Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-15

Before the recent meeting or faltn Trumbull chapter. DauGhs CTS or the American Revolution, when the toplc for the afternoon was The Old Trails, with particular reference to the ocean to-ocean highway which it is urged to establish by following these old trails. a paper of much local interest and information was read by Mrs. Elisha E Rogers upon the topic, The Old Trails of Eastern Connecticut.
 To illustrate the roads referred to in her paper Mrs. Rogers had her old map, published in 1796, upon which the old paths and roads she referred to as traversing this part of the state were shown.
 She wrote as follows:
 We have all listened with great in- terest, I am sure, to the proposed ad- mirable plan of a road across the con- tinent-a national highway to reach from ocean to ocean, following the old trails made by the pioneers; the road to be memorial to the pioneer patrl- ots. and also to mark historic spots along the routes and to restore the old taYernS to their former prestige, and, in short to make it such a wonderful road that it will be a national asset.
 Why Not Start at Boston2
 We have also heard of the plan of the Sons of the American Revolution to mark General Washingtons route to Cambridge, Mass, in 1775, but in all these plans have we heard any men tion of the older trails and roads of southern New England? The date q Braddock's trail is 1748 and 1775, of the Oregon trail, 1895, and the Santa Fe trail 1921. All these trails appear to students of New England history as of comparatively recent date and we in stinctively wonder if an ocean to ocean highway is desired, why it should not r~-,f fl1Ot- 1aJ n Washington, and follow the old post road, part of which was at first an In dian trail and known before 1860 as the ''Pequot Path through Rhode Is land to Westerly, at the edge of Con- necticut, through Stonington to New London, and along the shore to New York. an old trail grown into a higf way nearly 100 years before these other roads were dreamed of. As early as March, 1669 the town of Stonington voted that the country highway shall be laid out from the head of Mystic Chow Old Mystic) to Kitchamaug (the wading place on Pawcatuclx river) as footpath lies. provided it meet with the London highway at Mystic river The committee in their report of the layout, 1869, mentions this Lon don highway as the common travelled highway"
 
 Post and other travellers meet with great difficulty in journeying as they pass through this colony, especially in the town of Stonington.' On early Rhode Island records this old Pequot path or post road is frequently men toned, as we'll as on Connecticut rec ords.
 Old Trails Here
 With all this movement and discus sion of the Old Trails Road, it be- -hooves us to know something of the old trails and highways of our own county and state and something of their importance. Highways in Con necticut were established by the gem eral court in 1638 the laws concerning them being enlarged and perfected ir 1850. The office of scelectnan was ere ated by the general court in 1889, with authority to lay out and repair high ways. Tn f643 each town was to choose two surveyors yearly to look to the highways, and they had liberty to call out the teams and persons necessary for the work; these first roads were merely foot or bridle paths, and it was a great improvement when they were cleared and widened into cart paths.
 Many of the early deeds make ''an allowance for highways" and some towns reserved five acres for that pur pose out of every 100 acres that were granted or sold. Four rods was a width mentioned. Many of the settlers of New London had come from Hartford to SaybroOk, and thence tc the former places, not only for visiting, but to go to Hartford where much ot the early business of the colony was transacted: all estates must be settled at the court in Hartford, and deputies must attend court sessions there and also in New Haven, where the courts sometimes met.
 Path to New London.
 When in 1859 Norwich was 'purchas- ed, path to New London was prime for Norwich, too must go to Hartford for business affairs and there was no other road; also many supplies were obtained at New London. In @ few years after the settlement, the generation, with perhaps some of the original proprietors, moved into the outlying region and made homes in Norwich West Farms, in Newent, or Crotch of ye Rivers, in New Concord and east of the Showtucket.
 vat for many years the people mus attend church at the Town Plot: here, too, they must go for town meetings and public affairs. and to the town clerks office to record their lands and incidentally to record births. marriages and deaths in the family, though this last was frequently neglected.
 The Shetucket River Ford.
 So the paths increased. diverged and grew into highways, many of which are the ones in use today. The dwell- i srs on Norwich West Farms, the Sec l ond church society of 171S; the New ant or Third society of 1723: the New Concord or Fourth society of 1733; the Fifth or Long society of 1726. all came at first to meeting at Norwich Town. The inhabitants of Newent had 3 ford to cross and about eight miles to travel through the woods over the present OK Hill, those on the east side of the river across from Lisbon mad two lords to cross, those who lived east of the Shetucket at Poquetanuck must follow the path to Long Society and over the ford of the Shetucket. l This old fording place lay at the upper end of the little island above the pres ent gas and electric light works. The road on the east side of the river may still be plainly seen, and still belongs, l It Is said to the town; on this west