USA > Connecticut > New London County > Ledyard > History of the town of Ledyard, 1650-1900 > Part 2
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23
19
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
The Ecclesiastical Society was formed in 1725-the center of the territory covered by it was found by actual measurement- and upon it the erection of a meeting house was begun in 1727. While the work was going on Mr. Samuel Seabury, a Licentiate, son of Dea. John Seabury, of Groton, was engaged as a supply. Four places were designated, in which ten sermons were to be preached. One of the places was the house of Dea. William Morgan-now (1900) owned and occupied by Mr. Billings T. Avery-in which six of the sermons. were to be preached. The other preaching places were the houses of Capt. John Morgan, Robert Allyn and Ensign William Williams. The Church was organized and a minister settled in 1729. Fuller particulars are given in another part of this volume.
Though the people in the Second or North Society, as it was called, were now, in ecclesiastical matters, quite independent of those in the south part of the town, they were still associated with them in town affairs, and remained so a great many years. A little previous to the Revolutionary War-also during the War -the subject of forming a new town out of the Second Society was considerably agitated. But after the massacre at Fort Gris- wold, in which large numbers of the leading men in both Societies were slain, and those who remained were drawn into closer sympathy with each other than they had been, the matter was laid aside. In after years it came up again from time to time ; but for one reason or another the project failed, until at last it was consummated in 1836. After the requisite preliminary steps were taken, application in due form was made to the Legislature, and in the course of the session that year, action was taken ; and the Second Society of Groton became the town of Ledyard. The name was given in honor of Col. William Ledyard, of Groton, the heroic Commander of Fort. Griswold on the fatal sixth of September, 1781. The action of the Legislature in the premises was as follows :
"An Act to Incorporate the Town of Ledyard.
"Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representa- tives in General Assembly, convened :
"Section I. All that part of the Town of Groton in the
20
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
County of New London, lying North of the line dividing the first and Second School Societies, in said town, is hereby made and constituted a separate and distinct town by the name of the town of Ledyard; and all the inhabitants now or at any time hereafter residing North of said line, in said town, shall be and remain a separate and distinct corporation with all the powers, rights and privileges, and subject to all the liabilities and obligations of other towns in this State, with the right of sending one Repre- sentative to the General Assembly."
Action was soon taken by the town thus incorporated to pro- vide itself with officers for the administration of its affairs. At a meeting, called for the purpose, June II, 1836, it was voted to have but three selectmen ; and Capt. Anson Avery, Capt. Henry Hallet and Mr. Noah Davis were appointed.
In the Constitution of the State, adopted in the year 1818, Art. III., Sec. 3, is as follows :
"The House of Representatives shall consist of electors re- siding in towns from which they are elected. The number of representatives from each town shall be the same as at present practiced and allowed. In case a new town shall hereafter be incorporated, such new town shall be entitled to one representa- tive only ; and if such new town shall be made from one or more towns, the town or towns, from which the same shall be made, shall be entitled to the same number of representatives as at present allowed, unless the number shall be reduced by the con- sent of such town or towns."
In accordance with this provision, Ledyard has had but one representative from the time of its incorporation to the present. The following list of its representatives has been furnished by George Fanning :
REPRESENTATIVES FROM LEDYARD IN THE LEGISLATURE.
1836 Capt. Anson Avery,
Democrat.
1837 Capt. Anson Avery,
Democrat.
1838 Capt. Henry Hallet, Democrat.
1839 Capt. Henry Hallet,
Democrat.
21
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
1840 Capt. Sanford Stoddard,
1841 Denison B. Williams,
1842 Daniel Lamb,
Democrat.
1843 Col. Roswell Allyn,
Democrat.
1844 1845
Seabury Thomas,
Democrat.
1846 Col. Elias W. Brown,
1847 Capt. John Brewster,
Whig.
1848 Capt. Jacob Gallup,
Democrat.
1849
Capt. Edmund Spicer,
Democrat.
1850
Capt. Elisha A. Satterlee,
Democrat. Whig.
185L
Capt. John Brewster,
1852 Col. Elias W. Brown,
William M. Gray,
Democrat. Whig.
1853 1854
Ralph Hurlbutt,
Whig.
1855
Col. Elias W. Brown,
Democrat.
1856
Maj. Jacob L. Gallup,
Democrat.
1857 Nehemiah W. Gallup,
Democrat.
1858
William L. Main,
Democrat.
1859 1860 Stiles Crandall,
Democrat.
1861 Ambrose Reynolds,
Democrat.
1862
Capt. Washington Avery,
Democrat.
1863
William Fanning,
Democrat.
1864
Asa L. Gallup,
Democrat.
1865
Benj. F. Lewis,
Whig.
1866
Maj. Jacob L. Gallup,
Democrat.
1867 Nehemiah M. Gallup,
Democrat.
1868
Henry Larrabee,
Republican. Republican.
1869 Israel Allyn,
1870 Henry Stoddard,
Democrat.
1871 William J. Brown,
1872 Alonzo W. Turner,
Democrat.
1873 Capt. Chris. A. Brown,
Republican.
1874 La Fayette H. Griswold,
Democrat.
1875 William L. Main,
Democrat.
1876 Franklin Brewster,
Republican.
Whig. Democrat.
Capt. Jacob Gallup,
Democrat.
Democrat.
Park A. Williams,
Democrat.
Democrat.
22
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
1877
William T. Cook,
1878
Capt. John Brewster,
1879
Lt. William T. Cook,
1880 S. Ashbel Crandall,
Democrat.
1881 1882
Capt. James A. Billings,
Republican.
William J. Brown,
Democrat.
1883
Stephen H. Peckham,
Democrat.
1884
Chas. A. Satterlee,
Republican.
1885
Hiram A. Hempstead,
Democrat.
1886
Courtland Lamb,
Democrat.
1888
Hiram A. Hempstead,
Democrat.
1890 George W. Spicer,
Democrat.
1892
George W. Spicer,
Democrat.
1894 Chas. A. Gray,
Democrat.
1896 Nathan S. Gallup,
Republican.
1898
Jacob Gallup,
Democrat.
1900
Daniel Lamb,
Republican.
Republican. Republican. Republican.
The town of Ledyard contains fourteen school districts. For several years past a number has been attached to each of these districts, and, in the official reports to the town and the State, each district is referred to by its number. But long before these numbers were used each district had a name of its own-a name that had come down from former generations-and that still clings to it. It seems not improper therefore to put these names on record in this place.
The district in the extreme north-east corner of the town is known as the Lantern Hill district, in recognition of its proximity to that famous land-mark of mariners approaching our coast. Some of the families belonging in this district reside in North Stonington. The district directly south of this is Cider hill, tak- ing its name from that of an elevated stretch of land and the good cider made within its borders. South of this is the Gallup Hill district, named from the families that were more or less numerous in the district at the time of christening. In the northern central part of the town is the Church Hill district-the name given from the fact that, for about fifty years, the Episcopal Church, which
23
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
was removed to Poquetanuck in the year 1785, stood upon the same hill, though nearly half a mile away. East of this is a frac- tional district, including *Shewville, the scholars from which at- tend school on Avery's Plains in the town of Preston. A mile and a half west of the Church Hill school-house is that of the Geer district. And some two miles south of it is that of the Center district-located very nearly in the geographical center of the town. A mile and a quarter cast of the Center school-house is that of the Morgan district-a mile and a half west of it that of Unionville, and less than two miles south of it that of Lamb Town. In the north-west corner of the town is a new school- house-not far from the drawbridge over Poquetanuck Cove. The families which send their children to it formerly belonged to the Avery Hill district which has gone down. Some who were once connected with this last-named district now attend school in Poquetannuck-some in the Geer district-some in Unionville. South of this north-west district, and somewhat more than half way down to the south boundary-line of the town is the school- house of the Gale's Ferry district; and off north-east of this is that of the Stoddard district. South-east from this is that of the Lester district. And then in the south-west corner of the town, is the Long Cove district, upon a body of water whose name it bears.
Each of these fourteen districts has a history of its own. In some-indeed in most of them-the history covers a long stretch of years, and is specially interesting to those who have partici- pated in its varied scenes, and also to many who have succeeded them. In many instances the residents are proud of their district, and often dilate with enthusiasm upon the events that have oc- curred in it, and extol the noble qualities of the men and women that have been educated in their school and fitted for eminent usefulness in the world. In the biographical and family sketches, which appear in other parts of this volume, there is considerable proof that their views of the subject are not wholly unauthorized.
There have been times in the history of each of these districts
*Formerly Ayer's Mills,
24
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
when the school-houses were filled with scholars-almost every seat occupied. But this is far from being the case at the present time. About every district has at times had teachers that de- veloped a high order of fitness for their work ; and some teachers of this stamp have been called to much wider fields of usefulness than any which were here opened to them. Not a few scholars, who received their early intellectual training in these little red school-houses, have, as their lives advanced, become members of academic and collegiate institutions, and in them developing superior talents, have at later stages in life, filled, with eminent ability and success, high and honorable positions.
The training received in the public schools of the town has been supplemented in various ways.
An important factor in the training of some of the young men was the debating society-formed at the centre of the town- having its home at the Centre school-house during the winters for quite a number of years. Prominent among the members was Col. Elias W. Brown, who was president of the club. Its membership embraced about all of the young men living in the Centre and adjoining districts, and visitors from out of town frequently attended and took part in the discussions. They grappled with about all of the knotty public questions of that day-from 1848 to 1860-and settled them all to their satisfaction. It was a useful, instructive and important aid in the education of all attending.
In former years the young men, who wished to study survey- ing, navigation and kindred branches often sought instruction from the Dabolls-father and son-of Center Groton. In the 30's and 40's of the nineteenth century, a good many pursued similar studies with Mr. Joseph H. Gallup, of Poquetanuck, a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1827.
Rev. Mr. Tuttle, during a large part of his ministry, which extended from 1810 to 1864, was accustomed to teach young men who applied to him, not only in the higher branch of com- 1011 school education, but in the Latin and Greek languages, thus fitting them to enter college. Rev. Mr. Cutting, during his residence in Ledyard-1868 to 1881-did similar work. Miss
25
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
Anna Maria Tuttle (afterward Mrs. N. B. Cook), taught many of the young ladies of the place in branches which they did not have facilities for studying in the district schools.
In several years, not very far back in the past, select schools have been taught in the town-generally in the Center district- which have awakened great interest and proved themselves high- ly beneficial. They usually began in the latter part of August and continued about eight weeks. The number of scholars in attendance ranged from about twenty to forty. Mr. Samuel Lamb was the teacher in the years 1867, 1868 and 1877-Mr. George Fanning in the years 1869, 1870 and 1871-Miss Mary A. C. Avery, of Mount Holyoke Seminary, in the year 1884- and Mr. William M. Gallup, of Yale University, in the year 1886.
When Bacon Academy of Colchester was in a very flourish- ing condition-along in the early and middle portion of the nineteenth century-a considerable number of young people from Ledyard patronized it, as also Plainfield Academy, the Suffield (Connecticut) Literary Institution, and the Academy at Poque- tanuck, established by the Rev. Mr. Roberts, rector of St. James' Church at that place. This last named school, however, was soon abandoned and later the house was moved into the village of Poquetanuck to serve as a common school building. Since the establishment of the Free Academy at Norwich, many have availed themselves of the advantages which it offers; and some of them have won high encomiums from their well-quali- fied and experienced teachers.
The population of the town, at the time of its incorporation, was about 2,000. In 1880 it was not far from 1,400. The census of 1900 gives the following statistics :
Number of living inhabitants. 1,218
Number of Indians on reservation. 18
Total 1,236 Number of farms 212
Number of manufacturing establishments .. .12
Number of persons, deaf and dumb or blind. II
Number of persons, 70 years old and over .. 94
26
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
The decline in population is owing partly to the fact that much smaller numbers of children are born in the families than in previous generations ; but more especially to the increased emigration from the "worn-out farms," as they are called, to the more productive regions of the West, and to the neighboring cities and villages which, for many years past, have been rapidly increasing, and opening various industrial pursuits which are much more remunerative than farming on the hard soil, not only of Ledyard, but of all New England as well.
This emigration began very early in the history of this part of the country. In the enterprise, which was started a little previous to 1700, and completed a few years after for securing for "volunteers in former wars," a tract of land six miles square- to be distributed among those justly entitled to shares; the Averys, the Parks, the Stantons, the Smiths, and others from Groton and vicinity had a part. The enterprise resulted in the settlement of Voluntown (i. e., Volunteer Town); and several men, of the names above-given, located there with their families ; and some of their descendants are there to-day.
Between 125 and 150 years ago many people moved from southern to northern New England-from Connecticut and Massachusetts to New Hampshire and Vermont. Among those who went from this region were Averys, Brewsters, Parks and others.
About the same time and a little later considerable numbers moved from Eastern Connecticut to Eastern Pennsylvania-into the Wyoming Valley and adjacent regions; and North Groton had her representatives among them, in the persons of Averys, Packers, Hurlbuts and others.
So also, when, from a few years before 1800 on for more than half a century, the tide was moving westward into Central and Western New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and territories still further on toward the Rockies; there were Allyns and Geers and Morgans and Gallups and Williamses and a good many others from North Groton swept along with it.
But the largest out-flow from the place, at any one period, was that to California in the years 1849-1853, inclusive.
27
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
In it were included over thirty young men, who went out in as many as four different companies. One company, of six, started from New London in a sailing vessel, January 28, 1849; another, of twelve, on the third of February following; and still another, of two, a year later. All these went around Cape Horn. In the spring of 1853 a company of eight went by steamer to Aspinwall, by rail and boat and mules to Panama, and thence by steamer to San Francisco.
In these four parties were six men by each of the names Gallup and Stoddard, four by the name of Chapman, three by the name of Allyn, two by each of the names Arthur, Lester, Morgan, Perkins, Turner, and one by each of the names Brown, Miner, Norman, O'Brien, Rogers and Williams ; thirty-three in all.
Several of these, after a few months' experience in the land of gold, returned and settled down in the East. Several others came back, married wives in their native place, and returned to make California their permanent home.
Since the rush to California most of the removals from the town have been to Norwich, New London, Mystic and other places not far away. Young persons, and persons in middle life too, have gone-some to labor as carpenters and masons, some to serve as clerks and book-keepers, some to establish themselves in business. The removals have been constantly go- ing on, and constantly reducing the home-population; for the numbers moving away have been greater than the numbers moving in.
A heavy drain upon the young life of the community in former years was the trade with foreign ports, in which North Groton took such an active part. Between the years 1770 and 1814 some thirty or forty men from the place were lost at sea, or died at sea or in foreign ports. So when the whaling business was vigorously prosecuted in New London, from fifty to seventy- five years ago, there were similar losses of life in that perilous employment.
But war has carried off larger numbers than any industrial pursuit, whether by land or sea. A large number, in the aggre- gate, of young men living here have been from time to time
28
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
called forth as soldiers whenever any war was on foot. In the French and Indian wars, a century and a half ago, several from North Groton were engaged-some of them at the sacrifice of their lives. Also during the first three years of the Revolution no less than fifteen Pequot Indians went forth from their reserva- tion, and, becoming connected with the army, died in the service. And then in the awful massacre at Fort Griswold, twenty-six young men from North Groton were among the unhappy victims. In the Civil War of 1861-5, many lost their lives, and their names may be found upon the roll of honor on the monument erected at the center of the town to perpetuate their memory. A list of those engaged in various wars, so far as known, is given further on.
A mere glance at these painful facts can hardly fail to awaken in the bosom an ardent longing for the time when men "shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning- hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more ;" and yet, the nineteenth century, now closed, will be considered, by historians, the most important and influential, so far as it relates to the inhabitants of the earth, of any preceding century; it gave to the world railways, steam- ships, lucifer matches, photography, anæsthetics, antiquity of man, evolution established, electric telegraph, electric storage batteries, Roetengen rays, germ theory of disease, illuminating gas, the oil of the earth, multiplied colors, the Jacquard loom, the cotton gin, the sewing machine, conservation of energy, the telephone, wireless telegraphy, compressed air, electric railways, Maxim guns, Krupp rifled cannon, iron shipping, steel-clad battle ships, spectrum analyses, submarine telephoning, paper from wood, the phonograph and molecular theory of gases. These sum up more, in number, and are of larger import to mankind than all the in- ventions of all preceding centuries, and still, notwithstanding these improvements and advantages, more of war and more of trained soldiers lined up in battle array appeared than in all the previous world's history, perhaps ! Out of these things, however, the races of men have been uplifted, liberty and equality more firmly established and civilization greatly advanced. Many millions
29
THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
of our fellow men, in two hemispheres, give thanks for enlarged liberty and millions more take renewed courage in consequence of the achievements of the century now closed. But what of the new, the twentieth century, just dawned upon us? Let us hope for better and larger things for those who shall come after us.
"Our mother earth, whose ages none may tell,
Puts on no change ; time bids not her wax pale Or kindle, quenched or quickened, when the knell Sounds, and we cry across the veering gale
Farewell-and midnight answers us, Farewell ;
Hail-and the heaven of morning answers, Hail."
CHAPTER II. The Congregational Church,
THE town of Ledyard was set off from Groton and incor- porated in 1836. Previous to this the territory which it covers was for many years known as the Second or North Parish in Groton. The Ecclesiastical Society in this North Parish was organized in 1725, with six or seven members, and at once took measures to find, by actual measurement, the exact centre of the parish as the proper place for a meeting-house. That centre was found to be "in the north-east corner of Stephen Morgan's goat pasture." Upon the spot thus designated the erection of a meeting-house was begun in 1727. The present church edifice stands partly on the same ground, but a little further back from the highway. The Congregational Church was organized in 1729. The early history of the Church for about 80 years, is veiled in obscurity. During the last 39 of these 80 years the Church had no settled pastor, and at sometime in this period became extinct ; and its records, if it ever had any, have been lost. Rev. Mr. Tuttle, in a historic sketch, says, "In respect to the state of the Church during its early history, whether its cir- cumstances were prosperous at any time, or only adverse, or at what particular time it ceased to be, even tradition now affords no light."
Still considerable is known of the men who ministered to the Church in this obscure portion of its history. Public worship seems to have been established and maintained-for how long · a time and with how much regularity we know not-previous to the formation of a Church as such.
31
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The first resident preacher, of whom we have any definite knowledge, was
REV. SAMUEL SEABURY,
a Licentiate, who became later an Episcopalian before he was ordained : entered the Episcopalian ministry, and was, for many years, rector of St. James's Church, New London. He was a son of John Seabury, deacon of the Congregational Church in Groton, and was educated at Yale College and Harvard Univer- sity, and graduated from the last-named institution in 1724. While supplying at North Groton he occupied a house standing on the lane that leads westward from the Bill parsonage. In this house was born his oldest son, Samuel Seabury, Jr., who be- came the first Episcopal Bishop in America. A more extended sketch of him is given further along in this volume.
The first ordained pastor of the Church was
REV. EBENEZER PUNDERSON.
He was a native of New Haven, and a graduate of Yale Col- lege, in the class of 1726. On the 25th of Dec., 1729, he was ordained pastor of this Church, being at the time only 21 years of age. His pastorate continued less than five years, being terminated by council, Feb. 5, 1734. While ministering to this people he lived in a house which stood off north-west from the Church, on the opposite side of the road from the house of Mr. George H. O'Brien. The early termination of his ministry in this Church was owing to the fact of his going over to Epis- copacy. On the first of January, previous to his dismission, he made a communication to the Society, avowing himself a con- formist to the Episcopal Church of England. This communica- tion, it is said, "was received with amazement and sorrow, and a committee chosen, consisting of Robert Geer, Christopher Avery and Benadam Gallup, to reason with him, and see if he might not be persuaded that his ordination was good and that he might return to his people again." But notwithstanding all that was done by the committee and others, Mr. Punderson per-
32
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
sisted in his course. After his dismission he went to England and received Episcopal ordination. Returning to this country he served for a good many years as an itinerant missionary of an organization in England known as "The Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts," giving his time largely to North Groton during the earlier portion of the period, but, at later dates, travelling all over the State and into neighboring States, and preaching in a great many different places. About 1752 or 1753 he petitioned the Society that he might become their settled missionary in New Haven ; and his petition was granted. At a later date he labored in Rye, N. Y., where he died in the year 1771, aged 63.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.