Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-01


 Passengers oy. .ne trains or on river boats up and down the Thames oc-
 casionally note an odd monument up- | on the west bank, the significance of tory is narrated by MT. Gilman in | his book recording events and incl dents pertaining to happenings about 1 the time of the towns quarter mill
 tnnial celebration. ip 1909.
 He writes: The Connecticut Society of Colonial Danes of America, in November 1898, erected a cairn, a cone shaped pile of stones suggest l ing by its form an Indian wigwam, on 1 the west side of the Thames River, four miles below Norwich, to mark | the spot known as the. chair of Un- cas-. It was to this spot that the in 1 trepid Lieutenant Thomas Lefhng- we'll brought in a boat, by night, from Saybrook, supplies of beef, corn and peas for the relief of the Mohegans when they were besieged in their fort 1 Shantok, and were reduced almost to starvation by the hostile Narrangan- | setts.
 | Major Bella Peck Learned. in short 1 address, presented Arthur Leff1ngwell i Shipnan, descendant of Lieutenant 1 Thomas Leff1ngwell, as the orator of l the day.
 | When the flag, covering the cairn, ! was removed by Miss Mary Learned,
 
 sisted by Lloyd Gray, a lad of six, said to be the youngest descendant of | Uncas, the following inscription was discloseI: Here was the fort of Un, Friend Of the English. Here, in 1645, when besieged by the Narragansetts. he was relieved by the bravery If Lieutenant Thomas LenngweH." MT. Gilman then goes on to con slider the parks of Norwich. The proprietors of the common land in the township of Norwich ic 1729, did wisely agree, vote and grant by a large majority tha.' the meeting house plain shall be and remain to be. and lye common for public use for the whole town forever without altera- tion.'
 Similar action was taken at the Bean Hill; and from that day to this, no encroa chments of any kind have been tolerated at either place.
 Appreciating the value of such open space, three public spirited citizens, Thomas Tanning, Joseph Perkins and Joshua athrop, in 1797 gave to all the inhabitants of the town the land the use and purpose of a public par ade or open walk. to be unencumbered with any kind of building or nuis- ance whatever"
 To commemorate>A this gift. many years later, Gen. Alfred Perkins Rockwell and Dr. John A. Rockwell grandsons of Joseph Perkins, placed corner Of the parade, with a bronze plate bearing the following inscrip- tion:
 Chelsea Parade, given to the Town of Norwich for the use and purpose of a public parade or open walk by Thomas Tanning Joshua Lathrop, April 5, 1797. Nor wich Book of Deeds, No. 28-Pages scr, 36s and 369."
 This bronze tablet was taken away in 1904Iprobably by a passing stranger. Mir. Gilman says charitably, adding that no Norwich man would have been guilty of such vandalism the original inscription to be carved on the boulder, which. it may be hoped, will be "a monument more lasting than tronze.''
 Fourteen years later, in 1911, Heze- kiah Perkins and Jabez Huntington. following the example of the donors of Chelsea Parade. gave to the city, on condition that it should be used only as park, the smaller tract at the junction of Broadway and Union Street, which had been the property of Capt Christopher Leftingwel1 and is now known as the Little Plain.
 In June, 1s59.. at the suggestion of Levi Hart Goddard, a member of the Court of Common Council. the city purchased for s70O from Avery Smith and Horace Walker the triangular Franklin Street with the old Provi dence Road, and agreed with the grantors to lay out the same as pub lie park. to be held forever. such, v,Io to keep it ever after in repair. -
 This little park has now become a valuable resting place for the weary and playground fo. young children. prietors of Laurel Hill also reserved a shady green breathing place in that attractive part of the city.
 During 1906, Willis D. Perkins pre- scented the Norwich Rural Association an acre of land on the top of the Meeting House Rocks, thus securing time from danger of destruction. :.
 Later. the First Congregational Church, enabled by the Hberality of two members of the Rural Associa- l clustered at the foot of the rocksAa and l an old building owned by Miss Caro- i yn A. Sterry was was removed by her l generosity The precipitous front of | me TOCkS, thus opened 10 view rom ] oase to summit. became one of the 1 most interesting and conspicuous | andma rhs in the town.
 Tn 1907. Emily Serena Gilman and 1 Louisa Gilman Lane, "in consideration | ,f their love and good will to the in | labitants of Norwich. and in mem i ,ry of their sister, Maria Perit Gill nan and their Lathrop ancestry" con- reyed to trustees about twelve acres If land on Washington Street, oppo- 'ite the Colt Films, to be kept as a rec open space for the public good, o be unencumbered by dwelling il louses. barnss or any nuisance what .ver, "as pleasant place of recrea- ion for the people of Norwich for ,ver," and to be known as the Low horpe Meadows. All the Lathrops of Norwich are descendants O. the Rev. II ohm Lathorp, of Lowthopre, Eng il and; hence the significance of the II name, Lowthorpe Meadows. VI The value of all these different