Connecticut Historical Collections

"In 1697, the Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall, of New London, preached an election sermon at Hartford, and for his reward, the Legislature ceded to him some hundred acies at the west end of this strip. An- cient deeds mention being bounded by, or being a part of the Salton- stall land ; and some of the oldest men pretend to point out some of the old bounds, ^c. The first I'^nglish house erected on this strip was in the days of (Juoige (?) AN'inthrop, after the Charier. It was of stone. The site is still visible, as also the well and old pear trees, said to be the descendants of the orliiinal bUx-k, but Ijy their aniicjue appearance, they are very original, 'i'iie house is said to have been the first Eng- lish house erected on the route, by land, thrc^ugh the wilflerness from New London to Wetlierslield. It was in the vicinity of Uncas' chief fortress, on Von Hill, in Mohegan, abuiil one mile and a half westerly. Many wonderful stories aie related to this day about what happened to and near this house in days of old." The tiact is now%vithin the lim- its of Montville. " The Mohegans were a great defense, and of essential service to the town, for many years. They kept out their scouts and spies, and so constantly watched their enemies, that they gave the earliest notice of their approach, and were a continual defense against them. For this purpose, in times of danger they often moved and pitched their wig- wams near the town, and were a great terror to the enemy. Once the hostile Indians came near to the town upon the Sabbath, with a design to make a descent upon it; but viewing it from an eminence, and see- ing the Mohegan huts, they were intimidated, and went off without do- ing the least damage." Norwich is now bounded n. by Franklin, e. by the Shetucket and Thames rivers, which separate it from Lisbon and Preston, s. by Mont- ville, and w. by Franklin and Bozrah. The township has an average length from north to south of 7 miles, with a medium breadth of about three miles. The surface of the town is diversified by hills and valleys ; the prevailing soil is a dark colored gravelly loam, generally strong and fertile. Truiubull's History of Coiinecticiit. 292 NORWICH. Eastern viciv of the central part vf the tutni of i\uriricli. Tlie above is a representnlion of the Coni:,ne!;;ition;iI cliuich, the old Court House and Union Hotel, in the central |)cUt of tiie town of Nor- wich, about two miles northwest of Norwich city. There are perhaps about 200 houses, situated on a nuniher of pleasant rural streets, within a short distance from the church. This part of Norwich is called the town. The old court house is the fiist buildin^f seen on the left of the engravini; ; it formerly stood on the f^reen, in front of the meeting house. Within a year or two past, the courts have been held at Norwich city, and it is intended to use this building for a high school. Inunediately back of the cliurch rises a rocky eminence, from which is a line pros- pect of the surrouniling scenery. During the Revolutionaiy war, a powilor house stouil on the siiniinit oi' \\u< t'le\ation, which contained a nund)er of tons of guii[i(nvder. The builJlng, which was of wood, was set on hre ; the whole (piantity ol" powiler exploded at once, and ditl considerable damage to the houses in the vicinity. The fning of this building was supposed to be the act of some person unfriendly to the American cause ; when first discovered, it was about the size of a hat crown. To attempt to put it out was deemed too hazardous an under- taking, until a colored man, induced by the ofier of a considerable re- ward, made the attempt. As he was carrying up water to extinguish the flames, having gone about half way up the hill, the building blew up, leaving scarcely a single vestige to show where it stood ; the col- ored man, however, was entirely unhurt. "Westville, (formerly called Bean Hill,) is that section of Norwich, lying westward of the center, and is built principally on one street, the central part of which is about one mile westward of the Congregational church in the center. In this part of the town, about two miles west from the Congregational church, on tlie Yantic, where there is now a woolen factory, was formerly the site for iron works, at which ]\Ir. Elijah Backus, a very ingenious me- chanic, manufactured a number of cannon for the Revolutionary army ; this he ellected by weld'ng together pieces of iron. NORWICH. 293 Norwich City is situated at the head of navigation of Thames river, at the point of land formed hy the junction of the Shetuckel and Yan- tic rivers, whose united waters constitute the Tiiames. The main part of the city is buik on the southern declivity of a high and rocky hill: the houses are built in tiers, rising one above another. Tiie city, as it is approached from the south, presents one of the most beautiful, in- teresting and romantic prospects in the state. The buildings, which are mostly painted white, appear in full view for a considerable dis- tance down the river; these contrasted uith the deep green foliage covering the rocky and elevated banks of the river, give a picturesque variety to the scene, forming on the water a delightful avenue to the city. There are in this city, (or, as it was formerly called, Chelsea or Norwich Landing,) 4 banks, a court house, and town hall. A iiigh school for boys, and a female academy, in which the higher branches of education are taught, have been in operation for a considerable time, and are in flourishing circumstances. About a mile eastward of the Landing, is situaietl the flourishing village of Greenville, at the eastern extremity of which a tlam has been constructed across the Shetuckct, which will it is calculated furnish sufficient water power to carry C0,000 spindles : four or live large factories, and perhaps 10 or 50 dwelling houses, are, or are about to be built. Among tlie factories there is perhaps the most extensive paper mill in the slate, owned by the Chel- 'sea Manufacturing (Jom[umy. 'J'liere are also two other paper mills near the falls, which do an extensive business; one of which is owned by I\lr. A. II. Hubbard, the other by i\lr. Russell Hubbard. Large quantities of paper are maiuifacinrud i'ur the New York market. The first paper manufactured in Connecticut was made in this town, by Col. Christopher Leihngwell. There are, at and near the falls, 9 or 10 es- tablishments lor manufacturing puriKjs(!s. Besides these, and those at Greenville, tlierc are some others in oth- er parts of the town. The principal maiudactures are those of cotton, paper and woolens. It is belie\ed that in respect to its water privi- leges, Norwich is considered to be the second town in New England. There are 8 houses of worship in the town — 3 for Congregationalists, 2 for IMelhodists, 1 Ejiiscopal, 1 Baptist, and I for LTnlversalists. Nor- wicli City is 13 miles n. of New London, 38 s. e. from Hartford, 38 s. w. from Providence, and 50 n. e. from New Haven. Lat. 41° 34'; long. 4° 55' east fi'om Washington. The population of Norwich in 1830 was 5,179; of which 3,144 were in the city limits. The following engraving shows the appearance of some of the principal manufacturing establishments at the falls of the Yantic, at the head of a cove which sets up about one mile from the Thames. Above the cove, " the bed of the river consists of a solid rock, having a perpendicular height of ten or twelve feet, over which the whole body of water falls in an entire sheet upon a bed of rocks below. The river here is com- pressed into a very narrow channel, the banks consisting of solid rocks, and being bold and elevated. For a distance of 15 or 20 rods, the channel or bed of the river has a gradual descent, and is crooked and covered with pointec" rocks. The rock, forming the bed of the river at 291 N o n w I c n . S. K. view of t/ic l'\ictorics (it Yandc trulls, JS'oru-ic/i. the bottom of the pcrjieiidicular fulls, is curiously excavated, some of tiie cavities being five or si\ feet deep, from the constant jiominf^ of the sheet of water for a succession of ages." At the bottom of the falls there is the broad basin of the cove, where the enraged and agita- ted element resumes its usual snioothness and placidity, and the whole scenery about these falls is uncommonly beaiuiful and jMcluresque. A short distance north of the building I'eprescnted in the engraving, on an elevated bank, on the norlhern edge of a grove, is the royal burying ground of the Uncases. It is in contemplation to erect a monument to the memory of Uncus at this place. The foundation stone is already laid. President Jackson in his tour to the J\e\v l-lngland states, assisted in the CfU'monv i)ria)iiiL: it. A number nf the moiuiments of the royal lino ol" ibi' Uncases arr ^iill ri'uiaining. The lollow ing are copied from those lliat remain : " Here li.;s v.; b.Hly vf PcMiiin Ihicas, son of llrhjauun nu,\ Ann tJncas, ami of ye royal blood, wlio died May ye iirsl, 1740, in ye aihl year ol'liis aj^e.'' " Here lies Sam Uiicas, llie 'Jd and beloveii son ot his lather, John Uneas, who Mas the grandson ul' Uncas, fj;rand .sachem of Mohcgan, the darlinjjol' his mother, heinj,' daughter oi'saiil Uucas, gland sachem, lie died July 31.->t, 1711, in the i2Hth year ul his age." " In memory of Elizabeth Joquib, the daughter of Mahomet, groat grand child to ye first Uncus, great sachem of Mohegan, who died July ye 5ih, 1750, aged 33 years." The following inscription is said to have been on a monument for- merly staniiing here in memory of Samuel Uncas : For beauty, wil, for sterling sense, For temper mikl, for eloquence, For couiau'c bold, for things waurecgan,* He was the glory of Moheagan — Whose death has caused great lamentation Both lu ye English and ye Indian nation. * These lines are said to hare been written by Dr. Tracy o'' Norwich. Wat signifies clothes, household luniiiuie, &c. of a costly dcscrip lou. NORWICH. 295