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History of Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Journey back in time to Norwich, Connecticut, USA
(Norwichtown) (Yantic) (Greeneville) (Occum) (Taftville)
Visit Norwich, Connecticut, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and genealogy.
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Norwich, New London, Connecticut, USA
In 1670, the first survey was conducted for the first turnpike to be built in America, between Norwich and New London.
Benedict Arnold, one of the most prominent figures in Revolutionary War history, was born in Norwich. courant.com
There is MUCH more to discover about Norwich, Connecticut, USA. Read on!
Old Photos, Pictures, Advertisements and Postcards from Norwich, Connecticut, USA

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Photo taken by us

Monument - Founder's Cemetery, Post Gager Burial Ground, Norwich, New London, Connecticut -- The thirty-five original proprietors of Norwich, Connecticut were:
Thomas Adgate, Richard Edgerton, Maj. John Mason, Robert Allyn, John Elderkin, Dr.... Read MORE...
Read more about Thomas TRACY

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Free Academy Buildings
The Norwich Free Academy (NFA), founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a coeducational independent school for students between the 9th and 12th grade. Located in Norwich, Connecticut, the Academy serves as the... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

The Mill, Yantic, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
The Yantic River provided an attractive opportunity for water-powered mills and served as the site of mill village established by Captain Erastus Williams. The history of the village began when... Read MORE...
Read more about Erastus Winslow WILLIAMS

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Taftville Mill, Taftville, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
Ponemah Mills in Norwich once boasted the largest textile mill in the world under one roof. The mill buildings were constructed near a dam along the west bank of the Shetucket River. The... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Hopkin's & Allen's Factory
museumofcthistory.org
Hopkins & Allen Arms Company was an American firearms manufacturing company based in Norwich, Connecticut, that was founded in 1868 by Charles W. Allen, Charles A. Converse, Horace Briggs, Samuel... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Ponemah Mills
museumofcthistory.org
Ponemah Mills, in operation by 1871 was one of of the largest textile mills in the United States for many years. The large original buildings were started in April 1866 and began operation November 16, 1871.... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Court House
In 1869, the Connecticut General Assembly passed an act giving the town of Norwich and the county of New London power to combine to erect a building for town, city and county purposes. This building would include a courthouse and... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Artwork

New London and Norwich
Picturesque America... Oliver Bell Bunce, William Cullen Bryant
New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1872-1874.

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

St. Patrick's Church, 1906
...The cornerstone of the church was laid on July 13, 1873; parishioners paid ten cents a week to finance the construction. St. Patrick's parish was incorporated in 1878. The formal opening and dedication for the new... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Slater Memorial Hall, 1906
The J. F. Slater Memorial Museum, also known as Slater Memorial Museum, is an historic building and art museum on the grounds of the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut, built in 1885 and dedicated in... Read MORE...
Read more about William Albert SLATER


Norwich, Connecticut, USA

Thanksgiving Barrel Burning, Norwich, Conn.
Painesville Telegraph
Painesville, Lake County, Ohio
Nov 29, 1888

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Norwich Savings Society's Building
The Norwich Savings Society, the second oldest savings bank in Connecticut, was founded in 1824. The Norwich Savings Society building, at 162-4 Main Street, in downtown Norwich, was built between 1893 and 1895,... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Advertisement

Ossawn Mills Co., Norwich, Conn., 1898
Manufacturers of Bicycle Lacing Cord and Dress Guard Nets, Crown Hangers, Franklin Hooks, Brass and Steel Picture Hooks, Picture Wire, Shade Cords, Solid Braided Cords, Clothes-lines, Chalk-lines, Picture and... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Mill and Cottages, Yantic, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
Captain Erastus Williams renamed West Farm and called in Yantic. This name was derived from the Mohegan Indian origin, “Yantick,” meaning Little River. Williams built the Yantic Mill, the... Read MORE...
Read more about Erastus Winslow WILLIAMS

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Broadway from Shannon Building
In 1909, a massive fire destroyed the original Shannon Building in downtown Norwich. It was a large commercial and apartment building, built in 1892 by a local Irish businessman and real estate developer named James ... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Hubbard Paper Mill
museumofcthistory.org
James Lanman Hubbard (1832-1890), a wealthy paper manufacturer and director of the Thames National Bank. His sister Marianna was married to the manufacturer John Fox Slater... historicbuildingsct.com
Read more about James Lanman HUBBARD

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Mill, Occum, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
Another mill village, Occum, developed along the Shetucket River and took its name from Samson Occom. A member of the Mohegan Tribe, Occom – whose name was often misspelled as Occum and Alcom – became a... Read MORE...
Read more about Samson OCCOM


Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Bird's Eye View by Night, Greenville, Norwich, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
William P. Greene incorporated his Water Power Company in 1828 in order to bring waters from the Shetucket River into manufacturing use. norwichbulletin.com

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Davis Theatre, 1920s
Located on Broadway at the corner of Willow Street. The Davis Theatre was opened by 1906. By 1926 it had been re-named Broadway Theatre. By 1941 it was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. It was closed around... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Mill and Village, Occum, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
Read more about Samson OCCOM


Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

U.S. Finishing Company, "GREENVILLE," Norwich, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
Greeneville was an industrial village built in the vicinity of the Quinebaug Company's textile mill around the time of the Civil War (~1840 and onward). This mill was... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

American THERMOS Bottle Company
museumofcthistory.org
The plant was the primary factory where Thermos brand vacuum flask bottles were manufactured from 1913 to 1984. The plant is historically significant to its connection to the Thermos Company... Read MORE...

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Postcard

Shetucket Co. Cotton Mill, "Greenville," Norwich, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Photo taken by us

Plaque in memory of Benedict Arnold family - Old Burying Grounds, Norwich, New London, Connecticut.
Read more about Benedict ARNOLD

Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Photo taken by us

Home of Samuel Huntington, Washington Street, Norwich, New London, Connecticut
Read more about Simon HUNTINGTON
History, News and Stories of Norwich, Connecticut, USA

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Norwich justice
The penalties at this time (first half of 18th century) were :
For drunkenness, a fine, (5s. to 10s.,) or to sit in the stocks a couple of hours. ... Read MORE...
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1720 Flood
Sept. 4, 1720. " The flood raised Norwich river to a prodigious height; stacks of hay floated down ; it carried away the bridge by the meeting house... Read MORE...
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1722 - Clever Indian in Norwich
An Indian being found drunk, was brought before Mr. Justice Bushnell, and sentenced according to the statute, namely, to pay a fine of ten shillings, ... Read MORE...
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In the freshet of February, 1727, four of the town bridges were swept away, and among them was this which crossed the Shetucket.
History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866 Author Frances Manwaring Caulkins Publisher By H.P. Haven, 1874
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1729 Norwich town common established
In 1729, the proprietors agree, vote, and grant, "that the Plain in the Town Platt, called the meeting house, plain, with all the contents and extent ... Read MORE...
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1729 Flood (Norwich)
The Boston News-Letter notices an extraordinary flood of the Shetucket at Norwich, 28th of February, 1729. The warehouses at the Landing were much... Read MORE...
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1730 - Norwich Rattlesnakes
1730. Voted, that whosoever shall kill a rattlesnake within this township at any time within one year ensuing, except in the three summer months, and ... Read MORE...
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1737 Flood (Norwich)
A thaw and freshet of unusual power and rapidity of action occurred Jan. 16, 1737. The Shetucket above its outlet being impeded by a solid bed of... Read MORE...
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In 1751 (Norwich) the selectmen were empowered to prosecute with vigor all who should sell or convey land to strangers, and all sales of this kind were declared null and void.
Orders were given likewise that no strangers should remain in the town without the public consent, and this consent seems to have been very... Read MORE...
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1764 - Leffingwell's Bridge completed (Norwich)
June 20, 1764. " Leffingwell's Bridge over Shetacket river at Norwich Landing it completed. It is 124 feet in length, and 28 feet above the water.... Read MORE...
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1767 - 240 Acadians leave Norwich for Quebec
Norwich, as well as other towns in Connecticut, was taxed with the support of a certain number of the French Neutrals, a harmless and much-abused... Read MORE...
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In 1773, the first Newspaper was established in Norwich.
The proprietors and printers were Alexander Robertson, James Robertson, and John Trumbull, under the firm of Robertsons & Trumbull. It had a... Read MORE...
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1784 - Norwich Incorporated as a City
This was part of the area known as Mohegin. Several men from Saybrook began a settlement in 1659 and obtained a deed from Uncas, Sachem of the... Read MORE...
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1784 Flood (Norwich)
Jan. 8, 1784, was distinguished by a yet greater and more sweeping freshet, which affected both the Yantic and the Shetucket. Several mills and... Read MORE...
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1789 Flood (Norwich)
The year 1789 was marked by a June freshet. For two days, the 10th and 11th of the month, the rains were continuous and flood-like, causing a rapid... Read MORE...
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1792 - First turnpike road company, New London to Norwich, incorporated.
After the American Revolution, Connecticut granted franchises for the building of ‘toll’ roads or turnpikes, and in 1792 the first turnpike in... Read MORE...
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1795 - First insurance company incorporated as the Mutual Assurance Company of the City of Norwich.
...This great fire of 1793 quickened public opinion in regard to the benefits to be derived from insurance. Within twenty days after the catastrophe, ... Read MORE...
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1796 - The Norwich Courier was founded by Thomas Hubbard, November 30, 1796
The original Norwich Courier was 18 x 11 inches in size, with four pages. February 12, 1817, Theophilus R. Martin joined with Mr. Hubbard in printing ... Read MORE...
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1797 Flood (Norwich)
Jan. 29, 1797, was marked by a peculiar freshet resulting from a January thaw. The smaller rivers were broken up, and heavy blocks of ice sweeping... Read MORE...
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The annual Thanksgiving was a day of great hilarity, although its time- honored essential characteristic was a sermon. A peculiar adjunct of this festival in Norwich was a barrel bonfire.
A lofty pole was erected, around which a pyramid of old barrels was arranged, — large at the platform, but a single barrel well tarred forming the... Read MORE...
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1807 Flood and Fire (Norwich)
After the present century came in, the first great flood was in 1807. The rivers began to break up on Saturday night, Feb. 7th. The cracking of the... Read MORE...
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1819 - Norwich
Norwich, a wealthy commercial post town, and the semi-seat of justice of the county, is situated at the head of navigation, on the Thames or Pequot... Read MORE...
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1823 Flood (Norwich)
A remarkable freshet occurred on the 6th of March, 1823, which was caused by a rain of twenty four hours continuance falling upon a deep snow. Six... Read MORE...
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1835 Flood (Norwich)
March 11, 1835, ushered in a freshet similar to that of 1823. the water rising twelve or fifteen feet. The walls, sheds, and small buildings along... Read MORE...
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1854 - Norwich
Norwich, a city and semi-capital of New London county, Connecticut, at the head of navigation on the Thames river, where it receives the Yantic, 13... Read MORE...
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1854 Floods (Norwich)
Feb. 8, 1854, most of the wharves were submerged by the breaking up of the ice, and the basements of buildings near the river filled with water.... Read MORE...
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1857 Flood
The 9th and 10th of February, 1857, were marked by a freshet which might be called the Half-century Flood, as occurring so near the anniversary of... Read MORE...
1861 - Norwich, Conn., April 14. - The excitement produced by the war news was never equalled here. All our people are read to uphold the Government, and hundreds are ready to enlist.
genealogybank.com
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 15, 1861
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1865 Norwich - " A copperhead snake three feet long was killed by two young men in the woods near this city, May 21, 1865."
History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866 Author Frances Manwaring Caulkins Publisher By H.P. Haven, 1874
1883 - A FAMOUS HOSTELRY BURNED. - THE BRASE BULL INN IN CONNECTICUT DESTROYED BY FIRE.
NORWICH, Conn., Dec. 23 - The oldest house in Windham County, a large wood colored edifice of the "lean to" period, which greatly antedated the... Read MORE...
1887 - NORWICH, Conn., March 16. - St. Patrick's Catholic Church was damaged to the extent of $10,000 by fire to-day.
The building cost $250,000, and is insured for $52,000. The fire was caused by a careless altar boy dropping a coal from the censer. Dallas Morning News
Dallas, Texas
March 17, 1887
1888 - NO END OF FUN. How the Norwich, Conn., Boys Celebrate Thanksgiving.
They Go About the Town Gathering Barrels, and Then After the Turkey is Eaten What a Thanksgiving Bonfire They Have.
ROAST turkey and... Read MORE...
1889 - A SACRIFICE TO MAMMON. Coroner Park's Idea of New Freight Cars Should be Constricted.
NORWICH, Conn., July 2. - Coroner Park has filed another unique verdict in the case of John Pender of New London, a brakeman, who met his death by... Read MORE...
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1895 - Norwich
Nor'wich, a city of Connecticut, and semi-capital of New London co., is finely situated on the Thames River, here formed by the confluence of the... Read MORE...
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1906
Norwich, a city, semi-capital of New London co., Conn., finely situated on the Thames River, here formed by the confluence of the Shetucket and the... Read MORE...
1913 - BOAT TRAIN WRECKED.
One Woman Badly Injured in Accident Near Norwich.
Special to The New York Times.
NEW LONDON, Conn., Sept. 13. - Central Vermont train running... Read MORE...
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1967 - March 5 - WEDN TV channel 53 in Norwich, CT (PBS) begins broadcasting
historyorb.com
Norwich, Connecticut, USA Genealogy
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Norwich, Connecticut, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were born or died in Norwich.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
Ancestors Who Were Married in Norwich, Connecticut, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were married in Norwich.View Them Now
Ancestors buried in Norwich - Cemeteries in Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Mason Cemetery (Founder's Cemetery) (Post Gager Burial Ground)Old Norwichtown Cemetery (Old Burying Ground) (Colonial Cemetery)
Genealogy Resources for Norwich
History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866 Author Frances Manwaring Caulkins Publisher By H.P. Haven, 1874Probate Records of Norwich, Connecticut, Vols. 1-3
The Bottum (Longbottom) Family Album. An Historical and Biographical Genealogy of the Descendants of Daniel (-1732) and Elizabeth (Lamb) Longbottom of Norwich, Connecticut. Rebekah D. Oliver. (1970)
Perkins, Mary E. "Old houses of the antient [sic] town of Norwich, 1660-1800 : with maps, illustrations, portraits, and genealogies"
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