The Romance of Norwalk

them, it was necessary for the women to be carried out in ambulances, for they were too ill to walk. As these 28 women were some of the most prominent in the country, their inhuman treatment aroused such a storm of indigna¬ tion that the government was forced to take immediate steps to rectify the jail conditions. As a result, jail sentences given women in later months were served in the main dis¬ trict jail, modernly equipped. M rs. Weed and Mrs. Levitt now have in their possession picket pins given all those who took part in the picketing of the White House, during suffrage years and also jail pins, given all those who served jail terms* The pins were presented at a great mass meeting in the Belasco Theatre in Washington, attended by suffragists from all over the country. Of unusual design are the “jail pins,” about two inches by one and a half, in the form of a cell door, com¬ plete to lock and key. Mrs. Weed’s two daughters, Dr. Eleanor Sharp and Mrs. Mary Stephenson, and Mrs. Weed’s sister, Miss Clara Hill, also have picket pins. The suffrage amendment passed the House of Repre¬ sentatives May 21, 1919 with 42 votes to spare over the necessary 2-3 majority. It passed the Senate June 4, 1919, with two votes to spare. A ratification campaign began at once, but the suffragists were blocked politically in every possible way by the “antis” of both parties. Finally, Ten¬ nessee, the 36th state, ratified the amendment August 18, 1920. But because of complications in Tennessee’s con¬ stitution, ratification was still not sure and the suffragists set out to obtain a 37th ratification which would be un¬ challenged. Connecticut at the time had a legislature in which far more than a 3-4 majority was pledged to vote for the ratification, but Governor Holcomb and Republican State Chairman Roraback, refused to allow the convening of a special session on ratification. The intensive political work to secure the special ratifi¬ cation session centered in Norwalk at the home of the Hill sisters on West ave. National workers, under the leader- 412 ROMANCE OF NORWALK ship of Anita Pollitzer of North Carolina, political chair¬ man of the Woman’s Party, and Mrs. Helena Hill Weed and Miss Elsie Hill of Norwalk, both of whom were on the national council of the Woman’s Party, finally succeed¬ ing in enlisting the support of Senator Brandegee who was up for reelection. As a result of the Senator’s demand for a special ratification session, the call was finally made and Connecticut ratified the amendment. Senator Brande¬ gee, who, in the beginning had voiced strong opposition to the suffrage amendment, said to Mrs. Weed, in explaining his ardent demand for this session: “I am just as much opposed to woman suffrage as I ever was. If there was one thing I could do to kill it, I would do it. But I know enough to know when I am beaten. In fairness to women who have won already, I think no technicalities or unfair political methods should prevent their participation in this year’s national election, so I will insist on having Connecti¬ cut record her ratification, already pledged, now, before the election.” During all the time that the local suffragists in Wash¬ ington were picketing and parading, being hooted and being jailed, a little group in Norwalk, a branch of the Connecti¬ cut Equal Franchise Society was quietly, steadily working. The group, which included in the beginning, only a handful of Norwalk women, was started by Miss Clara Hill, pioneer worker who took part in a thirteen weeks’ speaking and organization campaign for the society, throughout the state. She came to Norwalk during the course of the campaign. M iss Dotha Stone Pinneo, late librarian of the Norwalk library, and Miss Margaret Wilson, present librarian, were leaders in the Norwalk group. One of the organization meetings was held in a section of Miss Baird’s private school, now 6l/2 Orchard st., and Miss Caroline Ruutz Riis, educator of Greenwich, was a speaker. Meetings were held, speeches made, and contests on the subject of the woman’s vote, were conducted in the schools. Without the good work accomplished by this little group and by WORLD WAR 4i3 other similar groups which remained at home and spread the good word, the suffragists in Washington would never have succeeded in their mission for they needed the backing of the people at home to give weight to their demands. The two factors working together, achieved success. ISLANDS— CLUBS Chapter XXXV Thirteen Large Islands and Number of Lesser Ones Rim Norwalk Harbor — History of Several Goes Back to Time of Founders — First Clubhouse For Women Ac¬ quired by Woman* s City Club — Norwalk Has goo Clubs and Organizations of All Kinds The purchase on July 23, 1924 of historic old Calf Pas¬ ture Island by Morris Strunsky of New York city from the Homestead Sales Corp., of New York, brought all the Nor¬ walk islands into the public light of publicity. What are they, where are they and who owns them? many asked. Although there are, in the Norwalk harbor, more than 20 tracts of land, large and small, partially or wholly sur¬ rounded by water, only ^13 of these tracts are officially recognized as islands. These 13 include: Calf Pasture, Betts, Grassy, Chimons, otherwise known as Sheffield on the Sound, Copps, Ram or Nauvoo, Wood, Little Ram, Sheffield or Smith’s, L’Hammock and Little L’Hammock, Peach, Pilot or Tavern. Other tracts of land in the Norwalk harbor, some of which are little more than mounds of rocks, others being islands only at low tide, while still others are really not islands at all, being joined to the mainland by narrow strips of land, are: Crow, Dog Hammock, Judah, Bell, Keyser, Campfield, Half Mile, Little Tavern, Sension or St. John’s Beach, Stuart, West White Rock, East White Rock, Pine, Race Rocks, Grassy Hammock, Cedar Hammock, Long Beach, The Plains, Stephen’s, Sheep Rock, Daskam, Tem¬ pest, Hoyt’s, Sandy Hammock. 414 ISLANDS— CL UBS 4 1 5 STORY OF ISLANDS Calf Pasture, once the grazing ground for Norwalk cat¬ tle, when the calves were scowed across to the island by the early settlers, was the first island mentioned in the his¬ tory of Norwalk and the first of which the people in the community made any use. It is now the property of Anna S. Walling, Brookside Place, Greenwich, she having pur¬ chased it from her brother-in-law, Morris Strunsky, in 1928. The island includes 2 and acres. Betts Island, at the mouth of the Norwalk river, is now the property of Captain Frederick F. Lovejoy and Clarance E. Merritt, purchased in September, 1929. The island was once used as a watch station for the local oystermen. Thirty-four of the growers purchased the island in 1874 and took turns in keeping watch from the little house on the island, over their oyster grounds. Later the Betts Island Company, E. E. Gorham, secretary, acquired all rights to the land and it was from this company that Lovejoy and Merritt purchased the property. The island includes four acres. Grassy or Hay Island is in the Copps, Chimons and Betts group. Copp or Copps Island in the same vicinity was once the property of John Copp who figured eminently in the pub¬ lic service of Norwalk. He was a surveyor, teacher and physician. These two islands, Grassy or Hay and Copps, comprise 33 acres and belong to the estate of Mallard F. Smith, Broadway, New York. Chimons Island, also at the mouth of the Norwalk river in the Betts, Grassy and Copps group, was once called Mamachimons, the name being taken from that of an Indian chieftain. It is often referred to now as “Sheffield on the Sound” to distinguish it from Sheffield or Smith Island to the west. The island for many years belonged to Warren Smith, son of the late Edward Smith of Brooklyn, N. Y. but formerly of the Smith’s Island family of that name. A large house may now be seen on the northern shore of the island, while several smaller homes stand beyond. The ROMANCE OF NORWALK 416 large house was once a popular summer hotel, famous for its lobster dinners. In the hot months it was crowded by vacationists who reached the mainland via a ferry which ran daily. The property, which includes 63 acres, is now in the hands of The Sheffield Island Co., care of Coombes and Wilson, 32 Court st., Brooklyn, N. Y. Ram or Nauvoo Island, which covers about 40 acres, was used in early Nor¬ walk history, by the Mormons, as an immersion point. It is now the property of Hans Wickenhauser of Chicago. Little Ram Island, which includes three acres, is owned by Riccio Brothers of South Norwalk. Wood Island, between Ram and Sheffield or Smith’s, which island is sometimes known as Great Hammock, includes a little more than six acres and is owned by John H. Wehrle of this city. Sheffield or Smith’s Island has alternately been known as Winnipauk, Long Island, Little Long Island, White’s Island, Sheffield and now Smith’s and was originally the property of the Norwalk Indian Sagamore, Winnipauk. De¬ cember 2, 1690, Winnipauk deeded to the Rev. Thomas Hanford, Norwalk’s first minister, with whom the Indian had gained a deep friendship, “my island of land lying against Rowerton, containing 20 acres more or less (as esti¬ mated then) bounded on ye east with ye island called Mama- chimons, and Chochanenas and on ye west with the point of Rowerton.’’ Later, the island was owned by Gershom Smith, who erected a farmhouse on it as early as 1826, cul¬ tivating the land for many years. On the western end of the island may be seen the old lighthouse which served for many years to guide the mariners who entered Norwalk harbor. The lighthouse used to be known hereabouts as “Old Smith’s Island Light,” but officially in government circles as “Sheffield Island Light.” It is now termed the “Norwalk Unused Light Station” or “Norwalk Island Light¬ house Reservation.” It is a little old stone building, which looks something like a church with its lighthouse tower in the front of the main building. In 1914, the government, having no further use for the lighthouse, put it up for sale, £ -5 rt £ C O x d ^ o ^ ^XX bo £ c£ .. •r 03 £ * S rt co <U CO oj > ^ g o c O jn d , ^ u* • ■— « <u a; X X <u rt X He"