Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-22
Prof. Dexter's Paper.

It's Buildings and Industrtss-HOVv the Charter Was Obtained.
 The meeting held in the rooms of the His torioal society of New Haven last evening was largely attended, the seating capacity Of the rooms being tested te its utmost. Dr. Bsardsley, rector of St. Thomas church, pre- sided. Most of our promine and old fami- lies were present. Among them were: Ex- Governors English and Ingersoll, ex-Nayor Robertson, Professors Baldwin, SilIiman and other professors academic and scientific, Deacon Lyman Osborn, Chas Peterson, presi- dent Security Insurance company, James G. English, president New Haven County bank A. D. Osborn, president Second Nationa \ bank, Samuel Lloyd, cashier City bahk. A goodly number of ladies, the wives and lady friends of the above and of members of the Historical society were present.
 One hundred years ago day the presi' dent of Yale college recorded in his diary the
 establishment of tue city government. The town then covered territory ten or twelve times greater than the present area. with a population of 1860. About one-half of that population was included in the city. Now there is population of 10000 or 6O.O0O in
 the territory then included in the town. The city has multiplied about twenty times what was contained in the city limits. There were four hundred yelling houses. The territory bounded by Meadow, George, York, Grove, State and Water streets The streets were without names and were designated by corners. AfterWard twenty-one streets were named. Some of the streets were known by other names than those now in use. The lower part of Church street was called Mar ket street; George, Leather lane; York, West; Grove, North. Church street was named from church near where Pease's bookstore now stands; Court from the fat that it a mere court, because the intention was to have it go up across the Green by the court house. There was brick State and court house near the present Trim ity church building. Next to this, in 1877, was completed the first church on the site of the present Center church. Rev. Chauncey
 Whittlessy was the minister and the whole town was shipped there. In 1759 the White
 Haven society was organized and church
 built on the southeast corner of Elm and Church. Jonathan Edwards, the younger,
 preached there. The Fair Haven society, organized in ITO, worshipped in a church on the site of the North church. The great majority of New Haven was of one relig
 ious faith. There was small Episcopal church and one or two Jewish families settled here There was a wooden jail in College street abreast of the State House and in 1784 new
 jail was built just across the street. Adja- cent to the jail was the County court house.
 Besides these buildings there was school house north of the North church. This was the Hopkins Grammar school A good part
 of the upper Green was occupied as burial ground. There was fence around this, but none about the rest of the Green and 250 buttonwood trees and elms were planted around the burial ground. There were no trees around the Green.
 Of the college there were three buildings
 known now as South Middle, the Athepeum and the old laboratory. There were the resi- dsnces of the president and the professor of divinity in College street near the College street church. There were 26O undergradu- ates in the college, the largest number in any college in the country. There was no bank, no postoffice, no almshouEe, no hospital, no public library. There were eight or nine lawyers and about as many doctors. Five or six shops carried all the goods sold. No local manufactories existed. The commercial business was the most important. There were two wharves, Union and Long. Great trade was carried on with the West Indies. Thirty-three sea going vessels were owned here, and most of them were built here. One line of packets ran to New York and an- other to Norwich and New London. The central government was represented by the postmaster, Elias Beers A stage ran to Hartford. The New Haven postofice was the receiving office for points as far north as Litchfield. Isaac Beers also kept store and was a large importer of books and brandy. four-page weekly, the Connections Journal, was the only newspaper, but in May, 17S4 the Gazette was established.
 New Haven lost 21O persons in the war jast previous to the period described, and property amounting to 30,800 pounds sterI- ing. A great confusion is apparent in regard to financial standards. Bank notes, Morris notes, Pickering's notes, Soldiers notes, State money and other kinds of securities were current. Cash meant miscellaneous coinage mostly Spanish. Socially New Haven was like most of the New EnglaRd towns. The inhabitants were of pure English descent. Many distinguished visitors were attracted here by the college. There was an abundance of gaiety of simple sort. It must be re- membered that domestic slavery was then in full sway in this country. Occasional adver- | tisements appeared in the papers for the sale of promising negroes.
 The origin of the movement to make New Haven city is difficult to trace. The first step taken appears to have been 6 vote passed in town meeting December 9, 1771, instruct | ing committee to judge what was best to do about getting city charter and report upon the same. The committee was appointed, but never reported. In December 178I, the subject was brought up by the sforts made for the creation of new towns ont of the
 
 bridge, East Haven and North Haven were cut of. New York and Philadelphia were the only cities of the time except Albany and that was far from prospering. was thought that if New Haven were city 1t might rival New York in importance. On October 20, 1783, a petition was handed in to the Assembly to incorporate New Haven city. It was not brought forward, however, in season to be acted upon. On Monday, January g. 1754, in town meeting 8 committee was appointed to secure the passage of an act Incorporating New Haven as city with all possible speed. 1 Governor Trumbull was then president of the upper house. It is only from President Stiles diary that we get any knowledge of the exact date of the event. At town meeting held soon after 343 men were qualified as freeman. The leading families then were the Austin, Trowbridge, Atwater, Bishop, Sherman, Munson, Bradley Mix, and other families. The first election of city officials was held February 10, 249 votes being cast on the first ballot for mayor. Of these Rog CT Sherman received 125, just enough to elect. Deacon Howell received the next largest number of votes and was made senior alderman. The other aldermen were Samuel Bishop, Deacon David Austin and Isaac BeeEs
 On February 18th the city officials were sworn In. Of the politics of the time Dr. Stiles says that there was an attempt made to bring the Tories on an equality with the Wings. In the city the Wbigs were in a good majority. On March 9th a committee was appointed to consider the propriety of ad- mlttlng as inhabitants of the town persons who sympathized with the King in the war, and the committed reported in favor of re- was then accorded them
 TheEe were one or two peculiar provisions in the charter. One was that the term of | othce Of the mayor should be at the pleasure 1 of the General Assembly, thus virtually mak- | ing 1t a life office Power was confer | red upon the city to exchange land on the Green for other nnb- 79 brt it does not appear to have been acted u. o.1 ~ started by New Haven was popular, the same session of the Legislature New Lon. r don was incorporated, and at the next session Hartford, Norwich and MiddIetown.
 Prof. Dexter's paper contained many other interesting facts which cannot be included in