Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-08
NOW Haven's Great Park.


 Park within the past two months Not far
 ther back than twenty years ago it is doubt ful if 5, ,OOO persons visited the Rock in a twelvemonth. The public are becoming alive to the extent and grandeur ofthesRarks a result greatly attributable to the Farnam drive. which will to far distant day com memorate the liberality of the late Henry Farnana. The city is awakening to the fact that at it's own doors it has "thing of beauty and joy forever" and a conspicu- ous and commanding obisct of this poetic description. In fact, New Haveners when they find that people from all parts Of tnes Union who visit here are enthusiastic to al high degree over the magnificent views af- forded from East Rock and Indian Head and over the Park begin to realize more distinct ly it's value. While on this subject little sketch in the guide to East Rock Park and vicinity recently published by A. L.. Hyde and William D. Johnson is very appropriate: Suppose we take ride along this delightful road. Leaving the Orange street bridge we turn to the left and pass along the bank of Mill river At our left flow the quiet waters of the river, while on our right towers rocky wall over 300 feet high. As we turn point in the road 8 most charm ing view lies before us; huge masses of rock weighing several tons line the way; across the stream beautiful wooded knoll, while the stream itself winds like silver thread through the green expanse of meadow. In the distance are seen the buildings of the Whitney Arms company and a crown of hills terminates the picture. A little further on we come upon ferry-not a handsome or expensive afair( run by MT. Good, of Whitneyville), but still one which serves to convey persons from the foot of Rock Lane to Farnam drive. It is 8 great benefit to those who wish to reach the Park by means of the Whitney avenue railroad. Leaving the ferry we enter the drive proper, twenty feet in width, hard as a floor and ris- ing at an easy grade as it winds along the edge of the Rock. Soon we have passed the northern ridge and as we wind around Whit ney Peak magnificent stretch of country is opened up. At our feet the land slopes grad I ually to the Quinnipiac meadows, which ! stretch away for miles, cut through by the waters of the Quinnipiac river, and dotted \ with thousands of stacks of hay. To the north may be seen the towns of North Haven | and Montowese; beyond these to the left lies | Mount Carmel and the Sleeping Giant; to the right, the summit of Peter's Rock; while be- tween these in the hay distance lie the hang | ing hills of Meriden. Proceeding short | distance along the road we find ourselves sur rounded by thick forest growth. Here the smooth winding road, the ragged lodges, the | rocky gorges, the stately trees, so dense as | to almost shut out the blue sky beyond, and prevailing the whole scene that solemn still ness peculiar to forest; all these combine to produce drive whose pleasures are perhaps | often imagined but rarely realized. A little way beyond this view I of Farnam drive near the Hemlock grove l we come to one of the Gamewell police sig | nal stations. At this point new road has 1 been commenced connecting Farnam drive | with Indian Head. The new road when com pIeted will cross the old Stewart road at 8 ] point near the quarry sites, and the public | can then drive direct from Indian Head to | the base of the Rock. Let us return to the l drive, however, and proceed on our way un- 1 til we come to point where the grade is l somewhat sleeper than any we have yet 1 passed. Here we get quite an extensive and pretty view. Directly below us flows the
 Mill river, to the right is Lake Whitney, 8 1 favorite resort of New Haveners for boating
 in summer and skating in winter. This lake ! supplies water to the c ity and power to Whit ney Arms Go. To the left of the lake lies Whitneyville, while above the latter is sit | uated the reservoir. The Catholic orphan 1 asylum occupies position almost directly in 1 front of us Passing by many charming bits 1 of scenery, we soon come in sight of the l Summit House. AS we have now reached 1 the top let us stop and learn something con- corning the history of the Rock, for it has 8
 history strange and romantic enough to sat- | isfy the most romantic.
 ''In the early part of the present century
 there lived on the Rock hermit, Elias Fur ner; like most other hermits, his condition i was said to be due to an unfortunate love
 affair. There he lived year after year in a
 wretched little hut. attired in rags, avoiding
 human society and rarely speaking to any
 one. At length one wintry morning his 1 familiar form was missed from the hill and
 on the 2d of November, 1923, his ifeless body was found frozen in his hut. man named Hubbell then squatted on
 East Rock. He kept sheep and goats
 and he and his goat team were long familiar objects in the streets of New Haven. He was
 finally bought out by man named Smith. 1 MT. Smith and his wife were 8 quiet, peace
 able old couple, highly respected by the citi- | zens. They lived in a little wooden house on
 the site of the present stone house and earned
 a little money by furnishing various articles
 to visitors. One day in the year 1848 their
 lifeless bodies were founddragged from the house and fearfully mangled, while within
 the table and stove were left as if in prepsra- tion of dinner, but nearly the whole floor of | the building was torn up. Nearly week 1 had elapsed from the time of the murder to | the finding of the bodies and the greatest ex- 1 citement was caused by the news. The mur-
 derer, McCaffry, was captured, tried and sentenc ed to be hanged. His sentence was
 executed in 1850, he confessing to have mur- l dered them for their money, which, however, 1 he did not get.
 stThree or four years later the top of the Rock was purchased by Milton J. Stewart, l who built the large stone house (the old Stewart house) and the several other build l ings which adorn or rather disfigure the Rock | at the present time.
 tWe pass from the remains of the iIl-fated | steamer and wind around the mansion be-
 meath 8 little grove of hemlocks, when To-!
 we stand on the very edge of the Rock while
 before us lies scene beside which the pre-
 vious magnificent views pale into insignif-
 canoe. Below lies the city, spread like Q l panorama before us; to the left is the pretty | suburb of Fair Haven; beyond this to the
 south along the East Haven shore is Fort Hale, Morris Cove and the old light house.
 while far to the left may be seen the blue
 waters of Long Island Sound. To the west
 lie West Rock and the wooded hills of
 Orange. Straight before us we look south
 across the city, beyond its wharves and ship
 ping, toward the borough of West Haven,
 and the numerous points of interest along
 the shore. There is Sandy Point, where in
 1779 the British landed in the invasion of
 New Haven. Beyond this can be seen the
 buildings of our fine and popular summer | resort, Savin Rock. At the mouth of the
 harbor is the New Haven light, and thence
 we look across the waters of Long Island Sound, dotted with sail and dancing and
 stretching beneath the rays of the sun to the low hills of Long Island, which skirt the horizon in 8 long, narrow band twenty five miles away. Such is 8 very 1 imperfect outline of the grand scene from