USA > Connecticut > New London County > Groton > Groton, Conn. 1705-1905 > Part 32
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* Diary of Joshua Hempstoso, pp 21-28 et seq.
** Groton Town Records.
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We have already spoken of the iron works and saw mill of Samuel Whipple.
Mechanical genius was not lacking in Quakertown, as witness the building of a printing press, the invention of the coffee mill and the making of a kettle from native copper ore. Rev. Russell Jennings, the inventor of the gimlet bit, was born in Groton in 1800. The granite quarries of the town have been a source of wealth and the quality has been appreciated for many years. Part of the granite used in the construction of Fort Sumter in Charles- ton harbor was from the Fort Hill quarry in Groton.
In the early days nearly every brook of any size was har- nessed for power and the town was dotted with small mills in which corn was ground or logs sawed into lumber. As early as 1726 Samuel Newton operated a saw mill in North Groton. Samuel Newton's land was at Ledyard Center .*
"Robert Geer, one of the leading men of North Groton during the first half of the eighteenth century, was a miller and tanner and built the first grist mill in the vicinity .** His mill was one of the three places where all warnings were to be posted and was situated one mile south of George Geer's first house."
"On the 5th of March, 1745-6,; John Fanning bought of John Dunbar a fifty-acre farm in Groton with dwelling house and saw mill at Burnett's Corners (now so-called). The saw mill was later known as the Crary saw mill and was afterwards used as a gun shop and is now (1905) a machine shop owned by Minor Bacon. . Aug. 27, 1746, John Fanning bought of Thomas Chipman fifty-seven acres more adjoining his farm. . His purchase had a gristmill, fulling mill and mansion house on it. The grist mill has since been made into a rope walk and is how owned by Dr. Leander Barber. The fulling mill was east of the grist mill on Mill Brook and was afterwards made into a sash and blind factory, but was long ago torn down."
* Spicer Genealogy, p. 27.
** Ibid, p. 510.
+ History of the Fanning Family, Vol. II, p. 700.
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Another member of the Fanning Family-Thomas-built a saw mill on Poquetanock River which for many years was known as Fanning's saw mill. This mill with addi- tions became the nucleus of the village of Shewville.
In 1818 the first woolen mill in the town was established on the site of Dunbar's mill on Great Brook just east of Center Groton. The mill did a thriving business for many years but shut down in the aftermath of the panic of 1837 and was destroyed by fire a few months later.
Elisha Morgan built a grist mill, saw mill and sash and blind factory at Pequonnoc. John Grandall was running the grist mill in 1855, and John S. Heath the sash and blind works until about the time of the Civil War, when he removed his business to Mystic. A newspaper account in 1865 states that Messrs. A. C. G. Rathbun & Co. were doing a thriving business in making cotton warps and yarn under the supervision of Sanford A. Morgan. In 1871 Messrs. C. G. Beebe & Son were making cotton yarn in this plant.
At the outbreak of the Civil War Messrs. H. & C. W. Latham erected a carpenter shop in Mystic equipped with machinery for preparing the materials used in their build- ing operations and in addition turned out large quantities of wedges and bungs used by the ship builders in the village. To the second story of this building John S. Heath re- moved his sash and blind business from Pequonnoc.
This building was destroyed by fire in July 1867 and was not rebuilt. This fire also destroyed the slaughter house of Charles S. Williams and the old tavern known as the "Burnside House."
The close of the Civil War found most of the small fac- tories in active operation. In November 1865 the old stone factory, which had been running as a shoddy mill during the war, was about to start as a cotton batting mill under the care of Major J. Austin Lamb. The mill burned to the ground in July 1885.
One of the early adventurers in the menhaden oil busi- ness was Colonel Hubbard D. Morgan of Groton. He em- moved in the business as early as 1845 and after the usual
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difficulties attendant upon the establishment of a new in- dustry, in company with Franklin Gallup of Pequonnoc be- came very successful.
Elisha Ayer of North Groton was one of the earliest im- porters of merino sheep. He was a wealthy farmer and his nephew, James C. Ayer, M. D., born in North Groton May 5, 1819, was the celebrated patent medicine manu- facturer of Lowell, Mass.
In 1848 the Randall brothers-Isaac, William P .. and Silas B., together with William P. Smith, Nathan Chapman and Leonard W. Morse, founded the Reliance Machine Com- pany, which up to the time of the Civil War did a large business in the manufacture of cotton gin machinery and kindred supplies. Their trade being principally with the South, they became embarrassed by the large amounts owing them by their Southern debtors at the outbreak of the war. The demand for their output having entirely ceased, they were forced to find some other line of business and at great expense fitted their plant for the building of marine engines.
Having a few years before added to their plant a boiler shop, they were prepared to undertake the complete out- fitting of steamers, so many of which were built at Mystic during the war. At their boiler shop were built the boilers for the gunboat "Varuna," which so distinguished her- self under Commodore Boggs at New Orleans. The Re- liance Company furnished the boilers and engine for the sloop-of-war ,"Ossipee," built at Kittery Navy Yard, and also fitted out among others the "Fanny," the "Delaware," the "Ann Maria" and the "W. W. Coit."
Though doing a large business, the company never re- covered from the blow received at the outbreak of the war and in the summer of 1864 was forced to make an assign- ment for the benefit of its creditors. An incident con- nected with the failure caused great excitement in Mystic. Messrs. George Greenman & Co. had a steamer lying at the boiler shop wharf waiting for For engine, which was com- pleted and stood in the erecting department of the Reliance
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works. It was reported that the company was to make an assignment on Monday and as the Messrs. Greenman claimed to have advanced the price of the engine they sent a gang of men to the shop on Sunday and took possession of it, removing it to a store house near the wharf.
A number of the creditors of the Reliance Company were stirred with indignation at this violation of the Sabbath and incidentally with fear of losing the value of the ma- chinery, so they appealed to the officers of the law to stop the outrage. The local deputy-sheriff, after listening to both sides of the controversy, concluded as the Greenmans were Seventh-Day Baptists they had a perfect right under the law to work on Sunday, and so he declined to interfere. Then the county sheriff, Judge Richard A. Wheeler, was appealed to and he hastened to the scene, but he arrived at the same conclusion as did his deputy and so the Greenmans remained in possession of the engine.
The assignees of the company, Messrs. James Gallup, Hiram Appelman and Nathan G. Fish, brought the business to a prompt conclusion and on the 20th of December the plant was sold. The Mystic Pioneer of December 10, 1861, notices the sale as follows: "The sale of the Reliance Ma- chine Company's establishment on the 20th inst. will be the largest amount of property ever sold at one auction in Eastern Connecticut. The works are now in operation and everything in good shape for a continuation of the business. The boiler shop will be sold separately on the same day." The Pequot Machine Company headed by C. B. Rogers of Norwich, took over the plant and conducted the business for about a year and a half, when they sold out to the Cotton Gin Company.
Of this sale the Mystic Pioneer* says: "The Pequot Ma- chine Company have sold their works with the exception of some of the heavier tools to the Cotton Gin Company, which has been in operation in this place for about a year. The Pequot Company will move such of their machinery as was not sold to Norwich, where they will continue the busi -
* April 21, 1866.
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ness of manufacturing all kinds of machinery. The Cotton Gin Company have enlarged their capital and business and have associated with them several capitalists of New York. This company is now in a prosperous condition."
The Mystic River Hardware Company was formed April 10, 1866, "for the purpose of manufacturing agricultural implements and hardware."* They succeeded to the busi- ness of the Cotton Gin Company and in 1871 we read of their business that "it is a joint stock company of which George Greenman is President, Charles Grinnell, Treasurer, Lon Weston Secretary, George Grinnell Book-keeper and Leonard W. Morse, Jr., Superintendent. The average num- ber of hands employed is one hundred."
The output was the Gullett Improved Patent Steel Brush Cotton Gin and also a large proportion of all the cotton gin materials used by Southern manufacturers. In addition they made a large line of book binders' machinery, the Mystic Pump, otherwise known as the Glass Cylinder Pump, and the People's Improved Coffee Mill.
In 1873 the name of the company was the Sanborn Ma- chine Company, which later was changed to Standard Ma- chinery Company, which in new buildings on the old loca- tion still continues to carry on the business of manufactur- ing book binders' machinery.
Lyman Dudley was the village blacksmith in Mystic and for many years was engaged in outfitting the whalemen and later did an extensive business with the clipper ships and steamers that were built in Mystic. After his death this business was discontinued but at a later date his son erected a building on the old blacksmith shop property which was used by the Dudley Packing Company. For a time they did an extensive business in the canning of fruit, but in October 1878 were forced to suspend and the business was wound up. The building later became the office of the trolley company.
The Enterprise Machine Company, incorporated in 1873, commenced business near the West Mystic station and
* Mystic Pioneer, May 5, 1866.
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shortly afterwards were burned out. The same fate over- took the cradle business started by Charles A. Fenner near the same location.
An industry known as the Pequonnoc Fish Farm was started in the year 1870 by the Rev. William Clift in con- nection with Mr. W. B. Hatch of New York. They pur- chased about four hundred acres of land on the west side of Great Brook which they stocked with trout fry and pro- posed to do an extensive business in fish culture, but after the death of Rev. Mr. Clift little more was heard of it.
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CHAPTER XX
MISCELLANEOUS
Libraries
T HE TOWN is blessed with two public libraries, the one at Groton being the gift of Frederic Bill, Esq., that at Mystic the gift of the late Captain Elihu Spicer, Jr. The beautiful granite building of the Bill Memorial Library occupies a commanding position on Groton Heights. "In 1888* he presented to the village of Groton a library in memory of his deceased sisters. . and in 1890 erected a granite library building at a cost including grounds, etc., of nearly twenty thousand dollars, which he also presented to the trustees of the library. Subsequently he gave the board of trustees ten thousand dollars as an endowment fund." Choice paintings loaned by Mr. Bill adorn the walls and the shelves fitted with the choice pro- ductions of standard authors afford to the residents of the borough abundant opportunity for literary culture.
The Mystic and Noank Library at the corner of West Main and Library streets in Mystic is one of the attractive features of the village. Nestling among the trees, sur- rounded by ample grounds, it is an architectural gem. The sudden death of Captain Spicer before the completion of the structure left it without provision for maintenance and while it is used for a circulating library and reading room, certain restrictions have up to this time deprived the public of the use of the beautiful assembly hall, which is one of the features of the building.
* History of Ledyard, Avery, p. 109.
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Taverns
In the old stage coach days the tavern was an important public utility. The arrival and departure of the stages were eagerly looked for by the communities through which they passed, as the news of the day was largely obtained by interviews with the passengers and drivers-the latter being regarded as a rather superior order of beings. The first tavern in Groton of which we have a record was located at the ferry house on the east side at New London, and was licensed by the General Court of Connecticut in 1724 to be "well provided for the entertainment of men with a good stable for horses."*
The tavern at Old Mystic built in 1754 is a surviving specimen. Further west on the turnpike at Burnett's Cor- ners was the Pequot Hotel, built about 1840 and kept by Captain Richard Burnett. At Center Groton the old Barber house, where Whitfield preached, was used for a time as a tavern, and still further west was a noted hostelry built and owned by Jonas Belton. East of Candlewood Hill was the Harry Niles Tavern, "celebrated as the scene of later 'trainings' and barbecues." **
In Mystic the National Hotel, under the shadow of Fort Rachel, stood for many years, and a short distance to the northwest was a house known in its later years as the Burn- side House, until it was destroyed by fire. Another well- known hostelry was kept by Joseph Packer, on the hill near the junction of Pequot road and New London road, the site now occupied by the residence of Louis P. Allyn, Esq. The Mystic Pioneer of March 9, 1867, thus speaks of the demoli- tion of the old house: "That relic of the past, the old Joseph Packer tavern stand, one of the oldest houses in the town of Groton, has been demolished within the past week .. One part of the house had been built at least one-hundred and fifty years, and much of that time used as an inn. Three generations by the name of Joseph Packer there lived, and
* Economic and Social History of New England, Weeden, Vol. II. p. 510.
** Historic Groton, p. 50.
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there two of them died, the last of the name dying at the South. About eighty years ago the old mansion, which had previously been a half house with back roof reaching to the ground, received the addition of the west half, the roof in the rear running as before. The change to two stories in the rear was a modern innovation." A singular incident in connection with the destruction of the old house deserves mention. Philip Gray, who lived in the house for a number of years prior to its abandonment, served three years in the 21st Connecticut Volunteers and while in Virginia came into possession of a silver spoon marked "J. P." While engaged in tearing down the old house he found another silver spoon, with the same mark, probably belonging to the member of the family named above.
The Ocean House at Eastern Point was conducted for a number of years by Captain Silas Fiske, and after his death by his widow, who disposed of the property to her brother, Roswell S. Edgcomb. He replaced the old house with a new and larger one called the Edgcomb House. This, not proving financially successful, was sold to the Sturte- vant interest, who changed the name to Fort Griswold House, under which name it has since been run. About this house has grown up a summer colony of beautiful houses with well-kept grounds, which add greatly to the natural attractiveness of the location. The most elegant mansion at Eastern Point is that of Morton F. Plant, the railroad magnate. This house with its spacious grounds, well-kept gardens and highly cultivated farm is the show place of southeastern Connecticut.
Spicer's Home for the Poor
At the annual town meeting on September 27, 1886, Mr. Thomas E. Packer, in behalf of an unknown donor, tendered to the town the Comfort Brown farm on Fort Hill, comprising fifty-five acres of land with two dwelling houses thereon, and one thousand dollars in money, for an
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asylum for the town poor. The gift was accepted with thanks and the selectmen were authorized to receive the property and to transact all business connected with its transfer. On the passing of the deed a few weeks later the giver proved to be Captain Elihu Spicer, Jr., a native of the town, with a summer residence in Mystic but doing business in New York as a member of the firm of C. H. Mallory & Co. At a special town meeting held December 24, 1886, it was voted to lease the farm, as there was but one person at the time liable to be an inmate. This vote stirred up a feeling in the town that an injustice had been done to the donor and that if the town was not disposed to use the gift in the manner intended by the giver, the prop- erty should be returned to Captain Spicer. Accordingly a special town meeting was called for January 13, 1887, at which the vote to lease the farm was rescinded and it was
"Voted-To name the property 'Spicer's Home for the Poor.' It was also
"Voted -- That the Selectmen of the town be, and they are, instructed to employ a good and competent man and wife to work and improve the town farm until the next Annual Town Meeting, making such arrangements with such persons as they may consider to be for the best inter- est of the Town and for the purpose for which said farm was intended to be used, namely-for the Town's Poor."
In the selectmen's report for the year ending August 31, 1889, mention is made of the farm as follows :
"The town now has six poor at the Spicer Home and has had as high as eight part of the year. The Selectmen have from time to time carefully inspected the Spicer Home and its inmates, kept by Mr. L. B. Crandall and wife, and have always found everything in good order and open for inspection.
"The poor are clean and tidy and they with one accord give the home and Mr. and Mrs. Crandall a fatherly and motherly name. The farm is kept in good order and this year is rather an advantage than a drawback to the town."
In their report for way ending August 31, 1894, th
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selectmen acknowledge receipt from the estate of the late Captain Elihu Spicer of the sum of $1,817.26 "to be used in improving and maintaining the farm and buildings at the Spicer Home."
Thus through the generosity of one of her sons, Groton is provided with a comfortable home for her unfortunate poor and is removed from the list of towns who farm out their poor people to the lowest bidder.
Banks
The town boasts of two banks, both occupying the same building in Mystic. The Mystic River Bank was chartered in 1851 and Mr. Charles Mallory was its first president. He was succeeded, August 7, 1860, by Captain N. G. Fish, who held the office until his death. December 5, 1861, the bank became the Mystic River National Bank. Captain William Clift was chosen president August 24, 1870, re- signing June 7, 1881, on account of failing health. He was succeeded by Mr. F. M. Manning, the present incumbent. Mr. George W. Noyes, the first cashier, held the position until his death, February 26, 1866, when he was succeeded by his son Henry B. Noyes, who has continued until the present time.
The Groton Savings Bank was established in 1854 with Captain N. G. Fish as its first president and George W. Noyes treasurer. Both served until death severed the con- nection. Captain William Clift was made president in 1870 and held the office until July 1875, when he was succeeded by Henry B. Noyes, who had been treasurer since the death of his father in 1866. A. H. Simmons was appointed treas- urer to succeed Mr. Noyes. Both these banks have been exceptionally well managed and have steadily increased in resources and in the respect of the community.
Mystic Cornet Band
This is an institution of which the citizens of Mystic have just reason to be proud. Organized in 1853, for many
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years it had the proud distinction of being one of the first bands in the State. At the holding of a festival for its benefit in October 1868 Judge Potter wrote the following history of the organization :
"The present members are as follows: Frederic T. Mercer, leader; Horace W. Fish, Charles Gallup, E. A. Scholfield, Jesse D. Noyes, Simeon G. Fish, Samuel C. Gallup; Leonard Mallory, W. Carey Edgcomb, John Forsyth, F. S. Bidwell, John Gallup, Jr., Seth Slack, Ebenezer Mor- gan, Frank P. Baker, James W. Waterman, Thomas H. Williams, Selar Eldredge. Several of these men have been members from the beginning, as J. W. Waterman, Leonard Mallory and Ebenezer Morgan: and with the first two the organization really originated.
"The first subscription, started February 1, 1853, amounted to $350 and was headed by F. M. Manning and D. D. Mallory, and we may here say that Dr. Manning has taken a deep interest in its success from its origin, not only freely contributing himself but circulating subscriptions, and for many years being one of its efficient players. Of the sixty-eight original subscribers to their first fund to purchase instruments, some thirteen have passed away. They were Denison Burrows, Ambrose H. Grant, Horatio N. Fish, Dexter Irons, William P. Smith, Joseph Cottrell, Asa Fish, George Wolfe, Ira H. Clift, Lyman Dudley, George W. Ashby, George W. Noyes, Ambrose H. Burrows- all names of high worth in the community.
"But while so many of the original patrons are dead it is not less worthy of record that among the twenty-five to thirty active members connected with it for a longer or shorter time, not one has died. Its first instructor was J. F. Slater, but its first real leader was John D. Wheeler, now of Willimantic, also one of its original members, and whose praise has always been on the lips of his associates. Jesse D. Noyes was also an original member and for a time its secretary ; but he was for some years, till lately, disconnected with it.
"Its leader for much of the thine has been Dr. Frederic
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T. Mercer, by whom most of the music has been arranged and who has been indefatigable in his labors to build up and perfect the musical talent of the band. He may well claim paternity as well as leadership in an institution which must have gone down without his fostering care and artistic talent. David D. Mallory was one of its first members and chairman of the original organization, though not himself an actual performer.
And here we may as well give the names of such mem- bers as have not been mentioned above, who have left the band, viz., Joseph R. Rindge, Dr. John Gray, John W. Brown, Austin P. Niles, John H. Cranston, C. C. Stebbins, Gilbert E. Morgan, Nathaniel M. Noyes, Benjamin E. Mallory, James D. Smith, Thomas F. Slack, James Crans- ton, Giles Edwin Lamb, and perhaps a few others. Several of these have acted as officers, as chairmen, secretaries or treasurers. "
Fires
Floral Hall in Mystic was the scene of a large fire, December 12, 1863. The building was totally destroyed, together with the fish market adjoining on the east. The insurance, $12,800, did not cover the loss. Messrs. Packer & Allyn, the owners, proceeded at once to the erection of a new and larger building, which was completed in the fall of 1864, and at a fair held by the Mystic River Soldiers Aid Society, on October 6, the hall in this building was by vote of those present named "Central Hall."
This building contained stores on the first floor; offices and tenements on the second, and two halls, Central and Masonic, on the third. This building in turn was burned, December 29, 1880. This fire was one of the most destruc- tive that ever occurred in Mystic, the loss being estimated at $75,000. Besides Central Hall block, Manning's drug store and Gates & Co.'s shoe store on the west and Anthony Ryan's block on the east were destroyed. All the parties in interest at once rebuilt, Central Hall at this time being reduced to two stories in height
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Probably the most destructive fire in the history of the town occurred on the night of December 28-29, 1865, at which time the steamboat freight depot at Groton, together with the splendid steamer "Commonwealth," was destroyed, entailing a loss estimated at nearly a million dollars. The wharf, together with a large number of freight cars, was burned and one passenger on the steamer lost his life.
The destruction of all landing facilities at Groton led to the return of the steamboat line to Stonington, from which point it had been transferred to Groton a few years before. Other fires that deserve mention are the burning of Johnson & Denison's carriage shop, September 26, 1864, when the carriage shop, trimming shop, blacksmith shop, storehouse and barn belonging to Mr. Denison and the house and barn belonging to Mr. John Batty were consumed, involving a loss of $11,000.
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