History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I, Part 15

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 966

USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 15
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 15

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

citizens and filled the office from a desire to serve or advance the best interests of the city. The following have been the mayors of New Haven: Honorable Roger Sherman, from February 10th, 1784 to 1793: Samuel Bishop, from August 19th, 1793 to 1803; Elizur Goodrich, from September 1st, 1803 to 1822; George Hoadly, from June 4th, 1822 to 1826; Simeon Baldwin, from June 6th, 1826 to 1827; William Bristol, from June 5th, 1827 to 1828; David Daggett, from June 2d, 1828 to 1830; Ralph I. Ingersoll, from June Ist, 1830 to 1831; Dennis Kimberley, from June 7th, 1831 to 1832; Ebenezer Seeley, from June 5th, 1832 to 1833; Dennis Kimberley, from June 4th, 1833 [Decl.]; Noyes Darling, from June 10th, 1833 to 1834; Henry C. Flagg, from June 3d, 1834 to 1839; Samuel J. Hitchcock, from June 3d, 1839 to 1842; Philip S. Galpin, from June 6th, 1842 to 1846; Henry Peck, from June 1st, 1846 to 1850; Aaron N. Skinner, from June 3d, 1850 to 1854; Chauncey Jerome, from June 5th, 1854 to 1855; Alfred Blackman, from June 4th, 1855 to 1856: Philip S. Galpin, from June 2d, 1856 to 1860; Harmanus M. Welch, from June 4th, 1860 to 1863; Morris Tyler, from June 2d, 1863 to 1865; Erastus Scranton, from June 6th, 1865 to 1866; Lucien W. Sperry, from June 5th, 1866 to 1869; William Fitch, from June 1st, 1869 to 1870; Henry G. Lewis, from June 7th, 1870 to 1877; William R. Shelton, from January 1st, 1877 to 1879; Hobart B. Bigelow, from January 1st, 1879 to 1881: John B. Robertson, from January Ist, 1881 to 1883; Henry G. Lewis, from January 1st, 1883 to 1885; George F. Holcomb, from January Ist, 1885 to 1887; Samuel A. York, from January 1st, 1887 to 1889; Henry F. Peck, from January 1st, 1889 to 1891; Joseph B. Sargent, from January 1st, 1891-

The city clerks have been: 1784-9, Josiah Meigs; 1789-1800, Simeon Baldwin; 1800-5, John Skinner; 1805-41, Elisha Munson; 1841-4, Edward C. Herrick; 1844-50, Joseph Wood; 1850-4, Alfred H. Terry; 1855, James M. Woodward; 1856-7, James D. Keese; 1858-9, Samuel C. Blackman; 1860-4, William Downes; 1865-6, De Witt C. Sprague; 1866-9, William Downes; 1870, Gideon H. Welch; 1871-2, Timothy J. Fox; 1873, James I. Hoyes; 1874-7, John S. Fowler; 1878-9, Seth T. Seeley; 1880-1, Charles T. Morse; 1882-4, James P. Pickett; 1886-7, Timothy J. Crowley; 1888-9, Leonard J. Shanley; 1890-91, Edward Downes.

The office of city auditor was established in 1835 and since 1883 John W. Lake has filled that position.

For many years Harmanus Welch was the treasurer, filling that office at the time of his death in 1889. Since the first of 1890 the treasurer has been Ezekiel G. Stoddard.

One of the reasons urged for the incorporation of the city was the desire to better regulate " the internal police." But it does not appear that this laudable purpose was realized. Regular, special and night " watches " were appointed, but in many years their employment was almost discontinued. The constables and special constables appointed

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

for unusual occasions, were the main reliance to preserve the peace. In the period of railway building, when there was a great influx of foreign elements, a regular watch was established. In 1848 it con- sisted of ten men and Jobamnah Gunn was the captain. A few years later Major Lyman Bissell, a retired officer of the Mexican war, was in command of the watch, numbering in all but eight men. In his administration, March 17th, 1854, occurred a celebrated riot between the town element and Yale students, which at one time seriously threatened the peace of the city. For a number of years previous there had been occasional encounters between the rowdy elements of the city and Yale. The former found many willing recruits among the sailors and roustabouts of Long Wharf, who relished nothing better than a free fight. On the night named, a body of some fifty students were in attendance at Homan's theatre, the only place of amusement of the kind in the city. As they issued from the hall in a body, for mutual protection, they were jeered by a howling mob of more than a thousand town boys, who would have violently treated them, if they had not been held in check by the small force of police. By the advice of Bissell the students kept together on the south pave- ment of Chapel street, walking, two by two, up toward the college. When opposite Trinity church they started singing their great college song: "Gaudeamus," i. c. "Let us rejoice while we're young," when the mob, which had rolled up against them, filling Chapel street, gave them a volley of brickbats, which knocked down some of the students and injured others. Picking up their comrades they proceeded on their way, when another attack was made, but as before the students kept on their way, and had nearly reached the top of the hill when the ringleaders of the mob left the street and rushed upon them. Now for the first time the students acted in defense, firing several pistol shots into the ranks of the town mob.

" Several of the rabble were wounded, and the chief leader, Patrick O'Neil, fell, stabbed to the heart with a dagger by one of the students, who, it was supposed, struck in self defence. The mystery of his death and the murderer was never cleared up, but it was generally considered that he provoked and deserved his sad fate. During the ensuing confusion the students reached the campus and dispersed to their rooms. When it was known that their leader was killed, the mob became uncontrollable. With terrific howlings they surrounded South College, and drew up an old cannon, filled to the muzzle with ball, grape-shot, stones, bricks, etc., to batter down the walls. But through the masterly skill of Major Bissell, the gun had been spiked on the way up. This alone saved old South from destruction; on the second and third stories of which the students were silently gathered. behind thick barricades, and heavily armed with every weapon obtainable, ready to give their assailants a warm reception. After they had hooted and bombarded the windows with brickbats for

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

hours, the rabble were finally dispersed by Major Bissell and his men. This was the most unprovoked and cowardly of all the assaults, but none of the offenders were ever arrested, though it was barely stopped in time to prevent New Haven from witnessing mob-rule of the most lawless deseription." *

In July, 1861. the police system of the city was reconstructed and the present department properly formed. Jonathan W. Pond was appointed the chief; Wales French, captain; and O. A. Monson, lieu- tenant. There were at that time twelve patrolmen. In September. that year, the police were for the first time properly uniformed.

Charles W. Allen was the chief of police 1877-9, and first instituted regular drills, by means of which he brought the force to a high state of efficiency. Since July, 1885, the chief of police has been Charles F. Bollman, and under his direction the police compares favorably with that of any other city of the same size in this country. More than a hundred patrolmen are on the force, whose annual pay roll is about $125,000. The entire expenses of the department are about $133,000.

The poliee courts were held in the city hall until 1873, since when they have been held in a chamber of the new police building, on Court street. A "Blaek Maria" for the use of the department was procured in the latter year. The Grand street police building was erected in 1883 for the use of the preeinets in that part of the city: and the following year the Gamewell system of police signal and tele- phone was introduced, and a number of station boxes ereeted in dif- ferent parts of the eity and one in East Park.

The Fire Department of the city of New Haven dates its existence from 1789. On the last day of that year, the corporation appointed James Hillhouse, Jeremiah Atwater, Josiah Burr, Colonel Joseph Drake, Benjamin Sanford and Joseph Howell, fire wardens. It also purehased two fire engines, made by Ebenezer Chittenden of New Haven. and companies were that year formed to man them. Each company had 17 men. The machines used were simple affairs and the service of the department was very limited. In 1810 its capacity was inereased by the formation of a hook and ladder company; and four years later a company of sackmen was formed, which included among its members the most trusty and influential men of the city. It was a sort of salvage corps, its object being to saek up property at fires and carry it to a place of safety.

Six years later, October 27th, 1820, oeeurred the first great fire of New Haven. In its extent and the amount of property destroyed it was a great calamity to the city. On the night of that day, a building on Long Wharf took fire and before the flames could be stayed the entire wharf was fire swept. In the language of a local poet :

" The wharf was four rods wide,

The fire did rage from side to side."

* Beckford's New Haven, Past and Present.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

Thirty buildings. many of them stores filled with molasses, rum and other goods from the West Indies, warehouses and four lumber yards were destroyed. The losses have been variously estimated from $70,000 to a quarter of a million dollars.

The catastrophe had the effect of stimulating the improvement of the fire department, as well as increasing its working force. In 1833 six companies were reported, having 214 men and with those belong- ing to the hook and ladder company and the saekmen, the department was three hundred men strong. In 1835 another company was formed in Fair Haven, whose engine subsequently became No. 8 in the city department. A hook and ladder company was formed in the same place in 1837.

On the 22d of March, 1839, the splendid steamboat " New York " was burned to the water's edge while lying at the dock at New Haven. An effort to save her proved in vain.

On the 30th of October, 1841, the unfriendly feeling which had long existed between Yale students and the firemen of the city culminated in a quarrel, which led to the arrest of several of the students and the subsequent attempt of other students to seek revenge by the destruction of firemen's property. A large company of students stormed the engine house in the neighborhood of the college, demolished the engine, cut the hose in pieces, etc., etc. The firemen sought to retaliate by gathering in a great crowd and threat- ening to storm the college. But they were dissuaded from their pur- pose, and the college authorities settled the matter by paying $700 for the damages done. Unfortunately this did not end the matter, and feelings of resentment were cherished until they ended in a tragedy February 9th, 1858. On that day occurred a wordy altercation between some students, members of the "Crocodile Club," of the junior class, and the firemen of Engine Company No. 2, which termin- ated in a fierce fight. All sorts of weapons were used, and in the excitement which followed Assistant Foreman William Miles was shot and killed. Several of the students were arrested and placed under bonds, but, through the mediation of the faculty, this case was also settled. They ordered the club to disband and purchased the engine house, so that the company removed to another locality. In the more stirring and patriotic events of the civil war, which soon followed, these bitter feelings were forgotten, and have not since been revived.

These troublesome events came in the last days of the volunteer system. In 1860 the city began the use of steam fire engines, and 111 1861-2 the fire department was thoroughly remodeled and placed under the control of a board of six commissioners. Since that time its efficiency has been steadily increased. Albert C. Kendrick has been the chief engineer since 1865, and the present department has been practically created in his administration. As now organized it had its first review September 27th, 1865.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

The following year was characterized by many destructive fires, among them being: January 10th, 1866, the carriage factory of George T. Newhall, loss $30,000; the New Haven Clock Factory, April 30th, 1866, loss 8131,724; the Plant Manufacturing Company, December 7th, 1866, loss $190,079. About one-half of the aggregate loss was covered by insurance.

In October, 1868, the city began the use of the Gamewell Fire Alarm System, which was introduced at a cost of $10,000. It has aided in reducing the losses by fire very considerably.

Among the more recent disastrous fires have been the following: N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. machine shop, January 1st, 1869, loss $157,550; fire at L. Candee Rubber Company's works, November 19th, 1877, loss $520.905; Edward Malley's store, spring of 1882, loss $189,873. Prob- ably the above were insured for two-thirds of the amounts named, which still left a large loss for the years named.

The city expends yearly from $75.000 to $90,000 on this depart- ment, whose present condition, compared with what it was a quarter of a century ago, is thus shown by Chief Kendrick:

Population of the city.

1865. 43,000

1890. 86,000

Number of steam fire engines.

Number of horse hose tenders.

Number of hand hose carriages.

Number of hook and ladder trucks

Number of feet of hose

9.000

17,000

Number of engine company houses

Number of hose company houses

Number of hook and ladder company houses

Number of horses.

Number of fire hydrants

237

$54

Number of permanent men.

Number of substitutes. :

Number of fire alarm boxes

104

Number of reserve or spare apparatus.

Number of fires

159

Losses during the year.

$74,301

860,753 76

Insurance paid.

31,806

57.863 54

Loss over insurance.

42.495

2,890 00

Valuation of fire department property.

80.139

202,994 00

The nature of the soil at New Haven permitted wells to be easily dug, and there was a copious supply of water by that means for more than two hundred years. These wells were from five to twenty feet deep and the quality of the water, when the city was small, was good. Several thousand are still in use. When the city was founded there were several springs near the center, one of them being in the lower part of the green, around which, for many years, was an alder swamp. It is supposed that this abundance of water and the ease of digging wells was one of the reasons why this plain was selected as the site

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

for the homes of the first settlers instead of Oyster Point, whose topog- raphy would more naturally commend it for a sea-coast town. At . the latter place it was found difficult to dig wells.

The question of an exterior water supply was long agitated as a sanitary measure, necessitated by the rapidly increasing population, and in 1849 the New Haven Water Company was chartered to serve this need. The company failing to build works, the charter was amended to permit the city to construct them, and from 1852 to 1854 the project was before the public for its approval. The propositions were defeated, and in 1856 the old company assigned its charter to Eli Whitney and others, who reorganized the company, and, largely through Mr. Whitney's efforts, the work of construction was begun in the spring of 1860.

The old dam at Whitneyville was made the base for the works, and was raised to afford an immense reservoir .* The works were completed at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars, and water was first introduced into the 18 miles of mains laid January 1st, 1862. That year the city made a contract with the company for its water supply for twenty years for the use of the fire department, with privilege to purchase the works at the close of that time. But a proposition to that end was defeated by the citizens of New Haven, and the city has since procured its water supply from the above com- pany at an outlay of $16,000 per year.

The company has added to its original source of supply at Mill river, the waters of Maltby lake, in the northwestern part of the city, Saltonstall lake, in the town of East Haven, and the West river above Westville, in the town of Woodbridge. The summer resources of these four places of supply are 1,530,000,000 gallons daily. Over one hundred miles of mains are now in use, and the daily consumption of water is more than 9,000,000 gallons. The pumping capacity of the works is nearly double that daily, and the water in the various reserve reservoirs measure 6,000,000 gallons. In the extent of supply and the quality of the water used but few places in the country surpass this city.

The location of the city is not the most advantageous for natural surface drainege. It is mainly on a sandy plain, elevated from 20 to 45 feet above tide water, the latter height being on the summit between the Mill and West rivers. The college campus is somewhat less in elevation, and the lower part of the green is but little more than twenty feet above sea level. A small sewer was laid in Chapel street near the beginning of the present century, but in the main the porosity of the soil afforded the principal drainage until the canal was built in 1828, when the sewerage in that section was improved by that means. But it became apparent, many years ago, that nature unaided would not absorb or remove the refuse of a large and constantly * See sketch of Hamden.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

increasing population. It was thought. too, a difficult matter to estab- lish a system of sewerage which would prove satisfactory. But it was attempted and successfully accomplished in the administration of Mayor Henry G. Lewis, 1870-7, and has been extended by his succes- sors. The first surveys for this system were made by E. S. Ches- brough, at that time chief engineer of the city of Chicago, whose loca- tion, but little above the level of water, has many points of resemblance to New Haven.

His success there aided him here, and his reports, made. first, March, 1871, and, finally. December, 1872, indicated the possibility of such a system. He divided the corporate area of 3,800 acres (of which 200 acres were salt marshes) into three general sections; the eastern, about 800 acres, to drain into Mill river; the central section of about 1,200 acres, to drain into the harbor, and the western section of 1.600 acres into the West river. Subsequently, by the addition of Fair Haven, that section was drained into the Quinnipiac river. The sewers have been built of brick or vitrified stone ware, and the con- struction has been steadily carried on until the city has more than sixty miles of sewers, and yearly expends about $125,000 on the exten- sion and perfection of that system of promoting the cleanliness and health of the place. As a beneficial result of this superior drainage. the city has been remarkably exempt from contagious or epidemic diseases. The death rate in 1889 was seventeen and four-tenths to the thousand. This low rate has also been in consequence of other causes, as the influence of sea breezes, pure water and the shelter afforded by the hills on the northwest and east of the city.

The first city buildings of any importance are the ones at present in use. Previous to their occupancy many of the offices, courts, etc .. were in the state and county buildings or in rooms rented in different parts of the city. The City Hall, or Hall of Records, was built by the joint efforts of the city and the town upon the site of the old county house and jail, east of the green, on Church street, which was secured in 1856. The plans for the edifice were prepared by Henry Austin, and the building was begun in 1860. It was completed for use Octo- ber 1st, 1862, when it was occupied by the town and city officers. the probate and other courts. It is an imposing edifice of Nova Scotia stone and brick, with a very attractive front, and is four stories high. In its arrangement and elegance of appointments it was, when com- pleted, the finest hall of the kind in the East. Rising from the north- west corner is a high tower, in which are the city clock and bells. A passenger elevator was supplied in the spring of 1891. The property is valued at $150,000.

On the north side of this hall are the county buildings, adjoined by a corridor, which were erected in 1871-3. Their fronts have the same general appearance as the city hall. East from the latter, on Court street, is the City Police Building, also erected in 1873. Its front is 76

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

feet, and it is three stories high. The material is Philadelphia pressed brick, trimmed with Nova Scotia and Portland sandstone. The building extends to the rear to afford quarters for the police force, a drilling room, the various offices connected with the department and other offices of the city not accommodated in the main hall, with which this is also connected. The value of this property, which has been pronounced "the most handsome and best constructed of the kind in the country," is more than $100,000. The entire value of the city property of whatever kind is more than $2,000,000.

There was but little illumination of the streets of the city prior to the use of gas lamps. A few persons, at their own expense, pro- vided whale oil lamps in front of their stores or residences, but there was no general plan of lighting. The New Haven Gas Company was chartered in 1847, and was organized with W. W. Boardman as the first president. The following year some private houses were first illuminated by gas, and its use in the street lamps began in the spring of 1849. New Haven was thus next to Trenton, N. J., the second small city in the Union to light its streets by gas. Its introduction was quite rapid, there being at the end of the next six years more than 1,000 private consumers and 189 public lamps. The use has been constantly extended until more than 1,200 public lamps were in use, and the other consumers numbered between 5,000 and 6,000 families. As a street illuminant its use since 1881 has, to some extent, been superseded by electricity. In the year named a com- pany was organized to light by the Weston system, but, after more than a year's trial, the effort was abandoned as unsatisfactory. The corporation was now re-organized as the New Haven Electric Light Company, and by using the Thompson-Houston system better results have been obtained. Several hundred arc lamps have been placed on the streets and public grounds of the city since December, 1883, result- ing in brilliant illumination. The yearly expenditure by the city for electric lights, gas and naptha lamps is about $68,000.

In addition to the illuminants furnished by the above corporations, a number of the large manufacturing establishments have their own electric plants, and the use of that agent has become very general in the past few years, many firms also employing it to more thoroughly light the approaches to their places of business.

The fame of New Haven's elms is world wide ; and no place better deserves the title of the " Elm City." That noble tree is here found in the greatest perfection, and has been cherished as a part of the city's life for more than two hundred years. Said Henry Howe:

" The first of the elms known in the history of our city, two in number, were planted in 1686. They stood on Elm street before the Bristol mansion, the last one remaining until 1839. It was then 146 years from its setting out. Reverend James Pierpont was settled in 1685, the successor of John Davenport, when the people built for him

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IHISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

a new house on that site, furnished it and brought free-will offerings of various kinds. One poor man, William Cooper by name, having nothing else to give, brought these elms and put them before the good man's door. . Under their shade, some forty years after (1726), Jona- than Edwards spoke words of mingled love and piety in the ears of Sarah Pierpont. Under their shade, when some sixty summers had passed over (1746), Whitefield stood on a platform and lifted up that voice, the tones of which lingered so long in thousands of hearts.'

"The planting of our elms appears to have had its origin in a paper drawn up by James Hillhouse, dated in the spring of 1787, to which various citizens subscribed, stating what each would pay for beautifying the green, by planting elms and preventing the washing of the sand. It was at this time that Hillhouse laid out Temple street, in conformity with a vote passed at a city meeting on the 5th of June of that year. He planted the streets with elms, and also, in 1792. through Hillhouse avenue, then a part of his farm and unopened. He set out the elms around the green. all but the inner rows, which were set out by David Austin. Hillhouse was the most enterprising, pub- lic-spirited man the city ever had, and an untiring worker, laboring in elm-planting with his own hands. The green, up to the beginning of this century, was a rough spot, all an open common, when, through the public spirit of James Hillhouse, David Austin, Pierpont Edwards and Isaac Beers, it was improved, and a wood fence put around it; it was then divided into two parts by fencing through Temple street. In 1845 the present iron fence was erected at an expense of about $7,000, by a faithful builder, Nathan Hayward."

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History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I, Part 15

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.) Publication date: 1892 Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston Number of Pages: 966

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 966