Connecticut Historical Collections

"In 1698, however, David Seward, from Guilford, moved into the town, and some of his neighbors contemplated following him. The next spring, therefore, a petition was presented to the Legislature, signed by thirty one inhabitants of that town, that there might be a plantation at Coginchaug, the Indian name of Durham. This was urged on the ground that Coginchaug was so far from other settlements that the peo- ple could not go to them for public worsliip. The petition was granted, and soon after a site was selected for a meeting house, on a hill in the southern part of the town, which from that circumstance is called IMeet- ing-house hill to this day. But very few of the petitioners left Guilford, and no plantation was immediately formed." /^ '■'-._ D U K II A M . >23 In May, 1701, the proprietors of farms at Coglncbauj^ petitioned the Assembly for some act, which wouhl encourage a settlement at that jilace. The Assembly proposed that the {)roprietors should give up one fourth part of their larms, and that the part thus given up, with the common lands, should he laid out into lots, for such persons as should offer themselves as inhabitants. Tlieii- proposal was accei»ted, and settlers came in from various places, who, in May, 1708, were in- vested with town privileges. The number of adult male inhabitants, at that time, was thiry four, most of whom weie iieads.of.Jlijiiilies. As early as 1723, John and Nathaniel Sutliif, and probably some others from Durham, settled on lladdam quarter. These had the consent of the people of Haddam, that they might attend public worship in Dur- ham, and in 1773 the quarter was annexed to Durhatn. Suuth vine of (he C/iiirchcs in .Durham. "There is no evidence that tlie IniHaiis ever dwelt in Durham in any considerable numbers, or for long piM'ioiis ; but they resorted lo it occasionally for the purposes of hunting. They were, however, re- garded as the rightful owneis of the soil, and their title was purchased by Sarnuel VVyllys and others, on the 2ith of January, 1072, at the same time that a purchase was made of ilie lands in Middlelown." Durham is bounded n. by Middlutown, v/. by VVallingford. e. by lladdam, and s. by Guilford, i^Iadlson and Killingworth.'" It is about six miles in length from east to west, and ncarl\' four in width. The central part of the town is 20 miles south from Hartford, and ISnortli- east from New Haven. The prevailing surface of the town is a diver- sity of moderate hills and gentle declivities and dales. The eastern and western parts are somewhat broken and mountainous. The soil is generally fertile and productive, and the inhabitants are mostly cm- ployed in the cultivation of the earth. The above is a view in the central part of Durham. The church seen on the left is the new Congregational church, erected in 1S35. The 524 EAST H A D D A M . church seen standing In the street is the old Congregational church. The ahove drawing was taken September, 1835, a lew (hiys before the old church was taken down. These churches are a fair specimen of the ancient and modern method of building houses of worship. A new Methodist church is now erecting (1836) on the east side of the street, about opposite the old church seen in the engraving. The principal settlement is on the road running north and south, on ground moderately elevated, bounded on the east by a considerable range of hills, on the west with a large tract of low land, and then a tract of higher land, extending to the Walhngford mountains. The tract of low land lying westward of the village was called Coginchaug, or the long swamp, and from this the name was applied to the township. This is generally cleared, and yields a large quantity of coarse grass. " This town has been distinguished many years for a very hue breed of cattle. Two oxen, presented by some of the inhabitants to General ^Vashington, fiirnisherl a dinner for all the olllcers of the American army at V^alley Forge, and all their servants. These oxen were driven almost five hundred miles, through :i country nearly exhausted of its forage, yet one of them, a steer five years old, weighed two thousand two hundred and seveniv pounds." The I'ollowing inscriptions are from monuiiieiUs in the yard north of the Congregational church. In niPiJHiry of Capt. Isnu.-I Camp, a man nf iinailL-i-ioil piel}'; benevolent in liis lehiper, and kinci and jiisl in his bcliavinr; in private and public ulfices, useful ilii'on{,'li life; a great lover and prontuii-v of Diriiic JJsa/mixti/. Tin- jnaises uf God and the Lamb sweelly employed Ins bicalii, nil, lliroufib |)aiiifnl sicKness, his voice expired in death, the (jih day of May, 177.":^, in ihu or)ili year of his age. Sacred to the memory of Mr. Elias (Janifi, who died March 2Gll), 17%, in the 78lli year of his age. Fte was a tender husbantl, ant oliligmg neigidior, and a good citizen ; and tho' ilmiied the eiijoynn'iil of [)aienlal Iclicay, was blesseil with so niiicli of this world, not only to |KMform. many dee(K of charily, but to malce a present of an excel- lent bell to the town of Uiirli.ini, whirh has greaily ]jiomoted its convenience and reg- ularity, and oiighl to be iLCi.Ji.i.'ed with ;.;ialiuule on every .^oiuul thereof. EAST II ADDA M. , East Haddam was originally a part of lladdam. It belonged to tHaddam society till 1700. h was then constituted a distinct society. In 1734 it was formed into a distinct town, containing two whole par- ishes, viz. East Iladdain and iMilliiigton, and two thirds of the parish of Hadlyme. It does not distinctly appear at what time the first set- tlement was made. It has been commonly supposed it began at the place Creek I^ow, about 16S5, by the removal of a number of fami- lies from Haddam, by the names of Gates, Uates, IJrainerd and Cone. The tradition is tliat this was the fiist spot settled, and that these were the first settlers. " But from a document found in the colony records, it is certain that Robert Chapman had a dwelling house in East Had- dam, north of the Creek Row, in 1674. If the settlement at the Creek Row was first, it must have begun about 1670. The first settler in Millington was Jonathan Beebe, from New London, who settled by the Long Pond about 1704." EAST HADDAM. 525 East riaddam is bounded north by Chatham and Colchester, east by Salem, west principally by Connecticut river, and partly by Sal-' nion river, dividing it from Haddani JN'eck, belonging to the town of Iladdam, and south by Lyme. Its average length from east to west is nearly eight miles, and its breadth upwards of six. The face of the townsliip is rocky and uneven, but the soil is generally strong and fer- tile, and well adapted to grazing. There is considerable timber in the town, which is of an excellent quality. There are 6 cotton factories, 2 of which manufacture cotton twine. This to\)n took an active part in the Revolutionary war. About 100 men in tR'e regular line of the con- tinental army, and quite a number in the naval service, j)erished in the struggle. The first supplies for the starving army at Valley Forge were sent from this town and its vicinity. jMuskets were manufactured for the Revolutionary army, at the Landing, by Mr. Green. )Vcst view of East Iladdam Landing. East Haddam Landing, a village of about 30 dwelling houses and three or four mercantile stores, is situated a little below the mouth of Salmon river, on the banks of the Connecticut, about 16 miles north from Saybrook Point. A house was built at this place, and a market opened for produce, in 1713, since which most of the trade in the town has centered at this spot. Ship building was begun at the Landing be- fore the Revolutionary war, and as eaily as thai war at Chapman's fer- ry, a little village about three fourths of a mile south of the Landing. Immediately back of the houses at the Landing, the hills rise abrupt- ly, and in some places precipitously to the east and north. The an- nexed view was taken from the opposite bank of the river, and shows most of the buildings in the place. The building with four chimnies, seen in the lower central part of the engraving, before which a ship yard is seen, is the residence of Timothy Green, Esq. the basement story of which is the East Haddam bank, incorporated in 1831, with .26 EAST II A D I) A JI , a capital of 75,000 dollars. The building on the extreme left was tlie residence of the late Gen. Epaphroditus Chamjiion, and now of his son, E. Champion, Esq. It is distinguished for its bold and lofty ter- races, and is a striking object to travelers passing on the river. The post oflice at this time is kept in a building on the opposite side of the street. The steamboat hotel is seen on the extrenie right, before which is a wharf, at which the steamboats land and receive passengers. The spire of the Episcopal church, standing on eh.'vated ground, is seen a little distance southeastjVom the village. The Congregational church is situated one mile and*a'" half eastward of the Landing. Lord's Mills, or as it is now called Leesville, upwards of four miles northward of the I.ianding, is a village containing 18 or 20 dwelling houses, and is situated at the head of boat navigation on Salmon river. There are in the village 3 mercantile stores, a post ollice, a saw mill, and a cotton factory, containing J ,bOO spindles and 40 looms. The tide at this place rises about two feet. Sloops of about CJO tons have been launched here in time of freshet. There was formerly an oil mill in this place, which was erected more than sixty years since, the first it is said erected in the state. The scenery about this village is striking and beautiful, es[)ecially the long vista wliich is seen on looking down Salmon river. Mechanicsville is a thriving village, upwards of 3 miles n. e. of the Lauding. It contains 2 cotton factories, one for manufacturing cotton twine, the first of the kind it is said established in the United States ; it has been in operation about ten y^ars. The village is situated on Moodus river, a branch of Sahnon river. It consists of about 30 or 40 dwelling houses. A Methodist church has been recently erected in this place.