The Beginnings of a new Township - Chatham

In the Beginning

The lands of Mattabeseck – the Native American name by which Middletown was first called, were owned and occupied by Sowheag and the Wonggom Tribe. and so began the story of Chatham creation. A scant 15 years after the first settlement in Windsor formed, Middletown was invested with town privileges in September 1651, by the General Court of the Colony with 31 taxable persons in the settlement north and south of the little river – the Coginchaug or Mattabasset. This land had been sold by Sowheag to John Haynes, a Governor of Connecticut. In 1662, Sepunnamoe, Terramuggus and other heirs of Sowheag, knowing of the of the Hayes grant, sold to agents of the Colony Samuel Wyllys and others, all of the remaining land in the Middletown township west of the Connecticut River. Included in the bargain was a tract “three miles in breath” across the river except for 300 acres, which was reserved forever for the heirs of Sowheag and the Mattabeseck Indians.

With the Wyllys grant in 1673, Middletown was extended to the east side of the river over a tract nine miles long on its eastern border and between three and four miles wide at north and south ends; but owning to the winding of the river, it was much less at what became known as Knowles Landing at Middle Haddam and almost twice as wide against the town of Middletown.

By an additional purchase in 1683, the township of Middletown was extended still farther east over a tract three miles in breadth with an even length of nearly nine miles. These two tracts east of the great river were known as East Middletown until 1721, when the last tract purchased from the Indians was called the Three Mile Division and so written in the land records.

East Middletown and the Divisions

From Middletown evolved Chatham. Land on the western side of the great river was divided among the first settlers to Middletown as they arrived and took up residence. Records do not exist for this early period, thus the exact nature of settlement in Middletown is not known, but likely was concentrated around a small green, in the conventional New England manner, at the northern end of Main Street, where each town member owned a home lot nearby and some outlying land for cultivation. Middletown's original settlers did not arrive as an organized group. They were from a variety of different places. For this reason, Middletown's establishment was less organized with a proprietor group as elsewhere in founding communities such as Windsor, Wethersfield or Hartford. The fact that this first generation neglected to officially establish who the town proprietors were became an important issue in determining the later disposition of Middletown land of the east side of the river. In 1671, when Middletown decided to allot the undivided land, the proprietor issue had to be resolved providing for the proprietors or their descendants first claim on the land.

It was decided that each of the 52 Middletown householders would be entitled to a share in the undivided land based on their wealth as determined by the tax grand list. The land would be allotted on two occasions: the first according to the tax list of 1670; and the second, by the tax list of 1674. The western portion of East Hampton, including Middle Haddam, was distributed in 1674 as part of an allotment called "The Great Lots," running from Glastonbury to Haddam. Forty of the 52 lots were on the east side of the river, divided somewhat evenly between present day Portland and western East Hampton.


 

The Three Mile Division

In 1673, Middletown was granted an additional tract on the river's east side, following the same southerly and northerly bounds following the original 9 by 3 mile allotment. This grant would not be apportioned for decades, perhaps in an effort to avoid further entanglements with proprietors' rights. Complicating matters, a 350 acre grant within the bounds of the "Three Mile Division" had been previously granted in 1661 by the General Assembly to Thomas Judd and to Anthony Howkins, a member of the original eighteen members of the "Company of English Colony of Connecticut" without specifying the bounds. The 1673 grant referenced this prior claim, "providing that Mr. Howkins hath liberty to take up his former grant within this aforementioned town." Howkins however, died in February 1673 with his estate selling his allotment to Thomas Hart for ten pounds with it thereafter referenced as "Hart's Farm." In 1687 the General Assembly granted James Wright of Wethersfield 210 acres on the western shore of Lake Pocotopaug requiring Surveyors to work around these two properties when boundaries within the Three Mile Division were finally determined in 1721.

The proprietor issue once again became a source of contention. The problem: the land had not been granted until after the original Middletown proprietors had been finally determined in 1671. Ostensibly, a share in this land reserve would have been an inducement for settlement for those who arrived between 1671 and 1714. These later settlers therefore had a viable claim on this land. After extensive debate, it was decided that the land would be apportioned among all 176 Middletown householders on the 1714 grand list, with those men descended from the original 52 Middletown proprietors entitled to draw an additional allotment according to the assessed value of the property owned by their ancestor in 1670.

Final Apportionment of Three Mile Division

Continuing, all the land north of Lot 227 had been set aside as common land, whose fate explains the slight irregularity in the present East Hampton-Portland boundary. The notch taken out of East Hampton's northwest corner was part of the common land.

The records seem to indicate that each taxpayer’s name was written on a slip of paper and draw, one by one, from a hat perhaps, by some disinterested person and that the surveyors laid out the lots or assigned the names accordingly, or, the slips of paper were numbered and each man drew one for his situation. It doesn’t go beyond notice that today’s lotto or lottery derives from the colonial practice of drawing for “lots.”

In 1734, the Three Mile Division 1,200 acres of the common land was granted to William Whitmore as payment and settlement for building a stone "cart bridge" over the Sebethe River in present day Cromwell. The issue became quite contentious when Whitmore demanded that those crossing the bridge pay him a toll. At length a compromise was reached and Whitmore was paid 300 pounds in land as compensation not to collect a toll.

By 1721, all the land in East Hampton had been allotted, but settlement did not begin immediately. Since heirs to the first proprietors subdivided the original estates under the system of partible inheritance, the system of dividing estates equally among the heirs, this land reserve had been a precaution against an anticipated land shortage. In fact, by 1740 when land actually began to be developed, about half the settlers were from outside of Middletown. Most of the settlers who were from Middletown acquired the land they settled on the east side of the great river by purchase rather than inheritance suggesting that they had arrived after the 1714 allotment.

The Lottery - Choosing the Owners

In apportioning the land, the records indicate that each taxpayer’s name was written on a slip of paper and drawn, one by one, from a hat perhaps, by some disinterested person and that the surveyors laid out the lots or assigned the names accordingly, or, the slips of paper were numbered and each man drew one for his situation. It doesn’t go beyond notice that today’s lotto or lottery derives from the colonial practice of drawing for “lots” or land taxpayers were entitled to as proprietors.

In 1734, the Three Mile Division 1,200 acres of the common land was granted to William Whitmore as payment and settlement for building a stone "cart bridge" over the Sebethe River in present day Cromwell. The issue became quite contentious, however, as Whitmore demanded that those crossing the bridge pay him a toll. A compromise was reached. Whitmore was paid 300 pounds in land as compensation not to collect a toll.

By 1721, all the land in East Middletown in the Three Mile Division had been allotted. Settlement did not begin immediately. Since heirs to the first proprietors subdivided the original estates under the system of partible inheritance, which was the system of dividing estates equally among the heirs, this land reserve had been a precaution against an anticipated land shortage. In fact, it wasn't until about 1740 when land actually began to be developed, with about about half the settlers from outside of Middletown. This explains how East Hampton and Chatham's names were derived as many of the first settlers came from like named towns on Cape Cod. Most of the settlers who were from Middletown acquired the land they settled on the east side of the great river by purchase rather than inheritance suggesting that they had arrived after the 1714 allotment.

Establishing Parishes - the Foundation for new Townships

The early settlements, East Middletown, Middle Haddam, Westchester and East Hampton, outlier communities of Middletown, sought parish rights once sufficient numbers arrived. Ecclesiastical societies were established so that settlements could attend Sunday worship more conveniently. Once a community felt it had enough people, it would petition the General Assembly for a separate parish, invariably citing the hardship of distant Sunday travels as grounds justifying its establishment. Acknowledgment as a separate parish had benefits, exempting members from paying taxes to the central church and occasionally conferred other privileges such as municipal improvement of roads that gave rise to their new meeting house.

Until 1714, any resident on the east side of the river had to attend church in Middletown proper. In that year the Third Ecclesiastical Society of Middletown was granted, whose petitioners all lived within the present bounds of Portland.

The first to break off from the Third Society was the southeastern corner of the Three Mile Division, incorporated as the Westchester parish in 1728, which included all of the easternmost tier of lots south or east of the Salmon River to the East Haddam bound.

In 1739, a second parish was established, including the present Middle Haddam and all of Haddam Neck, roughly followed the course of Old Middletown Road through Cobalt, extending from the Connecticut River and Salmon River to the end of the "Great Lots" on Young Street.

East Hampton, the final parish established, formed in 1746. It included nearly all the remaining land within the Three Mile Division bordering east of the hills now dividing Portland and East Hampton. This ecclesiastical bound became the municipal boundary when Portland separated from Chatham in 1841.

Seeking a New Township

Early in the 18^th Century, residents on the east side of the Connecticut River began lobbying for a separate town. In 1736, the residents voted to petition the town of Middletown “that we the inhabitants of the east side of the great river in Middletown might have the liberty to be a town with all the privileges of a town by ourselves.” This initial attempt was unsuccessful; but interest for a separate township grew as more settlers located throughout all the parishes. In 1767, upon petition, the Selectmen of Middletown voted favorably for the creation of a new township on the east side of the Connecticut River. Jabez Hamlin, Seth Wetmore and Mathew Talcob, Esq's. were selected as a Committee to confer with such Gentlemen as the new town appoint and to agree on such measures reasonable in order to make a just division of the part of Each Town. Middletown's Representative Jabez Hamlin, submitted the petition for a new township which was passed by the General Assembly in the October Session of 1767. The Resolution sited, among other things that the inhabitants on the east side of the river are very remote from Middletown where public meetings are held and that the condition of roads and difficulty crossing the river by ferry in many seasons entirely deprive residents from attending the public meetings. Because of these great inconveniences, the residents no longer wish to be a part of Middletown. The General Court Assembled approved the creation of a new distinct town from the area of Middletown on the East Side of Connecticut River, with all the liberties privileges and Immunities which by law the other Towns have and do Enjoy and that said new Constituted Town shall hereafter be Called and know by the name of Chatham.

 

Making it official - organizing the new town called Chatham

One action remained to make the creation of Chatham official after the General Assembly Act in October 1767. The inhabitants needed to hold their first Town Meeting to elect Town Officers. Held on December 7, 1767, (what I believe would be the Town's actual "birthday"), at the Meeting House - the Congregational Church, Capt. Jeremiah Goodrich, Deacon Benjamin Harris, Silas Dunham, Ebenezer White and Elihew Cheeny were elected Selectman and David Sage Representative to the General Assembly. That first long meeting recessed until December 21 to complete all the work establishing the community – everything from appointing a Constable to Fence Viewer.

Also elected was a Committee to Settle with Middletown. Just because Middletown approved the creation of the new town didn't mean they were going to receive fair compensation for the loss of territory and resources. That Committee was comprised of David Sage, Esq., Nathaniel Freeman, Esq., Mr. Elisha Cornwell, Mr. David Robinson and Mr. Enoch Smith.

One question often arises. Why was the new town named Chatham? One source thought it was done to honor the Earl of Chatham, a staunch supporter of American Colony rights in Parliament. It probably did not come from the English town of Chatham, famous for shipbuilding, as has been speculated for many years because our own shipbuilding industry in Middle Haddam had barely commenced in 1767. Most of the great ship yards came 30 years after incorporation. It is possible that both names, East Hampton and Chatham, were selected because many of the early settlers who purchased lots or land from the initial proprietors relocated from Massachusetts Eastham and Chatham on the Cape. For many of the pre-1767 years the East Hampton section was called Eastham Town when it was separated and received the current spelling.

THE NEW TOWN - CHATHAM

In 1767, upon petition, the Selectmen of Middletown voted favorably for the creation of a new township on the east side of the Connecticut River. Their minutes recorded action as follows:

Committee to Settle with Chatham

Voted & Recorded

AD 1767

Voted that Jabez Hamlin, Seth Wetmore and Mathew Talcob Esqs be a Committee to Confer with such Gentlemen as the Town of Chatham have or shall appoint and agree on such measures and means as are or reasonable in order to make a just division of the part of Each Town and any other affairs that be judged necessary and make report to them at meeting.

Voted and So Recorded

The Representative from Middletown, Jabez Hamlin, submitted to the General Assembly, the petition for a new township which was passed by the General Assembly in the October Session of 1767, which granted:

An Act for making and forming that part of Middletown which lyeth on the East Side of Connecticut River into a Distinct Town - Oct 1767

Whereas the Assembly are Informed that the Inhabitants of that part of Middletown which lyeth on the East Side of Connecticut River are many of them very remote from the main body of the Town of Middletown and place of holding their public Meetings; and that they are by their situation the badness of the roads and difficulty of crossing the ferry over said river at many seasons of the year almost entirely deprived from attending the public Meetings in said Town; and suffer great Inconveniences thereby, and that for them any longer to continue as a part of said Town of Middletown is very Inconvenient ----

Therefore

Be it Enacted by the Governor’s Council and the representatives in General Court Assembled and by the authority of the same, that that part of Middletown which lyeth on the East Side of Connecticut River be, and they are hereby Enacted made and constituted within the limits and bounds thereof a distinct Town, with all the liberties privileges and Immunities which by law the other Towns have and do Enjoy: and that said new Constituted Town shall hereafter be Called and know by the name of Chatham with the limitation and restriction that but One Representative which said new constituted Town shall at any time choose to attend the General Assemblies Shall be at the Public Expense.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid that said Town of Chatham shall have and hold their first Town Meeting for the Choice of Town Officers for the year ensuing sometime in the month of December Next, which Meeting shall be warned by a Warrant Signed by an Justice of Peace in the County of Hartford to be directed to some indifferent person to Serve on which Warrant shall appoint the time and the place at which said Meeting is to be held and shall be Served at least five days appointed for holding said meeting.

Passed in the lower House

Atest:  Wm Williams Clerk

Consent in the upper House

Atest:  George Wyllys Clerk

`

One action needed yet to occur to make the creation of Chatham official. The inhabitants of Chatham needed to hold their first Town Meeting in December 1767 to elect Town Officers and their Representative to the General Assembly. Held on December 7, 1767, at the Meeting House, Capt. Jeremiah Goodrich, Deacon Benjamin Harris, Silas Dunham, Ebenezer White and Elihew Cheeny were elected Selectman and David Sage Representative, during a long meeting that recessed until December to complete all the work establishing the community – everything from Constable to Fence Viewer.

At this Town organizational meeting, a Committee to Settle with Middletown was elected.

“Chosen by this meeting a Committee in order to adjust and settle sum accounts with the Selectmen or a committee for the same purpose at Middletown, the persons for the Committee are David Sage, Esq., Nathaniel Freeman, Esq., Mr. Elisha Corwell, Mr. David Robinson and Mr. Enoch Smith.”

Middle Haddam Post Office Robbery

One would usually think very little excitement occurs in the bucolic village of Middle Haddam. Occasional outbursts over the boundaries of the Historic District, traffic when a refueling was being performed at Yankee Atomic, or church bells marking Sunday service or a holiday being the norm. But in August 23, 1923, a State Police officer was shot during an attempted burglary at the general store and post office. The Post Office is still in the same location, but a local realtor has the space once occupied by the general store.

The perpetrators of the break-in, John Bay, 24 years old from Pittsfield, MA and Steven Bubrowski, alias, Larry Richards, 17 years old from Northampton, MA were apprehended on the Air Line railroad tracks in Portland after fleeing the scene. The two were being held in Middletown but because the attempted robbery occurred in the Town of East Hampton, the accused had to be taken before an East Hampton Justice, EH like many towns then having its own court system. Bail had been fixed at $1,000 which neither man could secure.

Bay confessed to police to being ringleader of a gang that had terrorized lower Connecticut River Valley towns from Middletown to Old Saybrook, had attempted two previous break-ins in the Middle Haddam village. From Northampton, Bay and Richards made their way to Boston, leaving the Hub by train to Willimantic, secured an automobile ride to Middle Haddam. They wandered around town, waiting on the river bank until 11 P.M., whereupon they went to the store. They had just broken the glass of a rear window when surprised by state police. Bay immediately opened fire, wounding John Gondek in the upper right forearm. The two were apprehended when an informant spotted them on the railroad tracks cleaning their guns. Unnoticed, he tiptoed back to safety and immediately called the state police who arrived on the scene with the capture occurring without trouble.

New Arrivals in Tradition of East Hampton

Since I began writing about East Hampton Past, dozens of people have very kindly told me how much they enjoy reading about our Town’s history. Whether it is in Stop & Shop (how soon we forget Shaw's), restaurants such as Angelico's or Governor's Tavern, at town meetings, or church, I appreciate the comments and positive feedback and will keep writing.


On April 12th, the Laurel Ridge Association invited me to speak about EH since so many were new to our Town. As you may know, Laurel Ridge is an over 55 community located on the East side of the Lake on Route 66 and is situated near Bear Swamp.


This was a very enjoyable evening and I’m pleased that this engaging group chose EH as their home. Since the early 1700s, tremendously talented people have settled here. From my prospective, these transplants are equally able and given the nod, will contribute to the vitality and enhancement of our Town. So, welcome!

Topics that evening included a discussion on the founding of the bell industry by William Barton in 1808, and its importance to many other industries including Henry Ford's Model T. I also discussed the the creation of Chatham and some of our illustrious citizens such as Gov. William O’Neill. We all remember fondly our friend and neighbor Bill O’Neill, but we forget, he almost never became Governor. Unsuccessful in the 1960 and 1962 elections, with 1964s postponed due to a reapportionment stalemate, Bill had little desire to run again in 1966! Only significant arm-twisting prevailed and from there, his meteoric rise to the Governorship.

East Hampton Fife & Drum Corp Major, Morris Lanzi, then State Representative and Majority Leader, William O'Neill, and Governor Ella T. Grasso at the signing of Legislation making Yankee Doodle Connecticut's State Song. In background, members of the Fife & Drum Corp including Thomas Distefano.

Fielding many questions that evening, one of which I wanted to expand upon was how did Hurd State Park come about? Named for an early family that settled at Knowles Landing at Middle Haddam (bottom of Knowles Road) the now 900 acre park, located off of Rt. 151 as you leave Middle Haddam towards Moodus and situated on the Connecticut River.

Among the first land acquisitions by the newly established Parks and Forest Commission in 1915, Hurd State Park began with 28 acres purchased from Frederick and Sophia Colson in 1916. Apparently after threats of litigation, the Eureka Flint & Spar, a New Jersey company, sold 90 additional acres to the State in 1923. Eureka had planned on mining Feldspar from the site as it did at other quarries in Chatham, Haddam & Middletown, but State pressure changed management’s minds.

Today the Park has scenic and panoramic views of the Connecticut River Valley and numerous hiking trails and recreational opportunities – all for free!

East Hampton - West of Hampton

Several friends have inquired why “East” Hampton is so named since it is situated 35 miles west of Hampton. There is a certain oddity about this and begs the question, why? In 1748, the General Assembly granted the establishment of the East Hampton Society – the Congregational Church District. All the area on the east side of the Great River, the Connecticut River, was originally called East Middletown and included Portland, Middle Haddam, Cobalt and East Hampton and became Chatham. The Town of Chatham was incorporated in 1767. And that is where the problem begins. Hampton, which was divided off of Windham (Willimantic), became incorporated as a town in 1786.

As I had previously noted in September, our Town’s name was changed in 1915 from Chatham to East Hampton. So where did the East Hampton name come from? Shortly after settlers of Knowles Landing, later to be called Middle Haddam, petitioned for their own Congregational Society in 1738, a band of émigrés from Eastham, Massachusetts arrived. Eastham is a coastal town on Cape Cod and although many of these transplants remained tied to the shipbuilding industry that flourished in Middle Haddam, a goodly number moved inland, first to Hog Hill and then near Lake Pocotopaug, where ample acreage was available to farm. The ecclesiastical area or Society, initially took the name Eastham Town, eventually settling on the preferred two word spelling East Hampton.

Apparently the issue was never raised or questioned in 1915 when the Connecticut General Assembly changed the Town’s name after adoption at Town Meeting. Today there would be exhaustive studies and public hearings before action occurred to change a Town’s name. The fact that the area had been known as East Hampton since the 1740s evidently weighed heavily in the decision.

Changing the Town's Name from Chatham to East Hampton

The Town of Chatham, formerly a part of Middletown, had an original grant 3 miles in breadth east of the river and in 1673, a 2nd grant, extended another 3 miles east to what is now the Marlborough and Colchester town lines. Surveying and partitioning of this 2nd grant began in 1721 with the lots awarded primarily to Middletown Property owners.

Chatham was incorporated in 1767 at the October session of the General Assembly as a town of the same name in England, noted for it shipbuilding, and its boundaries embraced the whole of the ecclesiastical parishes of East Middletown (present day Portland) a part of Middle Haddam, the whole of East Hampton and a small portion of Pine Swamp (Westchester).

The first large group of settlers emigrated by sea in 1739 from Eastham, Mass., up the Connecticut River to Middle Haddam Parish. Led by Isaac Smith, some of those early settlers left Middle Haddam to push on to the seven hills near Lake Pocotopaug on which the town of East Hampton now stands. In 1746 the settlers named their growing community Easthampton parish in honor of their original home of Eastham, Mass.

On April 10, 1915, the Town changed its name and by virtue of long usage decreed the divided name of East Hampton, establishing the two word version over the original spelling Easthampton.

Old School House until 1915, then served at Town Hall until the mid 1970s. Currently serves as the Board of Education Administrative Building.

Unlike today where a full transcript of Legislative Hearings or Town Meeting actions occur, the official record in 1915 was quite sparse. The special town meeting held in the Old School House in the Village of East Hampton on April 3rd was adjourned until Saturday the 10th of April because of significant opposition and a late winter storm.

Regardless of one's views, our Town Meetings have a long and noble tradition of full and open debate that allows every citizen the opportunity to express his view. Because the storm impeded the opportunity for all citizens to participate, our Town's Selectmen choose to adjourn a week to enable everyone who desired to attend this important meeting.

The opposition came chiefly from the Middle Haddam area, “they thinking that the upstreet crowd were getting too much benefit by the change.”

The minutes for the adjourned special town meeting as recorded: “Resolved that it is the since of this meeting that the name of the Town of Chatham be changed to East Hampton. Vote stood – 126 in favor and 42 opposed.” On May 4th, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted HR 273 changing the name of the town to East Hampton.

The Summit Tread Building on Summit Street circa 1910.

Accounts in the Hartford Courant give the reason for the change as economic. After Portland separated from Chatham in 1841 the primary business and industrial area of the town was in the village of East Hampton. Confusion arose when Cobalt renamed its Post Office Chatham which interfered in the local commerce since much of the mail was routed to Cobalt and not the Village Post Office in East Hampton.

I believe knowing the history of East Hampton is an important component to provide the best service possible as a Realtor. I'm never to busy to take your call or assist you with real estate needs.

School Days

Schools Days are upon us – when those hazy, lazy, hot and often humid late August days roar toward Labor Day and of course, our children returning to school.

We all know our 4 current schools – Memorial, Center, the Junior and Senior Highs. But in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, the Town was divided into 11 schools districts situated throughout the various sections of our community. It was a time when high school students went to private schools or years later took the train to Middletown with the construction of the Airline, until 1939, when our first high school opened as an addition to what is now the Center School.

All schools were within walking distance of a child’s home. of course, many comedians and I’m sure a few parents have told their children how they walked 10 miles to school everyday, uphill both ways, always in a blizzard! I did walk to school and I don’t believe it was more than a mile and those that walked farther did so because they could get home faster than waiting for a late bus.

In those earlier days of Chatham, the Chestnut Hill School House was located on Old Chestnut Hill Road. This had decayed into a state of total disrepair until the Chatham Historical Society undertook a project to dismantle and then rebuild it as their home and museum on Bevin Boulevard in the mid 1980s.

The Tartia School house still exists as a private residence as does the Clark Hill School located adjacent to the mobile home park.

The White Birch School on Brewer Road and Union Hill School at the end of Hog Hill were destroyed by fire.

The Northwest District School is the current rectory for Christ Episcopal Church in Middle Haddam. A new Middle Haddam Elementary School constructed on Schoolhouse Road replaced it and served the Town until the late 1970s. The North Center, Pine School and Flanders School were all sold prior to 1920.

Our current Board of Education Building located in the Village Center also served as our Town Hall from 1915 until 1974 when the current Town Hall on East High Street was purchased from the CL & P and renovated.

This Center School, which moved from Skinner Street, opened in 1866 housing 2 grades of high school as well as 8 grades of grammar school. A new Center Grammar school opened in 1914 at which time the Town voted to transport students from the outlying districts and close or sell many of the district school buildings.