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From YouTube: Groton, Connecticut - Past, Present, Future
Description
From its earliest beginnings, Groton, Connecticut held a unique charm, one that attracted its founder, John Winthrop, Jr. to settle here in 1645. Incorporated in 1705, the Town of Groton began its rich history. Journey through time and see why this southern New England town still holds the same unique charm it did 300 years ago. #grotonct #newengland #connecticut #history
A
A
A
Today,
Groton
is
a
diverse
town
of
nearly
40,000
many
know
of
its
submarine
building
industry,
the
Naval
Submarine
Base,
New,
London,
pharmaceutical
research
and
manufacturing
facilities
and
grotton's
tourism.
However,
grotton's
hidden
asset
is
its
old,
New
England
charm.
It
is
a
town
that
is
steeped
in
the
tradition
of
its
rich
history
of
300
years.
A
Groton
attracted
settlers
with
its
distinct
geography,
navigable
waters
and
inviting
Shores.
The
town
is
surrounded
on
three
sides
by
water,
with
the
deep
and
wide
Thames
River
to
the
west,
the
shelving
shores
and
safe
Anchorage
of
the
Mystic
River
to
the
east
and
fishers
Island
Sound
to
the
south
between
the
rivers,
the
land
rises
along
the
granite
ledges
of
Fort
Hill,
contrasting
the
broad
level
Pequannock
Plains,
stretching
to
the
sound
boulders
left
in
the
fields
and
along
the
shore
are
reminders
of
the
last
ice
age.
A
Here,
Pequot
Indians
once
lived
comfortably
in
The
Woodlands,
building,
wigwams
hunting,
deer
fishing
and
streams
are
at
the
shore.
They
cleared
the
wide
Pequannock
Plains
to
plant
their
crops
under
their
Sachems
a
circus.
The
Pequots
were
a
proud
and
dominating
tribe
of
the
area
with
strong
holds
on
Fort
Hill
and
mystic.
They
controlled
a
large
part
of
Connecticut
I.
B
Believe
the
major
cultural
difference
that
led
to
the
Pequot
War
was
the
concept
of
land
ownership.
The
colonists
believed
in
individual
ownership,
whereas
the
Native
Americans
believed
in
stewardship
of
the
land,
the
land
provided
for
them
and
therefore
they
would
take
care
of
it.
They
became
keepers
of
the
earth.
A
The
culture
clash
ended
with
John
Mason's
attack
on
the
Pequot
for
dead
mystic,
destroying
Pequot
power,
Connecticut
and
Massachusetts
Bay
Colony
'he's
claimed
the
Pequot
territory
by
right
of
conquest.
The
land
lay
idle
until
1645,
when
John
Winthrop
jr.
son
of
the
governor
of
Massachusetts
Bay
Colony,
travelled
into
this
territory,
scouting
out
a
site
for
a
new
colony.
He
chose
the
west
side
of
the
great
Pequot
River
known
today
as
the
thames
planning.
What
would
become
the
Pequot
plantation
and
later
new
london
on
the
way
back
to
Boston.
A
He
followed
an
Indian
trail
through
the
plains
of
Pequannock
and
coveted
the
land
for
a
manor
farm
like
the
Winthrop
estate
in
England,
called
Groton,
Pequot
plantation
settled
in
1646
included.
Both
sides
of
the
Thames
River
stretching
six
miles
northward
from
the
sea
through
the
present
town
of
Ledyard
at
first,
the
east
side
was
used
only
for
pasture
to
feed
cattle
necessary
for
food
and
leather.
A
Each
settler
had
a
level
lot
on
the
Pequannock
Plains
Winthrop
jr.,
the
colony's
most
important
citizen
was
given
a
prime
piece
of
real
estate
that
included
Groton
Long
Point
and
bluff
Point
settlers
used
clumsy
Indian
dugout
canoes
to
reach
the
farming
fields.
East
of
the
Thames
in
1654
Kari
Latham,
was
chosen
to
manage
the
first
established
ferry.
He
lived
in
a
house
by
the
Groton
ferry
landing
and
became
the
first
colonists
to
settle
in
what
would
become
Groton.
A
Other
families
followed
building
homes
on
the
east
side,
early
settlers
included,
James
Morgan,
whose
home
site
is
marked
in
the
Avery
Morgan
Cemetery
in
Nehemiah
Smith,
who
lived
at
the
current
site
of
the
Jabez
Smith
house,
now
maintained
as
a
museum
by
the
town
of
Groton
James
Avery's
son
James
jr.
married
Deborah
stallion
Deborah's
father
gave
the
couple
a
house
he
had
built
on
birch
plain
that
would
become
known
as
the
hive
of
the
Averys.
Many
generations
of
Avery's
lived
in
the
sprawling
house
before
it
was
destroyed
by
fire
in
1894.
A
Today,
the
Avery
memorial
marks
the
site
on
the
corner
of
Pequannock
Road
and
Long
Hill
other
early
Groton
settlers
included
the
Burroughs
Packers
and
fish
families
who
settled
in
what
is
today
the
Mystic
area,
families
such
as
Fanning,
Kerry,
Bailey,
boating,
ttan
and
Starr
settled
in
the
Groton
area.
Even
though
these
families
lived
east
of
the
Thames,
they
were
still
bound
to
the
parent,
Pequot
plantation
in
New
London.
In.
C
The
early
days
of
settlement
people
were
required
by
law
to
go
to
church
every
Sunday
or
they
would
have
to
pay
a
considerable
fine,
but
there
was
only
one
church
to
a
town
and
since
the
church
was
in
New
London,
the
people
in
Groton
had
to
go
there
every
Sunday,
whatever
the
weather,
hot
or
cold.
They
had
to
across
Groton
and
take
the
ferry
to
New
London
to
attend
the
church
there.
A
As
1678
James
Avery
petitioned
the
General
Court
in
Hartford
in
his
petition,
he
reported
that
twenty-eight
families
lived
east
of
the
thames
and
had
to
travel
six
or
eight
miles
over
land
before
reaching
the
ferry
unwilling
to
lose
taxes.
New
London
refused
the
request
for
years
reluctantly
in
1702.
The
east
side
was
allowed
to
organize
as
a
church.
The
new
church
was
raised
in
May
1703
at
the
true
geographical
center
of
town
before
Ledyard
gained
its
independence
in
1836.
A
The
church
was
moved
and
exists
today
as
grotton's
First
Church
of
Christ
congregational
on
monument
street.
Eventually,
the
church
was
rebuilt
in
1902
and
modeled
after
a
church
in
James
Avery's
hometown
of
a
pope
in
England,
the
distinctive
building
was
constructed
from
field
stones
collected
from
homes
of
early
settlers.
Two.
C
Years
after
the
meeting
house
was
built
at
Senate
Groton
in
December
1705,
they
held
the
first
Town
Meeting
in
Groton,
and
the
town
was
named
Groton
after
the
Winthrop
estate
in
Suffolk
England
John
Wintle
jr.
was
the
founder
of
Pequot
plantation
and
the
town
was
named
after
the
manner
that
he
had
managed
before
he
came
here
incorporated.
A
In
1705,
Groton
grew
gradually
as
settlers
moved
from
farming
to
the
profitable
trades
of
the
sea.
Shipbuilding
and
maritime
trade
led
to
prosperity,
just
as
the
colonies
began
to
chafe
under
British
rule
as
hostilities
grew
between
the
colonists
in
England,
Broughton
eagerly
joined
the
cause
for
independence.
Groton
militiamen
marched
to
the
defense
of
Boston
and
joined
the
Continental
line
under
George
Washington
throughout
the
war.
A
Many
Groton
Mariners
converted
their
sailing
vessels
into
licensed
privateers
to
prey
on
British
commerce,
bringing
money
into
colony
ports
to
protect
the
critical
thames
harbor
embattled
citizens
built
a
fort
on
the
strategic
Groton
Heights.
They
named
it
fort
Griswold
in
honor
of
Connecticut's
deputy
governor.
The
fort
was
manned
by
volunteer
troops,
commanded
by
Colonel
William
Leger.
A
D
Arnold
used
his
knowledge
of
the
fort's
warning
shots
to
surprise
his
defenders
of
fort
grizzled
by
firing
a
third
shot
perfectly
timed
from
a
ship.
Benedict
Arnold
knew
that
three
shots
was
the
signal
that
a
privateer
was
bringing
in
a
prize
ship,
which
was
generally
good
news
to
cannon
shot,
was
a
signal
used
by
the
fort
that
they
were
under
attack.
Benedict
Arnold,
knowing
these
signals
fired
the
third
one
perfectly
timed,
so
that
the
surrounding
countryside
thought
it
was
good
news,
not
bad
news
of
the.
D
There
is
some
controversy
surrounding
Colonel
Ledger's
death.
Some
scholars
have
recently
felt
that
Colonel
Leonard
may
have
not
have
been
run
through
his
own
sword
as
traditional
accounts
of
the
battle
state
and
dispute.
Some
of
these
first-hand
accounts
that
were
given
later
of
the
battle,
but
irregardless
of
the
manner
of
his
death.
He
was
killed
that
day
by
the
British
in
fork
result
as
were
87
other
defenders
of
the
fort,
the.
A
British
went
on
to
burning
buildings
in
New,
London
and
Groton
in
1830,
a
monument
was
erected
at
the
battle
site
to
honor
its
brave
defenders.
The
monument
was
constructed
of
native
material
and
was
originally
built
to
the
height
of
127
feet.
It's
height
was
raised
to
135
feet
in
1881
to
mark
the
centennial
of
the
battle.
The
Fort
Griswold
monument
predates
the
famous
Bunker
Hill
in
Washington
Monument.
A
Born
in
1750
at
the
family
homestead
in
sin,
agretti
Nathan,
the
ball
was
grotton's
best
known
scientist
and
mathematician
disliking
the
elementary
school
math
textbooks
that
were
being
used
at
the
American
Revolution
de-ball
wrote
his
own
de
balls,
complete
school
masters
assistant,
was
published
in
1799
and
was
widely
used
from
Maine
to
South
Carolina.
It
taught
the
system
of
American
dollars
and
cents
instead
of
the
British
pounds
and
pence.
The
ball
also
published
the
New
England
Almanac,
a
yearly
publication
considered
a
household
necessity
in
1773.
The
Almanac
provided
important
information
about
tides,
weather
and
planting.
A
A
Although
Ohio
born
and
bred
marielle
Jobe
made
her
mark
on
Groton
with
a
summer
camp
for
wealthy
young
women
from
1916
to
1930,
the
camp
was
located
on
land
along
the
Mystic
River
named
to
both
the
Connecticut
and
Ohio
women's
Hall
of
Fame
Jobe
was
an
explorer
mountain
climber,
author
and
photographer.
She
later
became
the
wife
of
Carl
Akeley,
for
whom
the
African
Hall
at
the
Museum
of
Natural
History
in
New
York,
is
named.
While
a
student
at
Bryn
Mawr
College
in
Pennsylvania
Jobe,
made
her
first
expedition
to
the
Canadian
Rockies
around
1902.
A
She
made
subsequent
trips
back
to
that
region
to
photograph
and
study
the
gets,
can
and
carrier
indians
of
british
columbia.
Her
research
provided
the
Canadian
government
with
the
first
reliable
map
of
uncharted
territories
near
the
Fraser
River
and
Mount
Sir
Alexander.
In
her
honor
Canada
named
a
peak
in
the
region.
Mount
Jobe,
Maryjo
akley
died
in
mystic
in
1966.
A
Anna
Warner
was
born
in
Groton
in
1758,
orphaned,
young.
She
was
raised
by
her
grandmother
on
a
farm
on
Candlewood
Hill.
Her
uncle
died
from
wounds
he
suffered
in
the
Battle
of
Groton
Heights
in
1781,
seeing
her
uncle's
bloody
body,
as
he
lay
mortally
wounded
after
the
battle
left
Hanna
with
a
lifelong
hatred
of
the
British
in
1814.
More
than
thirty
years
later,
when
war
with
the
British
was
imminent
and
new
London
and
Groton
seemed
like
likely
targets,
Anna
Warner
Bailey.
A
C
A
soldier
from
the
fort
came
looking
for
gun
wadding
for
defense
of
the
floor.
Mother
Bailey
took
off
her
petticoat
in
the
street
and
gave
it
to
him.
He
took
it
back
to
the
fort
and
it
flew
from
the
Flagstaff
for
the
defense
of
their
country
and
mother.
Bailey
was
thereafter
famous
nationally
for
her
great
deed.
Although.
A
The
British
never
attacked
mother
Bailey's
grand
gesture
gained
her
national
fame
newspapers.
Hailed
her
as
the
war's
greatest
female
patriot
celebrities
came,
knocking
at
her
tavern
door
among
her
visitors
were
general
Lafayette
and
presidents
James
Monroe
Andrew
Jackson
and
Martin
Van
Buren
grotton's,
most
celebrated
heroine
died
in
a
house
fire
in
1851
at
the
age
of
93.
The
local
chapter
of
the
Daughters
of
the
American
Revolution
bears
her
name.
A
Eva
Butler
came
to
Groton
in
1928
when
her
husband,
Sylvester
B
Butler,
became
the
town's
first
superintendent
of
schools.
She
had
developed
a
keen
interest
in
American
Indians
and
was
thrilled
to
be
living
where
the
mighty
pequots
once
roamed
she
set
out
to
learn
all
she
could
about.
The
local
tribes
discovering
almost
immediately
that
most
Indians
preferred
not
to
acknowledge
their
heritage
or
even
admit
that
they
were
Indians
I.
B
Believe
IVA
gained
the
trust
of
the
local
Native
Americans
by
trying
to
tell
their
story
in
the
past,
the
Native
American
story
was
told
by
the
colonists,
and
a
lot
was
not
always
true
and
I
think
the
fact
that
they
allowed
her
on
the
reservation
to
take
pictures
of
people
and
different
sites
on
the
reservations
also
gained
their
trust.
Undeterred,.
A
Butler
always
the
researcher
visited
archives
in
Connecticut,
Rhode,
Island
and
Massachusetts.
Reading
land
records,
diaries
and
court
papers
about
the
Indians.
She
filled
dozens
of
notebooks
with
information
about
their
lives,
their
lands
and
their
travels.
She
befriended
Mashantucket
Pequot,
Martha
and
Langevin
in
Mohegan,
gladys
tantaquidgeon
and
began
photographing
life
in
the
1930s
on
the
Pequot
reservation
after
receiving
a
master's
degree
from
the
University
of
Pennsylvania
in
1946,
Butler
began
teaching
extension
courses
in
her
home
to
students
from
Willimantic
State
College.
A
She
led
archaeological
digs
and
west
mystic
at
millstone
and
Waterford
and
at
many
sites
in
Leonard
she
lobbied
the
state
legislature
leading
a
campaign
to
preserve
Indian
burial
sites
and
homes.
All
the
while
her
collection
of
notes,
artifacts
and
information
about
local
Indians
was
growing.
She
brightened
her
teaching
to
include
children,
opening
a
Children's
Museum
in
New
London,
which
eventually
became
the
famed
Science
Center
I
knew.
C
Eva
Butler
she
was
dark
and
intense.
Some
people
thought
that
she
had
Native
American
blood.
Although
she
didn't,
she
lived
in
a
big
house
on
Gallup,
Hill,
Road
and
taught
classes
there.
I
took
many
of
her
classes.
The
house
was
stuffed
with
notebooks
and
with
books
and
under
the
bed.
Sometimes
she
kept
an
Indian
skillet.
A
Grotton's
greatest
benefactor,
Morton
F
Plante
was
born
August,
18th,
1852
and
Branford
Connecticut,
although
Plante
was
heir
to
his
father's
fortune
in
the
railroad
and
steamboat
industries.
His
savvy
business
skills
brought
him
great
fame
and
even
greater
wealth
plant
came
to
Groton
at
the
turn
of
the
20th
century
to
build
his
summer
home,
which
he
named
Branford
house,
designed
by
his
first
wife.
The
mansion
was
built
at
a
cost
of
three
million
dollars.
His
magnificent
estate
included
expansive
gardens
greenhouses
and
a
large
working
farm.
C
E
Well,
the
number
of
guests
became
so
great
that
they
could
no
longer
the
mansion
could
no
longer
accommodate
all
the
guests,
so
he
decided
he
would
buy
the
old
fort
grizzle
house,
which
was
located
approximately
a
half
a
mile
from
his
mansion
about
a
year
later.
He
felt
that
that
structure
was
a
little
bit
too
small,
so
he
decided
he
would
tear
that
down
and
build
a
new
hotel
with
400
rooms.
Well,
interestingly,
because
money
was
no
object
to
mr.
E
A
A
Today,
a
portion
of
the
town's
Municipal
Golf
Course
occupies
the
hotel
site
outside
of
the
business
world
plant
was
a
renowned
yachtsman
who
entered
many
international
races.
He
was
also
a
baseball
enthusiast
and
owned
the
Newland
and
planters
of
the
Eastern
League
today.
That
team
is
remembered
as
one
of
minor
league
baseball's
top
100
teams
of
all,
although
he
was
a
generous
man,
Morton
F
plant
was
also
a
very
private.
Few
photographs
of
him
exist.
Plant
died
of
pneumonia
in
1918
in
New,
York,
City.
A
In
1855,
while
on
a
whaling
expedition,
Captain
James,
Monroe
buddington
and
his
crew,
salvaged
the
British
ship
HMS
resolute
from
the
frigid
waters
of
the
Arctic,
her
crew
had
abandoned
resolute
a
year
and
a
half
earlier
after
it
was
frozen
in
the
ice.
During
an
unsuccessful
search
for
the
missing
British
explorer
Sir
John
Franklin
buddington
figured
it
would
be
more
profitable
to
save
the
ship
than
hunt
for
whales.
He
and
his
crew
managed
to
free
the
ship
with
only
his
watch,
a
quadrant
and
compass.
A
As
his
guide,
he
made
the
long
voyage
back
to
New
London,
the
United
States
government
refurbished
the
ship
and
in
1858,
gave
it
back
to
Britain
as
a
token
of
friendship
between
the
two
countries.
After
21
more
years
of
service
HMS,
resolute
was
scrapped
in
1879,
Queen
Victoria
ordered
three
desks
made
from
its
teak
one
of
those
desks
elegantly
carved
and
bearing
a
plaque
explaining
its
history
was
presented
to
President
Rutherford
Behe's
in
1880.
A
The
desk
has
been
used
by
every
president,
since
sometimes
in
the
Oval
Office,
sometimes
in
the
private
residence
at
the
White
House
President
John
F
Kennedy,
a
world
war.
Two
naval
hero,
knew
the
history
of
the
desk
and
used
it
in
the
Oval
Office.
During
his
presidency,
a
replica
of
the
desk
is
on
display
at
the
kennedy
Presidential
Library
in
Boston.
A
Carl
custer
cutler
was
born
in
1878
and
came
to
Mystic
in
1928
his
wife
Helen
Irving
Cutler
was
descended
from
the
Packers
one
of
the
Mystics
earliest
families.
The
couple
lived
in
Helens
family
homestead
on
Irving
Street
in
mystic
Cutler
was
a
graduate
of
Brown
University
and
had
been
a
practicing
lawyer
in
New
York
City,
a
renowned
maritime
historian,
preservationist
and
author.
He
was
one
of
the
three
men
who
founded
Mystic
Seaport
in
1929
cutler
worked
tirelessly
to
preserve
America's
maritime
history.
A
He
was
convinced
the
wooden
boats
and
maritime
artifacts
of
the
19th
century
would
eventually
disappear
or
be
turned
into
scrap.
If
the
country
didn't
recognize
their
importance
in
1941,
he
brought
America's
last
wooden
whaling
ship,
the
Charles
W
Morgan
to
Mystic
from
New
Bedford
Massachusetts.
It
became
the
centerpiece
of
his
maritime
museum
in
1961
Groton
honored
him
by
naming
its
new
Junior
High
School
in
mystic
afternoon,
mr.
Cutler
died
in
1966.
He
and
his
wife
are
buried
in
the
Packer
Cemetery.
A
Many
know
of
Colonel
William
Ledyard,
the
brave
defender
of
Fort
Griswold,
but
few
remember
his
nephew
John
Ledyard,
the
traveler
John
was
born
in
Groton
in
1751.
In
his
day
he
was
considered
a
world
celebrity
acquainted
with
presidents
and
nobility
what
made
John
Ledyard
the
traveler
so
well-known.
He
sailed
with
Captain
Cook
on
his
last
voyage
around
the
world
and
wrote
a
best-selling
book
about
his
adventures.
A
He
met
Thomas
Jefferson
in
Paris
and
convinced
Jefferson
to
send
Lewis
and
Clark
on
their
famous
expedition
by
telling
him
of
the
possibilities
of
a
lucrative
fur
trade
in
the
Pacific
West
living
up
to
his
name.
As
the
traveler
Ledyard
attempted
to
reach
North
America
from
Europe
by
walking
across
Russia
in
the
dead.
His
trip
was
cut
short
when
he
was
arrested
at
the
order
of
Empress
Catherine,
the
Great,
who
believed
he
was
a
spy.
A
Ledyard
was
a
household
name
making
headlines
wherever
he
went.
Numerous
books
were
written
about
his
exploits.
If
there
had
been
a
paparazzi
in
the
18th
century,
the
traveler
would
have
been
its
darling
Ledyard.
The
traveler
was
about
to
embark
on
a
new
adventure
to
explore
the
African
continent.
When
he
died
of
a
fever
at
the
age
of
37,.
A
Many
people
travel
on
the
Clarence
bisharp
Highway
in
Groton
every
day,
but
few
know
of
its
namesake
Ohio
born
Clarence
B
sharp
came
to
Groton
in
the
early
1940s
to
supervise
construction
of
the
goldstone
Memorial
Bridge.
He
liked
the
area
so
much.
He
joined
the
whaling
city
dock
&,
dredge
corporation
as
the
general
manager
he
later
bought.
A
The
company
that
built
appears
at
the
sub-base
Electric
Boat
and
the
Naval
underwater
System
Center
in
New
London
Sharpe
was
also
active
in
local
politics
for
nearly
two
decades
serving
as
mayor
of
the
city
of
Groton
in
the
1960s
during
his
tenure,
the
city
installed
sewers
and
built
the
city
of
Groton
Municipal
Building
trained
by
the
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Sharpe
was
by
profession
a
road
and
bridge
builder,
so
it
isn't
surprising,
but
the
road
that
now
bears
his
name
was
his
idea.
Sharps
conception
of
what
was
originally
called.
A
F
A
Most
people
take
our
modern
transportation
with
its
speed
and
ease
for
granted,
but
for
the
early
settlers
of
Groton,
getting
around
was
difficult
at
first
settlers
toiled
on
foot
or
horseback
following
old
Indian
trails
that
twisted
through
the
woodlands,
the
old
Pequot
path
that
connected
Massachusetts,
with
Connecticut
passed
through
the
town
from
east
to
west,
roughly
along
present-day
route.
184
post
riders
carried
mail
over
this
route,
a
path
so
rugged
that
a
horse
could
cover
only
four
miles.
In
an
hour.
A
George
Washington
once
took
this
route
on
his
way
to
Boston,
to
ask
for
a
promotion
in
the
British
Army,
a
plaque
placed
by
the
Daughters
of
the
American
Revolution
near
the
intersection
of
routes,
117
and
route
184
notes
his
passage.
Another
trail
connected
mystic
with
the
Thames
River,
eventually
becoming
US
Route
1.
Any
significant
travel
would
require
an
overnight
stay
at
one
of
the
town's.
Many
taverns
in
1712
ensign
Philip
bill
kept
a
public-house
by
great
Brook.
The
Woodbridge
tavern
at
old
mystic
dates
from
1745.
A
Another
popular
tavern
stood
at
Center
Groton,
built
by
the
Smiths
and
run
by
the
Haley's.
This
building
was
moved
in
the
1980s
and
restored
near
Wells
Road
after
the
Revolution.
The
new
London
and
Providence
Turnpike
company
improved
the
road
to
Hopkinton
Rhode
Island,
soon
daily
stagecoaches,
drawn
by
sturdy
horses
rumbled
along
stopping
to
pay
a
toll
at
the
toll
house
on
toll
gate
road
to
accommodate
travelers
Richard
Burnett
opened
his
Pequot
hotel
at
Burnett's
corners
in
1840.
A
Bad
roads
were
not
the
only
obstacle
for
travelers
Groton
was
bordered
east
and
west
by
rivers,
which
had
to
be
crossed
by
ferry
robert
burrows
man,
the
first
ferry
carrying
early
settlers
across
the
Mystic
River
in
1664,
the
first
bridge
to
span
the
Mystic
River
was
built
in
1819.
This
ended
ferry
service
on
the
east
side
of
town.
A
The
deep
and
wide
Thames
River
on
the
west
side
of
town
was
a
greater
problem.
Carry
Latham's
family
ran
the
ferry
there
for
50
years,
first
using
an
Indian,
dugout
canoe
and
later
a
scow
large
enough
for
five
horses.
Ferries
were
always
at
the
mercy
of
the
weather,
but
they
crossed
regularly.
In
1821,
a
horse
boat
was
introduced
for
horses,
worked
a
treadmill
to
propel
the
vessel
in
18-49.
The
noisy
steam
ferry
Mohegan
appeared
frightening
horses,
but
the
lighting
passengers
with
improved
service
steam
ferries
grew
larger
through
the
years.
A
The
last
was
the
famous
governor
Winthrop,
which
went
into
service
in
1905.
It
would
be
the
first
to
carry
automobiles
for
centuries.
The
ferry
was
an
absolute
necessity
in
order
to
get
to
New
London
by
the
mid
19th
century.
Black
smoke
filled
the
horizon,
signifying
the
end
of
the
stagecoach
era.
The
first
railroad
tracks
were
laid
from
Stonington
to
Groton
and
rail
service
began
in
December.
1858
tracks
ended
at
the
Thames
River
later
the
north,
the
art
of
General
Dynamics,
their
railroad
cars,
were
slammed
aboard.
A
squat
steam
railroad
ferry
to
be
carried
across.
A
C
A
A
Everyone
in
Pequannock
worked
on
the
railroad
at
the
turn
of
the
century,
trolleys
of
the
gruntin
and
Stonington
Street
Railway
Company
came
to
town
during
the
week
trolley
service
carried
factory
workers,
shoppers
and
schoolchildren
families
frequently
used
the
trolleys
for
weekend
pleasure
Jones
throughout
the
countryside
as
well
supplied
with
electricity
from
the
mystic
power
house.
They
claimed
their
way
across
town
for
a
nickel.
You
could
ride
from
Pequannock
to
the
Groton
ferry.
The
1920s
brought
something
new
on
the
scene.
A
The
automobile,
a
car
in
every
garage,
threatened
the
prosperity
of
the
railroad
and
did
away
with
the
trolleys
highways
had
to
be
paved
and
made
auto
friendly
construction
on
route,
1
pared
down,
steep
Baptist,
Hill
and
mystic.
So
the
early
cars
could
make
the
grade.
Tourist
cabins
sprang
up
along
the
new
road
in
Pequannock,
and
the
world
was
on
wheels.
Autos
still
had
to
cross
the
Thames
by
ferry
before
the
old
railroad
bridge
was
converted
into
a
new
highway
bridge
in
1919,
it
offered
a
throughway
on
US
Route
1
from
Boston
to
New
York.
A
E
Original
four-lane
goal,
Somme
Memorial
Bridge,
was
built
in
1943.
It
was
built
to
replace
an
old
railroad
bridge
that
in
1919
was
converted
into
a
two-lane
vehicle
bridge.
Well,
over
the
next
30
years,
no
one
could
have
predicted
the
amount
of
traffic
and
the
increase
of
the
traffic
that
would
go
over
that
bridge.
In
fact,
with
the
increase
in
population
of
workers
at
electric
boat
and
Pfizer
over
22,000
employees
would
travel
that
bridge
daily.
Well,
if
there
was
ever
an
accident
in
which
there
were
there
were
several
accidents
on
the
bridge.
E
It
was
stalled
traffic
for
hours
and
it
got
to
the
point
where
emergency
personnel
would
have
to
transport
injured
people
to
the
Lawrence
Memorial
Hospital
in
the
London
via
a
tugboat.
Well,
in
1973,
the
traffic
injection
became
so
bad
that
they
decided
that
they
would
build
a
six
Lane
bridge
and
they
they
constructed
it.
Next,
the
old
Goldstar
bridge,
and
when
that
was
completed,
they
converted
the
Goldstar
bridge
into
a
six
lane
bridge
also
so
today,
both
of
those
bridges
handle
all
the
traffic
traveling
north
and
south
of
95
through.
A
The
four
wheels
of
automobiles
were
not
the
only
sign
of
modern
transportation.
The
Wright
brothers
propelled
early
air
travel
and
soon
transportation
in
Groton
took
to
new
heights.
Pequannock
Plains
was
ideal
for
Groton
Zone
Airport
named
Trumbull
Field
in
honor
of
Governor
John
Trumbull,
the
governor
flew
his
own
plane
in
on
July
20th
1928,
making
the
occasion
memorable
when
he
crashed
into
another
plane
that
was
about
to
land.
Trumbull
field
became
a
training
site
for
Army
and
Navy
fliers
during
World
War.
A
A
Gratins
economic
tides
have
always
been
linked
to
the
sea.
The
town
has
been
associated
with
many
kinds
of
shipbuilding
through
the
centuries.
In
1683
john
leads
a
sea
captain
from
kent,
england
built
the
20
tonne
Brigantine
named
trial
at
a
yard
on
the
thames
river.
Another
early
ship
builder
was
thomas
star,
whose
yard
was
opposite:
Winthrop
snek
in
1710
he
built
the
sloop
sea
flour,
William
and
Thomas
Latham
built
vessels
further
south
on
Groton
Bank,
where
General
Dynamics
stands
today.
A
Grotton's
first
experience
in
building
big
ships
came
in
1723
Englishman,
James
Stirling
and
John
Jeffery
built
a
700
ton
vessel,
the
largest
merchantman
built
in
America
before
the
revolution
in
the
1770s,
as
the
rift
with
mother,
England
widened
and
Britain's
blockades
and
harsh
import
charges
put
salt
sugar,
tea
and
other
necessities.
In
short,
supply,
privateers
began
intercepting
British
cargo
ships
bound
for
the
colonies.
No
privateers
were
more
daring,
persistent
or
successful
than
those
who
sailed
from
the
Thames
after
the
American
Revolution
shipbuilding
prospered
and
peaked,
with
60
vessels
being
built
between
1784
and
1807.
A
The
Embargo
Act
of
1807
suspended
maritime
trade
and
for
the
next
eight
years
until
the
war
of
1812
was
officially
over
Groton
and
mystics.
Maritime
industry
was
paralyzed
by
the
1840s.
The
whaling
industry
thrived
in
Mystic,
although
it
was
dirty,
hazardous
and
unpleasant
work.
Many
young
men
from
Groton
went
to
sea
and
made
their
fortunes
when.
C
A
Broughton's,
legendary
whaling
captains,
William
H
Allen,
sailed
whale
ships
out
of
New
Bedford
for
more
than
25
years.
He
was
so
lucky
that
sailors
said
the
whales
came
to
the
surface
and
just
waited
for
him
to
harpoon
them.
He
made
his
fortune
and
after
he
retired,
he
became
a
selectman
in
Groton
and
one
of
the
town's
political
leaders
by.
A
The
end
of
the
19th
century
kerosene
had
replaced
whale
oil
in
1908
Captain
James
Waterman
buddington
made
the
last
whaling
voyage
out
of
gratin.
With
whaling
no
longer
profitable.
There
was
money
to
be
made
in
transporting
passengers
around
Cape
Horn
to
California's
rich
Gold
Coast.
In
the
mid
19th
century,
the
Elizabeth
s
Willits
launched
in
mystic
in
1854
made
five
such
trips.
A
The
bf
hoxsey
made
four
trips
before
being
captured
and
burned
by
Confederate
Raiders
in
1863,
the
mystic
built
Andrew
Jackson
and
her
gravel
street
captain
Johnny
Williams
set
a
record
that
still
stands
today
in
1860.
He
made
the
trip
from
New
York
to
San
Francisco
in
89
days
and
four
hours
during
the
Civil
War
Groton
built
one
of
the
first
ironclad
steamers
for
the
Union,
the
West
mystic
firm,
Maxon
and
fish
was
commissioned
to
build
the
bomb-proof
steamer
Galena,
which
was
launched
on
February
14th
1862.
A
Its
first
mission
proved
it
was
not
bomb-proof
when
its
thin
metal
plating
was
riddled
by
the
Confederates
at
Drury
Bluff
Virginia
13
of
her
crew
members
were
killed
during
the
war
shipyards
along
the
Mystic
River
turned
out.
56
wooden
steamers
for
government
service
in
the
1870s
shipbuilding
shifted
to
no
ink
as
John
comer
and
his
sons,
Robert
and
John
founded
one
of
the
largest
wooden
shipbuilding
plants
on
the
Atlantic
seaboard.
A
It
thrived
into
the
early
20th
century
building
everything
from
fishing
vessels
to
sound
steamers
in
1900,
astern
shipbuilding
company,
located
on
the
present
site
of
electric
boat,
began
building
two
giant
steel
freighters.
The
steamer
of
Minnesota,
launched
in
1903
and
sister
ship
Dakota,
launched
a
year
later
were
the
largest
steel
freighters
in
the
world,
but
they
were
not
profitable,
designed
to
carry
wheat
from
the
Midwest
to
the
Orient.
The
ship's
couldn't
find
return.
Cargo
Dakota
was
lost
near
Yokohama
in
1907.
A
The
Minnesota
was
converted
for
army
transport,
taking
troops
to
England
during
roll
or
one
during
World
War
one.
There
was
a
need
for
steel
vessels.
Groton
Iron
Works
employed
more
than
4,500
workers
to
meet
the
demand.
Unfortunately,
the
armistice
was
signed
just
24
hours.
After
the
first
ship
Holland
was
launched.
None
of
Groton
ironworks
ships
saw
action
during
the
war.
A
new
era
in
shipbuilding
is
born
on
April
11th
1900,
when
the
Navy
accepted
its
first
submarine
built
by
John
P
Holland
and
his
electric
boat
company
in
Elizabeth
port
New
Jersey.
A
Electric
boat
eventually
established
its
Groton
shipyard
on
the
site
of
the
former
Eastern
shipbuilding
company,
on
the
Thames
River
known
as
the
new
london
ship
and
engine
company
or
Nelse
Co.
The
company
manufactured
the
first
marine
diesel
engines
in
America,
nelle
Co
built
its
first
submarine
in
Groton
in
1925,
not
for
the
United
States,
but
for
Peru,
now
known
as
the
Nelse
Co
division
of
the
electric
boat
company.
Its
first
submarine
for
the
US
Navy
was
the
cuttlefish
in
1933
by
1939.
A
G
A
A
After
Ledyard
broke
away
to
become
its
own
town
in
1836,
Groton
school
districts
were
reduced
to
12.
Some
of
those
school
houses
still
survive
today,
although
none
are
used
as
a
school.
The
West
mystic
schoolhouse
is
a
private
home,
as
is
the
old
mystic
schoolhouse
mystic
Academy,
whose
original
wooden
building
was
replaced
by
a
three-story
brick
school
in
1910
today
has
been
converted
to
housing
from
the
elderly.
A
Porters
Ville
Academy
is
the
only
schoolhouse
in
Groton
that
has
been
restored
to
its
original
state
located
in
mystic.
The
schoolhouse
is
regularly
open
to
the
public.
The
mid
19th
century
also
saw
the
beginning
of
one
of
the
first
schools
for
the
Deaf,
founded
by
Jonathan
Whipple
senior.
The
school
began
in
Ledyard,
where
Whipple
originated
a
system
of
articulation
and
lip-reading
to
educate
his
deaf
son.
He
eventually
established
a
school
on
the
estate
of
Silas
Burroughs,
overlooking
the
Mystic
River
in
Groton,
known
as
the
mystic
oral
School
for
the
Deaf.
A
It
was
operated
by
a
Whipple
descendant
until
1925
when
the
state
took
over
the
facility.
The
school
closed
in
1980
until
1929
Groton
students
attended
High
School
in
either
Stonington
or
new
london.
That
year
Groton
opened
its
first
high
school
Robert
E
Fitch
named
after
the
late
son
of
Groton
businessman,
Charles
P
Fitch,
who
donated
funds
to
build
the
school
Robert
E
Fitch
had
served
as
the
borough
tax
collector
and
died
in
1922
at
the
age
of
53.
The
original
building
next
to
Town
Hall
is
now
Fitch
middle
school.
A
The
high
school
was
moved
to
its
current
site
on
the
top
of
fort
Hill
in
1956
Groton,
consolidated
all
school
districts
in
1941
and
elected
a
Board
of
Education,
charged
with
overseeing
the
public
schools
like
many
towns
across
the
country.
Groton
responded
to
the
post-world
War
baby
boom
by
building
new
schools
to
handle
the
increasing
number
of
school-age
children.
The
next
twenty
years
would
see
new
school
construction,
all
around
town
from
1944
to
1954.
A
Six
schools
were
built,
including
Claude
M,
Chester,
school
and
Pequannock
bridge
and
SB
Butler
school
and
mystic
Claude
M
Chester
school
was
named
for
a
Board
of
Education
member
and
well-known
knowing
Undertaker
sb
Butler
school
was
named
in
honor
of
grotton's.
First
superintendent
in
1954,
william
sealy
school,
opened
in
Pleasant
Valley.
It
was
named
in
memory
of
a
neighborhood
boy
who
was
the
first
person
from
Groton
killed
in
World
War.
Two
Seeley
was
just
18
when
he
died
aboard
the
battleship
Arizona
at
Pearl
Harbor
on
December
7th
1941.
A
The
1960s
saw
the
final
five
elementary
schools
established
as
the
town's
population
surpassed
34,000
additional
classroom.
Space
was
needed,
northeast
school
opened
on
Flanders
Road
in
1960.
Today
it
serves
as
the
school
administration
building
in
1962
the
Mary
Morrison
school
opened
and
was
named
for
a
former
suffragette
and
leading
member
of
the
League
of
Women
Voters
Colonel
Ledyard
elementary
school
named
after
the
famous
war
hero
also
opened
that
year.
The
final
two
elementary
schools
opened
in
1965.
The
first
was
dr.
A
Lastly,
was
the
Freeman
Hathaway
school
near
old
mystic
named
for
a
knowing
businessman
who
had
been
a
tireless
member
of
the
Board
of
Education
as
the
town
marks
its
300th
anniversary?
It
is
about
to
embark
on
an
ambitious
school
expansion
and
renovation
project.
The
first
since
the
post-war
building
boom
ended
in
1965
seeking
to
meet
the
needs
of
the
new
era.
Grotton's
investment
in
the
school
system's
future
should
help
guarantee
its
students,
a
quality
education
well
into
the
21st
century.
A
Some
of
today's
favorite
recreational
spots
are
yesterday's
as
well.
The
860
acre
bluff
point
coastal
reserve
once
owned
by
the
town's
founder
John
Winthrop
jr.
has
changed
little
since
the
early
days.
The
park
and
shore
line
remain
in
their
natural
state
and
regularly
attract
visitors
on
foot
or
by
bike.
Nearby
Halley
farm
also
retains
the
look
of
its
historical
past.
The
park
was
formerly
the
model
farm
of
Caleb
Halley,
who
made
his
fortune
in
New
York's
Fulton
fish
market,
the
lands,
winding
trails
and
beautiful
scenery
make
it
a
sanctuary
for
nature
lovers.
A
Bratton's
beaches
hold
a
special
place
for
residents
as
well
from
the
turn
of
the
20th
century.
Eastern
Point,
Beach
and
chinoco
State
Beach
Club
were
hubs
for
summer
fun
for
Groton
families
founded
as
a
summer
colony
Groton
lung
point
is
still
a
close
knit
community
of
year-round
residents.
The
points
sparkling
waters,
attractive,
Beach
and
social
events
at
its
casino
have
made
it
a
summer
playground
for
all
ages.
A
C
The
height
of
its
popularity,
the
grizzled,
was
the
most
glamorous
place
around
for
those
that
was
growing
up
in
this
area.
Some
of
the
notable
guests
there
were
President
William,
Howard,
Taft
and
President
Franklin
D
Roosevelt
and
mrs.
Jacqueline
Kennedy
Franklin
D
Roosevelt
came
for
the
Yale
Harvard
boat,
races
in
June
at
a
time
of
the
year
when
the
hotel
was
strong
with
wealthy
and
glamorous
gifts,
guests.
A
C
The
Grizzles
popularity
declined
after
World
War
two
and
several
efforts
to
revive
that
fails,
so
the
property
was
bought
by
Charles
Pfizer
in
1968
and
the
next
year
the
hotel
was
taken
down
at
present.
The
side
of
the
Griswold
is
part
of
the
town,
Shanna
Casa
Golf
Course.
So
we
still
have
the
wonderful
memories
and
the
view
the.
A
First,
public
beach
in
Groton
was
located
on
the
Pequannock
River
and
opened
in
1956
in
a
joint
rumble
Airport,
but
had
to
be
relinquished
because
of
airport
expansion.
The
Town
Beach
was
later
moved
to
esker
Point.
Its
popularity
continues
to
grow
today
and
it
has
become
a
summertime
hot
spot
where
concerts
can
be
heard.
On
a
warm
summer,
night,
public
parks
begin
sprouting
up
around
Groton.
Nearly
a
century
ago,
the
Pequannock
planes
attracted
horse
lovers
who
organized
the
Groton
driving
Park.
A
The
park
held
harness
racing
where
trotting
horses
vied
for
fame
and
fortune
later
it
would
race,
early
automobiles,
thrilling.
The
crowds
who
cheered
them
to
the
finish
line.
Today,
Sutton
Park
stands
on
this
site
and
holds
the
area's
prime
skateboard
park.
America's
favorite
pastime
influenced
the
building
of
two
popular
parks.
Burroughs
field
is
located
on
South
Road
and
is
home
to
grotton's
Little
Leaguers.
The
field
is
named
after
Calvin
burrows,
who
was
a
local
World
War
two
hero,
Washington
Park,
named
in
honor
of
our
first
president,
has
hosted
its
share
of
baseball
games.
The.
E
29-Acre
Washington
Park
is
located
in
the
city
of
grotton's
district
of
the
town
of
Groton
in
the
early
1900s,
the
property
consisted
of
pastures,
swamps
and
a
dump
in
1932
when
the
property
was
deeded
over
to
the
borough
of
Groton.
There
was
only
one
crewed
baseball
field
on
the
property.
Today
the
park
has
facilities
for
baseball
basketball,
tennis,
volleyball
ice
skating,
snow
sledding,
children's
playgrounds
and
picnicking.
E
Over
the
years
the
park
was
used
by
many
many
semi-professional
baseball
teams.
In
fact,
Hall
of
Famer
Yogi
Berra
played
there
when
he
was
stationed
at
the
submarine
base,
is
said
that
he
was
recruited.
Bali
was
playing
here
for
the
new
york
yankees,
there's
a
lot
of
truth
in
the
cliche
that
some
people's
junk
are
other
people's
treasures.
What
was
once
a
dump
is
now
one
of
the
jewels
of
recreation
for
the
town.
A
Shipbuilding
has
been
the
engine
that
has
driven
the
Groton
economy
for
300
years,
but
it
is
the
contributions
of
smaller
businesses
that
have
built
neighborhoods
and
the
foundation
of
the
town.
From
early
on
Thames
Street
in
Groton
bank
and
West
Main,
Street
and
mystic
had
been
the
town's
primary
shopping
areas.
A
Albert
F
Hewitt
ran
the
Groton
grain
company
at
147,
Thames
Street
selling
grain
feed,
hay
and
straw,
John
L
couch
owned
Groton
Hardware
at
169,
Thames
Street,
where
in
the
early
20th
century,
customers
could
buy
house
wares
toys
and
marine
hardware
Groton
pharmacy.
Next
to
the
ferry
landing
at
themes
and
school
streets
was
run
by
CS
Woodhull
Howard,
a
Edgecombe
and
Irving
H
poppy
ran
a
shop
at
137,
Thames
Street
that
specialized
in
men's
clothing
and
furnishings.
Today
it
is
home
to
Paul's
pasta
well,.
E
Besides
nuclear
submarines
and
pharmaceuticals,
Groton
also
made
a
name
for
itself
by
producing
another
product
poppy
and
Joe
in
1920,
Frederick
bacon
opened
up
a
big
banjo
manufacturing
company
on
Fame
suit.
In
1922
he
partnered
with
another
gentleman
named
David
Day
and
together
they
produced
what
they
called
the
B
and
D
silver
Belle
banjo
back
then
it's
sold
for
about
450
to
$1,000.
E
A
Businesses
associated
with
the
fishing
industry
also
settled
along
thames
street
em,
costa
and
sun
market,
known
for
its
lobster
and
seafood
and
GM
long.
A
wholesale
fish
business
thrived
on
the
waterfront
in
the
1930s
on
nearby
Eastern
Point
Road,
the
Atlantic
Coast
Fisheries
Corporation
of
New
York
operated
a
wholesale
business
preparing
fish
for
Market
Atlantic.
C
Coast,
fisheries
were
a
pioneer
in
the
area
of
early
frozen
foods.
They
came
to
Groton
in
1927
and
bought
the
old
Groton
ironworks
site
and
produced
frozen
fillets
of
haddock.
They
were
in
existence
at
the
same
time
as
Birdseye,
but
they
weren't
quite
successful.
They
went
bankrupt
during
the
Great
Depression
on.
A
The
east
side
of
town
on
West,
Main,
Street
and
mystic
businesses
provided
food
clothing
and
other
necessities
to
local
residents.
Iw
Dennison
general
store
was
a
mainstay
of
downtown
mystic
in
the
late
19th
and
early
20th
century.
If
you
wanted
your
daily
paper,
you
could
stop
by
cut
sirs
on
the
corner
of
West
Main
and
pearl
streets.
Businesses
have
also
thrived
in
other
parts
of
Groton
as
well.
In
the
Pequannock
area,
between
1911
and
1917
Thomas
and
Dickinson
manufactured
Ledyard
brand
witch-hazel
on
the
site
of
the
original
village.
A
Grist
mill,
the
copper
stills
he
used
can
be
found
in
the
Smithsonian
today
on
Pequannock
Road,
you
could
find
the
max
and
company
thread
mill
from
1920
to
1958
the
mill
spun
heavy
thread
for
sewing
baseball
equipment
and
automobile
upholstery.
The
building
today
is
part
of
the
electric
boat
company.
A
One
of
the
world's
most
renowned
businesses
began
calling
Groton
home
in
1946
when
the
Charles
Pfizer
company
converted
the
former
victory
shipyard
to
a
chemical
and
pharmaceutical
facility.
At
the
time,
Pfizer
was
the
leading
producer
of
citric
acid.
More
notably,
the
company
was
famous
for
its
production
of
penicillin
that
was
used
to
treat
Allied
soldiers
during
World
War,
two
Pfizer
became
the
world's
largest
producer
of
the
miracle
drug
in
1959
Pfizer
dedicated
its
first
research
and
development
facilities
in
Groton.
A
A
It
started
with
Martin
Olsen,
who
built
the
Long
Hill
Shopping
Center
on
what
four
years
had
been
part
of
the
Ackley
farm,
anchored
with
a
first
national
supermarket
at
one
end
in
Bastien's
five-and-dime
at
the
other
Long
Hill
shopping
center,
along
with
Kinney
shoes
and
robert
hall,
clothing
stores
across
the
street
suddenly
began
competing
with
new
london
businesses
for
Groton
residents
shopping
dollars.
This
section
of
Route
one
would
later
be
dubbed
the
magic
mile.
The.
H
Magic
mile
had
a
significant
impact
on
the
town
because
it
represented
an
expansion
of
the
business
district
which
continues
today
before
the
groton
shopping
center
was
built
in
the
1950s.
The
only
two
places
in
town
to
shop
were
West,
Main,
Street
and
mystic
in
Fame
Street
in
the
city.
And
if
you
look
at
towns
across
America
of
a
certain
size
and
population,
they
all
have
the
equivalent
of
grotton's
magic
mile,
because
it's
a
way
to
measure
a
town's
prosperity
in.
A
Subsequent
decades
shopping
centers
were
built
behind
Olsen's
original
shopping
center
and
farther
down
the
road
in
1967,
the
UA
cinema
opened
and
Groton
residents
no
longer
had
to
cross
the
river
to
the
and
Capitol
theaters
in
New
London
to
see
Hollywood's
latest
features.
Today,
the
magic
mile
extends
along
Route,
one
from
buddington
Road
to
interstate
95
shopping
centers.
Restaurants
and
businesses
also
can
be
found
farther
up
route
12
and
along
Route
184.
A
Standing
as
the
cornerstone
of
grotton's
wartime
contributions,
the
monument
at
Fort
Griswold
is
the
symbol
of
the
sacrifices
made
by
Groton
residents
defending
their
land.
The
Revolutionary
War
created
a
nation,
but
the
wars
that
followed
would
be
fine
in
Groton
residents
have
never
hesitated
to
lay
down
their
lives
for
their
country.
After
President
Madison
declared
war
against
the
British
in
1812,
the
British
began
a
tight
blockade
of
the
coastline,
the
British
assigned
powerful
warships
like
the
84
gun,
remilia's
to
patrol
ashore.
Few
American
vessels
got
through
and
the
blockade
completely
disrupted.
A
The
thriving
maritime
trade,
even
small
fishing
boats
were
captured
angry
with
a
high-handed
enemy,
mystic
seamen
built
and
made
for
Trey
chelanath
of
the
Mystic
River
and
launched
the
campaign
of
trickery
and
deceit.
They
captured
small
enemy
vessels
and
harassed
the
British
until
they
christened
mystic
a
Carson
little
hornets
nest.
Other
mystic
captains
tried,
unsuccessfully,
to
use
an
early
torpedo
to
destroy
the
huge
Emily's
as
it
lay
off
Eastern
Point.
A
During
this
time,
mother
Bailey
would
capture
national
attention
by
offering
her
now
famous
petticoat
the
firing
on
Fort
Sumter
brought
civil
war
in
1861
Groton
would
help
preserve
the
Union.
Dozens
of
local
men
enlisted
to
Gretton
men
were
awarded
the
Medal
of
Honor
for
extreme
valor
Captain
John
Knight
Buckland
of
mystic
was
cited
for
bravery
at
Chancellorsville,
though
wounded
and
with
the
enemy
only
25
yards
away.
He
managed
to
disable
one
cannon
and
capture.
A
Another
is
buried
in
lower
mystic
Cemetery
Robert,
a
gray
of
Groton
Bank
risked
enemy
fire
at
Drew's
Bluff,
while
retreating
to
rescue
a
wounded
officer
gray
later
presented
a
civil
war
monument
to
the
town.
It
stands
near.
The
Groton
monument
near
fortress
wall,
those
who
lost
their
lives,
included
Horatio
Nelson
fish
junior
from
mystic.
He
died
of
wounds
he
received
in
battle
in
Virginia
before
his
21st
birthday.
His
letters
home
are
preserved
at
the
Mystic
River
Historical
Society.
A
The
week's
brothers
from
knowing
also
gave
their
lives
fighting
for
the
Union
and
lie
in
knowing
Valley
Cemetery
dozens
of
mystic
built
vessels
served
the
Union
war
effort,
including
the
famed
ironclad
Galena
Bratton's
vessels
figured
significantly
in
the
civil
wars.
Many
Navy
engagements,
the
sub-base
was
established
in
1868
when
residents
of
Groton
and
New
London
lobbied
the
federal
government
for
a
Navy
Yard.
Although
the
Naval
facility
has
always
carried
New
London
in
its
name,
it
has
always
been
located
in
a
Groton
New.
C
London
had
been
known
as
whaling
city
and
when
petroleum
was
discovered
for
lighting
in
the
1860s
New
London
needed
another
economic
cash
cow.
They
were
in
bad
difficulties,
so
they
thought
it
would
be
wonderful
to
have
a
Navy
base,
a
Navy
Yard
in
New
London,
and
they
lobbied
very
hard
for
that.
There
wasn't
enough
land
in
New
London
to
used,
so
they
decided
to
buy
land
in
Groton.
F
A
New
London
Navy
Yard
received
little
use
for
the
first
forty
five
years,
but
in
1915
the
fledgling
submarine
force
began
using
Long
Island
Sound
for
Test
dives
and
training
putting
in
at
night
at
the
Navy
Yard.
Consequently,
the
old
Navy
Yard
on
the
Thames
was
officially
commissioned
as
a
submarine
base
in
1917.
A
It
was
in
World
War
one
that
the
nation's
infant
submarine
service
began
to
grow.
Groton
residents
were
among
the
2,000
officers
and
enlisted
men
trained
at
the
sub
base
during
the
war
years,
others
from
Groton
enlisted
in
the
army,
the
bombing
of
Pearl
Harbor
in
1941
hit
home
for
many
Groton
residents.
The
surprise
attack
led
Groton
to
increase
its
military
security.
An
observation
tower
was
activated
on
Fort
Hill
blackouts
were
observed
and
the
shipyards
worked
day
and
night
providing
submarines
for
the
war
effort.
A
Government
housing
sprang
up
in
town
in
the
fort
Hill
area,
bill
Avenue
and
Navy
heights.
Trumbull
Airport
became
a
training
ground
first
for
the
Army
and
later
for
the
Navy.
The
Coast
Guard
developed
a
training
station
at
Avery
point
Marcus
trails,
old
barn
on
Thomas
Road,
evolved
into
the
Russian
rooster,
a
popular
USO
Center
organized
by
Mary
Morrison
to
entertain
servicemen
and
women
based
in
Groton
Groton,
experienced
its
greatest
population
boom
between
1940
and
1950.
A
During
this
time,
its
population
increased
more
than
100
percent
because
of
the
rapid
expansion
of
military
presence
in
1961,
the
Army's
162nd
transportation
battalion
was
established
and
would
later
become
the
Connecticut
aviation
classified
repair,
activity,
department
or
EV
Craig.
It
is
the
largest
of
four
national
guard
shops
in
the
country
and
has
supplied
its
expertise
to
our
country's
troops
in
combat
the
Cold
War
challenged
our
nation
in
new
ways
and
grotton's
submarine
industry
distinguished
itself
as
a
state-of-the-art
technology
leader
in
our
nation's
defense.
G
The
development
of
the
nuclear
power
submarine
has
created
a
vessel
with
almost
unlimited
endurance.
Electric
boat
has
been
in
the
forefront
of
almost
every
innovation
since
the
development
of
the
Nautilus
which
we
built
in
1954.
This
capability
has
provided
the
United
States
with
a
superiority.
Undersea
superiority,
unmatched
in
the
world.
A
Groton
honors
its
veterans
with
memorials
throughout
the
town
from
Fort
Griswold
memorial
to
the
Civil
War
Memorial
on
monument
street
from
the
world
war,
one
Memorial
in
Mystic
to
the
World
War
Two
memorial
at
Groton,
Town
Hall
from
the
Korean
and
Vietnam
war
memorials
at
the
Groton
public
library
to
the
national
submarine
memorial.
Our
mainstream
grotton's
heroes
are
remembered
and
the
spirit
of
their
sacrifice
is
woven
into
the
fabric
of
this
historical
community.