Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, July 3, 1909, Page 19

(Continued from page seventeen.) T oy vy, e ery, bridge was finhy h‘dl it '.[: found “great a convenience IS that amother _lottery was o2 tog. s raise £278 or $926 “for fin- compieting e great Whart Chelsea in Norwicn.” highway near this bridge was v & portion of Mr. Breed's lot. Completion of _the led to improvements in all the o St in its. neighbor The,pres: falling into the old Iy of Trading-cove ent rates of toll and complete state of re- missioners aforesaid to_borrow money! Miss Caulkins tell us that the first | rson to set up a chaise in Norwich :u Samuel Brown, and he was fised for riding in it to meeting. At the time of the Revolution she only six chaises, or gigs, were owned in the town. These six weére owned by Gen. Jabez Huntington, Col. Heze- kiah Huntin Daniel Lathrop, Dr. Theophil Eaq., and_Nathaniel Backus, Esq. of Cheisea. Dr. Lathrop' garded as particularly splendid, with its yellow body, morocco top, and & window upon one side. - In 1768 weekly communication be- tween Norwich and Providence was established by means of stage coaches which left Lathrop’s tavern at the head of ‘the green every Wednesday morn- ing. In 1792 the road to New Lon- don was made a turnpike—the first turnpike road in the United States. The road between Norwich and New London was laid out by order of the legislature as early as 1470, the work being directed by Joshua Raymond, who was given in return a piece of land large enough for a farm upon the route. But for many years the road was_little better than an Indian trail, and few people attempted - to make the journey from one town to the other and return the same day. Travel was principally on horseback, or with ox carts, and the fords and numerous windings of the road rend ered it inconvenient and dangerous. In 1789 the legislature granted a lot- tery, the proceeds of which were to be used in the improvement of the road, or so much of it as ran throush the Mohegan territory. —The lottery was drawn_at Norwich in June, 1791, and the following May the company was incorporated to make the road and erect a toll-gate. <The toll commenced in June, 1792, in accordance with the following resolution of the general as- sembly: “A Resolution Authorizing the Col- lection of Toll on the Road from New London’to Norwich, Through the Mo- hegan Reservation—Passed, May, 1792. 1792. “Resolved by this Assembly, That there may be erected afd established by the commissioners hereafter named in and by this resolve to be appointed, and at such place on said road between the dwelling house of George Williams and sald Mohegan lands, as the said commissioners shall judge most expedl- fent, a gate or turnpike for the pur- poge of collecting a toll from persons traveling the said road, which toll shall not exceed the rates following, viz: For a traveling or pleasure carriage of four wheels, £0 A carriage of the same kind with two wheels, Loaded wagon or cart, Empty, do. - do. Single Horse cartijoaded, Empty, 0. cattle and mules, or And for each loaded sleigh or sled, a o. For empt; an ‘and horse, travelling 0 0 0 o L o L 0 [ 0 For each : “And be it further resolved, That the monies collected by, the said toll, shall be expended in mending and keéeping in repair the said road, espe- clally that part of the same which runs through the said Mohegan lands, under the direction and at the discre- tion of the said commissioners. “And it is further resolved, that the said commissioners shall annually in the montb of June account for the re- ceipt and expenditure of the avalils of the said toll, with the County Court for the Couuty of New-Loudon, and in default of such account, or of a due application of such avails, they may be sued by the Treasurer of said County; and the sum recovered from them shall be applied under the direc- tion of said Court, for the benefit of sald road; and in case of the death or refusal to serve of any or either of the said commissioners, the said Court are hereby authorized to appoint another or others, in his or their place and stead. X “And it is firther resolved, that if any person shall remove or destroy any or other obstruction by said com- missioners placed in said road for the purpose of collecting the said toll, such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of five pounds L. money, and suCh further sumn as shall be adjudged nec- essary to repair the damage done, to be recovered, in an _action to be brought in any,Court proper to try the same, by the said commissioners, the sums 8o recovered to be applied in 31'1 same manner as the avails of said 5. “Provided, mevertheless, that the #aid commissioners shall provide some meet person to attend constantly at said gate, so that travellers paying such toll be not obstructed thereby. “And it is further Tesolved, that Messrs. Willam Stewart and Samuel ‘Wheat, of New-London, and Joseph Howland and Bbenezer Huntington, of Norwich, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners’for the pur- pose of carrying into effect the pro- visions of this resolve. And the act of any three of the said commission- ers Tespecting the subject matter of this resolve, shall be valid as the act of the whole of them. “And be it further resolved, that sald commissioners shall set up and maintain on the post of said gate or turnpike, and in open view of the pas- sengers, an account written in capi tals, of all the fares allowed by this resolve and payable at said gate, in the same manner as is directed by law i be done at the ferries within this .77 L “Provided, nevertheless, that this re- solve shall be and remain in force on- ly during the pleasure of the General Assembly.” This turnpike road became at once an important thoroughfare, and a great convenience to the people of Norwich and New London, as it shortened the distance between them to about four- teen miles. The road approached Norwich by way of the East Great Plain and crossing the Yantic river, came to its terminus at the court Dbouse on the green. In 1808 the turnpike was extended to Norwich Landing by means of a new road ing from a point south of the Trading Cove bridge to the ‘wharf bridge in Norwich. * { “Resolve . Extending the Mohegan Turnpike Road to Norwich Landing —Passed May, 1806, “Resalve this Assembly, That E,m autbority be, and the same ‘hereby .w«nbc: the ‘m:;lambmluxwm .ypg“M or to be appointed to super- intend the '8 of the Mohegan ke Bm“ between Norwich and jon, to make said road. + and exténd their said repafrs norther \ Turn been lagely laid opt, by order of the County Court, 1 “from the Court Housé in said Norwieh, in a direct line to the Mohegan Turnpike Road. 3 by thiz Assembly, said new lald road from the Court House in said Norwhch, beginning at the south end of the south abutmnent at Lord's bridge to the Mohegan Turn- pike, be annexed to said turnpike road ana become part of the same; and that the commissioners of said turnpike road be, and they are hereby authorized to Preceive loans of money from any per- son or persons, sufficient to make and complete said new laid road. “Provided, that the road annexed by this Assembly in May, 1806, ‘o the _aforesaid Mohegan Turnpike, 'leading from the Wharf bridge in the Parish of Chelsea, until it intersects the Mo- hegan Turnpike near Trading cove, be co-equally made and completed at'the same time, in conformity to said grant; and both roads when so completed to stard on an equal ground, and thc principal and interest of the sums ex- pended in making said roads, to be re- funded from the funds of the gate in equal proportions, and to pledge the avails of the gate on said turnpike for the repayment of said money so loan- ed. together with the interest thereon at six per cent. per annum, whenever there shall he a surplus of monies re- ceived ot said gate, over and above the sums for which said gate is already pledged, and also over and above what shall be found necessary to be expend- ed on sald turnpike road, and all that was annexed thereto previous to May, 1806, fer repairs and any necessary alterations, that said’ commissioners have or may make hereafter from time to time.” The post-road between Norwich and Providence was made a turnpike in 1794, and provision made for the es- tablishment of a. toll gate and the coi- lection of toll, the money so collected to be used in repairing the road from Norwich to the bridge over the river between Lisbon and Preston, “at a tus Cil y, “The New London and ‘Windham County Society” was incor- porated for the purpose of establishing a turnpike road from Norwich to the Rhode Island line, through Norwich, Lisbon, Preston, Plainfield and Ster- ling. It was provided as usual that per- son traveling on the Sabbath, and oth- er public days to attend, public wor- ships, funerals, or town or society meetings, and farmers in the neighbor- hood of the turnpike passing through to attend _their farming business, should not be liable to the payment of the toll, “The Hartford, New Londgh, Wind- ham_ and Tolland -County ~ Society,” consisting of Joshua Lathrop, “and his associates, togéther with such. oth- er persons as they shall associate with,” was incorporated in 1798 for the pur- of establishing a turnpike road extending from thé court house in Hartford to the court house in:Nor- wich. Before many years these turnpikes —well laid out and well kept—had brought about a better day for travel- ers, and had sgreatly changed the-face of the country. With the turnpike. came also the,day of the tavern and the stage coac! Taverns had been established, in- deed, very early.in the history of New England. But with greater facilities for travel, and with the establishment of stage lines in all directions, the tavern became a place of great im- portance. vern Kkeepers were ap- pointed by the town and counted amopg the towa officials. No one could abtain a license’to keep a House of Entertalnmhit. who had mot & good reputation\and considerable means. The tavern served as a clearing house for the mews of the day. Here came the post rider with his bag of letters and his budget of news to be delivered by word of mouth. And here gathered the men of the town, for where else could they learn anything of the affairs of the day? To be sure, there were newspapers, but they were few and not widely circulated and con- tained almost nothing “which we should call news. ‘At the tavern also the stage coacheés made their headquarters and great was the excitement and bus- tle attendant upon the arrival and de- parture of thé coaches. So great, in- deed, was the commotion that in th® Chelsea Courier of July 3, 1799, we read the ‘following: “A Memorial, signed by a number of the Inhabitants of Norwich, was hand- ed in, to the last Honorable Assembly of ' this state, eghibiting a complaint that ‘the Mail Stages were suffered t run on the Sabbath; and praving in the following words, viz.:. ‘That this Honorable “Assembly would take into consideration the case now laid before them, and define the limits, and intent of the law of this State respecting said Stages, within said State; and if Hecessary make such additional pro- vision as their wisdom. shall -dictate, in_order effectually to remove in. fu- ture the ground of this complaint. “A committee from both houses was appointed to consider the above peti- tion and make report of their doings thereon.—The following 'is the report of the said committee, and the accept- ance of the same, by the Honorable Assembly. \ . 'o the Honorable General Assembly. “‘Your Committee appointed to take into consideration the foregoing repre- sentation of Joshua Lathrop, &c., and make report thereon. have atténded thereto and report, That in our opin- ion the present existing laws of the State, if duly executed, are sufficient to remedy the evil complained of. * 'Signed_per order, “‘ROGER NEWBERRY." The following paragraph is taken from the Providence Gazétte of No- vember 6, 1802: “Norwich, Oct. 19. “The following laughable circum- stance occurred a few nights since: “As a farmer of Vermont was re- turning from a visit to Providence through this town, having an occa- sion to ‘travel in the night, he was overtaken a few miles this side of Plainfield, between the hours of 11 and 12, by the mail stage; being wholly unacquainted with their new mode of traveling withl lanterns, &c. was S0 frightened with the sight as to occa- sion a precipitate retreat of several miles before he could muster courage enough to alight from' his horse, He here, Iike one who had seen some sur- prising phenomenon, in haste ' threw himself from his horse at the door of a gentleman’s house, where, with a trembling yoice, | he ‘begged for. en- trance; hiscries brought some of the Iy wm'hugA ’O‘ L4 b e family to his assistance, to whom ‘he related the cause of his affright, assur- i h ;}omxd, by his :In December, 1679, the town_voted that he should be “desired ke the ord¥nary. And for his en he is granted four ackers of paster land where he can convenyently find it ny about the val- ley wzx!xlt.om his house into_the woods.” house was nearly oppo- site the the Meeting-house rocks, near the site of the old Sterry factory. About 1690. Simon Huntintgon was | appointed “to keep an ordnary or house of publique entertaynement”’ near where is now the entrance to Cerfietery liane. Four years later Caleb Abell was appointed “to keep ordinari,” “for +this yeare or till another be choosen.” One of the most famous of these taverns was the old Leffingwell Inn, which was known far and wide for a hundred years, having been opened in 1701. house is still standing, near Harland’s corner. Parts of it were built by William or Stephen Backus, and were altered by Ensign Thontas Lef- fingwell - into practically its present form. 4 Miss Perkins, in her book on Old Houses of Norwich, describes the inn as follows: “The house is large and rambling, and many parts of it bear the marks of great age. Some of the rooms are on a much lower level than others, dnd these may indicate where additions were made to the original Backus homestead. . . . The windows still retain their wooden shutters, the daor its bar-fastening, and the rooms are heavily wainscoted, the large north parlor paneled throughout. The en- trance. was formerly - on the north of the house, and it said that in early times slave auctions were held at this north door.” Py There have been many speculations in regard to why this house was built with its point to the street. It is prob- able that it was built to face the orig- inal road which went over Sentry Hill | from about this point. There was no | road in front of the Thomas Harland house until some time in the middle of an were contf la) citles. from the West Indies stayed there, and many a.hunt- ing party with hounds and .servants started out from his door. Here Presi- dent A was accustomed to stop on his way between the seat of govern- them in full uniform; and gred a ted- el Salute o7 16 gums. THGY proceeded the next day to Providence, a large company on horseback attending them out of town.” Mr. Brown advertised as follows in the Weekly Register for Nov. 5, 179: “The Subscriber begs leave to in- form the Public that the MAIL STAGE will run this to the first of May next as follows: “Leave Norwich Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 o'clock in the Morning arrive at Mt. Thomas Pool's City Cof- fee House, New London, at half past Ten; leave ditto at half past Eleven, arrive at Saybrook ferry the same days where they will meet the New Haven Stage; Return from Saybrook Monday and Tuesday Mornings, atrive at said Pool's, New London, at ‘11 o'clock. Leave New London at 2 o'clock P. M. arrive at Norwich same Evemmns. Th Stage’ for Providence leaves Norwich Tuesday & Friday mornings at 5 o'clock, meets the Providence Stage at Voluntown, exchanges Mails and Pas. sengers and_returns to Norwich and Providence the same day In January, 1797, Jesse Brown & Co, advertised that “The Mail Diligence from Boston, through Providence, &c. to New York, performs the run through in less than five days—runs twice a week. o “Each- passenger pays from Boston to Providence, three dollars, and from Providence to New London four dol- lars, the remainder of the road four pence half penny per mile, and are al- lowed 14 Ibs. baggage. All extra bag- gage pays at the fate of 100 Ibs. & P ‘nger. . B. The old line Industry runs from Norwich to Hartford on Tues- days and returns on Wednesdays.” In 1798 stages from New York reach- ed Norwich three times a week, Sun- day at noon, and on Wednesday and Friday by 9 a. m.; and from Boston ar- rived om Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday by 1 p. m. the eighteenth century. The land where the Harland house now stands | was common land until 1737 or 1738, when Messrs. Hezekiah Huntington, Simon Tracy ang Richard Hyde were appointed a committee to sell “some | of ye sd Common land lying in the Town platt between Ebenezer Loth rop’s orchard and ye end of ye hill by Thomas Leffingwell's house and to attend ve following method (viz.), to convey ‘and lay out Lotts of sd Land and number the.same, No Lott to be more than 4 Rods wide fronting on the street Westward, and so to run,up ye Hill Eastward, leaving a_highway on the hill at ye Rere of ye Lotts one rod and a halfe wide, and leaving' the Street or highway at the west end of ye Lotts 3 rods wide,” and to “sell of | sd Lotts at publick Vandue to tne highest bidder for money till they have s0ld to ve value of 80 or 90 money, the Vandue to begin at one of ye Clock on | ye first day of March next at ye house | of Mr. Thomas Lothrop leaving needful | highways up ye, hill” | At this auction five lots were sold, this number being enough to raise the required sum, anél the remaining land was laid out in.small lots and dis- tributed to various. inhabitants of the own. The lower road, now known as Town street, was until 1752 a_pentway with gates and turnstiles at either end: therefore at the time the Lefiingwell Inn was built the public highway ran in quite a different direction from that of Washington street of the present. In the nmext few vears we read of inns kept by Simon Huntington, Jr., in the Capt. Joseph Carew house on K avenue, now occupied by Mrs. Kell or in an eariier house on the same sit by Joseph Reynolds in the Reynolds house near the entrance to the Back- us, hospital; and by Sergeant William Hyde, on West Town street. The Lathrop tavern already 'men. | tioned was one of the famous hostelri on the. green. It was built by Na- thaniel Lathrop on land which he pur- | chased ‘in 1737. - His son, Azariah, who | succeeded him, became a well known and prosperous citizen and a popular Iandlord. In his tavern were held the winter assemblies, and entertainments of one kind and another. In 1797 a Mr, Marrfott advertises here a performance called “Brush upon Brush, or’a Pill for.the Spleen,” admission 1s, 6d. The tavern remained in possession of the Lathrop family until 1821, when it was | s0ld to Bela Peck. Shortly after this it was partially destroyed by fire. In 1829 the Union Hotel company pur- chased the property and built the larze brick building now occupied- by the | t Johnson home. But after the courts | were moved to the Landing the Union | hotel lost its popularity and in 1834 was advertised for sale. - Across the green, Peck's tavern, opened probably about 1754, witnessed many stirring scenes during the Revo- lution, ang here the cannon thundered when peace was declared in 1784. 'Ihis house is now owned by Mr. Fenton. All over the town, wherever roads met, a bridge was built, or a few houses clustered together,.these tav- erns sprang up. The list of landlords | includes Elderkin at the Falls, Major Durkee at Bean Hill, Morgan' in. the house at East_Great Plain now occu- pied by John H. Ford, Ehénezer Fitch and Jeremiah Harris at the Landing. Trapp's tavern occupied the corner nf Water and Shetucket - streets, where the Bill block now stands. On the corner now owned by the ‘Norwich Savings society stood Cheneys’ tavern, and here Washington is said to have stayed when he passed through the city on his way to take charge of the troops at Cambridge in June of 1775. Many | will remember the building as occupied | as a jewelry store for a long time by § R Parlin, and later by A. B. Kings- ury. In 1782 the first postoffice was estab- hed in Norwich, Dudley Woodbridge being appointed postmaster, and_the office being located in his store, where the Norwich Town chapel now stands. Up to this time the mails had been' de- Jivered by post riders, who went from place to place on horseback, New Lon- don being the postoffice . center for eastern Connecticut. These post riders often had no regular time for starting or arriving, but would wait until let- ters enough to pay expenses had col- lected, then jog siowly -on, sometimes improving the time by knitting mittens or stockings. Some vears before 1752 Franklin, then postmaster general, had proposed to run a “stage wagon” to carry the mail once a week from Phil- adelphia to Boston. The good people of Philadelphla shook their heads at such wild notions, but nevertheless the “stage wagon” was bound to come, By the end of the eighteenth century, In addition to the Providence stages starting from the Lathrop tavern, there were stage lines running between Hart- ford and Boston and between Boston and New York, by way of Norwich, and making theft headquarters at the | who _ About this time a number of fami- lies from this section of the state eml- grated to New York state and the Western Keserve, and as 1 means,of communieation between these emi- grants and the friends who remain behind Hartshorn's stage wamon employed, a_great, lumbaring wi almost as large s a house, and by six horses. Thix wagon madc or eight yearly trips to Chemung, & man Flats, &c., for the purpose of e rying passengers, freight, and lette; (ne can imagine the enthusiasm with which its arrival was greeted in Frank- lin and Norwich, and how eagerly the letters from absent frienls. were read. Letters were not delivered at the ‘houses of the people three or four times a day in those days, but mails two or three times a week were the rule, and “letters to be forwarded must bé left at the office. at loast half an hour be- | fore the mail closes.” ~ Nelther was the postage on_the letters prepaid, and this seems to have caused all kinds of trouble to the postmasters for a numn- ber of years. The following notices ‘were taken from the coumns of the Chelsea Cour- fer, one appearing in January, 1798, and the other in November, 18 “Gentlemen will oblige ths Post Mas- ter by not asking for letters uniess they are prepard (o pay for. them; as no ‘person whatever. will have cre at this offico for postage. A quarter postage on News-Papers is due thix day, from those whe do not chuseto pay for them as théy arrive. Th dvance a quarters postage wijl have their papers forwarded per first conveyance after their arrival CHRI'R LEFFINGWELL. Jun Post’ Master.” “On account of tha difficulty and de- lay attending thg collection of Postage Bills, the trouble of ke ral hundred accounts, the fact of no one being benefited by such accohnts, and for divers other reasons deemed to be good and sufficient, the Cast stem, hereafter will be adopted in this office under the firm belief that it will, in | the end, be more satisfactaory to all | distance of sixty concernéd. 8. M. DOWNER, P. M.” About the beginning of the nineteenth century Newcomb Kinney opened the hotel known as Kinney's Hotel, and later as Merchants' Hotel, in the bufld- ing on Main stret now oceupied by the F. A. Wells Compa and the Geo. W. Kies Comipany. = F a long time this was the leading hotel of Chelsa Land ing. Here President Jackson was en- 3 s visit to the city > Jad the corier stone Monumeht. And on the bilcony of this hotel the daughter of Mayor James Lanman crowned the President with a wreath of roses. Kinney's Hotel was the starting point for the stages from the Landing running to Providence, New Haven. Boston, Hartford, and Springfield. Clark’s City Hotel also had its line of stages to Hartford. ddfiven by Orrin Perrigo. An editorial in the Chelsea Courier alluding to these days says: “Think of the Hartforc stage (O. Perrigo, driver), tolling in, «fter & nine hours' experience—a journey too-fa- tiguing to he accomplished oftener than every other day—both driver and pas- sengers hailing Gen. Williams' red brick house (now the Park church parsonage) as a sign of relief, but not losing sight of green pastures and cud- chewing ~cows until - they passed Charles H. Rock@el's new house—a plece of extravagant architecture in those days, which called forth, in a Town Meeting, the alarming fact that ‘the Democracy were in_danger from these aristocrats that had bells to their front doors, burnt “as-terol” lamps, and called * thelr help. “sarvants.” Tory. Hill might, today, guide such an old-time traveler in his search for the Merchants’ (better known then as Kin- ney's) hotel, and the Franklin House; but we think he would most decidedly prefer to stop at the stately Waure- gan which has taken the place in the affections of the people of those two anclent hostelries, and, materially and geographcially, of the old rookeries that were then huddled together on the corner it oceupies.” At a later date other lines of stages wero established connecting with the steamboat lines. During the first part of the n teenth century several turnpike' roads, addition to those already built, were incorporated. In May, 1801, s com- pany was incogporated to lay ont a road from Norwich Landing to -the Massachusetts 1ine, passing through Lisbon, Canterbury, Brooklyn, Pom- fret. Woodstock, and part of Thomp- son; and a hond of $15,000 was re- quired that the road should be built and_out in good repair by September 10, 1802 The company. consisted of Mosese Cleaveland and Joshua - Huntington, Ebenezer Huntington, James Lanman, achariah Huntington; Luther Spald- ing, Bela Peck, Jesse Brown, Joseph The road 5, having paid ears. ¥ pike sompany. continue &L dends for 4 3 —_— The Colchester and road, the company. bei: in 1805 by Roger B and_others, extended from the Bacon-Academy ln Colchester to Fitch's fron works in Bozran, but in 1807 another piece of road was added,. the turnpike o the Backus iron works at what is now Yantic, Seven years later, upon petition of Thomas Lathrop and oth- ers, the ieral assembly passed th following resolve, altering the road: "Resolved by this Assembly, That the prayer of said petition be grant and that the sald alteration of “be established as part of the same, viz, beginning at the lands of Jehiel Johnson, north of Mr. Baker's thence north 20 deg. 30, west 12 rods 17 links; thence north 21 deg. 15, west 30 Tods' 13 lipks; thence 32 deg. 45, west 13 rods 6 links; thence north 41 deg. 30, west 24 rods: thence north 65, 30, west 23 rods 5 links, to the inter- section, to the center of the turnpike road as ‘originally laid out; and the said piece of road laid out and made as aforesaid, shall bé and remain part of the said turnpiRe road, in the same manner as if the same had been orig- inally so laid out, and that part of said turnpike rfoad for which this alteration is a substitute, is hereby discontinued.’ It was provided in the charter that persons traveling to attend worship- or funerals, or society, town or freeman’s meetings, and persons obliged military duty, ings, persons going to and from grist mills, and persons mile of said gate, and not passing more than one mile beyond said gate to attend their ordinary business, should not be liable to the payment of toll: and that the company should have liberty to purchase and hold lands for the accommodation of their toll house, not exceeding fifty acres; and all rights and shares in said turnpike, and property yested in the stock of said company,” should be considered personal estate, and the shares of said company should be transferable only on the books of said company, and in such manner as said company should by their by-laws direct. In 1827 Newcomb _Kinney, Henry Perkins and Dwight Ripley were “con- llrlhl(ed a body corporate” by the name of pike compan the wharf bridge in Norwich Ladding to Salem, meeting there the road from New Haven, by Dragons bridge, through Essex. s The Shetucket turn the towns of Preston, Griswold, Volun- town and Sterling to the eastern boun- dary lie of the stgte. The company, consisting of Amos H. Hubbard, Jo- nah Witter, “with their associates and assigns,” was incorporated in 1829, and continued ‘in_operation for more than thirty years, paying yearly a snrall div- idend. In 1861 the towns of Preston, Griswold and Voluntown purchased the franchise for the sum of $1,375. The first fo-( office at the Landing | was established in 1803, and known as Chelsea Landing. In 1827 the rame was changed (o Norwich Gity, what we know as Norwich Town being then called Norwich. Not until 1836 did the names of Norwich and Norwich Town come into their present use. Along with these p ablished other more private cn- In March, 1814, Ezra Backus that he will “commpence running about the 1st of Apfil, a WAGON with four Horses, for the | transportation of Goods to Providence and Boston, or New York. A | careful driver will be employed, |all business committed to his | will sbe attended to with promptitud And in July, 1834, A. J. Clark a es that the Norwich H mmodate parties_of p New London or any ofher place.— attention will ‘be paid by Whiting in his power to satisf: publt | noy the But by this time the railroad was ng to superscde the stage coach new order of things commenced | for Norwich with the first stroke of the spade on the Norwich and Worces- | ter Railroad, at Greeneville, Novem- ber 18, The road was finishe and traing were running the entire seven miles by March, {1840, The station was bujlt near the | lower end of Shetucket street. The location chosen by the original | proprietors was one very difficult of approach for railroads, although com- paratively easy of approach for turn- pikes. The routes followed by rail- roads are generally where there are high hils between rivers as is the case in Nortvich. The building of the Nor- wich & Worcester railroad was ene of the contributing factors to the growth of, Chelsea at the expense of Old Nor- | wieh. og The | . During a freshet in the spring of 1 a bar was formed in the channel | of the Thames river by sand brought | down the Shetucket. On account of this bar the steamboats were frequent- ly delayed in their passage up and | down ‘the river. This trouble, togeth- |er with the inconvenience given by the ice in the winter, induced the com- | pany to build an extension of their | road from Norwich along the bank of | the river to Allyn's Point. The Nor- wich Courier speaks of its opening in | 1843 as follows: | “Rail Road Celebration—The com- | pletion of the Norwich and Worcester | Rail Road to the terminous at Allyn’s | Point, six miles below this city, is cele- | brated today. Quite a number of gen- | tlemen frem Boston, Worcester, &c., connected with the Norwich and 'Wor- and Worcester Road are present. Af* ter passing over and viewing the road, | the company partake of a cold collation m board of the steamer New Haven, Fingt along side of the Depot Wharf. | We regret our friends from abroad | should have, on such an occasion, | stormy a reception. Since that time the road has been extended to Groton. s0 A few years after the construction of the Norwich and Worcester railroad, the Ney london, Willimantic and Palmer railroad (later the New Lon- don and Northern railroad) was built; and in 1853 the two roads were con- nected by a track over Yantic cove, and across the city wharves. This junc- tion was bitterly opposed by those who feared the loss of -the steamboats and the ‘transfer of trade to New London. But the connecting track was built in spite of the opposition, the companies paving about $35,000 in damages. In June, 1853, “Willlam Bennett de- sires tq express to the ladies of Nor- wich, and al! who have aided him,\his sincere thanks for the glft of a hand- some and convenient carriage. He hopes, by a faithful discharge of the duties belonging to. him, to show his gratitude for their unsolicited but wel. come resent, and is happy in the thought Xhat through their liberality he may be able to add to the comfort and pleasure of the donors, as well as all who may favor him with their patron- age.” Bennett's “Hourly,” as it was called, although the driver was too good na- “The Norwich and Salem Turn- | This road led from | e ran through | David | to do | ighest method of transportat, traveling to attend train- | e % o bre living within one | | sloops and brigs. | 1 | | cester Rail Road and with the Boston | ried. | from Saybrook by | “The sl t's conveyance.” imilar line was established, run- ning to Greeneviile, but it did not prove profitable. of Hough's, which ran from Ompibuses followed, that | Whi the to Bean Hill, being well remezbem. g as is his long, side-seated slei; But with the coming of the horse railroad in 1870, later changing to the present efficient electric service, the day of the omnibus passed by forever, as did that of the stage coach at the ; coming of the raiiroad.. Our leisurely forefathers arnd fore- mothers, contented with stage coach travel, or even with “Bennett’s Hour- 1y,” would rub their eyes in astonish- ment to see our streets today filled with electric cars and . automobiles. Perhaps—who knows?—they might wish they had made some of those same streets a_trifle wider before it was too late. But with the ‘airship al most perfected, and public lines of diri- gible balloons alseady projected; who knows what the end may be? HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION > BY WATER, ‘We have tracéd the history of trans- portation. as affecting the history of Norwich from the earliest conditions as they existed, when the Indians were the ruling people, through the colonial, revolutionary and recent times, as re- gards land transportation. . We will now briefly sketch the changes whic have taken place in water trans- portation. Before the coming of the white men canoes and dugouts were used by the Indians. ' The early, settlers of Norwich, according to old atcounts, used “pinks and snows” and then It is probable that the. persons and | g00ds of the proprietors were brought water. It js also probable that for many years most of the supplies, all the mail which was received, and all the arms, ammuni- tion and manufactured articles from Europe came up the Thames river by | boats. Norwich was undoubtedly lo- cated where it is on account of this easy water transportation to the land- ing at the Falls: The shallow water at the cove had sufficient depth for the small boats used for the first sixty vears after the settlement of Norw! It is difficult for the present genera- tion to form a conception of the mount of traffic which passed up and down the Thames river in the days before the coming of the railroad. Overland transportation was by means of the cumbrous stage coach, and the carrying of goods for any ~reat dis- tance must have been both slow and ly. But the river opened a path- way for commerce leading to distant ports and foreign lands. The first masters of vessels of whom we know were Captain Kelley and Cap- tain Norman, whe were engaged in_the | Barbadoes trade as early as 1715. Cap- tain Kelley was soon granted by the town “free liberty to build vessels on the Point the town to have the use of his whart,” In 1717 Caleb Busl nell applied for a grant by the water- side convenient for building vessels, the following vote was passe “The town grants to Caleb Bushnell 0 feet square upon ye water upon the le of the rockie Point at ye | Iganding place i i b FR Even before the Revolution, commu- nication had old world. a vessel sent out from Norwich or New London would jou: sea, returning with a ve and “the freshest advices from Eng- land.” After the war this trade was resumed, but partly owing to the small size of the the West Indiart. trade. In 1796, the Ceres, a small ship, was built in Norwich for the irish trade. Her collhmlnder was Roswell Roath, and on her first voyage she was ab- sent only a week over three months. But on her second or third trip she was taken by a French armed vessel, carried into a French port, and con- démned. Ships sajled also to Liver- pool, to London, to Bordeaux, to Spain and Portugal. In 1805 a fleet of five brigs and schooners started for the Straits of Belle Isle on a fishing trip. Four oth- ers fotlowed in a few days, and a part of them visited the Mediterranean be- fore thelr return. With_the declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812, the commerce of the Thames ceased. The blockade | of the coast by the ememy continued for two years, and American vessels disappeared from the coast. After the war an effort was made to revive the trade with,the West Indies, but the | attempt was almost useless. The Norwich Courier of October 15, 1816, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, an- nounced, “We stop the press to an nounee the arrival at this port of the new Steam Boat Connecticut, Captain Bunker,” &c. This steamboat, the first of its kind upon the waters of the Thames, was greeted with great won- der and curiosity. Before long.the old packet lines, in spite of their for- mer popularity, were forced out of | existence, and the old days of uncer- | tainty, in which one might consume a | week ‘on the voyage to New York, forever passed awa: Regular naviation by steam to New York began in 1817. There were two | steamers on the line, the Connecticut |and the Fulton, and they made three trips each per week, stopping at New London and New Haven. In 1820, Capt. W. W, Coit, who had | been commander of a packet, estab- | lished a Sound steamboat line. His | first steamboat was the General Jack | son, but he later commanded in suc- cession the Norwich, the Huntress and the Worcester. Captain Coit was one of the most popular of thése early steamboat cap- tains, He was accustomed to carry | packages back and forth between Nor- wich and New York, for the accommo- dation of his friend: These packages increaséd in number untfl their care ar 1730 the sloo~ Mar- and _the _Success, each of 40 tons ment, the Oliv Branch of 25 tons, and the Mary of 20, were engaged in the trade with the West Indies. Soon afterward a sloop and a schooner were sent to Ireland. The “New London Summary,” the first newspaper published in eastern Connecticut, contained frequent adver- isements of Norwich vessels, as n August, 80 “For Menis or Chignector, the sloop Defiance, Obadiah Ayer, master,” and op Ann, Stephen Calkins, mas. ter, ly at Norwich I ding, Is ready for freight and passengers. All through the years of the Revo- lution, in spite grave danger of less and capture, the W India trade was brisk, owners, captains and crews not hesitating at the risks since large re- turns were promised in case of suc cess. About the tha, the Eii . With the close of the war the com- merce of Norwich increased rapidly. Horses, cattle, sheep. swine, lumber and produce were carried to the West Indies, where they were exchanged for molasses, sugar, rum, pimento, limes, tamarind: pepper, (’0?0(‘, salt, cot- ton, tobacco, etc. Mos{ of the vessels in which these voyages were made were slodps, schooners and brigs of from 35 to 70 tons burden. The sea- going shipping belonging in Norwich at this time comprised twenty sloops, nve | schooners, five brigs and one ship. Among the regular packets rumnina from Norwich to New York may be mentioned the Juno, Robert Niles; the Venus, Christopher Vail; and the Lo~ ‘Washington, “the constant _packet,” Stephen Cuiver. The Lady Washing- ton is reported in the marine news as having “lately made a trip from New London to New York, and from thence back,. in sixty-one hours!!" Other coasting sloops, running to Newport, Boston and other nearby ports, were the Norwich Packet, Ben- jamin Culver; the Swailow, Zephaniah Jennings: the Lark, Jonathan Roath, and -the Royal Oak, Timothy Parker. _It was not unusual for from sixty to| eighty American vessels 0 be reported in one West Indian port at the same time. This trade and that with the northern coast of South America was very lucrative. A memorandum of the Jading of the Josephus, Elisha Hunt- ington, for Demarara, will give an idea of the’ cargoes which these hips cay- Miss Caulkins says: “Her live- stock consisted of 62 horses and mules, a few cow Yyoke of oxen .and a doz- en sheep and swine. Of provisions she carried 4,500 bunches of onions, 1% hhds. of potatoes, 86 hoxes of cheese. 18 firkins of butter, nearly 80 hbhds. of beef and pork, 30 kegs of crackers, 34 bbls. of bread and 30 bbls. of flour. She had a large amount of brick and lum- ber, planks, clapbozrds, staves, joints, and spars; ‘115 water hogsheads: a lot of parlor furniture, such as mahogany tables, green chairs and sofas, and a few saddles and bridle: _The ship masters generally owned part of the cargo and it wis no uncom- mon thing for a merchant to alternate between trading at home' and trading at_sea. Serious obstructions to this - com- merce came with the war -between England and France in the last years of the elghteenth century and the first years of the nineteenth. American ves- sels were selzed by ships of both par- ties, carried into port. libelled and con- demned, the spoils being shared by the government and the captors. The brig Minerva, eighty miles from Block Isl- and, fell in with a French privateer, was' robbed to the amount of $400 and dismissed The new armed ship Pacific, Captain Solomon Ingraham, went down the river in May. . bound for Cuicat- ta, the first expedition of the kind ever fitted from Conmnecticut. She arrived at Calcutta in safety after a voyage of two hundred days, but on her return Dbecame somewhat of a burden upon the busy captain, About this time a young man by the name of Adams plied to him for work, and he suggest- ed that he should assume the care of | these packages, and should see them | safely delivered to the persons to | whom they were assigned. | humble beginning grew the great bus- | iness enterprise known as the Adams Express company. — L The shifting channel of the Thames river has always been a source of trouble to navigators. Early in the | nineteenth century a Channel company | was organized, and we read in the | Norwich Courler of July 18, 1821, as follows The Norwich Channel Company have nearly completed their opera- tions digging out the Channel of the Thadmes: and we are happy to state that there js now a sufficiency of water for the steamboat and packets at all times of tide—and, of course, at high water, for vessels of larger bur- then.” | Not content with the Thames river, | | even with a “sufficiency of water,” | Long Island sound, and the ocean itseif | the people of Norwich were constant- ly bringing forward plans for arti- | | feial waterways. In The Courier o | March 6, 1822, we read as follow “At a numerous meeting of gentle- men of this city, convened at Kinney's Hotel, on the evening of the 27th uit. on the subject of a_Canal from the tide waters of the River Thames to Worcester Countf, Massachusetts, the following votes were passed— “Voted, That measures ought to be adopted to ascertain the practicability of having a Canal from the source of the Quinabaug River in Massachusetts, to the head of navigation of the River Thames. Voted, That Messrs. Charles Rock= well, Joseph Williams, and Perkins, be a_committee for the pur- pose aforesaid.” In the Canal of Intelligence, under date of November 26, 1828, is the fol- lowing notice: “All persons friendly Congress for aid in making a Canal from this place to Boston, and for aid In_deepining the Channel of the River Thames, are requested to meet at the District School House in Chel- sea, this evening at § o'clock.” to_petitioni Great pride was taken in the beau- tiful_new steamboats. One of them, the Union. is described as follows: “Her length is 126 feet; width 34 feet, including her. guards. Her cabin is beautifully tinished and _furnished— her captain courteous, and her men orderly. Her common speed is 14 miles per hour. Her engineer, on whom rests a mighty responsibility, is, we are told, a very skillful man, and the utmost reliance may be placed in him." A diary of the year 1834 contains the following account of a trip to New York: “Oct. 13th, “We set out for visit to our childre & 20 m. we left the Landing reached Groton 5 o'clock, ‘took in. @& | few passengers—then to N. London, | & rec’d more to the amount of 100 in |all, amidst. rain & wind in great | | abundance, poor ladies dripping wet came into the cabin where we were sitting a, close row each side of it—& | |1 had a good opportunity to see what selfish creatures the most of us are— I heard no concern expressed for a one but self—one woman with a black | | silkc %o wet that she feard her baby | wowd take cold—& In great concern | for fear the mald that brot her babe | oft board wou'd be earried offt—stripp'd | | & chang'd her dress for another in, | the midst of us all with the door open | —another, with a very nice cloth cloak lnv’v ard in some difficulty as ‘twas | wet_through—& blam’'d her friend for | burrying her off so soon &c &c. | “We went to bed early (or rather to berth, and cot, and floqr)—ard er a very restless night arr'd in New York about 9. 1824, Mondaye York to make a ! at 3 o'clock and 1s of that time, and | Turn'd their Attention to 5 partly to the length of the voyages, | Mechanical Arts. That during the lata it ‘never assumed the importance of [war they have been unfortunate in thelr Navigation having the greatest Bien rancis A.LRobt. Niles, hol adjournm, at New on the, Bocond THUTSeY of ‘Next, the Memorial of & Nus the Inhabitants living in the ‘been maintained with the | and Chelsea Societys in the Town Two or three times a year | Norwich humbly sheweth ‘That your Memorialists from thelr across the | local Cfrcumstances are not able to y of goods, | gain a Subsistence by agriculture, That Thave for many years lu;t Commerce Captured by the Enemy and . t-and destroyed by them when they were at New London. That Notwithstanding all thnl.r' Mis- fortunes They are renewing their ef- forts in extending their Commerce wo Necessary for them & so beneficlal te wind fel the Country in general yet many great Inconveniences do arise for of due regulation of the Internal of sald Town which are Sensibl as avell by Strangers as your Me rialists in almost every ~merc Transaction. That for the promotis of Trade, it is needless to Inform yo Honors..That a full Credit and stri punctuality in performing contracts are absolutely” necessary...That matter of no small Wharves, Streets & Hi modious for business and kept Col tinually in good it s importance fhat ghways be Coms repair...That the . . 4 Ji K & abovesaid regulations cannot take place unless your Memorialists have a Jurls diction” of thelr Own, Subordinate ’ to that of the State, enabling them to en- act bye Laws for their particular com- mercial welifare, as Occasion may o quir however sential to Nor can good faith and eredit a Mercantile People ever be expected In any great degree, unless often for the dispensation of Justl: and having a concurrent cognizance causes arising within your Memorialists be allowed a Court of their Own_to sit 2 certain_limits, with the Courts of Common Law in this State—your Memorialists further humbly Suggest to your Honm= ors, that the limits they would pi for their Jurisdiction are all the Tes re ritory within the Parish lines of the first ‘Society a sea In said Nor®ich and to Include t! the Soclety of Chel« he River Thames and Coves towards Nes London below high water Mark as.fas as the most Southerly Extent of t Town of Norwich and from thence Include the Channel as far he to as the Straights In sald River or Such other * Limits as your Honors Shall Please Grant. to And your Memorialists would humbly fi be a Corporation with full Authority to enact bye Law regul ray your Honors That the Inhabitants ving within the aforesald limits may ion of thelr Commerce and for the general Wellfare of said Corporm= tion..And that your Hoenors would Authorize sd. Corporation to appoint & Court to be holden within said Jur! diction with full power and authority to hear try and determine all personal Action: concern’d, grounded on any Cont: made, or Injury limits and that a concurrent authoity in sald cau where the Title of Land ie n:flrnlnx Wwithin sal i Court may have with the other Courts of Common La in this State, and that all the afores sald matters and things be under su, restrictions and regulations as Memorialists as in duty bound ® ever pray..dated at Norwich the 3 day of December, A. D, 1783, Signed— ~ Theo Rogers, Zeph. Jennings, Daniel Rodman, James Cullis, Dudley Woodbridge,Peter Lanman, Joshua Lathrop, Saml Warren, Thos. Mumford, Bela Turner, Samuel Wheat, Rufus Lathrop, Willm. Colt, Samel. Abbott Caleb Huntington, Jonathan Lester, Ebenezer Thomas, Joseph Howland. g, Aaron Cleveland, ~Alphes Billin Abiel Cheney, Jr., Jeremiah Harris, Phineas LeffingwellJohn Trumbull, John Backus, Chauricy Lord, E. Huntington, Rufus Backus, astus Perkins, Rus. (?) Hubbard, Andw. Tracy, Jr., Asa Waterman, Peleg Hyd Thos. Coit Joseph Perkin: Saml. Leffingwell, Jabez Perkins, Thos. Fanning, fabez Perkins, Jr., ben. Huntington, Simeon Carew, Elipht. Carew, Hez. Lefingwell, David Green Benja. Denniss, Jeremiah Clement, John Nutter, Zabl. Rogers, Jr., Palmer Carew, Jon. Silsb; Benjamin Wood- worth, Shth Harding, Elisha Coft, Thomas Kin, John Thatcher, Zebadiah Hyde, Jabez Armstros Squire Allen, Andrew Calkin: John Collier, Elisha Avery, Joseph Yale, George Dennis, § Thomas Marshi Isaac Griswold, Abiel Hyde, Ebenr, Hyde, Samuel Hunting= ton,jr., James Mix, . Jonathan Trott, Darius Peck, Hezk. Willisms, Elisha Burchard, John Durkee, ‘Andrew Griswoid Samuel Thateher, Jonathan Culver, Zebadiah Lathrop, Gardr, Carpenter, Abel Brewster, Berlah Lathrop, Bela Peck, Ebenezer Jones, Zeph Huntington, Charles Chariton, Nathanjel Parish, Joshua Abel, jr. Joshua Huntington, Timo. Brigden, Zabdiel Rogers, _ J Benj. Huntington,Jr Hezekiah Perkins, Joseph Willlams, John Bree Saml. Tracy, Ebenezer Carew, John Peret, Benjn. Egerton, Mundator Tracy, Wm. Mansfield, Wm. Cowill, Joseph Taintor, Eben Whiting, Samel. Post, David Nevins, J. Turner, Benajah Lefingwell Charles White, Jucob Witter, Wm. Townsend, Thos. Leffingwell, Henry Billings, Jonathan Starr, John Bliss, Wm. Hubbard, Zeph, Bli: Ellas Biis: Thomas Williams, Jno. Huntington,Jr. Thos. Harland, Nath.-Welch, Simeon Case, .. .. Nathan Cobb, Isanc Tracy, John Richards, Thos. Leffingwell,Jr. Joseph Coit, Jed Huntington, ‘Anaw. Huntington, . Ephraim Bill, Nathal. Backus, Johnn. Frisbie, Nathan Wetmore, Brastus Backus, . Jonth. Huntihgton, ar. el Daniel Abbott, Joseph Carew, Phineas Wood, Eliez Lord, jr., Asa Lathrop, John Waterman, John Mix, Joseph Lord, Samuel Brown Samuel Ave Daniel Willlams, James Burnham, Nathl. Townsend, Jabez Luthrop, Joseph Gale, Rufus Hartshorn, Caleb Trapp. pody Cleme . Hamilaomn, n -*: upper House ¥ Benj. Butler. Soln. Thp Prayer of this Memorial granfed and that a Bill &c Test GEORGE WYLLYS, In the Lower House (Continued on page 31.) c| From this | seem meet to your Honors and yo Simon Huntington, " James R. Whitney, Nathan Chappel, jr. Lemuel Wentworthy Wm. Waterman, jry Benjam™h Wheat,jr. ‘Thomas L. Thomas, . Thomas Hubbard,, Joseph Carpenter, Simeon Huntin Elisha Runllnmm Jededis Lathrop, Amazidh Bosworth, . R