Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, July 3, 1909, Page 13

ke to the l?tnr w canal from e to lau‘gfid'e. Mass. —for bridge across the Falls— removing bulldings and widening -and for bullding a dam or Ay @acress the cove, where face ¥ s and mills of various descripe tions might be erected—as well as many others schemes of lesser mag. atude have beea brought upon the £arpet. . . . Means are sufficient to nge&mpu.h ol if rightly applied. It 4 then only éwing to the Wwant of uni- Ty in our citizens, which is greatly to Do regretted. . . . It any plan, how- ever important, is started by gentles men and they soliclt the assistance of others, they are almost sure to receive Wrom. the majority the answer that you will subscribe liberally towards iding a steam boat, I will subscribe th pleasure in aid of your profect. . . Or what is worse, they object, # Bayivg that it will be of no advantage %o'Chelsea or Town, and thus vice ver- “The principal design now under @onsideration is that of the location of ‘Washington college. This is a sub- gect of great importance and will be ©f infinite benefit to this or -any town where it may chance to be located. « + - Improve this opportunity and your vrize, and you haye at onde mplished many other objects. You then have new bridges, steam boats, and turnpikes, and as the town s in business -and -opulence, f greater magnitude may be wecomplished. . . . It Is desirable that persor not ask the growling question, whether, if tHe institution should be established in this town, its particular location is to be in Chel- sea or the Town, as it would be of mi- nor consequence—whatever is of great advantage to one section of the place, 18 more or less so to the other.” In order to understand the condi- f this critical period, from 1820 we must bear in mind the main facts of the history of Norwich for the ‘160 years up to 1820; the ear- 1y strugzles and hardships of the pro- prietors and early settlers up to 1720; the absolute business supremacy of Old Norwich up te the time of the revolution; its continyed 8s a business, political, , and . postoffica center up to about 1800, and the rapid growth of Chelsea at the ex- | fense ot Ol Norwich ‘from 1786 to | 0. history of transportation as it developed In Norwich, given in anoth- er column of this issue of The Bulle- divided into three groups of three dif- ferent periods. The first of these pe- from 1796 to 1806, when com- pared with the list of Old Nerwich from 1770 to 1800 shows that by 1800 | | €in, shows many of the difficult mvhich were encountered by the village aite of Old Norwich in attempting to supremacy as a cbnte ughter, Chelsea. As a cen- 1 population the Old Nor- illy as good as that of | fact, in many ways § e trémendpus exp truction of lenld'nb o ledges of the \Chelsea si first more than balanced the two mil transportation from tidewater to Old | Norwich. he .$10,000 spent in reck blasting-a few vears ago for the cel of a site, if the Old structed a i building. But the added expense goods to the Old ness point o vantageou Chelsea site, In_other words, rwich were “Norwich ndss om a busi- more ad- ngs in the to locate buil ile the conditions | similar to those or ColchesteY, the | site was preferable to When transportation | , over trails, by was- | and . hourlies, then turnpikes, and bridges’ couid as well for the Old, Norwi But when in be bullt site as for the Chelsea site. raflroads and electric thei.: slower predecessors, site’ grew. much_faster Old Norwich. When the trip to New York was mede by sloops, packets and schooners the time taken for the add- | ed two milg transportation of goods was not of so much importance; . but when stcamboats were invented, and | the speed of transportation Increased | it soon became more economical for | the residents of Old Norwich to re- move their business locations to Chel- sea Landing. As has been shown In the preceding section of this sketch of the history of Norwich, Chelsea grew. much more rapidly than Old fler ch during the years from 1786 to 1820, It not only grew more rapidly, but it took away | business from the residents of the old center. In taking away business it took away the money getting power nhabitants of Old Norwich and Chelsen. And because the bread en ‘out of the mouths of the | of the residants of the old | center and West [Chelsea, they felt that the inhabitants of thefr rival Chelsea. were their enemies, It is un- doubtedly due to this fact, more or lees clearly perceived at the time, that many- bitter and unfortunate state- ments were made, not only by the res- fdents of these village sites which wera being injured, but also by the | fnhabitants of Chelsea who were try- ing to gain the supremacy. that not the purpose of the writer history to go very fully into the details of thls great struggle for the feadership among these village sit It is, however, necessary in order to understand the history of Norwich to llude to some of the impartant feat- mres of this critical period. This peri- | @4 Is just far enough back in our his- eory to be out of the .memories of the oldest Uiving residents: We hav Beard somothing about this 7 from our forefathers, but these ac- @ounts which have beén given us hav. Seen more or less colored according | %0 the sectlon of the town in which e or our ancestors have lived. | Transportation was greatly faclll- $ated by the develupment of Broad way and Washington street in their gresent conditfons. These streets were Wery broad for the time in which they were constructed; they were in what today we call = bouleyards rkways connecting the two sites of ld Norwich and Chelsea. T tors of these streets may hav d something of thelr importance Inying out such magnificent eonnecting two rival sites, for time when they were widened to gresont boulevard condifon Chel was forging very rapidly to the fhre fn the race for suprems These Boulevards have done m toward unitying the interests of the town, but they have not sueceeded in completely connecting the two settlements. It is grobably owing.to the feelings stirred up between these rival communities | Muring this critical period that more rapid growth has not taken place bet | tween the twe, for it is a general law of the development of cities ~that Woulevards or parkways connecting to hasten | the time when they ow togeth- ar. As has been stated, in 1800 the bus- rm center was still at Old Norwich, ut. by 1820 it is undoubtedly the fact that the center of business w: Chelsea. 1t is very difficult to get ab the facts in regard te the business con- ditions at various dates In the past, But a great many facts have been col- fected, and a comparison of the two lists of places of business given In other columns. of this paper will show B great deal in regard to this change of the business center from Old Nor- wich to Chelsea. The first list, given under the actount of “Old Norwich from 1720.to 1784," shows the cond: fnons or businessein OId . Norwich after the revolutfon. Jt is not com- plote, but it gives a very fair picture of the business of Old Norwich from 1770 to 1800.- In the second list, enti- @led “Former Business Men of Chelsea- Nerwigh,”. the firmg doing business are | the | sea and the residents of Old Norwich, the lons of business were ap- ely balanced. This list Is argely on the advertisers in the | ielsea Courler, and doed not give all | business concerns then in exist- her the Old Norwich or fhe a site. In the second list, how- ever, from 1810 to 1840 (7) there is no doubt about the business supremacy of Chelsea over Old Nerwich. s oo From a cargful study of the facts shown in thesh lists it seems safe to assume that up to 1300 the business center of the town of Nerwich was at Old Norwich site; tha\ from 1800 to 1820 was a, period of change in the BRIDGE ACRDSS YANTIC RIVER | AT FALLS, 1860. ! center of business from Old Norwich to Chelsea; and that since 1820 the center .of business for the town of Norwich, and in fact for eastern Con- necticut, has been in the Chelsea site We therefore date this critical period from 1820. Political Changes.—The second point to be considered under this tical penlod s the change in the conditions of government. FOr several years aft- er the removal of the business center to Chelsea the' center of the govern- ment was stHl at the Old Norwich site As has been shown, the first mayor, Benfamin Huntington (1784- 1796), lived beyond the meeting house Tocks, in the house on West Town street now occupled by Mr. Johm A.| Brady. The secend mayer, John Me- | Laran Breed (1796-1798)," was_from Chelsea. The third mayer, Elisha | Hyde (1798-1813), lived also west of the meeting house rocks, in_a house nearly opposite that of Benjamin Huntington. The fourth mayor, Cal vin Godd: (1814-1831) lived' near Chelsea Parade, half way between Old Norwich ,and Chelsea. The town meetings up to 1800 were always held in Old Norwich. Frem 1800 to 1839 they were held alternately in the court house on the green and in the Second Congregational church at Chelsea. Unsil 1830 the town clerk’s office was at what is now called Peck’'s corner. 5 There was @ good deal of political friction between the residents of Chel- and on January 11, 1827, the residents of Old Norwich pefitioned to be set off as_a separate town. To the Honorable General Assembly tate of Connecticut to_ be d on the first Wed- Hartf ay npx of the subscribers in- of the town of Norwich in ate humbly sheweth That the fon of your petitioners in said GEN, SAMUEL "HUNT! part of said town beffig that in which your petitioners reside comprises a con, siderable portion of the first Soclety so ed‘and a small part of the second ty ocated that they attend ip in said first society and is all in the limits of the first School Society—this Includes the ancient town plot first settled by our ancestors and for a long time was the seat of busi- ness, which has since changed and it is now composed ajmost entirely of Farmers with a few necessary Me- chanies The other part of said town includes Norwich Port, of more recent settle- ment, where, the business. of the town is now done—and also includes a ve respectable seitlement at the falls. has a populagien altogether different | line between the two towns, Viz.—Be- THE VILLAGE OF GREENEVILLE "IN 1863 from the first section named consisting of Merchants, Traders, large Manufac- turing and exten§ive Mechanical es- tablishments al] very flourishing and prosperous in their pursuits and &s they are more compactly settled, neces- sarily have wanty and wishes incident to their situation and such as a thriv- ing City requires. Here are Banks, respectable News Papers are publish'd, &c,, and while It may be very laudable and praiseworthy in the Citizens re- ¢iding in that part of said tewn to adopt' regulations' and expend money to attain the objects which from their rapid accumulation of property and the continued prospective increase of in- habitants are proper and suitable for them. Yet your petitioners being com- paratively a scattered population an deriving their support generally from agriculture the gains from which are always small and now greatly reduced by its depresked state as 1s well knowr o your honorable body, so that they cel it would not be consistent with that duty which all owe to their fam- s and to their Creditors to con- iribute towards defraying such extra- ordinary expenses and they cannot do it with' that prompti.ess and cheerful- ness with which they pay the Common and necessary expenditures for pau- pers, bridges, roads, &c., &e. This Norwich now extends over a consider- le part of that section of the town situated Northerly and Westerly of the boundary er divisien line prayed for and for the reasons which they have iven for being divided as & town— vould further pray of your honorable body to take thelr case into consider- ation, and as we do not want the pow- er and: privi of &d City Charter, and it is understood the other part of the town do want the same continued unto them, that it may be repealed so far as it extends to ‘that part of the town in which y'r petitioners live as before described and that said Char- ter may be limited and cenfined to that part-of the town situated Easter- and ‘Southerly of the aforesaid di- vision line with such mame and title as is proper and suitable. And that he Public property now belonging to said City may be divided and the debt 1gainst ‘8'd City which is a large one may be paid In proportion to the amount each part of said City stand in the list of Polls and ratable estate. And as your petitioners are provided with two Fire' Engines we. pray -that the officers and men living Within the limits aforesald and attachéd to the same may be continued with the pow- ers and privileges, which they now | have, subject to the government of leads to an array of one part of tne|the town prayed to be incorporated town against the other and produces|and the Selectmen thereof in the same eollisions which are greatly to be de- wrnner as they now under the gov- plored, and to.prevent the recurrence of_which this petition is brought. s - - | The state of fhings which now exi 4 ; % 4 hetween the two sections of s'd to owing- to their different pursuits a ants (and between which sections known to a part of your henoura body there Is a natural division of u occupied gpace) has altogether pr duced in the minds of your petitisnc a conviction that the pedce and h mony which should prevail in all co munities cannot be continued wh we remain as one town but that ( interest ang happiness of both sectio would be greatly promoted by a vision of said town of Norwich ir . g two towns In such manner as wo. i P o | effect the object by separating the L . ek 5 | part from the, Country so that e % part could be letf to regulate their ¢ £ | i e+ | concerns unembarrassed by the oth: ' i = 2 | when we trust the good feel! - g - | among neighbors which recent exc 4 5 ? | ment has somewhat disturbed w ~ | again return. To attain this end your petltio would respecttully describe the follo ing line of division which they pray may be established as the boundary wm. Pitcher, wnidtn 3 LuCOEBLET, | Epi'm R Kettle, John Ellis, Alfred Pitcher, Willlam ' Bliss, Jos. Meeker, ! Marvin' Smith, Blj. Pitcher, Jr., A. Bai- ley, Jr, Lyman Roath, Thos. Carew, D. 'Sherman, Elias Bliss, Jos. S. Hall, Elisha_Andrews, T. A. Tillinghast, Lem. Kingsley, E. W. Andrews, Ja- bez Armstrong, O. R. Northrup, John Fanning, J. A. Gifford, Rob. Sterry, Nathan 'Miner, W. L Austin, Henry Tracy, J. 8. Ferguson, Leonard Bush- nell, E. E. Rogers, James Potter, Sid- ney’ Gardner, Jos.' Pettis, John James, Wm. Holt, Luther Case, Waterman Carew, Leonard E. Barber, Ab. Roath, Adonijah Jerkins, §. M. Andrews, Sey- mour Morse, Darius Lathrop, Aaron Armstrong, Eliab Rogers, Henry Ste- vens, Gilbert Pitcher, D. M. Balley, ¥. Barrows, Tim (his mk) Armstrong, Wm. Edgerton, Elijah_Pitcher, Thw L. Throep, Isaac Birch, D. G. Edgerton, Ira Gifford, Asher Wijlet, H. Nevins, Henry Strong, 8. D. King, Geo. Bliss, Azor C. Smith, Jes'n Tracy, Lillbridge Barber, 1. Morse, Jr., Silas Armstrong, John Morse, J. B. Lathrop, E. R. Pot- ter,. F. T. Fanning, Rowland Cham- plain, ‘Jumes Thomas, Wm. Johnson, G. H. States, Bester Peck, H. N. Pitch- er, Parmena Jones, Thos. Leach, Simon T.' Rudd. | To the Sheriff of the County of New London, tis deputy or tn c'thsr eon- LeFFINGWELL'S INN. stable of the town of Norwich, within | s'd Coupty (excepting Burrell La- throp) Greeting By authority of, the State of Con- necticut you are héreby commanded to ummon "the town ,of Norwich in s'd New London county and also the City of Norwich in s’d county to appear ernment of the City Corporation, whose power'we pray may be discon- tinued in tHe fire department, as well as all other powers within our limits. 'And if the parties interested in the aivision of the town property and Cjty property and in paying the town and City debts & in dividing the Paupers | pefore the Honorable General Assem- should not be abl 5 Al ply of s, State to be held at Hart- faid matters, we pray that provision | fora in «d State oy the first Wednes- erly course a straight Jine Vorth | may -be made for an @ i day of May A. D. 1827, that is to ap- End ‘of Russell thbara'.mp(;h:zrm;wrifi { @ll 'said cencerns or such as sald Dar- | pear on the Tuesday next following s'd and from thence a Mtraight line to| ties may not agree upon, the 2" t-Wednesday then and there to Whers the road passing feomt of Johs | Deintment of a disinterested Commit- | ghoy reasons if any there be why the Arnold Gifford's dwelling house inter. | (¢, P¥ ¥'r Hon .Body, or power BiVen| prayer of the foregoing petition should sects the road leading from Norwich | L0, the County Court to appoint a com- | not pe granted. Port to Bozrah Pond and'thenge a due | Tittee- for 8'd purpese on anvlication | frereof fail not, but Lawtul Service west course to the division line be. | 3f S2id -parties or either of them—& | and return mak tween said Norwich and the town of| YOur Petitioners will every pray. Dated at Norwich, this 21st day of Bozrah. Your petitions residing North- | . NOLvich: Jany 11, 1827, Jan'y A. D. 1827. The State Duty of erly and Westerly of the anove de.| o Nathk Towsend Geo. S. Armstrobé | two Dollars is paid hereon Certified scribed land and bounded bv the ad- | RULUS Spalding, Samuel Avery, Jobn | and signed by JOHN HYDE, ginning at the Falls on Shetucket river, which river divides &G town of Nor. wich from the town of Lisbon, from thence running a Southeri- courss, a straight line to the East Side of the dwelling house of Elijah Pitcher, Jun'r, thence running a_straight line intem secting the Main Street in 8'd Norwich to the south East corner of Widow Lucy Carew’s house lot, thence a west- y i owi . Cleveland, Geo. B. 2 joining towns of Bozrah, Franklin and | . Townsend, Wm. Cleveland, r Justice of the Peace. Lisbon, although the smallest in num. | Armstrong, = Wm. = Mansfleld, James | 4 True Copy er_of the two divisions of &'d Nor. | LOWELY, Simeon Thomas, phaml Abtaet: i B - i | Charles Lathrop, Josep THOS. THOMAS, would yet contain a population | Snarles Lathrop, JICSCED HOS, THO of nearly two thousand which js great- | er than one half the number of towns | in the state and in the list would be over $30,000 amouht exceeding the av. ge amount of all the towns in the state about E towns are Calkins, Peleg Armstrong, Thos. shall, Simeon C. Carew, Nathan Wals- worth, Charles Pitcher, Solomon Wil- mg, Eleager B. Fargo, John Caswel Bleazer Rogers, Jary throp, R. Mergan, Augustus Hyde, Gurdon Yale Abjel B. Sher n, Rich- rd P. Tracy, Wm. Mansfield, Jr., Abel Another Petition for Separation. Following this petition of the resi- dents of Old Norwich, four months la- | ter the residents of W Ch on the first Wednesday of M titioned _the Legislature To the Honorable Gener iswold, Samuel Case, Tt L. the State of Connec Thomas, Chris’h §. Lathrop, Jos. W. holden at Ha , Daniel Griswold, Isaac Barmes, Wednesday The petition of N and others humbly petitioners reside in the the town of Norwich | seperated from the other p Stephen Tracy, Gur dgerton ab Hyde, Eber. Backus, A. H. hard, Hug! ton, David Pitcher, Jr;, Wm. Jr., Alex. Bingham, Daniel _uther Spalding, Joseph H own by the river Thames 3 Bela Peck, Elisha Tracy, O. E Yantic above its junetic ith { ington, Luther P.%Spalding, Jos. C.|Thames, that the public meetir A. B. Saml Rogers, Denison Roge: Huntington, Thos Wm. Danl. | said town are holen and thei busir all done on the! said Rivers, that sald Yantic Huntington, A. Caréw . Glles Lathrop, Jos. G. a violent and rapid stream, that t “hester Fuller, Charles E waters of said river frequently r Thos, 8. Jones, Erastus Wentworth, | high that all intercourse between yo Grastus Huntington, John P. Austin, James Maples, Joseph Smith, Joseph T. Manning, Erastus Waterman, Thos. Billings, ~ BEben. Hunting- ton, Asa_ Backus, Jr, Clark Gardner, = Ezékiel Barrett, Eben'r Lord, Giles L'Hommedieu, Charles Bliss, Jesse Huntington, Henry Welch, Eleazer L. ‘Lathrop, Tracy, Caleb petitioners and the other part of town is interrupted and the passage o said river is at times rendered highl dangeérous. The only passage acro said River Thames is by a bridge v on which stood the celebrated Mes dist Meeting House which was so years since a subject of discussion be- fore vour honorable body. The fate Huntington, Gerard Carpenter, Asa|of that building must convince vour | INGTON'S HO USE. Lathrop, Burrell Lathrop, Jon. Bush-| Honors of the danger to which vour pell, Jr., Charles 8. Rogers, Eph.| Petitioners are frequéntly exposed. half the am't. And now we pray that | Pitcher, Jere'h Green, George Yeomans, sald division may be made and said | Elias Sheppard, Wm. Lee, Buckley boundary line established and that your | Daniels, Gilbert Ames, Jas. Bushnell, petitioncrs may seperately exist within | Alvin Armstrong, Backus Smith, W. said 'bounds as a town or corporation | W. Backus, Simon Lathrop, Asahei with the priviledge of sending one rep- | Case, Zeph'r Bliss, David Yeomans, resentativé to the General Assembly, | Rufus _Huntington, Orimel Mabry, and with other like powers and privi- | Jona'n Bushnell, Wm. G. Tracy, Abijah leges, enjoyed by the several towns|Thatcher, Wm. L. Throop, Chas. P. in this sate, and praying also that the | Huntington, = Bb. SLathrop, Samuel public property now belonging to the | Charlton, 'Benj. Huntington, Dan'l town of Norwich and the debts due to | Morse, Sllas Babeock, Laban Foster, and from said town with the paupers | Jeremiah Griffing, David Pitcher, Thos. may be divided between and paid by | Wheeler, Js. Brumley, Asher Palmer, each part of said town in proportion [ Lewis Hyde, Dan’l Huntington, James to the amount which each part afore-|J. Hyde, Benj. Tracy, Adam Pendle- said are in the list of Polls & ratable | tom, Joshua Yeomans, Hpaphras Por- estate for 1§26, ter, Cary Throop, Wm. Clegg, Martin And y'r petitioners would further | Bushnell, N. Shipman, Zach Hunting- state’ that of the City of ton.uo'-ttumfll.nwmm- Your petitioners further show tnat West Chelsea is now a place of quite extensive business. Ship building and the various branches of mechanical business are carried on to a great ex- tent, a large Woolen Manufact'y, a Dye' Wood do.”a Morocco do., a Pot- tery, a Foundry, a Brewery, a Distil- lery and a Rope Walk are located among your Petitioners, the Inhabit- ants of the West Side of said Rivers are mostly farmers and mechanics who rigidly practice those principles of economy and industry which are the foundations of public happiness. They have ‘among them no extortious over- grown money lenders.. They support neither a Lawyer, nor a physician, but the pursuits of the inhabitants on the east side of said Rivers are essentially - | Bean Hull. | Norwich. whick A PERIOD WHEN VILLAGE RIVALRIES LED TO RASH ACTION mell, Wm. Foste, Asa Ladd, Dan Ca- | different from those of your Petition- | respectfully to ers. A great Portion of them having | inherited or in eome other w large estates, are either idle or 3 contriving schemes inconsistent the wishes of your Petitioners. Th: have now two B s and are anxious | for another. they have one market completed and have issued propos for another. they have now one Cou House and are determined toc bu another. they have got an academ Yet they aré anx College. Your Petitioners ha erate_instances proposed for the Assembly but t an oppressive and outra b have sent the man of their o and have not regarded the voice of yo Petitioners. The conti city government over your is a seurce of great oppr ion. are in sald City six engines, @ two hundred men exempted from I tary. duty to age them dnc Petiti though West Chelsea is a age .of nearly two Hundred' buildin e either of said engines are p among your Petitioners, which are established on Bean Hill an parts of the cast side of sald much}ess P lous and much posed’to fire than the Vill west side of said Rivers. Y tioners have been heav the support of said engine permitted to participate i benefits, as it is at all t larly unpleasant and at mi tremgly dangerous for your to cross said rivers, and waters of said Rivers a ry is formec e taxed but age any of t! ings, thelr habits difte of the rest of the town, t t from those who thus difter from t fore is that that pa said Rivers be town by the name of with the privilege of Representative to the bly, that e the gove: Petitioners as in duty B pray. Dated at No of April A. D. an Champlin in beh and the/rest of the i Norw living west of and th At a public ants of the town of th on the west side of the Riv held 1827 and Yantic, A. D. olved th seneral bitants on expec Assembl vho ald inhabitants to pr said Petition. JOHN' NICHOLS Clerk of i Me This action of these two village called ‘forth the followin strance from William P. others: A Remonstrance. To the Honorable, the Ge bly of Shate of now In session: The Memorial of the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of N respectfully represents. That memorialists reside in the around Norwich Falls, them are within the Third Ward in the havo viewed tio City GEN. JABEZ morialists beg leave to represent that | re in that pertion of the Town they redide, which comprises Wi been termed by the Petitioners for Division “a ver: ment at the- Fall division yof unoccupied space” the at present a population of nearly thousand souls. That of your memorial nearly one T f the ex population of the and your rie- morialists beg leave to represent that the Jnhabitants aforesaid are almost unanimously of opinign that a division of the Town would Be highly injurious ito their interests and they cannot con ceive that such a measure would ad! either to the peace or prosperity of any part of the Town but on the con- trary be a serfous injury to the who Wherefare your momorialists begleave : 0] con. nion one | con itutes | nually appointed by ire | ¢ temonstrate agal Petition for a division. and Honorable Body that the { may not be granted.” This ren ! publ 1 ritory " Itmits ges now Bean Hill ar RESOLVE ALTERING THE LIMITS OF THE CITY. Vo O of this resolve, all that part of the Norwich and being north t wssell o n all cease er form a part nd that the sball from, and no ernment nd ors all the now by as the v provi and no farther. cts TS HOU se. now located in that part of the same, i being north and west of the d described line, shall be, and respectable settle: | Temain for the use and benefit of the and “ a natural | inhabitants there residing nd shall be under the care and direction of a mittee of five persons realding an: chool 0. within sald limits, ty in Norwich, at ing; and the fire c tached to sald engin rer with the like they now have, under the direction and regulation of sald committee; and any vacancles which now exist, or shall hereafter exist in sald companies, shall be supplied by enlistment, under the direction of sald committee, who shall have the same power in relation to sald companles, as tho mayor, alder- k SoR o Moo TR are aut at_any e’ before the Ml January, A. D. 1§28, on the of the court of commen councll city of Norwich, to ascertain qufin- the amount of all due from said city, and to de what part thereof, according to and rateable estate of the year 1826 shall be that part of the city lying and north and west of ‘the aforesald ae scribed line, due regard being had, such determination, to the amount city property by them retained, the amount retained by said eity! sald County Court having so deteps minéd the amount to be paid to city, shall assess the same upon poils and rateable estate within released limits, according to sald for the year 1326; and shall grant warrant, signed by the clerk of court for the collectior’ thereof, ed to the collector of said city for time being, who shall proceed with collect said tax, and pay over the same to the city treasurer, in the same mle ner as though said tax had been lai@ by sald city During this period, but beginning a8 d remove the courts from Old Chelsea. This movement ously opposed, and it was 1833 that the question was not bgought before the General Assembly, until ard referred to the New London Coune ty representatives, who decided on the removal st office at the old settles SR to bear the name of Nerwieh intil 1836, the office at Chelses own as Chelsea Landing from the ishment in 1808 to as Norwioh City until 1438. te, the present names were original settlement Se« coming ‘Norwich Town, and its dsughe ter Norwich. FORMER BUSINESS MEN OF NORs WICH. No merchant or shopkeeper (s MR« ored 1n the early records of Norwich, 1 probably the early settiers from London all the com: o3 which were not able te ice among themselves Miss Ca. ks Alexander of ug formerly “of doubtlesr xd many ocuse .ong_the Norwich people. A ils hus been reserved, which contal namee e persons In ‘Norwiob and th whom he had accounts Doubtless almost all the in the way of barten however, dbon began et loaded boats passed up river. yeurs after the settie- or the Landing, was heepwalk, and used in e people as & pasture. mes Fitch was allowed the water side sufficlent to building of & wharf an shouse. Similar grants followed 1] @ considerable trade sprang up along the water's edye. | The steres on the southern side ef nt Water strost( then kmown First ot), ware dl- o river's sids, and the oops or packets were able the'r cergoes at thelr the establish- sershon Breed, established in 1764, 1 still doing buainess as The Haton Company; that of John Balesr nmer, who has a Iittle of every. 1¢ for sale, and “gives cash fer ox- ns, old pewter and hopps;” that of ezer Colburn, iron-monger and r; that of Isalah Tiffany, who 1ls “ribbons, fans, calicoes, lawns and wware, just imported from Lom- " Nathaniel Backus, Jr. had & at what 1s now the Shannen ner, with a broad, high stepping- tone for a horseblock, to mOCOMEO- ate ladies who came in from the »untry for their shopping. But in these carly days the best «tores were all uptown, and thither adles of Chelsea were arcustomed -y eir shopping. Ome of coding stores uptown was that & Colt, who kept a little of —paints, dyes, Websters papor-hangings, New malca, and * nd “coniac” " sorts, sugar, tea, “choso- mesaic and fancy chanses, rose blankets, jesns ans; “chaln, souflee, owpress, nett nd crape guuses” stuff dhoes fans, ribbons, “dtmothies” pelongs, durants, shalloons, bea willow, Blenhelm nd Leghorn hats; moreens, taboreens, cordurctts, russeletts, savenets, rettls nets, &c., &c. | near all ffee ‘s ware, Near Harland’s corner, Thomas Har« land had his watch factory, opened as | early 773, It is sald that he em= ployed twelve hands comstantly snd ade annually two hundred oty stches and clocks, Here was the s store of Dootors Danfel and Jash« | ua Lathrop; the general etore of Col. | Christopher Lefingwel. Jater condudt- ed by his sons, Willlam and Chris- | topher; the store of Baldwin & ! that of Avery & Tracy; thet of - | lay Woodb+idge, afterward ooccupled by | Carew uniington, end etill lster | by the firm of Joseph & Charles P. | Huntington. Hers, too, was the ehop of Lathrop & Eels, where they mant mr-y md? variety of goods, “Royal | Ribs, Ribdelures, Ribdurants, Zebrays, l &o. | In 1700 Main street (then known as | Middle, or Second, street) was opensd, and business began to creep down to- ward the Landing, although the busi- ness center remained for some time at | Norwich Town. It is interesting to read the advertisements in old num- | bars of she Chelsea Courler, and one s surprised at the number of stores is ‘well as at the variety of goods of- fere@ for sale. Dress goods end wear- & apparel of all kinds—Cassimere, antdowns, Mersallles and_ Tollonet wt Patterns, Tammies, Lustrings, Red Morecco Shoes, Mu Jor nd annas, Humhums, {pad Tndia_Buglapore, reen pink nd laylocic Umbr Satin_Pelong, Pullicat Handksrchiets, “Shoulder Chains for the Cavalry, a new téush, st imported from London, “London Prown Lion Skin for Great Coats, Kepperdule, for curtains, Jean Marma- doos, G ahs, Turkey-Gown Vests, Longhee, Romiles, and Systucoy | Handkerchiets, &e. And provisions— Cadiz Sal*, Tle May Salt by the 108 pushels, res! Holland Geneva, by the pipe, Oranges “for sale by the prin- | ter,” Survinam molasses, superfine | York flour, St. Kitts Rum, &ec. The following names. with ome haracteristic advertisemaents, are tak- from the columms of tho Chelsea Courfer between 1796 and 1806: } In a later period, bstween 1810 and | 1840, the character cf the advertd inents has changed, the modern names of the streetn begin to appear, An: we find the names of many business men w are well remembered today. This period ineludes the time of the war of 1812, and there advert, ments of Artillery and Cavalry Sword: Sabres, and Cut and Thrust Swords and Military Stocks. Among the va- Fetlca of dry goods we find enumerat- ed Estoplllas, Picknet Sleeves, Cotton and Sflk Ferrits, Pelerines, Merino Shawls “from 18 to $50 each.”* Prunello Shoes, Caroline or Cirvassian Plaids, Worsted barrage Handkerckiets largs size with pa £ _corners, Thibet Shawls, “Large Pearl Buttons for Gen= tlemen's Outside Coats” Red and Puddings Mixed Super drab_Flushs ings, White k. yellow and gresn Quality, Green and drab Petersham, Goats Halr Gambets, with silks fn at variety Botween 540 and 1856 we find the