The Romance of Norwalk

short time ago in the history of the Rowayton library, tells of the struggle which began in Rowayton in the early 1860’s. At that time the “Landing” had neither railroad station nor post office, although trains would stop on signal to pick up a passenger. Those who desired to post letters had to go either to Darien or into South Norwalk. Mrs. Tuttle well remembers hearing about how George Palmer Put¬ nam, New York publisher and leading citizen of the town applied to Washington, D. C. for the establishment of a post office in the village. Washington, it seemed, was will¬ ing, but objected to the name “Five Mile River Landing,” because it was so long. The villagers considered and Mrs. Tuttle’s father presented the name “Rowayton” which he found had been applied to the Five Mile River section many years before. A meeting was called, a vote taken and the name accepted. Afterwards, there were many who changed their minds. Others who had not been present, insisted that their absence should have been taken as a negative vote. Such a howl went up that it was decided to ask Washington not to use the name Rowayton, which had already been forwarded. But the move came too late and shortly there was installed in the village a new post office labeled “Ro¬ wayton.” The date when the office was established, Febru¬ ary 24, 1868 is given by the U. S. Post Office Department at Washington, D. C. The conservatives in the village won a partial victory about a year later, when they persuaded the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co. to name the new station then being instituted in the com¬ munity “Five Mile River.” For years, there stood the station with one name, and the post office, a few hundred feet away, with another. The matter was finally adjusted 25 years later by the acceptance by both of the name of Rowayton. Ez ra Mansfield is believed to have been the first post¬ master. He was station agent and so kept the mail right in the railroad station with him. Charles Hubbs, also sta¬ tion agent, was the next postmaster. He left town very LET TERS—LIGH TS 375 suddenly one fine day. After his departure, it was dis¬ covered a good deal of the mail had been opened and robbed. An old list of unclaimed mail published in The Sentinel in 1871, gives Oliver Cook as postmaster in that year. After him came Ephraim Thornes. Mr. Thornes was station agent at the same time he was postmaster. After he left the railroad, he removed the post office to a coal and feed business he owned which was housed in a small build¬ ing near the old Boston Carriage Factory in the vicinity of the station. M. E. Gibbins took over the postmastership in 1893 and George Washington Bryan, father of Harry Bryan of Crest Road, Rowayton, became postmaster in 1897. He erected a tiny building for the post office in his front yard near the railroad station. It should here be explained that the reason the post office was kept for so many years either in the station or close by, was because if the post office were within a certain distance of the station, the railroad was re¬ quired to deliver the mail free of charge. In 1902, the Rowayton post office was in the grocery store of Charles Thornes, in the center of the town on property part of which now supports the Rowayton hose house. Mail was brought from the station in a grocery wagon. Harvey Ackart was first appointed postmaster on October 15, 1908, upon the death of Mr. Bryan, the office then being fourth class; it was made third class, October 11, 1921, and Mr. Ackart served his one term as a presidential appointee, resigning October 30, 1925. Mrs. Anna Bond was appointed postmistress, November 1, 1925 and the office was moved to its present location, on Rowayton ave., March 1, 1926. Mrs. Bond is postmistress at the present time and Helena O. Stanish is assistant postmistress. The story of the foregoing post offices has been supplied to a large extent by “old timers” and by post office employees, the post office records in most cases being sadly lacking in names and dates or missing al¬ together. 37 6 ROMANCE OF NORWALK ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT The municipal electric light plant, owned and operated by the old city of South Norwalk, was the first plant of its kind to be constructed within the state of Connecticut and one of the earliest of its kind to be built in the United States. It opened October 13, 1892. Following a series of town meetings held in 1891 and 1892, this plant, the city’s original plant for street lighting, now a part of the enlarged electrical system used for both public and com¬ mercial service, was authorized to be established. $22,500 was appropriated for the construction of a plant. A part of the “old nursery” property, located on the South side of State st., adjoining the grounds of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co., station, South Nor¬ walk was purchased as a site for the station building. The building is still in the same location. The plant was constructed under the direction of a com¬ mittee composed of Joseph A. Volk, appointed by city meet¬ ing, General Nelson Taylor and Edwin Adams, appointed by the Common Council. Albert E. Winchester was named as consulting engineer to design and supervise the work. Ground was broken in the spring of 1892 and on the evening of October 13, 1892, the new lighting system was regularly started. The original building consisted only of the small middle section of the present building and boasted a great iron smoke stack which has since been replaced by a large brick chimney. The present building includes the main oper¬ ating building, brick and steel, constructed of latest design, housing the generating apparatus. Adjoining, is the brick office building including the meter and distribution depart¬ ments. Property now extends from the east line of original site to Spring st. Commercial lighting was supplied for the first time Au¬ gust 1, 1898, Isaac S. Jennings being one of the prime mov¬ ers for this addition to the original plant. In 1899, the commercial department was enlarged. In October, 1902, LE T TERS—LIGH TS 377 $15,000 was voted appropriated to enlarge the plant; $5,000 was also voted to establish the meter system to measure electricity furnished for commercial lighting. In 1905, 1907, 1910, Diesel oil engines were installed, used in conjunction with the steam plant operations. These engines are still in operation and are probably the oldest engines of this type in operation throughout the United States. Other en¬ largements became necessary in 1916, 1920, 1923, and ro¬ tary converter installations were made, operating from pur¬ chased current, the plant becoming inter-connected with the state-wide distribution supply system of the Connecticut Light and Power Company. All these enlargements were entirely financed from the plant’s surplus earnings. During the last year a complete ornamental street lighting system was constructed in the main commercial zones of South Nor¬ walk, at a cost of $25,000, financed from the plant’s earn¬ ings. “A steady growth” is the 1929 report of the plant. Both direct and alternating current is supplied, the latter replac¬ ing the former as the demand warrants. Perhaps a com¬ parison of the number of patrons served in 1899 and those served in 1929 will serve better than anything else to show the growth. A record of February 1, 1899 shows that electrical service was supplied only to nine home owners: Frank A. Ferris, General Russell Frost, Mrs. D. E. Ray¬ mond, W. B. Hubbell, Dr. C. G. Bohannan, J. H. Ferris, Col. Leslie Smith, J. A. Volk, and G. A. Whelpley. Other connections at that time consisted of eight city departments, four societies, four hotels, one bank and 32 other com¬ mercial establishments. The Plant serves at present 3,547 consumers and the annual output is estimated to run over 5,000,000 kilo-watt-hours this year, 1929. OLD GAS WORKS The good old gas light days are recalled in a discussion of the Norwalk Gas Light Company, a specially chartered ROMANCE OF NORWALK 378 corporation passed by the General Assembly in 1856. The following names appear in the original charter: Henry I. Hoyt, Ebenezer Hill, Asa E. Smith, William S. Lockwood, A. E. Baird, William C. Street, George G. Bishop and Charles G. Dean. From about 1866 to 1898 or thereabouts, the superintendent of the old Norwalk Gas works was Levi C. Hanford who came from Lansingburgh, now North Troy, N. Y., where he was in charge of the Lansingburgh Gas Light Co. At this time the Norwalk company was practically bankrupt. Plant and equipment were run down and worn out; there was no credit to buy coal, lime or sup¬ plies; and no dividends had been earned or paid for some time. Mr. Hanford had to assume personal responsibility for the purchases of coal and lime when he first took charge, the company having no financial standing whatever. Under his management the works were enlarged and rebuilt, much new equipment added, the price of gas reduced from year to year, and the company placed on a permanent dividend paying basis. During these years the stock was very closely held and was considered an exceptionally good investment. On the board of directors were the following all Norwalk men: Thomas H. Morison, Dudley P. Ely, George B. St. John, E. K. Lockwood, Charles F. Osborn, Peter Cunning¬ ham, Levi C. Hanford and George G. Bishop. For many years E. H. Parker was bookkeeper. The older residents in the city can tell some great tales about the days of the famous fish tail gas burners. And when electricity was introduced, how the people marveled! Providence, a most progressive city, conceived the idea of lighting a row of gas lamps with an electric flash. About 1885, according to Henry O. Bailey, 10 Couch st., this won¬ derful idea was incorporated in the illumination at the South Norwalk Baptist church. For many Sundays the church was packed to the doors by the folks who wanted to see the wonder of the age and who watched with ecstatic thrill when the myriad gas lights on the elaborate chandelier were brought into being by a flash of electricity. LETTERS— LIGHTS 379