History of New London, Connecticut, USA

New London owed much of its early prosperity to the success of its whaling fleet: it was once the third-largest whaling port in the world—ranking only behind the Massachusetts coastal towns of New Bedford and Nantucket. In 1850 alone, over one million dollars of whale oil and bone passed through New London. What has gone largely unrecognized, however, is that, beginning in the early 19th century, much of New London’s whaling activity actually consisted of capturing and processing seals. Whalers refined seal blubber into oil in much the same way they did with that of whales.

connecticuthistory.org/ the-rise-and-fall-of- sealing-in-early-new-london-industry/ #sthash.iPBTWrzP.dpuf

New London, a city, port of entry, and semicapital of New London county, Connecticut, is situated on the right bank of the Thames river, 3 miles from the ocean, and 60 miles E. from New Haven ; lat. 41° 22' N., Ion. 72° 9' W. It is built on a declivity facing the S. and E. The site being considerably encumbered with granite rocks, it was not laid out with any great regard to regularity, though within a few years much has been done in the way of grading and other improvements to overcome the original inequalities of the surface. The elevation back of the city affords an extensive and varied prospect. Among the public buildings may be mentioned the custom house, a fine granite edifice, the court house, and the churches, of which the Baptists have 3 ; the Congregationalists, 2 ; the Methodists, 2 ; the Episcopalians, 1 ; the Catholics, 1, and the Uuiversalists, 1 ; in all, 10. The educational institutions are the New London Normal Institute of Music, the New London Female Academy, the...

A GOVERNMENT LIGHTER BLOWN UP.

THREE MEN KILLED AND THE OFFICERS ALL INJURED.

New London, Conn., June 24, 1872.
A fearful catastrophe occurred here today, which shades every other calamity at this place since the burning of the steamer City of New London. Terrible as the latter disaster was in most respects, there was at least an opportunity afforded for escape to a number of persons on board the ill-fated vessel; but in the present instance the suddenness of the accident almost precluded the possibility of escape.

The Explosion.

At about a quarter past six A.M. the steam-lighter Wallace, Captain THOMAS A. SCOTT, of Jersey City, started with a load of stone from the government wharf, back of the Custom House, for Race Rock, where the foundation for the new lighthouse is now being laid. When about twenty rods from the dock she exploded her boilers with a tremendous concussion, scattering the fragments in all directions, and dealing death and fearful injuries upon the...

New London, a city, port of entry, and semi-capital of New London co, Conn., is situated on the right or W. bank of the Thames River, 3 miles from its entrance into the ocean, 50 miles E. of New Haven, and 62 miles S.W. of Providence. Lat. 41° 22' N.; Lon. 72° 9'W. The site of this city is a declivity, partly occupied by granite rocks, which prevented it from being built on a regular plan. The elevation on the northwestern border of the city commands an extensive and varied prospect. New London is the E. terminus of the New London division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, which connects here with the Stonington & Providence Railroad and the New London Northern Railroad. Steamboats ply daily between this port, New York (which is 126 miles distant), Block Island, Greenport, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, Watch Hill, Fisher's Island, and Norwich. A steam-ferry connects it with Groton (3 mile distant) on the E. bank of the river. New London contains a court-house, a...

Special to The New York Times.

New London, May 7. - At an early hour this morning the famous Pequot House, which crowned the headland at the western entrance to New London harbor, took fire and the blaze lasted for several hours, threatening the entire Pequot settlement of cottages and many splendid Summer homes on Pequot Avenue. The cause of the fire is not known.

Two of the Pequot cottages near by were entirely destroyed and one other, belonging to MRS. ANDREWS of New York, was wrecked.
That the burning of the old hotel will affect the Summer trade considerably is conceded by many of the leading merchants and citizens. Had the hotel burned a few weeks earlier the prospects of an up to date hostelry on its site this Summer would have been an assured fact.

As the matter now stands there is no regret that the ramshackle wooden building that had long outlived its usefulness as a modern Summer hotel, has been wiped out of existence, but the fire causes speculation as to what...

The Coast Guard Academy was a shipboard operation until 1890 when the first land-based campus was established in Curtis Bay, Maryland. In 1910, the Academy moved to the Revolutionary War fort and Army post at Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut.

www.cga.edu/ about2.aspx?id=41

The College was founded following a decision by Wesleyan University to stop admitting women. Elizabeth Wright, a Wesleyan alumna, rose to the challenge and convinced women from the Hartford College Club to explore the idea of founding a college. New London, eager to host the new institution, offered a beautiful hilltop site and launched a $100,000 fundraising drive. Within 10 days, the people and businesses of New London had exceeded the goal by $35,000.

The state of Connecticut granted the school a charter in April 1911 under the name of Thames College. The chair of the new Board of Trustees, real estate magnate Morton Plant, provided a $1 million endowment and changed the name to Connecticut College for Women.

www.conncoll.edu/ at-a-glance/ history-traditions/ centennial/ college-history/

New London, Conn., Was the Center of Liquor Fight Back in 1842.

New London, Conn., April 10. - King Alcohol was vigorously assaulted eighty years ago in this sea port even with more vigor than since the coming in of the Volsteadian Era. His enemies in 1842 fought under the banner of the Washington Total Abstinence Society which kept aloft for many years. But the time came when the banner was trailed in the dust and indifference killed off the attacks.

In those days there were many so-called temperance societies ranging from the Washingtonians who practiced total abstinence to the Rechabites who were compromising in nature, popular with the middle-of-the-road folks who permitted the use, judiciously, of a little beer, cider, wine and other light drinks. Rum, gin and whisky were barred while brandy was only for the use at the sick bed.

In 1843 with a population of 6,000 the Washingtonians had a membership of 2,000. By a crusade the members of open drinking places was reduced...

New London, Jan. 12 - Fire tonight swept through the Old Yale Brewery now used as a storage building destroying the entire structure and its contents and causing a loss estimated at $100,000. Late tonight the building was a bright red shell with its roof gone and a few scattered flames still rising in the ruins.

The fire which is believed to have started in an elevator shaft gutted the building quickly and destroyed tons of hay and feed stored on upper floors. Only the brick walls four stories high and a brick tower remain. The entire fire department of New London fought the flames for several hours and devoted its chief efforts to protecting neighboring buildings.

The building was erected by the Yale Brewing company about 20 years ago but was abandoned 10 years later and turned over to other uses. It was being used by the P Schwartz company as a storage for hay and grain and by the Tait company ice cream manufacturers. The building had been shut for the night when the fire was ...

CAT 3 - September 21, 1938
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 was one of the most destructive and powerful storms ever to strike Southern New England. This system developed in the far eastern Atlantic, near the Cape Verde Islands on September 4. It made a twelve day journey across the Atlantic and up the Eastern Seaboard before crashing ashore on September 21 at Suffolk County, Long Island, then into Milford, Connecticut. The eye of the hurricane was observed in New Haven, Connecticut, 10 miles east of Milford. The center made landfall at the time of astronomical high tide, moving north at 60 mph. Unlike most storms, this hurricane did not weaken on its way toward Southern New England, due to its rapid forward speed and its track. This kept the center of the storm over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

...Extensive damage occurred to roofs, trees and crops. Widespread power outages occurred, which in some areas lasted several weeks. In Connecticut, downed power lines...

...Emergency Delcared.
A state emergency was declared at New London, Conn., where power lines were blown down and residents were warned to remain indoors. At 9 a.m. the Coast Guard at New London reported it was no longer able to operate its boats on the tossing sound. Submarines at the U. S. submarine base were submerged to avoid the heavy waves...

The Times Record Troy New York 1954-08-31

Carol formed near the central Bahama Islands on August 25, and moved slowly northward and north-northwestward. By August 30 it was a hurricane about 100-150 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina. It then accelerated north-northeastward, make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane over Long Island, New York and Connecticut on the 31st. The cyclone became extratropical later that day as it crossed the remainder of New England and southeastern Canada.

Sustained winds of 80 to 100 mph were reported over much of eastern Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. A peak gust of...

Connecticut College Arboretum: Start your visit with a leisurely stroll through the beautiful Connecticut College Arboretum. It's a peaceful oasis with walking trails, gardens, and a wide variety of plant species.

Fort Trumbull State Park: Explore the history of the area by visiting Fort Trumbull State Park. This well-preserved fort offers guided tours that provide insight into its role in American history.

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park: Another historical site to check out is Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. This fort played a key role during the American Revolution and offers excellent views of the Thames River.

New London Ledge Light: Take a boat tour to the New London Ledge Light. This iconic lighthouse is known for its unique design and history, and it's a picturesque spot for photos.

Custom House Maritime Museum: Learn about New London's maritime history at the Custom House Maritime Museum. It houses a fascinating collection of artifacts, paintings, and...