Connecticut Historical Collections

The soil of this plain is dry, warm, and naturally unproductive, but, by cultivation, is capable of producing every vegetable suited to the cli- mate, and in any quantity. For gardens, except in dry years, it is re- markably well suited. The original town was laid out on the north- western side of the harbor, in nine squares, each fifty three rods on a side ; separated by streets about four rods in breadth ; and thus formed a quadrangular area of one hundred and sixty rods on a side. The cen- tral square is open, and is styled the Green ; and tlie upjier, or north- western half, is a beautiful slope. It was formerly used as a burying ground, but in 18-21 the monua)ents were removed to the new burying ground, and the ground leveled. The lower part of the square is fifty :wo rods long, and twenty five rods wide. It is surrounded on all sides by rows of stately elms, and is considered one of the most beautiful in the United States. The surrounding squares are, by law, divideil each into four, by streets running from n. w. to s. e., and from n. e. to s. w., the direction of the original streets. Ijesides these thirty two squares, the town covers several considerable tracts bordering upon them, and is constantly exteniling. The principal of these is on the southeast side, and is called the IVew Township, a beautiful tract bounded by the East river and the harbor. The town of New Haven contains about eight square miles, the city about six : bounded n. I)y Ifamden, w. by Orange and Woodbridge, s. by the waters of the harbor, and e. by the Quinni- piac, dividing it from East Haven. New HavL'U coniaineil in ISoO, lO.tHo inhabitants. In Dec. 1833, the population was l'J,"20l, of which 1 1,534 were within the city limits. The area occupied by the city, is probably as large as that which usu- ally contains a city of six times the number of inhabitants in Europe. INlany of the houses have court-yards in fiont, and gardens in the rear. The former are ornamented with trees and shrubs ; the latter are filled with fruit trees, (lowers and cuhnary vegetables. The houses are generally two stories high, Iniilt of wood, in a neat, handsome, but not expensive style. iMany of those recently erected, however, are good and substantial edifices of brick and stone. The pub- lic edifices are, the College buiklings; twelve churches, viz., six Con- gregational, two E[)iscopal, two IMethodist, one Baptist, and one Roman Catholic ; a tontine, a state house, a jail, four banks, a custom house, and a state hospital. There are ten printing ofiices, from which arc issued one daily, and three weekly newspapers ; and two weekly, one monthly, and one quarterly, religious publications ; and the American Journal of Science and Arts, conducted by Professor Silliman. Dr. Dwi-?!!!, N E W II A V E N » 145 Yak CoIUl^c. This seminary is commonly said to have been founded in the year 1700. In this year, ten of tiic principal ministers, nominated by a gen- eral consent, both of the clergy and the inhabitants of Connecticut, viz. The Ticv . Jamca i\,njes, Stuningioi " " Israel Ckauii.r.ci/^ Siriiili " " Ahra'm Pf'rs',ui., Jvilliir' The Rev. S.tmvcl Avilrcw, Milford, Timothy Waodlndqc, Hartford, " " James ]^ic/;jii7it,]>iew Haven, " " .V»«'//r<!A /'(/MfZ, Middlctown, and '• " y^w/zA ICcW, Fairfield, inet at New Haven, and formed iliemsclvcs into a society, which, they tietcrmined, slionld consist of eleven ministers, including a lector; and agreed to found a college in the colony. At their next meeting, which was at Hranfoni, the same year, eacii of ilirm brought a number of books, and presenting them to the society, said, " I give these hooks for the founding a College in this colony.'^ Antecedently to this event, the subject iiad been seriously canvassed by the clergy, particularly Messrs. Pierpont, Andrew, and Russell of Branford, and by the people at large, during the two preceding years ; and had come thus far towards matu- rity. The act of the Legislature whicli gave birth to Harvard College was passed in 1G3G. Only ten 3a'ars, iheiefore, elapsed after the bep^inning of a setllemeut in Mas- sachusetts, before a college was commeneed in earnest: whereas sixty five years pass- ed away, after the colonization of Connecticut was begun, and sixty three afier that of New Haven, before any serious attempt was made toward the (bunding of Yale Col- lege. But we are not lience lo conclucie that the colonists of Conneciicut and New Haven were less friendly to learning than those of Massaehnseils. The project of establishing a college in each of these colonies was early taken up, but checked by well founded remonstrances fioin the people of Massachusetts, v ho very jusily observ- ed that the whole population of New England was scarcely sufficient to support one institution of this nature, and that ihe establishment of a second \vould, in the end, be a sacrifice of both. These considerations put a stop to the design for a considerable time. 19 146 NEW HAVEN. or the serious intention of the New Haven colonists to estnblish a collcg-e, the fu\- lowing document, copied I'loin the records of Guillurd, liirnishes decisive evidence. "Al a General Court, held at Guilford, June 28, A. D. IGo^." " Voted, The mntter about a College at '^ew Haven, was thought to be too great u charge tor us of this juri-^dielion to under^co alone; esjiecially considering (he unset- tled stale of New Haven Town ; being publicly declared, from the delilierute juilg- ment of the most iindersianding men, to be a place of no comfortable subsistence for the present inhabitants there. IJut il Connecticut do join, the planters are generally willing to bear their just projiortions for ereeiing and maintaining of a College there. However, they desire thanks to Mr. Coodyeai, fur his kiiid prull'er lo the setting for- ward of such a work." In October, 1701, the Legislature granted the before named gentlemen a charter, constituting them "Trustees of a Collegiate School in his Majesty's Colony of Con- necticut;" and invested ihenr with all the povveis which were sup])osed to be neces- sary fur the complete exeeiuion of their trust. The following November, they ch(j>e one of their number, Mr. Pierson, rector of the school, and determined that it should ■ be fixed for the present at Saybrook. In the year 170-2, the tir.st commencement was held at S;iybrook, at which fiveyoun^' gentlemen received the degree of A. M. From this time many debates arose concerning the ]dace where the school should finally be esiablisheil, and continued to agiiaie the community, until the year 1718. In 17U!, a majority of the trustees voted, on the 17t!i cd'Oekibcr, to remove the scho(d to New Haven. Four of their number, out of nine, were liowever strongly against it; and the community was e(iually disimited. 'I'he trustees, nevertheless, proceeded to hold the commencement, the lollcAving )'ear, at New Havi-n, aral to order a college to be erected. It was accordingly raised in October, 1717, and hni.shed the following year. This building they were enabled to erect by a considerable nuudjcr of dona- tions, which they liad received lor this purpose, both within and without the colony. Their principal benefactor, both during this period and all which have succeeded, was the Legislatuie. Among the individuals who dislinguished ihemsclvcs by their beneficence to ihi.s infant institution, was the Hon. Elihu Yale, Ksq , cd' Lnirdon. This gentleman was descended from an ancient and respectable family in Wales. His father, Thomas Yale, lisq., came from England with the first colonists o( New Haven. In this town his son Elihu was burn, Apiil oili. It! IS. He went to England at ten years of age, and to Hindoosian at thirty, in thai country he re^idcd about twenty years; was made governor of Marlras; and miuried the widow of Gmernur Hinmeis, his predecessor. Having acquii'cd a large luriune, he returned to London ; was chosen governor of the East India Company; and died at Ile.xon, July Sth, 17-21. This genlleman sent, in several donations, to the collegiate school, jCoOO slerlinir, between 171 1 and 1718 ; and, a little belore his death, ordered goods to be sent out to the value o'i £51)0 more, bm ihcy \wu: in-vcr i revived. In gratitude to this bcnef.icioi , the iiiisircs, bv a solemn art, named their scminar\- Yale College; a name which, it is bcluncd, will convey the memory of hi.s bcneliceiice to distant geneiaiions.* The college which was erected at this time, was built of wood, one hundred and seventy feet long, twenty two feet wide, and three stories high; contained near liliy studies, besides the hall, "library and kitchen, and cost about £1000 sterling. Belore it was erected, the students were scattered in varimis places, as Milford, Killingworth, Guilford, Saybrook, Wethersfield, &c. Soon al'tcrwards, they all removed to New Haven. From this time the instituiion began to Ihiuii.ih. The numberof the students Avas about 40, and the course of education was pursued with spirit. The benefac- tions, also, which it received, were increased in number and value. In the list of its prineijial benefactors was the liev. Dr. Eeikeley, dean of Derry in Ireland, and afterwards bishop of Cloyne. This hiu'hly respectable man carne to America in the year 173-2, for the purpose of establishing a college in the island of Bermuda. The project failed, however, for want of assistance from England, which was promised him. While he was in America, he became ac(iuainlcd with the Rev. Mr. Williams, and with the design and circumstances of the seminary. With all these he vvas so well pleased, that he matlc a present to it of a farm, which he had purchased at Rhode Island ; and afiei his return to Europe, sent to the library " the finest collection of books that ever came together at one time into America. "t Jere- miah Dummer, Esq. of Boston, and the Hon. James Fitch, Esq. of Norwich, deserve to Dr. Dwight f President Clap. N E W H A V K N. 147