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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00075 1062
,
Occasional Publications, Volume III THE NEW LONDON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
New London's Participation
in Connecticut's Tercentenary
1935
MARE
LIBERUM
Compiled and Edited by ERNEST E. ROGERS
Author of Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Groton Heights and the Burning of New London Connecticut's Naval Office at New London During the War of the American Revolution
Published by THE NEW LONDON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY New London, Connecticut
1935
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1774678
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The Nathan Hale statue in Williams Park, by Frederick MacMonnies, unveiled June 6, 1935.
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Rogers, Ernest Elias, 18GG- ed.
... New London's participation in Connectiont's tercente- nary. 1985. Compiled and edited by Ernest E. Rogers ... New London, Conn., The New London county historical so- ciety, 1935.
x p., 1 1., 121, 72; p. front., illus. (incl. map) 23en. (The New Lon- don county historical society. Occasional publications. vol. III) "Edition llinited to 500 copies."
1. New London, Conn. 2. Connecticut-Centennial celebrations, etc. I. Title.
30-3757
Library of Congress
F104.NTRO
- Copy 2.
Convient A Sousa . 974 65
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/newlondonspartic03roge
F84622.75
COPYRIGHT 1935 BY THE NEW LONDON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Edition limited to 500 copies
Printed in the United States of America THE BINGHAM PRESS NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT
15860
CONTENTS
Page
Foreword
vii
Tercentenary Tree Day - - 1
Founder's Day 21
National Maritime Day 31
Early Printers' Day 45
Nathan Hale Play - 61
Nathan Hale Day -
63
Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Service
84
Mohegan Day 87
Joint Tercentenary Celebration, New London and Groton 97
The U. S. Navy's Contribution to Connecticut's Tercentenary 107
Religious Observance Day - - 109
Grand Army of the Republic Tree Day
112
Official Program 114
New London Committees of Connecticut's Tercentenary 117
Report of the Treasurer 122
Letter from Colonel Samuel H. Fisher
123
New London County Historical Society Officers and Publication Committee 123
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nathan Hale Statue Frontispiece
Page
The Shaw Mansion
4
Washington Takes Command Under Cambridge Elm -
7
Washington-Cambridge Elm, and Grandscions 11 -
Views of Tercentenary Tree Planting
16
Statue of John Winthrop, the Younger 23
Views of Founder's Day Exercises 28
The Steamship Savannah, 1819 - 32
Masonic and Naval Units in Procession, Maritime Day Exercises 34
Views of Maritime Day Exercises-Speakers and Guests 40
Captain Stevens Rogers Monument - 42
The Stephen Daye Press 48
Views of Early Printers' Day Exercises 52
The Printing of the Invitations -
57
The Palmer Library, Connecticut College -
-
59
Huguenot House, 1751 -
60
Hempstead House, 1646 and 1678 62
Views of Nathan Hale Day Exercises -
-
66
Nathan Hale Statue after Unveiling by Young Nathan Hale -
-
73
Old Nathan Hale Schoolhouse - 80
Old Town Mill, 1650 - 83
Map of Fort Griswold - 102
County Court House, 1784 - 106
Guide to Historical Places in New London 116
Lawrence Wharf
122
The Seal of New London, adopted in 1784, appears on title page
T
Foreword
T HE Connecticut Tercentenary celebrations were not the product of a sudden impulse or of an indefinite plan, but were the successful outgrowth of six years of patriotic, intelligent and accurate thought. As early as 1929 the Governor, as authorized by the General Assembly, appointed a Commission of seven members with that distinguished citizen of Hartford, Dr. George C. F. Williams, at the head.
Dr. Williams and his Commissioners made a report to the General Assembly in January, 1931, outlining the plans with suggestions and making eleven recommendations which have since been fulfilled. It was also recommended "that the commemorative exercises be held in October of the year 1935" to celebrate the observance of Connecticut's three hundred years of self-government, not only in reference to her founding and carly settlements but also to recount her remarkable record of progress through the three centuries. Presumably, this year was selected because "in the year 1635 there was clearly a permanent settlement in the Three River towns of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield, which would mean that the Colony, as such, had been settled by that time."
Upon the death of Dr. Williams in the fall of 1933, Colonel Samuel H. Fisher, an eminent citizen of Litchfield, was appointed to succeed him, and on January 4, 193-4, was elected Chairman of the Commission. The members of the Commission during this Tercentenary year of 1935 are Colonel Samuel H. Fisher, Chairman; Mrs .. James P. Andrews, Secretary; William H. Putnam, Treasurer ; Dr. James R. Angell, Morgan B. Brainard, Professor George M. Dutcher, E. Kent Hubbard, Hon. William M. Maltbie, Mrs. George M. Minor, Seth Low Pierrepont, and Robbins B. Stoeckel.
It was in November, 1934, that the Connecticut State Chamber of Commerce invited representatives from the local Chambers in the State to meet in Hartford, and at that meeting a representative of the State Tercentenary Commission urged the Chambers to get behind all Ter- centenary movements in their respective localities. Agreeable to this plan, Ezekiel Spitz, President of the New London Chamber of Commerce, invited the City of New London and the New London County Historical Society to each appoint three representatives to meet with three from the Chamber. The meeting was held at the office of the Winthrop Trust Company on November 21. Mayor Cornelius D. Twomey, Former Mayor Alton T. Miner, and City Manager William A. Holt represented the City Council; Ernest E. Rogers, Colin S. Buell, and Elmer H. Spaulding
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FOREWORD
represented the New London County Historical Society; Ezekiel Spitz, Theodore Bodenwein, and Clifford H. Belden represented the Chamber of Commerce. By votes of this group Ernest E. Rogers was elected General Chairman and Clifford H. Belden, Secretary. At a later meeting Ward T. Alling was elected Treasurer.
A public meeting on the evening of November 26 was held in the Mohican Hotel preceded by a dinner given by Mrs. George M. Minor, the local member of the State Commission, to which had been invited a group of interested citizens, with Governor Wilbur L. Cross, Colonel Samuel H. Fisher, Chairman, and Chief Justice William M. Maltbie as special guests. At the open meeting which was largely attended by citizens, also by representatives of the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, addresses were made by the three guests mentioned above, who spoke on the importance of observing Connecticut's three hundredth birthday. This meeting ratified the choice of the officers already made.
The following day the Organizing Committee met, and at another meeting held January 7 appointed a General Committee of three hundred, with sub-committees from that number as printed elsewhere. General Chairman Rogers was asked to suggest to the Program Com- mittee events which should be celebrated. These suggestions were later adopted and a complete outline printed in the April 4 and subsequent programs.
An important meeting of the Cooperating Committees of the New London Area Tercentenary Committee was held on February 8 in the Municipal Building, New London. This area consisted of the towns of New London, Groton, Stonington, North Stonington, Ledyard, Mont- ville, Salem, Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme, and Waterford-eleven towns in all. These towns were represented except North Stonington, Ledyard, and Lyme, and exhibited much interest. The meeting was addressed by the General Chairman and by Mr. A. R. Rogers of Hartford, the State Director of Celebration, who urged local exhibitions, pageants, celebrations, and the opening of old houses at certain times during the season. It has been a pleasure to have assisted the area committees when- ever called upon and they should be congratulated upon their excellent achievements.
May I thank most heartily Colonel Samuel H. Fisher, the chairman of the Connecticut Tercentenary Commission, for his fine spirit of co- operation, for he has never failed to respond promptly to all inquiries and his advice has been of especial help in enabling us to synchronize our efforts in harmony with the State plan.
That superb work of art, the MacMonnies statue of Nathan Hale, would not have been possible for New London had it not been for the
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FOREWORD
thought and sacrifice on the part of the late Carlotta Boone, an assistant in the Syracuse, New York, library, who died in early womanhood. Through the cooperation of a committee from the Council of the City of New London composed of Mayor Cornelius D. Twomey, Former Mayor Alton T. Miner, Councilor Joseph A. St. Germain and City Manager William A. Holt, a recommendation was made to the council and favorably acted upon, that sufficient funds be appropriated from the Otis K. Dimock Park Fund to provide a pedestal which was the condition under which the statue was to be placed in New London.
Thanks are also due to four members of the Committee on Publicity. Angus MacKay, Jr., of The Duty staff, who attended the meetings of the Executive Committee, also the celebrations and gave such full and com- plete accounts in The Day; to Edward P. Eggleston, for compiling four large volumes of newspaper clippings from The Day and other papers which preserve for all time a complete record of the celebrations of the New London Area; to George B. Bishop, photographer, for his attend- ance at the New London celebrations and furnishing such excellent views; to Orvin G. Andrews of The Day staff, who compiled and arranged a folder, giving points of interest in the New London Area and descriptive routes to reach them, which circular was printed and distributed by the thousands.
The New London Chamber of Commerce, through its president, Ezekiel Spitz, and secretary, Byron A. Fones, was most helpful and con- tributed one hundred dollars toward the expenses of the Committee.
Upon the request of Colonel Fisher that New London provide local headquarters for the State Tercentenary Information Bureau, the Con- necticut Power Company generously responded by offering the Com- munity House at the corner of State and Huntington Streets for that purpose, and in addition provided telephone and other services. This Bureau was manned by a staff appointed by the State Tercentenary Com- mission and was very helpful to tourists, as it is situated on U. S. Route 1.
The State Commission sponsored public occasions of its own of state-wide character. The concluding celebration was a mammoth mili- tary, civic and float parade, for which New London was asked to furnish a float of the old Nathan Hale schoolhouse. The Junior Order, United American Mechanics, volunteered to provide this replica and it was made by a member, Leland F. Rogers, who took it to Hartford and accompanied it in the parade.
This opportunity is taken to thank the members of the committees and others who so enthusiastically and cordially assisted in making a success of the Tercentenary celebrations in New London and its area.
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FOREWORD
It seemed to the Publication Committee of the New London County Historical Society that it would be unfortunate not to print in permanent form the local programs and addresses on which so much devoted effort had been expended by the participants, especially so, since the General Chairman had in completed form all such material. At the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Society held November 13, on recom- mendation of the Publication Committee, the Board authorized the Committee to publish the material in book form as Volume III, Oc- casional Publications, of the Society. The proof of this book was read by Miss Ruth Hornby, who had previously been appointed as secretary to the General Chairman.
New London, Connecticut, December 6, 1935.
E. E. R.
THE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
Tercentenary Tree Day
APRIL 4, 1935
N EW LONDON'S first participation in Connecticut's Tercentenary, held on the grounds of the New London County Historical Society, was a most unusual occasion. What an historical coin- cidence that General Washington first took command of the Continental Army under the Cambridge Elm, later leaving Cambridge and, while passing through New London with his army en route to New York, was entertained as a guest in the Shaw Mansion, and now a grandscion of that Cambridge Elm should be planted here!
Necessarily it was better for the tree planting to take place early in the season while the tree was dormant. The buds protrude earlier in Baltimore, from whence the tree came, than here. This flourishing grandscion, inspected and certified in perfect condition by the United States Department of Agriculture, was set out in a picturesque spot in the grounds of the Historical Society property in the rear of the mansion. About its roots was placed a packet of historic soil from eight places identified prominently in the life of Washington, and collected by Mrs. James H. Dorsey in 1932, the "George Washington Bicentennial Year."
The places are Wakefield, Virginia, his birthplace; Ferry Farms, Virginia, where he spent his boyhood years ; Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania, the scene of his first great military experience; his mother's Fredericks- burg town house; Independence Square, Philadelphia, where he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army; the grounds of the old State House at Annapolis, Maryland, where he resigned his commission, and Mount Vernon, Virginia, his home and America's most beloved shrine.
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
PROGRAM HON. ERNEST E. ROGERS
General Chairman New London Tercentenary Committees, Presiding
AMERICA-Bulkeley Band, Howard T. Pierce, Director
INVOCATION-Rev. Joseph J. Allen
GREETINGS-Hon. Cornelius D. Twomey, Mayor of New London
GREETINGS-Hon. C. John Satti, Secretary of State
ADDRESS-Mrs. James H. Dorsey, grower of the tree, Baltimore, Md. PLANTING OF A TERCENTENARY TREE: an authenticated grand- scion of the Cambridge Elm under which General Washington took command of the Continental Army, July 3, 1775 Gift of Mrs. Ernest E. Rogers and Miss Elizabeth Gorton
TREE SONG AND FOLK DANCE -- Girl Scouts ; Miss Margaret Cross, Local Director, accompanied by New London Girl Scouts THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER-Bulkeley Band PRIZE ESSAY, The Washington Elm -- Anne Higbee ADDRESS-Austin F. Hawes, State Forester, Hartford ADDRESS-Dr. George S. Avery, Jr., Director of the Connecticut Arboretum at Connecticut College
CONNECTICUT MARCH --- Bulkeley Band
RECITATION- Trees, by Joyce Kilmer- Scout Stuart Wilson ; Freeman Kenerson, Scout Commissioner, accompanied by New London Boy Scout Troops
THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER-Bulkelcy Band
THE TREE SONG
Live, live, live, our fields and woodlands need you. Live, live, live, our hopes and blessings speed you. Live, live, live, and may the fair gods lead you.
Love, love, love, the winds and storms that bend you. Love, love, love, and yield tho' they would rend you. Love, love, love, the sun and rains that tend you.
Grow, grow, grow, till never tree shall shade you. Grow, grow, grow, till homage proud is paid you. Grow, grow, grow, and climb to Him who made you.
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
WELCOME ERNEST E. ROGERS General Chairman New London Committees
As General Chairman of the New London Committees appointed to arrange for New London's participation in Connecticut's Tercentenary, it is a pleasure to extend a most cordial welcome to this, the first New London observance. Not only is this the first of the many celebrations planned for this city, but it is also the first official Tercentenary Observ- ance in the State of Connecticut.
Last May in Baltimore I arranged with Mrs. James H. Dorsey for a grandscion of the Washington-Cambridge Elm to be delivered in the spring and planted as a Tercentenary Tree.
In my hand is a piece of the Washington Elm sent to me from Cambridge in April, 1924, by Mayor Edward W. Quinn at the insti- gation of my friend, William S. O'Brien, a Cambridge business man who formerly lived in Groton.
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
April 18, 1924
Hon. Ernest E. Rogers,
New London, Conn.
Dear Sir :
I take pleasure in sending you a piece of the Washington Elm, which fell October 26, 1923, after having stood for more than two hundred and four years, and under which General Washington first took command of the American Army.
Very truly yours, EDWARD W. QUINN, Mayor.
In November, 1927, it was my privilege, officially, to place a wreath at the foot of a scion of the Washington-Cambridge Elm on the campus of the University of Washington at Seattle. That scion was brought from Cambridge by a Harvard student formerly of Seattle.
On May 22, 1928, it was my privilege, officially, to plant a grand- scion of the Washington-Cambridge Elm, the gift of Mrs. Dorsey, at
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
the Headquarters of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1227 Sixteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
But the greatest thrill of all was to see the iron gates of Washington's tomb swing open and have the honor, officially, to lay a wreath upon the sarcophagus of Washington himself, for whom the trees are named. This was on December 14, 1927, the 128th anniversary of his death.
The tree has sister scions planted and growing at every state capitol in the Union. General Washington was a guest here on April 9 and 10, 1776, en route with his army from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to New York, after the siege of Boston. How appropriate it is that this grand- scion should be planted in these historic grounds !
The Shaw Mansion, Connecticut's Naval Office at New London during the War of the American Revolution. Home and property of the New London County His- torical Society. General Washington was a guest here April 9 and 10, 1776, en route with his army to New York from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
INVOCATION
REV. JOSEPH J. ALLEN
Eternal God, our Father, maker of men and nations, we acknowl- edge Thee to be the Lord of life and glory. We thank Thee, that Thy Providence has led to the establishment of this Commonwealth, where Thy children dwell together in peace and quietness. We rejoice today in three hundred years of glorious, achieving history. We ask the
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
continuance of Thy favor and mercy. Grant, O God, that this small tree about to be planted in this place, continuing its life down through the centuries and reproducing itself in our time for our pleasure and profit, may be the symbol of that growing greatness and continued service, that, we trust, will mark the future life of this, our beloved State, through many centuries yet to come. We ask this in Thy eternal name. Amen.
Mayor Cornelius D. Twomey extended felicitous greetings from the City of New London in a most pleasing manner.
GREETINGS
HON. C. JOHN SATTI Secretary of State
The address prepared by Dr. C. John Satti, Secretary of State, was read by Fred L. Newton, Principal of the Jennings School.
Dr. Satti was unable to attend the exercises because of the grave illness of his father, and sent regrets. His greetings follow:
"As Secretary of State, I am custodian of the archives of the sovereign State of Connecticut. None are so rich in historical material which must be dear to the heart of every student of American progress. I regard it as a very high privilege to be able to greet in my official capacity the New London County Historical Society, now opening the State's Tercentenary Celebrations. The fact that I am a native of New London adds to the pleasure this occasion gives me.
"I need not recite for the benefit of those who are so familiar with our history, the innumerable records of heroic achievements which my office holds. As a man of science, trained in the profession of medicine, I am particularly interested in the fact that John Winthrop, first governor of our Commonwealth, is the father of American chemistry, and that in New London, which he founded, he established the first scientific chemical laboratory on this side of the Atlantic.
"He was a pioneer in that great field of natural science. He began in this country the work of chemical research which made us in this century the foremost nation in the world in the knowledge of chemistry. To his initiative we owe the great contributions of modern chemistry to industry and particularly to medicine. Our debt and the world's debt to the first governor of Connecticut is incalculable.
"Serving as Secretary of State under another distinguished and scholarly incumbent of the office John Winthrop once held, I find myself highly honored to extend this greeting and call this particular circum-
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stance to your attention, and to say that I believe the work you are now doing deserves a minute on the records of the State of Connecticut and official recognition by the State government."
ADDRESS BY GROWER OF TREE Read by City Manager WILLIAM A. HOLT
Descendants of the Washington Elm at Cambridge, Massachusetts, a tree of the Revolutionary period, are now flourishing in a number of historic places and in all state capitals.
An address written by Mrs. James H. Dorsey of Baltimore, Mary- land, grower of grandscions of the famous elm, told of the old tree's history and of its descendants. The address was read by City Manager William A. Holt, in the unavoidable absence of Mrs. Dorsey, as part of the program attending the planting of one of the grandscions here. The planting took place on the grounds of the New London County Historical Society, and the address follows:
"On a hot July day, in 1775, there arrived, in Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, the man that the Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, had just appointed commander-in-chief of the troops that were that day awaiting him on Cambridge Commons. He was hot and tired after his long journey (not as quick or as comfortable a trip as it is today) and, a lover of trees and all growing things (a man who, during his lifetime, planted hundreds of trees on his own estate at Mt. Vernon, and watched over and cared for each one), it was natural that General Washington sought shelter from the sun under the branches of a tree, as he stood, with drawn sword, reviewing the enthusiastic, courageous volunteers, who went through eight hard, struggling years, full of almost unbeliev- able hardships, to an eventful victory that wrote the closing climax of one of the greatest chapters in the history of the world-a chapter that actually started under the arching branches of an elm that is now America's most famous and beloved tree. Every record of that event, no matter how brief or elaborate, speaks of Washington as 'standing under an elm tree' for that ceremony.
"The place evidently had its associations for Washington, also, for, later on, he went again to that same spot to receive General Knox and his train of artillery in the Ticonderoga campaign.
" "They also serve who only stand and wait'-and the tall, beautiful elm, standing quietly there, had played its part in the country's service and history. Years passed over its green branches, and it watched the nation change and grow. The great man it had sheltered twice, passed on to the life beyond, as did all those other soldiers of that day, until,
+
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
at last, it was the only living 'veteran' of that world-important event- and, like a true veteran, secretly proud of participation in 'history,' it stood serenely erect and firm-not boasting, but secure in its own knowl- edge of work well done.
"As the years marched steadily on, and the significance and im- portance of that July day grew clearer to all men, it received more and more respect, consideration, and homage, not only from the people of
--- From a print in the Library of Congress
The new Commander-in-Chief first takes command of the American Army, on the Cambridge Common, July 3, 1775
Cambridge, but the citizens of the entire nation. There are many other elms associated with Washington, but this one became known, the world over, as the Washington Elm, and it received every care that men knew how to give in those days before modern tree-surgery. An old wood-cut of 1870 shows it in the center of a broad highway, with the busy life of a growing city (the quaint costumes, the Conestoga wagons, et cetera) passing on each side of it, instead of the once green turf of the Commons. But a small fence encircled and protected it, even then.
"The next chapter in its history shows it in June, 1888, still 'in its prime,' and with a young Harvard law student (the university was only a couple of blocks away) standing under its branches, thinking of all the old tree represented and of all that had happened since its 'great day,' and reading for the hundredth time (for he had passed there every
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TERCENTENARY TREE DAY
day for months) the simple words on the marker of white marble that then stood at its base-an inscription written, at the request of the citizens of Cambridge, by the Poet Longfellow (whose home had been Washington's headquarters during his Cambridge campaign) : 'Under this tree Washington first took command of the American Army, July 3, 1775.' June-and the old elm was full of tiny, fluttering seeds that, constantly falling, were making a thick carpet inside the little iron fence. Yielding to a sudden impulse, this young student from Maryland reached through the fence and scooped up a handful of these seeds which, in a few seconds, were safely stored in his trunk. Later, after receiving his degree and returning to his Maryland home, the seeds were at once planted in his garden.
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