Norwich bulletin., 1909-06-29
NoRWIcH's NORTHEAST
CORNER BOUND
Which Existed Until 1876 When Pres
ton Acquired East of the Shetueket
Famous Stone Still Stands.

In ancient local records writes d. l..
p. in the Jewett City Press, the Nor
witch n. K. Corner bound was as i'm
portant a boundary point in Eastern
Connecticut as the white oak tree at
abe southwest corner of Thomas
Roses dwelling house where Norwich
and New London bounds Joined, or the
Bennington Northwest corner tree,
which is described as "a STOPPING
white oak ten miles from the sea,
marked with ten notches." These three
landmarks were Interchangeable, and
from them the pioneers based their
layout of towns and farms, as the
ancient mariner shaped his course by
Me stars.
The Norwich northeast corner
bound was also at first white oak
tree; but as time crept on, became a
heap of stones and later still a tall
stone post deeply and firmly set in the
soil.
1t is clearly defined in the records
OF the Norwich proprietors as the
eastern terminus of the northerly line,
which bounds the nine miles square
This line began at a black oak stand
ing on the south side of the river She
tucket d little above Maw-mi waug:
thence nine miles crossing the She
tucket and the Quinebaug and pass
ing through "a Seader swamp called
Catantaquck," to a white oak tree
marked n, thirteen rods beyond a
brook called uo-qui -qua-soug, the
space from the Quinebaug being Just
a mile and fifty eight rods. This
bound was based on Uncas' deed to
the Norwich proprietors, dated Aug
ust Is, 1889, reviewed and renewed by
representatives Of the Norwich propri-
etors and 'of the Mohegans in October,
1855. This bound was not only the
northeast corner of Norwich, but the
northwest corner of Preston also; and
the west end of the dividing line be-
tween Preston and Plainfield was To-
Gated at this point. In all that relates
TO the long and irritating controversy
over the bounds of that part of the
ancient town of Preston, now called
Griswold, the Norwich northeast cor
ner bound was an acknowledged base.
In 1886, when Preston acquired all of
Norwich east of the middle of the
waters of the Quinebaug, the Shetuck-
ct and the Thames, this famous land
mark ceased to be corner of towns.
More than that, at some time not
known Plainfield seems to have pre-
ferred the loss of d small piece of her
territory rather than have an angle in
her south line, and the west end of the
line between Preston and Plainfield
was removed to the point where Can
terbury, Plainfeld and Griswold now
touch each other, leaving the old bound
stranded well within the bounds of the
1ast-named town.
The defunct bound can still be To-
Gated by following the division line
between Griswold and Canterbury
from the Quinebaug river, through the
Cedar swamp Cantaquck, now part
of the homestead of L. d. Howe of
Canterbury, who has given the good
old Indian name to the whole farm;
past the stone which marks the union
of the three towns already mentioned,
on to the stream mentioned in the
original layout, but whose musical
name uo-qui-qua soug has given
place to Tadpole brook; thence still
in the same course across the N. & w.
railroad track to a small field on the
farm belonging to the Hugh Havey
estate, known from time immemorial
as the Norwich corner lot" Here in
plain sight of every passing car stands
the famous stone, now but monu-
ment to its own past.