Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-04
BIRTHDAY OF TOWN OF NORWICH
Saturday. June G. is 255h Anniversary of Founding of the sTown-Uncas Mohegan Chieftam, Conveyed Nine Miles Square First Settlers in l659Capt John Mason and Rev. James Fitch Conspicuous Among the Founders.
DEED OF NORWICH.

Know all men that Onkos. Owaneco, Attawanhood. Sachems of Mohegan have Bargained. sold and passed over, and doe by these presents sell and habitants of Norwich nine miles square of land lying and being at Mohegan and the parts thereunto ajoyneing, with all ponds, rivers and woods, quarries. mines, with all royalties. priveleges. and appurtenances there unto belonging, to them the said in habitants of Norwich, theire heirs and successors forever-the said lands are to be bounded as followeth, (viz.) to the southward on the west side of the Great River, ye line is to begin at the brooke falling into the head of Trad ing Cove. and soc to run west north west seven miles-from thence the line to run nor north east nine miles, and on the east side the afores'd river to the southward the line Is to joyne with New London bounds as it Is now laid out and soc to run east two miles from the aforesd river and soc from thence the line is to run nor noreast nine miles and from thence to run nor norWest nine miles to meet with the western Hne.-In consideration whereof the sd Onloos, Owaneco and Attawanhood doe acknowledge to have received of the parties aforesaid the full and juste sum of seventy pounds and doe promise and engage ourselves, heirs and successors, to warrant the sd bargain and sale to the aforesd parties their heirs and successors, and them to defend from al claimes and molestations from any whatsoever. In witness whereof we have hereunto set to our hands this 9th of June. Anno 1859.
 ! 1Unkos. Owaneco and Attawanhood signed this deed and John Mason and Thomas Tracy witnessed it.
 From Trading Cove to Plain Hill.
 The nine-miles square lay in the heart of the lands owned by the Mo- began Indians, at the head of the river now called Thames. It comprised what ts at present Norwich. Bozrah, Franklin. Lisbon, Sprague and the western border of Griswold and Pres ton and embraced Jewett's City. Long Society and a part of Poquetannuck. Its greatest extent was from the Trad ing Cove to Plain Hill. and its med ium breadth three miles. The first owners of the land of whom we have any knowledge were the PeQuot In dians; Uncas acquired it next. and then the English.
 The Great Chief Uneas.
 Uncas was tributary chief and a trouble and often expelled temporarily from his possessions. One of these seasons of. retirement he spent near Windsor. Here he met Capt Mason and, with seventy braves, joined him in an expedition against the Pe1uots. Uncas became friendly to the English, and particularly so to Mason, who could deal with him better than any, one else among the white men, It is doubtless due to Capt. Mason's per sonaI influence with Uncas that the land was obtained so easily for the English in Connecticut.
 A Celebrated Battle.
 The battle between the forces of Miantonomo, Narragansett, and Un- cas, which took place within the limits of Norwich. is the most famous purely Indian fight in the annals of New England history.
 Original Sites.
 Before the coming of the settlers Chelsea plain, which extended from Acre (the low land between the Yan- tic cemetery bluff and the river, where the railroad now runs) was the seat of an Indian Sachem and a village of wigwams. The Yantic cove below was their canoe place, and they ascended to the plain north by way of the ra- vine. Near the Yantic water falls was place of Indian graves, which Un- cas venerated as the burial place ot his ancestors. Wauwecus Hill, the rock -browed head of Norwich. which looks down the river and commands the entrance. on either side, was ar Indian watch post and place of refuge The settlers at onetime called 1t Fort Hill.
 House Plots Assigned.
 Although the settlement was not ac- tually made until the spring of 1860 the township was surveyed in Novem- Der 1859, the highway opend and the use-plots assigned to their pur- chasers. History states that Capt Mason and four men, probably sur veyors, spent the winter of 1659-60 or the ground. Possibly a few cabins were built. but the Norwich eolonists at that time probably numbered nc more than five. and those five the In dians tried to kill by shooting bullets into their house and firing 1t.
 A Town From the First. When the main body of the colon | fists arrived, however. they came to ( condition of, affairs that is almost un. | ique in the history of early Arneficax | settlements in this part of the eoun- | try, for this one did not begin in { random, fragmentary way and grad ually become a stable wholes but f came into being. a town laid out { l community with laws and a church al, ready established.
 Daughter of saybrook.
 Saybrook Is the mother town o ] Norwich. As to why the colonistl 1 there chose to leave a place in whicf l they had partly conquered the wilder l ness and undertake new hardships l why they were willing to leave th' l safety of greater numbers to move, { weaker company into the midst O | fresh dangers, our feFefathers hay, | left na written word: APparentl, 1 nearly all of the Saybrosk members O Mr. Fiteh,s church desired to mak' | the change. Plans for so doing wer' | probably made several years eariie' | than 1858. A large portion of tn,
 best settlers entered into the move ment and few names from other col AeH4es Here aaGsd ts theirs h Na1