USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 12
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 12
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North Haven .- 1830, Jesse Brockett; 1831 2, Isaac Stiles; 1833-4, Hubbard Barnes; 1835-6, Amasa Thorpe; 1837-8, Horace Stiles; 1839, Jesse Brockett; 1840-1. John Beach; 1842, Obed S. Squires; 1843, Everlin Blakeslee: 1844. Merrit Barnes: 1845, Ezra Stiles; 1846, Elizur C. Tuttle: 1847, Oswin H. Doolittle; 1848, Zophar Blakeslee; 1849-50. Oswin H. Doolittle; 1851. Evelyn Blakeslee; 1852, Merrit Barnes; 1853. Burritt Brockett; 1854, Isaac L. Stiles; 1855, Henry McNeil; 1856, Henry H. Stiles; 1857, Hervey Stiles; 1858 9, N. J. Beach; 1860, Nelson J. Beach; 1861 2, H. T. Dayton; 1863, Elizur C. Tuttle; 1864, John E. Brockett; 1865, James M. Payne; 1866-7. W. B. Hemingway; 1868, E. D. S. Goodyear; 1869-70, D. A. Patten: 1871, William B. John- son; 1872, Nelson J. Beach; 1873, Daniel A. Patten; 1874, Cyrus Cheney; 1875-6. Stephen C. Gilbert; 1877-8, Alfred Ives; 1879, Truman O. Judd: 1880, Nelson J. Beach; 1881, Sheldon B. Thorpe; 1882, Andrew F. Austin: 1883, F. Hayden Todd; 1884-5, Isaac L. Stiles: 1886. Cyrus Cheney; 1887, Edward L. Goodyear; 1888-9. Theophilus Eaton; 1890 1, Theophilus Eaton.
Orange .- 1830, Eliakim Kimberly: 1831-2, Luke Clark; 1833, Eliakim Kimberly: 1834, Nehemiah Kimberly; 1835-6, Nathan Merwin; 1837-8. Eliakim Kimberly; 1839-40, Nathan Merwin; 1841-2, Nehemiah Kimberly; 1843, Aaron Clark, Jr .; 1844, William T. Grant; 1845-6,
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Lucius Stevens; 1847-8, Benjamin F. Clark; 1849-50, Sidney Pardee: 1851, David Smith; 1852, Sidney Pardee; 1853, David Smith: 1854. Edgar M. Smith; 1855, William A. Bronson; 1856, Benjamin I. Clark; 1857. Henry W. Painter: 1858. George R. Kelsey: 1859, Alpheus N. Merwin: 1860, Alpheus N. Merwin; 1861, Elisha Dickerman; 1862, R. Quincy Brown; 1863, Benjamin T. Clark; 1864, Bryan Clark; 1865, A. F. Wood; 1866, A. F. Wood; 1867-8, Leonidas W. Alling; 1869. George A. Bryan; 1870, Israel K. Ward; 1871, William E. Russell; 1872, Elias T. Main; 1873, James H. Reynolds; 1874, D. S. Thompson: 1875-6, Charles F. Smith; 1877. Samuel L. Smith; 1878, James Graham: 1879-80, Stiles D. Woodruff; 1881, William Wallace Ward; 1882 3, Edward E. Bradley; 1884, James R. Ayres; 1885-6, James Graham; 1887, William L. Andrew; 1888-9, Samuel J. Bryant; 1890 1, Everett B. Clark.
Oxford .- 1830, Samuel Meigs; 1831, Horace Candee; 1832, Samuel Wire; 1833, Nathan B. Fairchild; 1834; Samuel Meigs; 1835, Sheldon Clark: 1836, Hiram Osborne: 1837, Chauncey M. Hatch; 1838, Aurelius Buckingham; 1839, Hiram Osborne; 1840, Sheldon Church; 1841, David M. Clark; 1842, Nathan J. Wilcoxson; 1843, no choice; 1844, Sheldon Church; 1845, no choice; 1846, Joel White; 1847, Everett Booth: 1848, Alfred Harger; 1849, Joel Osborne; 1850, Clark Botsford: 1851. Nath- aniel Walker; 1852, Garry Riggs; 1853, Lewis Davis; 1854, Lucius Fuller; 1855, Ransom Hudson; 1856, Hiram Osborne: 1857, Josiah Nettleton; 1858, Burritt Davis; 1859, William H. Clark; 1860, James A. Buckingham; 1861, David R. Lnm; 1862, Benjamin Nichols; 1863, Robert Wheeler; 1864, Abiram Ward; 1865, George Lum; 1866, B. J. Davis; 1867, C. D. R. Perkins; 1868, B. J. Davis; 1869-70, Egbert L. Warner; 1871. Burr J. Beecher: 1872. Robert B. Limburner: 1873-4, Ebenezer Riggs; 1875, Smith C. Wheeler: 1876-7, Gideon A. Johnson; 1878, Harvey W. Chatfield: 1879, James H. Bartlett; 1880-1. John B. Pope: 1882, James H. Bartlett; 1883, Orlando C. Osborn; 1884, Smith C. Wheeler; 1885, Charles H. Butler: 1886, Nicholas French; 1887, Glover W. Cable; 1888-9, Orlando C. Osborn; 1890-1, Charles H. Butler.
Prospect .- 1830, Lauren Preston; 1831, Joseph J. Doolittle; 1832, William Mix: 1833. Samuel Peck; 1834, Lauren Preston; 1835, William Mix; 1836, Joseph Paine; 1837, Libeus Sanford; 1838, Benjamin Platt; 1839, David R. Williams; 1840, Ransom R. Russell; 1841, David MI. Clark; 1842, no choice; 1843, no choice; 1844, Luther Morse: 1845. Ransom R. Russell: 1846, Benjamin Doolittle; 1847, Ransom R. Russell; 1848. George C. Platt; 1849, Reuben B. Hughes: 1850, Wil- liam J. Wilcox; 1851-2, James Street; 1853, no choice; 1854, Asa M. Train; 1855-6, John Gillette; 1757-8. David M. Hotchkiss; 1859. Samuel C. Bronson: 1860, John Gillette: 1861, Merritt Clark, Jr .; 1862. Edwin R. Tyler; 1863, Henry D. Russell; 1864, Benjamin B. Brown: 1865-6, Richard Tyler; 1867, Charles E. Hine; 1868, Richard Tyler: 1869, John R. Platt; 1870, George F. Tyler: 1871, Merritt. Clark: 1872.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Horace A. Nettleton; 1873, William Berkeley: 1874, John Gillette; 1875, Henry Judd: 1876, Willis Ives; 1877, William Berkeley: 1878, Harry Hotchkiss; 1879, William W. Phipps; 1880, Harris Platt; 1881, James Bottomley; 1882, George F. Tyler; 1883, R. M. Gillette; 1884, John R. Platt; 1885, George R. Morse; 1886, Edgar G. Wallace; 1887, Halsey S. Clark: 1888-9, Byron L. Morse; 1890-1, William A. Purdy.
Seymour .- 1851, Bennett Wooster; 1852, Sylvester Smith: 1853-4, Harris B. Munson: 1855-6, Luzon B. Morris; 1857, Henry C. Johnson; 1858, Charles B. Wooster: 1859, Samuel L. Bronson; 1860, Carlos Freneh: 1861, Clark Wooster; 1862, Abel Holbrook; 1863 7, Harris B. Munson; 1868, Carlos French; 1869, Philo Holbrook; 1870, Virgil H. McEwen; 1871, Smith Botsford; 1872, James Swan; 1873, Horatio N. Eggleston; 1874, Edmund Day: 1875, Lewis A. Camp; 1876, Henry P. Day: 1877, Samuel A. Beach; 1878, Albert B. Dunham; 1879, George IV. Devine: 1880, Henry D. Northrop; 1881, John W. Smith; 1882, John W. Rogers; 1883, Norman Sperry; 1884, Thomas L. James; 1885, Horace Q. Judd; 1886-7, Samuel R. Dean; 1888-9, Robert Healey; 1890-1, Robert Healey.
Southbury .- 1830, John Pierce: 1831, Edward Hinman; 1832, Henry Downs: 1833, Charles C. Hinman; 1834, Henry Downs; 1835, Charles C. Hinman: 1836, Daniel Hinman; 1837, John Peek; 1838, Elijah French; 1839, John Peek; 1840, William Guthrie; 1841, Samuel Candee; 1842, Erastus Pierce; 1843, Charles B. Hicock; 1844, no choice; 1845, Titus Pierce; 1846, Walter Johnson; 1847, George P. Shelton; 1848, George Smith; 1849, Titus Pierce; 1850, Oliver Mitchell: 1851, Henry D. Munson; 1852, Edwin Pierce: 1853, Truman B. Wheeler; 1854, Eli Pierce: 1855, Elisha Wheeler; 1856, William Guthrie; 1857, Charles Hicoek: 1858, Almon B. Downs; 1859, Anthony B. Burritt: 1860, Eli Pierce; 1861, Nathan C. Monson; 1862, Almon B. Downs; 1863, Anthony B. Burritt; 1864, Reuben Pierce; 1865, Henry W. Scott; 1866, S. J. Stoddard; 1867, William T. Gilbert; 1868, Eli Pierce; 1869, John C. Wooster; 1870, S. W. Post; 1871, Charles S. Brown; 1872, Ezra Pierce; 1873, John J. Hinman; 1874, Abel Bronson; 1875, Gidney A. Stiles; 1876, Reuben Pierce; 1877, David F. Pierce; 1878, Henry S. Wheeler; 1879, John Pierce; 1880, George F. Shelton; 1881, John Pierce; 1882, Asahel F. Mitchell; 1883, Nelson W. Mitchell; 1884, Henry S. Wheeler; 1885, George N. Platt; 1886, Henry B. Russell; 1887, George W. Mitchell; 1888-9, Myron L. Cooley; IS90-1, George W. Mitchell.
Wallingford .- 1830, Liverius Carrington, John Barker; 1831. George B. Kirtland, Sedgwick Rice; 1832, Charles Yale, Almer Hall; 1833, John D. Reynolds, Lyman Miller; 1834, George B. Kirtland, Almer Hall; 1835, Samuel Cook. Lyman Miller; 1836, Ransom Johnson, Nathan Hall; 1837, Chester Cook, Giles Hall; 1838, Jared K. Ford, Wooster Martin; 1839, Ransom Johnson, Augustus Hall, 2d; 1840, Malachi Cook, Randall Cook; 1841, Liverius Carrington, Ira Tuttle; 1842, George Cook, Orrin Andrews; 1843, William Hill, Almon
05
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Doolittle; 1844, Malachi Cook. Philo Parker: 1845, William Todd, Israel Harrison: 1846, Samuel Simpson, Samuel C. Ford: 1847, John D. Reynolds. William W. Ives; 1848, Lyman Miller, John Cook: 1849, Ira Tuttle, Friend Johnson; 1850, William Francis, Rufus Doolittle; 1851. Nathan Thomas, Jr., William W. Stow; 1852, Samuel C. Ford, Lorenzo Lewis; 1853, Franklin Johnson, John Munson; 1854, Franklin Johnson. William Mix: 1855, John Munson, Samuel Peck: 1856, Ira Tuttle, Alonzo Miller: 1857, Eli S. Ives, Hezekiah Hall: 1858, Augustus Hall, Dwight Hall; 1859, Samuel Simpson, William W. Stow; 1860, Street Jones, H. L. Hall; 1861, Orrin Andrews, O. I. Martin: 1862, John L. Ives, Samuel C. Ford; 1863, Henry Hull, Phineas T. Ives; 1864, H. L. Hall, J. C. Mansfield; 1865, Samuel Simpson, Franklin Johnson; 1866. B. Trumbull Jones, Hiram Cook; 1867, Turhand Cook. James A. F. Northrop: 1868, H. L. Hall, J. L. Ives; 1869, Hezekiah Hall, John C. Roche; 1870. Franklin Platt, E. A. Doolittle: 1871. Thaddeus C. Banks, Henry C. Wooding; 1872, H. L. Hall, G. N. Andrews: 1873. Willis J. Goodsell, Henry Davis: 1874, C. D. Yale, H. B. Todd: 1875. Joel Hall, Clarence H. Brown; 1876, Gurdon W. Hull, James N. Pier- pont; 1877, H. Lewis Dudley, George S. Allen; 1878, Charles D. Yale, Ebenezer H. Ives; 1879, Samuel Simpson, Thomas Daily; 1880, James D. McGaughey, Henry L. Hall: 1881, Hezekiah Hall, James Wrinn; 1882, P. T. Ives, John W. Blakeslee; 1883. Mercur E. Cook, Patrick Mooney; 1884, William S. Russell, George A. Hopson: 1885, George M. Wallace, Thomas Kennedy; 1886, Charles A. Harrison, Charles E. Yale; 1887. John B. Kendrick, John B. Mix; 1888-9, Bryant A. Treat, Michael O'Callaghan; 1890-1, Linus H. Hall, Patrick Concannon.
Wolcott .- 1830. Archibald Minor; 1831. Luther Hotchkiss: 1832. Orrin Plumb: 1833-4, Archibald Minor: 1835, Orrin Plumb; 1836. Daniel Hall; 1837, Moses Pond; 1838, Salmon Upson: 1839, Noah H. Byington; 1840, Ira Hough: 1841, Ira Frisbie; 1842. Levi Mouthrop; 1843-4, Moses Pond; 1845, Sheldon Welton: 1846, Willard Plumb; 1847-8, Henry Minor; 1849, Marvin Minor: 1850, Dennis Pritchard; 1851. Willis Merrill; 1852, Isaac Hough; 1853, Joseph N. Sperry; 1854, Lyman Manvil; 1855, Moses Pond: 1856. Erastus W. Warner: 1857, George W. Winchell: 1858, Henry Minor; 1859, Shelton T. Hitchcock; 1860, Erastus W. Warner; 1861. William McNeill: 1862. E. W. Warner: 1863, Seth Wiard; 1864, James Alcott; 1865, Orrin Plumb; 1866, Henry Minor: 1867, Augustus Minor; 1868, Elihu Moulthrop; 1869, Isaac Hough; 1870, Berlin J. Pritchard; 1871 2, Shelton T. Hitchcock: 1873. George W. Carter: 1874, Shelton T. Hitchcock; 1875, Erastus W. Warner: 1876, Benjamin F. French: 1877. Lucien Upson; 1878 9. Shelton T. Hitchcock: 1880, Frederick L. Nichols: 1881-2. Samuel M. Bailey; 1883-4, Henry B. Carter; 1885, Charles S. Tuttle: 1886, Benja- min L. Bronson: 1887. E. M. Upson; 1888-9. J. Henry Garrigus; 1890-1. Evelyn M. Upson.
96
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Woodbridge .- 1830, Truman Hotchkiss, Archibald A. Perkins; 1831. John Lines, Joseph Bradley; 1832, James A. Darling, Joseph Bradley; 1833. James A. Darling; 1834-5, Ephraim Baldwin; 1836, Levi Peck: 1837-9, Thomas Darling; 1840-2, Samuel Peck: 1843, Nathan P. Thomas; 1844, Bevil P. Smith: 1845, James J. Baldwin; 1846, James A. Darling; 1847. Newton Baldwin; 1848, James J. Baldwin; 1849, Samuel F. Perkins; 1850, Nathan P. Thomas: 1851-3, Treat Clark; 1854, Willis Merrill; 1855, Thomas Sanford: 1856. Joseph Hale; 1857, Lewis Russell; 1858, Treat Clark: 1859-60, James J. Baldwin: 1861, Lewis Russell; 1862, Marcus E. Baldwin; 1863-4, William Peck; 1865-6, William A. Clark: 1867-8. John M. Merwin; 1869-70, William A. Warner: 1871-2, Amos S. Treat: 1873, Amos S. Treat; 1874-5. John Peck; 1876-7, Stephen P. Perkins: 1878-80, Marcus E. Baldwin; 1881, William Wales Peck; 1882-3. Charles T. Walker; 1884, John M. Lines: 1885-6, Elias T. Clark: 1887. Frederick P. Finney: 1888-9, Rollin C. Newton: 1890-1. Stephen P. Bradley.
CHAPTER II.
TOWN AND CITY OF NEW HAVEN.
Location and Natural Features .- General Description .- Settlement and Development .- Condition at the Beginning of the Present Century .- Statistics .- Municipal Organ- ization .- Town Clerks .- City Government .- City Police .- Fire Department .- Water Supply. - Public Sewerage .- City Buildings .- Street Illumination .- Trees and Parks .- General Business Interests .- Monetary Institutions .- Lawyers and Phy- sicians .- Post Office .- Street Railways .- Philanthropic and Social Institutions.
N EW HAVEN is the oldest settled part and subdivision of the county. It lies west of a center line from north to south, upon New Haven harbor and Long Island sound, the latter being here twenty miles wide. The town embraces a little more than nine square miles and the city about seven. The town's bounds are, on the north, the towns of Hamden and North Haven; on the east, the town of East Haven; and on the west are the towns of Orange and Woodbridge. The larger part of the surface of the town is a slightly elevated sandy plain, but on the west are wooded slopes and on the north are the high, abrupt terminations of the trap rock ranges, whose craggy faces are familiar objects in the landscape of the county. The principal hills are East Rock, 360 feet high; Mill Rock. a spur from it, 225 feet high: Pine Rock, a spur of the west range, 271 feet high: and West Rock, the highest elevation, having an altitude of 405 feet. Between these ranges the plain from the sea shore opens into a valley terminating at Northampton, 76 miles distant. East of East Rock, and west of the trap rock range of East Haven the plain extends into another valley, only about half as long, and terminating at Wethersfield, on the Connecticut. In the latter range Beacon hill is 100 feet high. All these hills show the effects of the glacial move- ments coming down the aforesaid valleys and which here passed out into the sea. In many places the softer sandstone has been worn away, leaving the harder trap rock exposed. These rocks being dis- colored, have a reddish appearance, which caused the early Dutch dis- coverers to call this locality " Rodeberg "- Red Mountain.
By the Indians this locality was called Quinnipiac, after the prin- cipal stream in the town and which flows through the east valley from Farmington. It has also been called the Wallingford river, from its flowing through that town. Mill river, the next largest stream. flows through the west valley, and West river, after sweeping around the
7
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
base of West Rock, also bends to the eastward, the three streams unit- ing to form New Haven harbor. Between Mill and West rivers lies the plain on which the city was begun. The tract east of the former stream and the Quinnipiac was long known as the " New Township," and the extreme end of the peninsula was called Grape Vine Point. The end of the peninsula formed by the West river and harbor is called Oyster Point.
New Haven Harbor is one of the most spacious and picturesque on the coast of New England. It is 50 miles east of Fort Schuyler, on the western part of the sound, and 39 miles from the eastern end of the sound. From Boston it is 134 miles, 76 from New York, and 34 from Hartford. The harbor sets back four miles from Long Island sound, and is about a mile in width at its mouth. Its channel is from 74 feet to 24 feet deep, at low water, and at high tide vessels drawing 22 feet of water can reach the docks at the upper end of the harbor. The national government has lately designated this as a port of refuge for vessels on Long Island sound. By building a breakwater 3,300 feet long, from the eastern side of the mouth of the harbor, and one 5,200 feet long from the western side, four square miles of shelter harbor will be afforded, in which the largest ocean steamers could float. Several millions of dollars will be spent in these improvements which, when fully completed, will give this harbor a national importance.
" At the time when the first settlers arrived in this town there was, in the northwestern region of this harbor, a sufficient depth of water for all the ordinary purposes of commerce. Ships were built and launched where now there are meadows, gardens and shops. Sloops loaded and unloaded where the market now stands. So late as the year 1765, Long Wharf extended only twenty rods from the shore. It extends now three thousand nine hundred and forty-three feet. * The substance which here accumulates so rapidly is what in this country is called marsh mud."" The pleasing appearance of the harbor and its adaptation for the purposes of a commercial city, was the main reason why this section was first selected for a settlement. The plain on which the city was located was also very attractive, and the environments, then as now, were of the most pleasing nature. Mountains, plains, fresh and tidal waters, are here happily blended, making a combination which has permitted the creation of a city which has been called the " Pearl of New England."
"The plain on which the city of New Haven is built is not improb- ably a congeries of particles, floated down to this place in early times from the interior. Its surface is sand, mixed with loam and gravel; beneath this is usually found a stratum of yellow loam. Still lower, at the depth of fifteen or eighteen inches, a mass of coarse sand extends about six feet. Formerly the surface was covered *J. W. Barber, 1835.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
with shrub oaks, and wild turkeys and partridges were found in great numbers. The soil of this plain is dry, warm and naturally unproduc- tive, but by cultivation is capable of producing every vegetable suited to the climate, and in any quantity." "
These conditions of location and soil have been very beneficial to the continued prosperity and healthfulness of the community. "New Haven has the lowest death-rate of any seaport of its size in the world. The natural features of soil, climate and topography are conducive to health. Bordering on Long Island sound, the city is swept by an abundance of fresh air from over the sea, while the semi-circular range of surrounding hills protect it from the severe storms of other directions. Situated within the influence of the Gulf Stream the climate is tempered thereby and is mild and salubrious, the mercury seldom rising above 85° or falling below 10°. The city is built on a deep and stratified sand and gravel plain, which gives dry streets and building sites and the purest water at a moderate depth. The city is being well sewered as fast as any locality becomes populated, and public improvements and regulations are constantly lowering the mortality while the population increases, in defiance of the ordinary rule of nature. Typhoid fever, one of the direst enemies of large cities, is practically unknown here, and with a population of 80,000 the present death-rate is but seventeen and four-tenths to the thousand." +
The same writer continues: "The location of New Haven, aside from its advantages in a business point of view, is one of many attrac- tions. The stranger needs to remain in New Haven but a very short time to discover that he is in a very lively, bright and wide-awake New England city. New Haven to-day is unquestionably one of the most beautiful cities in America, if not in the world, and one which the stranger always remembers with pleasure. Nowhere else can be found the wealth of broad spreading, shadow-casting elms possessed by New Haven. Its appellation, the City of Elms, is well applied. Street after street, avenue after avenue, is arched with these noble trees. As to beauty and variety of architecture displayed in the dwell- ings, nothing anywhere excels it. A vast majority of the houses are of wood, while no two, scarcely, are alike. Every style and shape seem to have been brought into requisition. As a rule, the residences have more or less yard and lawn room, the habit of crowding the buildings thickly together, so often seen in a large city, being conspicuous by its absence. The streets as a general thing, are broad and straight, and in most cases cross one another at right angles. In this respect New Haven clearly resembles Philadelphia, which, however, it much preceded in the use of this method, inasmuch as the original nine squares of which New Haven was composed, were laid out years before William Penn founded the ' City of Brotherly Love.' Like Philadel-
* J. W. Barber and Doctor Dwight. + James P. Mckinney, 1889.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
phia, too, New Haven has several beautiful public parks scattered about the city. The pride and glory of all New Haveners is the ' green.' It occupies the exact center of the city as originally laid out. Noble shade trees extend in rows around every side of the enclosure, those just outside the fence at the angles having unusual age and size, and casting shade accordingly. Broad walks extend diagonally through and from side to side of the grounds, and nearly every walk has an arch of overhanging trees. The portion of the green left un- shaded-less than one-fourth-serves as a play and parade ground, and, in summer, possesses all the beauty of a well-kept lawn. The loveliness of the spot, doubtless, had much to do with the choice of the place as the site of the church edifices of three of the oldest relig- ious organizations in New Haven, viz .: Trinity church, Center church, and North church, which side by side stand like true guardians of the welfare of the city. Temple street, running through the center of the green, is probably one of the most symmetrically shaded avenues in the world. The arch of elms above it, changing from one manifes- tation of beauty to another as the seasons pass, makes a most beautiful nature-temple."
" As a place of residence, New Haven is unsurpassed, if equalled, by any other in New England or America. Its velvety lawns, its fine drives, its contiguity to the sea shore, its healthfulness, the prevalent air of thrift and comfort, apparent even in the dwellings of the middle classes, and the numerous, spacious and costly mansions of the rich- together with its unsurpassed religious privileges and educational facilities-all combine to make this city one of the few spots on earth nearly akin to paradise."
Willis' description of the city's appearance, though written a num- ber of years ago, will bear reproduction at this time: " If you were to set a poet to make a town, with carte blanche as to trees, gardens and green blinds, he would probably turn out very much such a place as New Haven. The first thought of the inventor of New Haven was to lay out the streets in parallelograms; the second was to plant them from suburb to waterside with the magnificent elms of the country. The result is that at the end of fifty years, the town is buried in leaves. If it were not for the spires of churches, a bird flying over on his autumn voyage to the Floridas, would never mention having seen it in his travels. The houses are something between an Italian palace and an English cottage-built of wood, but in the dim light of the overshadowing trees, as fair to the eye as marble, with their triennial coats of paint; and each stands in the midst of its own encircling grass-plot, half buried in vines and flowers, and facing outward from a cluster of gardens divided by slender palings and filling up with fruit trees and summer houses the square on whose limit it stands. Then, like the vari-colored parallelograms upon a chess board, green openings are left throughout the town, fringed with triple and inter-
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
weaving elm rows, the long, weeping branches sweeping downward to the grass, and with their enclosing shadows keeping moist and cool the road they overhang."
The public buildings of the city are also numerous and very fine. Aside from the magnificent structures of Yale University, on the campus west of the green, there are, on the opposite side of that publie place, the handsome city hall, erected in 1861, and still one of the best municipal buildings in the state; the county court house. erected in 1873 and later, at a cost of several hundred thousand dol- lars; the city police building, completed in 1874, and costing $75,000; the substantial Free Library, but recently opened, and worth more than $100,000.
In this locality is also the Tontine Hotel, which has a most inter- esting history. "It was erected about 1825 by a joint stock company, each of whose shares bore the name of a person, and were forfeited by the holder to the company upon the death of that person, who was called the nominee. It is, in fact, nothing else than a lottery founded on human life. There were originally 243 nominees; now after sixty years, the number has dwindled down to about 100. When it reaches seven, the whole property will be divided among the fortunate holders of those shares." *
On the same street, farther south, is the fine post office and custom house, built by the United States, in 1860. Nearly opposite is the Hoadley Building, one of the finest private business blocks in the city. Other buildings of the same nature, which are fine and costly, are the large Insurance Building, the Boardman and Masonic Blocks and the buildings of the leading banks and newspapers.
No city of its size has a greater number or finer public school buildings than those of New Haven, the Hillhouse High School stand- ing as a noteworthy example. But the pride and glory of the city is Yale University, which has become one of the noblest institutions of learning in the entire world. In this country it ranks third in age, and is the first in the number of its under-graduates, who are now found in all nations. The original college grounds occupy much of the western central part of the town plat made by the first settlers. Here are many fine collegiate edifices and othersare well located near by, on principal streets. A few are quaint, being more than a hundred years old. But the edifices which most frequently attract attention and admiration are of recent construction. Among the most notable are the new Chittenden Library Building; the Street Art School, built in 1866, at a cost of $175,000; Battell Chapel, built in 1876, at a cost of $200,000, and claimed to be the finest college chapel in existence; Peabody Museum, completed the same year, at a cost of $175,000, and now being enlarged; Alumni Hall; East Divinity Hall, completed in 1870. at a cost of $180,000; WVest Divinity Hall, erected in 1874, and * Wm. H. Beckford.
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