The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-27
OUR HISTORIC GREEN.
Some Interesting Incidents Told Before
Historical Society.


Historical Society.
The New Haven Colony Historical
society at it's regular monthly meeting
Monday evening listened to we'll writ
ten and interesting paper on THE
Green as Market Place" by Henry t.
Blake, the secretary of the society. The
paper was one of series prepared by
Mr. Blake and delivered before the So
ciety, treating of the historic plot of
land.
The period covered by Mr.. Blake in
his paper Monday evening extended
from the settlement of New Haven col
ony in 1858 to 1860. AS to the use of the
green other than for business purposes,
Mr.. Blake said that there were no cele-
brations held there prior to the Revo-
luton, so far as he had been able to
learn. The celebration Of the Fourth
of July was not begun in New Haven
till two or three years after the signing
of the immortal Declaration of indie
pendence.
In 1879 parade and other exercises
were held on the green in honor of the
day, and this was kept up for thirty
or forty years. In these celebrations
the parade proceeded to the state house,
where speeches were made, followed by
a banquet, where the spirit of '76 flowed
freely, as well as other spirits. In 1898
the women joined in the celebration,
holding a meeting of their own near
the green.
Early in the present century Wash
ington's birthday began to be celebrat-
ed there. In 1882 the partisan feeling
was so strong that there were three
celebrations held, by the supporters of
Clay, the anti-Jackson and the Jackson
party, separately.
On July 49, 1851, the first children's
jubilee was held on the green. Four
teen Sunday schools participated in this
jubilee, and the children sang hymns
in chorus.
In 1856 for the first time, children
took part in the Fourth of July cele-
bration. In that year Professor Jepson
trained chorus of six hundred chill
dren to sing at the celebration.
The three greatest celebrations held
on the green We're the celebrations of
the declaration of peace in 1888 and 1915
and the sending of a message over the
first Atlantic cable in 1858, on August
| II.
| OF riotous disturbances on the green
was mentioned the Medical College riot
of January, 1924, when the crowd was
greatly enraged at the discovery Of the
body of a girl which had been stolen
from the cemetery in West Haven. On
this occasion it required the presence
of the military to keep the mob in
check.
On March II, 1854, there was another
town and gown riot, at which one of
the townspeople was stabbed. On this
the mob attempted to batter down Old
/ South and were only prevented from
doing so by Captain Bissell of the po-
| lice spiking the cannon
| OF less Importance was the trouble
between the students and firemen. One
| of the uses to which the old green was
put was the holding of fire parades and
exhibitions. These We're magnificent
affairs and were attended by visiting
| fire companies from other cities At
|
vided for $500 by the city. These cele-
brations ended with the disbanding of
the volunteer fire companies in 1861.
The green was used as playground
for 220 years. The school house was
situated upon it in the early days of
the colony and the boys took advantage
of the opportunities for play offered by
the green. Yale students also took
their recreation upon it until 1854, when
| this use was forbidden.
A vote of thanks was extended Mr..
Blake for his interesting address
1t was announced that there was still
$500 to be raised before the society will
have sufficient to purchase the full
length painting of Rev. DIR. Leonard
Bacon by the artist, Mr.. Harry Thomp-
! son.
| A painting of the late Frederick Cros-
well has been received from his widow
| bV the Historical society