Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-02

tory. Since the recent consolidation Of 1
 the Second and Broadway Congregations |
 al churches as the United Congregational
 church, the old stone church edifice is fulfilling a new sphere of usefulness as the Community House, under the owner ship of the United church.
 Great Wharf Bridge. | Only the rudiments of the present de- velopment of Central wharf are to be
 seen in the picture in the small building l on the water front close to the bridge
 over the Yantic river. When erected in 1771 this bridge was known as the great
 wharf bridge at Chelsea in Norwich and was looked upon as a great engineering 1 enterprise as it required longer span
 than any. bridge that had been built up to then in the eastern part of Connecticut. The formation of the east bank al the point where it was proposed to build this first bridge to the west side of the Yam 1 tic river furnished an argument upon which opponents of the bridge put so 1 much stress that the town refused to
 contribute to the expense of building. al-
 though granting permission to citizens
 who proposed to do the work. Beetling
 cliffs protected almost to the water s
 edge on the east side of the Yantic and the opposite shore was also uninviting but Daniel Lathro9. William Hubbard
 and Jedediah Huntington went ahead
 with the undertaking. small sum for
 partial indemnifcation was raised hv 7 lottery Although looked unon as much of an experiment when it was built. this
 first bridge to the west side was found to be so much of a public convenience that two wears later 1t was decided to inn prove and enlarge it and make it pass 2 lahle for loaded teams. The legislature , af 1F72 fa1
 lottery to raise 27s pounds, or ss26." fol . finishing and completing the great whart :. bridge at Chelsea in Norwich.
 Since that time replacenents because r Of hoo6s, repairs and improvements have $ brought the bridge down to it's presen 2 condition as the West Main street bridg' over the east branch of the Yantic river The Laurel Hili bridge site. whicl . would aroear in a present day picture O
 the harbor. was not built upon unti
 1853.
 :. Tracy's Pier.
 l. Tracy's pier, indicated by the row 0 2 spiles on the right hand, or Laurel Hill : side of the picture. is another interesting f historical link with the olden days. Pre-
 viously to 1918 there were flats know s as the middle ground, in the river, GOV Il cred with water about three feet deer n with a channel on each side, the easterl l., channel being narrow but deeper an T used by the larger vessels up to 1918. | n that year Nathaniel Tracy, Norwic : fisherman. sank an old scow on the fiat 2 where the water was about three fee l. deep at ordinary low tide, filling in wit $ stones in and around the scow to forn
 a pier which was above water at lov l. tide. He used it for fishing and drawin j. seines. exercising a sort of squatter SOY Ic ereignty over it and 1t was included i 1T the inventory of his estate at his deat ,e in 1884. By that time the acc1fmulatio l. of sand around the sunken boat ha ,e formed an island of about half an acr |. which was known as Tracy's island. ,f In 1885 the United States governmer te build solid stone pier below and acros Id the flats. following this the next yea Id with pier above the flats, which com
 pletely shut. of the east channel an ,r pushed all navigation over into the wes Il channel of the river. From this time 0 10 the sand accumulated more rapidl ,e about the old sunken scow and in 1S4 ,e land began to appear above ordinar D. high water.
 .r Nathaniel Tracy's claim on his pie