Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-30
BEGINNING OF NORWICH

June in 1859 was just as lair anu beautiful as June in 1914 and the hope and pride in the new town of Nor ridge was just as intense in the hearts of the brave men who had sailed up the broad Mohegan or Thames and staked their all for their new homes in the Wilderness, as it is in the resi- dents of Norwich today. But little could they foresee that their fair town would ere long become the mother of one of the new worlds most beautiful cities.
 History enables us, today, to glance backwards over the two and a half centuries that wells this early settle ment and catch a glimpse of then lives and struggles. In an ancient history of Connecticut whose cover less pages bear no authors name, but whose dates are given as 1880, we find q few interesting sketches and records of early Norwich.
 The Bulletin of May 22nd made this statement: Nine tenths of the cit izens of Norwich scarcely know what the Monument of Norwich Town er roneous1y called "Mason's Monument really signifies; that it bears the name of ss of the first settlers of 1856. Those who are able to visit this mon ument may find it of interest to Bsarch for the name of Huntington, for in the old history referred to we dnd the following under the date of 1878. Know all meE, by, these pres ents, that we, the inhabitants of the town of Norwich having made choice of Hugh Cafdns, Ensign Tracy, En- sign Thomas LefhngweI, Simon Hunt ington and William Backus as com mittee investing them with full power to contract and bargain with John Eiderkin and Samuel Lathrop con- corning the building of a meeting house, and said committee having agreed with the sd workmen with re spect to price and payment both for in specie, we the said inhabitants of Norwich, jointly and severally do here by ingage and bind ourselves and our successors to make the several pay ments according to the obligations of and in specie or damage that may thereby accrue. Acted and voted on April 29, 1873"
 The Simon Huntington mentioned in the record. undoubtedly was one of Norwichs founders, for again we find the following copied from a, monu- ment in the ancient burying ground .n Norwich Town Here Ives interd ye ington> Of Norwich, Nov. 1st, 1860, and ye first born of ye males in ye town. He served nearly forty years in ye office of deacon and died April ye 24, 1735 in ye 775th VT of his age. Memen- to more"
 He was born one year after the founding of Norwich
 The next Huntington we find men, noned in the history of Norwich is Samuel Huntington a signer of the Declaration of Independence. So we can easily trace the Huntington blood back to the day when a mere hand full of brave men gathered together in the wilderness on the banks of the Mohegan and after envoking the bless ing of God laid the cornerstone of the beautiful city that eventually was to be called The Rose of New England.'
 Grant To Captain Fitch.
 Again we find the following voted at Town meeting July 1st, 1880. 'Granted to Capt Fitch two hundred acres of land for his encourag cement to set up a sawmill and to have the benefit of the streame and the timbre at the place, and no others to set up a Saw mill upon the same Streame to his Damage"
 June '. 1862, Ordered by the Town that if any Indian shall be found drunk in this town he shall forthwith be apprehended by him or them that 50 finds him-and he shall either pay ten shifiings or be whipt; the one half of the fine is for those that find him drunk and the other half for the towne-Voted."
 First Reservation.
 Ten years after the founding of Norwich in 1669 we find the following record of Nprwich,s first reservation
  and Some of Uneas hath desired. of the towne of Norwich a yerll of land Iyinge nere the Shewtucket rivere; the towne hath appointed and ordered Thomas Tracey and Thomas Leffing- well and John Post to lay out 300 acres of land; and they have accordingly at tended their order, One end of the land abutts westerly into the land of James Fitch and the other end abutls easterly onto the Commons. The land that the Indians hold for planting of corn or otherwise they must secure themselves by fencing. and if any damage is done by the English of the towne of Norwich the English are not bound to make satisfaction for dam ages done Its further engaged by Owaneko that he or his Indians have any liberty to keep hogs but what they do keep on their own lands, but no liberty to go upon the lands d0m- mon to the English.
 Would Forfeit Land.
 'It is farther engaged by Owaneko that if any of his subjects, his In- dians do any wrong to the town of Norwich or any of it's inhabitants of the said towne by killing their cattle or treSpassfng upon them in any way or acting as in accordance with the laws of the English judged to be tres pass or wrong, or he or his men doe become refractory and will not reform and make such notorious disorderly practices specified, nor make satisfac- ton for the said damages or wrongs, this -oKaneke shall then forfeit the