, a remarkable acrobat and star of her own flying circus. Charles Lindbergh once barnstormed with a Jenny prior to his history-making solo flight across the Atlantic.
Among the most famous flying circuses were The Five Blackbirds, an all African-American group and also the Gates Flying Circus, which boasted that they drew crowds of 30,000 spectators to each of its performances.
Today, the Breitling Jet Team and Wingwalkers still thrill audiences around the world.
Then there was Edson F. Gallaudet, born in 1871 in Washington, District of Columbia, who eventually earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
In 1908, he worked for the New England Refrigerator Co. in Norwich. It was there that he founded The Gallaudet Engineering Co. and built his first airplane one year later. He died in 1945 in Pine Orchard, Connecticut, near Branford.
He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford where former barnstormers and aviators are also buried.
As competitions took place among troupes, the barnstorming risks became greater causing a rash of accidents. The implementation of new and better safety regulations along with increased insurance rates eventually spelled the end of the old barnstorming shows.
Even though the barnstormers of an earlier time are pretty much gone, there are still a handful of small airports around the country which offer open cockpit biplane rides to the public in restored vintage aircraft or at least reproductions of them.
——————————————————————–
Folk lore abides in Eastern Connecticut as the following two narratives testify. They are among your columnist’s favorites.
Our first story takes place at the Yantic Cemetery on Lafayette Street near The William W. Backus Hospital. Visitors notice a crouching statue of a woman holding either a rose, a Bible or a rosary, based on testimony, depending on the day of observation and the time of day. She is constructed of bronze and seems to be wearing a blue gown, crouching there for more than 120 years. The Blue Lady, as she is known locally, is crouching over the tomb of Sarah Larned Osgood, a well-known woman in Norwich history. Her husband had been the mayor of the Rose City.
Unfortunately, about six years ago, the Blue Lady was stolen, cut into pieces and sold as scrap metal. The statue’s head was later discovered in a vacant lot near Willimantic.
Excellent police work led to the arrest of the thieves and, in time, all the stolen pieces were recovered. A specialist put the statue together again and now the Blue Lady continues her vigil over the Osgood grave.
The cemetery entrance is on Lafayette Street, which was not the street’s original name. It was named Mill Street for the various mills along and at the end of the street. It seems that General Lafayette, who came through Norwich a number of times, had learned that a French family lived on Mill Street and he visited there.
Town fathers eventually honored the Revolutionary War hero by naming the street after the general.
Our second incident regards a small island in Fisher’s Island Sound, named Rhodes’ Folly. It lies just off the town of Stonington. Both the name and its unusual beginnings are worth a mention in our column about folklore.
After the American Revolution, the borders of three states – Rhode Island, New York and Connecticut – met on that island. That fact attracted businessman James Rhodes, who purchased the island in 1785.
At that time, prohibition was in effect and his plan was to sell liquor to passing sailors, without being prosecuted.
Proceeding with his plan, he constructed a large saloon just on the spot where the three state lines came together. In the event he was to be visited by officers from Connecticut, Rhodes could quickly transfer his transactions, chairs and tables a few feet away to the Rhode Island side of the large saloon where he would be free from arrest.
This deception and fraud continued as Rhodes, now pretty smug, figured he had purchased a goldmine, with the seemingly endless maritime traffic passing by.
Hundreds of thirsty seamen visited the saloon. But eventually authorities found a way to end his illegal shenanigans. The prohibition agents from all three states organized and came through all doors of the saloon at the same time. That ended his project dramatically.
Now you know why the island is called Rhodes’ Folly.
——————————————————————–
The question was asked recently, “Is it true they once put a church on top of the rocks in Norwichtown, and if so, why?
To answer that question, we must take into consideration what was going on when that happened.
In the 1650s, when Norwich was first being settled, there were 35 English settlers. Once the first priority, living quarters, had been taken care of, citizens turned their attention to worshiping God.
A few of the talented carpenters hastily dashed together a relatively small meeting house near the southwest corner of what is now the Norwichtown Green, known then as the town plot. The structure was primitive and after a few years it had to be re-done. That was in 1673.
It’s important to remember that in those early years, the average citizen feared two things: Savages and wild animals.
Because they didn’t want to be attacked by unfriendly Indians while they worshiped, town leaders made a decision. They would build what they called a “new meeting house” with an advantage. Building it up on the rocks (now Meeting House Rocks) would reduce the opportunity of an Indian attack, especially with armed sentries on guard.
They also realized the new building on the rocks could also serve as a watchtower or an arsenal of sorts.
So, they built the meeting house on the rocks. And as time went on elderly citizens began to complain about the climb to church every week.
But climb they did. Eventually that first meeting house, a little closer to heaven than the one on the green, had to be replaced. The second one was also built on the rocks.
But when it came time to replace it a third time, the threat of hostile Indians had subsided, so it was no longer necessary to worship “on the rocks.”
The next house of prayer was constructed down in the same corner of the green.
Part of the history of the church on the green involves at least one fire but that’s a story for another day.
Once the Chelsea area of Norwich near the harbor was settled, it was not unusual for the women who lived there to walk the two miles to Norwichtown green. During the period of worship on the rocks, the area around the green had been commercially developing.
So had the area on nearby Bean Hill.
That’s why the Chelsea ladies were willing to make the four-mile round trip. There were items to purchase such as ribbons, laces, London dolls, mourning crapes, buttons and thread.
In 1973, the Norwichtown Green and east of it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This was the earliest settlement of Norwich in 1659.
Because of the tremendous growth of the urban center at Chelsea, the old town center became officially designated as Norwichtown in 1784 and remains so to this day.
——————————————————————–
His real name was William Frederick Cody, but most people knew him by his more fanciful name, Buffalo Bill.
Buffalo Bill visited Norwich on July 2, 1907. Accompanying this article is a photo of him with a small entourage at a solemn dedication of the Uncas Monument on Sachem Street. A duplication of the photo is on the cover of the late Bill Stanley’s last publication titled “Historic Sites of Norwich from the Beginning.”
The other reason Cody was in Norwich that day was for a presentation of historical re-enactments in one of his Wild West shows.
The more than two-hour entertainment included buffalo hunting, a train robbery, wagon trains, rifle skills, horse roping, bull whip demonstrations, stunt riders, Native American dances, gunfights, a stagecoach attack, train holdups and rodeo events.
One of the most impressive presentations was the Congress of Rough Riders. The line of horsemen formed a parade of marksmen from around the world. On occasion, one of the riders was none other than the future president of the U.S., Theodore Roosevelt.
Audiences world-wide particularly enjoyed seeing, in person, western personalities they had only read about. These, at times, included Will Rogers, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Frank Butler and Calamity Jane.
Western historians have estimated that internationally, from 1883 to the show’s last performance in 1913, more than 100,000,000 people had seen Cody’s shows. Those same historians generally agree that no one created the American cowboy as Cody did.
As many people know, Cody had been a Pony Express rider, Civil War soldier, gun fighter, and during the Plains War, chief of scouts. Once he founded his show, dozens of imitation shows followed. But Cody’s Wild West shows were extremely popular. In 1899 alone, the show covered 11,000 miles.
The myths of the Wild West were aided by dime novels, paintings, pulp magazines and sculptures.
Of all the writers of dime novels, one stands out as producing more of them than any other individual. Ned Buntline, an American writer and publisher, wrote dozens of western yarns.
He had been writing for weekly newspapers and in that connection, began a lecture tour. It was then that he encountered William F. Cody. Traveling with the western legend, Buntline became enamored with Cody’s personality and, in 1869 began a serial novel titled “Buffalo Bill, the King of the Border Men.” The public also loved Buntline’s thrilling tale written about Cody called “The Scout of the Plains.”
By 1872, Buntline also wrote a play about and starring Buffalo Bill. It took some real persuasion on Buntline’s part to convince Cody to be involved in the project. But Cody gradually felt at home developing his talent as a showman. This was technically the inspiration of Cody’s later “Wild West Shows.”
As a result of his varied talents, Buntline became one of the wealthiest authors in America and was, at one time, the country’s top literary money earner. At his death in 1886, at 63, Buntline had written more than 400 novels, short stories and print articles.
And as for Bill Cody, he gave the world a last look at the fading American frontier. Western films in the first half of the 20th century filled the gap left behind by the Wild West shows.
——————————————————————–
The “other” name for Norwich, “The Rose of New England” apparently originated or, at least was perpetuated, by more than one person.
Here’s the story. During the early 1850s, Henry B. Norton, a very successful Norwich businessman, was returning from abroad on an ocean liner and during the trip, he had made the acquaintance of the well-known Henry Ward Beecher. Norton was president of the Norwich and New York Transportation Company, while Beecher was a prominent clergyman and abolitionist who supported women’s suffrage and other social reforms.
Beecher was, at the time, a contributor to the New York Independent Weekly Magazine. Following the trip, he spent a day in Norwich with Norton and they had visited the greenhouse located at the foot of Norwich’s Rose Garden on Slater Avenue. Impressed with what he saw, Beecher decided to write a letter to the New York publication and also a follow-up note calling Norwich, “The Rose of New England.”
A few years later, Edward T. Clapp, a Norwich official, being impressed with the beauty of the phrase itself, had it spelled out on an immense cloth-like banner attached to an arch across Broadway during Norwich’s 200th anniversary in 1859. (A later banner was created by Norwich artist Henry V. Edmund for the 300th anniversary of the city in 1959.)
Apparently, in the minutes of the “Committee on Decorations” planning that 1859 event, we find that in searching for a worthy and appropriate designation for the town, Chairman James Lloyd Green told his committee, “Well, she is a rose anyway!” Edward T. Clapp, a committee member, responded with “Yes, Norwich is the Rose of New England!”
The suggested designation was accepted by a unanimous vote and on an arch, under which the parade procession marched on Broadway, near Broad Street in 1859, was inscribed the memorable words, “Norwich, the Rose of New England.”
So much for the general period when Norwich celebrated its 200th anniversary celebration.
By the way, Norwich’s special guest at that 1859 commemoration was none other than President William Howard Taft.
Just to let readers know of what was happening around the world at that time and to put this story in its proper context, here for your clarification are a few reminders. (These events are from the general time of Norwich’s celebration but not specific to the exact date.)
– The first passenger elevator in the United States was patented.
– The first Pullman sleeping car was put into service.
– The first electric range was patented.
– John Brown conducted his raid at Harper’s Ferry, Va.
– Ground was broken for the Suez Canal.
– The immense clock, “Big Ben” rang out in London for the first time.
– Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” was published.
– Benjamin Henry perfected his “Henry Rifle.”
– Wagon trains had started their journey from Missouri to California. The trip was about two thousand miles, and yes, each night the group circled their wagons, but only for shelter from extreme weather, and to keep their animals from running away!
– A year after Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber, Stephen Perry patented the rubber band!
——————————————————————–
Margaret Louise Coit was born in Norwich on May 30, 1919, to Archa W. Coit and Grace Coit.
Her father was a stockbroker and her mother principal of a private day school.
Her parents had no idea then what prestige would come to their first-born daughter.
When Coit was 10, the family moved to Greensboro, N.C., where she attended Curry School, which was where the University of North Carolina now stands.
After graduating in 1937, she attended Woman’s College where she edited the college magazine, wrote for the school paper and graduated in 1941.
Coit worked as a reporter for various newspapers in Massachusetts, including the Lawrence Daily Eagle, Newburyport Daily News and the Haverville Gazette.
During the 1940s, Coit researched South Carolina statesman John C. Calhoun, a figure she had admired since childhood. The result was the biography “John C. Calhoun, American Portrait,” for which Coit won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
Later, she worked as a visiting writer and professor at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and also The University of Colorado. At the same time, she was writing articles and reviews for such popular publications as Look magazine, the Saturday Review, The Nation and American Heritage.
She researched and produced the biography titled “Mr. Baruch” in 1957. Bernard M. Baruch was an American financier, stock investor, philanthropist, statesman and political consultant. He advised Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt on economic matters.
In 1959, Coit received an honorary Doctor of Letters from her alma mater, Woman’s College.
During the 1960s, she varied her output of writings and was successful writing non-fiction historical children’s books, including the 1961 thriller, “The Fight for Union.” The book earned her the prestigious Thomas Edison Award.
She also wrote, during this period, “Andrew Jackson” and “Massachusetts.”
Coit published material for the Time-Life series, including “The Growing Years: 1789-1829,” and “The Sweep Westward,” both in 1963.
For a limited time she went on public speaking tour in the United Kingdom. Later, she edited “Calhoun: Great Lives Observed.”
In 1978, Coit married politician Albert Elwell, whom she’d met 24 years earlier.
In spite of her busy writing career, she still found time to teach at Bunker Hill Community College. In addition, Coit attended a number of Writer Conferences.
She had a lifelong interest in the history and culture of the American South and of New England.
Coit refused to write biographies of living people, turning down a number of opportunities. She always regretted not accepting an invitation to write the life story of Eleanor Roosevelt, because Coit admired the first lady.
Coit was most interested in her family history, and other literary persons, including Robert Frost.
When she died in 2003, her obituary listed her as a historian, a journalist and college professor.
Her official “papers” after her death, which she had personally organized, included newspaper clippings, letters, manuscripts, editorials, personal notes, official documents, photographs, printed materials, diaries, scrapbooks and audio recordings.
A special file contained her personal correspondences during her lifetime. They included letters from Robert F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Felix Frankfurter and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Also found among her official documents were her diplomas and her birth certificate proudly declaring her birth in Norwich.
——————————————————————–
International Museum Day is celebrated each year around the world; this year it is observed on (or around) May 18. The holiday itself was created in 1977, encouraging people to visit museums, because millions of people with direct access to museums have never visited one.
The holiday reminds us that less than a mile from where The Bulletin is produced, the Slater Museum sits on the Norwich Free Academy campus. The museum, also known as the J.F. Slater Museum, was opened in 1888, 32 years after the secondary school itself was founded.
But we are slightly ahead of our story. To begin, we must start with John Fox Slater, who was born in Slatersville, Rhode Island, on March 4, 1815, to a family well steeped in the development of textiles.
Slater’s early education included academies in Plainfield, Conn., and Wilbraham, Mass. While still a teenager, he began working in his father’s woolen mill in Hopeville, Rhode Island. By age 21 he presided over that mill and continued in the textile business in both Jewett City and Norwich.
Over the years, Slater became known as a philanthropist assisting in the education of emancipated African American slaves. Also, he was noted as one who fused philanthropy and paternalism in his business dealings based on small-town American values.
Slater was also a principal investor in NFA. He died in 1884.
His son, William Albert Slater, was born in 1857 in Norwich and graduated from NFA in 1875. He graduated from Harvard in 1881. William decided to honor his father by giving a museum in his father’s name to the school he loved.
The museum has played host to the thousands of students who casually visited the museum on their own or more formally, with a teacher or on an assignment.
The plaster cast collection of ancient statues in the museum has taught countless students the importance of the contributions the Greeks made regarding the beauty in the world. Also on display at different times were the reproductions of a vast coin collection, painted miniatures of famous people, hand-carved ivory pieces, a Japanese armor collection, a theater collection of masks and costumes, the Native American objects collection, and so many more interesting displays. Slater has African, Middle Eastern and New England history and art, unique artifacts, and dozens of rotating exhibits.
Also, from time to time, local artists have exhibited their work via the efforts of the museum staff.
The museum itself is designed in Richardson Romanesque architecture and some experts believe it to be the finest work of architect Stephen Carpenter Earle.
Earle was one busy designer. Among his other works are buildings on the campus of Clark University, Grinnell College and at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He also designed many other structures in Rhode Island and in Worcester, Mass.
In Norwich alone he also designed the Carroll Building on Water Street and the Park Congregational Church on Broadway.
The tower of the museum looks out another Norwich gem, The Chelsea Parade.
There’s one more thing to consider about the museum. To our knowledge, there is only one other secondary school in the country with an adjoining museum. WHAT IS IT?
The Slater Museum beckons you to visit.
——————————————————————–
He was born in Norwich to John and Rebecca Reid on August 24, 1783, and although his impacts in American history are immense, it is difficult to find his story in a school history book.
His name was Samuel Chester Reid and he entered the Navy at the tender age of 11 as a cabin boy. But by 1803, due to his maturity and leadership skills, Samuel became the master of the brig Merchant.
During the War of 1812, he commanded the privateer General Armstrong.
At the Battle of Fayal, Reid damaged a number of British ships as part of a force that was en route to New Orleans. In that conflict Reid and one of his men were hurt, while the British sustained almost 100 men either killed or wounded.
Later, Andrew Jackson credited Reid’s actions in delaying the British squadron, aiding General Jackson’s defense of New Orleans. For those actions alone, say a number of historians, Reid deserves an entry in all American history books.
However, for those of us who know a little more about Samuel Chester Reid, there is indeed another reason for celebrating his exploits. Hint: June 14 is Flag Day.
Peter H. Wendover, a United States representative from New York, was an
acquaintance of Reid. In January 1817, the United States flag had 15 stars and 15 stripes. The flag had not been updated to reflect the five new states that had joined the union since the flag was implemented in 1795.
Wendover was the chair of a congressional committee whose task was investigating possible alterations to the flag. Once Wendover contacted Reid, the two men spent considerable time coming up with the best way to honor all 20 states on the flag.
Their initial plan was to restore the number of stripes to the original 13, place 20 stars on the canton (the upper left rectangle for the white stars), and add a new star each time a new state joined the union. It sounded appropriate enough, but how to initiate the plan?
Reid told his friend he would sketch three flag designs as follows: One would be utilized for general use with 20 stars in the shape of a larger star, one would be for exclusive use on government vessels and buildings with an eagle in place where the stars would be (upper left corner), and one flag would be for ceremonial occasions featuring stars, stripes, the Great Seal, and the Goddess of Liberty on each of the flag’s four quarters.
Reid produced and submitted his three designs to Wendover, and, in time, the committee adopted only the general use flag. Wendover then drafted a bill which stipulated that the 13-stripe, 20-star design should be the new official flag of the United States.
The bill passed and was signed into law as “The Flag Act of 1818” by President James Monroe on April 4, 1818. (The pattern of the stars was later changed from Reid’s proposed “Great Star” design to four rows of five stars each).
The late Arthur L. Peale of Norwich was an author and authority on Samuel Chester Reid, as well as on Native American history. At every opportunity he would regale youngsters with stories on both subjects.
Reid died on January 28, 1861 and is honored with a stone and description at the western end of Chelsea Parade.
——————————————————————–
In his teen years, Teddy Roosevelt had a number of “girl friends,” and his favorite was a lovely Norwich, Connecticut girl named Edith (“Edie”) Carow. Her grandfather, Daniel Tyler, served as a general in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
Theodore lived next door to Edie in New York City when they were youngsters. They attended dance classes together, and they both enjoyed outdoor activities such as rowing Teddy’s rowboat, which he named after her.
Edith was born on Aug. 6, 1861 in Norwich. When she was young she was known as “spotless Edie.”
As young adults, in spite of their close friendship, they quarreled over an issue and their relationship had cooled. Teddy fell in love with a girl to whom he had been introduced, Alice Hathaway Lee. A courtship followed, and they were married in late October of 1880.
One of the guests at the wedding was Edie.
After just four years of marriage, Teddy’s wife, Alice, died in the winter of 1884. Sadly, Teddy’s mother had also died during that same time frame.
In September of 1885, Teddy once again encountered Edie and they resumed their friendship. They became engaged in August of 1886, and married on Dec. 2 that same year.
Edie insisted that Teddy’s young daughter, Alice, from his first marriage, live with them. In the meantime, Edie and Teddy began to their own family. Eventually, Edith would give birth to five children of her own, and, of course, her step daughter, Alice, became their oldest child.
On Sept. 14, 1901, Teddy Roosevelt, who was vice president at the time, became president upon the death of President McKinley. Teddy was only 42.
Upon moving into the White House, Edie immediately began refurbishing their new home. She naturally possessed a “detached serenity,” which helped her in the management of the Roosevelt household.
She would be First Lady from 1901 to 1909 and was the first in that tradition to create an official staff. She eliminated the office of housekeeper and performed any supervisory work personally.
Edie and Teddy would meet in the White House privately every morning from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., during which time she would share her newspaper clippings regarding news and issues of the day.
The presidential couple became the first to travel abroad when they made a trip to Panama.
It was Edith who purchased Pine Knot in rural Virginia as a refuge and it was through her efforts that the Victorian furniture in the Lincoln Bedroom was retained.
As First Lady, Edith held weekly meetings with cabinet wives and employed a personal secretary to help with White House correspondence. Edith also started a portrait gallery as a permanent memorial for each first lady. She initiated musicales and arranged to have the first family’s living quarters separate from the White House and placed strictly off limits.
In 1909 Teddy and Edith retired to Oyster Bay, New York. Once she left the White House, she returned only on one other occasion.
After Teddy’s death in 1919, Edie traveled the world and engaged in charity work.
She died in 1948 at 87 and is buried at Oyster Bay.
——————————————————————–
Dr. Philip Turner was born Feb. 25, 1740 in Norwich to Philip T. and Anna Huntington Turner. Very little is known of Philip Turner’s early life except that he attended school in Norwich. As a youth, he was aware of the French and Indian War and personally knew many of the local participants.
Philip married Lucy Tracy, also a Norwich native. Her father, was Dr. Elisha Tracy, a most respected physician and surgeon practicing in Norwich. Philip assisted a number of doctors in Norwich and began practicing medicine as a young man.
He was present on June 17, 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill as a military surgeon. During the war, in Roxbury, Mass., there was what was called The Connecticut Camp. Turner served as first surgeon for those Connecticut troops. Later, he served at Ticonderoga as assistant surgeon of the Army post there.
Jedidiah Huntington, of Norwich, a field officer at that time, spoke of Turner as “being blessed with a natural insight into wounds and a dexterity in treating them.”
In 1777, Congress appointed Turner as director-general, later appointing him surgeon-general of the Eastern Department. He remained there until the end of the war.
As still a comparatively young man, Turner was the first surgeon in America to perform the operation of tying the femoral artery, which supplies blood to the leg.
After his retirement from the army in 1781, Turner returned to Norwich where he resumed his private practice as the leading surgeon in the Eastern portion of the state, and some said in the entire state. He continued his practice for 19 years until 1800 when he moved to New York.
Dr. John Morgan, during the war, was head of the army medical services. He was considered at the time the most distinguished doctor in the young nation. In one of Morgan’s communications to young Turner, he assigned the doctor to the care of the “straggling sick and wounded” of Gen. Washington’s army.
In the fall of 1765, the Pennsylvania School of Medicine opened within the college of Philadelphia, thanks to the efforts Dr. John Morgan.
The official papers of Dr. Philip Turner include items such as correspondence with some very interesting people of his time. They include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, James Monroe and James Madison, among others.
The official collection spans from 1851 to 1858.
Looking back at the nation’s Civil War, over a half-million men suffered wounds.
Modern medical practices owe much to that war’s experience. Two-thirds of all deaths were attributed to disease.
Turner and other surgeons had no antibiotics which often lead to serious infections. It is estimated that about 60,000 surgeries were amputations during that great conflict.
Surgical tools which were utilized then included saws, knives and sharp hooks.
Dr. Philip Turner died in New York at the age of 75 on April 20, 1815. His widow survived him by 13 years. Turner was buried in Yantic Cemetery with military honors. His wife, Lucy, is also buried there.
His home in Norwichtown still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is estimated the house was built in 1670.
——————————————————————–
In 1684, a public dock was built at “the head” of the Thames River, where the Yantic and Shetucket rivers converged. Due to the Norwich Harbor’s location, the city developed as a natural trading center, and as a gateway to the interior of Eastern Connecticut.
Eventually, the deep-water seaport became linked to commerce with Europe and the West Indies.
But going way back to the beginning, Norwich became the first location north of the Thames River mouth where the river could be crossed by horse and carriage. The reason this statement is valid is the fact that any kind of a connecting structure had not yet been developed in order to cross the river.
By 1756, Norwich had developed as the second most populated city in Connecticut. A strong contributing factor to that revelation was the extent of Norwich’s maritime trade.
However, another factor should also be considered and that was the abundance of timber on the banks of the Thames River, which eventually led to many merchant vessels as well as whaling ships being built in Norwich shipyards.
Later, the world was introduced to steamboats. Steamboat service to New York began in 1817.
Experimentation of steam for boats occurred earlier on the Hudson River by two men, Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston. The two men were the first to demonstrate the commercial possibilities of steam transportation. However, as sometimes happens, events and interruptions get in the way of intended progress.
In this case, those factors were in the form of the War of 1812 and the British blockade, which delayed steam transportation until 1815 when service began from New York to New Haven.
Regularly scheduled trips of that nature took eight to 12 hours and the expense of such a trip would cost a traveler, six whole dollars.
The steamboat became a popular way to travel on the waters and steamboat services expanded rapidly. Six quick lines were organized and competition accompanied that expansion.
However, eventually, steamboats were deemed dangerous after a number of horrible water accidents occurred. The Steamboat Act of 1852 helped to prevent fire and collisions.
Following the Civil War, steamboats became “floating palaces,” and many steamer luxuries were introduced. The steamboat, City of Lawrence, became part of the Norwich Line in 1867. That vessel was the first iron-hulled steamer on Long Island Sound. It carried freight and travelers. To give one a picture of its size, it had 78 staterooms and a main deck enclosed for freight cargo.
In the mid-1850s, railroads began to acquire the steamboat lines, with the cost-effective way of shipping freight in mind.
Actually, almost during the entire length of the 19th century, residents of Connecticut’s coastal and riverside areas relied on steamboats, much as we do today regarding our automobiles.
Early steamboat passenger service boats traveled at approximately 8 miles in one hour. However, while it isn’t often mentioned, in order for a steamboat to navigate out of a crowded harbor, valuable time could be lost on a given trip.
Between 1815 and the mid-1800s, several steamship lines formed servicing ports along the Connecticut coast, including both Norwich and New London.
It was the Great Depression that doomed the steamboat as a mode of transportation, along with the popularity and growth of the automobile for family travel. From 1820 to 1940, those who once traveled by steamboat continued their love and wistful yearning for the past.
——————————————————————–
In view of the upcoming national elections, we thought we’d once again turn our attention to when presidential candidates, sitting presidents, and past presidents visited Eastern Connecticut for one reason or another.
In 1948, Richard Nixon visited and spoke at Chelsea Parade. Eighteen-year-old Bill Stanley, working for the Norwich Bulletin as a press photographer, covered the story by snapping a closeup photo of Mr. Nixon which was featured in the next day’s paper.
John and Abigail Adams visited Norwich a number of times during their trips from Washington to their home in Massachusetts. They were always warmly received by citizens of the Rose City.
President Bill Clinton spoke in Slater Hall on the NFA campus on Feb. 24, 1994.
Teddy Roosevelt delivered a speech in downtown Willimantic from a carriage on Aug. 23, 1902. Traveling by train, he was escorted a short way from the train station to the corner of Church and Main Streets where he was welcomed by a capacity crowd.
A few years later in 1915, President William Howard Taft visited Willimantic and spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in almost the same spot where Mr. Roosevelt stood 13 years earlier. Mr. Taft had left the White House two years prior to his visit to the “Thread City.”
That was not Mr. Taft’s first visit to Eastern Connecticut as he had spent two days in Norwich during the 250th Anniversary Celebration in 1909. The 350-pound president rode in an open convertible during the anniversary parade. He had been invited and was the guest of his friend, Winslow T. Williams of Yantic. Williams had been selected as the chairman of the celebration and the parade was held in the president’s honor.
Andrew Jackson visited Norwich in 1833 in order to dedicate Chief Uncas’ Memorial on Sachem Street.
Historians tell us that President Jackson was the first common man to be elected to the office. All six of his predecessors had been privileged gentlemen whereas Jackson, an orphan, was a self-made man.
We know President George Washington visited the area at least three times, once at a luncheon at the Leffingwell Inn and many times at Lebanon’s War Office.
Jedediah Huntington, at his home on East Town Street (still standing) held a victory celebration to commemorate the ending of the Revolutionary War. His honored guests were General George Washington, Count Rochambeau and General Lafayette.
President U.S. Grant visited Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, on July 4, 1870, as a “sitting president.” Due to the set limitations regarding smoking and drinking, Grant decided against spending the night there.
During a six-day visit to Connecticut, President Abraham Lincoln spoke in Norwich on the evening of Friday, March 9, 1860 and stayed at the Wauregan Hotel, taking the train the next morning. His talk was partly in support of his friend, Governor William Buckingham.
President Rutherford B. Hayes visited Roseland Cottage in Woodstock on July 4, 1883 after he left office. Hayes was the first president to use a telephone in the White House.
President Benjamin Harrison also visited Roseland Cottage in his first year as president on July 4, 1889. At that time Harrison personally met with hundreds of veterans and was the featured speaker at the immense gathering.
President William McKinley also visited there on that holiday one year later before he was president.
“Hail to the Chief!”
——————————————————————–
The typical early turnpikes in Connecticut were of truly a simple design when the state was a little younger. A description would include a convex earthen roadbed, crowned at the center line and sloped toward drainage ditches, running along both sides of the roadway.
Well, it sure sounds simple enough, but it must be remembered that this design was created in the late 18th century with tools limited to those available at that time.
More than a few roads required cutting a path directly through wooded areas, leveling hills and filling in still other terrains including boggy marsh lands.
In those early days the tools with which to perform those tasks included an ox-drawn cart or wagon and picks, shovels and hoes, many of which were designed and crafted by local blacksmiths.
Another helpful “tool” in achieving those goals was a flattened metal disk they called a “one horse shoe,” on which large rocks could be placed at its center and it could then be hauled away. Also, an ox-drawn “scraper” was utilized to smooth the dirt surface of the roadway after most of the labor had been completed.
There was also a sort of plow that was used to dig out drainage gutters along the roadway’s edges.
Some of the early turnpikes with their chartered dates and routes already prepared, were completed prior to the end of the 18th century. Those included the “Mohegan Road,” which was chartered in May of 1792. That specific road stretched from New London through Uncasville to Norwich. It is now called Route 32.
Another turnpike was the New London and Windham County Turnpike, completed in 1795. That particular passage cleared for vehicular travel went from Norwich to Jewett City to Plainfield then Oneco and on to Rhode Island.
The Hartford, New London, Windham and Tolland County Turnpike, completed in 1795, went from Manchester to Bolton, Andover, Columbia, Lebanon and Yantic.
The Windham Turnpike, completed in 1799, went from Coventry to Willimantic, Scotland, Canterbury and Plainfield.
The Hartford and New London Turnpike, finished in 1800, included East Hartford, Glastonbury, Marlborough, Colchester, Salem, and New London.
The Norwich and Woodstock Turnpike, built in 1801, went from Norwich to Canterbury, Brooklyn, Pomfret, Woodstock, South Woodstock and North Woodstock.
The Pomfret and Killingly Turnpike, completed in 1802, went from Pomfret to Putnam and then into Rhode Island.
The Colchester and Norwich Turnpike opened in 1805, and went from Colchester to Gilman and on to Yantic.
The Woodstock and Thompson Turnpike, built in 1808, existed between those two communities.
The East Haddam and Colchester Turnpike navigated from one town to the other.
The Windham and Brooklyn Turnpike was finished in 1826 and permitted vehicular traffic to travel from Danielson to Brooklyn, and then on to Windham.
The Norwich and Salem Turnpike, built in 1827, went from Norwich to Salem.
The Shetucket Turnpike was completed in 1829 from Norwich to Preston to Voluntown and onward.
For hundreds and hundreds of years, humans have inhabited the locations mentioned in today’s story. Obviously, many changes have occurred since the area’s beginnings. Our look back today has specified some of those changes.
We’ve come a long way. During the 1700s, our roads were not just difficult on which to travel, they were in many cases impossible.
That fact alone was the principal reason that many communities for so long felt so isolated from their neighbors in nearby communities.
——————————————————————–
In the mid-1700s, the Norwich area saw a flurry of creative men called “manufacturers.”
For starters, and in no chronological order, Elijah Backus, in Yantic, began an “iron works” for the purpose of making and refining iron on some of the first forges built in New London County. Products included anchors, rakes, plows, kitchen tools, building tools, hinges and many other iron products.
In 1766, former imports such as cutlery or other items then referred to as “edged” tools, were manufactured there. During the Revolutionary War, domestic items and instruments of warfare were created, as well as repaired at those Yantic forges.
Also in that year, a pottery operation designed for the express purpose of producing stoneware was established at Bean Hill. Most important were jugs.
Hezekiah Huntington went into the making of linseed oil in 1748, also at Bean Hill. Linseed oil was utilized in the medical and industrial fields.
At one time prior to the development of the Norwich area, the Norwich Falls area was wild and secluded. However, things did change.
In 1778, Elijah and Simon Lathrop erected an oil-mill at the Norwich Falls.
In 1786, Silas Goodell set up another oil-mill near the Falls.
During the Revolutionary War, iron wire was also made at the Falls, attended to by Nathaniel Niles. Iron wire was used at the time in the scientific field.
Edmund Darrow established a nailery during that period, which stayed in business for years. His products included nails, screws, hooks and other related items.
Christopher Leffingwell was a forward-looking and creative individual. In 1766, he started a business of weaving stockings; his business grew to include gloves and purses as well.
Leffingwell’s paper mill was the first of its kind in the state. It included the production of various kinds of paper such as wrapping paper, writing paper, printing paper, etc. Leffingwell also is noted for his first chocolate mill in 1770.
Jeremiah Griffin, a New London native, extended that business when his stocking looms were not only employed in Norwich, but they were also “constructed” here. Previously, looms were set up in either Hartford or Poughkeepsie, New York.
In 1791, Andrew Huntington opened a new paper mill in Yantic near Leffingwell’s site.
In 1779, Simon Lathrop opened a second chocolate mill in Yantic; it was moved by water-wheels. Its output was 5,000 pounds of chocolate annually.
Two hundred watches and 40 clocks were the annual production figures for Thomas Harland’s business in Norwichtown. It started in 1773, and due to the quality of his watches, it is said that to wear one of his watches was “a mark of distinction.” He is remembered and honored for Harland Road, named for him.
For working with gold and silver, in the field of jewelry and time-keepers, four producers of such items in the late 1700s included Barzillai Davison, N. Shipman Sr., Eliphaz Hart and Judah Hart, all worthy of mention.
In 1790, Dr. Joshua Lathrop established a cotton factory. By 1793, the firm was named as “Lathrop and Eells.” They announced that their products were more durable than those same products in Europe. That business lasted 10 years.
In the greater Norwich area in 1791, in addition to the above industries, there were two naileries, 15 blacksmiths, three distilleries, two tobacconists, two braziers, and a bell-foundry.
Here’s to those manufacturers.
——————————————————————–
He was the oldest of 10 children, and his future included a Norwich connection.
Benjamin Hanks was born in Mansfield on Oct. 29, 1755. Little is known of his very early life, but in 1772 at age 17, he traveled to Norwich to work as an apprentice to Norwich’s Thomas Harland, a well-known master clockmaker. Harland, over his years in Norwich, worked with at least 19 apprentices between 1773 and 1807. It is thought that Hanks apprenticed between 1772 and 1781. Harland, of course, is known for making the first watch ever manufactured in America. Harland Road in Norwich is named for the clockmaker.
After his training period, Hanks stayed in Norwich for a while and established a clock business of his own.
During the American Revolution, Hanks was a military drummer, taking part in what was known as “the Lexington alarm.”
The “alarm” was technically the first battle of the Revolutionary War, begun on April 19, 1775. Hanks participated in the action along with ordinary militia and minutemen, as they poured their fire into the Redcoats headed toward Boston.
Still later, Hanks re-enlisted and served under Israel Putnam in 1775, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Also in 1775, Hanks married Alice Hovey in Windham.
Sometime later in Litchfield, the couple built a house from which he ran his home business. At that time in his life, he specialized as a goldsmith and a silversmith. He also enjoyed his work as a maker of clocks, instruments, looms and compasses.
In addition to the above activities, Benjamin also established a foundry and ran that business out of his Litchfield home until 1790 when he moved back to Mansfield to re-establish his business in that community.
In the meantime, the couple had a son, Julius, and in 1808, Hanks and Julius became partners in a foundry they established in Troy, New York. They became well-known there making brass cannons and church bells. They also produced looms, clocks, and compasses, among other goldsmith products.
In 1816, Hanks obtained a patent for “molding and casting bells.” Under his patent, Benjamin was able to produce large church bells, tower clocks, and surveying tools.
The foundry had a number of skilled apprentices, among them, Andrew Meneely, who went on to open a foundry of his own. It eventually became known as the “Meneely Bell Foundry.”
After Benjamin’s death in 1824, his son, Julius, ran their foundry for a year and it was eventually absorbed by the Meneely Foundry.
Benjamin’s first large church tower bell was mounted in the Old Dutch Church in New York City. The unusual feature of the clock (his patent) was that the clock would wind itself up, operating by the use of air. This feature would continue until the mechanical parts wore out.
Hanks was particularly noted as the craftsman who made the first two bronze cannons made in this country in 1797. Once in use, the First Company of Connecticut Artillery carried them.
Hanks died in West Troy, New York in 1824 at age 69.
Historians consider Benjamin Hanks as the father of the church bell and bronze cannon business in this country.
——————————————————————–
A recent poll by 91 presidential historians regarding our past presidents’ qualities such as leadership, public persuasion, administrative skills, and international relations has recently been published.
That same group also ranked the presidents in two other years, 2000 and 2009.
Even though there was some movement among the rankings, there was also consistency.
Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Franklin Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt have maintained their rankings as the four best presidents in American history.
A number of presidents have visited or had personal connections to the area and today’s column will relate each situation locally and how each of those presidents were ranked. This could be fun!
While he was a sitting president, Ulysses S. Grant spent some time as a guest at Woodstock’s “Pink House.” Because no drinking or smoking was allowed, he took his cigars and went home.
In the recent poll, Grant was ranked at 26th.
Bill Clinton spent some time in Norwich in 1994 speaking at Norwich Free Academy and visiting a number of businesses. Clinton was ranked 15th in the current poll.
Woodrow Wilson, who spent part of his summers in Lyme, ranked in a previous poll as among the 10 best presidents since 1900.
Abraham Lincoln, who consistently ranks either first or second in a number of polls, had visited Norwich a few times passing through or staying overnight.
President Taft who, in the recent poll, was ranked 24th, visited Norwich in 1909 and stayed overnight in Yantic.
Richard Nixon visited Norwich as vice president in a celebration at Chelsea Parade in the early 1950s. Nixon is ranked in a number of polls at 23rd or lower.
Jimmy Carter spent a good length of time in New London while training in the submarine school in 1948. As a president, he was ranked in the mid-20s in one poll, and as low as 32nd in another.
President Andrew Jackson visited Norwich in 1833 when he helped dedicate the Uncas Monument. His approximate ranking lies between 13th and 18th.
President John Adams quite often stopped in Norwich on his way back to Boston. His ranking in two or three polls averaged out at about 16th.
Harry Truman, who spoke from a caboose at Norwich’s train station during his 1948 presidential campaign, averages at a fifth-place ranking.
Teddy Roosevelt drew a crowd of thousands when he spoke at an unscheduled train stop in Willimantic, regarding his policies on racism, regulation of business and anti-trust. As many readers know, Teddy’s second wife, Edith Kermit Carow, was a native of Norwich and was first lady from 1901 to 1909. During her tenure in that role, the name of the Executive Mansion became known as the White House.
Edith’s mother, Gertrude Elizabeth Tyler is buried in Norwich.
Teddy Roosevelt is ranked generally at number four in the polls.
As to the father of our country, George Washington visited Norwich a number of times on important business and also for social occasions. In the latter category, our first elected president was at the home of Jedediah Huntington on East Town Street at the end of the Revolutionary War as an invited guest in a victory celebration. Huntington was Washington’s aide-de camp at Valley Forge. His home on the above street still stands as a testament to that long-ago occasion.
George Washington ranks almost always as our second-best president in any poll.
——————————————————————–
Let us take you back for a few moments to the Norwich of April 14 and 15, 1861. Fort Sumter had fallen and President Lincoln had made an historic call for 75,000 men. Suddenly, the whole nation realized that we were at war. Political “party preferences” suddenly disappeared. In spite of the above conditions, the reality of war seemed to catch citizens by surprise.
The town reacted immediately to the cause. Hundreds of towns in New England replicated the conditions that existed at that time in Norwich. Specifically, large meetings took place for the purposes of encouraging actual enlistments and recognizing the city’s resources at that crucial time. Up to that point, our national flag had not been particularly present in the city or in the surrounding areas. But suddenly, it was observed waving proudly at the Wauregan Hotel, from the tower of the First Congregational Church, over the Norwich Free Academy, over the fire stations, and, of course, over surrounding villages from Norwich. Fitchville, Bozrah, (then called Bozrahville), Franklin, Jewett City, and other outskirts of Norwich reacted the same way.
On April 16, 1861, Gov. William Buckingham issued a call for volunteers from his headquarters in Norwich. In the following three weeks and one day, 54 companies were raised in the state.
Col. Daniel Tyler, a Brooklyn native and resident of Norwich, was appointed in charge of the first regiment. Other Norwich officers assigned included Capts. Frank S. Chester, Henry Peale and Edward Harland. Lt. Col. David Young was also assigned.
It seemed at the time, according to some witnesses, that the whole community of Norwich was involved when the first units departed.
A large sum of money had been raised through private contributions, and banks in Norwich and other communities loaned large amounts of money to the cause as well. Community events were held in support of the men leaving for war. In town, that included a large group of women preparing clothing for the departing soldiers and a large meeting of citizens gathering at Breed Hall, near Washington Square, to continue efforts regarding soldiers’ clothing. Inspiring speeches were made, and those activities continued into the weekends.
An agency was formed for the specific purpose of aiding soldiers in the areas of health and comfort, appropriately named “the Soldier’s Aid Society” and that organization did not dissolve until January of 1866.
Even on a Sunday in April of 1861, there was a parade, flag displays, volunteers making Army clothes, the distribution of telegraph intelligence, rifle companies performing drills, sermons delivered in the towns’ churches, and The Norwich Bulletin’s headlines screamed, “Never before have we seen such war topic conversations.”
Early battles on the part of Connecticut’s regiments included Blackburn’s Ford and the first Battle of Bull Run.
Sad news of one Norwich boy was reported from that last battle when the community learned of David C. Case’s death. Other news included other boys taken prisoner, and still others who also perished in prison.
In early October, a resolution was passed at a town meeting, thanking our brave boys, pledging support to the government and expressing the city’s pride and support regarding our boys in uniform.
In time, additional calls for more troops were made, rallies were conducted, and mill owners pledged hundreds of tents and coats just from Norwich alone.
It was only the beginning.
——————————————————————–
Lafayette S. Foster, a Norwich resident and local lawyer, had been elected to be a member of the U.S. Senate in 1854.
Foster was a graduate of Brown College (now Brown University), had been elected mayor of Norwich and served several terms in the state General Assembly. He was twice chosen as speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington.
Foster’s colleagues in the Senate included men such as Jefferson Davis, Charles Sumner, Stephen A. Douglas and Sam Houston.
The great question of slavery caused a ruckus in 1856 when South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane, nearly killing him.
In early 1860, Republican leaders decided to arrange a visit to Connecticut by former Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln, then famous for his eloquence in the Lincoln-Douglas debates two years earlier, in order to campaign for the party. Lincoln agreed and was then scheduled to speak in the three largest cities in the state at that time — Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport. However, Norwich businessman Hugh Henry Osgood traveled to Hartford for the single purpose of inviting Lincoln to Norwich.
Osgood’s persuasion skills went into overdrive convincing Lincoln that he could easily speak in Norwich between his visits to Providence and New Haven. So, even though Lincoln’s schedule had been set, he agreed to visit Norwich on March 9, 1860.
When some of the young teenaged boys in Norwich heard that an Illinois “stump speaker” was going to speak at the Town Hall, they decided to attend. Lincoln’s appearance that night impressed the young men. Later, they told of their experience sitting not 5 feet from the tall gentleman in his black suit wearing a black silk tie. The speaker presented a speech illustrated with stories to make a point, with humor at the right time, which often initiated spontaneous applause from the audience.
One of the young Norwich boys referred to above was Francis Leavens. As an adult he became the president of the Norwich Dime Savings Bank. Over the years of his life, he would easily recount his “close encounter” with our most revered president.
Gov. William Buckingham, who lived in Norwich, had been a dedicated friend of Lincoln’s and remained as such throughout the Civil War. The governor acted as master of ceremonies as Lincoln spoke in Hartford and at other locations around the state.
Buckingham had entertained his Illinois friend at his home on Main Street prior to Lincoln’s Norwich speech. Following that speech, Mr. Lincoln attended a reception and then spent the night at the Wauregan House Hotel, as it was then called.
Following his visit to Norwich, Lincoln left by train to Bridgeport to make his last speech in New England on March 10, 1860.
Two months later, the Republican Convention nominated Mr. Lincoln as its presidential candidate. Buckingham sent his congratulations to Lincoln following his election.
Lincoln’s visit in Norwich in 1860 was not his first. On Sept. 11, 1848, Lincoln, then a congressman, landed in Norwich after taking a steamship from New York City. He was headed to Worcester, Massachusetts, to a convention.
During his 1860 visit to Connecticut, Lincoln had received countless requests for speaking engagements. The Hartford Courant reported the day after Mr. Lincoln’s speech in Hartford during that first week of March in 1860 that: “Mr. Lincoln’s speech last night was the most convincing and clearest speech we have ever heard made.”
Weren’t we lucky in Norwich that those before us could hear him in person?
——————————————————————–
In the early days of Norwich, “townsmen” were uniformly selected from the oldest or at least most influential individuals. Innkeepers, obviously regarded as quite reliable, were selected as town officers.
Any innkeeper also had another title, which was “Keeper of the house of entertaynement.” According to town records, the first man listed in Norwich with that title was Simon Huntington in the middle to late 1600s. Later, in 1694, Calib Abell had pretty much the same title.
Norwich’s first town clerk (and recorder) was Christopher Huntington in 1678.
Isaac Huntington held the title of clerk for nearly 60 years.
When the Rev. Henry Flint was hired on a more or less permanent basis for the town’s church, in addition to his salary, he was annually presented with a specified quantity of wood for his fireplace.
In regard to early recollections of the Thames River, it was widely known for its abundance of fish. The variety included shad, bass, mackerel, eels, oysters and lobsters. Even sturgeon had been known to leap into a passing boat.
Every spring when the ice on the Thames River broke up, there was a great demand for the striped bass available in its waters. Early Indian tribes called the river the Mohegan and the Pequot.
The area now known as Yantic was first called Yantuck. In the Indian tongue, the last syllable, “tuck” denoted a stream of water.
A well-known Norwich individual, Joseph Otis, was born in Yantic. The Norwich Library, originally located on Union Square, was named for him as he was its benefactor. Joseph’s early schooling was acquired in Bean Hill. Joseph’s father labored in the old ironworks.
In those early times, Bean Hill was noted for its gay parties, dinners and even sermons. One can surmise why that area was known by its name. It’s true that colonists learned how to bake beans by the friendly local tribes. Also, shops had sprung up in time as necessity dictated.
As the local population increased in that area, businesses and shops appeared and grew. For many shoppers there, it was a two-mile walk to the city’s business section downtown. At Bean Hill, one could find a hat shop, taverns, grocery stores, printing offices, book shops, a newspaper and a bindery among other stores.
Though not as well known, there was also a stop on the Underground Railroad at Bean Hill.
That downtown section of Norwich was originally called “the Central Part,” which was where the Yantic, the Shetucket and the Thames Rivers met.
A thriving village emerged in the mid-1800s, called Thamesville. Very early on and contributing to the general area’s growth was Mitchell’s Iron Works, Wetmore’s Shipyard, and the J.M. Huntington & Co. Over time, that area would attract at least one steam engine, a machine factory, wharfs, warehouses and tenements.
Laurel Hill was developed as one of the last group of villages. The right bank approaching Norwich on the Thames River has remained fairly natural with no industrial plants or machinery, and near the top of the “slope,” lovely homes and beautiful gardens have developed. The first home appeared in 1852. In time, 45 houses would be built with a need for a neighborhood school accommodating over 70 students within its walls.
Greeneville, founded by William Gilman and William Greene, had access to the Shetucket River for power, and a neighborhood was born.
——————————————————————–
“The navy needs ships!” the newspaper headline screamed.
The Navy did indeed need ships. The Civil War had just begun and our Navy’s ships were scattered all over the world. Our Navy was in a state of disarray.
The 445-ton wooden steamship Albatross had been built three years prior to the start of the war. It had been built in Mystic at the shipyard of George Greenman and Co. Normal activity for such a ship would be as passenger service between Providence and New York. However, when the war started the government purchased the Albatross, a heavy-timbered ship, which was then quickly converted into a gunboat. By 1863, that gunboat had distinguished itself as a blockader, part of Adm. David Farragut’s Mississippi River Squadron.
Adm. Farragut thought quite highly of the Albatross and later, when the ship needed refitting, it was the admiral who wrote to the Navy Department that “She is one of the finest blockaders we have. I beg the department will not remove it from my squadron.”
The Albatross had been one of the early purchases by Abraham Lincoln’s newly appointed Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. The Glastonbury native cut quite a figure as his ill-fitting wig and his bushy beard were easily identifiable. President Lincoln called him “Our Neptune.” Some critics called Welles’ efforts to increase warships his “Soapbox Navy.”
One might get the idea from the above description that Welles was sort of a buffoon. On the contrary, he was considered to have an extraordinary talent regarding organizational skills.
The Union desperately needed what was called a “Brown Water Navy,” gunboats to support land campaigns.
Welles had an assistant, Gustavus Fox, and together, the two men brought things under control. A major shipbuilding program was initiated, an acquisition for a number of merchant vessels was ordered, and, as a result, the country was eventually second only to Great Britain’s Navy, in size, in ironclads and in submarines. Fox had three ships in the U.S. Navy named for him.
Welles was able to change Connecticut’s shipbuilding activities from cotton carriers to steam transports and gunboats.
It is estimated that Welles expanded the country’s Navy nearly 10 times its original size. Mr. Welles was also a key figure in the creation of the Navy’s Medal of Honor.
Mystic quickly converted its civilian efforts to building naval steamships, and as a result, between the years 1861 and 1865, more steamships were built at Mystic than at any other New England port.
The bottom line regarding those Mystic-produced steamships is that 56 of them were built during the war.
Some of the shipbuilding companies in Mystic included The Maxson Fish and Co. and The Charles Mallory and Sons Co.
The shipyard at Norwich Harbor was one-third of a team of like shipyards that built more than 30 vessels used in the war.
Engines, boilers and other machinery for ships were also manufactured in New London County. These included The Mystic Irons Works and Reliance Machine Co. in Mystic, The Thames Iron Works in Norwich and The Albertson and Douglas Co. in New London.
Other related industries also helped the war effort. Among them, The Wilson Manufacturing Co., which produced boarding pikes (spears used by sailors when boarding enemy ships or defending against enemy sailors trying to board their ships) and copper wheels.
Last, but not least, the C.D. Boss Co. baked thousands of ship biscuits for those sailors on board those gunboats.
——————————————————————–
There was a time prior to satellite and radar technology when approaching storms were dependent upon ship and aircraft reports to the official weather centers. The best predictions to the public were more or less hit or miss. After all, technology was limited to predictions utilizing the 16th century thermometer, the 17th century mercurial barometer and the medieval weather vane.
It was the fall of 1938 and in New England, the minimum hourly rate for workers was 25 cents, the March of Dimes Polio Program was in full swing, and the first seeing-eye dog project was in trials. Ball point pens had been recently introduced, the new words Teflon and Nylon were just announced, and one of the latest inventions was freeze-dried coffee.
Also, gas was 10 cents a gallon, a loaf of bread was nine cents, and house rentals were 27 dollars per month.
It had rained off and on during the first two weeks of September, and in the storm’s path were 13 million unsuspecting people. They were unaware of the oncoming worst Atlantic hurricane in well over a century.
Once the storm hit New England, it didn’t take long for the destruction of land and buildings as well as the loss of one quarter of the phones.
Later, the storm was referred to by experts as “The wind that shook the world.”
With power non-existent, communication became a tremendous problem for authorities and residents.
Enter the Amateur Radio Operators. They were affectionately referred to as HAMs. Some called the organization “Radio Celebs.” Weather Bureau officials call the various operators “a lifeline during times of need.” The operators work on radio frequencies known as “amateur bands.”
They are federally licensed to communicate over airwaves. Human life and protection of properties are their highest priorities. They monitor oncoming storms and provide communication when other methods fail. They have the ability to quickly relay information to one another as well as to emergency management agencies and National Weather Services.
Through the actual storm, HAM operators did double shifts in order to keep communication flowing.
There were some well-known operators possibly familiar to readers. They included Barry Goldwater, who was licensed as a HAM in the 1920s, actor Marlon Brando and Hazard E. Reeves, the inventor of stereophonic systems in movie theaters, as well as others.
The operators provide what the officials call “all-hazard assistance.”
Once the wind and the flooding were in full force, it was obvious that this storm was unlike any other. No other natural disaster in the region would take as many lives, and destroy as much property.
Locally, Norwich was split by water. With no phones, Norwich proper could not communicate with those on the West Side. Many families were separated, with members on both sides of the community. School children had been let out early but chances were no one was home to supervise.
Both in Norwich and in New London there were many homes with at least three trees on them.
Franklin Square, of course, was flooded and to this day, there is a plaque on the Thayer Building at the corner of Franklin and Bath streets indicating the height of the highest water level on Bath Street.
——————————————————————–
In prehistoric times, humans began analyzing those elements surrounding them in order to fulfill their desire to measure time. Of course, simple observation, along with deductive reasoning helped them somewhat in rudimentary fashion. Some of those observations included the reading of stars, carefully watching the change of season, and, of course, the obvious changing of day and night.
As time passed, man was able to somewhat plan regarding his farming, his sacred activities, feasts, celebrations or any other activity that was important to him at that time.
Some individual or group of humans finally came up with the sundial and an extension of that device utilizing the building of monuments that were constructed with the advantage of the shadows created by the sun, which could then be “marked out” and recorded.
Somewhere in that passage of time, the Greeks helped calculate that time with the water clock they created.
Eventually, the hourglass was constructed from two separate “bulbs” connected, with sand passing by gravity from the top to the bottom bulb. As we look back at that time-keeping device we realize that it was a peek into the future of our present-day egg timer.
In 1656, Christian Huygens utilized the pendulum’s natural swing into a mechanical clock. His efforts resulted in the modern clock-and-watch-making industry.
In the year 1773, a ship from London docked in Boston Harbor and a clockmaker by the name of Thomas Harland debarked from that ship and strolled by a man you read about in your history books. It was Paul Revere. Neither man knew the other though they were only yards apart
Harland traveled to Norwich and first boarded with the Samuel Leffingwell family in Norwichtown. At the time of his arrival, he was a single man, but he married Hannah Clark in Norwich later that year.
As a trained clockmaker with a shop near Christopher Leffingwell’s store, Harland advertised in the Norwich Packet seeking patrons on Dec. 9 of that year. His ad included information on his watch and clock making, including church clocks, and his talents of engraving, cleaning and repairing clocks and watches.
His advertising was noticed, and due to his reputation, within a few years he employed more than a dozen apprentices and journeymen. Some of his more notable apprentices included Nathaniel Shipman, Gurdon Tracy, William Cleveland, Eli Terry, and Seril and Ezra Dodge.
Most beginners worked with Harland for about seven years, with some a shorter time period. Most started at age 14.
One of Harland’s trainees, Benjamin Hanks, also served as a drummer in the Revolutionary War.
Most historians now agree that Thomas Harland produced more “tall case clocks” than any other Connecticut craftsman. One of those clocks is on exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
Harland practiced his craft from 1773 to 1808. In addition, Harland is generally recognized as that craftsman who made the first watch manufactured in this country. His signature on his various clocks was “Thos. Harland/Norwich,” and in addition, he was known to produce 200 watches per year.
Thomas Harland died at age 72 on March 31, 1807. Harland Road in Norwich is named for him.
There is more on Thomas Harland in William Willard’s book, “Thomas Harland, Clockmaker, Watchmaker and Entrepreneur.”
——————————————————————–
In the beginning, New London included Groton, Montville and Waterford. New London was settled in 1646, but it was not known as New London, it was “Pequot.” The town changed to its present name in 1658.
The first national survey for the first turnpike in America was issued in 1670 for a road linking Norwich and New London.
The town of North Stonington, incorporated in 1807, was named for the stony character of its hilly countryside.
In the year 1892, the first collapsible toothpaste tube was invented by Dr. Washington Sheffield in New London.
In 1901, the first automobile law was passed in Norwich. It was a speed limit law.
The Polaroid camera was invented in 1947 by inventor Edwin Land who lived on Crescent Street in Norwich from 1918 to 1926.
The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was built in Groton in 1958.
The only steam-powered cider mill in the country is B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill in Mystic. The first rock and stump puller was invented by George Washington Packer in 1870, also in Mystic.
Henry Bowen had a house in Woodstock that was visited at different times by three American presidents, and in Stonington, there is still another famous person’s home, that of the first Antarctic explorer, James Merrill. His home still stands, also.
First women
Now, let’s hear about some of the prominent ladies in the general area who inspired generations of young women by accomplishing their own individual projects.
Chase Going Woodhouse, an economics professor at Connecticut College in New London, was elected secretary of the state of Connecticut in 1940.
In 1969, Esther Rome of Norwich founded The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. She also became the editor of “Our Bodies, Ourselves.”
Prudence Crandall had a house in Canterbury and it was a school for “Young Ladies of Color,” the first “academy” of its kind in New England. She was an abolitionist and is Connecticut’s Official State Heroine. The women’s shelter in New Britain, which opened in 1973, is named for Prudence.
Suzanne Cutler of Colchester was the first woman in the nation to be named executive vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1987.
Emma Fielding Baker became the official medicine woman of the Mohegan Tribe in 1992.
Eliza Garfield, in 2007, became the first female captain of the ship, Amistad, located in Mystic.
Nora Dannehy, a Willimantic native, in 2008, was named acting U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut. She was the first woman to hold the office in the history of the legal system.
Lynn Malerba became the first female chief of the Mohegan Tribe in 2010.
That same year, Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz became the first female superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy in New London. The assignment also meant that she became the first woman to lead a U.S. military service academy.
In 2011, the U.S. Navy base in Groton welcomed the first class of female officers selected for assignment to submarines.
In 2012, Alice Bruno became the first female executive director of the Connecticut Bar Association.
In 2013, Norwich elected its first-ever female mayor, Deb Hinchey.
Three cheers for the ladies.
——————————————————————–
New Englanders didn’t meet at the meetinghouse just once a week back in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Norwich and New London residents also gathered together to work, to complete civic duties, for barn-raisings, harvesting activities and to celebrate patriotic events. We can’t leave out those famous “bean suppers” up there at Bean Hill you’ve probably heard about. They also met on election days when Connecticut residents in the fall and in the spring conducted their elections. Of course, in those times, only men were allowed to vote on those election days.
There were also public gatherings to witness the punishments of crimes. For a while, up in the corner of the Norwichtown Green, a “prisoner’s stock” was right there for all to see, with an occasional “prisoner” in it. Some of those “crimes” leading to punishment included the use of bad language, drunkenness, stealing, not paying bills, or other acts of minor violence.
In a little more serious vein, crowds would gather for actual executions. It has been reported that some folks would travel more than 50 miles to witness one with their entire family.
Hannah Ocuish’s execution in New London in 1786 drew almost 6,000 spectators. (We’ll cover Hannah’s crime in a subsequent column.)
However interesting those gatherings were, today’s story is really about another sort of gathering in southern New England.
After the 1680s to about the late 1700s, males between the ages of 16 and 60 served in the home-grown militia. In general, “Training Days” would occur six or seven times annually, exhibiting the militia’s drill exercises. Actually, in most cases, unless an “emergency” loomed, those exercises lasted only a few hours and the rest of the day became much more relaxed, social and festive. It should be remembered however, that the availability and presence of the militia during that period did provide communities with at least a minimum of obvious security.
Continuing on that theme, after a feast on a given training day, a special dessert at times would be concocted by the women of the town called “training cake.” The remainder of the day might include prayers lead by the local minister, athletic contests, a parade through the village, shooting contests, group singing, “jig” dancing, firing off of weapons, etc.
Some readers may know of a prominent resident of New London by the name of Joshua Hempstead. He is respected by historians as one who kept a diary for almost 50 years and left us with much information about the times in which he lived. Even he attended a Training Day on April 22, 1830. It is entered in his diary.
By the 1750s, a new innovation caused the day to more resemble a party. That event was the Training Day Dance. Many adults complained about the young men in the militia based on their behavior.
However, eventually the general public began to accept their behavior and even encouraged the young ladies to invite the young militia men to their “berry-picking” parties.
This interest in local colonial militias continued through the 1600s and up to the Revolutionary War period when more formal Colonial militia systems were implemented as effective military organizations.
In 1775, the Minute Men were the American vanguard. Once serious fighting began, the New England colonies reverted to the established model whereby young men were inducted into the true military life. After the first year of fighting, Congress established a truly national army.
——————————————————————–
Thanks to researcher and historian Mary E. Perkins, who in 1895 produced enough information for us to write this article.
In June of 1659, Norwich was not referred to as “Norwich.” It was called “Mohegan.” The first reference to Norwich was in March of 1661. It is fairly well-known that our first settlers came from Saybrook. However, it is not as well known that early Saybrook settlers here may have been driven from their homes by immense flocks of crows and blackbirds.
As early settlers sailed up what is now the Thames River approaching what is now Norwich, they were struck and impressed with the “tower” on Fort Hill (Jail Hill). That tower was an Indian stone fort.
By count, there were 35 settlers who did arrive in the spring of 1660. The area had been purchased in June of 1659. It was in November of that year that home lots were surveyed and assigned. Only some of the men stayed for the winter of 1659-60 in order to build houses for the families to arrive in the spring. Numbers vary as to how many stayed, since some of them were young teenagers.
We also know that Elizabeth Hyde was the first child born in Norwich in August of 1660.
Whether separately or in small groups, the first settlers arrived at “The Old Indian Landing Place” at the Yantic Falls and traveled on what was then called “Mill Street” (now Lafayette Street). They arrived at the present general location of the Backus Hospital, selecting that area for their settlement.
Because of the then “free range” of the cattle, sheep and hogs, rail fences protected each house. Later, goats were added to the animal population.
Most houses then were log cabins of one or one and one-half stories. However, the wealthier settlers had slightly fancier abodes. Those homes were higher and more pretentious. They contained stairways, wide halls, carpets, window seats, tall clocks, fancy chairs and sofas, paintings and expensive China, which, for them, replaced “wooden ware.”
The Franklin stove was yet to be invented, so attendance in church on extremely cold mornings needed “foot stoves” for the ladies and large leather overshoes, called “boxes” for the men.
By the middle of the 1700s, paint began to be used on houses. Also, a little later, the first stagecoach line was established between Norwich and Providence. That convenience operated weekly and left Norwich every Wednesday morning.
The first chaise in Norwich was driven by a man named Samuel Brown. (A chaise was a closed, two-wheeled, one-passenger, one-horse carriage.) In fact, Samuel was fined on a Sunday for riding in his vehicle to “meeting.” On those rough roads that existed in those days, the noise of those wheels was considered a breach of the Sabbath.
However, Samuel Brown went on living in Norwich until his death at age 90 in 1804.
At the time of the Revolution, there were six chaises in Norwich. We even know who the owners were. Included were Gen. Jabez Huntington, Col. Hezekiah Huntington, Dr. Daniel Lathrop, Dr. Theophilus Rogers, Elijah Backus and Nathaniel Backus.
Those chaises traveled on rough “cart-paths” or “foot-paths” until the middle 1700s when some attention was given to the roads.
Lastly, the long winters were punctuated by sleighing parties, and in other seasons, dances were held, along with special suppers, and tea parties. Early New London was famous for its dumplings, whereas, early Norwich was well-known for its puddings.
——————————————————————–
During the summer of 1833, President Andrew Jackson, also referred to as General Jackson, decided to tour a portion of the Eastern states. Accompanying him would be a number of important individuals.
In the meantime, for a number of years, many citizens in Norwich had been anxious to erect some sort of memorial of respect for the Mohegan Sachem, Uncas.
As word reached Norwich regarding the president’s tour, residents decided to make an effort to connect President Jackson’s travel plan with a ceremony featuring the president laying the cornerstone of a monument honoring Uncas.
A series of communications ensued in order to coordinate the president’s travel plans with the committee’s plans. (It’s worth a reminder here that in 1833, communications from one party to another with distance in between, obviously was quite different than today. The telephone would not be invented for another 43 years, and the telegraph was still years away as well.)
The postal services made special arrangements for communication purposes. Once agreements were settled, the committee in Norwich began work at its idea of including the president in the actual ceremony.
With all the preparations taking place for this historic event, funds were lacking regarding the costs of such an endeavor. So, the women of Norwich took necessary action drumming up the financing for the monument base.
Jackson always considered himself a South Carolina native. He became an orphan at the age of 15, and took on the nickname “Old Hickory,” after his role during the War of 1812. He was commissioned as a major general in 1814, and became a true American hero, second only to George Washington as a result of his heroism at the Battle of New Orleans.
On the day of the Norwich celebration, the presidential party came from Hartford by land, arriving by the Essex Turnpike in open coaches, guided by a colorful and brilliant escort of cavalry that had left Norwich to meet the party.
The group with the president included Vice President Martin Van-Buren, Governor of Connecticut Henry W. Edwards, Major Andrew Donelson, a military aide, and Lewis McLane, Jackson’s Secretary of State.
The party arrived in Norwich at approximately three o’clock in the afternoon, pausing for a few moments at “the falls.”
The group then traveled up to the cemetery where they were greeted by a large segment of local citizens, more than one military company, groups of children with appropriate banners and a number of Mohegan Indians.
The program began with a brief oral sketch of the Uncas family, and information about the current tribe at that time.
President Jackson then moved the foundation-stone into its place. One reporter later wrote that it was “a token of respect from the modern warrior to the ancient warrior.” (Uncas had died some 149 years previously, in 1684).
A similar reaction came from General Lewis Cass, who remarked, “It was a striking spectacle of one hero doing homage at the tomb of another.”
The children sang a hymn, which was enjoyed by the crowd, and then the presidential party pulled away. The group traveled from the Norwich Harbor in a steamer headed for New London.
The granite column seen on the site today was dedicated in 1842.
——————————————————————–
The Bean Hill Historic District was incorporated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The district sits on the western boundary of Norwich and often is overlooked as a site where many Norwich founders made their homesteads.
The name “Bean Hill” comes from a number of stories and legends; one version states that the residents cultivated baked beans, making it a popular dish to share. A number of buildings surrounding the Bean Hill Green — where Vergason and Huntington Avenues meet West Town Street — date between 1700 and 1750. Years ago, the green also was surrounded by many trees. Both the Bean Hill and Norwichtown Greens housed the early Norwich founders, and both areas made use of the Yantic River that provided necessary water power.
The Bean Hill area is certainly significant for its architecture and also for the several figures important in the history of Connecticut as well as Norwich. Aaron Cleveland ran a hat shop at Bean Hill, the building many know as Adams Tavern. Aaron was President Grover Cleveland’s great-grandfather. Rebecca Sherman, one of Roger Sherman’s daughters, also lived at Bean Hill, but sadly, the house no longer exists. Roger Sherman was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Rebecca was married to Simeon Baldwin, who was a member of Congress. Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States, can trace his ancestors to people living in the Bean Hill and West Farms sections of Norwich (West Farms is now the town of Franklin). The Fillmore House still stands today. Another resident of Bean Hill was Col. John Durkee, who led a band of Sons of Liberty during the Revolutionary War. David Ruggles, of later Underground Railroad fame, moved with his family as a child to the Bean Hill section of Norwich in the early 1800s. His father, David Sr., was born in Norwich in 1775. The family did not own the land where they lived, which was on Sylvia’s Lane in Bean Hill.
Early residents of Bean Hill in Norwich were a lively bunch. There were fox hunts, tea parties, dinners and live theater. At the center of the neighborhood is the Bean Hill Green, which served as a gathering space to hear the latest news, speeches or sermons.
Many Bean Hill residents participated in various war efforts. During the War of 1812, many of the male population of Bean Hill (between ages 18 and 45) were engaged in military activities.
You may be surprised to learn that Bean Hill had its own “Academy,” and its own elementary school known appropriately as Bean Hill School. The area had its own “tithing man,” or police officer, to carry out the laws. Many farmers located in the Bean Hill area indulged their energies in raising mules. Once grown, the animals were transported to the Norwich and New London ports and sold to buyers in the West Indies.
Today, the Bean Hill neighborhood is a mix of residential, commercial and manufacturing uses while still maintaining its historical integrity.
——————————————————————–
In the early days of Norwich, “townsmen” were uniformly selected from the oldest or at least most influential individuals. Innkeepers, obviously regarded as quite reliable, were selected as town officers.
Any innkeeper also had another title, which was “Keeper of the house of entertaynement.” According to town records, the first man listed in Norwich with that title was Simon Huntington in the middle to late 1600s. Later, in 1694, Calib Abell had pretty much the same title.
Norwich’s first town clerk (and recorder) was Christopher Huntington in 1678.
Isaac Huntington held the title of clerk for nearly 60 years.
When the Rev. Henry Flint was hired on a more or less permanent basis for the town’s church, in addition to his salary, he was annually presented with a specified quantity of wood for his fireplace.
In regard to early recollections of the Thames River, it was widely known for its abundance of fish. The variety included shad, mackerel, eels, oysters and lobsters. Even sturgeon had been known to leap into a passing boat.
Every spring when the ice on the Thames River broke up, there was a great demand for the striped bass available in its waters. Early Indian tribes called the river the Mohegan and also the Pequot.
The area now known as Yantic was first called Yantuck. In the Indian tongue, the last syllable, “tuck,” denoted a stream of water.
A well-known Norwich individual, Joseph Otis, was born in Yantic. The Norwich Library, originally located on Union Square, was named for him as he was its benefactor. Joseph’s early schooling was acquired in Bean Hill. Joseph’s father labored in the old iron-works.
In those early times, Bean Hill was noted for its parties, dinners, and even sermons. One can surmise why that area was known by its name. It’s true that colonists learned how to bake beans from the friendly local tribes.
As the local population increased in that area, businesses and shops began to appear. For many shoppers there, it was a two mile walk to the city’s business section downtown. At Bean Hill one could find a hat shop, taverns, grocery stores, printing offices, book shops, a newspaper and a bindery among other stores.
Though not as well known, there was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.
That downtown section of Norwich was originally called “The Central Part,” which was where the Yantic, the Shetucket and the Thames Rivers met.
A thriving village emerged in the mid-1800s, called Thamesville. Very early on and contributing to the general area’s growth there, was Mitchell’s Iron Works, Wetmore’s Shipyard and the J.M. Huntington & Co. Over time, the area would attract at least one steam engine, a machine factory, wharfs, warehouses and tenements.
Laurel Hill was developed as one of the last group of villages. The right bank approaching Norwich on the Thames River has remained fairly natural with no industrial plants or machinery, and near the top of the “slope,” lovely homes and beautiful gardens have developed. The first home appeared in 1852. In time, 45 houses would be built with a need for a neighborhood school accommodating over 70 students within its walls.
Greenville, founded by William Gilman and William Greene, had access to the Shetucket River for power, and a neighborhood was born.
——————————————————————–
Norwich claims the first movable parts and mass production in making clocks.
Connecticut’s Fundamental Orders were the first written Constitution of a democratic government. This occurred in 1639 in “The Constitution State.”
New London was given its current name in 1658, but was founded two years earlier by John Winthrop Jr. The Connecticut General Assembly, at that time, wanted to name the town “Faire Harbour,” but town citizens protested. The legislature relented and the town was officially named New London on March 10, 1658.
Traitor Benedict Arnold, a native of Norwich, attacked New London, burning almost half the town in 1781.
Massive floods in 1936 caused extreme damage to downtown Norwich and many other locations.
The first insurance company incorporated in Norwich as The Mutual Assurance Company of the City of Norwich in 1795.
The first Connecticut Railroad incorporated as the Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad in 1832.
Thomas Hubbard started “The Courier” Newspaper in Norwich in 1796, which in 1860 merged with the Morning Bulletin and the rest is history.
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in several Connecticut cities including New London and Norwich.
Prudence Crandall of Canterbury was named as State Heroine in 1995.
The city of Putnam was first called “Aspinock,” but later honored Gen. Israel Putnam by renaming the town after him.
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville is perhaps the oldest Native-American owned and operated museum in the country, founded in 1931.
The nation’s oldest high school football rivalry was started on May 12, 1875, between Norwich Free Academy and New London High School. At that
time, the latter secondary school was known as Bulkeley School for Boys. The New York Times covered their game in 1933. The competition continues.
Norwich was incorporated in 1784, one of the first five Connecticut cities.
A Norwich delegation of dignitaries traveled to Washington following President Lincoln’s death. They visited President Andrew Johnson to pledge Norwich’s loyalty to the new president. They were the first representatives from any state in the union to do so.
Norwich was the first northern city to retrieve bodies from the Andersonville Prison following the Civil War.
At one time, the Ponemah Mill in Taftville was said to be the largest textile mill in the world under one roof.
Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson designed the first repeating rifle in Norwich in the early 1850s. The two men could see the harbor from their plant.
Mill number four of the American Thread Co. in Willimantic has the distinct honor of being the first textile factory in the country, designed to be lit by electric lights. The iconic building was built in 1880, with the indirect assistance of Thomas Edison himself.
The town of Lebanon in New London County is rich in history in so many ways, but the following information regarding one of its “gems” may not be generally known. The almost one-mile walk, start to finish, on the town green is enjoyed by countless citizens. However, other than a great exercise, there is, historically, a pride among some of the town’s population. Taking into consideration the many town greens in the entire state, and some say, the country, Lebanon’s Green is the only one, we understand, that is utilized not only for recreation, but as an agricultural “working green,” producing a product (hay) for the group of farmers who live around the green who do the cutting.
——————————————————————–
Although the year 1659 is recognized as Norwich’s official beginning, it should be made clear that settlement in the new community was primarily accomplished near the Norwichtown Green. The early settlers divided up the land there for some farms and a few businesses.
It should be noted here that upon the travelers’ arrival, the Mohegan Indians assisted the hardy group in removing their goods and helping with the beginnings of the settlement. The Indians even remained for several months keeping a watch on the settlers and guarding them from any animals, human or otherwise.
The name for their new home would not be established until 1662. It was first called “New Norwich.”
The first child born in the new land was born in the winter of 1660. Her name was to be Elizabeth, a daughter to Samuel and Jane Hyde.
The second child born in September of 1660 was also a girl. Her name was Anne. Her parents were Anne and Thomas Bliss.
In 1668, a wharf was established at Yantic Cove. Early on, the original center of the town then was described as above with early goals of the settlers related to mostly farming.
But by the middle to the end of the 18th century, the shipping activity at the downtown harbor took precedence over any agricultural preferences. The center of Norwich had moved to the Chelsea Harbor area. Appropriately, we should explain the source of the term, “Chelsea.”
The term comes from a London port on the Thames River in England. Originally, prior to naming that local area as Chelsea in our story, it was simply known as “The Landing.”
Small mills began appearing on the three rivers known as the Yantic, the Shetucket and the Quinebaug, as well as at “The Falls.” The Quinebaug flows into the Shetucket, then the Shetucket and Yantic converge at Norwich Harbor. From the Norwich Harbor, the Thames River flows south about 12 miles to New London and Long Island Sound.
In the meantime, the courts, City Hall and the Post Office would later all be located near the harbor as opposed to the town’s beginnings in Norwichtown.
A number of events and activities helped the city of Norwich become a successful provider of goods and services.
First of all, regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center with its natural harbor in the early 1800s.
Between Norwich’s positive role in the Civil War with its textile and armament production and its advantages of the building of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad, prior to that war, Norwich’s growth was determined. Another growth reason was that other transportation factor: The Springfield and New London Railroad running trains through Norwich in the 1870s.
In the downtown area in 1740, Church Street, which connected both Washington and Union Streets, began to develop as a roadway that could accommodate opportunities for residential housing.
Other changes in downtown Norwich were on the horizon. The section of Main Street in downtown Norwich approaching Washington Square was not always called by the name we now know. In 1790, a new street between Water Street and Church Street was first known as “New Street,” then a little later, as “Middle Street,” still later as “Second Street.” We’re doing a little street history in our story of downtown Norwich.
The great 1793 fire, which destroyed a number of Chelsea buildings, will have to be a story for another time.
——————————————————————–
In early 1862, Union Army Capt. John Lewis Spalding finally received word of his father’s illness, while hundreds of miles from his Norwich home. The officer had not been home for months and requested a furlough. The request was granted and the 22-year-old returned to Norwich to help his father recover.
Young Spalding had been working at a clerical position in one of Norwich’s busy plants when patriotic fervor overcame him as well as other young men, following the fall of Fort Sumter, which started the Civil War in April 1861.
He enlisted in an infantry company and he enjoyed quick advancement, rising to the rank of sergeant major in a relatively short time.
With many others, he took part in first battle of Bull Run, and was involved with his first taste of combat. In protecting his commanding officer, Lt. Col. John Speidel, he was able to drive off a number of Southern attackers, but the battle was a costly defeat for the Union Army.
His three-month enlistment ended and Spalding re-enlisted, becoming a captain with the 18th Massachusetts Infantry. His duties involved working with a military balloon, making two aerial trips, and he was then involved in the second battle of Bull Run, where heavy losses were evident on both sides.
Following that assignment, he was sent to a Washington hospital, escorting convalescing soldiers back into active duty.
All of a sudden, Spalding was nowhere to be found and when he finally reported to duty, he was arrested. After some charges and a loss of his commission, he left the service with a disability discharge.
He returned to Norwich and within two weeks he married Lucy Billings, who was a published poet.
With the continuing war, experienced soldiers were regarded as essential, and Spalding, in 1864, returned to the Army as adjutant of the 29th Connecticut Infantry Regiment, which later saw action in Virginia, including a desperate fight near Richmond on Oct. 13, 1864. Heavy casualties that day included a foot injury to Spalding. His convalescing time was short and he returned to duty prior to the new year. His unit mustered out in 1865.
His good conduct with that outfit removed any black mark against his record, and the following year, he joined the Regular Army as a staff officer under Col. Joseph Mower. At that point, Spalding’s objective was to make the military his career.
Spalding tackled his staff duties with energy, leading Mower to endorse a recommendation for Spalding to receive an honorary rank (a brevet) of major.
Two weeks later he was working in headquarters, when a bounty hunter arrived, with paperwork regarding two deserters he had apprehended and he wanted to be paid.
Spalding explained that the army required several weeks to prepare the payment. The bounty hunter insisted he needed cash and that’s when Spalding became involved in a process whereby the duo would bypass the army bureaucracy, resulting in a profit for both men.
Finally, word reached Army headquarters and Spalding was arrested (for the second time).
A four-day court martial found him guilty and he was dismissed from the Army. However, he appealed and he was reinstated. He finally resigned from the Army, and his wife, Lucy, also divorced him.
He returned to Norwich in 1884, then entered a Virginia soldiers’ home, where he died four years later, alone and depressed.
Thanks to Ronald Connington for his help with this story.
——————————————————————–
Going back to the year 1792 in Norwich, the great celebrated holidays then included Thanksgiving, Fast Day, Election Day and what were called then, “Training Days,” when men would take part in military training.
Once the Revolution was over, authorities in New London strongly recommended that citizens should commemorate the date of the Sept. 6, 1781, burning of New London by Benedict Arnold. Their recommendation was to burn the traitor in effigy on that date as a regular holiday.
In those early days when villages were being settled, land was cleared and houses built, each village would require skilled workers. These included a blacksmith who could make or repair farming tools as well as tools of war such as cannon and muskets. Other skilled workers needed were coopers, weavers, shoemakers, carpenters, wheelwrights and mechanics. Young men aspiring to any of the above trades needed to serve an apprenticeship, usually seven years, before they were considered capable of being in business for themselves.
Early Connecticut laws actually did not allow individual young men to be idle, and offenders were hauled by constables before the courts.
Almost all of prosperous merchants in those days began their experiences as merchant ship captains.
In early days, only well-to-do citizens were licensed to keep an inn.
In much of the research on Norwich, there are descriptions of the “Reynolds House” just west of where, later, the William W. Backus Hospital would be built. When the new highway construction at the bottom of Harland Road needed entrance and exit areas, there was a heroic attempt to move the ancient Reynolds House, but that effort failed and the community lost the structure.
However, the Leffingwell Inn was saved by moving it to its present location.
In the 1700s, rapid flowing water from both the Yantic and Shetucket Rivers provided power for fulling mills, woolen mills, foundries, paper mills and other industries.
Speaking of mills, Col. Christopher Leffingwell, in 1766, built in Norwich the first paper mill in Connecticut. He also built a chocolate mill and a grist mill.
In 1793, William Cox opened another stocking shop which was, at one time, a “turning shop.”
In 1801, the Browne family moved into the Teel House, which in 1895 was used as the Park Church Parsonage. Before all that, it had been the residence of Gen. William Williams.
Lastly, Frances Manwaring Caulkins, in her 1866 history of Norwich, recounts the story of Thomas Leffingwell. It was he, who, in 1645, decided to assist Mohegan Chief Uncas who was besieged by the Narragansett Tribe at his fort on “Shantok Point” next to the Thames River in what is now Uncasville. Uncas was near starvation, and Leffingwell loaded a canoe in Saybrook with provisions. His canoe was filled with beef, corn and peas, and under cover of night, Leffingwell paddled from his location up the river delivering his supplies. The fort was relieved.
At dawn the Mohegans at the fort elevated a large section of beef on a pole for the Narragansetts to see. That signaled the fact that Uncas and his tribe could hold out much longer than their enemies wished to witness, and the Narragansetts left.
Willimantic was first called “Willimantuck Falls,” Windham Center was first called Hitherplace, Windham was named for Wymondham, located near Norwich, England, and Windham Center had its first church in 1700.
And lastly, Windham became the county seat in 1726. The first courthouse and jail were built in Windham Center in 1730.
And there you have a nostalgic look at the past.
——————————————————————–
It’s sometimes difficult to “nail down” the whereabouts of this gentleman at specific times in his life. The reason for that fact is that he moved around quite a bit as a “master builder.” This is his story.
John Elderkin first appears in the readings in New London in 1651 and in Norwich in 1664. This builder was known for his structures such as churches, mills, houses, bridges and vessels.
He built the first and second churches in both New London and Norwich. He also built the first mills in each of those communities. When he was a resident in the Whaling City, he built the first merchant vessel, The New London Tryall, in 1661.
In addition to his building activities, Elderkin kept the Town Inn at New London with his title, “Ordinary Keeper.”
In spite of the fact that our efforts have indicated that Elderkin lived in Norwich, his name does not appear as a Norwich proprietor, nor does he appear on the plan of house lots in Norwich.
However, our findings tell us that he built a grist mill “below the falls.” This location, of course, refers to the area near the end of what is now called Lafayette Street.
In 1673, Elderkin was commissioned to build a new meeting house. Having done so, instead of money for his work, the town granted him a tract of land at “Pocketannuck” Cove at the cove’s mouth.
His first wife’s name was Abigail, but not much is known about her. His second wife was Elizabeth Gaylord of Windham. Her death is listed in Norwich on June 8, 1716, at age 95.
On an early map of Norwich at “West Farms,” we find John Elderkin’s house, his mills and a bridge that he built over the Shetucket River.
In December of 1713, John Elderkin Jr. completed a new church on the very site of the original one built by his father earlier. The younger Elderkin was not, at first, paid for his work, but eventually, the town granted him 50 acres of land. This practice was a common one in those days.
The town records reveal that Elderkin (the son) was also involved with constructions at “The landing,” including a warehouse.
Now we jump to the grandson of the original John Elderkin, whose name was Col. Jedediah Elderkin of Windham, a prominent attorney and state politician. He was a member of the governor’s Council of Safety in 1775.
The original John Elderkin’s descendants were patriots, doctors, militia members, participants in ratifying the U.S. Constitution, and one who was commissioned as a quartermaster in the regiment which was the one in which Nathan Hale was a captain. Others were large landholders and still others were among the wealthiest people of New England. All of this information was found in the state volume titled “Record of Connecticut Men in the War of the Revolution.”
And over in the little town of Franklin, history buffs there are quite familiar with the original John, the builder who started this family. He is remembered there for building one of the churches in that community.
In much of the research for this story, the writer came across a number of entries, proclaiming our subject, John Elderkin, as being one of the founders of Connecticut.
——————————————————————–
She investigated town records, newspaper accounts from the New London Gazette and the Norwich Packet, letters, account books, bills, memorandums, deeds and elderly conversations.
With those documents of research, Miss Frances Manwaring Caulkins has given us a history of Norwich, first published in 1866, that is of great value and interest. Some of her research follows.
In 1806, upon a dredging of the Thames River, a “Channel Company” reported 9 feet of water as the average depth of the river all the way from New London to Norwich. In addition, she indicates that it is not entirely clear when the river attained its name as “the Thames.”
In describing how Norwich looked through the eyes of early settlers, she indicated that those elevated locations were described as “mounts of vision.”
That place in what is now Norwichtown and the green was once a beehive of activity. The recorded activities there included trading, military exercises, shows, sports, festivals and town businesses.
Staying there for a moment, in the mid-1700s, the church (on the rocks) came down from the hill and took its position where it now stands.
Also, the county jail stood at the foot of the rocks. In addition, on or near the green stood a courthouse, a post office, two printing offices, taverns, schools and shops around the perimeter, along with some private dwellings.
John Mason’s house, prominent on the green, later became a schoolhouse and has been utilized for a number of other purposes since that time.
Miss Caulkins makes notice of the “Free Academy” minus its full name and its location in her descriptions. She does not mention the word, “Norwich” when referring to it.
She also refers to a large, active brook, which, early on, actually crossed over the area that is now called Main Street in Franklin Square. Of course, at the present time, that brook is now far below the level of that street.
Miss Caulkins offers some data regarding the population of Norwich over a 30-year period thusly: There were 5,540 in the year 1756, 7,321 in 1774, 7,187 in 1779, and in 1780 there were 6,541.
She additionally offers some interesting information about the year 1864. Norwich had 1727 “dwelling-houses,” 267 stores, 758 horses, 533 carriages (remember, the first automobiles were still some 40 years away), and also 296 firemen.
From the present Norwich railway station to Boston was a four-hour trip by train.
Our researcher reminds us in her writings that in the mid-1800s, prior to information about Uncas and his Mohegan Tribe, we knew very little about the inhabitants of the nine-mile square that Uncas sold to John Mason and the other founders of Norwich in 1659.
She also reminds us of Chief Miantonomoh’s Monument at Sachem’s Plain, where the great chief of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Tribe lies. It is on Elijah Street off Boswell Avenue. Miantonomoh led his tribe against Uncas, chief of the Mohegan Tribe, lost a battle fought in Norwich, and was taken prisoner. The date of the chief’s demise is questionable, but she settles on Sept. 28 of 1643. This date, she reminds us, is some time before many of the white settlers came to the area.
She strongly objected to Miantonomoh’s death sentence given by the Connecticut legislature. She felt the chief extended his kindnesses from time to time toward some of the English settlers.
Miss Caulkins also added that the Narragansetts were bent on revenge for their chief’s death and that the English were protectors of Uncas on more than one occasion.
The year 1659 seems to be the year of the last potential battle between the Narragansetts and the Mohegans. The anger between the tribes was coming to a close.
——————————————————————–
At the end of the 19th century, in towns and cities in northern New England, a relatively new idea was being celebrated, labeled as Old Home Week. The start of the tradition occurred in the summer of 1899 in New Hampshire as citizens of the towns welcomed back former residents or natives of the state.
The activity was met with such success that 50 towns in the state adopted similar celebrations.
Other states, including Maine, began replicating New Hampshire’s activity.
The next year, Norwich officials started committees and activities for a similar Old Home Week in the Rose City. Within one month the city was ready to present its version of what had occurred up north. The idea and the necessary actions to move the project forward are credited to then Norwich mayor, Charles F. Thayer.
As part of the planning for a 1901 Old Home Week in Norwich, the committee decided to invite the former president of the United States, Grover Cleveland, to the special week. Cleveland’s father was a native of Norwich.
As plans continued for Norwich’s special week of events, a committee visited the former president to invite him to Norwich. At first, Cleveland stated that his policy was to avoid participation in public gatherings. However, he decided to make an exception in this instance. He looked forward to visiting the town where his father had been born and lived.
The date was set for the first week of September in 1901. Plans included barrel burning on Lanman’s Hill, special church services on the first day of the week and a Labor Day Parade on the second day. There were also a series of baseball games, displays of antiques and carriages, another parade and a host of other activities.
President Cleveland and his guests were met by members of the committee in New London on Wednesday morning, where the party had arrived by boat. After a carriage ride to Norwich Town, Grover Cleveland saw, for the first time in his life, the old shop where his grandfather, Deacon William Cleveland, had worked as a watchmaker and silversmith. He lunched at the Washington Street home of Charles Osgood, then observed a small exhibition of old spoons and other relics in Norwich Town.
At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning he and his party enjoyed a brief concert by a Rhode Island band. That afternoon, more than 40 thousand people, including former residents and residents from other towns, witnessed another well-organized parade with Cleveland and his guests on the reviewing stand.
Among the many entries in the expansive parade was The Norwich Morning Bulletin’s highly decorated automobile. In addition to the above activities there was a well-attended reception at the Broadway Theater, races at the East Great Plains Fair Grounds, aquatic activities in the harbor, and boat races to end the day’s undertakings. Fireworks, concerts, displays and many other attractions rounded out the week’s activities.
It would be some time before memories began to fade regarding Norwich’s first Old Home Week. Norwich had put its own stamp on an existing celebration, and the old town played an important role in the development of the tradition.
——————————————————————–
Did you know that Norwich’s Chelsea Savings Bank in the downtown section of Norwich was built in November of 1911? Formerly, in earlier photos that site was occupied by a Universalist Church that was eventually torn down.
Also, you might not have known that the above bank was designed by the Cudworth and Woodworth firm, the same firm that designed the Norwich State Hospital.
Most people walk right by the bank and have no idea regarding the above information.
Also, there’s a house at 93 Union St., a Queen Anne structure with a central hexagonal tower. It has an octagonal cupola and it was built in about 1880.
Before the Revolutionary War, only six men in Norwich owned their own carriages. The Nathaniel Backus House now at 44 Rockwell St. was built in 1750 and was owned by one of those carriage owners. Its original location was at lower Broadway and it was moved to Rockwell Street in 1951. It was saved and moved to its present location by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the DAR. It is now a museum.
There’s a house located at 189 Broadway called the DeWitt House and Lidia Huntley Sigourney School. The house was built in the late 1700s and the school was for young ladies.
The house at 118 Washington St. was built in 1809 by John Vernet. Today it is a private residence but has a storied background. One family owned the house for 60 years, and it also was a stop on the underground railroad.
For a while in the 1920s, the structure was the Rectory of Christ Episcopal Church.
Downtown Norwich once had a beautiful commercial and apartment building that was constructed as the Shannon Building in 1892. It was destroyed in a massive fire in 1909. The following year it was rebuilt as a “fireproofed” building.
The Park Congregational Church on Broadway was designed by Stephen C. Earle and built in 1874. Mr. Earle also designed and built the nearby Slater Memorial building on the Norwich Free Academy campus. That building was given to the school by William A. Slater in honor of his father, John Fox Slater.
The Gilbert Brewster House at 96 Union St. is in the Federal style, and was built in approximately 1800. About 80 years later it was modeled in the Georgian Revival style. At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, an elevator was installed in the building. Mr. Brewster was an engineer and a successful inventor in the wool spinning industry. He also constructed the steamship, Eagle.
The Colonial saltbox at 199 W. Town St. dates to 1724 and in 1774, it was “kept” as a tavern and public house. Today, that house is used as offices.
Norwichtown was the earliest settlement of Norwich, and the date for that settlement was 1659.
The Reynolds Place was also built in 1659 and was known as the oldest house in Norwich. It was located just beyond the Backus Hospital and was unfortunately taken down due to its fragile condition, when the new highway needed entrance and exit lanes.
Shetucket Street in the business district of downtown Norwich was also known as “Bankers Row.”
And, lastly, the Norwich Inn on Route 32 was built in 1929 and was famous for its magnificent golf course and its 75 lovely guest rooms.
So ends our brief tour of old structures in the Norwich area.
——————————————————————–
This is the story of Samuel Kirkland, who was a native of Norwich, born on Dec. 1, 1741. Samuel received all of his early schooling in local common schools.
He attended Princeton College, which was formerly named the College of New Jersey. While still a student there, his wish to work with Native Americans motivated him to travel on snow in snowshoes in order to preach to nearby tribal groups. When he graduated from Princeton in 1765, he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Samuel had had an early desire to work with Native Americans in some capacity, and a reflection of his life shows that he accomplished that life goal.
In 1769, Samuel courted and then married Jerusha Bingham in Windham. (Their son, John, became president of Harvard University from 1810 to 1828.)
Interestingly enough Samuel’s first assignment was working with Rev. Eleazur Wheelock in what was then Lebanon (now Columbia). The assignment was at Wheelock’s Moor’s Indian Charity School. That school later relocated to New Hampshire and became Dartmouth College. Wheelock became the first president of the prestigious college.
Soon after his first assignment with Wheelock, Samuel took a position in central New York as a missionary to the Iroquois tribes, and during the Revolutionary War, he was to act as an adviser to the tribe.
He had always felt that there was a strong need for a word list of Native American tribes. So, he began and succeeded in developing such a list of 200 Native American languages.
Samuel became friendly with Joseph Brant, a Mohawk, who became a war leader against the rebels during the Revolutionary War.
Samuel developed a reputation for his work conducting Sunday services with translated psalms.
During the Revolutionary War, Samuel served as a chaplain to Colonial troops. George Washington himself commended Samuel for both his work with
Native Americans and the troops in service.
Samuel is generally credited with preventing several conflicts between Native Americans and colonists.
In 1790, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Three years later, Samuel founded the Hamilton-Oneida Academy as a boys’ school in central New York. In order to accomplish his objective, he had to present his “Plan of Action” to Washington and received his acceptance from him. Admission to the school was open to both white and American Indian young men. The school became known as an opportunity for young new arrivals coming to America from Europe. Samuel was lauded for his efforts with young immigrants; that institution became Hamilton College in 1812.
Boys’ schools were developing during those years followed by girls’ schools later during the 19th century.
The town of Kirkland, New York, is named for Samuel, and Kirkland College, a woman’s college, merged with Hamilton College, and was named for our subject.
Samuel is credited with presenting and implementing a plan to unite five nations of tribes that became known as the Iroquois Confederacy. Other attempts at unifying those tribes had failed, but Samuel’s plan was much better organized, and the result was unity and that Iroquois Confederacy can be found in history books used in schools today.
Altogether, Samuel’s missionary work spanned 40 years. Samuel Kirkland passed away on Feb. 28, 1808, in Clinton, New York.
——————————————————————–
Did you know that taverns “back in the day” when the area was sparsely settled, were so important in everyone’s life that a law was passed that required each settlement to have one? It’s true, and today’s story will investigate why that was so.
There were two places generally approved besides the home. One was the church and the other was the local tavern. Why the tavern? Because that’s where people could get the latest information and meet socially.
The church, of course, was formal and had tight laws and regulations in the 1640s. The law also required each community to select by any method, a reliable resident to keep an “ordinary” (an early name for a tavern). The purpose of such a requirement was so that anyone who wished, could visit there with neighbors, and the fact that the location could provide lodging and sometimes food and drink.
Travelers knew that if the ordinary was available, there would be meals fixed at a reasonable price.
Another law in those early days involved a traveler or resident who could only stay at the bar for a limited amount of time.
There was an incident whereby two men in Norwich were actually banned from the tavern and their drunkenness and behavior had to be supervised by the innkeeper.
The constabulary who enforced the laws would visit taverns frequently, and it was not unusual for patrons to witness an arrest and/or a fine for anyone who might try to sell “strong waters” to the local Indians.
At the taverns, there was, of course, some pretty heavy drinking, which sometimes led to quarrels and/or fist fights.
The most common food items dispensed at the tavern included beer, biscuits and cheese. Local Indians would sell their “animal kills,” which might include deer and bear meat, wild birds and turkeys to the innkeeper.
Among the innkeeper’s problems was the money owed to him.
One of Windham County’s former taverns is the Mixer Tavern in Ashford, now a private residence. It is dated from 1710, and in 1757 it was known as Clark’s Tavern. One of its claims to fame is that five French officers of Rochambeau’s army stopped there on Nov. 5, 1782.
Over the years, it was variously called by a number of names, including the General Palmer Inn, and the Pompey Hollow Inn.
The old Gurley Tavern in Chaplin on Chaplin Street was built in 1822 and was a stagecoach inn. It once harbored a business known as “the Quilt Shop.” It also was the Chaplin Post Office.
The Windham Inn in Windham Center was once referred to as “the Windham House” prior to 1890. Constructed in 1783, it began life as an inn with three stories but was reduced to two stories in the 1850s. It is now empty and its future is unknown.
The Haughton Tavern in Montville was once one of the more prominent meeting places in Colonial southeastern Connecticut. Located on Route 32, halfway between New London and Norwich, it featured a fine ballroom and polished floors. It was once a favorite location for townsfolk as well as military personnel.
Noted for hosting sleighing parties, musical entertainment and great food, it was destroyed in 1899 by a great fire.
Well-known early innkeepers in Eastern Connecticut included Deacon Simon Huntington, Thomas Waterman and Caleb Abel, among many others.
——————————————————————–
In the earliest days of the Connecticut colony, there were many rivers and streams. At times, there was a need to get from one shore to another. In order to cross rivers, residents needed a safe way to negotiate that difficult and inconvenient problem. Of course, the lucky ones were those people who had some sort of water transportation such as a boat to accommodate them. People began using ferries as early as the 1640s.
That trend continued, and by 1700, our state had 11 well-used ferries.
The nearest to us in Eastern Connecticut crossed the Niantic River in East Lyme and the Thames River between Groton and New London.
Most of the ferries used flat-bottomed boats that operators either “poled,” rowed or sailed across the water. The Niantic ferry utilized a rope that spanned the river.
During Sarah Kemble Knight’s travels throughout Connecticut in 1704, she wrote in her journal about the difficulties of rough water, high winds and frightened horses using the New London ferry. At times, she felt she would not reach the other side where dry land existed.
Decades later, Joshua Hempstead of New London also wrote in his diary about his ferry trips between New London and Groton. He owned property in both communities as well as in Stonington. One wonders if appointments in those days pretty much depended on the weather conditions. Only the brave would travel in extremely high winds.
When one thinks of the cost of building bridges, the ferry was an attractive, low-cost alternative. So, consequently, the ferry, as a means of crossing, continued for a while. However, industrial changes were about to influence the popularity and use of the ferries.
In time, as commerce and travel increased, more ferries began to appear. By the mid-18th century, the number of ferries had grown in Connecticut alone to 26. By 1800 there were 30 ferries in the state.
Scheduled sailings of boats on both shores of Eastern Connecticut rivers was begun, and by the start of the 19th century, most ferries were transferred from individual ownerships to community ownerships.
As time went by, there came a need to accommodate wheeled carriages and stagecoaches, therefore, larger boats began to appear at riversides.
As turnpikes started in the early 1800s, solid toll bridges also began appearing. That innovation would impact greatly the need for ferries. By 1821, there were only about 20 ferries still working. That number of ferries remained at 20 until about 1870 when the introduction of the steamboat made itself known.
Railroad travel also was a factor, and one ferry from Old Saybrook to Old Lyme continued, as well as the ferry from Groton to New London. However, general travel was dramatically altered when a railroad bridge was constructed in 1870 across the Connecticut River, and in 1889 one was constructed across the Thames River.
The advent of the automobile deeply affected bridge construction and by 1919, automobile bridge crossings on those rivers became a reality.
Two ferries still operate seasonally on the Connecticut River. One, between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury, is the nation’s oldest ferry service in continuous operation, founded in 1655. The other operates between Chester and Hadlyme.
Private operators provide ferry service at New London across Long Island Sound.
——————————————————————–
During the Civil War, Northern industrialists hired women to fill the roles normally held by men. The war was impacting the labor shortage. The industrial and agricultural workforce welcomed both immigrant and native-born women.
There was a popular verse that was circulating in 1863 called “The Volunteer’s Wife,” which went like this: “Take your gun and go, John, take your gun and go, For Ruth can drive the oxen, and I can use the hoe!”
There were thousands of “sewing women” under government contract, sewing Union uniforms. Hundreds of women on both sides were known to disguise themselves as men joining infantry companies. Their true identities were discovered when wounds occurred.
Other women during the war, in the North, were involved in the “U.S. Sanitary Commission” established in 1861. “Sanitary Fairs” raised money, rolled bandages, shipped food and sent nurses to Army camps. Some even served as spies.
At the beginning of the war, manufacturing establishments in the North outnumbered those in the South, six to one. Also, there were many more industrial workers in the North.
“The Daughters of the Regiment” cooked meals, worked on hospital ships, taught some soldiers to read, tended to the sick, cleaned guns, and helped soldiers in their efforts to write letters.
When Abraham Lincoln called for troops at the beginning of the war, Connecticut’s governor, William Buckingham, actively mobilized militia units.
He was also noted for his collaboration with the other governors in New England.
The following day, Buckingham, with headquarters in Norwich, issued a proclamation urging citizens to join the state’s regiments and artillery batteries.
However, at that time, there was no authority for financing the war, and the legislature was not in session. Banks eagerly volunteered to loan money to the state until the legislature made good.
Volunteers did respond, but it was felt that volunteers would only be needed for a period of three months to crush the rebellion. That, of course, was wishful and optimistic thinking.
Col. Daniel Tyler of Brooklyn was a regiment commander, and his unit arrived in Washington on May 10, 1861.
Connecticut casualties at the war’s end included 97 officers and 1,094 enlisted men killed in action, with another 700 men dying of wounds. Three thousand men died from disease, and 27 were executed for crimes, including desertion. More than 400 men were listed as missing.
Among other contributing military manufacturing centers in Connecticut were those sending rifles, arms, munitions, sidearms, brass buttons and belt buckles. The Mystic shipyards provided the USS Monticello, the USS Galena and the USS Varuna, all built in Mystic.
Tyler, Gen. Nathan Lyon, Gen. William T. Clark from Norwich and other high-ranking officers were vital to the war’s objectives. Eastern Connecticut certainly provided military talent at a time it was most needed.
Other names of participating officers included Capt. Thomas K. Bates of Brooklyn, Capt. Albert S. Granger of Putnam, Capt. Charles Burton of Killingly, Capt. Jerome Tourtellotte of Putnam, and Capt. Elijah T. Smith of Plainfield, among many others.
Fort Trumbull in New London served as an organizational center for Union troops. Training troops and dispensing weapons were two of the activities carried out there during the war.
——————————————————————–
This is a story about a remarkable woman who is a Norwich native and a nationally known figure.
Margaret Louise Coit was born in Norwich on May 30, 1919, to Archa Willoughby Coit, a stockbroker, and Grace Coit, who was a principal of a private day school. Margaret attended local schools and while still a student in the late 1920s, her family moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. It was there that she graduated from that community’s high school.
Margaret had attended Curry School on the grounds of the Woman’s College at Greensboro and then majored in history at that college.
Margaret also had a sister, Grace, two years younger than she, who was born with Down Syndrome. During Margaret’s adult life she cared for Grace for an extended amount of time.
At the Woman’s College, now called the University of North Carolina, Margaret studied history and English. She also edited the college magazine and wrote for the school paper.
In 1941, Margaret moved north for an opportunity to work for the Lawrence, Massachusetts, Daily Eagle newspaper, the Newburyport Daily News and also the Haverhill Gazette.
For almost a decade, Margaret did extensive research on South Carolina statesman John C. Calhoun, who had been a source of fascination for her over a period of years. As a researcher, Margaret spent countless hours in libraries, research centers and other sources for information on the well-known statesman.
Her time and energy paid off with the publication of her book, “John C. Calhoun, American Portrait.” Her book was published in 1950 and it obviously met with public acclaim. It also gave her much pleasure and obviously the public loved it as well, as it won her the 1951 Pulitzer Prize in the Biography category.
With that prize on her resume, Margaret won a staff appointment to the University of New Hampshire Writers Conference. From there, she was invited to teach at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Rutherford branch.
Margaret accepted, and began there as a visiting writer in the English Department. The year was 1950.
From that position, she then became a professor of social science.
In the spring of 1953, Margaret had interviewed senators for her next project, a book on Bernard Baruch, and met the then-Sen. John F. Kennedy. At that time, it was one month away from his engagement to Jacqueline Bouvier.
She later admitted that every female in New England wanted to meet him, including her.
Margaret participated in the Time-Life series and wrote nonfiction history for children, including stories on Thomas Edison and Andrew Jackson, among others.
Her next project was her own book, “Mr. Baruch,” published by Houghton Mifflin in 1957. It received a “Book of The Month” designation.
Over the next decade, Margaret would also teach at the University of Colorado, the Bread Loaf Writers Conferences as well as writing articles and reviews for a number of national publications.
These were impressive reader favorites of the time such as Look, The Saturday Review, The Nation and American Heritage.
Margaret, in 1959, received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from The Woman’s College.
In 1970, she was asked to edit “Calhoun: Great Lives Observed.”
Seven years later, due to her scholarship and conspicuous attainments, Margaret Coit was conferred membership in Phi Alpha Theta. This was awarded for her work in the field of history.
Margaret Coit’s amazing life ended in 2003 and the announcement was listed in many prestigious publications.
——————————————————————–
The official weather forecast for New England on Sept. 21, 1938, was as follows: “Windy, rain possibly heavy, cooler.”
We thought we would revisit our area one more time to remind readers that the storm referred to above some 80 years ago was no piece of cake. Read on.
Because the storm track did not take it over any land mass, it didn’t lose any of its strength as it moved.
It hit land with 100 mph winds when tides were already high.
In New London, waves drove a 1,000-ton ship right into downtown.
One house on Broad Street in Norwich had three large trees leaning on the house during and after the storm. People continued living in the house after the trees were cleared.
On the shoreline, one of the windows in a home blew out, and the owner grabbed a hammer, nails and a card table and hammered the table against the window successfully. It worked.
Rescuers found a few fish and some crabs in kitchen drawers as they searched for survivors in Mystic homes.
The hurricane in 1938 is also referred to as “The Granddaddy of Them All” and also “The Yankee Clipper.”
Twenty thousand electric poles toppled before it was over.
At one point, Franklin Square in Norwich was under 12 feet of water.
Cottages and other buildings at Ocean Beach were tossed around like children’s blocks.
In New London, short-circuited electric wires on downed poles caused a fire near the waterfront and there was no telephone service. Some fire personnel stood by and helplessly watched the fire.
New London County sustained wind speeds of 115 mph.
Five to 10 inches of rain uprooted millions of trees across New England.
On the shoreline, the wind went through some of the downed trees, blew them upright and toppled them the other way.
Some of the families on the shoreline “hosted” stranded travelers at their homes when roads became blocked by trees.
It must be remembered that fallen trees had to be removed by ax and handsaws. There were no chain saws, yet.
In New London as elsewhere, old timers now still remember when they were children helping to drag brush out of the roads following the hurricane.
Some extraordinary wind gusts reached 183 mph.
Both forests owned by Yale University and Harvard in their forestry programs were wiped out by the hurricane.
In New London, a few stately homes adjacent to Ocean Beach were leveled.
All in all, the hurricane killed 682 people in New England and destroyed over 57,000 homes.
Along the Stonington shorefront, buildings were swept off their foundations and some of them were found two miles away.
The storm claimed 26,000 automobiles.
Countless railroad bridges between New Haven and Providence were destroyed, damaged or flooded.
The peak storm surge actually occurred on the Connecticut-Rhode Island border in the Stonington-Watch Hill area.
Finally, in R.A. Scotti’s book, “Sudden Sea,” published in 2005, there is a dramatic account of a New London woman and her children who lived on Fort Road. As water and wind rose and intensified, the family retreated to their attic. A storm surge suddenly tore their house apart, and the family rode the crest of a wave on a section of their attic, finally stopping two miles inland in a cornfield in Stonington. The family survived
——————————————————————–
Today’s story is about two men who made a difference in the legends of the Old West. However, neither one of them was a sheriff, a gunfighter or a member of a posse.
The two men, Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson opened a machine shop near the Norwich Harbor in 1852 for the manufacture of rifles and pistols. It was called Smith and Wesson for the first three years, then it was renamed the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. There were a number of other gun manufacturers adjacent or in the vicinity of the harbor at that time.
Some have asked, why Norwich? There were plenty of other places they might have positioned themselves. One of the answers may surprise you. Of course, the obvious ones included the advantages of the ever-present water power, the nearby rail lines and ports, the growing population centers within a reasonable distance away and skilled workers. This last factor begs the question, what kind of skilled personnel?
There were the usual ones, but practically unknown were those workers who were skilled in “clock making.” Those skills were, in many ways, similar to those in gun making when one considers the mechanisms in both products, such as blueprint reading, small gears, springs and valves.
When mentioning “clock making” in any story about Norwich, we can’t neglect also referencing Thomas Harland, master clock and watch maker, who instructed many clock makers who are mentioned in our history books. Those were the beginners who did their long training with Harland even before they could begin traveling as “journeymen.”
Now, technically, the Smith and Wesson pistols may not have carried as big a name as the Colt pistols in the Old West. However, to those men who survived by their guns, those two fellows in their operations in Norwich produced an unmatched reputation.
When movie writers and producers would seek authenticity in their westerns, they often used Smith and Wesson pistols in their films.
In addition, the Smith and Wesson “Model 2” was the most popular pistol carried in the Civil War. Later, in 1870, the new “Model 3 American” was adopted by the U.S. Army, becoming the first standard-issue revolver in the history of the U.S. military. Up until that time, military pistols were black powder cap and ball revolvers.
The newer “Model 3” was a favorite of the legendary lawman, Wyatt Earp. It was that pistol he used at the famous shootout near the OK Corral.
That same model was also used, at one time or another, by such well-known names as Jesse James, Frank James, John Wesley Hardin, Pat Garrett, Virgil Earp, Billy the Kid, George Armstrong Custer and many others.
Some other gun trivia for this story has to include the incident with Jack McCall and Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, North Dakota, on Aug. 2, 1876. Earlier, Jack “Crooked Nose” McCall, as he was sometimes called, felt he had been insulted by Hickok and found an opportunity to shoot him in the back of the head with his Model One Smith and Wesson pistol.
He later was seen in the vicinity bragging how he killed Hickok in a fair gunfight. He finally went to trial for the killing and was found guilty. He was hanged at age 24 for his crime.
——————————————————————–
It has been known by a number of names such as “Uncas Leap,” “Indian Leap,” and “Yantic Falls,” among others. By any name, we’ll pretty much reveal what happened at that “place.”
In the year 1643, the local Mohegan Tribe had engaged in a battle with another nearby tribe, the Narragansetts. That battle took place on what is now known as East Great Plain in Norwich. Even outnumbered, Uncas, head of the Mohegan Tribe, found a way to trick Chief Miantonomo. The two chiefs met and a suggestion was made by Uncas that just the two of them should engage in combat, and the individual who won would be in charge of both tribes. His adversary did not wish to fight the great Uncas, and with that, Uncas immediately went to the ground as a prepared signal to his troops, who swooped down upon the larger group who were relaxing and resting after their long journey. They became disorganized and began to flee. Not being familiar with the local area, they eventually ran along the Yantic River, coming to what is now “The Falls.” The frantic tribe members made efforts to jump across the falls as a desperate attempt to escape, but most of them eventually fell to their deaths.
The East Great Plain Battle is considered by historians to be one of the greatest Native American battles to take place in all of New England.
The local Indian tribe was quite familiar with that area as an encampment site, but their enemy was not. The opposing tribe did not wish to surrender, but the survivors finally did, including their chief, Miantonomo, who was finally executed.
He was buried in Shetucket with a marker indicating the location.
Now, more about “The Falls.” A little over an acre of land near the site was acquired in 2010, jointly by the Norwich Historical Society and tribal representatives. The objective at the time was to further convert that specific area into a more interesting tourism attraction.
A new footbridge over the top of the Falls was installed. In addition, an attractive state placard describing the event which occurred there was placed in plain view.
After Norwich was settled, the area below the Falls became a place that could easily take advantage of the ample water power nearby. As a matter of fact, the eventual facilities there became critical to Norwich’s economic power.
However, the location alone could never have developed had it not been utilized by a number of forward-looking individuals. One such man was John Elderkin, who built the first grist mill there in the 1660s. He saw the possibilities and made it a reality.
Much later on, Christopher Leffingwell built the first Connecticut paper mill near the falls in 1766. That gentleman later became personally involved in the production of pottery, stocking weaving with knitting machines, and the first chocolate mill in Connecticut.
Within a short time after Leffingwell’s paper mill, during the American Revolution, rails, wire and textile cards were manufactured in the city.
Between 1812 and well into the 20th century, textiles, cotton, paper, nails, awning cloth for store fronts, fire arms, etc. were produced either at the Falls, or nearby, in the city.
In the early 1800s, the Norwich Courier newspaper was begun, and in 1857, another paper mill specializing in colored paper for books was manufactured.
——————————————————————–
Its launching occurred on June 7, 1906, and entered into passenger service with the Cunard line on Aug. 26, 1907. The British liner’s water route was from Liverpool, England, to New York City, eventually making over 200 crossings.
The name of the giant ship was the Lusitania, and today’s story is about its last voyage.
Elizabeth Duckworth’s son-in-law warned her about traveling on the ocean during wartime, but she insisted on going. She left her Taftville home at 19 N. B St., taking a trolley from Franklin Square in Norwich to New London. From there, a train took her to New York City where she boarded the exquisite ocean liner for its return voyage to England.
The transfer of people and baggage in New York delayed the departure of the ship by more than two hours.
During World War I as Germany waged war against Britain, enemy submarine warfare was of great concern.
On May 7, 1915, as Elizabeth finished her lunch, she thought she saw an immense fish in the water near the ship. It was, in fact, a torpedo.
The ship had been identified by the German U-boat U-20, which sent the deadly missile on its watery flight.
The subsequent explosion caused an immediate listing of the ship, and confusion reigned among passengers and crew.
The ship was equipped with 16 lifeboats, plus a number of backup boats. As people crowded into the boats, some of them tipped over and dumped the passengers into the sea. Other boats splintered due to the weight of the passengers and the plunge into the water.
In Elizabeth’s case, she originally entered Lifeboat 17, but as it began lowering, she felt it was not safe and changed over to Lifeboat 21. It had been a good decision, since number 17 was one of the boats that overturned, sending passengers to the waters below.
Elizabeth saw a man swimming in the water and with the help of a few other passengers, pulled him into the boat. Then, she directed the boat to others in the water, finally preventing some 40 passengers from certain drowning. She then guided the watercraft to a fishing rescue boat amid the cheers of onlookers.
In spite of Elizabeth’s heroics, 1,198 passengers out of 1,959 were lost, leaving only 761 survivors. Most passengers lost were either British or Canadian. However, 123 Americans were among those who perished.
The earlier sinking of the Titanic in 1912 took two hours and 40 minutes, as opposed to the sinking of the Lusitania, which sunk in about 18 minutes.
There were 10 Connecticut survivors of the disaster, including Elizabeth. Other local survivors of the doomed ship were George and Emily Sullivan of Groton. Others were from the following communities: Hartford, Bridgeport, Stratford, New Haven, Farmington and Manchester.
Elizabeth went on to England working at the Royal Arsenal Ammunition Factory during the war. She then returned to Taftville and her home. She had lost her husband, Alfred, and Elizabeth died in her sleep in 1955 at age 92.
To those who knew her, she was regarded as a strong-willed woman who did things “her way.”
It was later determined by nautical historians that it was only by chance that the U-boat and the liner came into such close proximity. Remember the delay in New York City before the ship embarked? The catastrophic outcome might have been avoided.
——————————————————————–
In the early 1800s, Connecticut was still primarily agricultural in nature, but the state was known as well for the output of a variety of other products. Those items included clocks, tin ware, hats, nails, paper, boots and shoes, cotton and textile products, among others.
Here’s an example. A “Help Wanted” ad in the Norwich Courier newspaper on Sept. 12, 1834, illustrating the need for workers: “Help Wanted: Immediately 20 girls who are willing to work most of their time and engage for one year at the rate of one dollar per week, board and washing included. Apply at the Button Mill & Screw Factory in Greenville.”
Also, in the early 1800s, women were finding work in the textile mills due to the fact that they were women. Employers had realized a profitable means of producing goods by hiring women for less money than men.
Originally, that option for women only occurred as seasonal. When the work changed to full time, women saw factory work as a somewhat permanent position, especially in the manufacture of clothing and the processing of food.
By 1850, in Connecticut, women laborers, mostly of a lower class, generally accounted for about one-third of the total number of workers in manufacturing plants.
On the other hand, middle class women in the workforce found work in nursing and teaching.
By the 1880s, another area of work for women emerged. That possibility was found in various domestic service positions.
In the meantime, a major change occurred when men began to realize that they could not support their families on their wages. It was then that both women and children became part of the workforce.
Societal changes regarding working women eventually lead to such jobs as nannies, cooks and maids. In general, those opportunities meant that women could conduct themselves on those jobs without ruining their reputations.
But new changes were on the horizon. By 1910, Connecticut was the leading producer of firearms and ammunition of any state in the nation, and was producing almost half of the total silverware produced, along with clocks and watches.
Returning to 1890, in Connecticut, twice as many women as men graduated from high school. Additionally, one of the few jobs, at that time, for women was in the field of teaching. That year, more than 60 percent of stenographers and typists were women. In 10 years, that percentage would rise for women workers to almost 77 percent.
The future and its accompanying events had its own repercussions. During World War I, the Red Cross sent women overseas to work as ambulance drivers and nurses. Their contributions were remarkable.
Speaking of remarkable contributions, we find in our research, Dr. Ier Jay Manwaring, a native of Montville, who became one of the first female doctors in Norwich. She joined the American Women’s Corps and went to France during World War I, where she ran a hospital.
During that “Great War” in factories in Norwich, women ran drill presses, did welding, operated cranes and utilized metal working equipment.
Women were involved in product design, lab testing, warehouse work and truck driving.
Closely following the end of the war in 1918, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. In Norwich and New London, department stores advertised slogans and posters to purchase comfortable shoes in order to participate in Red Cross parades, expressing national pride and unity.
——————————————————————–
In the middle to late 1800s, doctors, in general, didn’t work much using an office as a base. In fact, if a patient needed his or her doctor, that person could go directly to the local pharmacy. It was there in the rear of the pharmacy itself, that one might find the doctor in what was then called “a complimentary room.”
At first thought, this seems unusual but when one considers that the doctor was bringing in more customers and also keeping the pharmacy on the profit side of the business, it makes sense.
It must be remembered that in that time frame it was still not fully clear how diseases were passed or even prevented.
It also must be remembered that there were no telephones early on in order to reach the doctor wherever he might be. To alleviate that problem, a doctor might have a slate or notebook in the pharmacy “back room” that held information as to where the doctor might be working that day, and when he might return.
The store clerks would keep the doctor’s schedule up to date, and would record messages for the doctor upon his return to the pharmacy. If the doctor utilized the store’s prescription blanks with the pharmacy’s name on them, the store would usually not charge the doctor for that unusual and precious space at the store.
We should also include the fact that many doctors in that period also utilized their homes to see patients. They would greet patients in the front room or parlor as a “waiting room” and use another room for examinations.
It’s important to understand that during that time period, two-thirds of Americans lived either on farms or in rural villages.
Add to that fact that those folks on those farms had only “outside” plumbing, the use of wood-burning stoves, and serious diseases, as a result, were common.
Also, doctors in rural areas had no vaccines, no laboratory tests and few medicines. However, doctors certainly could treat broken bones, wounds and general sickness.
Physicians were frequently required, in small towns, to prepare their own medicines. Common drugs of the day included opium, morphine, willow bark, camphor, iron, colchicum, lime and a few others.
The first appendectomy was performed in Connecticut in 1892. Antitoxins for rabies were first used in 1885, and diphtheria was treated successfully a few years later.
In our state, 31 current care hospitals were founded between 1890 and 1910.
Shortly after the turn of the century, there was a shift from home births, supervised by midwives, to hospital deliveries.
Between the early 1800s and 1875, more than 60 new medical schools opened in this country.
Norwich native Daniel Coit Gilman founded Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1893, establishing a new clinical hands-on practice as part of the curriculum; it became a model for other medical schools.
During the Victorian period, medical improvements included the use of vaccinations, the sterilization of medical equipment and a better understanding of bacteria in general.
Obviously, there were a few doctors in the general area who conducted their practices during that Victorian period. Dr. John Knight Bucklyn Jr. was a physician in New London; Dr. Daniel Tyler Bromley was a physician born in Scotland, Connecticut; and Dr. William Richard Munger practiced in Niantic and New London during that general period.
——————————————————————–
Mystic led the way in Connecticut shipbuilding during the Civil War, but other shipyards in Connecticut also made contributions. Shipyards in East Haddam and Norwich along with one or two other locations built more than 50 vessels that participated in the war.
Mystic and New London along with Norwich also made engines for ships, boilers and other ship machinery.
The ship, Albatross, was built in Mystic three years before the war by the George Greenman Co.; it carried both passengers and cargo between Providence and New York.
Just about the time that the war began, the U.S. government purchased the ship and quickly converted the heavy-timbered ship into a gunboat. The ship became known as an outstanding “blockader.”
Adm. David Farragut, you may recall from your history books, was the first admiral of the U.S. Navy. It was he who voiced the now iconic imperative at the Battle of Mobile Bay, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
At the time of this story, he was the head of a squadron blockading Confederate ports, and wrote to the Navy Department that “The Albatross is one of our finest blockaders we have. I beg the department will not remove it from the squadron.”
When it was determined that the Union needed ships, Gideon Welles, secretary of the Navy, in response to Abraham Lincoln’s concern, purchased the Albatross. By 1863, the Albatross had distinguished itself as a blockader participating in Farragut’s Mississippi River Squadron.
By the war’s end the U.S. Navy’s ships included ironclads, torpedo boats and submarines.
Mystic, prior to the war, was famous for its fast clipper ships but quickly converted to building steamships. Mystic, in response to war demands, built more steamships between 1861 and 1865 than any other New England port. The shipyards at Mystic shipyards launched 56 steamships during the war.
Its specific ship contributions included the following: USS Monticello in 1859, USS Galena in 1862 and USS Varuna in 1861.
The Greenman Co. in 1864 also built the Escort. That ship was manned by a regiment of black soldiers, who relieved a Union garrison at Plymouth, North Carolina, in 1864.
The Thames New London, also built by that same company, captured eight Confederate blockade runners in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Rebels referred to that ship as, “that insolent Lincoln cruiser.”
Other shipyards, including those in East Haddam and Norwich, built more than 30 vessels used in a variety of ways during the war.
The Mystic Irons Works & Reliance Machine Co. was very active in producing engines, boilers and other machinery to the war effort.
Also, the Albertson and Douglas Co. in New London, the Thames Iron Works in Norwich and a number of other shipyards at other ports built engines. In New London, the Wilson Manufacturing Co. produced copper wheels for naval gun carriages. Also in New London, as a somewhat of a departure, the C.D. Boss Co. specialized in baking ship biscuits.
As anyone can see, every contribution, large or small, contributed to the same goal at a very dangerous time in our history.
In reviewing the impacts of Connecticut’s shipbuilding during the Civil War, it’s important to understand that as valuable as the ships mentioned were, we must also appreciate the fact that those ships and others paved the way for future major developments in warship design.
——————————————————————–
When the American Civil War started, the weapons used at that time reflected the most advanced technology available. On land, knives, swords, rifled muskets, breech loaders, repeating weapons, artillery, “early” grenades and machine guns were used. On water, there were ironclad warships, cutlasses, axes, harpoons and grappling hooks utilized by naval forces.
More specifically, “the foot sword” was used by artillerymen, “the dragoon saber” was used by cavalry soldiers, “the officers’ sword” was used by infantry sergeants, “the cavalry saber” by Union cavalry, and Marine officers carried the “Mameluke sword.”
At times, Confederate soldiers carried the “Bowie knife,” as some preferred it as opposed to bayonets. Those same soldiers carried the “Spiller revolver.”
Also utilized in the conflict were the Smith and Wesson models 1 and 2, the Remington 44-caliber, the Moore belt revolver, the Colt Paterson revolver, the dragoon revolver, the Beaumont-Adams revolver, the Savage revolver and the Whitney revolver.
Enlisted men also carried a “back-up gun,” including derringers and pepper-box pistols for close-quarter fighting.
During that terrible struggle, the Northern army had weapon technology not available to the Confederates.
Obviously, Connecticut contributed greatly to the weapons and equipment needed at the time.
In Hartford, The Sharps Rifle Co., owned by Sam Robbins and Richard Lawrence, did their best to keep up with the demand for rifles.
As an inventor, Samuel Gardner developed the high explosive rifle bullet in 1863. His rendition of a smaller machine gun was bought by Pratt and Whitney of Hartford. Gardner, in the service, was motivated by the power of the Gatling gun.
Richard Gatling invented the Gatling gun in 1861. It was noted for overheating, and even in the beginning, could fire 200 rounds per minute. Following the war, it was used above milling crowds in order to break them up. Twelve guns were purchased by Union commanders and utilized in trench warfare during the Civil War.
Christopher Spencer of Manchester invented and produced the repeating carbine in 1860.
In Bridgeport, Eliphalet Remington supplied small arms, including the Remington Model 1858.
Samuel Colt manufactured his Model 1860 weapon in Hartford.
Eli Whitney Jr. produced a revolver in his factory in Whitneyville.
The Henry Volcanic Rifle was produced in the New Haven Arms Co. by Benjamin Tyler. Samuel Colt founded that company.
Over in Waterbury, the Chase Brass and Copper Company produced buttons for officers’ uniforms.
In the mid-19th century, numerous arms companies started up in Norwich.
In Norwich, there was a number of available waterways, a trained labor force and general access to larger cities, especially when the rail lines began coming through.
During a 70-year span, 20 companies involved in armament manufacturing called Norwich home.
Specifically, the Bacon Arms Co. made shotguns there from 1852 to 1888. James Mowry founded the Norwich Arms Co., and in 1862 he received a contract for 30,000 Springfield rifles. To meet the deadlines for that contract, he subcontracted right in Norwich. He later built a factory capable of producing over 1,200 muskets and 3,000 bayonets per week.
The volcanic pistol was developed in Norwich near the harbor at the shop of Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. Neither men were natives of Norwich but came to Norwich for the above reasons.
Ten or 12 gun shops were located within 300 yards of Norwich Harbor.
——————————————————————–
Although he was a Montville native, he spent most of his life in Norwich.
William H. Cardwell was born on Aug. 4, 1833, and as a young teenager he began working as an apprentice for an established grocer in Norwich. After a number of years, he started his own grocery business in the heart of downtown Norwich.
While still working at his first job, he met and married Lucy Leffingwell Morgan in 1859. The new bride could trace her family back to one of the first families that settled Norwich.
While Cardwell was making a name for himself as a fair, honest and ambitious merchant at his retail store, he began to diversify. He knew that Norwich Harbor was a popular stop for the steamship lines and the ships needed provisions for their clientele. His food service business began in earnest as he provided food for steamships that frequented the harbor.
Although canned goods were first introduced in this country in the early 1800s, they began to be popular among shoppers much later.
Canned food was consumed during the American Civil War.
The big demand for canned food came about during World War I. First, low-cost canned goods were used, but it affected morale. So a better quality canned food was introduced to soldiers during that war.
Following the war, the use of canned goods skyrocketed in this country.
Cardwell saw the trend as early as 1905 and took full advantage of this new innovation by carrying the best brands for his customers. Early contents included oysters, meats, fruits and vegetables.
Along the way, Cardwell introduced a “charge account” procedure. Cherished clients were given an “entry book” in order to keep their own records. The grocer extended credit to patrons for up to two years in some instances. This was achieved without a finance charge. The trick was for the customer to bring the “book” to the store for each new purchase. The whole concept was unheard of at the time.
In his book, “Victorian Norwich,” Art Lathrop’s detailed account of William Cardwell’s family and career is well researched and documented.
The Cardwells had three children. They included George, born in 1863, Harry in 1869, and Alice, in 1874.
All of their children graduated from the Norwich Free Academy. Their respective graduating years were 1882, 1889 and 1895.
George Cardwell went west and eventually became involved in herding cattle, surveying for the railroad, having run-ins with the Ute renegades, and did some mining. It is said while there George struck up friendships with Bat Masterson and Buffalo Bill Cody.
Harry Cardwell graduated from WPI as an engineer and was, for a short time, employed by Thomas Edison at the inventor’s Menlo Park, N.J., research and development center. Edison called it his “invention factory.”
Alice traveled, majored in art at Pratt Institute, became an art teacher at NFA and elsewhere, later taking care of her aging parents.
The Cardwells’ final home at 313 Main St., built in 1880, has been recognized by the Connecticut Historical Commission. Its location, next to the Buckingham Memorial, was quite prestigious.
All three of the above Cardwell children, at their respective deaths, generously left funds to a number of Norwich institutions.
William Cardwell died in 1918 and his wife, Lucy, died in 1925. They are both buried in the Yantic Cemetery.
——————————————————————–
We think we know a lot about the original founders of Norwich. On further research we find that we really know very little about some of those names available in the research.
Therefore, we have selected some of them, where we have at least a little more information regarding their existence or importance.
We’re starting with a man named William Hyde, who was, in fact, one of those original founders of Norwich. He settled here and became a townsman as well as a selectman. The term “selectmen” is a later title of anyone who was first called “townsmen.” There were, of course, other early selectmen such as “fence viewers,” “branders” and “surveyors.”
Thomas Adgate Sr. was a deacon and lived a number of years in Norwich, where he died in July of 1707.
Robert Allyn came to Norwich as one of the original proprietors in 1659, then moved to Salem, where he was a constable and a farmer. He died in Ledyard in 1683.
Ann and Thomas Bingham Jr. migrated to Norwich in 1660. Later, as the family enlarged, they moved to Windham.
John Birchard settled in Norwich in 1660, where he became first a teacher, then justice of the peace, clerk of New London Court and later was one of the four original “purchasers” of Lebanon in 1692.
Jonathan Brewster acquired land in New London and established a trading post in 1650 in Poquetannock Creek. Later that specific area was renamed Brewster’s Neck. That area was at first within New London, but in 1669, it was attached to Norwich.
Benjamin Brewster served as deputy of the general court of the Colony of Connecticut from 1668 to 1697. He was a lieutenant with the New London troops in 1673 and captain of the military company in Norwich in 1693. He was also named “commissioner of the peace.”
Benjamin was married in Norwich on Feb. 19, 1659, to Mrs. Ann Darte. The couple had eight children between 1660 and 1676. Mr. Brewster died in Norwich in September of 1710. He is buried near the family homestead.
Hugh Calkins settled in New London in 1660 and helped those in Norwich as well. He was a deputy at the legislature and one of the first deacons of the Norwich church. Hugh and his wife, Ann, had seven children.
Although records are vague, Hugh died in 1690, and was buried in Norwich.
A small number of Native Americans in the Norwich/Preston area continued their families there into the 20th century. They managed to eke out a small living by laboring and/or producing baskets and woodenware for sale. The town of Preston received its name from the Park family, who were early settlers.
Now, for some quick historic facts:
– Connecticut is Algonquian for “At the long tidal river.”
– Our “Fundamental Orders” in Connecticut is history’s first written constitution.
– Connecticut’s Hartford Courant is the nation’s oldest continuously published newspaper. George Washington himself once placed ads in the paper in connection with the leasing of parts of Mount Vernon.
– Thomas Jefferson once sued the paper named above of libel. (He lost his case.)
– The Jail Hill section of Norwich above both Washington Square and the Norwich Harbor is quite historic on its own. David Ruggles, a resident on the hill once served as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, assisting over 600 slaves so they could escape to freedom.
——————————————————————–
James Fitch was the first minister in Norwich. He came to New England in 1638 at age 16 and began his studies. He later migrated to Norwich from Saybrook with his father-in-law, Maj. John Mason. The major was the only trained soldier among those first settlers in Norwich. We know that Mason spent three and a half decades in Connecticut.
Mason’s record is impressive. First of all, he spent 12 years in Norwich, which included nine years as deputy governor of the state between 1660 and 1669, and also served two years as acting governor starting in 1661.
From 1659 to 1684, details are sometimes misunderstood regarding those brave souls who migrated from Saybrook with Mason. Folks who lived in the area at that time, of course, lived under the rule of a faraway government. We do have some reliable information regarding that period, including the following: It’s not published frequently, but many people who migrated to Norwich were not very happy with what they found locally, and some of the settlers for one reason or another returned to Saybrook.
We do know that those who remained eventually found trails leading to possible food sources. We also know that the first child born in Norwich was Elizabeth Hyde, born in August of 1660. Additionally, we know that a mill for the grinding of local crops was quickly built, but soon a newer one appeared below the falls by John Elderkin within the first year of the new settlement.
Any information about that 25-year period might never have been thrust forward or recorded, but for the efforts of one Frances Manwaring Caulkins, and another somewhat unknown source of information.
We’ve discussed Miss Caulkins in past stories here, and of course, she is recognized as a most reliable historian regarding Eastern Connecticut. She was born in 1795 in New London and became widely well-known as an author and genealogist. However, her birth year places her much later in time from those “dear dead days beyond recall” referred to above.
Her “phantom” source was in the person of John W. Stedman, himself an author, and also publisher of the Norwich Jubilee, a local publication. Stedman’s help included sharing many local occurrences and past personnel that could have easily slipped away beyond our grasp. His sources were his own publications and research.
In addition, we also know that historian Caulkins recorded locations, descriptions and genealogies of those brave first settlers. She even interviewed a number of elderly residents who assisted in “bringing alive” that earlier time, which resulted in some fascinating data.
Back to those men of the cloth. Many were attracted to the general area. For instance, the Rev. James Noyes was born in March of 1640 and was the first minister in Stonington. The Rev. Richard Blinman became the first minister of New London in 1648. The Rev. Thomas Clap became the pastor of the church in Windham in 1726. The Rev. John Buckley was the first minister in Colchester and was ordained in 1703. Buckley was regarded by many as a most learned man.
The Rev. Isaac Backus, historian of the Baptist denomination, was born in Norwich in 1724. He was a delegate to the convention that adopted the Constitution of the United States in 1788. He was also known for his historic publications. He died in 1806.
So ends our weekly look back.
——————————————————————–
There has been much speculation and research about the actual relationship between Alice Roosevelt and Norwich-born Edith Carow Roosevelt. Although some of the background of these two historic figures has been covered previously in this space, today’s account is from a slightly different perspective.
Just so you know the players, Edith was Teddy Roosevelt’s second wife. Alice was Teddy’s daughter from his first marriage.
Edith had known Theodore since they were both quite young. After their marriage, she gave birth to five more children.
It was Edith’s insistence that she raise baby Alice as her own daughter.
Edith was a demanding stepmother to young Alice, but it is documented that Edith saved Alice from a “wheelchair life” or, at least, a life on crutches due to Alice’s voluntary nightly ritual. Edith insisted on her own care of Alice when the latter came down with a mild form of polio, stunting her leg muscle growth. Leg braces, massage and special shoes were administered by the child’s stepmother. This allowed Alice to grow to maturity with almost no trace of the earlier disease.
As Alice grew up, she was spoiled with gifts and presented a series of broken rules to her parents. Those included, in her teen years, smoking cigarettes in public, chewing gum, riding in cars with men, staying out late at parties, running up debts playing poker, carrying her pet snake, named Emily Spinach, to parties, and even placing bets with a bookie.
While traveling in Japan with her father in 1905, Alice jumped, fully clothed, into a swimming pool, coaxing congressmen to join her.
While the press and photographers loved Alice as a subject, Edith’s ideas of young womanhood were quite different. She felt strongly that a young lady’s name should appear in print only to announce her birth, marriage and death.
Edith was able to discipline most of her children remarkably well without raising her voice. She managed the family’s finances and Teddy’s correspondence, and later oversaw Alice’s wedding.
However, critics, authors and writers have generally agreed that Alice Roosevelt was the “sassiest” offspring ever to occupy the White House.
On at least one occasion when Teddy was president, he was having a conference with writer Owen Wister, when young Alice interrupted them at least three times.
President Roosevelt turned to his guest and in an exhausted confession, told him, “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.”
When Teddy and Edith recommended that Alice attend a school for girls in New York City when he was governor of New York, Alice exclaimed, “I will humiliate you if you send me and I will do something to shame you.”
Her notoriety as a child resulted in the name, Alice, as a very popular baby name. She was also referred to by the press as “Princess Alice.”
Washington notables have referred to the more mature Alice as “The other Washington Monument.”
As to the actual feelings between the two women, Alice, in her elder years (she passed at age 96 in 1980) had the following to say regarding her stepmother. “I admired Edith’s sense of humor and we shared common literary tastes.”
In her autobiography, “Crowded Hours,” Alice wrote that her stepmother “coped with my youthful difficulties with fairness, charm and intelligence.”
Her book sold well and earned rave reviews.
——————————————————————–
Franklin Square in downtown Norwich wasn’t always called by that name. It was also, early on, known as “Centennial Square.”
In the year 1668, a wharf was established at Yantic Cove and prior to the year 1700, a “public landing” was built at the “head” of the Thames River where ships could then off-load goods at the Norwich Harbor.
What we now call Norwichtown was, once upon a time, the original center of Norwich with appropriate businesses and homes in that area. But by the mid-1700s, the Norwich Harbor had become a prosperous seaport with its new name, “Chelsea Landing.” By the late 1700s, shipping at the harbor slowly but definitely became more important than the town’s agricultural efforts up where the town really began.
By the early 1800s, the center of Norwich truly became located in the “Chelsea” neighborhood. After all, the courts, the City Hall and the post office were all, by then, located in the downtown area.
For some time, large mills and factories were visible at “the falls” from the rivers coming into the town.
During the Revolutionary War, Norwich contributed at least three specific elements to the war’s purpose: soldiers, ships and munitions. At that time, the Sons of Liberty was conspicuous as an organization.
We would be remiss if we did not mention a name that stands out in that conflict among other names. Jedidiah Huntington, whose home still stands in Norwichtown, accepted a leadership role as aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington at Valley Forge. Also, a cousin of Jedidiah’s, Samuel Huntington, served in the Continental Congress as president of that illustrious group.
Gov. William Buckingham was Connecticut’s political leader with his home and office in downtown Norwich during the Civil War. The governor showed outstanding leadership at a most difficult time in our history.
The governor was a close associate to Abraham Lincoln prior to the latter’s presidency, and welcomed him to Norwich on more than one occasion.
There was great celebration in Norwich and, of course, other communities, when the end of the Civil War took place. That celebration, was, of course, short lived, when the nation was shocked with the assassination of President Lincoln a few days later.
It was at that time that another well-known resident of Norwich found himself in the nation’s spotlight.
Lafayette Foster was born in Franklin, grew up locally, and graduated from Brown University. He taught school for some time, and also studied law in Norwich and was admitted to the federal bar in 1831. He then returned to Norwich and was politically involved in the Connecticut House of Representatives, served as mayor of Norwich for one year from 1851 to 1852, before becoming a U.S. senator in 1854. He was elected president pro tempore of the Senate in 1865, until 1867. Six weeks after Foster’s election, President Lincoln was killed.
Vice President Andrew Johnson moved up as the new president, and Foster in his role, became acting vice president of the United States of America. Not bad for a Franklin boy.
Norwich was on its way as an important center, due to steamboat and railroad activity, and became the business hub in the general region regarding transportation and manufacturing.
In the year 1892, electric trolleys began servicing the citizens of Norwich as well as other towns nearby such as Westerly, New London, Putnam and Willimantic.
——————————————————————–
By the early 1800s, two of Norwich’s early “greens” were no longer considered to be at the center of Norwich. Those greens were at Bean Hill and at Norwichtown. The City Hall, the courts, and the post office had all been relocated by then to Norwich’s “new” downtown known as “Chelsea.”
Less than a mile north from downtown was a large pasture-like parcel then called the “East Sheepwalk.” It was a three-and-a half acre triangle.
In a most selfless effort in April of 1797, two city elders, Joseph Perkins and Thomas Fanning, purchased that parcel and quickly donated it back to the city as a park. For a while, it was called “Williams Park” for Gen. William Williams, who lived at the east end of the green at “The Teel House.” Williams had held his military “regimental review” on the plain in 1811.
Somewhere between 1825 and the late 1860s, the plain was renamed as “Chelsea Parade.” It has also been recently retitled as “Chelsea Parade Green.” In 1873, a large Civil War monument was placed at the north end of the parade, followed by other monuments and remembrances at that location, including a World War I howitzer.
The very large expanse is surrounded by buildings, including those of the Norwich Free Academy and a variety of the now well-known “Millionaires’ Row” homes.
Turning now to the Norwichtown Green, in days gone by, a young lad once lived next to the green at 85 Town St. The house he lived in still stands. Diah Manning, with a special talent of drumming, joined the Revolutionary Army, became one of the official drummers at ceremonies and also became the drum major of Gen. George Washington’s “Life Guard.”
Manning also served with Washington at Valley Forge.
It was Manning of Norwich who was detailed to serve breakfast to British Maj. John Andre with food from Washington’s table on the morning of Oct. 2, 1780. Diah also “drummed” the British spy’s “walk” to the major’s hanging on that same date.
There is one more green we would like to mention in this story, but we need to temporarily leave Norwich in order to include it.
We’re referring to the Lebanon Green in the historic town of Lebanon. The green, located a few miles northwest of Norwich, remains today as an uncommon example of an 18th-century town common.
The town of Lebanon was the first town in the Connecticut colony to be given a Biblical name.
Also, the town itself is proud of its active role in the Revolutionary War, deserving its nickname, “The heartbeat of the Revolution.”
Lebanon’s green, developed in 1704, is today considered one of the few greens that have maintained its “agrarian roots.”
Originally, the parcel was an untouched expanse of land almost two miles in length. Early settlers living on either side of the green utilized the area to pasture animals, train militia and also to serve the community as an early marketplace.
Today, the green is a little shorter, was never used as a park, and is currently cared for by the town. However, a number of local farmers still maintain portions of the green, and twice a year the hay grown there is harvested by those farmers.
It is, today, the only town green in the entire state that is still used for agriculture.
The Lebanon Green remains today preserved as open and public space.
——————————————————————–
One name is mentioned without hesitation when reading about the birth of manufacturing in the early history of Norwich. That name is Elijah Backus.
Researchers need to look no further than Yantic and also the year 1750. It was then than Backus produced the first iron bars in New London County.
A Preston man by the name of Robert Martin became an overseer in a similar situation with the same product in Massachusetts at roughly the same time.
As far as Elijah is concerned, he had started making iron anchors, and supplying other mills with his products.
In the year 1766, cutlery became a nearby business, also in Yantic, without importation from the British! In the same year, stoneware was manufactured at a pottery at Bean Hill.
Also, at Bean Hill, a few years earlier, Hezekia Huntington was involved in the making of linseed oil.
The first paper mill in the whole state of Connecticut was established in 1766 by Christopher Leffingwell in Yantic. In time, that mill would produce paper for wrapping, writing and printing.
Leffingwell, a versatile fellow, decided we didn’t need the British chocolate imports anymore and opened his own chocolate mill in 1770. Simon Lathrop must have been inspired by Leffingwell’s grit and fortitude, for he, too, opened his chocolate mill in 1779.
And one year earlier, in 1778, Elijah Backus and Simon Lathrop erected an oil mill at Norwich Falls. However, there were competitors in that field such as Silas Goodell’s oil mill set up eight years later at the falls. There must have been room for two similar businesses at roughly the same location.
During the Revolutionary War, iron wire was produced also at the falls, supervised by Nathaniel Niles.
However, long before the war, we find Edmund Darrow also establishing a nailery there, which continued until the year 1800.
Thomas Harland, an outstanding craftsman and immigrant from England, as a resident in Norwich in 1773, made clocks and watches. He made over 200 of them annually.
In Norwich, in 1791, there were two nail-making industries, 15 blacksmiths, three distilleries, two tobacconists, two braziers (brass artisans), and a bell foundry. A cotton factory had been established in 1790, by Dr. Joshua Lathrop. That business lasted 10 years.
In 1803, Nathaniel Howland erected a hemp-making factory at the falls, which changed, by 1813, making cotton cloth.
There were also nearby, two cotton mills, one at Jewett City and one at Bozrah.
In 1813, William Gilman established a nailery at the falls. Nails there were cut by a then-new, “nail cutter.”
The Thames Manufacturing Co. began in 1823, purchasing the Gilman nailery and changing it into a cotton mill.
The Quinebaug Co. was charted in 1826 as a cotton and woolen mill and historically, due to its location, was at the start of Greeneville. Of course, we must mention William P. Greene, an industrialist, who intelligently developed that specific area into the successful financial area it became. He encouraged creative employments in new operations such as pistol-making, flour production, a grist mill and a cork cutting business.
By 1833, at the falls, we see a large cotton mill, two paper mills, an iron foundry, a nail factory and a rolling mill there, all in good stead.
The financial crash of 1837 caused failure of most of the businesses named above. A period of great depression followed that debacle.
——————————————————————–
During World War II, civilians collected scrap metal, paper, rubber, kitchen fats (for making explosives), old stockings, copper, zinc, lead, rags, aluminum and tin, among other materials for the war effort. For the rubber drive alone, old tires, raincoats, hot water bottles, boots, floor mats, etc., were collected for reuse in the war.
In regard to the request for scrap metal, citizens searched their homes, their farms and their businesses for any variety of metal, and donations included pots and pans, farm equipment, and kids even gave up metal toys.
In addition, old cars lost their bumpers and fenders, towns melted down Civil War cannons, and old iron fences were allotted to the metal scrap heaps.
Tin, steel and copper items were easily melted down and reused. In Norwich and other Eastern Connecticut communities, crushed tin cans were left by the sidewalk curbs, while other towns had central collection sites.
The lumber industry suffered from a manpower shortage, and many lumberjacks left those jobs for the higher-paying defense industry jobs.
School children and Boy Scouts were noticeably involved in the above efforts.
During those war years, women wore silk stockings for their hosiery, so “paint-on hosiery” became somewhat popular, using eyebrow pencils and eyeliners for painting seams. The silk in those nylons were particularly used to produce parachutes.
Old trolley tracks and a number of old Civil War cannons were tossed into the scrap metal heaps.
The “donation bug” even reached the creative genius, Walt Disney, who donated two iron Bambi sculptures, which, it was then estimated, had enough iron in them for thousands of incendiary bombs.
Those metal scrap drives in towns and cities all over Eastern Connecticut were certainly somewhat helpful, but their intrinsic value was in creating citizen morale, involvement and patriotism.
One of the great creative sayings related to our topic came from then-Kentucky Gov. Keen Johnson early in the war. Here’s what he said that was printed more than once: “Steel cannot be made without scrap. It is as impossible to make steel without scrap iron as it is to make biscuits without flour, or to make an ice cream soda without ice cream!”
Saturday mornings in Norwich during the war for Boy Scouts and other young people were dedicated to assisting with the scrap and paper drives. Businesses in downtown Norwich donated their pickup trucks to help with those collections.
Many of the Boy Scout leaders attending Camp Quinebaug in Preston during those war years made generous time contributions to the purposes of the scrap drives. An alert Norwich Bulletin photographer happened to be at the right place at the right time in order to photograph a rather large truck with scrap iron on it and a number of those camp leaders supervising the “drive” on Franklin Square. The photo was printed in the Norwich Bulletin and was typical of similar collections all through World War II.
This topic also gives us the opportunity to praise those many air raid wardens and their helpers during frightening times. We would also like the opportunity to praise the Civil Air Patrol, which surveyed our coasts. During the war period, the CAP spotted 173 U-boats, located 363 survivors of sunken ships and downed aircraft, and reported 91 ships in distress.
Here’s to the dedication of those who gladly gave of their time and talents when we most needed both.
——————————————————————–
The first newspaper in the New World was titled Publick Occurrences and was published in Boston on Sept. 25 in 1690. However, it was published only once due to its unauthorized license from the authorities.
The good thing was that it acted as a delayed springboard for other publications in the following century. In fact, each of Connecticut’s next three newspapers were helped along or worked on by members of the Green family, especially Thomas Green. Those newspapers included The Connecticut Gazette in 1755, The New London Summary in 1758 and The Connecticut Courant, which was the first inland newspaper, in 1764.
In the next few years and prior to the Revolutionary War, over 30 other newspapers had started up, but only a few lasted any length of time.
The Connecticut Courant’s name was eventually changed to The Hartford Courant, which is now the oldest continuously published newspaper in the country. There’s more about that publication below.
Of special interest, is the Connecticut Gazette of New Haven, which began on April 12, 1755. The owner and publisher of that paper was a resident of New York whose name was James Parker. His business partner was none other than Benjamin Franklin, who enjoyed helping other printers with their publishing projects. John Holt managed the paper for Parker.
That paper lasted about 13 years.
Timothy Green started The New London Summary in 1758. When he died in 1763, his paper ended its publications.
However, Green had relatives, one of them with the same name as his, and that individual moved from New Haven to Hartford to publish The Connecticut Courant in 1764. He later returned to New Haven to continue his journalistic career.
In the meantime, Hannah Bunce Watson’s husband, the editor of the Connecticut Courant, had died, and she took over the publication of the paper in 1777 as the first woman editor of a Connecticut newspaper. She was already caring for her five children under the age of 7, and had little or no printing training or experience. Her first action was to name an employee, George Goodwin, as her business partner.
The Connecticut Journal started in New Haven in 1767 and continued into the 20th century.
The Norwich Packet was published by John Trumbull and his two partners, Alexander and James Robertson, in 1773. The two brothers left in 1776, and Trumbull continued the paper until 1807, when his son took over, changing the paper’s name to The Connecticut Sentinel.
A man by the name of Thomas Short operated Connecticut’s first printing press located in New London in 1709. Also, there was no paper mill in the state until 1766 when Norwich’s Christopher Leffingwell opened his paper mill in Norwich.
Making paper was a laborious and long process, and the first paper machines did not appear until the 1830s. England objected to the colonists’ paper manufacturing and the whole issue of England’s limits, with special taxes imposed on imported paper led to the Revolutionary War.
The printer’s apprentice in the Colonies at times became the carrier or distributor of the paper. Also, those early post riders when needed, performed some of those same duties.
In those early Colonial times, the mail was delivered only once a week, and contents in the papers included weather news, murders, thefts and poems. Newspapers seemed a little short of news in those early days.
——————————————————————–
Our story today involves a president of the United States, his wife as first lady, their first son together and the recently celebrated 75th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion in World War II.
The president was the colorful Theodore Roosevelt, his wife was Norwich native Edith Kermit Carow, and their son was Theodore Roosevelt Jr., born in 1898.
“Teddy” Junior’s background included private schools, graduation from Harvard in 1909, an assignment as assistant secretary of the Navy, a battalion commander in World War I, a founder of the American Legion and one who assisted in sponsoring the later popular G.I. Bill.
He resigned from the military service when his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, became president of the United States.
In April of 1940, young Teddy returned to active duty and was promoted to colonel and given command of the 26th Infantry Regiment. In late 1941, he was promoted to brigadier general and became assistant division commander of the 4th Infantry Division.
On June 6, 1944, at age 56 he was the oldest officer to land in the first wave of the Normandy invasion. He led the landing on Utah Beach with a minimum of casualties. As a result of his ability to rally his men with calm leadership, and as the only general engaging in direct combat, he was later presented with the Distinguished Service Cross, later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
All through that historic event, Teddy had kept secret from his superiors his serious heart trouble. He died in Normandy on July 12, 1944, of a heart attack.
Prior to Roosevelt’s death, Gen. Omar Bradley recommended his promotion to a two-star general.
Pall bearers at his funeral included Gens. Bradley and George Patton. He is buried in the American Cemetery in Normandy.
Sadly, the Roosevelt family had lost another son in the service during World War I.
Years later, Bradley was asked during an interview to name the single most heroic action he had ever seen in combat. He replied, “Ted Roosevelt Jr. on Utah Beach.”
His mother, Edith, was the second wife of president Theodore Roosevelt, serving with distinction as first lady from 1901 to 1909. Her special formal dinners and ceremonial processions elevated the position of first lady.
She was the first First Lady to hire a social secretary, oversaw important renovations of the White House, and initiated the White House China Collection as well as the First Ladies’ Portrait Gallery.
In 1927, Edith purchased Mortlake Manor in Brooklyn, Conn., also retaining Sagamore Hill on Long Island, N.Y.
Edith, in an effort to protect her privacy, destroyed her lifetime’s worth of love letters from her husband, Theodore.
Edith was instrumental in urging women to vote after the 19th Amendment passed in 1920.
Historians have referred to her “as close to a perfect first lady as any other in history.”
She and her husband, Teddy, shared an unusual title together. They were “the last horseback-riding couple in the White House.”
It is also interesting to note that it was during Edith’s tenure as first lady that the White House became known officially as the “White House.” Previously, it was simply known as the “Executive Mansion.”
The president’s own assessment of his second wife as told to William Howard Taft in a conversation is as follows: “She is a gentle woman who is the ideal of a good American wife and mother who takes care of her six children in the most devoted manner.”
Edith Carow Roosevelt died on Sept. 30, 1948.
——————————————————————–
The oldest high school football rivalry in the country takes place each year between Norwich Free Academy and New London High School. It all began on May 12, 1875, and to make it official, the distinction has been verified by the National Football League.
It must be understood that there were years the famous game between the two schools was not played and also some of the record-keeping contains gaps. In fact, for the first eight years of the rivalry, no records can be found of the games played by the two schools.
Our quick look at the following highlights in this long, unusual competition reveals some humor as well as tradition and a number of interesting incidents.
For instance, in the game played in 1898, the Norwich Bulletin reported that the game continued in semi-darkness and in most of the second half, observers could only see the forms of the players involved. NFA won that game 6-0.
From what we know, NFA has won a few more times than 75 times and New London has won slightly more than 60 games. Eleven games have ended in a tie.
Another interesting footnote concerns the game played in 1886 when officials determined that one of the Whaling City’s players was, in fact, a faculty member at the New London school.
Another game passed down through time by observers took place in the late 1800s and was played near the harbor in New London. About halfway through the game, an unusual snow squall began and from an NFA player’s kick, the ball became lost in accumulated snow. Officials had no replacement ball, so the game was pronounced over, and everyone went home.
In 1902, NFA was ahead with the score 130-0 in just the first half. When the players all returned to the field to start the second half, the New London team conceded the game, and once again everyone went home.
In 1909, the timekeepers accidentally allowed the game to continue for 13 minutes beyond the required time, and NFA scored during that time. Confusion reigned.
For some reason, Bulkeley, the original school’s name in New London, needed a few alumni to play in the 1910 game. Apparently, officials there lacked enough players in order to compete. Somehow the game continued with adjustments.
The rivalry was known by Connecticut sportswriters, but at least once (in the 1933 game) word was passed on somehow to the New York Times sports desk, and that prestigious paper felt it was unusual enough to cover the game that year.
A beloved former NFA faculty member, Frederic Cranston, an NFA grad in 1891, used to relay stories about the unusual competitions between schools to anyone who would listen. After he retired in 1943, he returned years later to help out, and many students there wondered who the elderly, distinguished gentleman was.
During the period when World War I was taking place, apparently there were no football games. However, there were instances in which a father in a family had played for one of the above teams, and his son, later of course, played for the other team.
Route 32 in those days could have been a rough ride between the two schools. However, we’re told that sometimes the players arrived at their respective destinations by train.
Thanks to Geoff Serra for his help with this story.
——————————————————————–
Our geographic area has been a witness to some truly historic weather. Today, we’ll explore some of that weather as it affected us in various ways.
On Monday, Jan. 26, 1663, New England residents heard a terrible roaring sound, houses shook, chimneys crashed down, dishes fell from shelves, and the “quake” shocks occurred every 15 minutes.
In December of 1716, New Englanders were unhappy with a snowstorm that dropped over 5 feet of snow, increasing in some places with drifts up to as much as 15 feet. Farmers lost hundreds of sheep.
New Englanders were subjected in the winter of 1747 to a number of successive snowstorms. Houses were half buried.
The Dec. 4t, 1768, terrific gale caused havoc in all sections of New England. Flooding was prevalent all over the general area.
The summer of 1769 started with its usual hot weather, but it gradually grew colder and on one of those days, it snowed for 12 consecutive hours. On July 5, rain, thunder, lightning and flooding occurred throughout New England. Hail, the size of eggs, fell in some areas.
In June of 1778, the rivers surrounding Norwich after a most severe winter began thawing from their icy existence. Some bridges nearby were swept away. Fences were destroyed. Mills were damaged from the flooding.
For two solid days, in that month, heavy rains poured down on Norwich with their appropriate thunder claps, at a frightening rate. All the nearby streams and rivers rapidly rose and caused great damage in and around the downtown area.
On May 9 of 1780 in New England there occurred the famous “Dark Day” discussed in a previous column. For a while, New England had no sun.
On Aug. 23, 1786, folks in Woodstock, Pomfret and Killingly saw a dark cloud in the sky, followed by darkness during the day. This was followed by a tornado about one third of a mile wide which struck those same areas.
On Aug. 18 of 1787, a cyclone appeared over Thompson.
Moving forward, in 1807, heavy rains fell on frozen ground and rushed toward the various rivers in the Norwich area. Due to the existing dangers to bridges and businesses, alarm bells began to ring, bringing out assistance.
Franklin Square was covered with water halfway up Franklin Street, and a ship’s mast was creatively utilized to help stem the tide, secured with heavy stones. The danger was over a short time later, as the amount of water slowly subsided.
Fast forward to September of 1815 when a destructive wind was frightening residents on the New England coast. The tide in the Norwich Harbor rose dramatically, several stores were swept away, and water levels were way above normal. All boats in the harbor were driven ashore, causing great damage to existing businesses in that area.
In March of 1823, the local rivers had risen, sweeping small buildings off their foundations. The local Methodist chapel went the way of the river, floating down into Long Island Sound before it broke apart. Many jocular newspaper reports took advantage of the upright steeple traveling to its watery grave.
The winter of 1856 into 1857 was most severe. Thirty-two snow storms left roads unpassable, and there was much destruction of properties. Blocked ice caused Water Street in Norwich to be deluged as never before.
So much for looking back at our dangerous weather reports.
——————————————————————–
In the early days of Connecticut’s existence, Route 32 from Norwich to New London was known as the “Mohegan Road.” However, in 1792, that stretch of road opened and became known as the second turnpike created in the whole country.
The road itself was deemed early on by authorities as dangerous with its steep hills and sharp curves. Also, early colonists and settlers in America were used to being charged to travel on certain roads. All over the world, it had been that way for thousands of years.
Originally, turnpikes were simply two gates that prevented people from traveling along a road unless a toll was first paid. But over time, the meaning of the word “turnpike” changed, and it finally came to mean a toll road rather than a toll gate. The original name for the little house at the beginning of the road entrance was called, naturally, the “toll house.” It was later more defined as a “toll booth.” Today, both terms, “toll road” and “turnpike” are used interchangeably.
The first paths were created by Native Americans and, as horses and wagons were utilized, those passages became much more defined.
By 1791 turnpike companies started up. Pennsylvania was the first state to approve a statewide transportation plan. The first important toll road in the country built by one of those private corporations was the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike built in 1792 between the two cities.
Historians consider the development of turnpikes as among the most important events in the U.S. Industrial Revolution. Once the roads improved, transportation across the country provided the impetus for new towns to emerge along those routes.
Also, the role of those turnpike companies avoided the need for increased taxes. There were exactly 23 of those companies in Connecticut alone and 69 chartered throughout the country.
In order to further explain the concept of better roads in general, we must point to the introduction and interest in the country’s love affair with the bicycle.
That mode of travel needed a smoother surface than those earlier roads provided. The League of American Wheelmen along with pressure exerted from the postmaster general, who was interested in better road conditions for better mail delivery, were tremendous factors.
Pioneer travelers knew how to push for better roads. They knew, because many had first been enthusiastic cyclists.
This story would not be complete without some information regarding early road building. To put a road through the wilderness, trees had to first be cleared. When that task was complete, the road builders were faced with rain turning the passage into mud. Next, logs were placed next to each other with a fill of sea shells between. These were called “corduroy roads.” Those surfaces eventually needed to have more reliable surfaces for heavier vehicles.
One of our most popular expressions of the day originated with the building of better roads. Tree stumps were prominent in the early process of road building.
Those stumps, early on, would trip horses and halt wagons. Thus, from those ugly experiences, the expression, “I’m stumped!” developed and has stayed with us.
One other factor moved the process toward better roads. Early on when the farmers were struggling to get their farm products to various markets with poor road conditions, that agitation developed as a strong argument for better roads.
Moving to today’s condition of Route 32 from Norwich to New London, it has become a pleasant drive except now you may know more of its history.
——————————————————————–
Author Frank Moore in his book, “Women of War” published in 1867, wrote about the achievements of women in the Civil War. The book contains contributions generally not noted in official reports, and thousands of women who helped remain unknown.
A “Soldier’s Aid Society” in Bridgeport was the nation’s first gathering of women based on their patriotic intent. It began on April 15, 1861, where activities of the group included soliciting funds, and in the first year they gathered as many as 6,000 articles of clothing and bedding for the troops. The women rolled bandages, knitted scores of clothing items, and continued a donation drive.
When the war ended, the Bridgeport women did not cease their efforts. With 150 active members, the group renamed itself as “The Ladies’ Soldiers’ Monument Association.” They then raised over $10,000 toward the city’s Civil War Monument, which still stands in the city’s Seaside Park.
No less than 300 Norwich women met shortly after the fall of Fort Sumter in order to make uniforms for the city’s combat company.
In Norwich as well as in other communities, industries began employing women as workers in the mills as well as in agricultural situations.
Plants in the North welcomed women to sew uniforms, and hospital ships employed women to help soldiers, to cook meals and assist men in writing letters. The women, many from Norwich, who indulged in those activities were members of a group called “The Daughters of the Regiment.”
Many Norwich women joined what were called “Volunteer Brigades” as nurses. Newspapers at the time dubbed those women “Florence Nightingales,” named after the famous British army nurse.
Some were known to smuggle supplies or medicine across enemy lines by hiding those items under their large hoop skirts.
The National Women’s History Museum website tells of many similar accounts of women’s unusual contributions during the war.
Thousands of dollars in relief support were raised and much effort was placed in promoting patriotism at home.
Many women entered the teaching and nursing professions in large numbers to help with expenses at home with the men gone from households.
The dedication shown by women had given them an opportunity to move outside the domestic sphere. For more on this subject, Barbara E. Lacy has written a wonderful booklet titled “Women of Connecticut.”
Turning now to a slightly different type of contribution, there were a rather large group of women, at least 400 of them, who somehow disguised themselves as men and actually fought in both the Union and Confederate armies.
Many physicals for soldering were quite superficial, allowing some women to layer much clothing on themselves, cut their hair short and rub dirt on their faces. All of that was to disguise themselves to look more like men. If a potential soldier had teeth in his mouth and could hold a musket, he “passed” the physical. Once accepted, the women as soldiers more or less kept to themselves. In cases where some were discovered (especially those with wounds), for the most part they were just sent home.
Although women weren’t legally allowed to fight in that war, there actually were 400 who did. Many were never discovered. Compared to a number of teenage boy soldiers whose voices hadn’t changed, many of the women were able to sneak through.
Women as combat soldiers in the Civil War are documented in Bonnie Bui’s book, “She Went to the Field: Women Soldiers in the Civil War.”
——————————————————————–
The weather in 1816 was sure different. Spring had arrived as usual, but cold weather would not subside. There were lots of overcast days with no sunlight. Farmers lost their crops and all over the country there were, of course, food shortages.
The basic reason for this strange weather pattern was the eruption of Mount Tambora, in early April of 1815, which sent its dust to shroud the globe, virtually blocking the sun. However, that, at the time, was not really understood.
The result was so disastrous for American farmers in Eastern Connecticut that hundreds of them made the decision to move to western territories.
Authorities were stunned and offered strange reasons for the unusual weather pattern.
Newspapers in Connecticut years later reported that old-time farmers in the state referred to 1816 as “eighteen hundred and starve to death.”
It wasn’t until well into the 20th century that scientists began to link the eruption of Mount Tambora and “the year without a summer.”
In that fateful year, 6 inches of snow fell in June, and a hard frost was evident throughout Connecticut’s summer.
To make conditions worse, the resulting drought caused wildfires to break out in many areas, including parts of Connecticut.
Other impacts included hoarding, hog price increases, and scores of people going hungry.
Throughout the state, many diary entries included facts about the lack of vegetation, birds fell dead out of the trees, and a three-day summer cold spell dropped temperatures to 40 degrees in Norwich and New London.
A day of public prayer was pronounced in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Other cold spells continued throughout the summer, with intermittent snow freezing crops. Farmers frantically wrapped rags around their plants, but to no avail.
On Sept. 26 of that year, the temperature was 26 degrees in many places, with snow falling everywhere in New England.
Much of the corn crop in New England was lost, inflation affected wheat, grains, meat, vegetables, butter, milk and flour. Even hay was sold for six times its normal cost.
With all this gloom amongst farmers, there was, in northern New England, a beacon of hope. There were those “farmers” who produced maple syrup. Their products could be traded with active fishermen who provided fish to those men who called 1816 “the Mackerel Year.”
In spite of financial ruin for many, members of Congress voted to double their own salaries. That was a big mistake, resulting in 70% of representatives being voted out of office. One of those representatives was none other than Daniel Webster.
Not too long ago, a meteorologist named Lee Foster noted that 1816 climate data showed that year as being part of a mini-ice age. Some newspaper accounts even considered the following as possible reasons for the uncommon weather that year: deforestation, fields of ice in the Atlantic, Ben Franklin’s lightning rod experiments and, last but not least, the wrath of God.
Although Connecticut escaped most of the problems that the other New England states severely felt, there were some farmers in Eastern Connecticut who seemed to have experienced the worst of the conditions. However, for some reason or other their names were absent from the research.
The book, “The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History,” by William and Nicholas P. Klingaman is a good read.
——————————————————————–
In 1684, a public dock was built at “the head” of the Thames River, where the Yantic and Shetucket rivers converged. Due to the Norwich Harbor’s location, the city developed as a natural trading center, and as a gateway to the interior of Eastern Connecticut.
Eventually, the deep-water seaport became linked to commerce with Europe and the West Indies.
But going way back to the beginning, Norwich became the first location north of the Thames River mouth where the river could be crossed by horse and carriage. The reason this statement is valid is the fact that any kind of a connecting structure had not yet been developed in order to cross the river.
By 1756, Norwich had developed as the second most populated city in Connecticut. A strong contributing factor to that revelation was the extent of Norwich’s maritime trade.
However, another factor should also be considered and that was the abundance of timber on the banks of the Thames River, which eventually led to many merchant vessels as well as whaling ships being built in Norwich shipyards.
Later, the world was introduced to steamboats. Steamboat service to New York began in 1817.
Experimentation of steam for boats occurred earlier on the Hudson River by two men, Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston. The two men were the first to demonstrate the commercial possibilities of steam transportation. However, as sometimes happens, events and interruptions get in the way of intended progress.
In this case, those factors were in the form of the War of 1812 and the British blockade, which delayed steam transportation until 1815 when service began from New York to New Haven.
Regularly scheduled trips of that nature took eight to 12 hours and the expense of such a trip would cost a traveler, six whole dollars.
The steamboat became a popular way to travel on the waters and steamboat services expanded rapidly. Six quick lines were organized and competition accompanied that expansion.
However, eventually, steamboats were deemed dangerous after a number of horrible water accidents occurred. The Steamboat Act of 1852 helped to prevent fire and collisions.
Following the Civil War, steamboats became “floating palaces,” and many steamer luxuries were introduced. The steamboat, City of Lawrence, became part of the Norwich Line in 1867. That vessel was the first iron-hulled steamer on Long Island Sound. It carried freight and travelers. To give one a picture of its size, it had 78 staterooms and a main deck enclosed for freight cargo.
In the mid-1850s, railroads began to acquire the steamboat lines, with the cost-effective way of shipping freight in mind.
Actually, almost during the entire length of the 19th century, residents of Connecticut’s coastal and riverside areas relied on steamboats, much as we do today regarding our automobiles.
Early steamboat passenger service boats traveled at approximately 8 miles in one hour. However, while it isn’t often mentioned, in order for a steamboat to navigate out of a crowded harbor, valuable time could be lost on a given trip.
Between 1815 and the mid-1800s, several steamship lines formed servicing ports along the Connecticut coast, including both Norwich and New London.
It was the Great Depression that doomed the steamboat as a mode of transportation, along with the popularity and growth of the automobile for family travel. From 1820 to 1940, those who once traveled by steamboat continued their love and wistful yearning for the past.
——————————————————————–
Today’s story will take us back to another time.
Over a two-year period starting in 1789, Joseph Teel of Preston built what is locally known as “the Teel House” in Norwich. It was, at one time, also known as “the Brick House.” Many Norwich citizens referred to it as “the Williams Mansion.”
The house was designed as a hotel and it was immediately advertised as “The Teel House, sign of General Washington.”
The house was noted for its fine hall or assembly room where shows were held, balls were enjoyed, and various clubs held their respective meetings.
After Mr. Teel’s death, the hotel was continued by Mr. Teel’s son-in-law, Cyrus Bramin. It was offered for sale in 1797.
It was described as “on the central plain (Chelsea Parade) between the town and the Landing at Yantic Cove.”
In June of 1800, the building was transformed into a boarding and day school managed by William Wondbridge.
In 1806, it was purchased by Carder Hazard, who later sold it in 1813.
It also has served as the parsonage of the Park Congregational Church and the Norwich Free Academy principal’s residence.
Very close to the St. Patrick Cathedral on Broadway, and Union Street’s beginning, is what has been known as the “Little Park.” Originally, that land was known as “The Everett Lot.” In 1811, two men, Jabez Huntington and Hezekia Perkins, jointly purchased the lot and presented it to the city with the condition that, it be enclosed and utilized only as a park. It was later the location of a memorial to Norwich men who died in the Civil War’s Andersonville Prison.
As we continue our walking trip around ancient Norwich, we travel down Union Street to Church Street. Now, it should be understood that Church Street wasn’t always known as Church Street. It was first known as Upper or Third Street.
At one time in the early 1800s, Shubael Breed resided on Church Street near Washington Square. One can quickly now recognize his home due to the sign on the house with a special designation. Breed was the Collector of the United States Revenue, during the administration of the first President Adams.
It’s hard to image now, but in the early 1800s, there was no real road from downtown Norwich to Greenville. That area then was “rough pasturage.”
Franklin Street was, at that time, the road that led to Lisbon.
It wasn’t until 1830 that a great improvement occurred in what was then called “East Chelsea.” That improvement was the opening of Franklin Square.
To accomplish that, the road there had to be widened and graded, small hills were leveled, open areas were filled and fences and buildings removed.
According to Frances Manwaring Caulkins’ 1845 history of Norwich, there were two names closely associated with the development of “Norwich Landing.” Those two names were Capt. Caleb Bushnell and Capt. James Fitch, who, in 1686, started up a small business at the landing. It was at that location that Norwich’s commercial activity actually began.
Still, much later, young people from the nearby farms around Yantic Cove, when haying activity was completed, would socialize at the landing.
It was in 1750 that a committee was formed to open “a highway” by the “water side” near the harbor downtown. That was to be the first laying out of Water Street.
It wasn’t until 1790 that Middle or Main Street in Chelsea was finally opened. That was also the year that Crescent Street was greatly improved through the efforts of one Capt. William Hubbard.
——————————————————————–
The phrase “master craftsman” had originated in the old country with “privileged guilds.” Later, in this country, similar guilds never did get started, but many trades continue the guilds’ apprentice to journeyman to master model. Carpenters, electricians, pipefitters and plumbers are notable examples of those trades.
Thomas Harland learned his clock-making trade in England and sailed to Boston in 1773 on the same ship from which tea was later thrown overboard in Boston Harbor.
Harland settled in Norwich and his eventual fame as a clockmaker spread throughout the Colonies. He took in apprentices and one of them was Eli Terry, later one of the most famous clockmakers in Connecticut.
Harland, himself, was honored when the city decided to name Harland Road for the outstanding craftsman.
Connecticut’s economic growth grew from a number of early experiences including those local farmers who produced the foodstuffs such as onions, potatoes and livestock that were shipped to the Southern states.
During the Colonial period, there were artisans who owned their own tools and practiced their craft in workshops owned by master craftsmen. Artisans included iron forgers and shoemakers, among others.
Meanwhile, in Eastern Connecticut, textile mills sprouted up along the waterways. Teenage women who were the daughters of farmers became the first factory workers in those mills. They lived in company-owned boarding-houses. Additionally, many Connecticut textile mills employed all family members of a given family in various jobs.
So, during the age of those guilds, how did a worker with a particular skill set become a master craftsman?
Believe it or not, it meant that a boy of age 7 or 8 working as an apprentice would work with a master craftsman. After some time, the young boy became known as a journeyman, but not yet a master. Only with evidence of special skills utilized, which was then called a masterpiece, would the guild accept him as a guild member, if its members approved the work that was submitted.
The apprenticeship period was often as much as 14 years. This was followed by a work period as a journeyman and when the guild approved, the worker could then be known as a master.
Women’s work at home in those days prior to the American Revolution was endless. Their days included house cleaning, washing, preparing meals, the making of soap, candles and a variety of home-made medicines. The women also helped their husbands at planting, and at harvesting times. The average family in those days also included at least six children.
In addition to the above duties of women in those days, Connecticut was in the lead of employing women in factories. The earliest settlers in Windham Center were farmers who grew wheat, rye, corn, barley, flax and hemp. They also raised livestock. The area had many streams and rivers which enticed some farmers to engage in sawmills, grist mills and blacksmith shops.
How important was the “smithy,” an affectionate name for those blacksmiths? Early on, his shop was the center of a town’s industrial base. Blacksmiths maintained the tools of other tradesmen as well and they provided shoes for horses, and produced household products. They created weapons made of iron, etc. Some blacksmiths bartered their services in exchange for food, goods or services. Also, nails, shovels, door latches, hooks, kettles, kitchen utensils and other tools at the time were all part and parcel of a smithy’s workday.
——————————————————————–
This is the story of Gen. Daniel Tyler, which has a number of conclusions, some of which have not been complimentary. Today’s story will hopefully put events into their proper perspective.
Tyler was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 7, 1799. His father, Daniel Tyler III, was a veteran of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Very little information is available of Tyler’s youth, but we do know that he was accepted at the U.S. Military Academy, graduating in 1819 with a specialty in artillery.
He married Emily Lee of Norwich, and they had five children, one of whom, Gertrude, would become the mother of Edith Carow Roosevelt, the wife of President Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1834, Tyler became an iron manufacturer specializing in blast furnaces. His resume also included being named president of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad. He later also became involved in a number of other railroads in leadership positions, including the Macon and Western Railroad in Georgia.
In 1861 as the Civil War became a reality, he became an aide-de-camp to Gen. Robert Paterson, attained the rank of colonel in the 1st Connecticut Infantry and was appointed brigadier general in the Connecticut Militia. Later in his career, he held command of two other military units.
We now turn back in his career to the controversial first battle of Bull Run in the American Civil War.
On the hot, steamy July 21 of 1861, Union and Confederate forces were to clash in northern Virginia.
However, prior to the actual battle, a host of politicians, journalists and curious onlookers traveled from Washington, D.C., in stylish carriages, city hacks, buggies, on horseback and some actually on foot. Some observers carried spyglasses and picnic baskets. A few merchants even peddled pies and snacks.
Those sightseers had one purpose: to see the first major land battle of the American Civil War. Most of them predicted a swift end to the war itself that day.
It should be noted that both sides of the battle wore a confused mass of various uniforms, and as the northern troops began retreating from an oversized enemy, some ran into those observing tourists.
At the time, that battle was named as the bloodiest battle in American history, with 3,000 men killed or wounded on the Union side alone. However, and sadly, that record would be broken before the Civil War ended.
Tyler’s assignment was to distract rebel positions at the beginning of the battle, but his secret location had been discovered. Suddenly, a late charge by overwhelming rebels forced the Yankees into a full retreat across Bull Run. Some reports recorded that junior officers felt Tyler was inept.
Later, his division at Harpers Ferry was overrun by Gen. Stonewall Jackson’s forces, which resulted in a confinement at a Confederate prison for Tyler and his 8,000 Union soldiers.
Upon release, he commanded a variety of forces in 1863 and 1864. He resigned his Union Army commission on April 6, 1864.
After his war experiences, Tyler moved to Alabama and founded the town of Anniston, named for his daughter in-law. It was there that he became president of the Mobile and Montgomery Railroad.
Daniel Tyler died while visiting New York City on Nov. 30, 1882. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Anniston, Ala.
He is remembered as one of the first Union Army generals of the American Civil War.
——————————————————————–
In the 1830s in Connecticut, and elsewhere, children were being recruited to work in factories for a full day. Within a decade, countless women also left the farms to work in city factories with mythical promises of riches. As late as the 1870s, 700,000 children aged 10 to 15 were still working in factories. At the same time, it’s interesting to note that the so-called “immigrant factor” definitely helped Connecticut prosper in the early days of the 19th century.
Throughout its history, Connecticut has been noted for its agriculture. However, there was a period when the state was also known for producing quality clocks, tin ware, hats, nails, paper for publishing, along with numerous shoe factories.
Norwich and the surrounding areas were later prominently known for their textile mills. An 1834 Norwich Courier newspaper help wanted advertisement for a Greeneville mill requesting female workers, listed its ad accordingly: “Board and washing included, at the rate of one dollar per week. If interested, please apply at the Button Mill and Screw Factory in Greenville.”
Turning now to the railroads, by 1832, the state had chartered its first railroad, and by the late 1800s, over 1,000 miles of track had been laid down. However, those early railroads left much in the way of safety precautions for its workers.
Railroad accidents in those early days were not uncommon with the exclusive use of those wooden cars, human error, the position of brakemen and gasoline being stored beneath the trains’ cars at night. Also, consider short staffing, crew fatigue and limited time off for workers — all contributing to frequent accidents.
In addition to the early rail network in the state, there were also two ferries contributing to the transportation explosion. One of them was initiated from New Haven to New London, where the tolls were the highest in the state. At the time, bridges were considered too costly or difficult to construct. In spite of those obstacles, by 1700, the state had 11 well-used ferry crossings.
During her travels in the state in 1704, Sarah Kemble Knight wrote in her journal regarding the great difficulties on the New London Ferry, “The high wind, the waves, and the negative reactions of my horse during that journey strained my patience.”
New occupations began opening for women especially in the fields of weaving, teaching and tailoring.
While not generally known, the National Census returns in the early to mid-1800s have indicated a blank space in the occupation column regarding women’s names. However, by the second half of the 1800s, we know that women worked in textiles, clothing factories and in commerce, as well as on farms.
Active mills hired recruiters to bring young women and children to also work in the factories. Between 1830 and 1860, thousands of farm girls left their homes to work in the mills to save up for marriage. This trend continued until a new source of young workers began in the mills: the Irish workers.
Women were also employed in great numbers to build the Norwich and Worcester Railroad. Many of those Irish immigrants, men and women, also built St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Speaking of the cathedral, a Norwich native by the name of the Very Reverend William P. Brady was ordained in Norwich and later went on to become President of St. Johns college in Brooklyn, New York.
——————————————————————–
Here are some facts and information about Windham and New London Counties you may not know, and these facts could surprise you.
Windham County was the least populated county in the state! Due to its location some distance from the shore, settlement was delayed for over fifty years!
Originally, the towns of Lebanon and Voluntown were part of Windham County.
George Washington, returning from his “country tour” in the fall of 1789 was annoyed when he was abandoned in the village of Ashford. Why? Well, in those days it was against the law to hire any conveyance on a Sunday.
The town of Ashford has the highest “point” at Snow Hill, which measures more than 1,200 feet high.
Most towns in Windham County have constables.
In the period between 1850 and 1860, Catholic churches in the county were nearly non-existent.
In that decade, sports and entertainments were at a minimum. Of “modern conveniences” at the time, only the telegraph was well-known. Even the illustrated newspaper was scarce during that time.
Cotton mill workers labored long hours. … 69 hours per week was not unusual.
The owners of factories in Windham County considered very few holidays as time off when machines would stop. Those times were Fast Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
During that decade (1850s), most readers in the county depended on the Norwich Morning Bulletin for their news.
Now, for the New London County, two fellows from Massachusetts came to Norwich and created a “first.” Horace Smith and D.B. Wesson manufactured a firearm that could fire a fully self-contained cartridge, in 1852. It was called “The Volcanic Rifle.” As they worked in their small shop to accomplish that feat, they had almost a full view of the Norwich Harbor.
Back to Windham County. The city of Willimantic has an historic “foot bridge” for human traffic, constructed in 1906. Historically, it is the only bridge of its kind in all of New England which crosses over a state highway, a railroad and a river.
Nathaniel Lyon, a native of Eastford, was the first Union general to be killed in the Civil War.
America’s first Army Intelligence unit was led by Thomas Knowlton of Ashford.
Later in the 19th century, a great deal of interest from citizens occurred when the Norwich and Worcester Railroad cars stopped in Danielson loaded with soldier volunteers from farms, shops, lumber camps and mills heading south. Crowds gathered at depot platforms.
Many of those railroad cars were headed for the fairground area in Norwich’s East Great Plain. After that, some of those cars were traveling to Fort McHenry near Baltimore.
The role of ministers was about to change dramatically during and after the Civil War. Men of the cloth’s new duties included preaching at funeral services for former soldiers, visits to hospitals and comforting relatives of those soldiers killed.
Also, at war’s end, ministers all over America were preaching memorial services for the slain President Lincoln.
One of the dramatic facts which took place in the late 19th century were the number of immigrants flooding into Connecticut. Many were driven from their homelands by changing conditions there. Upon arrival, they settled in both cities and in rural areas.
By 1870, more than half of the immigrants living in Connecticut were Irish. New ethnic neighborhoods were growing in both Norwich and New London.
By 1900, 20,000 new immigrants were arriving in the state of Connecticut every year.
——————————————————————–
Benjamin Huntington was born in Norwich on April 19, 1736, as the only child of Rachel and Daniel Huntington. Rachel was Daniel’s second wife.
Very little is known of Huntington’s early life in Norwich, but we do know that he graduated from Yale College in 1761 and three years later was appointed “Surveyor of Lands” for Windham County.
Huntington studied law and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1765, starting his law practice in his native city. He later went back to Yale to receive an LLD.
Huntington served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1771 to 1780 and also in the role of speaker of the House in 1778 and 1779.
He served on “The Committee of Safety” at the State House in 1775, which, in turn, led to an appointment as an adviser to Gov. Jonathan Trumbull during the legislature’s recess.
In 1778, Huntington was appointed a delegate to the Provincial Congress in New Haven.
He was a member of the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1784, and then again in 1787 and 1788.
Huntington served on a number of councils and high positions from 1780 to 1792, including those in the Continental Congress, the Connecticut Council of Assistants and also in the State Senate.
Other prestigious members of the Council of Assistants included Samuel Huntington, Roger Sherman, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott and Oliver Ellsworth.
Once the new government was in place, Benjamin, in 1789, was chosen to represent Connecticut in the First Congress of the United States, serving from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1791.
It was in 1784 that the incorporation of Norwich took place, and the city needed a mayor. Huntington was elected Norwich’s first mayor, and he held that position until he resigned in 1796.
On May 5, 1765, Benjamin Huntington married Anne Huntington of Windham, and they had one son, whom they named Benjamin for his father.
In 1778, Gen. George Washington recommended Benjamin Sr. for the political convention to be held in New Haven for the purpose of regulating the army. The general would not have recommended Huntington unless he had full confidence that he would contribute to the goals of the country with the war still in progress. Washington knew that Huntington was a man with endless energy directed at serving his country, with eagerness and dedication.
Huntington had formed an ideal course for his professional life, and found difficulty deviating from those personal objectives.
Huntington was known along with other Norwich families for his contributions of clothing to the American cause. Many Norwich families, according to the research, contributed their own blankets, their floor rugs and other contributions to the war effort. Women’s roles in the war period have been discussed in earlier columns, but attention should also be given to those women who ran the farms, who gathered intelligence, who took part in the great effort as spies, nurses and a special cause … those women who refused the use of British tea long before the famous “Tea Party.”
Benjamin Huntington’s record speaks for itself, whereby his amazing accomplishments have been stated above. He died on Oct. 16, 1800, in Rome, N.Y., and is buried in the old Norwichtown Burying Ground in the community he loved.
——————————————————————–
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau’s famous Revolutionary War march to lead his troops from Newport, Rhode Island, to New York — and helping fight the British in the siege of Yorktown — had many stops in Connecticut along the way. Included was the Landmark Inn located in Columbia, formerly Lebanon, which hosted Rochambeau’s officers as they scouted the routes to be taken by the French troops in their march.
And the Landmark wasn’t the only Eastern Connecticut inn to have historical significance.
The Windham Inn in Windham Center was known as the Windham House prior to 1890. It was built in 1783, and is believed to be haunted. In the mid-20th century, the inn was converted to apartments and presently, it stands empty. In the late 1800s, it was also known as The Windham Hotel.
The Mixer Tavern in Ashford dates to 1710 and was purchased by John Mixer that year. Between 1757 and 1799, it was known as Clark’s Tavern, owned by Benjamin Clark. Five officers under Rochambeau stopped at the inn on Nov. 5, 1782. Later its name changed first to the General Palmer Inn and still later to the Pompey Hollow Inn. It is now a private residence.
The Dr. Samuel Rose House in Coventry was built in 1775 by Rose. He was an army surgeon in the Revolutionary War. He was the brother-in-law of Nathan Hale. In the 19th century, the house was used as a tavern.
The Jesse Brown Tavern in Norwich Town facing the green entertained President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams there on Aug. 1, 1790.
The General Lyon Inn, built in 1835 in Eastford, was an inn during the Civil War. Its original name was The Eastford House. The inn was renamed once again in 1918 to honor General Nathaniel Lyon, who was the first Union general killed in the Civil War.
The Captain Anthony Wolfe House in Mystic was built in 1809. This particular former inn is listed in Grace Denison Wheeler’s book, “The Homes of Our Ancestors in Stonington, Connecticut” in 1903.
Daniel White’s Tavern in Andover was built in 1722, and opened as a tavern in 1773. It contained an enlarged ballroom, and was a frequent stopping place for the Comte de Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War, in May and June of 1781 and in November when the army was returning. His last visit there was in 1782 for his final meeting with George Washington.
The Leffingwell Inn in Norwich has a most historic past. It was built in 1675 and became the “ordinary” for the town in 1701. The inn was known as an important meeting place during the American Revolutionary War. A store in the building was also active for a number of years. General Washington met at the inn a number of times in connection with Revolutionary War plans.
The Dorrance Inn or Samuel Dorrance House in Sterling, built in 1722, hosted officers of the French Army in both 1781 and 1782. The inn was on the famous “March Route” and many accounts of their stay there have been recorded in their notes.
Tavern signs were required by law for dwellings licensed to provide entertainment to travelers. It is estimated that as many as 5,000 tavern signs were produced in Connecticut alone between 1750 and 1850, but only about 100 have survived. Nearly 70 are preserved at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford.
It should be noted that many were just discarded when a new one was needed or an inn went out of business.
Portrait painter Francis Alexander from Killingly became a celebrated sign painter for inns.
——————————————————————–
We thought for today’s story we would highlight briefly facts regarding local history, some little-known.
* Col. John Almy of Norwich was assistant quartermaster general of the state of Connecticut during the Civil War.
* Hugh Henry Osgood, a Norwich druggist, was an aide to Gov. William A. Buckingham all four years of the Civil War. Following the war, Col. Osgood was an organizer and the first president of the Norwich Board of Trade.
* Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was born in Norwich, and was the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt. At the age of 3, she joined the Roosevelt children at their New York home to watch the funeral procession of President Abraham Lincoln pass in the streets below.
* Lafayette S. Foster, a Franklin native, studied law under the tutelage of Norwich’s Calvin Goddard. Foster, holder among other respectful titles, was mayor of Norwich in 1851 and 1852. He was acting vice president of the United States for almost two years due to President Lincoln’s assassination. Foster was in the position because of the presidential succession ruling.
* Here’s a little-known fact about Buckingham, governor of Connecticut during the Civil War: He never attended college.
* At the historic Yantic Cemetery, there is buried a war veteran who fought for the South. His name was James Morgan Lee. He was born in Galveston, Texas, but moved as a child to Norwich in order to live with his grandparents. When he enlisted, he served with a Texas regiment.
* John C. Garand moved to Griswold from Quebec as a boy of 11. It was at a local textile mill there that he learned how to speak English and also learned about the machinery in the mill. He also learned to shoot in a local shooting gallery. It was he who later invented the famous Garand Rifle.
* Killingly was the first town in Connecticut to benefit from the Industrial Revolution.
* The New London County Historical Society is the oldest such organization in New London County, and one of the oldest in the country.
* When we explore “firsts” in the local area, we mustn’t forget that, apparently, the first recorded use of the word, “hello” appeared in The Norwich Courier on Oct. 18, 1826.
* The Norwich Free Academy’s Slater Museum is reportedly one of only two museums in the country attached to a secondary school.
* The longtime football rivalry between Bulkeley High School (now New London High School), and the Norwich Free Academy is the oldest football rivalry at the secondary school level in the entire country.
* When Commodore Stephen Decatur was being pursued by a British squadron during the War of 1812, he decided to find shelter in New London Harbor. From his ship, a messenger was sent out to collect old rags for “gun wadding.” However, he was unsuccessful until he met Anna Warner Bailey, better known now as “Mother” Bailey. It was she who promptly removed her red flannel petticoat, handing it over to the messenger. The story became the stuff of legend, and President Andrew Jackson supposedly visited Anna in a gesture of appreciation.
* Two brothers, John and Arthur Schofield, were the first to set up woolen carding machinery in Montville.
* The first successful cotton mill in Connecticut was “Pomfret Factory” in 1806. It was started by the Wilkins family located at Cargill Falls.
——————————————————————–
Today’s story will take us back to another time.
Over a two-year period starting in 1789, Joseph Teel of Preston built what is locally known as “The Teel House” in Norwich. It was, at one time, also known as “The Brick House.” Many Norwich citizens referred to it as “The Williams Mansion.”
The house was designed as a hotel and it was immediately advertised as “The Teel House, sign of General Washington.”
The house was noted for its fine hall or assembly room where shows were held, balls were enjoyed, and various clubs held their respective meetings.
After Mr. Teel’s death, the hotel was continued by his son-in-law, Cyrus Bramin. It was offered for sale in 1797.
It was described as “on the central plain (Chelsea Parade) between the town and the Landing at Yantic Cove.
In June of 1800, the building was transformed into a boarding and day school managed by William Wondbridge.
In 1806, it was purchased by Carder Hazard, who later sold it in 1813.
Very close to the St. Patrick Cathedral on Broadway, and Union Street’s beginning, is what has been known as the “Little Park.” Originally, that land was known as “The Everett Lot.” In 1811, two men, Jabez Huntington and Hezekia Perkins, jointly purchased the lot and presented it to the city with the condition that, it be enclosed and utilized only as a park. It was later the location of a memorial to Norwich men who died in the Civil War’s Andersonville Prison.
As we continue our walking trip around ancient Norwich, we travel down Union Street to Church Street. Now, it should be understood that Church Street wasn’t always known as Church Street. It was first known as Upper or Third Street.
At one time in the early 1800s, Shubael Breed resided on Church Street near Washington Square. One can quickly now recognize his home due to the sign on the house with a special designation. Breed was the collector of the U.S. revenue, during the administration of the first President John Adams.
It’s hard to image now, but in the early 1800s, there was no real road from downtown Norwich to Greeneville. That area then was “rough pasturage.”
Franklin Street was, at that time, the road that led to Lisbon.
It wasn’t until 1830 that a great improvement occurred in what was then called “East Chelsea.” That improvement was the opening of Franklin Square.
To accomplish that, the road there had to be widened and graded, small hills were leveled, open areas were filled and fences and buildings removed.
According to Frances Manwaring Caulkins’ history, there were two names closely associated with the development of “Norwich Landing.” Those two names were Capt. Caleb Bushnell and Capt. James Fitch, who, in 1686, started up a small business at the landing. It was at that location that Norwich’s commercial activity actually began.
Still, much later, young people from the nearby farms around Yantic Cove, when haying activity was completed, would socialize at the landing.
It was in 1750 that a committee was formed to open “a highway” by the “water side” near the harbor downtown. That was to be the first laying out of Water Street.
It wasn’t until 1790 that Middle or Main Street in Chelsea was finally opened. That was also the year that Crescent Street was greatly improved through the efforts of one Capt. William Hubbard.
——————————————————————–
Once the colonists began getting used to their new environment in Norwich, industrial mills began manufacturing on the three small rivers, the Yantic, the Shetucket and the Quinebaug. Those rivers flowed naturally into the city and formed the harbor from which the Thames River then flowed south to Long Island Sound.
The public landing was built at the head of the Thames and with the discovery of a deep harbor close to the shore, the realization that ships could offload goods right to the shore without a smaller ship acting as a conveyance, was an advantage. The entire harbor area and its immediate surroundings later became known as “the Chelsea neighborhood.”
The distance between the harbor and Norwichtown, the first residential area, was serviced by the “East and West Roads,” which later became Washington Street and Broadway. Those two streets began as “sheep walks.”
In time, shipping at the harbor began to be far more important than the farming at Norwich’s original location.
By the middle 18th century, the center of Norwich had effectively moved to the Chelsea neighborhood. City offices and other official buildings such as the City Hall, the courts, the post office and all the new urban blocks were then located at Chelsea. The former original area is now called Norwichtown in order to distinguish it from the current city. Keeping in that general time frame, we find the 1700s as being particularly productive with new inventions. The piano was invented in 1709, which was followed by a new profession, piano-tuning.
In 1724, the first mercury thermometer was invented and, in 1752, Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod. Three years later, Samuel Johnson published the first English language dictionary after nine years of writing.
On an interesting side note, the Oxford English Dictionary attests that the first recorded use of the term, “hello” was in the Norwich Courier Newspaper on Oct. 18, 1826. This was an amazing historic plus for the city of Norwich.
Continued innovations include the spinning jenny in 1764, carbonated water was introduced in 1767, and in 1769, James Watt invented an improved steam engine that enhanced the Norwich harbor’s role regarding trade, etc. In 1774, George Lesage patented the electric telegraph. One year later, the flush toilet was invented.
In the next few years, bifocal eyeglasses, the first submarine, the diving bell, the safety lock, the soda fountain and the cotton gin became realities for consumers.
In the meantime, the Stonington Harbor Light erected in 1823 was the first lighthouse established by the federal government. It is now a well-preserved example of a mid-19th century stone lighthouse and now serves as a local history museum.
Returning for a moment to Norwich’s and New London’s ship captains, their backgrounds and natural skills afforded them a great deal of status among citizens.
Most of them were high-grade licensed mariners who held ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel, along with all of the legal compliances accompanying the title. They became most skillful at avoiding English taxation procedures and some of those same ship captains were also successful sometime later eluding warships in those future wars.
Contrary to the popular belief that sea captains were able to perform marriages on board, depending on the ship’s country of registry, most ships did not permit performance of a marriage by the master of a ship at sea.
——————————————————————–
He not only broke a major record, but contributed indirectly in hastening the successful end of the Revolutionary War.
How this Groton native and resident of Norwich accomplished those deeds will be related in today’s story.
It’s true that Robert Niles was born in Groton on Sept. 2, 1734, to Nathan and Mary Niles. Precious little is known of his early life, but we know that he served in the French and Indian War in 1757.
Privateers were authorized by their government during wartime to attack and capture enemy vessels. It was a way to disrupt enemy commerce.
Niles had been a skillful privateer and was therefore the favored candidate for a special mission.
In August of 1775, the Committee of Safety met in Lebanon to discuss naval preparations for the Connecticut colony. It was decided to obtain a relatively small vessel of between 20 and 30 tons, outfitting it with “appropriate furniture” for the purpose of engaging in light fighting and to carry intelligence.
It was in Norwich that the purchased ship, Britanica, a privately owned vessel in Stonington, was to be fitted out as a warship. Those modifications included purchasing 12 blunderbusses (short guns with broad muzzles), adding an ample supply of gunpowder, four cannon, new sailcloth, and other upgrades.
This newly designed schooner was to be appropriately named Spy.
Robert Niles was appointed as the ship’s captain. By his very appointment, he thusly became the senior captain of the Connecticut Navy.
His ship was not equipped for heavy fighting, and yet he was able to capture several enemy “prizes.”
“Prize” was the term used in those days when a ship, by its own force and skill, would “capture” a cargo, vessel or vehicle, usually of an enemy and in armed conflict.
Because of the diminutive size of the captain’s ship, he was able to usually hide from the enemy in shallow waters, harbors and rivers.
In spite of his expert navigational skills, the final tally records his capture by the British twice. On the plus side, he escaped both times!
Spy was sometimes referred to as a “sloop,” but in reality, it had all the markings of a schooner. It appeared on a stamp during America’s Bicentennial as part of a series called “ships on stamps.”
In June of 1777, Capt. Niles’ ship was appointed by the Continental Congress, along with five other ships, to deliver an official copy of the ratified Treaty of Commerce and alliance directly to Benjamin Franklin in France.
In order to accomplish that seemingly daunting task, Niles had to skillfully evade the British vessels guarding our coast.
To complicate matters, most of his crew’s enlistments had expired. He was then authorized to enlist a new crew of 20 men and set forth to complete his assignment.
He not only sailed through the British blockade unscathed, but arrived in record time. His was the only ship of the six starters to reach Paris. He personally delivered his copy of the treaty to Franklin.
Once Franklin began negotiations with French officials and they, in turn, agreed to help America, progress was begun in shortening the war with Britain.
Capt. Robert Niles, a relatively unknown player on the worldwide stage, died in 1818 at age 83 and is buried in the Norwich City Cemetery, also known as the Oak Street Cemetery. His tombstone inscription summarizes his enormous contributions.
——————————————————————–
Cato Mead (ca. 1761–1846; also spelled “Meed”), is the only known black Revolutionary War veteran buried west of the Mississippi River.
Mead was born in Norwich in 1761 and lived in the town until he enlisted in the Northern Army during the Revolutionary War at the tender age of 16. His one-year enlistment began on March 1, 1778, and he enlisted with Capt. John McGregor, a 22-year-old recruiter in Norwich. Although it is not confirmed, it is generally believed Mead was listed as a freed person of color at the time of his enlistment.
Mead was assigned as a soldier in the 4th Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army, whose commander was Col. John Durkee, also of Norwich. Mead served at Valley Forge for seven months during 1778. While there, he contracted smallpox and spent two months recovering in a Pennsylvania hospital.
It is estimated that 5,000 black soldiers fought against the British during the Revolutionary War, while countless other African Americans served the war effort as workers, guides, and spies. The exact number of black soldiers in Connecticut regiments is difficult to identify because some records didn’t indicate the race of the soldier. It is generally believed that roughly 300 to 400 black soldiers served in Connecticut’s regiments in the Continental Army.
There were many other free black soldiers from Norwich such as Lebbeus Quy, Caesar Stewart and Toby Pendall. It is not clear if these men were freed to serve in the war or if they already were free at the time of their enlistment. Lebbeus Quy is Norwich’s only official black pensioner and he served in Durkee’s regiment. Following the end of the war, Quy lived out the remainder of his life as a free man and died in 1822. Caesar Stewart and Toby Pendall were listed as free blacks serving in the American Revolution from Norwich. Both men died in 1778 and it is probable that they were enslaved up to their enlistment in the war.
Research has revealed that many black men also served in the U.S. Navy during the Revolutionary War.
After the Revolutionary War, Mead settled on a farm near Montrose, Iowa; it is not known why he migrated to Iowa. Historian Barbara Macleish is researching a book on Mead and she uncovered that Mead received soldier’s pay in the amount of $10.40 for his service in the Continental Army in July of 1783.
Cato Mead died at the age of 81 (or 82) at his Montrose farm on April 25, of 1846. While the exact grave location of Mead is unknown, a marker for him stands at the Montrose Cemetery.
For more information about Connecticut’s black soldiers, please see this source: White, David Oliver. “Connecticut’s Black Soldiers 1775-1783,” Chester: Pequot Press, 1973.
——————————————————————–
Let us take you back to the Norwich of April 14 and 15 in the year, 1861: Fort Sumter had fallen and President Abraham Lincoln made an historic call for 75,000 men. The whole nation realized that we were at war, and political party preferences disappeared. The reality of war seemed to catch citizens by surprise; hundreds of towns in New England responded to the national crisis. Norwich responded to the war in a variety of ways, such as organizing large meetings for the purposes of encouraging enlistments and recognizing the city’s resources at that crucial time.
Patriotic fervor swept across Norwich and surrounding areas; our national flag waved proudly at the Wauregan Hotel, from the tower of the First Congregational Church, over the Norwich Free Academy, over the fire stations, and, of course, over surrounding villages. Fitchville, Bozrah, (then called Bozrahville), Franklin, Jewett City, and other outskirts of Norwich reacted similarly.
On April 16, 1861, Gov. William Buckingham, from his headquarters in Norwich, issued a call for volunteers; in the following weeks, 54 companies were raised across the state. Col. Daniel Tyler, a Brooklyn native and resident of Norwich, was appointed in charge of the first regiment. Other Norwich officers assigned to regiments included Capts. Frank S. Chester, Henry Peale, Edward Harland and Lt. Col. David Young.
It seemed at the time that the whole community of Norwich was involved when the first units departed. Individuals raised money through private contributions, and banks in Norwich and other communities loaned large amounts of money to the cause as well. Everyone played their part and contributed to the war effort; women prepared clothing for the departing soldiers. An agency was formed for the specific purpose of aiding soldiers in the areas of health and comfort, appropriately named, “The Soldier’s Aid Society.” That organization did not dissolve until January of 1866.
Community events were held in support of the men leaving for war. A large meeting of citizens gathered at Breed Hall, near Washington Square, to raise awareness of providing clothing for soldiers. On a Sunday there was a parade, flag displays, volunteers making Army clothes, the distribution of telegraph intelligence, rifle companies performing drills, and sermons delivered in the towns’ churches. The Norwich Bulletin’s headlines cried, “Never before have we seen such war topic conversations!”
Connecticut regiments participated in early battles of the war such as Blackburn’s Ford and the first Battle of Bull Run. The news being sent home to Norwich following the battles was not good. Norwich boy David C. Case perished and others were taken prisoner, where they later died. In early October, a resolution was passed at a town meeting pledging support to the government and expressing the city’s pride and support for our boys in uniform. Additional calls for more troops were made and rallies to encourage enlistment were conducted. Prominent mill owners pledged hundreds of tents and coats just from Norwich alone. It was only the beginning of a long and bloody war.
For more information about Norwich in the Civil War, please check out the following resource: Staley, Patricia F., “Norwich and the Civil War.” Charleston, South Carolina: History Press, 2015.
——————————————————————–
The Bean Hill Historic District was incorporated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The district sits on the western boundary of Norwich and often is overlooked as a site where many Norwich founders made their homesteads.
The name “Bean Hill” comes from a number of stories and legends; one version states that the residents cultivated baked beans, making it a popular dish to share. A number of buildings surrounding the Bean Hill Green — where Vergason and Huntington Avenues meet West Town Street — date between 1700 and 1750. Years ago, the green also was surrounded by many trees. Both the Bean Hill and Norwichtown Greens housed the early Norwich founders, and both areas made use of the Yantic River that provided necessary water power.
The Bean Hill area is certainly significant for its architecture and also for the several figures important in the history of Connecticut as well as Norwich. Aaron Cleveland ran a hat shop at Bean Hill, the building many know as Adams Tavern. Aaron was President Grover Cleveland’s great-grandfather. Rebecca Sherman, one of Roger Sherman’s daughters, also lived at Bean Hill, but sadly, the house no longer exists. Roger Sherman was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Rebecca was married to Simeon Baldwin, who was a member of Congress. Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States, can trace his ancestors to people living in the Bean Hill and West Farms sections of Norwich (West Farms is now the town of Franklin). The Fillmore House still stands today. Another resident of Bean Hill was Col. John Durkee, who led a band of Sons of Liberty during the Revolutionary War. David Ruggles, of later Underground Railroad fame, moved with his family as a child to the Bean Hill section of Norwich in the early 1800s. His father, David Sr., was born in Norwich in 1775. The family did not own the land where they lived, which was on Sylvia’s Lane in Bean Hill.
Early residents of Bean Hill in Norwich were a lively bunch. There were fox hunts, tea parties, dinners and live theater. At the center of the neighborhood is the Bean Hill Green, which served as a gathering space to hear the latest news, speeches or sermons.
Many Bean Hill residents participated in various war efforts. During the War of 1812, many of the male population of Bean Hill (between ages 18 and 45) were engaged in military activities.
You may be surprised to learn that Bean Hill had its own “Academy,” and its own elementary school known appropriately as Bean Hill School. The area had its own “tithing man,” or police officer, to carry out the laws. Many farmers located in the Bean Hill area indulged their energies in raising mules. Once grown, the animals were transported to the Norwich and New London ports and sold to buyers in the West Indies.
Today, the Bean Hill neighborhood is a mix of residential, commercial and manufacturing uses while still maintaining its historical integrity.
——————————————————————–
Each year, just before Memorial Day, people gather to honor our veterans by placing flags on their graves to show respect and to recognize those who have served in this country’s military. Norwich has veterans from the French and Indian War up to today’s conflicts in the Middle East.
The placing of flags on graves originally began after the Civil War and was known as Decoration Day. On the first Decoration Day in1868, Gen. James Garfield (later to become president) made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Decoration Day originally honored only those lost in the Civil War and was celebrated on May 30. Memorial Day became the official title in the 1880s, and after World War I the holiday came to commemorate all those who died in any war. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a federal holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
During the Civil War, Norwich supplied two full regiments (2,400 men) to the Union Army — the 18th and the 26th Connecticut volunteer infantry — of which 431 volunteers were from the city of Norwich and the remainder were from surrounding towns. Norwich residents also served in units from many other states, as well as other regiments from Connecticut.
Over the course of the Civil War, there were about 1,300 men from Norwich who fought in the conflict. At its end, 156 never came back; many more returned home wounded. Of those 1,300 soldiers, 383 have been interred over the years in Yantic Cemetery, and approximately 225 more are scattered throughout nine other cemeteries in Norwich.
In January 1866, the City of Norwich commissioned George Smith to travel to Georgia to reclaim the remains of nine native sons who died at Andersonville Prison and return them for burial here. Near the center of Yantic Cemetery stands a flagpole and a cannon surrounded by the graves of seven of those veterans. One other grave is located just outside the circle, and the last grave is in City Cemetery on Oak Street. Later, graves of veterans from the Spanish American War (1898) were interspersed with those from Andersonville to create two complete circles around the flagpole.
Part of the rich history of Norwich is evidenced by our veterans. Yantic Cemetery holds veterans of all ranks — from privates to generals to admirals. The graves of men such as David Case, a private in the 3rd Connecticut Volunteer Regiment, who was killed in the first battle of Bull Run and was the first man from Norwich to die in the Civil War; John Benson who served in the 29th Connecticut Volunteers, an all-black regiment from New Haven; Adm. Joseph Lanman, who served in the Navy for 48 years and was instrumental in the capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina, can all be found here.
Other examples of those deserving flags, but not military veterans are Lafayette Foster, who became next in line to become president of the United States following Lincoln’s assassination and Vice President Johnson’s ascension to the presidency; Gov. William Buckingham, who authorized the establishment of all 30 Connecticut volunteer regiments; William Aiken (son-in-law of Buckingham) who, as the Connecticut quartermaster general, was charged with supplying and outfitting all Connecticut regiments with arms and supplies.
Each year the Civil War historical group places approximately 600 flags on the graves of Civil War veterans throughout Norwich. Other groups (fire departments, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, etc.) place hundreds more in Norwich cemeteries. We place flags on all of these heroes’ graves to serve as a reminder of their sacrifice and the true meaning of Memorial Day.
——————————————————————–
It is said that by the mid-19th century, Norwich claimed more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States, with more than 50 residents earning more than $1 million per year in today’s dollars. Norwich’s strategic position halfway between Boston and New York made it a desirable location where trade and industry flourished. During the 19th century, there were many manufacturers who made their own contributions in the busy city.
In 1852, a man by the name of Christopher Crandall Brand obtained a patent for a newly invented whaling gun and bomb-lance. The device’s musket was 3 feet long, which discharged a charge that struck and then exploded at its target; his invention was used during the whaling period. His business location was in a brick building on Franklin Street.
The Greenman and True Co. was selling the new Howe Sewing Machines on the Central Wharf during the early 1860s, and in Greeneville, the Norwich Bleaching and Calendaring Co. had enlarged its works to accommodate a more extensive business.
John Breed, a hardware merchant and a well-known supporter of Norwich, is commemorated in Breed Hall, where he erected a beautiful large room for lectures, concerts and other assemblies. The building containing the large hall was completed in February of 1860.
The honorary degree of “LLD” has been conferred upon four well-known citizens of Norwich, including Gov. Samuel Huntington, who had received such an honor twice, from both Dartmouth and Yale, Benjamin Huntington, from Yale, Henry Strong from Yale, and Lafayette S. Foster from Brown University.
Members of Congress who were residents of Norwich at the time included Benjamin Huntington, Calvin Goddard, Gen. Ebenezer Huntington, James Lanman, Jabez W. Huntington, John A. Rockwell and Lafayette S. Foster, among others. Interestingly, there were also members of Congress from other states who were natives of Norwich, including Phineas L. Tracy (New York), Albert Tracy (New York), Erastus Corning (New York), Abel Huntington (New York), William Woolbridge (Michigan), Charles Miner (Pennsylvania), and Thomas Harris (Illinois).
Other prominent individuals in Norwich during this period were the druggists Dr. Joseph Thomas, Dr. Samuel Tyler and Dr. Charles Lee. (The title “Dr.” is strictly an honorary title in this reference).
Another important individual was William A. Buckingham; he was born in Lebanon, came to Norwich in 1825 and became personally involved in several manufacturing businesses. In 1858, he was governor of the state and made his office and home in Norwich. He oversaw the Civil War from his Norwich office.
William Williams was a flour merchant and later was involved in the whaling industry. His golden wedding anniversary was a special occasion in Norwich and the first of its kind in the Rose City.
Two other business personalities in this general period in Norwich include Thomas Robinson with his bookstore, and Gurdon Jones with his shoe and leather store. In addition, we salute a few more of the merchants in that busy century by naming Thomas Mumford, Joseph Howland, Jacob Dewitt, Lynde McCurdy and Giles Buckingham among others. If you’d like to learn more about this impressive time period, please visit the Walk Norwich Millionaires’ Triangle Trail at walknorwich.org or check out a copy of Tricia Staley’s book “Norwich in the Gilded Age.”
——————————————————————–
Norwich has numerous historic buildings located throughout the city. The Chelsea Savings Bank located in the downtown section of Norwich was built in November of 1911. Formerly on the site was the Universalist Church, which was eventually torn down. The Chelsea Savings Bank was designed by the Cudworth and Woodworth firm, the same firm that designed the Norwich Hospital.
Before the Revolutionary War, only six men in Norwich owned their own carriages. The Nathaniel Backus House now at 44 Rockwell St. was built in 1750 and was owned by one of those carriage owners. Its original location was at lower Broadway and was moved to Rockwell Street in 1951. It was saved and moved to its present location by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is now a museum.
The DeWitt House was built in the late 1700s is located at 189 Broadway. In addition to its use as a residence, the home served as the Lydia Huntley Sigourney School for young girls.
The house at 118 Washington St. was built in 1809 by John Vernet. The home is a private residence, but it has a rich history; the home served as a stop on the Underground Railroad and for a while in the 1920s, the structure was the rectory of Christ Episcopal Church.
Downtown Norwich once had a beautiful commercial and apartment building, which was constructed as the Shannon Building in 1892. It was destroyed in a massive fire in 1909. The following year it was rebuilt as a “fireproof” building. Shetucket Street in the business district of downtown Norwich was also known as “Bankers Row.”
The Park Congregational Church on Broadway was designed by Stephen C. Earle and built in 1874. Mr. Earle also designed and built the nearby Slater Memorial building on the Norwich Free Academy campus. That building was given to the school by William A. Slater in honor of his father, John Fox Slater.
The Gilbert Brewster House at 96 Union St. in the Federal style, was built in approximately 1800. About 80 years later it was modeled in the Georgian Revival style. At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, an elevator was installed in the building. Mr. Brewster was an engineer and a successful inventor in the wool spinning industry. He also constructed the steamship “Eagle.”
The Colonial saltbox at 199 W. Town St. dates to 1724 and in 1774, it was “kept” as a tavern and public house. Today, that house is used as offices.
The Reynolds Place was built in 1659 and was known as the oldest house in Norwich. It was located just beyond the Backus Hospital and was unfortunately taken down due to its fragile condition when the new highway of Route 2 needed entrance and exit lanes.
And, lastly, the Norwich Inn on Route 32 was built in 1929 and was famous for its magnificent golf course and its 75 lovely guest rooms.
So ends our brief tour of old structures in the Norwich area.
——————————————————————–
Once photography became practical, it replaced artists’ renderings of the human form although artists continued their pursuits.
According to photographic historians, the first photo taken with any success was in 1826 by Joseph Niepce and had an exposure time of about eight hours.
Louis Daguerre took the earliest photograph of people in 1838. However, with the exposure time at 15 minutes, the subject’s head had to be held still from behind.
The first woman’s portrait in the U.S. was in 1839 and was of Dorothy Catherine Draper. Her eyes were open, and the exposure time was 65 seconds. She had her face powdered with flour to accentuate contrasts.
As a matter of fact, the word photography was not even used at that time. It was later coined by John Herschel.
Gradually, exposure time was reduced, but as late as 1855, any slight movement of subjects resulted in blurred features.
During the 1850s and 1860s, photos included a full-length figure or a seated one. By the mid-1860s, props such as a chair, a desk or stand were used.
Holding a smile was still difficult and it was rare to photograph buildings, events, scenes or animals. With all the photos taken by Matthew Brady and his many assistants during the Civil War, no action shots were taken because of the required exposure times.
But as improvements were made, portrait studios began popping up in small towns and cities. Mid-century photography studio characteristics included patterned oil cloth on floors, plain backdrops, a single drape and a paisley table covering rounding out the setting.
For a relatively small cost, people could now get portraits taken. For the first-time, working-class people could afford a family portrait once in a while.
In regard to taking photos of children, the term “watch the birdie” was developed to get and keep their attention.
By the 1870s, cameras had improved, photographers were able to move and the camera was closer to the subject resulting in clearer close-ups.
By 1880 group photos became popular as people posed in their best clothes, and as we examine those old photos, we try to understand what kind of lives those people lived.
An interesting exercise is to study other new innovations of the 19th century and how they affected people’s lives.
Among them are: The sewing machine, 1846; the candy bar, 1847; the vacuum cleaner, 1860; the typewriter, 1867; the telephone, 1876; peanut butter, 1884; and the phonograph, 1877.
All of these inventions influenced the lives of people who lived during the second half of the 19th century.
Intensive research lists only a few photographic studios in the eastern half of Connecticut during that period into the early 1900s. They include Giles Bishop in New London, F.P. Kenyon and Son, also in New London, and R.A. McIntosh in Deep River.
Lastly, what about the Napoleon stance where the general is painted by the artist with one hand placed in the front opening of his jacket? It was said the artist couldn’t paint hands well. But that stance was popular before Napoleon or the artist was born.
It just wasn’t polite to put hands in side pockets and it did give the impression of status, wealth and prominence.
——————————————————————–
They stayed in taverns and in nearby fields in Andover and Bolton and were paid in silver coins by their pay wagon in East Hartford, hence the name, Silver Lane.
They were Rochambeau’s four units totaling originally more than 5,700 French and some German troops who helped us defeat the British in the Revolutionary War. By the time of the historic march, as a result of sickness, and sometimes death, Rochambeau’s numbers had decreased so that the force actually had 4,700 enlisted men plus officers. The total force had arrived in Narragansett Bay coming ashore to Newport in July 1780.
Rochambeau, earlier, had met with General Washington, for the first time, in Hartford in order to plan a collaborative effort against the British.
The first unit to move from Newport was led by The Duc de Lauzun. His force consisted of 250 cavalry and a light infantry of cannoneers and grenadiers.
Only a third of this unit was French. Among them, they spoke eight languages.
They traveled to Lebanon, Connecticut, where their horses would benefit from ample forage. They remained there for eight months where they trained and then followed the larger contingent with small detachments on the lookout for either British or loyalist groups coming from the south.
While in Lebanon, two corporals were executed by a firing squad in April 1781 for desertion.
Meanwhile, a grand review in Providence took place on June 16, 1781, before Rochambeau’s troops left in four divisions each one leaving a day behind the other.
Each division had its own field hospital, craftsmen such as tailors, harness makers, blacksmiths, axe-men needed to clear unwanted vegetation from roads, cooks, musicians, nurses and laundresses. In addition, each unit had an equal artillery force and an equal number of supply wagons, some driven by hired teenagers.
The first division entered Connecticut in Sterling following the old Plainfield Pike. The division stopped across from the Plainfield Cemetery.
Subsequent stops continued as the troops traveled through Canterbury, Scotland and into the town of Windham. They continued past Willimantic, through Columbia, at that time, Lebanon, then Andover, Bolton and into Manchester. Bolton was the fifth camp site and has been undergoing an archeological excavation. Artifacts recovered there have included regimental buttons, musket balls, coins from that era and a lead bar.
The French contingent had a group of officers trained in drawing maps, selecting camp sites, taverns and churches. This proved beneficial once the journey began.
It was tough going with heavy equipment on unpaved dirt roads. “Down time,” when troops could slow down and relax, was most appreciated.
One diary entry stated, “the band played outside the camp area and we danced on the green.” Another entry: “charming young ladies joined us and we invited them to dance to the music.” The stresses of the day, at least temporarily, melted away.
The array of troops traveled on what is now referred to as the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route.
After the surrender of the British at Yorktown, those same troops traveled back to Boston where they departed in 1782.
Those troops traveled in Connecticut alone, a total of 120 miles one way and then back, farther than any other state involved with the project.
This concludes our special salute to General Rochambeau and his brave army
from across the sea.
——————————————————————–
During a visit to Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1861, poet Julia Ward Howe attended a public parade and review of Union troops.
On her return to the city’s Willard Hotel, her carriage was delayed by marching regiments. While waiting for the traffic to clear, she and her companions began singing some of the popular war songs of the day. Included was the song, “John Brown’s Body,” with the words, “John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the ground/His soul goes marching on.”
Howe and the others assumed the John Brown mentioned in the song was the famous abolitionist. But actually, the words belonged to a young Scotsman in the Second Infantry Battalion of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia whose name was also John Brown.
The young sergeant was well aware of the more well-known John Brown. Many of his exploits had been printed in most newspapers.
In the meantime, his comrades had made the Scotsman the target of many practical jokes. The soldiers sang out in a folk-song manner, the melody that Julia Ward Howe later heard. The teasing of the sergeant and the catchy verse traveled to other units.
Every time the sergeant was a little late or out of step, the teasing took place.
Howe retired that night at the hotel, but the melody of that song kept going through her head. When she arose the next morning, one of her friends suggested, “Why don’t you write some good words for that stirring tune?”
There are researchers who insist the friend who suggested that was President Abraham Lincoln.
Howe did write “better” words to that tune which has become a living folk music tradition.
The tune sung while the men marched came out of the folk hymn tradition of the camp meeting movement. Howe submitted her lyrics to the “Atlantic Monthly” as “The Battle Hymn of The Republic.” It was published in February 1862.
The Scotsman Brown never heard or read Howe’s version. He died early in the war at Front Royal, Va.
Confusion surrounds who actually wrote the music to that song. Many would-be and authentic composers take credit.
From our history books, we learned that the other John Brown, abolitionist and Torrington native, planned to free Virginia slaves. Earlier, a young man from Lisbon, Conn., Aaron Dwight Stevens, also had developed strong anti-slavery feelings, and met up with Brown in Nebraska in 1856. Brown saw something in Stevens, taking him under his wing and providing him with leadership opportunities. In time, Stevens became Brown’s military aide.
Brown and his men seized the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va., and converted it into a temporary fortress. Under the leadership of then Col. Robert E. Lee, the raiders were subdued by a detachment of Marines at a great loss to Brown. His two sons, Watson and Oliver, were killed in the action and Brown was severely wounded.
Brown was tried and sentenced to death and was hanged Dec. 2, 1859. Stevens was convicted of treason and was executed March 16, 1860, in Charlestown, Va. He was 29.
John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the ground… His soul goes marching on.
——————————————————————–
Churchgoers all over the world have sung his hymns, but few, if any, know his name.
It is William Howard Doane.
He was born in Preston on Feb. 3, 1832, to Joseph and Frances Doane. Doane showed an interest in music as early as age 6 and sang before an audience at the slightest opportunity.
At 14, he was selected as leader of the Woodstock Academy Choir and two years later led the choir at the Baptist Church in Voluntown.
That same year, he composed his first piece of music as the conductor of the Norwich Harmonic Society. Later, he composed a book of music – “Silver Spray” – considered the most popular Sunday School compilation of its day.
A year later, he created another book of religious songs titled “Songs of Devotion.”
As a teenager, Doane became a clerk in his father’s firm, J.A. Fay and Co., a cotton manufacturing business. His father fully expected Doane to put aside his “foolish” hobby of writing music because it was not considered a respectable profession for a young man.
Doane satisfied his father’s wishes to enter the industrial field, but also continued to compose music.
Eventually, he became a managing partner in his father’s Norwich firm but relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, the business headquarters. He was 29.
When Doane became president of the company, upon the death of his senior partner, the mercantile company was already connected to a number of similar firms around the globe. At this same time, Doane continued to write music, including his Christmas cantatas, such as one of his most popular titled “Santa Claus.” That sold worldwide with copies in the millions.
New York music publishers Biglow and Main published most of Doane’s music.
Fanny Crosby was the leading poet of the gospel hymn movement during the last half of the 19th century. Though blind from infancy, she collaborated with a number of musical composers, including Doane, on at least 1,500 gospel music pieces.
Doane’s composition style was a little unique in that wherever he was at the time of inspiration, he wrote down his melodies. Those locations included his parlor, on a stagecoach ride, at a convention, on a train and on a ship. Out came his little notebook and his melody was recorded.
Even though his music was his life’s love, his inventions as an industrialist, were also notable. He held 70 patents related to woodworking machinery.
He also owned one of the largest home libraries in the country. His home in the Cincinnati hill section was the center of an extensive collection of antique musical instruments from around the world, and also a receptacle of original manuscripts of nearly all the old musical masters. Denison University, where he received an honorary doctorate, the Cincinnati YMCA and other beneficiaries have enjoyed his generosity. The Doane Memorial Music Building in Chicago was named for him.
Doane owned a summer cottage at Watch Hill where he frequently entertained many distinguished guests.
The Preston native died in South Orange, N.J. on Dec. 23, 1915.
——————————————————————–
William Torrey Harris was born in North Killingly on Sept. 10, 1835.
He attended Phillips Andover Academy, and studied three years at Yale University, becoming a teacher. He taught school from 1857-59 in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a principal that same year. In 1866, he helped to establish the St. Louis Philosophical Society.
Harris was then appointed superintendent of schools in St. Louis, serving in that position from 1868-80.
Along the way, Harris, with Susan Blow, established America’s first permanent public kindergarten in 1873. Blow had been acquainted with the work of Friedrich Froebel, a Swiss educator who believed in early education. Interestingly, Blow had no high school education.
By 1916, more than 400 cities had kindergartens in their schools.
Harris also was instrumental in influencing educational ideologies that led to public school curriculum expansions. Among them, he made the high school an essential institution, which would, in time, include art, music, science, manual arts and, perhaps more importantly, the addition of a library at all public schools.
Harris was appointed as the nation’s commissioner of education. Among his many innovations was instituting compulsory education for Native Americans.
He served as commissioner under four U.S. presidents, including Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
His resume includes founding and editing the first philosophical periodical in America in 1867. He served as its editor until 1893.
He was the recipient of an LL.D., Doctor of Laws degree, from a number of American and foreign universities. In 1906, he was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for The Advancement of Teaching.
That same year, Harris also helped edit a number of papers dealing with international education, and when Andrew Carnegie founded the “Simplified Spelling Board” in 1906, Harris was one of the directors.
In 1909, he was the editor-in-chief of Webster’s New International Dictionary, and it was the North Killingly native who originated the “divided page” in dictionaries.
Overall, Harris produced several hundred manuscripts on educational matters. Among them are “An Introduction To The Study of Philosophy,” “Psychologic Foundations of Education,” “Elementary Education In The United States” and “The Philosophy of Education.”
Harris was known as a practical school man, an effective administrator and an educational reformer. His whole career was dedicated to the professional study of education for teachers in training.
Between 1873 and 1880, he served as president of the National Association of School Superintendents. Author Kurt Leidecker wrote “Yankee Teacher: The Life of William Torrey Harris,” where more information can be found regarding this remarkable educator.
Incredibly, Danielson produced a second person who became a United States commissioner of education. Sidney P. Marland, Jr., a graduate of UConn, became a secondary teacher and a superintendent of schools in Darien, Winnetka, Ill., and Pittsburgh, Pa., before he accepted the national appointment.
Maybe there was “something in the water” for two men born a short distance apart and aspire to the lofty post of National Commissioner of Education.
——————————————————————–
The ability to know the exact time to the hour and the minute is a relatively new phenomenon in human history.
Until the early 1800s, Americans told time strictly with the help of nature. People would get together at “candle light” and for more exact time they had sundials and hourglasses. They also consulted almanacs. Farmers’ chores were determined by daylight’s availability.
Then Eli Terry came along.
Terry was born prior to the American Revolution on April 13, 1772, in East Windsor. At 14, he became an apprentice to master clockmaker Daniel Burnap. Burnap’s specialty was engraving. Terry also spent time as an apprentice with another Connecticut master, and by 1793, when he was 21, he opened his own clock shop in Plymouth, Conn. Just prior to opening his own shop, he repaired clocks and watches. He also did engraving and repaired spectacles. His engraving skills originated when he worked with Daniel Burnap.
When Terry opened his own shop, all clocks were still made with “hand turned” wooden works. He applied the achievements of Eli Whitney (the use of power machinery and interchangeable parts) to his clock making. His machines were powered by water and he hired several men to cut standardized wheels, cogs and other parts from wood that were then assembled to make his finished clocks.
By 1800, Terry was producing about 20 clocks at a time in his factory.
In 1807, he received a request to build 4,000 clocks in four years.
He hired two craftsmen, Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley, to help him and the trio finished the task with a year to spare.
In 1812, Terry developed his “shelf clock” with wooden movements when he bought land along the Naugatuck River along with a sawmill and a gristmill.
He also created a new clock design. He received the first clock patent issued by the U.S. Patent Office for that design.
Eventually, at his new location, and with his use of interchangeable parts, Terry produced as many as 12,000 clocks annually.
Almost instantly, other men saw the success Terry was enjoying and established clock factories of their own in the Bristol area.
In 1830, Terry began using brass clock mechanisms into his clocks. This made the clocks more durable.
Terry retired in 1833. By then he had received 10 patents related to clock-making.
After his death in 1852 at 80, his son, Silas, continued producing the clocks with brass movements. Silas and his three sons began the Terry Clock Co. in 1867 in Waterbury and were in business until 1888, capping more than 90 years of Terry clock making.
Eli Terry has been recognized by invention historians as “the real father of the industrial revolution in America.”
Terry was inspired by another master clockmaker, Thomas Harland, of Norwich. Harland has been honored by the city with a road named for him.
——————————————————————–
In any written account of Connecticut legends, we find a gentleman by the name of Phineas G. Wright.
Wright was born in Fitzwilliam, N.H., on April 3, 1829. When he was still young his family moved to Putnam. As the years passed, Phineas not only became interested and involved in land holdings, he became the wealthiest man in town.
In Wright’s opinion, his business was nobody’s but his own, and he intended to keep it that way. Therefore, all of his banking was accomplished in Boston’s banks, which he saw as more “stable” than those in Putnam. He traveled to Boston often in spite of the fact that in those times, that trip was a whole day’s ride.
Local opinions of Wright were quite varied depending on who was offering one. Some claimed he was a “penny pincher,” while others claimed the man had a wonderful sense of humor. However, there remains a story in the history of Putnam that speaks of his kindness and generosity, in this case toward a couple named George and Sarah Pray. It involved a loan he arranged for them, the interest on which he canceled over its 22-year-period.
Our further research reveals Wright was among the first to break ground for the construction of the historic Air Line Railway which, in 1873, opened a direct train route between New York and Boston. It ran from 1891 to 1895 and is now a hiking trail.
In 1903, Wright initiated his personal plans for his own death which would not occur until May 2, 1918. He would be buried in the Grove Street Cemetery in Putnam. He decided a man of his stature should have a huge stone monument, and that’s exactly what he arranged — one weighing 10 tons. On it would be a chiseled a likeness of him — at least his top half, in high relief, beard and all, with his watch chain leading into his watch pocket. Below all this is his personal information and an interesting phrase which reads, “Going, but know not where.” He was truly a unique character.
Now, a quick turn to another Connecticut character, one who really needs no introduction. That man is Mark Twain, noted for his quick wit and iconic writings. Twain, real name of Samuel Clemens, resided in the state in two major locations over the years: Hartford and Redding.
Twain was famous for his quotes about life in general. One of his favorite quotes involves education: “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education!”
In a sort of tribute to the author, we end today’s column with a short story he loved to tell and did a number of times. He called it “These Haddams.” He related that “A man was traveling up the Connecticut River trying to sleep. However, frequently, the boat would stop, and a man would yell outside the traveler’s door, ‘Haddam!’ Then a few moments later the man would yell, ‘East Haddam!’ Then, ‘Haddam Neck!’ Then, last but not least, ‘North Haddam!’ By then, the traveler jumped out of bed and yelled, “I’m a Methodist preacher for 41 years, but blast these Haddams!”
——————————————————————–
Ms. Ellen Douglas Larned was born on June 13, 1825, in Thompson. It is unanimously agreed that she is the most well-known historian in regard to the history of Windham County.
Her books, “The History of Windham County,” volumes one and two, were originally written for her family and her community. They are more about goings-on in a small-town community as opposed to what was going on in the world at large. One can fairly correlate world events with dates, but it is harder to locate the intricate facts which Larned uncovered so well.
In her above titles, she included 10 portraits of important people who lived in the county between 1760 and 1880, including Israel Putnam, Samuel Huntington and Gen. Nathaniel Lyon.
She wrote in great detail about the development of courts, churches, schools, roads, libraries and the early settlements and organizations. Also Larned wrote about county women of an earlier time, the Revolutionary War outcomes, profiles of interesting people, Indian names and historical events.
She actually lived in her home town her entire life and her sources for information included diaries, church documents, town records, old letters and conversations and interviews with residents of Thompson.
Her first publication in 1874 was published in Worcester, Mass. However, her reputation as a historian preceded that, and she was inducted into the Connecticut Historical Society in 1870. She remained the only female member of that illustrious group for a number of decades.
Interesting to her, and apparently to many others, were her own writings about the dozen or so Indian tribes that resided in Eastern Connecticut long before the white man came. Those tribes knew a variety of paths that they traveled and favored.
Larned’s information about the Old Connecticut Path was put together from Indian and early settler notes as well as other sources. Between Thompson and Tolland there is a path she described as “touching nature” in the way the early pioneers experienced. The path holds an important place in the histories of the towns it traveled through in addition to private, public, and conserved lands.
The path has been preserved in the form of a map she called “Map of Ancient Windham County” and is a treasure for any modern traveler who can find special places along the path.
In “The History of Windham County,” there were details regarding the “Frog Pond” story which was nearer in time than other versions of the story.
In 1899, Larned published “Historical Gleanings in Windham County, Connecticut.” Both publishers and authors believe her work to be culturally important.
In her later years Larned did quite a bit of lecturing about her publications. Not surprisingly, she also maintained interest and expertise in the field of genealogy. To further illustrate her authenticity, her books can be found in international libraries.
In 1902, Larned dedicated a small library building on Thompson Hill. The Thompson Historical Society established a museum there which opened on Sept. 6, 2003. It is now the Ellen Larned Memorial Building located on the Thompson Common, Route 193 in Thompson.
Larned died on Jan. 31, 1912, at age 87 and is buried in the West Thompson Cemetery.
——————————————————————–
George H. Cushman was born in Windham on June 5, 1814 and, from the time he was a little boy, he had a dream of going to West Point. However, early on, family financial misfortunes impacted young George and kept him from that objective.
So, he turned his attention in another direction … he began sketching and painting everything he saw, particularly faces or “miniature portraits” of people. His studies led him to well-known artists of the time, including Washington Allston and Asaph Willard.
Allston was famous for pioneering landscape painting and one of his serious pupils was Samuel F.B. Morse, who went on to invent the telegraph.
Willard was a silver engraver and worked in Hartford for many years.
In the mid-1840s, Cushman moved to Philadelphia and it was there that he produced many miniature paintings and portraits over a 20-year period. It was in Philadelphia that he married Susan Wetherill.
Philadelphia, of course, was the nation’s first capital, and Cushman began engraving books for authors, including James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens and Frances Osgood.
Prior to the National Banking Act, Cushman did engraving for state banks.
In 1862, he moved to New York City, creating miniatures and portraits. He was also involved with engraving. His critics viewed his work as being executed with taste and ability. However, his natural modesty prevented him from exhibiting his miniatures. Exceptions included displays only to his close friends.
His own self-portrait as a painter of miniatures was reproduced in 1898.
George Cushman died on Aug. 3, 1876. Therefore, he would have no way of knowing that in 1928, the New York Public Library displayed his engravings in a special viewing. Also, some of his miniatures were displayed at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
In addition to the above recognitions, Cushman is noted today for two more unusual honors in the field of art.
Recently, one of George Cushman’s rare portrait miniatures sold for $2,200. Also recently, his display of engravings was included in the works of 100 notable American engravers.
Of course, more famous regarding miniatures, as evidenced in our history books, was John Trumbull of Lebanon.
Born much earlier than Cushman, in 1756, Trumbull was noted generally for his historical paintings. Due to a childhood accident, Trumbull lost the sight of one of his eyes. However, in spite of that handicap, or perhaps as a positive result, that added to his detailed style of painting. Some said he would never paint again.
As a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, John Trumbull sketched plans in Boston of the British works.
In 1780, he traveled to London to study under artist Benjamin West. At West’s advice, Trumbull began painting miniature portraits. As a result of his efforts, in Trumbull’s lifetime, he painted as many as 250 miniatures.
In 1785, Trumbull went to Paris and with introductions by Thomas Jefferson, serving at the time as United States minister, Trumbull started one of his most famous paintings, that of the “Declaration of Independence.”
That famous scene with so many miniatures of “the signers” can also be viewed on the reverse side of the United States’ two-dollar bill.
Trumbull died in New York City in 1843 at the age of 87.
——————————————————————–
Up until the year 1892, anyone who wished to clean their teeth had one procedure: They would dip their toothbrushes into a porcelain jar of dental cream.
At least one local dentist, Dr. Washington Wentworth Sheffield, felt strongly that the practice was highly unhygienic. He not only had definite feelings about the practice, but he decided to do something about it if he could.
Sheffield was born on April 23, 1827 in North Stonington, the third of eight children to the Rev. John Sheffield and Eliza Sheffield. He grew up there and was educated in the town’s schools.
In 1850, he trained as an apprentice dentist with J. Comstock of New London. Later, he furthered his preparation by working with Dr. Charles Allen and Dr. H.D. Porter in New York City.
In April 1852, he moved to New London to begin his long and successful practice in dentistry.
He married Harriet P. Browne of Providence and they had one child, Lucius, who was born in 1854. Lucius one day would provide the motivation that would be a life-changer for his father.
In the interim, Washington Sheffield was fully aware there existed a strong desire for clean teeth. Doctors and dentists had created cleaning tools and materials including toothpicks, tooth brushes, and powders. Many of those early tools were often sold by doctors and early druggists. A good example of an early product was “Roger’s Tooth Powder,” which was advertised in the Norwich Packet as early as 1800.
In 1865, Sheffield graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, the first dental school in the country. And he had already formulated his own tooth powder and mouthwash that he used with his patients.
His son, Lucius, grew up in New London and attended Norwich Free Academy. He later attended Harvard Medical School, graduating from that institution’s American Academy of Dental Medicine in 1878. He then traveled to Paris to study dentistry and dental surgery.
While Lucius was away, Sheffield, in New London, had perfected a balm which could be used as a moist tooth cleaner should a proper dispenser ever be available.
It was in Paris that Lucius was witness to artists preparing their palettes with paint. He suddenly realized the collapsible tubes being utilized in painting could also be used to squeeze a moist tooth cleaning substance onto a toothbrush in a neat and sanitary manner.
When father and son began the Sheffield Dentifrice Company in 1880, the location of their company was at the corner of State and Green streets in New London. That’s where he improved his own mouthwash and advertised it as “Sheffield’s Elixer Balm” for the gums. Later, he opened a laboratory behind his residence where he produced his dentifrice. His dentifrice is the first toothpaste sold in America in collapsible tubes. The Sheffields’ products sold very well and were popular with the public.
The Sheffields’ tooth cleaner was first advertised on March 12, 1881 in the New London Telegram. It was called “Sheffield’s Crème Angelique Dentifrice.”
The Sheffield Dentifrice Company was also popular with other clients wishing to use the tubes for their own products.
Washington Wentworth Sheffield died on Nov. 4, 1897 at age 70. His son, Lucius, died Sept. 20, 1901 at age 47.
——————————————————————–
Connecticut College was founded in 1911, but the planning for it has an interesting twist. Wesleyan University announced in 1909 that the college would no longer offer admissions to women. Correspondingly, there was at that time a strong desire by women to seek higher education. A committee was soon formed across the state to seek out prospective sites for a new college.
The committee came up with its top proposal for the hilltop location overlooking the Thames River in New London.
The land selected for the new institution had once been a dairy farm owned by Charles P. Alexander of Waterford. When both he and his wife passed away, their son, Frank, sold a substantial portion of the farmland to the trustees for the college.
A fund-raising campaign was started and the city was asked to raise $100,000 for a starting amount. The campaign only lasted 10 days and the goal was not only met, but actually exceeded by $35,000.
Virtually every business and organization in the New London area contributed to the campaign. A charter was petitioned to the state and was granted in April of 1911. A president was appointed as well as an architect. Morton Plant, chairman of the board of trustees, announced that he was giving one million dollars for the college’s endowment.
Mr. Plant’s generous contribution inspired others to make their own financial gifts.
The college finally opened its doors to students on Sept. 27, 1915. Ninety-nine young women became the first freshmen class and additionally, 52 special students also registered.
A faculty of 23 professors and a library containing 6,000 books were also available.
The student body, of course, increased over time, buildings were added, and countless women received their education from a well-respected institution of learning “up on the hilltop.”
In the 1960s a national movement had begun citing evidence that there was then a trend that women were beginning to be uninterested in attending “woman only” colleges.
In 1969, the Board of Trustees deemed that the college would soon change to a co-educational institution. This move, in itself, would alter the social and athletic fabric of the college.
Currently, the college accepts only about one third of its applications.
Until recently, the college ranked in the top 25 percent of all the colleges in the country. In 2015, however, the college was ranked 100th out of 247 colleges.
Among the most common choices for majors by students there, in the last five years, are international relations, English and economics.
The college enrolls just under 2,000 young men and women from more than 40 states and 70 countries.
Connecticut College today has many attractive activities on campus open to the students as well as to the local New London community. For example, “Onstage at Connecticut College” presents a variety of artists and performers throughout the year. The Olin Observatory is open to the public as well. Other attractions include the campus ice rink, the Charles E. Shain Library, the local Flock Theater, choral and instrumental college concerts, acapella group performances, lectures by faculty and visiting speakers, and various sporting events.
Currently, there are more than 1,800 undergraduates, enjoying roughly a nine to one student-faculty ratio.
——————————————————————–
An actual ad in a well-known newspaper in the late 1700s published the following request: “Wanted: A sober, diligent schoolmaster (man) capable of teaching Reading, writing, Arithmetick (?) and the Latin tongue!”
From Colonial times and even into the 19th century, most teachers were men. Some male teachers held other positions as farmers, innkeepers and a variety of other occupations who “kept school” for a few months a year, then returned to their almost full-time job.
The more educated schoolmasters used the classroom as a stepping-stone toward their final careers at such positions as ministers or attorneys.
Some grammar school teachers were products of the very school they then would serve as teachers.
As more schools developed in urban villages there actually became a shortage of teachers what with the low pay and working conditions which existed at that time. Many bright, promising young men went on to more well-paying and prestigious positions. As industries developed, many qualified men went in that direction. This caused an acute shortage of instructors.
Education reformers began looking toward another source of labor. Teacher colleges, called “normal schools,” began looking at women to take over classrooms.
This all led to the “feminization” of the teaching profession. Women were becoming better educated than ever before. The neighboring state of Massachusetts led the way in the early to mid-1800s with its first normal schools. Those post-high school institutions were devoted entirely to teacher education.
The first state-sponsored normal school was established in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1839. The demand for providing teachers with stimulating preparation to teach in those early one-room schools and small towns was solved.
Women began attending summer institutes, organized associations, and courses were taken to better prepare themselves to teach.
In the late 1800s into the early 20th century, immigrants poured into the United States. More than a million immigrants entered the country in 1907 alone. Immigrants, in general, saw the schools as a bridge of sorts, to a better life.
In the early 1900s, 75 percent of America’s teachers were women.
In 1889, 13 female students attended classes on the third floor of the Willimantic Savings Institute in that city. Those were the first students who would train for teaching at what was then called, Willimantic State Normal School.
A larger location of the school would later be built on the corner of Windham and Valley Streets. That larger facility was completed in 1895 and the first dormitory was built in 1921. In 1937, the Normal School became Willimantic State Teachers College. Other buildings and expanded curricula led the institution in 1967 to be renamed as Eastern Connecticut State College.
By 1983, the college once again with its expanded campus and programs was renamed Eastern Connecticut State University.
Eastern still trains prospective teachers as it successfully did for so many years, but the new expanded curricula now is much more varied so that the once-small teachers college has blossomed into a full-blown university.
In Connecticut’s original state teacher college system, there were four institutions strategically located around the state preparing teachers for our schools. They were in Willimantic, New Britain, New Haven and Danbury.
It’s interesting and wistful, too, to look back to those World War II days and beyond, when so many local and nearby high school graduates could attend a college like ECSU, and graduate with a career lasting through their working lives.
——————————————————————–
William Williams was born on April 23, 1731, in Lebanon to Timothy S. Williams and Mary Porter. Williams’ father and grandfather were both ministers.
With that environment, William became a deacon in the Congregational Church while not yet a teenager. He had already made up his mind that he, too, would become a minister. His father would celebrate 50 years as the pastor of the Lebanon Congregational Church.
William did begin a study for the ministry, but that effort was interrupted when he joined the militia in order to engage in the French and Indian War.
Back home after the war, he opened a store in Lebanon he called The Williams Inc.
Williams married Mary Trumbull in 1771. Mary was the daughter of Connecticut Gov. Jonathan Trumbull. The couple would have three children.
Williams became a member of the Sons of Liberty and a little later he served on both Connecticut’s Committee of Correspondence and The Council of Safety.
Williams was naturally against the occupation of Boston by British soldiers.
In the meantime, he was elected as a Connecticut representative to the Continental Congress on July 11, 1776, which was the same date that Connecticut received official word regarding the vote of July 2, 1776 — the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Williams later signed the Declaration.
Williams did become pastor of the First Congregational Church in Lebanon. He also proved during that period that he was a successful merchant.
At the Revolutionary War’s beginnings, there was little provision to support an army. Private contributions became necessary for rifles, clothing and other supplies. Under his direct supervision, the town of Lebanon was able to forward more than 1,000 blankets to the army, which was an outstanding example of private solicitation. In addition to that, bullets were devised from the lead obtained from the weights utilized in clocks of that time. However successful those efforts were, dark days were ahead for the colonies.
During the war, Williams retained the title of the selectman for the town of Lebanon.
In 1781, word reached Lebanon regarding the traitor Benedict Arnold’s raid on New London. Williams immediately mounted his horse and traveled the 23 miles to the Whaling City in three hours, in order to offer his services as a volunteer.
In the winter of 1781, a French regiment known now as Lauzun’s Legion, was stationed and participated in military training on the well-known Lebanon Green. Williams decided to move out of his home and relinquished it to French officers, including Robert Dillon, second in command of the regiment.
Williams’ later years were constructively spent as a county judge. Also, for 44 years he served his community as town clerk. He also served as a selectman for 25 years. Obviously, he was a man who believed in serving.
Williams died on Aug. 2, 1811, and is buried in Lebanon’s old cemetery. Williams’ house was declared a National Historic Landmark and, not surprisingly, was listed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1951.
——————————————————————–
He exhibited conspicuous gallantry in the War with Tripoli. After the War of 1812, he secured the final treaty of peace with Barbary powers. In essence, he tactically won almost every military engagement in which he participated … except one. Oh, he was taken prisoner by the British on one occasion where he was woefully outnumbered.
However, Commodore Stephen Decatur received a gold medal for his distinguished service in the war from his government.
A frustrating exception took place in New London County in the spring of 1813. It began when Decatur needed a port in which to hide when his squadron of three ships was spotted by a small fleet of British ships near the eastern end of Long Island Sound. Since the port of New London was the nearest, he sailed to the harbor and traveled up the Thames River to Gales Ferry. There, he could plan his next move.
Meanwhile, frightened residents, who had remembered the burning of the city by Benedict Arnold some 30-odd years before, witnessed the British blockade surrounding their harbor, including one of the Brits’ firing exercises.
In the meantime, Decatur waited patiently for clearance. Then he waited some more … for months.
Finally, he furtively moved his ships toward the mouth of the Thames on a moonless night, a night with ideal conditions. Suddenly, blue lights appeared on both sides of the river. The commodore sensed that the Brits knew of his attempt and withdrew his ships.
He waited an appropriate amount of time and on another night with seemingly good conditions, he attempted once more. The blue lights were visible again, and Decatur retreated. One last undertaking ended with the same result, so he knew that a new plan was necessary.
The use of a torpedo to distract the Brits also failed.
His next effort involved moving his squadron way up river, where his crew dismantled two of his ships and then they traveled to New York by land. Later, the one ship that was left finally did slip past the blockade.
The mystery of the blue lights remained a mystery for some time. Did the Brits get word of his attempts? Were there spies involved?
The Connecticut Gazette, a New London paper, reported those lights as the work of traitors and this became a controversial uproar there and elsewhere. The paper was accused of lacking good judgment regarding American patriotism.
Almost a lifetime later, the Rev. Edward W. Bacon came up with a possible suspect and explanation.
A Newport man by the name of Capt. Center had been held by authorities for unknown charges at the time, but was released for lack of evidence. His freedom, the reverend surmised, led the Newport man to the British ships conducting the blockade.
In other words, we still don’t have a viable answer to the blue lights.
At war’s end, officials in New London had planned a “peace ball” at the Huntington Street Courthouse, where British and American officers would attend, including the famed commodore, Stephen Decatur.
The ball in New London was reminiscent of a similar celebration one war earlier, this time without the British. It was held at the end of the Revolutionary War at the home of Gen. Jedidiah Huntington on East Town Street in Norwichtown. Special guests included Gen. George Washington, Count Rochambeau and Gen. Lafayette. That house still stands today.
——————————————————————–
There seems to be a lot of interest locally in a young man born in Lisbon on March 15, 1831. His name was Aaron Dwight Stevens and as a young boy he was put to work on his father’s farm where he grew to over 6 feet tall.
He ran away from home twice, lived on the Norwichtown Green for a while, and served in the Mexican War. He was involved in a mutiny and received a brief sentence. He then joined the Kansas Militia.
It was on Aug. 7, 1856, that he finally met one of his idols, abolitionist John Brown, in Nebraska.
Stevens killed a man in what was deemed self-defense. For that, he served an appropriate sentence and even lived with the Delaware Indians for a few months.
Brown was impressed with the large young man and, in 1859, decided to have him train his 17 men in military tactics and technically assume the role as Brown’s assistant. Brown felt that Stevens’ previous military experience would become an advantage in carrying out a raid he was planning.
During the famous raid on Harper’s Ferry in Virginia, both Stevens and Brown, along with Brown’s other raiders, were trapped in the town engine house by a military platoon. The leader of that platoon was Col. Robert E. Lee, who ordered the assault that led to Brown’s capture.
Seemingly, with no hope of escape, Brown finally sent Stevens and Brown’s son, Watson, out of the engine house to negotiate with a flag of truce. With no intention of negotiating with the gang, Stevens was quickly shot four times and then captured by militia members. Watson Brown was also wounded and died 20 hours after being shot. The entire “battle” was over in three minutes.
Once Stevens fell, his captors could feel no pulse, however, eyewitnesses swear that Stevens spoke fluently when asked, “Is there anyone dear to you?” Stevens replied, “All those who are good are dear to me!”
The raiders, of course, were captured, and both Stevens and Brown were placed in the same cell. Stevens suffered from his painful wounds in his head and neck.
During his prison stay, Stevens was quoted as telling a guard, “ I do not feel guilty and there was no evil intention in my heart.”
For his part in Brown’s raid, the Lisbon native was convicted of treason and on March 16, 1860, he was hanged in Charlestown, Virginia, one day after his 29th birthday. Brown had been hanged earlier, and Stevens’ last words to his captain were, “Captain Brown, I’ll see you in a better land.”
In retrospect, the rag-tag raiders had organized in a hopeless attempt to instigate a slave rebellion at Harper’s Ferry.
Aaron Stevens’ family was originally from Norwich, with Moses Stevens as the first name mentioned in the research of the family.
The town of Lisbon has renamed a portion of Route 138, which runs through the town. It is now known as the Aaron Dwight Stevens Memorial Highway. It is named for the 19th century abolitionist who, surprisingly, is little known even in Eastern Connecticut.
Victor Butsch and Tom Coletti wrote a book about Stevens in 2016 titled “A Journey to The Gallows.” It is a historical look at the life and times of Aaron Dwight Stevens.
Stevens is buried at the John Brown farm in New York.
——————————————————————–
In 1790, President George Washington signed America’s first patent law. It was designed “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.”
Suddenly, here and elsewhere, workbenches became beehives of activities and within a century, Connecticut residents had been awarded more than 20,000 patents.
Women became involved with patented inventions early on, including a lady in Windham County.
In 1866, Catharine Allsop Griswold in Willimantic received a patent for a skirt-supporting corset.
Between 1876 and 1890, the U.S. Patent Office saluted Connecticut’s residents as first in inventions per capita for all those years.
Each year, the Patent Office issues more than 150,000 patents to both individuals and companies worldwide.
Notice that the type of inventions listed reflect the era in which that particular invention was needed. Also, some of the research for this story revealed only the last names of most of the inventors.
A man named Frink from New London received a patent for a shipbuilding procedure. A Mr. Loomis from Ashford received a patent for a threshing machine. Another New London resident named Wilson received a patent for a gristmill and, in addition, a cast-iron door knocker.
Mr. Allen won a patent for a steam pump in Norwich. Also, another man named Sutton from Norwich invented a patent for a rotary pump.
A man named Knowles from Colchester invented wood screws and a unique carriage spring. A Montville man named Scholfield invented a pendulum regulator.
A man by the name of Watrous from Groton received a patent for his grinding machine.
A Killingly man by the name of Mason received patents for two new inventions. They were a spinning machine and a cotton-cleaning apparatus.
A Mr. Tyler of Brooklyn also invented a different type of threshing machine.
A man from New London named Clark received a patent for a special saw, while a versatile man from Norwich named Forbes invented both a paper-making machine and a wagon carriage.
Another Brooklyn man named Johnson received a patent for a leather shaving machine.
A different type of threshing machine was invented by a Plainfield man named Gallop.
Fireplace cooking implements were developed by a Hampton inventor by the name of Howard.
A different type of horse collar was invented by a man named Call. He was from the town of Sterling.
A Windham man by the name of Boynton received a patent for a card grinding machine.
A Mr. Sizer from New London was recognized for inventing two different items, a circular boiler and a hat steaming machine.
A Canterbury gentleman named Rood (a well-known Windham County name), was awarded a patent for a weaving machine.
Last but not least in this category, was another New London man named Spencer who received a patent for a ruling machine.
Breaking away from the last name-only category, we have Washington W. Sheffield, a native of North Stonington, who first put toothpaste into tubes. He was a dentist with an office in downtown New London. Edwin Land, who lived in Norwich for over a decade, invented the Polaroid camera, and, of course, Allen Latham Jr., who lived in Norwich for many years, was a Norwich Free Academy grad who invented blood transfer devices.
——————————————————————–
Four giant greenish frog images are sitting on large cement spools of thread on the two-decade-old Thread City Crossing in Willimantic.
An Ivoryton sculptor, Leo Jensen, created the amphibians and they were cast in an ironworks in Bridgeport. The giant frogs were placed on the spools in November of 2000.
The spools in Willimantic are representatives of the city’s past when the Willimantic Thread Co. was a major industry there from the early 1800s on.
Other bridges in the town’s history at one time or another crossed the Willimantic River, but in 2000, a more permanent crossing was needed and built. Upon its official opening, in June of 2001, there were observers from all over New England taking photos, and reporters from out-of-town newspapers, including the New York Times, “getting their story.”
The bridge was 15 years in its planning, and the reason for the inclusion of frogs in its design is important.
In June of 1754, Connecticut residents were quite uneasy due to earlier attacks on small towns during the French and Indian War. In nearby Windham Center, residents had retired but were awakened by some screams or commotion, but they could not determine the source.
Daylight and exploration by some of the men there, finally revealed the origin of the uproar. East of the village, a recent drought had left very little water at a nearby small pond, and bull frogs, some from a reasonably long distance away, sought the remaining water with resounding clamor. That desperate struggle by throngs of bull frogs was the culprit. Dozens and dozens, some say hundreds, of corpses were scattered near the almost empty pond.
As part and parcel of the history of Windham, that event has been repeated many times via storytelling, poetry, role playing, music and drama.
The “Croakers” was the name of a now defunct male singing group, and students graduating from Windham High School at one time enjoyed the image of a frog and spool of thread on their class rings. Even the school’s newspaper was called The Croakings. The city’s official seal still reflects the image of a frog.
The new bridge replaced a former bridge (stone arch type) that was 43 years old located farther east. Parts of that bridge still serve the community as a garden walkway, part of the Windham Mills State Heritage Park.
The late David Phillips, former Eastern Connecticut State University professor and well-known storyteller, provided the true inspiration for the unusual motif. David, with a little history and a little whimsy, in his book, “Legendary Connecticut,” recounts the event mentioned above.
The “Frog Bridge” as it is affectionally referred to by residents, even won an award from the Federal Highway Administration, for “Excellence in Highway Design.”
A few years ago, the town named the giant frogs. Those names are “official” and not generally known to the average observer! Their names are “Willy,” “Manny,” “Windy” and “Swifty.” Now, the first two combined relate to the name of the city and the third to the county the city is in. However, the last one needs a little more explanation. “Swifty” connects to Willimantic easily, since the Algonquin meaning for the community’s name is from the phrase, “The land of the swift running water.”
We haven’t figured out which frog is which by its name, but the concept is certainly unique and a major state attraction.
——————————————————————–
Here are some rather interesting facts about the city of Willimantic discovered in our searches for something new. Enjoy!
Bridge Street built over the river was completed in the year 1828.
In the years between 1820 and 1840, what is now Main Street was then referred to as “the highway.” For many years either before or after, it was called “The Turnpike Road.”
In 1825, the first “grog shop” was opened in town. Drinks were three and five cents each.
The Dr. Witter House was built on Main Street in 1831. “Doc” Witter came to Willimantic from Lisbon. He was the second doctor to locate in Willimantic. Dr. Mason was the first. However, a Dr. Perkins was the first doctor in the surrounding area, setting up his office in Windham Center. Most naturally, Jaron Safford started the first drugstore in Willimantic in 1833.
On Dec. 5, 1832, The Windham Gazette, the first newspaper in Willimantic, was printed as a weekly.
In the 1830s, George Hebard was postmaster in Willimantic.
Jackson Street, contrary to popular belief, was not built and named for the president. It was named for Lyman Jackson, a black man who, with his family, was most respected. The road was named for him in 1835 as the second road going north out of Willimantic.
Dunham Hall was built in 1867 as the Linen Company Store and library for workers. It is now the home of the Windham Textile & History Museum.
In 1849, the tracks of the New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad were completed. With that completion, a link with Willimantic to the coastal line to New Haven and points north became a reality. Not long after, an east-west route named The Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad also ran through Willimantic. As a result, Willimantic became the largest rail center in Eastern Connecticut. In time, as many as 40 trains a day made the Willimantic Train Station a very busy place.
A number of businesses began depending on the rail activity. Those included businesses involved with coal, lumber, feed, farm supplies, equipment, groceries and other businesses that relied on the town’s railroad facilities.
The train station, due to its importance and status, began attracting hotels and restaurants to that specific area. Even the side streets off of Main Street began to develop a number of businesses that could offer numerous services. Those services included a livery, feed and boarding stable, Baldwin’s Novelty Shop, Hillhouse and Taylor’s outlet for general building supplies, H. Howey, a dealer in Choice Beef, John Lennon, a dealer in marble and granite, and D.P. Dunn, headquarters for all daily and weekly papers.
Also, C.E. Little, “The Family Shoe Store,” The Old Reliable Brainard House, Eugene B. Walden, Brick Work and Plastering, The Union Shoe Store, L.N. Ayer, dealer in ICE, F.F. Simmons, Confectionery & Ice Cream, William C. Cummings, Undertaker (with Lady assistant), James J. Fay, Plumber, Model Printing Co., Carpenter and Jordan Hardware, Hugh Anderson, Painter, and lastly, J. Hickey & Co., Druggists.
Some of the above merchants built large Victorian homes in the “Hill Neighborhood.”
Willimantic had several banks in order to accommodate the above merchants as well as those in surrounding small towns. Six new banks in Willimantic opened between the years 1842 and 1878.
In 1903, streetcar service was offered by the Willimantic Traction Co. Service was extended from Willimantic to Taftville, Norwich and Coventry.
——————————————————————–
Our story today is about an unusual man who lived during the 17th century and through his efforts, we have a much more intimate understanding of what it was like to live at that particular time.
Thomas Minor was born on April 23, 1608, in England. He came to America in 1630, temporarily lived in Hingham, Massachusetts, and married Grace Palmer in 1634.
After several years in Hingham, he and his family moved to the present-day town of Stonington.
It must be remembered that when a new town in those days was “founded,” citizens of the town gathered to conduct necessary business regarding functions and leadership opportunities. Officers for the various jobs would be elected and those individuals would be known as “town officials.” One of those positions was that of “lister.” The individual with that title would represent the new town in court situations.
Town and state taxes at that time would be collected by the town “collector.” (There were no federal taxes at that time.)
Another position was that of the town “packer,” who would measure products either purchased or bartered to ensure accuracy and fairness.
Minor and his son, Ephraim, helped to organize the “Road Church” in town.
Ephraim would be one of 10 children Thomas and Grace would eventually have.
Technically, Tom Minor was a farmer, but, in time, he also became town treasurer, selectman, leader of the militia and a “brander of horses.”
That last job was necessary in order to certify who owned which horse.
In 1653, Minor bought land near present-day Mystic and built a house for his family. It was at that time that he began his important diary. That document would span a 31-year period and has become a fruitful source of information of how people lived in those times.
In reference to his military experience, in 1665, he became a captain of the Stonington Militia.
In discussing his diary, information about the weather at that time also was communicated. In addition, life events in the community are revealed. We find that calendars were not usually found among inhabitants.
There is an entry that describes the community in an unusual way. He states living in it as being in “The wilds of this New England colony.”
Minor was chosen by his colleagues to make agreements with the local Indians. If some of the Indians would do work for him, they would be paid by a donation of clothes from Minor.
His diary refers to neighbors and friends during his time in Stonington. They are listed here in the interest of individuals who lived during that period of time.
They include Aron Starke, Goodman Shaw, Thomas Stanton, “Captain” Dennison, Goodman Calkins, Hugh Roberts, Samuel Chesbrough, James Averie, John Russell, John Minor, John Moore and Josiah Wilkins, as well as many others.
As an aside, Thomas Minor is also listed as one of the founders of New London. We also find that “Poquatucke” known today as Pawcatuck was first referred to as “Southern Town” by the courts at that time. Today that village is included as a borough of Stonington.
Thomas Minor is lauded by historians who feel that his diary, which was finally published in book form in 1899, is a major contribution to life in a small New England town during the Colonial period.
Thomas Minor died in Stonington on Oct. 23, 1690.
——————————————————————–
Jonathan Trumbull Sr. was born in Lebanon on Oct. 12, 1710, to Joseph and Hannah Trumble. Jonathan changed the spelling of his surname in 1765.
Trumbull attended Harvard College, arriving there at the tender age of 13. He studied theology and later was licensed to preach in Colchester.
In 1731, Trumbull became a merchant and was also a delegate to the General Assembly from 1733 to 1740. He was speaker of the House in 1739 and 1740. He also held the following titles: clerk, justice of the peace, judge, chief justice of the Superior Court and governor. Another piece of choice history is the fact that he was the first governor of Connecticut born in the 18th century.
He became a lieutenant colonel in the Connecticut Militia in 1739 and was a full colonel in the 12th Connecticut Regiment in the French and Indian War.
He was deputy governor from 1766-69 and governor from 1769 until 1784. He was one of a few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-revolutionary colony as well as a post-revolution colony. He remains the only colonial governor at the start of the Revolution to take up the rebel cause.
Historians generally agree that Trumbull served as governor during a period of great difficulty and turbulence.
He made his loyalty to the patriots clear to British Gen. Thomas Gage.
On July 6, 1776, Trumbull commissioned Nathan Hale as a first lieutenant in the Seventh Regiment.
Trumbull became both a friend and adviser to General George Washington throughout the war. He openly dedicated the resources of the state to the fight for independence. Washington, at one point in the war declared that Trumbull was “the first of the patriots.”
For example, during the conflict when Washington was desperate for both men and food, he knew he could turn to “Brother Jonathan.” As a result, Trumbull supplied more than half of the manpower, food, clothing, shoes, and munitions needed for the Continental Army.
It’s also important to know that Trumbull served as the Continental Army’s paymaster general in the “Northern Department” in the spring of 1778.
He only resigned that post when his mother died and as part of his resignation, he requested that the remainder of his back pay be distributed to the soldiers of his department.
Once the war was over and independence declared, there were only two colonial governors in office. One was Rhode Island’s Nicholas Cooke, the other, our subject, Mr. Trumbull.
One of his children, Faith, was the wife of Jedidiah Huntington, who was, for a while, aide-de-camp to Gen. Washington.
Honors were steeped upon Trumbull, including being elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Also, he received an honorary doctor of laws from Yale in 1775 and one also from the University of Edinburg in 1787.
Other honors, locally, include the highway in Lebanon and Columbia named for him, the present Route 87. Also listed are the fort in New London, Trumbull College at Yale, the town of Trumbull and, in a lighter vein, the name of the UConn athletic mascot, “Jonathan.”
The governor died in Lebanon on Aug. 17, 1785, and is buried in the old cemetery in Lebanon.
The governor’s home in Lebanon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
More on Jonathan Trumbull can be found in the book, “Connecticut Families of the Revolution” by Mark Allen Baker.
——————————————————————–
William Coit was born in New London on Nov. 26, 1742, to Daniel and Mehitable Hooker Coit. Little is known of his very early life. His father became town clerk of New London from 1736 until his own death in 1773.
Coit graduated from Yale College in 1761 and was also admitted to the bar. He married Sarah Prentice on Dec. 18, 1763. In December of 1774 he was added to the membership of the local “Committee of Correspondence.”
We do know that William had participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill. The details of his involvement included traveling by horse with about 20 men, and the group camped the previous night on the Norwichtown Green. When they reached their destination at Cambridge, Mass., they learned that hostilities would be delayed, so many of the minutemen returned to New London in order to put their personal affairs in order.
When Coit and his men were ready to return from New London to Massachusetts, Coit contributed from his own resources toward any needed equipment.
Finally, Capt. Coit and a company of men marched from Cambridge to Bunker Hill and his group assisted other troops from Connecticut covering the British retreat.
On Oct. 5, 1775, Congress authorized Gen. George Washington to employ two armed vessels to intercept British store ships and within a few weeks to make provisions for our additional cruisers.
On Oct. 23, 1775, Capt. Coit was detailed to the ship, the Harrison, with special instructions from Gen. Washington. His instructions included the following: “Seize supply ships to and from Boston, search for papers including disclosures on the design of the enemy, treat prisoners kindly, and avoid involvement with any vessel larger than the Harrison.
In summary, his directive was to intercept any supplies of the enemy. The general also told Coit to be frugal with ammunition, if possible. Additional orders instructed Coit to send any ships he captured to the nearest and safest port, and any prisoners should keep their own money and apparel.
Coit’s ship was once described as “that wretched excuse for a sailing vessel.” The cannon on board were more dangerous to the men who would fire them than any damage to the enemy.
Unfortunately, Coit ran his ship aground more than once. His crew found him to have a sense of humor and he was determined to utilize the ship to America’s advantage.
In appearance, Coit was tall and soldierly in bearing, direct, and wore a red cloak. Therefore, from his various crews, he was known as “The Great Red Dragon!”
Coit later commanded the Oliver Cromwell, and with that ship, he intercepted two supply ships and brought them to Plymouth Harbor. They landed on Plymouth Rock. The Cromwell was a 360-ton warship to be constructed in Saybrook and Capt. Coit was to be in charge. On Aug. 18, 1776, the Cromwell sailed out of the Connecticut River and reached New London on Aug. 20. However, a number of complications caused delays in the plans for the ship. In one of his other assignments, Coit commanded the America and one or two other privateers.
Coit left New London in 1797 and lived in North Carolina, where he died in 1802.
Researchers and historians are indebted to Miss M.E.S. Coit, granddaughter of Captain Coit, for much of our information.
——————————————————————–
More whaling ships sailed out of the port of New London than from any port in the country other than New Bedford and Nantucket in Massachusetts.
New London holds the record for the longest whaling voyage in world history when the Nile set sail from the harbor in 1858 and did not return until 1869.
Whales were sought for a number of reasons: for their meat, their blubber and in the case of the sperm whales, their spermaceti. That substance in their head cavities could be utilized for lighting lamps, for cosmetics, fabric dressings, ointments, candles, etc.
Extracted baleen from whales was used to make buggy whips, corsets, hairbrush bristles, collar stiffeners, etc.
Whale bones were utilized to make skirt hoops, umbrella ribs, furniture springs, etc.
The fat of the whale (blubber) would be stripped, boiled down into an oil and then further utilized in creating soaps and margarine.
Huntington Street in New London was an example between 1833 and 1845, of houses that were built in the Greek revival style, belonging to some of the state’s most prominent whalers. That area is still referred to as “Whale Oil Row.”
The sperm whale, in 1975, was declared the official Connecticut State Animal.
The most profitable byproduct was ambergris, which was used in perfume essences.
Whalers were considered heroes. Free time on board ships was prevalent and that fact contributed to the art of “scrimshaw.” Toothed whales were prized for their teeth, which would be cleaned, decorated and turned into crafts and jewelry.
Between 1718 and 1908, 257 ships embarked on more than 1,100 separate whaling voyages from New London alone.
Additionally, between 1803 and 1879, 2,500 voyages to foreign ports sailed from New London.
In the Whaling Disaster of 1871, many whaling ships were trapped in the Arctic ice. Lost locally was the J.D. Thompson with Capt. Charles E. Allen.
A number of Norwich residents were crew members on various whaling ships. They include Thomas Williams, Thomas Cowley, John Backus, Joseph Holly, Cyrus Fowler, George Tabor, Abel Edwards, Christopher Colver and John Cary, among many others.
From nearby Groton, Christopher Bill and Austin Perkins were also crew members at one time.
Here are some facts about whaling you might not have known:
It was regarded as one of the most dangerous occupations of its times.
Only a captain could bring his family on a whaling voyage.
Food on board included salt, cod, pork and hard bread.
Many sea chanties were composed and sung during idle time on board.
At first, caught whales were “processed” on land. Later, that occurred on many of the ships themselves.
The only survivor of the many wooden whaling ships of old is the Charles W. Morgan, which is docked in Mystic.
The so-called “era of abundance” regarding the availability of whales to hunt was from 1610 to 1820.
The birth of the conservation movement began in 1900.
There was a time when the abundance of whales was so vivid, that whales could be found in rivers.
Whales were hunted up close by a small boat attached to the side of the larger whaling ship.
Two readings are recommended for more information on the subject of whaling. The first, is Bernard Colby’s book, “For Oil and Buggy Whips.”
Owen Chase, who had been a crew member on the Essex, a whaler from Nantucket that in 1820 in the Pacific Ocean was attacked by a sperm whale and sunk, wrote an account titled, “The Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex.”
——————————————————————–
One of the narrowest bridges in Connecticut was, at one time, the main entrance to Willimantic from Windham Road. That stone arch bridge spans the Willimantic River quite close to the former Willimantic Linen Co. (American Thread).
What’s unusual about that bridge is the fact that since its origin, it has had many names. For a while, it was called the South Main Street Bridge because at the time, Windham Road leading to the bridge from the east, was called South Main Street.
Over the years, some folks called it the Jillson Hill Bridge, while others referred to it as the Lower Bridge, as opposed to that bridge on Bridge Street called, appropriately, the Upper Bridge (but only temporarily). You see, that upper bridge was finally called the Bridge Street Bridge. Still with us on the subject?
Now, Willimantic’s Main Street was first laid out as a public highway in 1707 for the convenience of area farmers carrying hay from the meadows along the upper river.
There was a terrible flood in the Willimantic area in 1771 that destroyed the first wooden bridge. Once that bridge was gone, another bridge provided transportation at that spot; it was called the Iron Works Bridge, and not because it was made of iron. It was because of its closeness to a nearby iron forge.
As time went on, town leaders were aware that their roads in the late 1700s were in great need of repair and improvement. This included that little bridge in question.
Finally, in April of 1857, Willard Hayden, a local manufacturer, was instrumental in convincing the town fathers to build a “modern” bridge for the growing community to replace that old Iron Works Bridge.
The bridge was finally built by Lyman Jordan and his partner. Jordan had come to Willimantic in 1833. His outstanding work became known throughout the region. He and his partner built the new bridge in the summer of 1857. It was understood by all that this bridge would be more expensive than previous structures, and would be sturdier and longer lasting. Besides, the cost of this bridge would be shared by the town, the American Linen Co., and a number of wealthy, concerned citizens in the community. At $3,200, it was a bargain! It was to be called the Stone Arch Bridge, which had a special design. More recently, in 2024, no vehicular traffic entered the city via that bridge and that old arch bridge became the Windham Town Park utilizing a garden and benches.
In the meantime, Jordan eventually built another stone arch bridge on the upper road from downtown over the river, which we now call Bridge Street. Jordan’s name is on a plaque on that bridge.
Now the entrance to Willimantic from Windham Road is a four-way junction with a most unique bridge over the river. Locals call the river crossing, the Frog Bridge with its special design.
A quick description of the bridge includes giant bullfrogs resting on large spools. The frogs are reminiscent of a frog battle in Windham Center in 1754 during the French and Indian War. The loud clamor of the frogs frightened the residents of the small village who surely felt they were being invaded by an unseen enemy.
So much for the frogs, and the spools, of course, are a reminder of the above-mentioned American Thread Co.
——————————————————————–
Prior to 1821, the town of Willimantic wasn’t known by one word. It was known as “Willimantic Falls.” The Willimantic River “drops” some 90 feet in just a little over a mile. The earliest mills in the area harnessed power from those rushing waters. Those mills included gristmills, a paper mill, iron works, sawmills and an early powder mill that supplied the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Perez Richmond, a Rhode Island native, built a small wooden cotton mill in 1822 where the Natchaug River joins the Willimantic River. A small village began there called “Richmond Town.” Later it was called “Wellesville” and still later that mill was incorporated into the operations of the Willimantic Linen Co.
In that same year, Charles Lee erected a stone cotton mill slightly east of what is now Bridge Street in Willimantic.
Further west “up river” from Bridge Street, a large stone mill was erected to manufacture cotton cloth. That mill later became The Windham Cotton Manufacturing Co., which continued into the 20th century.
Near Willimantic’s bridge, affectionately called the “Frog Bridge” by residents, there was the Jillson Brothers Cotton Mill in 1824. One of the brothers, William, lived in the stone house still standing nearby. That house is maintained by the Windham Historical Society.
Thread production managers from the village of Willington assisted a mill in Willimantic originally intended to produce linen, but changed over to colored thread. The company’s timing was excellent due to the introduction of the “ready to wear” clothing industry and the invention of sewing machines.
Those first sewing machine companies included such names as Singer, Wheeler and Wilson, Howe, and others.
Those manufacturers endorsed Willimantic Thread, which expanded its facilities by building huge granite mills during the 1850s and 1860s.
The wooden spool production at Willimantic Thread also grew with the company in order to market its thread. In 1879, the company bought property in Howard, Maine, close to its source of timber for those spools.
The current Mill Museum building was built in 1867 as a company store and library for workers.
In 1880, the Willimantic Linen Co. built a new, immense cotton mill with interior electric lighting and new innovative safety features. The brick factory’s dimensions of 168 feet wide and 840 feet long made it, at that time, the largest cotton mill in the world. Visitors from other continents came to see it.
At the same time, the company built stylish single-family cottages nearby for future anticipated workers. As word spread, workers began pouring into Willimantic to sample this new innovation some called “worker appreciation.”
English was taught to immigrants, fresh water was pumped into the cottages, ball fields were erected, etc. Mill executive Charles Barrows believed in a break for workers whereby at a particular moment in the work day schedule, a coffee break was offered. It was a first in America.
In 1898, the Willimantic Linen Co. became part of the American Thread Co. “Mill ponds” were created behind the mills in order to draw water for the mills in times of low flow. Sources of that water came from the Hop River, Bolton Lake and Columbia Lake.
The silk mills in Willimantic also employed hundreds of workers, as well as Willimantic’s various machine shops, woodworking factories and commercial printing press facilities.
In 1833, Willimantic was chartered by the state as an incorporated borough and its population was then about 2,000 people.
——————————————————————–
Doctors in the middle 1800s commanded the most prestige of any profession. Their work did not include surgeries nor did they set bones. Not yet.
Mostly, doctors administered drugs or physics.
Only a handful of hospitals existed during that time, and most doctors then learned from books only.
Believe it or not, surgeons were below physicians in the medical hierarchy.
Prior to 1745, surgeons were linked with barbers, and their training included obtaining bodies from graveyards in order to learn about the human body.
During war times, many surgeons were really barbers, carrying out basic surgical tasks.
In those Victorian days, physicians were addressed as “Dr.,” whereas surgeons were addressed as “Mr.” (there were no lady doctors yet).
The apothecary group was at the bottom of the medical hierarchy, and here’s a sober thought. During those times, middle class men were expected to live to about 45, and workmen could live to about half that age.
Children who reached the age of 5 were fortunate due to the lack of vaccinations.
During the Victorian era, the most common diseases were typhus, influenza and cholera. Across the sea for a moment, in England in 1848, the weekly death rate there from cholera alone was 2,000.
Scarlet fever and diphtheria were also horrible diseases during that time.
By 1850, in England, doctors began encouraging men to wear beards to ward off sickness. Now, that sounds rather silly, but if one takes into account the very poor air quality there at the time, added to the use of soft coal as a fuel, and those long winter fogs (four months), perhaps there was some validity to the suggestion.
Now, to the contrary, recent studies conclude that facial hair is more likely to cause infection than a clean-shaven face.
For a moment, picture the family doctor in those days, who was summoned, coming around to some of those Victorian families in Willimantic. He might have been called due to the fact that someone at the house was just plain worn out. The Victorian prescription for that patient and even other ailments was just plain rest.
Also, don’t rule out the power of prayer, which was also prescribed.
In the late 1870s, the availability of phones dramatically reduced the cost of doctors’ visits. It was just that much easier to locate and contact the physician.
Doctors, after the turn of the century, were among the first to purchase automobiles.
Victorians did see introductions to “modern” surgical advances such as anesthetics, the first one being ether.
The dark side of the use of that anesthetic was that ether was quite flammable and operating rooms were lit by candlelight then. One can imagine what could happen if someone were careless.
Beds in early hospitals were, at times, too close together, hence disease could spread more easily in those situations.
Little by little, the old perception of patients only being treated at home began to fade. However, early hospital “ward layouts” were not conducive for getting well, and the use of “private rooms” was increasingly being recognized.
The latest research regarding hospital care reveals that good hospital design can reduce a patient’s recovery time.
The 21 homes in Willimantic’s active Victorian Neighborhood Association were once owned by people whose medical attentions might have resembled those described above. Thank goodness for progress.
——————————————————————–
This is a story of a now abandoned camp (since the 1970s) and a few of the interesting boys who attended it.
There are still remains of Camp Mooween in Lebanon near Fitchville, where, from 1921 to 1963, boys from New York, Springfield, Mass., New Haven, and a few from Norwich enjoyed an unusual camp experience.
The area was once called Red Cedar Lake State Park and only recently (2008) was it changed to Mooween State Park.
Should one examine those ancient remains one would see a chimney, and a few foundations.
The name, Mooween is Native American for “Brown Bear.”
The camp founder and director, Barney “Cap” Girden, was an inventor in his own right, owning 20 patents related to skin-diving.
To the boys attending the camp, Cap was looked up to due to his many interests, his enthusiasm, creativity, and helpfulness teaching the boys and involving them in various projects. Girden emphasized the values of leadership, integrity and responsibility.
His own interests included nature study and the sciences such as polarization, engineering, hypnosis and the human body.
Among the campers in 1921 was a young boy who lived on Crescent Street in Norwich by the name of Edwin Land. Land was intrigued with Cap’s knowledge and experiments, especially with polarization. Land attended the camp for several summers, his last in 1926 as a counselor. He had just graduated from Norwich Free Academy and would go on studying polarization at Otis Library in Norwich, at Harvard University, New York City Public Library and Columbia University.
One of Land’s counselors, Julius Silver, later became Land’s lawyer and business adviser when Land went on to develop the Polaroid Corp., which made the first instant cameras.
Silver was also one of Brandeis University’s founders.
In that first camp year, Cap Girden decided he would expand his activities so that campers would get experience on the stage. He felt strongly that acting and performing would increase the boys’ confidence and self-assurance. However, he needed help, as performing was not one of his own strengths.
So, Girden contacted some people he knew at City College in New York in search of an additional counselor who could create stage shows at the camp.
A young man by the name of Isadore “Yip” Harburg was attending the college and thought a summer in Connecticut (with pay) would be pretty good. He had been involved in theater work at the college and it turned out he was a good fit for Camp Mooween.
That summer of 1921, “Yip” produced a number of plays at the camp with original music and lyrics.
It is said that he visited both Norwich and Colchester during his camp days just to get back to “a little civilization.”
Harburg would go on to produce a number of Broadway shows, write what some music historians call the theme song to the Great Depression, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?” all the lyrics for the film, “The Wizard of Oz,” and win a place on a stamp honoring him by the U.S. Postal Service in 2005.
His Oz song, “Over the Rainbow,” was named the greatest film song of all time by the American Film Institute.
Not bad for another “Mooween” boy!
More on “Yip” Harburg can be found in the book, “Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz?” by Harold Meyerson and Ernie Harburg.
——————————————————————–
David Hale was born in Coventry on Dec. 14, 1761, to Richard and Elizabeth Hale. He was the ninth son born to the couple.
Just like his older brother, Capt. Nathan Hale, David’s early education was taught to him first by his mother and then by a kind neighbor, the Rev. Joseph Huntington. The reverend also encouraged both boys and their brothers to continue their respective educations, which they did.
It’s important to this story for readers to realize that the current homestead of the family in Coventry was not yet built when David was born. That came later. Their own home was eventually razed and the farmhouse now on that property was built in 1832.
In 1914, the entire property was purchased by attorney George Dudley Seymour, after a number of families had lived in it. Dudley restored the house to its original state and furnished it as well. The present home contains Nathan’s hunting rifle, antique furniture and many Connecticut artifacts, including Nathan’s original trunk he used when spying for General George Washington. That trunk, with Nathan’s belongings in it, was saved by Nathan’s brothers upon learning of Nathan’s death.
Nathan Hale, as most everyone knows, is Connecticut’s official state hero.
In front of the homestead is a triangular grassy area containing maple trees that were planted by Nathan’s nephew, David Hale Jr. in 1812. That patch of grass is currently known as “The Holy Grove,” partly because neighbors and friends used to hold prayer meetings there.
David, brother of Nathan, attended Yale and graduated from that institution in 1785. He was installed on May 11, 1790, as the fourth pastor of the Lisbon Church, also known as the First Church of Lisbon.
On May 19 of that year, the Rev. David Hale married Lydia Austin of New Haven and together, they had one child, David Jr., referred to above.
The Rev. David Hale began his work at the church on June 2, 1790. Five years later he built and owned his house located at 4 Newent Road in Lisbon. That house still stands today.
Hale kept a boarding school and instructed there as well. His students came from all sections of the county.
While pastor in Newent, Reverend Hale officiated at marriages for 50 couples starting in January of 1791 and ending in March of 1800.
The Rev. David Hale was the great-grandson of the Rev. John Hale, who was an important figure in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hale was also the grand-uncle of a man by the name of Edward Everett and if the name rings a bell, or sounds familiar, there’s a very good reason for the recognition on your part.
You may recall from your history books that Everett was a Unitarian minister, writer and activist. However, he is most noted as the “other” speaker at Gettysburg when Abraham Lincoln gave his famous address.
The Rev. Hale was fully aware that as his work in Lisbon progressed, he was becoming less and less able to function as he did earlier due to sickness.
His illnesses prompted him, in 1803, to inform the town fathers that his work at the Lisbon Church was limited, and on April 27 of that year he was released from his responsibilities.
However, David then became a representative for the town of Lisbon.
In 1806 he returned to Coventry with his family and remained there until his death on Feb. 10, 1822.
——————————————————————–
Here’s to those creative Connecticut residents without whom we would be “up the creek” waiting for someone to invent what we need.
Elizabeth Buckley of Colchester invented a different kind of shovel and a small spade from cast steel and iron.
David Bushnell, an Old Saybrook native, invented the “Turtle,” technically the first submarine to perform in combat, during the Revolutionary War.
Elina M. Wright from Hartford invented decorative panels.
Mark Twain, yes, THAT Mark Twain, of Hartford, invented self-adhesive scrapbook pages in 1872.
Benny Capalbo invented the “sub sandwich,” first in Italy and then an improved version while living in New London.
Renaud Bolduc of Old Lyme received a patent for his lock bar spring and clip.
David Mullany, who had played baseball at UConn, invented the wiffle ball in 1953.
The Killingly Public Library brings out a display ever so often of materials connected to the first female patent awardee. Her name was Mary Dixon Kies and she invented a new, in 1809, technique of weaving straw with silk and thread to make women’s hats. However, she had a problem. In those days men controlled women’s legal destinies. So, to solve her problem, she utilized her husband’s name in procuring her patent. At the time she was a resident of Killingly.
Igor Sikorsky invented the first helicopter in 1939 at his plant in Stratford.
Dr. Washington Wentworth, born in North Stonington, at age 23, invented toothpaste. He had a small dental laboratory at 170 Broad St. in New London where he manufactured his product. His innovation first appeared in 1892 and the company is still in business on Broad Street. However, it is now known as Sheffield Pharmaceuticals, where creams, ointments and pastes for doctors and dentists are made. The Colgate brand is one of the firm’s clients.
Sam Smith, a sometimes resident of Columbia, invented a number of interesting items, including a paint selector and a useful lipstick tube. For a while he was a resident at the St. Joseph Living Center in Willimantic.
Martin Gilman was born in Bozrah in 1907 and is credited with his inventions of an improved football dummy in 1937 and a “tackling sled,” among other football practice equipment.
Lou Lucia, a former summer resident of Columbia, and frequent visitor to Norwich friends, had an impressive worldwide list of inventions, including an improved parking meter, the timer for the Silex pop-up toaster, an improved coffee maker and steam iron, a paper drinking cup machine, a Venetian blind tape cutter and more than 70 other household items.
Barney “Cap” Girden, camp director at Camp Moween in Lebanon from 1921 to 1963, held 20 patents related to skin diving. Over the years campers from New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut enjoyed that sport at Red Cedar Lake where the camp was located.
When inventor Edwin Land moved to Norwich at age 9, he kept visiting local businesses, asking questions of store owners in downtown Norwich. He is, of course, the inventor who is second only to Thomas Edison in numbers of inventions patented. He changed the world of photography with his instant camera and World War II innovations.
It was Cap Girden, mentioned above, who gave the 13-year-old camper his “direction in life,” according to Land himself.
Hurrah for those ingenious Connecticut inventors.
——————————————————————–
He cleverly used water power to control a trip hammer in such a way as to more quickly produce metal farming and carpentry tools.
Isaac Glasko had purchased land in 1806 in the town of Griswold to establish a blacksmith shop. That specific location, a small hamlet, is where the center of Glasgo is now. In fact, it is named for the man of mixed Native American and African American heritage.
Isaac had married Lucy Brayton, and their house in Griswold still stands in the Glasgo village, however, with major alterations.
Isaac was born in 1776 and even in his youth, he showed early indications of mechanical aptitude.
Blacksmiths in the early 19th century were also called ironsmiths and while they did practice their given skills, some also engaged in other activities adding to their resumes such as locksmiths, gunsmiths, farriers, and many just utilized their given skills for general metal repairs.
Isaac and many of his colleagues in those days were busy repairing wagon wheels, carriages, buggies, surreys, hearses, sleighs and chaises.
Soon after the opening of his blacksmith shop, the whaling industry in New England came into its own. Whaling had been going on for some time, but the quest for whale oil to burn in lamps began to flourish. Also, it was discovered that baleen, a horny, elastic material found in the upper jaw of some whales was ideal for the making of buggy whips, fishing poles, corset stays and dress hoops, creating a need for that material.
As a blacksmith of some repute, and adaptability, Isaac Glasko began developing the whaling industry’s essential implements. These included harpoons, lances, spades and “boarding knives.” For the uninformed reader, the latter were the instruments used to “cut up” the whales once on board.
Isaac was so creative and innovative; he even held a number of patents related to the whaling industry.
His knives and other devices became quite familiar in New England’s whaling ports.
As time progressed, this quality work enhanced his reputation as a respected craftsman.
His daughter, Eliza, was one of the attendees of the ill-fated Prudence Crandall Academy in Canterbury.
With the increased orders for his quality tools, Isaac added to his staff in his relatively small shop until more than 30 men labored to meet demands.
The early to mid-19th century is considered the golden age of American whaling. For instance, in this country alone, the number of whaling ships almost doubled in the 13 years between 1833 and 1846. Sperm oil was used for lighting and regular whale oil was used as a lubricant for the machine parts of trains.
However, changes were on the horizon as a new fuel for lamps was sought.
A kerosene-burning lamp appeared on the market in 1857 that was easy to produce, inexpensive, smelled better than animal-based fuels and had a longer shelf life.
The lamp had an immediate effect on the whaling industry. If petroleum products had not been introduced when they were, many species of whales would have just disappeared.
Isaac’s wife, Lucy, died on Feb. 25, 1849, and Isaac died on Sept. 2, 1861, at age 85. The master blacksmith passed on a mere four years after the new fuel had been introduced. Both Lucy and Isaac are buried near the center of Glasgo.
——————————————————————–
Due to the fact that no one is around who remembers it, the Spanish-American War has become faded in history and almost forgotten.
Following the explosion of the battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor in February of 1898, Congress approved military intervention in Cuba.
President William McKinley had tried to avoid a war, but first Madrid declared war, and on April 23, that was followed by Washington’s declaration of war two days later.
As the struggle took shape, specific incidents included the blockade of Cuba, the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines (only nine casualties there), the entire “land” campaign including the famous Battle of San Juan Hill near Santiago, Cuba, and other skirmishes.
Important locally, Niantic served as a meeting place for Connecticut troops departing for the combat area. Also, it should be known that at that time, the regular Army was very small, prompting the National Guard units to fill the ranks, serving in the Caribbean and in the Philippines.
Another local city played a vital role in the war. New London was an important base for shipping arms and men to Cuba and was regarded as a potential target by the Spanish Navy. Fort Trumbull’s defense was reinforced by an artillery unit, and additional forts were built on Fishers Island.
U.S. forces had included both white and black units fighting against a common foe. Historians regard this as an easing of the scars left over from the American Civil War.
In summarizing the outcome of the war itself, Spanish casualties numbered 10,665 dead compared to American deaths numbering 2,910, mostly from disease.
Continuing facts regarding the war, the last American who served in that war died in 1992.
Weapons used in the war included Springfield rifles, Colt revolvers, Colt-Browning machine guns, Gattling guns, light cavalry sabers, and two weapons that originated in Norwich, the Smith and Wesson Model 3 revolver, and the Winchester rifle.
Most troops who went away into battle served for less than a year. For instance, New London County troops were mustered in during July 1898 and mustered out in March 1899.
Massachusetts sent more men into the war than any other state.
On Dec. 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war.
We know the cause of the war, but as to the results and impacts of that war, there are various conclusions. Following is a quick summary of those impacts most agreed to by historians who have studied the Spanish-American War: 1)It marked American entry into world affairs; 2) the war provided a model for all future news reporting; 3) it showed America as a “defender of democracy”; 4)the war greatly reduced the Spanish Empire; 5) the U.S. annexed Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam; 6) Teddy Roosevelt was hailed as a hero at San Juan Hill, which boosted his political career; 7) it was the first U.S. war in which the motion picture camera played a role; 8) the war elevated the United States to a global power.
As to that motion picture factor, films about the war include “The Rough Riders,” filmed in 1927 as a silent film, “A Message to Garcia,” a 1936 sound film, “Rough Riders,” (1997), a TV miniseries, and a few others.
The Library of Congress archives contain many films and film clips of the war.
——————————————————————–
He was born on a farm in Ashford, but did not want to be a farmer. He persuaded a neighbor doctor to teach him medicine, but fainted during a surgery. Although he was licensed to preach, that is not why he is remembered.
Eliphalet Nott’s birth on June 25, 1773, was the ninth and last for Stephen and Deborah Nott. The family was quite poor, but very religious, and young Eliphalet was home schooled by his mother. By age 4, he could read the entire Bible. At age 14, he began training with a Dr. Palmer, but found out medicine was not for him.
While living with his older brother in Franklin for a year or two, the 16-year-old taught in the village school. The following year, he became principal of Plainfield Academy.
Eliphalet somehow was awarded an MA Degree from what was then Rhode Island College. He did that without even having attended one class. He was tested and school authorities granted him the degree based on his knowledge. The college became Brown University in 1804.
In 1796, Nott became licensed to preach as a Presbyterian minister and became a pastor in Cherry Valley, New York. He later became the principal of an academy there.
It was at about that time that he became a trustee of Union College. It was he who raised funds for land that would become the school’s new and better campus on the outskirts of Schenectady. The design of the campus was largely his own, with buildings and open space surrounded by a round, domed building in the center. Once completed, Union College’s new campus rivaled those of Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
In 1804, Eliphalet Nott became the fourth president of Union College. He remained in that position for 62 years. His skills and talents as an administrator included modifying the college curriculum to emphasize math, natural history and physical science.
During his presidency at Union, Nott published a number of pamphlets on slavery, temperance and education.
While serving as president of Union, Nott also led Rensselaer Institute of Troy as president. That college later became Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Under Nott’s leadership, Rensselaer became the first academic institution to graduate civil engineers.
In a completely different field, Nott began experimenting with more efficient heating stoves. His designs were finally patented, 30 in all, relating to the heating industry.
One of his stoves, The Nott Stove, became the first anthracite coal-based burner stove.
Nott then established a firm called H. Nott and Company to manufacture his stove with appropriate contributions from profits going to Union College through the Nott Trust Fund.
Many years later, the centered round building mentioned earlier on the Union College campus became The Nott Memorial, designed by architect Edward Tuckerman Potter, the grandson of Eliphalet. Potter was a Union College grad.
So were over 4,000 other young men who received college degrees from Union College during his presidency.
Two streets leading to the college are named for Eliphalet.
It is worth noting that this versatile individual was considered a gifted pulpit orator while in his preaching years. We must assume from this observation that his gift was transferred to the classroom when he was engaged in that noble profession.
Our subject is considered, historically, as a major leader in American education.
He died on Jan. 29, 1866.
——————————————————————–
As more and more colonists came to the early counties, forests were naturally cleared and wooden homes, as well as other structures, were built. In those homes, owners had wooden floors, wooden walls, wooden ceilings, and, of course, furniture made of wood.
Additionally, in time, houses and farms became closer to each other as the population increased.
Once structures were completed, chimney inspections were considered as a most serious duty. In time, wooden chimneys and thatched roofs became illegal due to the obvious hazards.
In the lives of early Colonists, fire, in some fashion, was used every day for many reasons, therefore the risks were high.
In the more populated cities, authorities appointed fire wardens.
A familiar name in the nation’s history books, Benjamin Franklin, in addition to his notable reputation, is less well known for his creation of the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia in 1736. He was also noted for his role in the nation’s fire service and was, at one time, a fireman.
As the need for firefighting increased, a very early anti-fire procedure was simply known as the “bucket brigade.” When the first fire engines were utilized, they were long and narrow for maximum mobility.
Firefighters were among the early heroes in the young towns and cities. As a matter of fact, here are some you may have heard of. They include George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. That group is generally referred to as the “Honor Roll” of early firefighting.
Prior to the 1850s, firefighters were strictly volunteer departments. Within 55 years or so, motor fire engines began replacing horse drawn engines. Also, leather hoses started showing up as early as the late 1600s, and the modern fire extinguisher came into use by the 1820s.
The first fire escapes were constructed by the late 1700s.
In Willimantic by the year 1832, organized firefighters owned a new sprinkler system known as the “Deluge”! The department members eventually moved from horse-drawn equipment to motorized equipment. Willimantic’s members, as those in other communities, were considered highly professionally trained career firefighters and formed four separate strategically located fire companies.
Eventually, all four of those companies were combined at the Bank Street Firehouse.
In New London, the first fire engine went into service in 1767, and the first company was established there in 1786.
However, prior to the above date, in 1781 when New London was burned by Benedict Arnold and the British, the building that housed that early engine was in critical danger. So, a brave group of local patriots risked both life and limb in order to protect the fire engine, hiding it in nearby woods.
Still in New London, by 1849, four complete fire companies existed. By 1900, six companies had been formed.
As mill villages developed, threats of a nearby building’s fire which could easily jump to the next building existed.
Other threats regarding fire included the almost exclusive use of candle flame for light as well as oil lamps and, later, steam boilers. In time, more modern machinery and electric lights were to improve those dangerous conditions.
And out in the wilds of Windham Center in 1823, a group of brave men organized their own version of an early volunteer fire company.
——————————————————————–
Windham Center is a small village located in Windham County, and the village green is centered at a four corners there. In the first 125 years of its existence, it was the most thickly settled area for miles around.
Today, passing through the small village, we can see the Congregational Church, the post office, a library, a former inn and a number of ancient houses. Also, we see the original Windham Bank building built in 1832.
In 1896, the bank was altered so that it became The Windham Free Library. The village today remains rural, and the present roads converge at their attractive four corners.
A native of the small town, Zephaniah Swift, wrote America’s first legal treatise.
We reap the benefits from the interesting writings of historian Ellen Larned, whose “History of Windham County,” includes anecdotes, brief biographies and little-known facts about the village. She mentions details regarding the bank and a library, made possible when the bank in the village moved to the nearby city of Willimantic.
The latter community was growing into a larger village with commercial opportunities and railroad influences.
Meanwhile, Windham Center’s residents enjoyed their bicentennial celebration in 1892 when the old bank provided antiques, clothing, books and more, in a marvelous display of local history.
On the green we find the historic medical office of Dr. Chester Hunt, built in 1790, and moved from its original location no less than three times, finally ending up on the green in 1986. With recent restoration, it now is a wonderful example of a museum building.
The community had homes belonging to two historic individuals, Eliphalet Dyer and Jedediah Elderkin.
Turning now to 1781, and the famous “Revolutionary March.” The town’s role regarding the “march,” was simply being at the right location at the right time.
The Count de Rochambeau of France, and his army, was helping General Washington and his Continental Army in a potential military showdown against the British in the American Revolution.
The French army had arrived in Rhode Island by ship, did their training there and began their historic and long trek to meet Washington’s army for a final encounter with the British army.
The Count had a large group of officers trained in illustrating road routes in preparation for “The March.” Interestingly, those mapmakers even included churches and taverns on the march. One of their requirements was to generally locate campsites to be utilized by the large military unit on its way to its target.
The Windham Center stop was its fourth site, located on the banks of the Shetucket River, barely a mile from the town’s green. In addition to the usual equipment on such a mission, there was a regimental band that entertained residents on the first night of their visit.
At that event, one of the general’s aides described in his journal that “Windham is a charming market town with many pretty women.”
Prior to reaching Windham Center, the group had “tented” near the famous “Frog Pond,” where some of the troops, tired of poultry and beef in their diet, hunted for bullfrogs at the pond.
Upon continuing toward Windham Center from the pond, the roads seemed smoother, and Windham Center was reached by the unit at approximately 10 a.m. with many positive reactions as the troops saw about 100 lovely homes and Windham Center’s beautiful green prior to their march into history.
——————————————————————–
The impressive building known as the Baltic Mill is located along the Shetucket River in Sprague, and was, at one time, the nation’s largest textile mill.
Employees numbered more than 1,000, looms numbered more than 1,700, and some of the country’s finest cotton was produced at that mill on 70,000 spindles.
The mill property covered 16 acres.
In 1854, in the area known as “Lord’s Bridge,” there was an abundant supply of water power, access to the new railroad, and available land, which naturally led to the erection of that textile mill. Hundreds of unemployed railroad workers were thrilled regarding the possibilities of steady employment there.
Expansion to both sides of the Shetucket River, and the expectations of an actual town, practically built the village of Baltic.
Workers built a footbridge over the river connecting the village and the mill itself.
However, tensions and disagreements arose between those railroad workers and Baltic residents. Out of that situation, the town of Sprague was formed.
Irish and French Canadians swarmed to the area for employment in the new mill. By 1870, more than 1,000 new workers were employed there, including women and some children. Small businesses began appearing in town.
Unfortunately, the 1873 Depression and its effects, coupled with the later massive fire that decimated the mill’s interior in 1877, resulted in an abrupt slowdown to the town’s business. That unfortunate fire, it was determined, was caused by three local Baltic boys.
Around the year 1900, a man named Frederick Sayles from Rhode Island made efforts to revitalize what had been the local textile industry. Upgrades and repairs were part and parcel of his efforts, but a general decline in the New England textile industry forced the energetic Sayles to sell off much of his assets.
However, history records that the company survived long enough to produce uniforms, parachutes and life rafts for World War II soldiers.
By the mid- to late 1960s, the mill’s previous operations stopped. The facility, nevertheless, went on as a mail-order house and still later with fiberglass boat manufacturing activities.
Another massive fire in the year 1999 destroyed all the buildings with one exception: the surviving building was “Building Number Ten,” which had been constructed of granite block.
The whole surrounding area is presently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The last building of the former complex was constructed in the 1920s.
There is no question among historians who have visited the area that it is in keeping with the appearance of a downtown turn-of-the century mill village.
Regardless of any advance fiscal opportunities for the complex, the one building left, referred to above, remains preserved as a once industrial testament to its own remarkable history.
As far as the general area is concerned, the town of Sprague has three villages. They include Baltic, Hanover and Versailles.
The town of Baltic is the site of a monthly “Sprague River Run” on the Shetucket River, from April to October. Included on that agenda are “tubing” and other water activities for both children and adults.
The Windham Park House in Sprague, technically in Hanover, was built in 1913 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New London County in 2007. The house was built for William Park, the son of Angus Park, the founder of the Angus Park Woolen Company. That business was founded in 1899, and survived until 1970.
——————————————————————–
The young man tramped through the wilderness accompanied by an Indian chief.
He had begun his journey from the coastal settlement of Old Saybrook. Through swamps, forests and uneven ground, John Winthrop Jr. clutched his trusty musket and adjusted the pack on his back as he came to a clearing where he could survey the landscape before him. The most impressive feature to him was the exquisite harbor.
Generations later, captains of countless ships would reveal their complete respect for “the best ship harbor anywhere.”
Capt. Israel Stoughton and his complement of soldiers were in pursuit of the hostile tribe of Pequot Indians. They built a rude “house” on the west side of that harbor, which stood for two months as a headquarters for the 120 Massachusetts soldiers sent on assignment. The house was surrounded by palisades for a defense. The house goes down in history as the first structure erected in New London by the English.
Stoughton was helped in his mission by tribes more in sympathy with the English, which led to the eventual end of the Pequot tribe.
It is John Winthrop, then, who is noted as the founder of New London as a city.
The first English female to arrive at the rude encampment in the summer of 1645 was Margaret Lake. She was the sister-in-law of John Winthrop.
Thus, from a wilderness of rocks, swamps, hills, poor soil, uneven land and forests, the layout of a new plantation began.
Planters came to the area and started the process of laying out lots, erecting huts and clearing the land.
Historians who have studied the city’s beginning place its commencement on the May 6, 1646. That is the date the government issued its commission.
Mentioned to govern the new settlement was John Winthrop Jr. He built his home there and brought his family to the new plantation during the summer of 1647.
Margaret Lake came the same year to a home lot, but lived with the Winthrops until his selection as governor of the colony when he moved to Hartford. Miss Lake never was a home owner at the plantation and eventually returned to Ipswich, Mass.
The first names for the plantation were Nameeug and Pequot. But, in time, after many discussions, it was called Lon’ on town or New Lon’on. Eventually, the city became known as New London.
Regulations were imposed such as the marking of cattle, impounding animals, the laying out of highways, laws involving thefts, and perhaps most importantly, the numbering of lots.
A man named John Stubbines was chosen constable for the town to enforce those laws in February of 1649.
Since timber was so plentiful, houses were built near that natural supply of lumber and a decision was made early on to establish a mill to grind corn.
In time, many original lot owners forfeited their lots and settled elsewhere.
An early name of importance was Jonathan Brewster, who set up a “trading house” at a location that is now known as Trading Cove.
Mary Hempstead, daughter of Robert and Joanna Hempstead, is recorded as the first birth in the new settlement on March 26, 1647. Robert and Joanna were the first to be married there as well.
From that wilderness observed by young John Winthrop so long ago, rose a beautiful and historic city, which he probably never would have dreamed could happen.
——————————————————————–
Some time ago your columnist covered a story in this space called “Men of the Road.” With a slightly adjusted theme we’d like to go back in time to discuss the role and doings of “the peddler” in Eastern Connecticut.
Retail markets have existed since ancient times. Bartering systems were once commonplace. Open markets were important centers of social life. The markets sold fresh produce, fruit, vegetables, baked goods, meat, fish, farm tools, furniture, rugs and sundry other household items.
The appearance of the peddler was probably once a month, while the open air “fair” returned only once or twice a year.
In earlier history, peddlers in England were also known as “hawkers,” “canvassers” and even “tinkers.”
Their history is almost colorful with their person-to-person, door-to-door services. They were vigorously navigating isolated and remote areas. Technically, peddlers were the pre-cursor to the modern traveling salesman.
Images of peddlers have been featured both in literature and art as early as the 13th century. They also were popular with painters and photographers in later times.
Most peddlers handled “cash-only” transactions with little or no accounting records. However, lucky for us, some did keep diaries that have become an important source of insight into a peddler’s life. Some entries have revealed quotes such as “With a bundle on my back, I peddled various articles and found the lifestyle onerous and solitary. The problem of shelter at night is constant, and the weather sometimes a threat.”
Local towns with attractions for peddlers included Norwich, Groton and New London.
Some peddlers used a bicycle, others hand-held carts, horse-drawn carts and later, motorized vehicles. A number of countries have since enacted laws to protect the rights of peddlers. In Mystic, peddlers were once victims of squirt guns to discourage any sales by them.
You may even be familiar with those individuals who were once peddlers. You’ve certainly heard of Thomas Edison who peddled, and so did Abe Lincoln’s father. Norwich’s Benedict Arnold was, for a while, a peddler.
When President John Adams visited Norwich, he discussed someone he knew who was a peddler.
The original meaning of the term, “peddler” was related to those men who spread the word of God for profit.
Research reveals that some peddlers doubled as performers, healers or fortune-tellers.
In the United States during the 18th century, there was an “upsurge” of peddlers.
In the 1800s, there was a local peddler of tinware whose name was John Meech. He was born in Preston, and after his marriage, he traveled through Eastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island as a peddler. He moved to Norwich and had acquired a job with the New Haven Co. as a peddler. He later worked independently and in his semi-retirement he became a farmer, both in Preston and North Stonington.
In addition, and perhaps surprisingly, another relatively plentiful number of peddlers were around who had returned from World War II as soldiers and sailors in the mid-1940s. Many were unable to secure suitable work, and for some, peddling yielded a moderately decent income.
In 1872, the Sears and Roebuck Co. developed a successful mail order business, and by the 1890s, the company, as well as other similar businesses, more or less spelled a massive decrease of those hearty individuals we refer to as peddlers.
In spite of that revelation, the peddler still holds a fascination and a place in history as a traveling retailer of goods.
——————————————————————–
Lyman Trumbull was born in Colchester on Oct. 12, 1813 to Benjamin and Elizabeth Mather Trumbull. The newborn was the grandson of historian Benjamin Trumbull. The new child would have two brothers, namely Benjamin Jr. and George.
Lyman would attend school locally including his studies at Bacon Academy.
Upon employment age he sought assignments as a school teacher, but also began studying law. He moved to Belleville, Ill., in 1837 and began a career in the legal profession. His practice was established by 1840 and that year he was elected to the Illinois State Legislature. He replaced Stephen Douglas as Illinois secretary of state for two years from 1841 to 1843.
One of his successes later included his work as a co-writer of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.
Lyman’s first marriage was to a Springfield girl by the name of Julia M. Jayne. Julia Jayne Trumbull was an early close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln, and was a bridesmaid at Mary’s wedding to Abraham Lincoln. In 1848 Trumbull became a judge for the Illinois Supreme Court, a role he held until 1855. That year he was elected as a U.S. senator for the state of Illinois. In winning that post, he had defeated some experienced candidates, including a rising figure by the name of Abraham Lincoln. After Trumbull defeated Lincoln for the U.S. Senate, Mary never spoke to Julia again. Trumbull himself came to realize that Lincoln had the persuasion that enabled him to emerge as a fountainhead of power.
In 1857, Trumbull changed parties and became a Republican.
During the Civil War era, Trumbull was associated with Lincoln and he campaigned for him. He supported Lincoln in the 1858 senatorial campaign.
In the now famous letter to Lyman Trumbull in April of 1860, Abraham Lincoln delivered a message most appropriate for this story. For example, “I have no more suspicion of you than I have of my best friend living and, on reflection, I conclude you will not suspect me. Your friend as ever, A. Lincoln.”
As to the differences between the two men, Trumbull was more reserved, and he never relished “yarn spinning.” Evenings around the pot-bellied stoves in taverns seemed dull to him. He missed his comfortable home and garden. However, Trumbull supported Mr. Lincoln’s re-election in 1864.
Following the Civil War, Trumbull was one of a number of senators who briefly sought the nomination for the presidency in 1872 at the Liberal Republican Convention, but the new party nominated Horace Greeley instead. The following year, Trumbull left the Senate, returning to Chicago to practice law.
Julia Trumbull died in 1868 and in 1877, Lyman married his cousin, Mary Jane Ingraham of Old Saybrook.
During John Wesley Powell’s explorations in the west, he named an area in northwestern Arizona after Senator Trumbull, and the Colchester native’s honors had just begun.
He had a street named after him in Chicago, the Lyman Trumbull Elementary School in Chicago is named for the senator, and Trumbull Park is also named for him.
Lyman Trumbull died on June 25, 1896, at the age of 82. He is buried in Cook County, Illinois.
——————————————————————–
Gustavus Woodson Smith was not listed in our school’s history books nor was he discussed by teachers of history. However, his story needs to be told, and it is a most historic one.
Smith was born on Nov. 30, 1821, in Georgetown, Kentucky. Precious little is known of his early life, but we do know he attended West Point in 1842. When he graduated, he was ranked eighth out of 56 cadets.
As an engineer, Smith had a local assignment when he was a lead engineer in the construction of Fort Trumbull in New London.
It was there that he met and courted a New London woman by the name of Lucretia Bassett. Lucretia was born in 1822 and was the daughter of Abner and Harriet Bassett of New London. Gustavus and Lucretia were married on Oct. 3, 1844.
“G.W.,” as Smith was often called, received a letter from West Point inviting him to teach at his alma mater, which he did, but shortly thereafter he was called to serve and fight in the Mexican War in 1846. Historically, Smith was involved in the first United States armed conflict chiefly fought on foreign soil.
He was appointed a brevet first lieutenant due to his outstanding service at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. On Aug. 20, 1847, he made brevet captain for his service at the battle of Contreras. Smith received another promotion in 1853, but a year later he resigned his commission to become a civil engineer in New York City.
Eventually, he became a street commissioner there and his position included coordinating duties of employees, managing daily operations and planning the use of given materials.
In 1861 “G.W.” was appointed as a major general in the Confederate Army and his appointment took place at Richmond in the early part of the Civil War. As part of his duties, Smith served as interim Confederate secretary of war and also served in the Georgia state militia.
Additionally, Smith also saw action as a “wing” commander, and fought in the Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond. At that location was the largest battle in the Eastern Theater up to that time. When the army’s commander was wounded, Smith took charge. None other than Robert E. Lee replaced Smith. That particular appointment for Lee eventually led to his assignment as Confederate army commander.
Eventually, Smith resigned his commission and became a volunteer aide to Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard.
After the war, Smith did extensive writing and in December of 1894, he was one of 19 founders of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. The MOFW has now become one of the oldest veterans and hereditary associations in the nation. Later members included Adm. George Dewey, Theodore Roosevelt and John J. Pershing.
General Smith died on June 24, 1896, and is buried in his wife’s family plot in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London. His stone at the cemetery was put in place on Sept. 21, 1977, by a man named Robert Bishop of New London, who was a possible descendant of Gen. Smith on Smith’s mother’s side.
The last time the stone was viewed, it was accompanied by both Confederate and American flags. Prior to Bishop’s work, Smith’s grave had no marker.
His burial stone is the only known stone of a Confederate general in the state of Connecticut.
——————————————————————–
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow may have said it best in his poem starting with “Under a spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands.” The skills of that blacksmith of American film, poetry and history are certainly well-documented but sometimes misunderstood.
The word “blacksmith” itself is defined in the most reliable dictionaries as “a person who makes and repairs things in iron by hand.”
Most of us traveled through school reading and listening to our teachers, thinking we knew the role of that craftsman.
However, in each small early village in Eastern Connecticut and elsewhere, the shop of the “smithy” was usually not much more than a small shed where not only was much work accomplished, but it was where meetings took place to discuss common problems.
There once was a time when horsepower provided businesses with what they needed. A “peek” into the past blacksmith’s shop reveals an interesting tableau. Horses needed their hooves shod, and horses were most necessary for pulling a variety of horse-drawn implements, many created and repaired by the local blacksmith.
Many of those craftsmen were also inventors of metal implements, and many of them became respected businessmen as well.
Examples of their “products” included metal gates, nails of all sizes and, of course, the horse shoeing aspect, so prominent in those early days.
Believe it or not, there were times when the local blacksmith would be called upon to act as dentist, doctor, undertaker, surgeon and, of course, horse dealer.
Eventually, mass production in the cities caused the “smithy” to diversify into “motor repairs” or “museum pieces in a historical setting.”
Many of those craftsmen kept an “oven” in their workplace that operated 12 months a year. The blacksmith actually was known by another professional title, that of the local “farrier.” Others specialized in making knives or axes, and they were known as “bladesmiths.” Still others specialized in locks, and folks called them “locksmiths.” Then there were those who were so talented they were referred to as just “the village smithy.” Those workers could also set door hinges, fix a broken wagon wheel or even a plow.
Isaac C. Glasko of Griswold was a blacksmith who advertised his skills in the “Canal of Intelligence” newspaper located in Norwich in the 1820s and 1830s.
Glasko’s son, Isaac Jr., also became a blacksmith.
New London County had many blacksmiths; They included James Babcock, who worked as a “smithy” until his death. James Dean, who came to the area from Massachusetts to live and work in Stonington, was also a blacksmith. Dean helped out in Plainfield whenever the need occurred.
Also, over in Preston, our research yielded one Morrison Robbins who, in the late 19th century, built his own blacksmith shop in that village.
Judah Lyon carried on the blacksmith’s trade in Woodstock, and over in Lebanon, we find William Channing Blanchard who practiced his trade for more than 35 years.
Another name we found in the research for this story impressed the writer due to the “versatility” factor. His name was Elijah Backus of Norwich. He, too, was a blacksmith, but that’s not all. He was also a justice of the peace. His ironworks shop supported the objectives of the Revolution, whereby he reached the rank of captain and took into his shop Native American boys as apprentices recommended by Eleazar Wheelock of Lebanon (now Columbia).
Wheelock was the founder of Dartmouth College.
——————————————————————–
Connecticut is said to be one of the most paranormal states in the whole country! It’s generally known that this is where the nation’s first witch trials and hangings occurred … three decades prior to the more famous trials in Salem, Mass.
Connecticut native Courtney McInvale Reardon is a major source of information regarding paranormal activity and is contacted often in regard to the topic. The famous Warren family has investigated Reardon’s childhood home.
Some of us have heard stories about “The Old Leather Man.” Just before the Civil War, he would complete his walk of over dozens of miles in Connecticut and New York in a clockwise circuit every 30 days or so, completely dressed in old leather clothing.
A book by author Dan DeLuca, entitled “The Old Leather Man: Historical Accounts of a Connecticut and New York Legend” is a good read about the unusual traveler.
Gardner Lake, bounded by Salem, Montville and Bozrah, is the location of a continued legend involving the planned movement of an old house from one side of the lake to the other on the ice, in the late 1800s. After a warm rain, the house, with most contents (including a piano) still inside, broke through the ice, and settled at the bottom of the lake.
Fishermen, even today, insist that they still hear faint piano music coming from the lake bottom.
Is it true that Bluff Point in Mystic is the site of a “giggling ghost” who visits diners at supper time and leaves footprints on restaurant floors?
What about those folks who have visited and experienced the “Moonlight Ghost Stroll” in Mystic? They enjoyed it all right, but later at home, when looking at photos that had been taken on the tour, one viewer found phenomena that he just couldn’t explain.
At Seaside Sanitorium State Park in Waterford, built in 1934, one may get a little concerned about unexplained noises, including those inside abandoned buildings.
“Dark Manor” is a professional haunted house in Baltic. It has been voted as “Best Haunted House in Connecticut.” Those who visit, maintain that it’s the best they have seen. The owners change the scary themes every year in order to keep interest high for visitors.
“Benson’s Beware Haunted Woods” in Thompson is near the Massachusetts state line and participants claim they loved the “walk.”
While in the area, we must mention “Victoria,” a ghost who usually hangs out in or near the balcony of the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam. She usually doesn’t show herself if people are around. However, she has been observed on the stage, even backstage and also in the basement of the building.
Six and a half miles away from Putnam, we find “Bara-Hack” in Pomfret. It is an abandoned town, settled in the year 1780, where, today, voices are still heard, people singing, and other “unsettling” experiences.
The site is now on private property.
And, finally, in Griswold, we find “Old Man Simon,” watching over his farm and former bed and breakfast. The problem is Simon Brewster, or at least his spirit, once owned the old farm and he still enjoys tending to the garden and orchards. Witnesses say his wife helps him sometimes.
If you’re ever there and you hear footsteps on the stairs, it’s just the couple going up to bed. Don’t let the fact that they both died in the previous century bother you too much.
——————————————————————–
It was 1807, and a four-story wooden building was being built by carpenters and masons at Cargill Falls in Putnam. It would be the first cotton manufacturing plant in the town, and the first of its kind in the county.
The name of the plant was the Pomfret Manufacturing Co., and when production began, workers spun cotton yarn to be woven on hand looms into coarse cloth and “bed ticking.”
Oddly enough, the variety of workers included a number of neighborhood children supervised by a man in each of the rooms.
As this trend continued, and the local population grew, we know more about the owner of this new project. His name was Smith Wilkinson, and as he saw the growth of his project and the number of youngsters involved, he decided to build a schoolhouse in the village, east of the Quinebaug River.
In time, a house was built across from the mill for Mr. Wilkinson as well as a number of other houses for newer residents who came to the area for the work.
An early positive gesture from the mill owner was circulating one of his cows so that all the nearby residents would have fresh milk.
Also, a nearby tavern, Malachi Green, was available as travel through the area increased.
On the Fourth of July, a celebration of sorts took place to note the raising of the factory’s frame and to also celebrate the holiday. Folks came from other towns to learn more about this new enterprise.
When a snowstorm fell one morning, and roads were blocked, even little female workers donned boots in order to work at the plant.
One of the diaries relived a telling quote, “Those machines at work are the prettiest things in the world.”
Soon, the small community’s women joined the workforce, where they could earn a little money.
There was, at that time, a brick building east of the Quinebaug River utilized as a church.
When the war with Britain began in 1812, the factory became a beehive of activity, accepting cotton from Philadelphia, introducing power looms a little later, and enjoying the small but important improvements as workers.
Woolen goods would be introduced to the growing community in 1823, and roads became somewhat improved.
Just south of the falls, the Monohansett Manufacturing Co. was established in 1872. Its product was sheetings, and the company employed about 175 workers.
The Putnam Factory Woolen Co. had been successful, but obtaining raw material from a wool house in New York caused a failure. However, a new company producing cassimere (an obsolete spelling of cashmere), 300 workers and a number of new machines replaced the former operation.
In time, several new industries were started, producing wool, silk, iron, steel, etc. Those silk products, which started in 1875 with new machines, had instructors assist the workers. Efforts were made to keep the workers happy, and the mill was organized, clean and neat.
By 1832, according to the United States Survey of Manufactures, the village of Putnam had grown to 300 inhabitants. Half of those residents were employed by the Wilkinson Co. in more than one capacity.
Wilkinson’s attitude and actions regarding employment policies included a strong wish to hire the poorest families, and those with the most children, a fine humanitarian gesture.
Research indicates that “Cupid” was busy among the looms and spindles, resulting in 15 marriages among the workers.
——————————————————————–
As more and more colonists came to the early counties, forests were naturally cleared and wooden homes as well as other structures were built. In those homes, owners had wooden floors, wooden walls, wooden ceilings and, of course, furniture made of wood.
Additionally, in time, houses and farms became closer to each other as the population increased.
Once structures were completed, chimney inspections were considered as a most serious duty. In time, wooden chimneys and thatched roofs became illegal due to the obvious hazards.
In the lives of early colonists, fire, in some fashion, was used every day for many reasons, therefore the risks were high.
In the more populated cities, authorities appointed fire wardens.
A familiar name in the nation’s history books, Benjamin Franklin, in addition to his notable reputation, is less well known for his creation of the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia in 1736. He was also noted for his role in the nation’s fire service and was, at one time, a fireman.
As the need for firefighting increased, a very early anti-fire procedure was simply known as the “bucket brigade.” When the first fire engines were utilized, they were long and narrow for maximum mobility.
Firefighters were among the early heroes in the young towns and cities. As a matter of fact, here are some you may have heard of. They include George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
That group is generally referred to as the “Honor Roll” of early firefighting.
Prior to the 1850s, firefighters were part of strictly volunteer departments. Within 55 years or so, motor fire engines began replacing horse-drawn engines. Also, leather hoses started showing up as early as the late 1600s, and the modern fire extinguisher came into use by the 1820s.
The first fire escapes were constructed by the late 1700s. By the year 1832, Willimantic firefighters owned a new sprinkler system known as the “Deluge.” The department members eventually moved from horse-drawn equipment to motorized equipment. Willimantic’s members, as those in other communities, were considered highly professionally trained career fire fighters and formed four separate strategically located fire companies.
Eventually, all four of those companies were combined at the Bank Street Firehouse.
In New London, the first fire engine went into service in 1767, and the first company was established there in 1786.
However, prior to the above date, in 1781 when New London was burned by Benedict Arnold and the British, the building that housed that early engine was in critical danger. So, a brave group of local patriots risked both life and limb in order to protect the fire engine, hiding it in nearby woods.
Still in New London, by 1849, four complete fire companies existed. By 1900, six companies had been formed.
Out in the wilds of Windham Center in 1823, a group of brave men organized their own version of an early volunteer fire company.
As mill villages developed, threats of a building’s fire jumping to the next building were a concern.
Other threats regarding fire included the almost exclusive use of candle flame for light as well as oil lamps and, later, steam boilers. In time, more modern machinery and electric lights were to improve those dangerous conditions.
——————————————————————–
It’s not generally known or discussed, but for almost a hundred years, the Bozrah mills operated by the Palmer Brothers brought comfort to thousands and thousands of people due to the factory’s production of quilts and various bedding items.
The two brothers, Elisha and Edward, in 1867, formed their partnership with the goal of producing bedding and accompanying accessories and selling them to consumers all over the country.
Their mission was sprinkled with high standards, energy and an upbeat attitude handed down to them from their hard-working parents.
Early on, the two men gave all of their competitors a run, as they sought success in their field.
It didn’t take long for the two men to establish a reputation that they sustained as the finest quilt and comforter producers in the entire country.
Their predecessors, who knew them previously, envisioned the new owners’ future as bright, happy and profitable. As the years went on, the brothers’ yearly receipts were more than compatible with the previous owners’ predictions.
In 1899, the two brothers officially incorporated their enterprise.
There was a time, historically, when pillows used by humans were actually stones. Thousands of years ago, one’s mattress consisted of layers of plant material gathered into mats. Those mats were periodically burned in order to eliminate pests. One’s cover would be in the form of leaves which served also in keeping away bugs.
Later in history, the raised bed was introduced. This, of course, kept away most rodents, insects and snakes. Still later, mattresses were stuffed with straw, and eventually, linen sheets added extra comfort to those who rested. Woolen blankets were eventually utilized.
Later in the early 19th century, metal bed springs supporting the mattress itself were introduced. They also were squeaky! The innerspring and memory foam mattresses were developed in the 20th century.
The whole story of sleep bedding did give us a particular long-lasting saying, which came from the above history. “Hitting the hay” referred to the dislodging of bugs from those early mattresses and other bedding.
Drapes and canopies came along for more privacy, and mattresses were then stuffed with feathers.
Back to the Palmer Brothers, for a while, in the late 1920s, the company even had mills operating in New London and Fitchville at the same time. The New London mill closed in March of 1935. Much of their business success in that period depended mostly on department store orders as well as mail-order houses.
The Great Depression brought immense challenges to the Palmer Brothers. Elsewhere in the country massive unemployment resulted and the nation suffered the worst economic depression in the country’s history.
In order to counteract the above conditions, governmental reforms and new federal programs were initiated. Those included the public works projects and adding safeguards to the banking industry.
A strike in 1937 halted operations in Bozrah for almost a month. However, the company was able to bring workers back to work with a small increase in pay.
At that time, the company was enjoying a lucrative contract with the U.S. Army to supply blankets. However, the Bozrah mill was impacted by changing fiscal situations.
Due to the end of the war the army contract was halted, even though the company was still employing close to 300 workers.
In spite of their previous successes, the Palmer Brothers finally ceased their operations in 1949.
——————————————————————–
Question of the week: What was it about the little coastal town of Stonington that made it a target for British bombardment in August of 1814?
Author James Tertius de Kay asked himself the same question, and finally came up with some logical answers, leading to his book, “The Battle of Stonington.”
The battle wasn’t expected nor was it provoked.
The British commander, Capt. Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, claimed after the attack that he believed Stonington had been secretly manufacturing torpedoes.
He had no evidence for that claim, and, in fact, his claim was untrue.
Truth be told, bombardment by a British naval squadron at Stonington began on the evening of Aug. 9, 1814, with British firepower of 134 guns, plus three cannons on five British vessels manned by a total of over 1,200 men.
By contrast, the Americans had only mustered between 18 and 22 men manning the defense. But we’re just a little ahead of our story.
Prior to any attack, the British sent word by messenger that the town would “be destroyed.” That humanitarian gesture allowed the women and children to escape to safer ground away from the encounter.
At the same time, a small group of defenders raced to the “point” of defense. It should be explained here that the “point” was the result of an earlier decision by the town fathers in 1808, to extend a wharf out into the harbor for commercial reasons. When finished, it would be surrounded by water on three sides.
It was at that location that Capt. Jeremiah Holmes, an expert gunner, joined four residents, William Lord, Asa Lee, George Fellows and Amos Denison, as well as a number of volunteers from Mystic, who defended at “the point.”
In time, a launch filled with British attackers approached the shore near the “point,” but as they came closer, “grape shot” from the defenders riddled their transport and the intruders backed off, only to sail around to the opposite side of land on the following day, where, the defenders once more drove off the attackers.
Generally, that same pattern occurred the following day with the same results. The general barrage of the town continued until Aug. 12, when Hardy, aware that he had lost 21 men, 50 others wounded, with severe damage to his ships, made a decision on Aug. 13 to retreat from the battle.
On the American side, six men had been slightly wounded, and one man was killed. That man was Frederick Dennison, who became wounded and died later of his wounds.
Three of the defenders, Col. Randall, as commander, and two lieutenants, Lathrop and Hough, later received special commendations both for their bravery and leadership in a most difficult situation.
As to the damage inflicted upon the town, we have a most reliable picture, thanks to historian Frances M. Caulkins, who, after the fact, conducted a number of eye-witnessing inquiries. It seems that as many as 40 of the 100 houses in the town were somewhat damaged, and of those, two or three were destroyed. Additionally, there were one or two natural deaths, two horses and a goose were killed, but no other human casualties occurred.
As for Hardy, he became “First Naval Lord,” the leader of the British navy, in November of 1830. The Stonington battle is considered a defeat on his resume.
——————————————————————–
Today’s story is about a miracle, as you shall see.
During the American Revolution, it took a year for an army of 6,000 French, Polish, German and Irish soldiers allied to the Americans to gather in Newport, R.I., to prepare for “a march.” They had come ashore in July of 1780 and in June of 1781, they began their trek.
Most troops traveled by foot a little over 600 miles. For 400 of those miles, the French and American armies marched together.
Another large group traveled to the town of Lebanon. It was there that they would engage in further training during an eight-month stay, and to later support the larger group on its mission.
Totally, there were 800 men and horses in the cavalry escorted by about 100 artillery soldiers.
Gen. George Washington first heard about Norwich’s Benedict Arnold’s betrayal while he was at the old Cogswell Tavern near New Preston, Conn., and reportedly showed uncharacteristic rage at the news.
An incident in Lebanon occurred when two corporals were executed by a firing squad in April of 1781 for deserting their posts.
Each division on the “march” had its own field hospital, craftsmen, ax-men (to clear roads), cooks, musicians, nurses and laundry workers. As the French contingent moved forward, talented officers created maps for easier access.
The town of Sterling was the initial Connecticut town that the first division entered from Rhode Island, followed by the town of Plainfield. Then they traveled through Canterbury, Scotland, Windham and Columbia (Lebanon at that time) and on across the state to join the American Army in New York State.
Since that event, artifacts have been recovered from that route and they included buttons, coins, and articles made of lead. Protections and publicity regarding the march sites as a national reminder have occurred quite slowly. For example, in a 1925 publication titled “France and England,” efforts were underway to mark 19 historic campsites related to “The route in Connecticut.” Also, in 1957, a bill was passed authorizing the erection of markers to designate the sites of camps occupied by French troops.
But with political delays, it took the Bicentennial Celebration of 1976 to finally further legislation regarding those sites.
One of the major problems along the way were the unpaved roads where heavy equipment had trouble moving forward! At times, many roads turned into swamps, and small rivers! In order to keep spirits up, a number of regimental bands took turns playing for the entertainment of spectators. In Windham Center, Connecticut, when the band played, couples danced on the green! Officers felt it was a good way for the men to relax.
It is recorded that the march just in Connecticut alone topped 240 miles.
As a sort of summary of this gigantic project, “The March” was supported by nine states plus the future District of Columbia in the following ways: The states provided lodgings for the officers, provisions of food and supplies, cider and rum were offered to the men, local farmers donated their oxen to help the horses pull the heavy cannons, and hundreds of residents cheered the men and officers on. The “journey” touched the lives of countless American people.
The “miracle” referred to at the opening of this story was the fact that the whole journey, which ended at Yorktown, Va., where the victory there effectively ended the Revolutionary War, was under the leadership of two generals, Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau. Washington spoke no French, and his comrade in arms spoke no English. … A miracle indeed!
——————————————————————–
The town of Woodstock had its first serious alarm in August of 1696. That alarm was 10 years after the town’s settlement.
It was then that a band of Indian marauders suddenly attacked what is now Oxford, Mass.
Residents of Woodstock received the news and huddled, frightened, within the various garrisons available.
Bands of armed men were hastily organized and scoured the woods as well as guarding specific areas. Word was hastily sent by messenger to the Massachusetts and Connecticut authorities.
In time, Maj. Fitch arrived with a small group of English soldiers as well as a band of friendly Indians. Fitch was able to exercise authority over a Wabbaquassett group of 29 braves. He then armed them and readied them for any forthcoming attack. With those precautions, things gradually and thankfully quieted down.
In October of that year, due to the assembly’s “act,” Woodstock was considered as a “frontier.” It meant that residents could be assured of their safety by a company of “protectors” led by John Sabin and Peter Aspinwall.
Under Lt. Sabin’s leadership, Woodstock’s military position was greatly strengthened. Aspinwall is remembered as serving many months in command of a company of scouts or rangers patrolling the nearby woods of Massachusetts near the border of Connecticut.
In early 1700 in Woodstock, there were some authorities there who were suspicious of the conduct of the Wabbaquassett tribe members who had left the area. There was great negative anticipation that perhaps those Indians might be planning suspicious behavior resulting in attacks upon the settlers. Many members of the community were in a state of panic.
As a result of that unrest, Capt. Samuel Mason from New London was contacted and finally arrived with a group of English soldiers and almost 20 Mohegan Indians.
In the meantime, a large “cart” containing ammunition, highly guarded, was on its way to the Woodstock area from Boston.
When Woodstock residents learned of the “cart,” there spread another panic or fear that the cart might be intercepted by the enemy. A judgment was decided upon and as a result, 60 armed men traveled from the area to meet the cart and to bring it with great rejoicing and confidence into the community.
Leaders of the town decided to send three faithful Wabbaquassetts as messengers to the fugitive members of the tribe, asking those members to return to the area with a guarantee of safety and good will for all. In reference to that promise, the local council, after considerations, did just that.
Those messengers apparently were successful, as no further revolts or resurrections were evident.
In view of conditions at that time, Mason, while a welcome visitor to the area, decided he was no longer needed in Woodstock and returned to New London.
His absence was to be short-lived, because in the year 1704, another panic of sorts gripped Woodstock, which caused the women and children once more to gather in the garrison. The scare prompted Mason to return to the area with a small group of men.
Later that year, the town’s first schoolhouse was started with educator John Picker as the first schoolman. The move was the beginning of a safer period for the residents of the small town. Elections and an increase of “home lots” were good omens for the town of Woodstock, the town with a “shaky start.”
——————————————————————–
There are many interesting legends that remain of the earlier Mohegan and Pequot tribes, which once roamed, hunted and fished in the southeastern parts of Connecticut.
One excellent source is an old book written by Arthur L. Peale of Norwich, who was an active scouter and merit badge counsellor for the local Boy Scout program in Norwich. It was Mr. Peale who introduced Samuel Chester Reid’s exploits to your writer.
One of the favorite legends of those folks who study the subject, is the Native American who challenged one of his elders by asking, “Can you squeeze water from a stone?” Without waiting for an answer, the challenger took a piece of curd with him, climbed a tree, and witnesses, thinking he held a stone in his hand, due to the similarities, proceeded to impress his onlookers. Near the top of the tree, he stretched out his hand and squeezed the object, and water dripped from his hand.
When he returned to the ground, he challenged the older man to do the same. The elder picked up a nearby stone, climbed the same tree, held out his hand, and squeezed, with much effort, but only blood dripped from his hand due to the sharp edges of the stone.
The younger brave had successfully tricked his rival, and as a result, gained a measure of respect that day.
On the shores of Gardner Lake in Montville, at a Boy Scout camp, a resident of Uncasville and a Native American by the name of Harold Tantaquidgeon held forth with authentic Indian lore for the campers. Harold had been a Mohegan tribal chief, World War II hero and the co-founder of the Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville. Thousands upon thousands of school children as well as adults over the years have visited the museum. Harold passed away in 1989.
Speaking of lakes, many years ago, where Alexander’s Lake now stands in Killingly, the chiefs of the local Native American tribes decided to hold a giant pow-wow regarding their respective good fortunes that had been bestowed upon them. They chose a location on a sandy hill covered with tall pine trees.
The celebration lasted four days until the Great Spirit intervened.
During the height of the celebration, the earth suddenly gave way, and sank to a great depth. The water beneath engulfed the area with the exception of one small peak occupied by an old squaw.
That peak later became known as Loon’s Island.
Residents say that on a clear day when the water is smooth and the wind is quiet, the large trunks and branches of the original tall pine trees can be seen below the surface of the lake.
In Windham County, there is an important battle recorded between two tribes: the Narragansetts who lived near the ocean, and the Nipmucks who resided on the west side of the Quinebaug River.
The Narragansetts relished their sources of lobsters, crabs, clams and other seafood. Upon being invited by that tribe, the Nipmucks then invited the Narragansetts to a banquet of eels at their location.
At the feast, eels were cooked, but not cooked enough. The visiting tribe refused to eat, quarrels began, and finally, the hosts attacked the unarmed guests, and killed them. However, two guests did escape and swam across the Quinebaug River. A council of war was held by the Narragansetts and revenge was sought, resulting in a three-day battle.
——————————————————————–
The beginning of the twentieth century yielded many new innovations, some never before imagined. Today’s story will mention some of those inventions. We’ll take a look at the people who developed them and events witnessed by those who lived in those early years.
Charles Seeberger invented the modern escalator in 1900.
Kodak introduced the “Brownie Camera” in 1901, which cost all of one dollar. On Dec. 12, that year, Guglielmo Marconi broadcast the first transatlantic wireless signals.
Also, in that year, Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the youngest United States president ever, following the assassination of President William McKinley. The new president’s second wife was Norwich-born Edith Kermit Carow.
The “Teddy Bear,” named after Teddy Roosevelt, made its first appearance in 1902.
The first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903, would later change the world! Other “firsts” that year included the first message to go around the world, the first automobile license plates issued in the country and the first silent film, “The Great Train Robbery,” released later that year.
Also, in 1903, Edward Binney and Harold Smith, co-invented the iconic crayon.
Mary Anderson patented windshield wipers even before Henry Ford’s car was completed. She had witnessed the difficulty of a winter street car driver trying to keep his windshield free of snow from inside a vehicle in New York City.
That year the first movie theater in the country opened due to the introduction of silent films, and King Camp Gillette invented the double-edged safety razor.
It was Gillette who offered Teddy Roosevelt the presidency of a single corporation owned by the public at a salary of $1 million. Roosevelt declined the offer.
A national event that year foretold a future feature for our country giving women the right to vote in Finland, a full 14 years prior to that same achievement that finally took place in the United States.
It was in the following year, 1908, that the country saw the introduction of the Ford Model T.
Robert Edwin Peary Sr. was best known for reaching the geographic North Pole with his expedition on April 6, 1909. His diary has been utilized as a historic document and he became the recipient of at least fourteen international medals from prestigious societies.
In his rustic hut during his stay there, he enjoyed the relative comfort of a genuine “thermos,” prior to such a plant on Laurel Hill in Norwich a few year later.
In 1912, Clarence Crane created “Life Saver” candy, and a year later, Arthur Wynne invented the crossword puzzle. The editor of the New York World Newspaper asked him to invent a new game for the paper’s Sunday edition. Via an accidental typo, the name of his revision became the crossword puzzle we’re familiar with today.
We end our listing for this story with an inventor who needs no introduction to this column due to earlier accounts of his successes. Edwin Land, who lived on Crescent Street in Norwich from 1918 to 1926, became the second most prolific inventor of all time, runner-up to the genius of Thomas Edison.
His contributions to photo intelligence are legend and his 535 patents and dozens of citations and honors from around the world are virtually unmatched. The research library at Norwich Free Academy is named in his honor.
He died on March 1, 1991 at age 81.
——————————————————————–
Here are some rather interesting facts about the city of Willimantic discovered in our searches for something new. Enjoy!
Bridge Street built over the river was completed in the year 1828.
In the years between 1820 and 1840, what is now Main Street was referred to then as “the highway.” For many years either before or after, it was called “The Turnpike Road.”
In 1825, the first “grog shop” was opened in town. Drinks were three and five cents each.
The Dr. Witter House was built on Main Street in 1831. “Doc” Witter came to Willimantic from Lisbon. He was the second doctor to locate in Willimantic. Dr. Mason was the first. However, a Dr. Perkins was the first doctor in the surrounding area, setting up his office in Windham Center. Most naturally, Jaron Safford started the first drugstore in Willimantic in 1833.
On Dec. 5, 1832, The Windham Gazette, the first newspaper in Willimantic, was printed as a weekly.
In the 1830s, George Hebard was postmaster in Willimantic.
Jackson Street, contrary to popular belief, was not built and named for the president. It was named for Lyman Jackson, a black man who, with his family, was most respected. The road was named for him in 1835 as the second road going north out of Willimantic.
Dunham Hall was built in 1867 as the Linen Co. store and library for workers. It is now the home of the Mill Museum.
In 1849, the tracks of the New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad were completed. With that completion, a link with Willimantic to the coastal line to New Haven and points north became a reality. Not long after, an east-west route named the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad also ran through Willimantic. As a result, Willimantic became the largest rail center in Eastern Connecticut. In time, as many as 40 trains a day made the Willimantic Train Station a very busy place.
A number of businesses began depending on the rail activity. Those included businesses involved with coal, lumber, feed, farm supplies and equipment, groceries and other businesses that then relied on the town’s railroad facilities.
The train station, due to its importance and status, began attracting hotels and restaurants to the specific area. Even the side streets off of Main Street began to develop a number of businesses that could offer numerous services.
Those services included a livery, feed and boarding stable, Baldwin’s Novelty Shop, Hillhouse and Taylor’s outlet for general building supplies, H. Howey, a dealer in Choice Beef, John Lennon, a dealer in marble and granite, and D.P. Dunn, headquarters for all daily and weekly papers.
Also, C.E. Little, “the family shoe store,” the Old Reliable Brainard House, Eugene B. Walden, brick work and plastering, the Union Shoe Store, L.N. Ayer, dealer in ice, F.F. Simmons, confectionery and ice cream, William C. Cummings, undertaker (with lady assistant), James J. Fay, plumber, Model Printing Co., Carpenter and Jordan Hardware, Hugh Anderson, painter, and lastly, J. Hickey & Co., druggists.
Some of the above merchants as well as others, built large Victorian homes in the “Hill Neighborhood.”
Willimantic had several banks in order to accommodate the above merchants as well as those in surrounding small towns. Six new banks in Willimantic opened between the years 1842 and 1878.
In 1903, streetcar service was offered by the Willimantic Traction Co.. Service was extended from Willimantic to Taftville, Norwich and Coventry.
——————————————————————–
His name was William Torrey Harris and he was born in North Killingly on Sept. 10, 1835.
Harris attended Phillips Andover Academy, and studied three years at Yale University, becoming a teacher. He taught school from 1857 to 1859 in St. Louis, and became a principal that same year. In 1866, he helped to establish the St. Louis Philosophical Society.
Harris was then appointed superintendent of schools in St. Louis, serving in that position from 1868 to 1880.
Along the way, Harris, with Susan Blow, established America’s first permanent public kindergarten in 1873. Blow had been acquainted with the work of Friedrich Froebel, a Swiss educator who believed in early education. Interestingly enough, Blow had no high school education of her own. By 1916, more than 400 cities had kindergartens in their schools.
Harris also was instrumental in influencing educational ideologies so that they led to public school curriculum expansions. Among them, he made the high school an essential institution, which would, in time, include art, music, science, manual arts and perhaps more importantly, the addition of a library at all public schools.
Harris was appointed as the nation’s commissioner of education and among his many innovations, he instituted compulsory education for Native Americans.
He remained commissioner under the presidencies of four U.S. presidents: Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley. and Theodore Roosevelt.
His resume includes founding and editing the first philosophical periodical in America in 1867, editing it until 1893!
He was the recipient of an L.L.D., (a doctorate-level academic degree in law), from a number of both American and foreign universities.
In 1906, he was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for The Advancement of Teaching.
That same year, Harris also helped edit a number of papers dealing with international education, and when Andrew Carnegie founded the “Simplified Spelling Board” in 1906, Harris was one of the directors.
In 1909, he was the editor-in-chief of Webster’s New International Dictionary, and it was the North Killingly native who originated the “divided page” in dictionaries.
Overall, it was Harris who produced several hundred manuscripts on educational matters. They included “An Introduction To The Study of Philosophy”, “Psychologic Foundations of Education”, “Elementary Education In The United States”, and “The Philosophy of Education.”
Harris was known as a practical school man, an effective administrator and an educational reformer. His whole career was dedicated to the professional study of education for teachers in training.
Between 1873 and 1880, he presided as president of the National Association of School Superintendents.
Author Kurt Leidecker wrote “Yankee Teacher: The Life of William Torrey Harris,” where more information can be found regarding this remarkable educator.
It seems incredible to this writer that from the small town of Danielson another educator to be was later born who would also become a U.S. commissioner of education. That individual, Dr. Sidney P. Marland, Jr., a graduate of UConn, became a secondary teacher and a superintendent of schools in Darien, Winnetka, Ill., and Pittsburgh, prior to his national appointment.
One wonders if there was something in the water for two men born a short distance apart and could possibly aspire to that lofty post of national commissioner of education.
——————————————————————–
Man has always made efforts to overcome limits which slowed his progress. Among those limits was the problem of distances from one location to another. Originally, man had little influence on his various landscapes, whether they were the waterways, the valleys, the uplands or the harbors.
The locations of those land and waterscapes greatly affected, somewhat, where man would live, and how people adjusted to how they lived.
Humans have lived and survived for thousands of years in what is now Eastern Connecticut. Those early inhabitants hunted, fished and in various ways cultivated the land.
Early traveling from one location to another in those early days was accomplished by a network of trails, no wider, at first, than a footpath. Canoes and small rafts were constructed in order to cross rivers, streams and bays. Much later, crude bridges, ferries and private watercraft were utilized.
When English colonists arrived, they drastically changed the culture of the local area, in regard to land use, growing most of their own food, raising farm animals and cutting down timber. In time, native animals such as bear, deer, wolves and beavers began disappearing.
Early settlers built crude pathways of dirt in order to accommodate their desire to travel between settlements. Pathway purposes depended on who was traveling on them. Some were used by farmers, others for church attendance and still others began traveling from settlement to settlement for social as well as business purposes.
Overland travel was poor for some time until privately owned turnpikes became a reality. That factor helped in more than one way: First, it made personal travel easier and quicker, and also created a new industry: carriage making.
Locally, the first toll road in New England, and second in the country, was originally an old Indian trail first known as “The Mohegan Road,” which ran between Norwich and New London, a former mail route.
In those early days, Colonial law originally required that all adult males with few exceptions, had to work a certain number of days each year in order to improve the roads. In order to have proper tools for improving the roads, the local blacksmiths became very busy and very important, crafting the hoes, shovels and picks for those purposes.
By the mid-1840s, small communities needed ways for groups of people to get from one part of a town to another part. One attempt was the “omnibus.” That was a horse-drawn stagecoach-like vehicle taking a fixed route within a town.
Then, there was a period when horses actually pulled railroad cars on steel rails. By the year 1870, almost every city in Connecticut was served by one or more “horse railroads.”
This, of course, was followed by railway lines without horses, run with electric power. Eventually, this led to a transportation monopoly combining railroad, steamboat and street railway operations.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a new innovation took place. Overland travel was revolutionized by the internal combustion engine. Easier passenger as well as freight travel became a reality.
Better roads evolved through the efforts of an unlikely source, The League of American Wheelmen. The bicycle had become a positive influence for the improvement of roads.
For more information on the subject, Richard Deluca’s book, “Post Roads & Iron Horses” is a good source.
——————————————————————–
His name was Carl S. Newbury of 78 10th St. in New London. He lost his life on Sept. 16, 1918, on a rescue mission during World War I. The Coast Guard cutter Seneca was capsized on its way to save the crew of the British steamer Wellington. Newbury and nine other members of the rescue crew were drowned.
Newbury had enlisted as a seaman in the U.S. Coast Guard at Fort Trumbull on April 6, 1917. As a boy, he was one of New London’s first Boy Scouts, joining the group in 1910.
He enlisted in the Coast Guard at age 18, the day that war was declared.
Pvt. Mark Murphy who was wounded in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, died two days later. Mark was also from New London.
Maj. John Coleman Prince from the Whaling City, had joined the Army in 1911 and served in the cavalry. On Nov. 1, 1918, he led a raiding party over German lines. He was wounded during the battle, captured and died hours later.
Following the exultation of the armistice, his parents received a telegram from the War Department indicating his demise.
Lt. Walter Buck, was an expert at “stunt flying.” When he was testing a new plane, during the war, both wings fell off his plane, and he plunged to his death, another New London casualty.
Schuyler Lee joined the Lafayette Flying Corps, helping France’s efforts. The Whaling City product was in a “dog fight” with German planes on Feb. 3, 1918, and he landed safely with 20 machine-gun holes in his plane. He was honored by France for his courage.
Two months later, on patrol, his plane’s motor failed and he obviously crashed where the wreckage of his plane was found.
Lt. John McGourty was aboard the Coast Guard’s Tampa on Sept. 26, 1918, when the ship was struck by a German U-Boat’s torpedo, sending it to the bottom with full crew aboard.
Richard Mansfield’s friend, pilot Jack Morris Wright, had sent young Mansfield exciting letters about his war experiences. Mansfield learned of his friend’s death in a crash, and was motivated to join and train as a pilot. It never happened, as Mansfield fell ill with spinal meningitis and died few days later.
However, Mansfield was honored by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the artist, with a stained-glass window at St. James Episcopal Church depicting both men standing with the quote, “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
New London also lost two women volunteers in the war. They included Yeomanette Cecelia Sweeney and Red Cross nurse Catherine McGuire, both victims of Spanish influenza.
Of course, there were many other New Londoners who lost their lives in that conflict, totally, 40 young men.
There were many soldiers who didn’t mind their specific service time in that war at all. Some claimed that conditions during the war were better than “at home.” For many, there was meat served every day, along with availability of cigarettes, tea and rum. Many enjoyed the pay, comradeship, etc.
Also, actually, nine out of 10 soldiers in the famous “trenches” survived their experience. Many days were filled with pleasant routines, and the rotation of soldiers in the trenches raised morale. There were immediate “reserve trenches” several hundred yards behind the main ones with supplies and “a little more comfort.”
World War I diaries help us to uncover details of soldiers’ lives in that war.
——————————————————————–
It has snowed almost every winter for the past 50,000 years or so. During recorded history, three enormous blizzards stand out, especially in the Northeast. Those blizzards included the Blizzard of 1888, the one in 1978 and also in 2013.
Today’s story takes a look back at the destruction of the one in 1888 with recorded 20 to 50 inches of snow, and deaths from the storm estimated at over 400 people on the East Coast alone.
Results included no milk deliveries, grocers and butchers closed their shops, telephone lines were down, coal wagons couldn’t travel, and thousands of wild and farm animals froze to death.
Many people, fearing their loss of their jobs went to work.
At the time, trains, telegraph lines, water mains and gas lines were all located above ground and all of them with ice problems were inaccessible to repair crews during the storm.
Sustained winds produced unprecedented snow drifts, railroads were shut down, homeowners were confined to their homes for up to a week or more. Some wind gusts were at 80 mph.
Damage from that storm in today’s money exceeded $700 million. In addition, fire stations were immobilized, causing $25 million of losses to fires in today’s money.
As the storm began in Connecticut, many weather authorities believed that the storm would not last. But by mid-morning of the above date, temperatures plummeted to 15 degrees below zero, and winds increased drastically.
While the storm was vicious and caught people by surprise, Connecticut residents, especially in the eastern part of the state, somehow demonstrated good nature by responding in a number of ways, perhaps to “lighten the load.”
Some put signs up near their homes with the imperative, “Keep off the Grass!” Still other signs told folks passing by that their snowbanks were “For Rent!”
The two young Chapell brothers from Montville got lost crossing the pasture to their grandparent’s house. The young boys took cover by a stone wall and were discovered alive there a day later by a rescue team, having been somehow protected by snow cover which apparently “blanketed” or insulated them against the fierce cold and wind. They survived into manhood and delighted in telling their story to anyone who would listen.
Most newspaper printing presses stood still, downed telephone and telegraph lines were common and families were separated. It was, however, the New York Herald that called the storm the “Great White Hurricane.” Other sources say the phrase was also originated by sailors who saw their respective ships ruined in the storm.
In all locations, women’s bulky dresses at the time with their extended lengths, prevented any woman walking in the snow more than a few feet.
Snowdrifts as high as 50 feet were not unusual, and fire stations in New York and western Connecticut, were immobilized.
Two weeks after the storm abated, the disappearing snow revealed the discovery of numerous bodies of missing people.
For farmers in Salem and other local towns, their walks from their homes to the barns became treacherous.
One of the major impacts of the “White Hurricane” in New York was the establishment of its underground subway, as well as all electric wires, telegraph, telephone, fire alarms and illumination apparatus, ensuring electricity for the city.
The story of the storm is well-documented and well-written in Mary Cable’s book, “The Blizzard of ‘88.”
——————————————————————–
Whenever one travels around the state, it’s always interesting to discover signage that indicates a famous historical figure once chose to spend the night at a particular location. Within the tourism industry itself, the whole idea of a famous individual “staying over” in one of the town’s inns is usually a feather in that community’s public relation’s hat. Such a claim in Windham County is the theme of today’s story in regards to our nation’s first president.
In 1789, President George Washington, during the first congressional recess, decided to go on an extensive tour of New England; he completed his Southern tour in 1791. Washington undertook these tours to “become better acquainted with the principal Characters & internal Circumstances [of the states], as well as to be accessible to number of well-informed persons, who might give him useful information and advices on political subjects.” The tours were based on political as well as public relation purposes and it would provide the president with a sense as to how Americans were responding to their new government.
When deciding on where to spend the night, the president wished to avoid staying at private homes, selecting instead taverns and inns; the decision would eliminate or at least minimize any political favoritism. On Saturday, Nov. 7, 1789, on his way to Hartford, the president stopped in Pomfret, possibly hoping to visit Gen. Israel Putnam, an old comrade in arms. Unfortunately, the meeting did not take place due to scheduling conflicts resulting from the long trip. As darkness approached, his journey continued for another half dozen miles or so to the town of Ashford, where it was decided he would spend that Saturday night at a local inn and attend church services in the town the following morning.
Along the way from Pomfret to Ashford, enthusiastic greetings both from residents and militia units were extended to the president. Finally, his party arrived at the Perkins Tavern in Ashford, where the travelers would spend the night. At that time, the “hospitality industry” in New England had not yet been developed to the level it eventually achieved in terms of comfort, as one traveled the roads from one community to another. It is evident that any travel during the president’s time on unpaved roads, along with ideal comfort consistency was still in the future of Connecticut’s history.
Ashford today remains among those select communities that are able to claim they hosted the country’s first president, especially during his presidency. Other close by localities where our first president did enjoy his overnight stays include Norwich, New London and a few other communities in nearby counties.
——————————————————————–
Today’s story is all about the town of Montville. Of course, it wasn’t always called by that name. First of all, it was a part of New London and was settled in the year 1646 under its first name, “Pequot” after the Pequot Tribe.
Twelve years later that name was changed by New London and was then called “The North Parish of New London,” which remained its name until the year 1786, when the town was finally named “Montville.”
Among the first grants of land in 1658 was one to Richard Haughton and James Rogers. The land was on the banks of the Thames River. The first actual English settler in that area was Samuel Rogers in 1670.
The first industries were sawmills, and the first manufacturing was the creation of iron from “bog ore.” Eventually, Montville saw the addition of grist mills, a fueling mill, a woolen mill and a factory that produced cotton textiles. There were a number of smaller mills that opened and closed within a relatively short time.
The Oxoboxo River was the host to as many as 13 firms by the year 1870. Montville officially became a town prior to that time with almost 2,000 residents by 1786. Jumping to 1900, there was an increase to 2,400 residents. Many residents came from Ireland, Poland, Canada and Russia.
In regard to transportation, there were, of course, only foot paths as well as water travel by dugout canoes.
Of particular interest to this columnist during the research for our story was an earlier name for what is now Oxoboxo Lake. That earlier name was “The Little Pond.”
Also interesting is the fortified village that Uncas and the Mohegans established on the Thames River we now know as Fort Shantok, as well as the Old Stone Mill on the Oxoboxo River. For over a century, that mill produced paper for Carmichael Robertson and the company he founded. The mill was demolished in 2004.
For another interesting fact about Montville’s past, we must look at what is now the main parking lot at Montville High School. That space was originally the location of the town’s first almshouse until its demise in a 1910 fire.
A number of notable people associated with the town include: Sidney Frank, billionaire promoter of vodka products, Samson Occom, Mohegan minister and preacher, John Gideon Palmer, Medal of Honor recipient in the Civil War, and Mercy Sands Raymond, who was “enriched” by the infamous pirate William Kidd!
She really became quite wealthy when she was boarding Captain Kidd and his wife at her isolated Block Island home. Mrs. Raymond apparently supplied the famous pirate with important provisions when he most needed them, and in return, just before his final departure, in appreciation for her kindnesses, he instructed her to hold out her apron.
When she complied, he deposited handfuls of jewelry, and gold and silver pieces, until the apron was full! That generous act occurred prior to the pirate’s accusation of piracy and his eventual hanging in Boston.
After her husband passed, Mercy moved with her family to northern New London (later Montville), where she purchased much land and built a handsome home. Therefore, the family then was said to have been “enriched by the apron”!
——————————————————————–
On Jan. 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his annual address to Congress, articulated his vision for a postwar world founded on four basic human freedoms: of speech, of religion, from want and from fear.
Interestingly, the congressional response was only lukewarm. Many newspapers the next day didn’t even mention the theme. One federal administrator called the issue “a flop.”
Fast forward to the spring of 1942, artist Norman Rockwell was engaged on a project commissioned by the Army Ordnance Department. It was an image of a machine gunner in need of ammunition. Posters, when finished, and titled, “Let’s Give Him Enough” and “On Time,” were distributed to ordnance plants all over the country in order to increase production.
Rockwell felt he wanted to do more for the war effort and he decided he would somehow illustrate those Four Freedoms from a year and a half earlier.
That night he awoke with an idea he had witnessed of a neighbor who voiced an unpopular view at a town meeting which he had attended. He arose and made some rough sketches, then traveled to Washington to propose his ideas.
However, his timing was wrong; the Ordnance Department had no resources for another commission at that juncture.
On his way back to Vermont, he stopped at the Curtis Publishing Co. and showed his idea to editor Ben Hibbs of the Saturday Evening Post. With the editor’s excited approval, Norman Rockwell finished off the full color images and Hibbs immediately put the completed “Four Freedoms” into subsequent issues of the magazine beginning on Feb. 20, 1943. The Post immediately received 25,000 requests for reprints.
Each of the images originally painted by Norman Rockwell was accompanied by an essay composed by well-known writers of the day.
In May of 1943, a campaign was organized by the Office of War Information, whereby reprints would be distributed to purchasers of a war bond on a national tour. The exhibition traveled to 16 major cities and was visited by over a million people who purchased $133 million worth of bonds and stamps along with their individual set of reprints.
In cities across the country, reprints of the “Freedoms” paintings were requested by business owners, post offices, YMCAs, schools, clubs, railroad and bus stations, and office buildings.
In Eastern Connecticut, the problem of volunteers regarding the distribution of those reprints, especially in each city’s downtown area, became paramount. Putnam’s Chamber of Commerce along with others in Killingly, Willimantic, Norwich and New London decided to contact Hartford for help. They were in need of volunteers to do the job but no money was attached to the distribution of the posters.
Officials in Hartford contacted the chief of the Boy Scouts in each of the communities mentioned for assistance in the project.
In Norwich, BSA Chief George P. Goodrich, whose office was in the Thayer Building on Main Street, picked up the gauntlet, personally calling local scoutmasters for help. Through a series of communications, what happened next was the assignment of two local troops in the community assuming the responsibility for the distribution of materials. Those troops included Troop 12 and Troop 3.
Nationally, 400,000 retailers received the Four Freedom reprints, including those businesses in downtown Norwich.
As a result of the above campaign, Roosevelt’s words and outline of the Four Freedoms, along with one patriotic artist, and friend of Scouting, continued to serve as unusual inspirations for all Americans.
——————————————————————–
Israel Putnam was a man for his time, and he was constantly in his element. He was born to Joseph and Elizabeth on Jan. 7, 1718, the 10th of 11 children. His birth took place in Salem Village, Massachusetts. His father always kept horses ready to ride, and fully loaded pistols on hand for an emergency.
Putnam grew up on the family farm, where the family raised sheep, goats and oxen. He married Hannah Pope in 1739 and within a year they moved to Mortlake (now Brooklyn, Connecticut) with their small son, Daniel. Over the years, Putnam began buying up land no one else seemed to want, and even though his education was scant, he was known for his excellent character and bravery.
When news broke out regarding the French and Indian War, Putnam became involved as a volunteer. In 1758, he was captured by the enemy and was almost killed a number of times, but fortunately he survived the experience.
Putnam eventually was given the title of “chief of recruiting,” obviously a less dangerous job, and when he received word that British troops were fighting the local citizens in Boston, he left the plow where it sat in his field, now the Brooklyn Green, saddled up and rode to the Boston area. He arrived to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill), and as the enemy moved closer, he reportedly let loose with his battle cry of “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!”
Sometime later he became quite well-known locally due to circumstances surrounding the killing of farm animals by a now famous female wolf. Putnam and his fellow farmers had been unsuccessful in catching the wolf, but the three-toed creature had left footprints in a light snow and this time, bloodhounds tracked the she-wolf to a small crevice of rocks. Much effort was exerted in “snuffing” her out of the cave, but to no avail. Determined to end this saga, Putnam took his musket, lashed a rope around his legs and moved into the cave. It was close quarters and when he faced the snarling wolf, one shot ended his mission. On a prearranged signal, he yanked on the rope so he could be quickly pulled out with his dead prey.
Putnam’s military career ended after he suffered a stroke during a battle, which led to his retirement. He did work his farm and took part in town activities, but on May 29, 1790, he died after a two-day illness. Edith Kermit Carrow, a relative of the family, once ran a country inn in the former Putnam home, and became the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Please note that due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Norwich Historical Society will not host physical in person Second Saturday Walking Tours in July and August, but we will create virtual tours which will be accessible on our website and Facebook page. Please check out our website and Facebook page for more virtual content.
——————————————————————–
For today’s article, we will take a closer look at the rural town of Lebanon due to its interesting history and some of its early leaders.
Red Cedar Lake in Lebanon was first known as “Cedar Swamp.” The present green was first generally known as “The Great Broad Street.” The original North Society of Lebanon eventually became what is known today as the town of Columbia. It was there that “Moor’s Indian Charity School” began, and its building still stands. The sign nearby tells us that this was the beginning of Dartmouth College.
What is now the Lebanon area was first settled by the Mohegan Tribe and was used almost exclusively for hunting. The tribe granted the land to Norwich settlers who wanted to start a new town there. Lebanon’s name itself originated with one of the Rev. James Fitch’s sons, who compared both the height of the land and the large existing cedar forest, resulting in the Biblical name: Lebanon.
Five governors of Connecticut were born and raised in the town of Lebanon. That impressive number exceeds any other town’s contribution in the entire state of Connecticut. Those governors include Jonathan Trumbull Sr., John Trumbull Jr., Clark Bissell, Joseph Trumbull and William A. Buckingham.
Lebanon’s impressive green is the town’s most distinctive feature. With a major portion of it still engaged in agricultural activity, it is unique in Connecticut. Historically, it remains as an example of early town settlements. In 1979, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The town was somewhat slow in residents coming to live in what has been described early on as “a few huts scattered among a vast number of trees.” However, by 1725, the town did have several active sawmills, gristmills, and a variety of agricultural enterprises. In addition, infrastructure improvements included better roads, bridges, dams and ponds.
Lebanon’s historic importance during the Revolutionary War certainly earned the town’s nickname, “The heartbeat of the Revolution.” A group of patriots called “the Council of Safety” held over a thousand secret meetings between 1775 and 1783, with more than half of them taking place in the War Office.
It was in the War Office that Governor Jonathan Trumbull Sr. conducted day-to-day operations of the war effort. At times, individuals at those meetings included Gen. Henry Knox, French Gen. duc de Lauzun, and Gen. George Washington. On the night of March 4 into March 5 of 1781, General Washington spent the night in Lebanon prior to his journey first to Norwich, then to Preston on his way to Newport, Rhode Island. Most historians familiar with Lebanon’s history agree that the general spent that night in the home of Jonathan Trumbull Jr., a house now open as a local museum. The War Office is still standing and is open to the public (please check for operating hours).
Regarding French Gen. Lauzun, it was his “Legion of Horse” that was encamped in Lebanon for six months from 1780-81 and was reviewed by Washington prior to his own journey as described above. Lauzun and his men were on their way to join other French troops in the effort to defeat the British forces ending the war. The military unit utilized the green for its military exercises.
Lebanon’s importance during the Revolutionary War as well as other conflicts can never be minimized, and we celebrate its contributions.
——————————————————————–
Benedict Arnold lost the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in October 1776 … or did he? Actually, Arnold never expected to win that battle, his only hope was to delay the British navy there until proper defenses of Fort Ticonderoga could be prepared.
Even though he technically lost the battle itself, his delaying action succeeded in stopping the British progress. His hope was to keep the British Navy from sailing south on the lake until winter set in.
Arnold commanded several undersized ships in his fleet. By the end of September 1776, he was already anticipating the approach of a powerful British fleet.
First, he positioned his undermanned fleet behind Valcour Island. Since his fleet was smaller and sailors under his command were inexperienced, he decided that the narrow waters would limit the British advantage in firepower.
However, his officers resisted his idea and wanted to do battle in open water. As the British fleet passed the northern tip of Valcour Island, Arnold sent two ships from their vantage point, to draw attention from the British. After a brief exchange of fire, Arnold’s two ships made efforts to return to the American line, but they were sailing against the wind. One ship, Royal Savage, ran aground near the southern tip of the island, but the other ship made it back.
British gunboats moved in and the crew of the Royal Savage abandoned ship. Just then, other British gunboats rounded the bend and the battle began in earnest. One by one, the American ships took overpowering damage. One was towed to safety, another sunk from direct hits and only the setting sun, dusk and the gift of darkness prevented the British from complete victory. Arnold realized that his position was perilous and decided on an escape to the south — directly through the anchored British fleet.
This time, nature was on his side and he utilized the advantage of a dark and foggy night along with clever oar muffling. Arnold and his dismantled fleet continued south to Schuyler Island, but the British, angered by his escape, began a pursuit. He eventually was forced to burn his remaining ships in Buttonmold Bay.
A total tally showed that American forces had lost 80 men and 120 more captured.
Arnold had lost 11 of his 16 original vessels. On the British side, there were 40 killed and three gunboats gone. Arnold traveled overland to Crown Point where he ordered the post abandoned, falling back to Fort Ticonderoga.
In the meantime, the British occupied Crown Point. They stayed two weeks and then made the determination that it was too late in the season to continue their campaign and withdrew to their northern quarters. This would have to be classified as a tactical defeat for the Americans, but in reality, it was a critical strategic victory for the Norwich native and his subordinates, as it prevented any invasion from the north in 1776.
That delay caused by the race and battle gave the American cause an extra year to stabilize the north and prepare for the historic campaign ahead, culminating with the victory at the Battles of Saratoga.
Arnold’s strategy in the above account did not go unnoticed by Gen. George Washington who, at that time, regarded Benedict Arnold as one of his best and most trusted generals.
In 2014, the Norwich Historical Society in cooperation with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, hosted the Key to Liberty Exhibit: Benedict Arnold, An American Hero on Lake Champlain. The exhibit was comprised of 23 panels and featured Benedict Arnold’s heroism during the Battle of Valcour Island and discussed how the battle directly contributed to the overall victory of the Revolutionary War. The permanent exhibit is on display at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vermont.