USA > Connecticut > New London County > Groton > Historic Groton : comprising historic and descriptive sketches pertaining to Groton Heights, Center Groton, Poquonnoc Bridge, Noank, Mystic, and Old Mystic, Conn. > Part 8
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MASON MONI MENT
a ferry from the half way house (so called) at the narrows, over to where the Elin Grove cemetery now is: but the chief route was from the west side of the river across to Pistol Point on the Stonington side from whence the road continued through that town. This old route
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through from New London is said to have been called the King's Highway.
acres, extending up the hill where the Mystic and Noank library building is, to where his In 1805, Silas Beebe a native of Waterford Foot Hill. This title had been given because of the natural imprint of a foot in a rock on the hill. The piece of rock as blasted some years ago is now in the rooms of the County son, Isaac, some years afterwards built his res- purchased a tract of land and located at Devil's / idence. He continued the store business and in: 1810 began building vessels. Mr. Randall also engaged extensively in the whaling busi- ness until he retired in 1834, his sons succeed- ing him. At the time of his retirement from business he was the wealthiest resident of Mystic. He died in January, 1851.
STREET SCENE
Historical Society. Mr. Beebe married Han- nah Rathbun, sister of Capt. Elisha Rathbun then living east near the river. Later on he made purchases until his land holdings amounted to nearly three hundred acres, reaching west to the foot of Fort Mill. 11e was a sea captain and was engaged in the coasting trade from 1799 to 1830 when he became connected with Jedediah Randall in the whaling business. The cove next south of Capt. Beebe's residence by common con- sent bears his name. His first wife had died and in 1813 he married Nancy Breed. He died May, 1863, at the age of 83.
Jedediah Randall was born in Norwich, April. 1773, and moved to Mystic in 1807. His wife was Mary Burrows, daughter of Rev. Silas Burrows, who owned the Fort Hill farm. He located at the ferry landing with Capt. Edward Packer whose wife was Prudence Crary a con- nection of Mr. Randall. A general provision store was kept here, and sea going vessels were built a little south from the residence. The trolley power buildings. stand on these grounds. Mr. Randall purchased from Capt. Packer, besides the buildings, a number of
In 1805, Amos Clift, a sea captain who was born in Preston, purchased the farm of Na- than Burrows. He had married as second wife in 1798, Thankful Denison, daughter of Isaac and Eunice Williams Denison across the river in Stonington, who was also a consin of his first wife Esther Williams, both being con- nections of my and Sarah Williams the suc- . cessive wives of Nathan Burrows. The farm extended from the west end of the present trolley and draw bridge, north along the river to land of Capt. George Eldredge, a noted river and coast pilot, whose wife was Hannah Burrows, a niece of Nathan, and west up Pe- quot Hill, to near where the monument now other tract of land next west of this of George stands. A little later Capt. Clift bought an-
LOOKING EAST FROM THE BRIDGE
Fish, reaching to the brook west of Pequot Hill. The Burrows house was taken down and a new one built around the chimney which was left standing. In those days a well built chim- ney with the large fireplaces, and baking oven was an important feature. The house still stands. The building which was taken down
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is thought to have been built by the grand- father of Nathan, who was John 2d, grandson of Robert Burrows, a first settler.
At the time the chimney was built the Bur? rows farm extended from the trolley draw bridge north to the top of Great Hill by the Peace Meeting grove, and west from these points to top of Pequot Hill, the house being quite near the center. It is a tradition in the Burrows and Packer families, which the writer also heard his grandmother relate as fact, that after the great snowstorm in the winter of 1740-41, the valley east of the house being filled with snow and banked against the ledge and house, Desire Packer Burrows, mother of Nathan, slid from the chamber window of the residence in a huge chopping tray over the river to near the Den- ison mansion.
Another episode related by the same per- son perhaps it may be pardonable to relate. In one of his voyages, 1807-08, her husband had been gone so long without being heard from, it was thought by some that he was lost at sea, but she had believed he would return. Her father Isaac Denison was with her. A dog which Capt. Clift had left at home com- menced barking in an unusual manner one morning, continually looking up the hill. It kept acting so strangely that her father said to her : "I believe Amos is coming home," and before noon they saw him riding horseback down the old bridle path. He had taken a cargo of oil and fish to Bordeaux, and then taken a freight for Caracas. Then as in more recent years Venezuela was in a revolutionary state, his vessel was seized and he and his ยท crew were detained. He succeeded in clear- ing himself and crew and reaching New Lon- don. It proved to be an unjust seizure and after some delay they were indemnified.
Nathan Burrows had made two trips to Bos- ton with his oxen during the Revolution with provisions for the patriot army. His brother . John was an officer in the war. He moved to Chenango Co., New York, where he died in 1808, at the age of sixty-four. He has de- scendants in New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut, one of them being the present
prosecuting attorney for the town of Groton. Amos Clift died in 1818 at the age of fifty, the same year that the first bridge across the river was being built, and High street from the New London road to Burnett's Corners opened.
RESIDENTS IN 1800.
North of the Burrows farm, mentioned, was that of Elam Burrows, whose wife was Sarah, a daughter of Isaac Denison. Next north and extending west over Pequot Hill were the farms of Sands Fish, and wife Bridget Gallup, and Roswell Fish, and wife Isabel Phelps. North from them were Joseph Park, Jr., wife Abigail Ecclestone; Beriah Grant, wife Nancy Burrows; and William Smith, wife Abigail Willes, whose mother was Abigail Park. Joseph Park erected a grist mill on the brook near his residence. North of the Smith farm was land of Wait and Thomas Wells in the Old Mystic section, with Rose Mason (colored) living near the line.
West from the Smith farm were the farms of Paul Burrows, wife Catherine Haley; Samuel Park, wife Dolly Chappell; Nathaniel Park, wife Phebe Burrows. West from these, and extending over to the north end of the Flanders road, were Shepherd Cottrell, wife Mary Wilcox; John Braman, wife Polly Park; Den- nis Burnett, wife Polly Noyes; Peter Reed (colored), wife Irene, on land of Thomas Wells; and Nathaniel Niles; besides Elisha Niles, and wife Sarah.
South from the Niles land was the farm of Holmes, Sylvester, and Philena Walworth (not married ) whose father, Sylvester Walworth, was killed in the battle at Fort Griswold 1781. East, and between their farm and Pequot Hill, was Thomas Fish and also the saw and grist mill with dwelling house then owned by him and later by Edward McGuire until abandoned. South from the Walworth farm was that of Dea. Simeon Smith, wife Eunice; east and also south of him the farm of George Fish, wife Sarah Hinckley; and on the west side of the highway, the farm with tanyard of Zebediah Gates, wife Eunice Packer; second wife Mercy Denison.
South from the Gates and Smith farms were Charles Gard, wife Bethany; Benjamin Ilall, wife Huldah ; Nathan Mix, wife Phebe; Baker family ; Joseph Crumb, wife Eunice Tift, daughter of Solomon Tift; William Middleton, wife Lucy Walworth, daughter of Sylves- ter Walworth; Cheet family; Moses Latham, wife Leonora Smith; William Latham, wife Sabra Ash- bey ; he was wounded in the battle at Fort Griswoldl.
On the Fort Hill farm, living south of the present town house, was Rev. Silas Burrows, wife Mary Smith, second wife Phebe ( Denison) Smith. A little west of Fort Hill lived Samuel Edgeomb, wife Rachel Copp; and also Solomon Tift, wife Eunice Burrows. Both of these men were in the battle in 1781. East from the Flanders district, along the New London road were Charles Packer, wife Abigail Latham; John Fish, wife Hannah Brush ; Elisha Packer, wife Lucy Smith; Lodowick Packer, wife Delight Ashbey ; Ma son Packer, wife Amy Burrows; Joseph Packer, wife llannah Packer; George AAshbey, wife Cathe- rine Packer; Edward Packer, (land sold to Jedediah Randall) ; and Daniel Burrows, wife Kesia Rhodes.
East of Fort Hill and south of the New London road, Sylvester. Clark, wife Abby Gates; Ebenezer Fish, wife Lydia Fish; (one of the name of Ebenezer Fish was in the battle of September, 1781, Allen's Ilistory ) : Chester Fitch, wife Deborah Packer; Sam
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uel Burrows, Lemuel Burrows, wife Nancy; Daniel Eldredge, wife Phebe; he was in the battle at Fort Griswold; Joseph Ashbey, wife Mary Burrows; El- dredge Packer, wife Sabrina Packer; Guy E. Burrows, wife Fanny Eldredge; John Packer, wife Hannah Gal- lup; he was in war of the Revolution; Joshua Packer, wife Phebe Packer; and on the Noank line, Levi Spi- cer, wife Prudence Palmer.
. At the south part of Goat Point was Latham Fitch, wife Waity Burrows; Elisha Rathbun, wife Lucre- tia Parker; next north, Nathan Ingham, wife Experience Fish. North of that section was Isaac Park, wife Mary Billinghaas; Benjamin Packer, wife Mary Middleton; David Lewis, wife Lydia Tift; Ca- leb Tufts, wife Rebecca Burrows; William Murphy, wife Mary Park; William Douglass, wife Ann; Jo- seph Park, wife Lucy Packer; Asa Willis, wife Debo- rah Burrows; Daniel Packer, wife Hannah Burrows; he lived where his great grandson, Charles C. Packer, now lives. South from the residence, vessels had been built. Next north was Elam Packer, wife Catherine Fidias.
North of the ferry landing was the residence of An- thony Wolfe, wife Mary Eldredge. He was in the war of the Revolution. In the house east of the Na- tional Bank building was Jonathan Wheeler, wife Nancy Thompson. His father, Lester Wheeler, was in the war of the Revolution and also her father, Wm. Thompson. When the bridge was built in 1818 this house was owned by Ambrose H. Grant, wife Philura Brown; east of the residence was an open cove run- ning up to where the Episcopal church building now stands. The cove was mostly filled thirty years ago with gravel floated in on scows of Capt. Thos. Wil- hams, worked by Daniel Fisher.
This list of residences at that period is be- lieved to be fairly accurate ; there may be a few unintentionally left out. Assistance has been given by some who have knowledge of their ancestors.
With the bridge across the river and the opening of High street, West Mystic began to grow as a village. Being directly connected with the east side of the river there was also a corresponding growth of population on eacl: side. The building of vessels of different grades and sizes which engaged in fishery and merchant trade with nearby and distant ports, owned and manned by residents, together with the whaling business caused a rapid growth for a time.
The highway from the west end of the bridge around by the machine works to the New London road was opened when the bridge was built. The road between Mystic and Noank was opened in 1833. The river road from West Mystic to Old Mystic was opened in 1853. The road on the east side of the river to Old Mystic is older. The high- way from High street towards Centre Groton
known as the Alden Fish road, the West Mystic avenue, Pequot Hill avenue and then the Roswell Brown road from the Alden Fish road through to the Noank road followed in succession. Besides these there are a number of short routes and cross streets which have been opened. The post office on the west side was called Portersville for a number of years ontil about 1844, it was changed to Mystic River.
In 1848 the three brothers Isaac, William, and Silas B. Randall with Wm. P. Smith, Nathan Chapman and Leonard W. Morse formed and started the " Reliance Machine Company," the first of dimensions in the town of Groton. They built up a large business which flourished until the Civil war came on. The business was largely in cotton gins and machinery for the southern states. Slow pay- ments for their goods at that time embarrassed them, and the company was obliged to suc- cumb. Machine business has been continued here and the extensive fire proof buildings of the Standard Machinery Company now doing a large business occupy the same grounds. The tract of land east of West Mystic depot being connected with both depot and river, has rare business facilities. Before and dur- ing the war, ship building was carried on here by the firm of Maxson, Fish and Co. which included vessels for the government.
The Holmes Motor Works now located near the former shipyard are doing an exten- sive business in building fine yachts equipped with engines of their own manufacture. . 1 new firm has recently started business here cast of the depot, under the name of West Mystic Manufacturing Co. They are build- ing boats and motors. The Gilbert Transpor- tation Co. with large shipping interests, which located in Mystic within a few years, have a vard for building and repairing south of Main street, by the west end of the bridge. They are also now occupying the former shipyard on the south side of Pistol Point, east of the river, where they are building vessels. They have furnished employment for many persons. The large four-story block for stores and offices erected by them is a decided ornament to the village.
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On the west side of Pearl street by the ledge there was formerly located a manufactory for wagons, carriages, etc., by Charles Johnson and Elisha Denison. Besides the local trade, business wagons were shipped through agents to California during the gold discovery period. Later the buildings burned down. The Mystic Granite and Marble Co., of MeGanghey Bros., and also the Melvin blacksmith works, are now located on the grounds. A little north of this is the carriage shop of Charles HI. Johnson,
business from before California times until af- ter the war period. East from the shop was the Randall store managed by Dwight Ashbey, south from the blacksmith was the store of Simcon Fish and Son for many years, and then J. T. Batty, County Commissioner, south of the store the coal yards of Benjamin Burrows, and further along by the river where now is the Kelsy Coal Co., there had been for some years a store kept by Joseph S. Avery. West from the Burrows coal yard, by the Noank
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
a son of the former builder. West of this E. Marston formerly worked the quarry and also had monumental works.
Near the north end of Pearl street before the Civil war, was a shipyard where a num- Ler of vessels were built by John A. Forsyth and E. Morgan. This is now occupied by res- idences and by the Cheney Globe Works. On the location where now stands the office build- ing of the Groton and Stonington Trolley Co., Lyman Dudley did an extensive blacksmith
road is Chapman's blacksmith and repair shop. South from this on the corner across the street in 1850 was the store of Albert G. Stark, in which was the Mystic River post office. A little to the rear of the blacksmith shop at that time was an hotel, since burned down.
Main street, from the bridge west, is now the chief thoroughfare for stores and offices. On the north side next to the bridge is River- side block, Central Hall building with stores
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and offices, the drug store which Dr. F. M. Manning occupied a half-century ago, and in the next building at that time was the hat and cap furnishing store of Chesebro and Davis./ Then the 1. W. Denison & Co. block, where had been A. G. Wolf, blacksmith; the Ketch- um block, Buckley's block with hall, at the east end of which stood the shop and office of the spar and block contractors, William, John and Oliver Batty, who kept the cove which then extended from their building nearly to where the Episcopal church building now stands,-well filled with spars for masts, etc., of various sizes. It was in their shop building, then vacated, that S. H: Buckley was supplying meats fifty years ago. At that time, next west was A. C. Tift's dry goods store and the present Kretser store building. Further west is the National Bank building, established over a half-century. West of this is W. E. Wheeler's block, where then was Roswell Brown's livery stable, north of which was the village bakery.
On the south side of the street, where now is the bakery, a half-century ago D. A. Hall had a grocery store. East is Brown's block, the Braman block, Avery's block, Watrous' block, Edgcomb's block, and the store build- ing where D. N. Prentice then had a grocery store with L. A. Morgan, now an owner in Cen- tral Hall block and other interests, as clerk. Next comes the Gilbert block with stores, offices, and a public hall, their building extending to the river. Besides these there is also the Pearl street grocery, farther north in the vil- lage.
In 1850 the only stores on Main St. west of the bridge were: On the north side, Elam Eldredge and Eldredge Wolfe's market, F. M. Manning's drug store, O. D. Noyes' fur- wishing store and A. C. Tift's dry goods store ; on the south side were Thomas Williams' paint shop, Martin Lawson, tin shop, and D. N. Prentice, groceries. In the present G. A. R. building on Pearl St. was the undertaking and repair shop of D. D. Edgcomb and Gil- bert Morgan. A short distance north were Thomas and Jesse Lamphere, dealers in fish and oysters. At the same period the Messrs. Gallup brothers, James, John and Benadam, car-
penters, had a shop and lumber yard on the cast side of Gravel St. Previous to 1850, Amos Clift, then in California, had been a builder with a shop on the hill where his father had built his resi- dence in 1805. At this time and later, Henry Latham, an old resident was also in the carpen- ter business, his shop being south of the New London road. Also there were Gurdon S. Al- len and Reuben and Roswell Chapman. A lit- tle later were C. E. Tufts, J. R. Stark and J. S. Heath, with Calvin Cromwell, all of whom have passed away. Connected with these builders, who still remain, were F. B. Mayo, Austin Gallup and E. R. Wiliams, Civil war veterans. On the east side some younger and still active, there remain William Murphy and Hiram Clift. Soon after 1850 and for many years Asa A. Avery and son Allen conducted an undertaker's and furniture business on Main St. It should be remembered that in those days there were master mechanics in mason work, Lanman, Denison and Nelson Lamb, Nathan Lamb and Edwin and William Slack.
The village is so connected that business on either side affects the other. On the east side a half-century ago and earlier the shipyards of George, Clark and Thomas Greenman; of Charles Mallory with Mason C. Hill, foreman ; and of Dexter Irons and George Grinnell, were each driving business. At the time when ship building was prosperous there were two sail lofts ; one on the east side of the river con- ducted by Isaac D. Clift, David Weems and Ebenezer Beebe; and on the west side by Grover G. King and Griswold Beebe. D. (). Richmond and Charles Eldredge were boat builders. Edwin R. Gallup, tailor, was post- master. The lumber yards of Joseph Cottrell, and coal yards of Isaac D. Holmes were the chief sources of supply for those necessities. The stores were those of 1. W. Denison & Co. where Thomas C. Forsyth, since master of merchant vessels, was clerk. This store had been that of loxsie and Palmer ; Asa Fish, who was probate judge for Stonington, and D. D. Mallory & Co. Besides these there was a con- fectionery store kept by the bridge tender at the east end of the bridge, also one under the old hotel. The bridge was freed from toll
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rates in 1855. T. E. Packer and Charles Den- ison were insurance agents.
On the east side in Greenmanville section, there is a large woolen factory, the Mystic Manufacturing Co., which has been doing business many years ; and also the extensive Rossie Velvet Mill works. A little to the north of these are monumental works, and Brown's twine and rope factory. Not far north of the bridge, by the river side, is the manufactory of James W. Lathrop Co., doing a large business in motor engines for all spe- cies of power. On Pistol Point is the spool factory. East from the depot is Packer's tar soap factory and storehouse; and a little be- yond, across the cove, is the large, new building of the Industrial Co.'s Ninigret Mills. South from them is the Wilcox Fertilizer Works, now well established. There are two grain stores on the east side of the river. The G. E. Tripp's block, the Gates and Newbury block, and the Hotel Hoxie building contain stores and offices. The hotel was built by Messrs. Tufts and Stark about 1860 for Mr. B. F. Hoxie. It stands on the site of a former hotel, which was owned by Capt. Nathaniel Clift. The Shore Line hotel is south of this, and across the street, west from the Shore Line, is the auto repair shop. The Cottrell Lumber Co. occupies the old lumber yards. "There was formerly a sash and blind factory near the yard. There was also a large machine shop built on Pistol Point, which was unsuc- cessful and was changed to a woolen mill, but finally was burned down.
On the east side there are now three church buildings. The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1835. The first pastor was Rev. William S. Simmons. . The present pastor is Rev. C. T. Hatch. The Congregational church was organized in 1852. The first pastor was Rev. Walter R. Long. The present pastor i; Rev. F. A. Earnshaw. St. Patrick's Ro- man Catholic church was organized with Rev. P. P. Lalor first pastor in 1870. The present pastor is Rev. C. A. Leddy. This church has recently dedicated a new temple of worship. A Seventh Day Baptist church was organized at Greenmanville, on the east side, in 1850 with Rev. Sherman S. Griswold, pastor for a
number of years. He was a popular clergyman in the village, although quite outspoken on po- litical subjects, but that was an era of decided opinions. The church ceased as a public or- ganization three years since. The last pastor was Rev. O. D. Sherman.
The first organized church within the lim- its of West. Mystic, was the Second Baptist church of Groton. It was under the leadership of Rev. Silas Burrows. The meetings were held mostly at his dwelling house on Fort Hill from 1765 until after the war, when a house of worship was built on the crown of the hill north from his residence, and known as the Fort Hill church. There occurred a number of special revival seasons under his pastorate and that of his son, Rev. Roswell Burrows, who succeeded him. The father died in 1818 at the age of seventy-seven, and the son in 1837. aged sixty-nine years. Both of these pioneers of the church rest in the yard on the crest of the hill by the scene of their labors.
Rev. Ira R. Steward followed as pastor un- til in 1844, a new house of worship was built at Mystic. Some of the members had be- come connected with new churches started at Groton Bank and Noank. Another church was already established, at West Mystic, known as the Mariners' Free church, which was for a time alternately occupied by minis- ters of different denominations and later be- came the Third Baptist church. The two houses of worship were not many rods apart and in 1861 the churches became united, and the buildings were connected by moving the Third church building a little to the rear, and moving that of the Second church up to the front of it. They became the Union Baptist church, and the house was dedicated Oct. 9, 1862.
After the removal from Fort Hill to the new house of worship in Mystic, Rev. Henry R. Knapp was pastor of the Second church five years; Rev. Washington Munger three years ; Rev. Ilarvey Silliman two years; Rev. J. M. Phillips four years; with supplies following his pastorate until the union. Rev. Frastns Denison was the first pastor of the Third church for two years, and was followed by Rev. John II. Baker in 1837 for two years.
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died. In July, 1896, Elias F. Wilcox, John G.
Rev. Erastus Denison was again pastor from April, 1839, until April, 1848; Rev. Simon B. Packer and Louis P. Allyn were elected dea- Bailey, about two years; Rev. Franklin A. cons. Slater, three years; Rev. J. L. Holman one/ St. Mark's Episcopal church was organized as a parish in February, 1865, Rev. Lorenzo Sears, rector; Daniel W. Denison, senior warden ; Roswell Brown, junior warden. year, and Rev. William Cathcart about three years. Rev. Asa C. Bronson succeeded in May, 1858, until the two churches united, and he was pastor of the Union church until his Rev. Mr. Sears was rector until April, 1866, and was succeeded by Rev. W. Ingram Ma- gill, who was rector from July, 1866, until October, 1869. Ile was followed by Rev. O. F. Starkey from December, 1869, until Decem- ber, 1872, and Rev. J. D. S. Pardee from Jan- uary, 1873, to May, 1881. During his rector- ship the church being free from debt was con- resignation, taking effect April 1, 1869. Rev. George L. Hunt was pastor from Jan. 2, 1870, until Jan. 2, 1881 ; Rev. Charles II. Rowe from Oct. 1881 to 1884; Rev. George H. Miner from July, 1884, to May, 1893; Rev. Archi- bald Wheaton from September, 1893, to Sep- tember,, 1900: Rev. Byron Ulric Hatfield from
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