Connecticut Historical Collections

the year 1770, Mr. Bucll removed to New TIaven. About this period, Bernard Ro- mans was constructing a iiia|i nl Nurtli America. As the coast of" I'ensacola was but little known, Buell was enijiloyeii by him to make a survey of the coast. While at Pensacola, a person, knowing liira to be an ingenious man, enquired if he could break the governor's seal, and ojieu a letter atut seal it up again, so that it could not be dis- covered that the letter had been opened. Mr. Buell was able to show his employer that it could be done in a perfect manner. 1 le was, however, ariested for making the attempt, although it is believed that the governor einiiloyed the person who came to Buell. lie was conllned to the island, but he soon Inuml means to escape, by a boat of his construction: he was accompanied by a boy wlio wished to leave liie place; they put out into the open sea, and were three days out of sight of land. They however were able to get into some of our southern ))orls, and l^iom thence Buell returned home. The map mentioned above was publislieil during the Uevoluliouary war, and it is believed to be the first innji engraved and piii)lished in this country. In engiaving it, Mr. Buell was assisted by Mr. Amos Douliitle, of JNew Haven. During the Bevolu- tion it was extremely dillicult to jirocure ty[)es for jirinting, except French types. Mr. Buell, turning his attenliim to this subject, suon cuiistruetcd a tii/ic /on ml in/, and em- ployed If) or 20 boys in making ty|)es. The building used for ihefoundery was the tiandemanian meeting house, situated in Gregson stretl. The legislature of the state, impressed with a sense of the service he rendered the public, restored to liim his civil rights. Upon the conclu.>ion of the Itevolutioiiary wai', Mr. Buell and some others were employed by the state 111 Coining cojipeis. i\lr. liuell constructed nil the apparatus for this [lurpose, and to such perfection diil he bring it, that he was able to coin I'JO in a iniiiiUe. ISoon after, he wi nl lo i'lngland, loi tiie osicnsible purpose of prueuring copper for coining, but in reality to gam some kuou ledge of the machinery used for the manufactui ing of cloths (jf vaiioii.^ Kinds. While in Kngland, he was passing ihiuu-h a town where they were ccjiistrucling an iron bridge: thriiugh some error or delect in the ecinstrmiion, the builders could not make their bridge answer any useliil purpose. Such rf;is Mr. IJuell's knou ledge and ingenuity ou subjects of this naiiire, ihai he wa.^ able in a short time to direct them how toconslruct their biidire in a piojier manner. So highly were his .services con- sidered, thai he was presented with a hundred guineas. Mr. Huell returned to this country, and brought a Sei^lchinan by the name of M'Jntosh. They erected a cotton factory in Westville, in JNew Haven, one of the lirst erected in this country. He afterwards removed to llarthud, and from thence to Sioclcbridge, Mass, where he made a profession of rcligu)ii after he was seventy years of a.;,'e. About the yenr 1825, he returned to New Haven, where he died in the alms house soon alter his return. SAYBROOK. S.vYimooK is Olio of ilie iiiost ancli'iit towns in ilio .stale, liOrtl Say anil Seal, 1 lOrd Uroolv, aiul other i;cntleQioii of distinclion, (li.ssntibfietl with tho civil and reliyioiis state ol" things in England, in the lime of" Charles I, cotiteinplatetl a reinovnl to America : accordingly, in J 632, they procured of Ixohert, Earl oi" AVarwick, a patent of all that tcrri- toiy " which lies west from Nanagansett river, a hundred and twenty miles on the sea coast; and from thence in latitude and breatlih afore- said, to the South Sea." In .July, ]<)35, they appointed John Winthrop, son of the governor of Mtissachusetts, then in England, their agent, to build a fort at Connecticut river, and constituted him governor of the the place and places adjoining, for the space of one year from liis arri- val there. On his arrival at Boston in October, he found that a com- pany had just gone from Massachtisetts and settled upon Connecticut river, within the patent heltl by their lordships. Winthrop however dispatched carpenters and workmen to the mouth of the Connecticut, who arrived there at or near tlio close of iVovcmbor, JG-'35. ]Mr. Win- throp soon followed them, and superintended their labors during the continuance of his commission. S A Y B R 0 0 K . 533 In the summer of 1639, Col. George Fenwick, one of the patentees, arrived from Enghintl, and in honor of Lord Say and Seal, and Lord Brook, gave the tract about the mouth of the river, the name of Say- brook. From this time, to December, 1G44, he superintended and governed the inhabitants, and then sold the jurisdiction of Saybrook to Connecticut colony ; as his associates had given up their contemplated removal to America. The lirst tax levied by authority of the colony, was at the October session, tlie year after. Soon after this period, the settlement began to flourish ; a number of families removing here from Hartford and Windsor. The original limits of the town extended upon the east side of the river for several miles, and included a part of the town of Lyme. The township now comprises three parishes, viz. Say- brook, Westbrook, V antapong or Essex. Saybrook j)arish is the soutli- cast section of the town. 'I'he Indian name for this place was Patta- fjuasset. West of this is Westbrook parish, which was called by its In- dian name Pochaug, until October, LSIO. A'orth of these two par- ishes is Pautapoug or Essex. Saybrook is bounded n. by Chester, w. by Killingworth, e. by Con- necticut river, and s. by Long Island sounil. It is U[)ward3 of 7 miles in length from north to south, and averages more than G in breadth. The greater part of the township is uneven and stony. There are, how- ever, some extensive levels, and tracts of rich soil, particularly in the vicinity of" Saybrook village, in the souiheni part of the town. Some of the hills, near Connecticut river, have good granite quarries. 1'here are several small harbors on the Sound, and on Connecticut river, at Saybrook point and Pautapoug. The bar at the mouth of the Connec- ticut is an impediment to navigation ; vessels of a moderate draught are often obliged to pass it with but j)art of their cargoes. The depth of water at the bar, at spring tides, is about twelve feet. An imjjortant and lucrative trade was formerly carried on from this river, to the AV^est Indies, and New London often served in some degree as tlie port. Say- brook harbor is at the mouth of a handsome cove, making up from Connecticut river, and extending west ahnost to Saybrook village. It is often resorted to by coasting vessels in bad weather. To this place the river is open through the winter, and it is here, that vessels are fre- quently laid up, and goods deposited, while the river is frozen over above. Largo quantities of fish are taken in this town. The shad fish- eries are numerous, and a source of considerable wealth. Connecticut river shad are considered superior to any other in this country. AVbite fish are taken upon the shores of the Sound, and are very valuable for the purposes of manure. Tliey are ailbi'ded at a cheap rate ; the light- est soils, enriched by them, have produced forty bushels of rye to the acre, and they have an equally advantageous effect upon the growth of corn, potatoes, and other productions. The borough of Essex, in the town of Saybrook, is situated about 7 miles from the mouth of Connecticut river. It is a place of considera- ble navigation and conuiiercial business, containing about 1 ,000 inhab- itants. Ship building is also carried on to a considerable extent. In this place there are three houses of worship, an academy, 8 or 10 nier- 534 S A Y n II O O K . JS'oilhca^t vittr of the liurotigk of Ksstx, Saybrook. cantlle stores, (5 sail makers, and one of the most extensive rope walks in the state. Shipbuilding was begun in this place about 17-2(), by INlr. John Tucker. In 1775, the ship Oliver Cromwell, of 'M guns, was built at this place, by Mr. Uriah Ilayden. The accompanying view was taken from the long causeway eastward of the place, and shows the appearance of the public buildings, tiie rope walk, and part of the houses on the point. The building on the extreme right is Hill's Academy, where are taught the higher branches of education ; that standing opposite is the Baptist church. The building near the center w^ith a spire is the Episcopal, and the one near by is the JMethodist church. From these buildings there is an abrupt descent to the strip of land between two coves, (called the North and South coves:) this point, formerly called Pcttqxiug Point, extends 100 rods in a south- erly direction. IMost of the buililings in the borough are on this point. During the last war with Great Britain, this place was visited by an ar- mnnent from the British squadron blockading New London, in April, 1814. Vessels from the squadron had often gone out and cruised in the Sound.