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    Norwich
    Norwich
    Norwich
    Ebook182 pages44 minutes

    Norwich

    By Dale Plummer

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    About this ebook

    Located at the head of the Thames River, Norwich is known as "the Rose of New England." This small city boasts a complex history, from its role as an important Colonial seaport to its development into a thriving manufacturing city. The nearly two hundred images in Norwich bring this history to life, from the industry and innovation represented by the Ponemah Mill, to the grandeur of the Wauregan Hotel, to the devastation of the flood of 1886. The city's many sides can be seen in these pages, which explore not only the people and institutions that made Norwich what it is today but also the details of life as it used to be.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439631751
    Norwich
    Author

    Dale Plummer

    Dale Plummer has compiled this photographic record of Norwich from the collections of the Otis Library and private collectors. Plummer, the city historian for Norwich, is also active in the Rose City Historical Society.

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      Book preview

      Norwich - Dale Plummer

      Library.)

      INTRODUCTION

      Water dominates the history of Norwich. At the head of the Thames River, Norwich developed in the 1700s as an important Colonial seaport. Products of inland farms and forest were exchanged for goods from the West Indies, England, and Europe. But it was the force of falling water that transformed Norwich into a thriving manufacturing city in the 1800s. Waterpower drove the wheels of industry, providing employment for many and great wealth for some.

      Yet Norwich was also a place of contradictions. The natural beauty of the landscape coexisted with the urge to make improvements on nature. Within its boundaries, both pastoral scenes and the smoke and noise of heavy industry were found. On its streets, descendants of old Yankee stock, Native Americans, African Americans, and more recent immigrants were seen.

      In the century between the 1859 bicentennial and the 1959 tercentennial, Norwich prospered. While war, recession, floods, and fires occurred, the city continued to grow. Despite political wrangling, Norwich was a progressive city, embracing new concepts in government. Important civic amenities and improvements made life better for all the residents.

      With a strong industrial past, Norwich has produced a bewildering variety of goods. The quality of workmanship was, in general, very high. Norwich products were shipped to markets across the country and abroad. The dominant local industry was textiles. Firearm manufacture, papermaking, metalwork, casting production, cabinet making, and woodworking were also engaged in.

      The demands of industry outstripped available waterpower and labor resources. In the era after the Civil War, coal was brought in over the city’s wharves to supplement waterpower. Area mills adapted new technology readily. This willingness to adapt to changing conditions slowed but did not halt the loss of industry in the 20th century.

      Growing numbers of immigrants joined the local work force in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many were Roman Catholic, in contrast to the staunch Protestantism of mill owners. Affiliating with the Democratic party, they clashed with Republicans over issues such as temperance.

      Division between the various sections of Norwich further complicated local politics. The manufacturing villages along the rivers maintained their own distinct character and identity. The rivalry between Norwichtown and the downtown continued. Yet the city found a way to work through differences.

      The result is a history surprisingly rich and complex for a small city. It is my hope to have captured something of the splendor of Norwich’s past.

      A SCENE ON THE YANTIC RIVER. This bucolic scene is on the upper reaches of the Yantic River. (Courtesy the Otis Library.)

      One

      THE ROSE OF NEW ENGLAND

      In 1859, as Norwich prepared to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founding, self-styled gentleman James Lloyd Greene suggested the title the Rose of New England for the city. Prosperity from manufacturing and trade had transformed a Colonial town to a Victorian city. Mansions lined the streets leading to the downtown. New homes and commercial buildings in the latest styles by local architects and builders testified to the taste and wealth of the city’s residents.

      Little more than a month after the parades and feasting were over, John Brown led a small force to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. One of his men, Aaron Dwight Stevens, was the son of the choirmaster at the First Congregational Church in Norwichtown. The raid on Harpers Ferry precipitated the growing conflict between North and South into war.

      THE PROCESSION PASSING THE WAUREGAN. Volunteer fire units and the militia pass in front of the Wauregan Hotel. In the Mohegan language, Wauregan meant anything especially fine or good. (Courtesy the Otis Library.)

      THE DINNER TENT IN FRONT OF THE FREE ACADEMY. Separate tents nearby were used for speakers. Caterer John T. Raymond prepared 48 dishes for more than 2,000 guests. (Courtesy the Otis Library.)

      LT. MARVIN WAIT. A Democrat, attorney John T. Wait voted for Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln’s opponent, in the presidential election of 1860. When war broke out, however, he supported the Union cause. His only son, Marvin Wait, a college student, enlisted. Promoted quickly to lieutenant in the 8th Connecticut Volunteers, young Wait was wounded twice while leading his men in the bloody battle of Antietam. As he lay wounded, a

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