Town Historian, writer, and researcher Judith Giguere, life-time Terryville resident, writes articles for this web site about Plymouth's history during different time periods. Previous articles are posted as submitted below. Articles will now be in .pdf format. Many thanks to her for presenting these special articles.

The Mysterious Tale of the Old Lead Mine by Judith Giguere Middle Pond Stream October 2009 - Our story begins back in 1657, when John Stanley and John Andrews ventured from Farming Town, as Farmington was then known, into the wilderness of the Naugatuck Valley part of this valley, now known as Plymouth.  Upon their return, along with delightful tales of the charming valley, was a large piece of black lead.  The source of this treasure is not recorded, even then it appears to have been an indefinite location and for many years later, the subject of much dispute.  The find of lead sparked great interest in the area and a deed was procured from the Tunxis Indians for the hill and all the land within an eight mile radius.       Of course, no record was made of which hill or any identifiable landmarks or notable features of the area so the site could be located again, but this is the beginning of our mystery.  It appears that some years later, a search party was formed.        The party was divided into three groups which included a minister from Plymouth to search for the now infamous lead deposit.  A bell was to be rung to notify the others when the mine was located.  They searched and searched, but alas, there was no need for the bell because the source of the mysterious lead was not found.        Another local legend states that a hunter came across a large piece of lead and attempted to carry it home on his shoulders.  He had not gone far when he was seized by the hand of the Devil himself.  When he awoke, his treasure was gone.  He returned home empty-handed.  Possibly he was struck by lightening, or an ‘invisible hand’ stole his treasure. We will never know for sure, but the mysterious lead had eluded capture again.        Some early maps designate a site for the mine, but upon further research of those areas, no mine or trace of mining operations has ever been located.  During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), another resident claimed to have found a large outcropping of lead.  He was adamant that it was enough to make bullets for his musket!  Yet upon return, the outcropping was gone. Magical?  Mysterious?        The famous local Tory sympathizer and Plymouth resident Moses Dunbar, while hiding from the ever-present and resourceful Sons of Liberty, found a cave with a large vein of lead.  He bragged that the cave had enough lead to make bullets for the King’s armies to outlast the Revolutionary War!  Of course, this would have been miraculous indeed as it appears that some of the sightings may have been graphite, which is used as lead for pencils and totally unsuitable for the much-hoped-for bullets.  Dunbar never had a chance to return to the cave as he was captured, tried for treason against the new nation, and hung as a traitor in Hartford in 1777.        So where was the elusive lead mine?  Did it really contain lead or graphite? Or was it lead guarded by mischievous spirits?  Was it misplaced?  Even with the aid of fortune tellers and diviners—the source was never found.  Did it ever exist?  Was it a legend that got out of hand?  Could it have been a rock mistaken for lead?  Could it be that even with all the development in the last couple hundred years, the site is still undiscovered? Perhaps we will never know. Plymouth's Constitutional Oak Tree by Judith Giguere In the corner of Plymouth’s historic green and churchyard near Route 6 is Plymouth’s Constitutional Oak Tree.  The oaks, distributed throughout Connecticut are not named for the illustrious Charter Oak of 1662 in which colonists hid Connecticut’s first charter, but for the 1902 Connecticut Constitutional Convention. The primary intent of this convention was to allow changes in representation of each town in the Connecticut legislature.  Small towns such as Union, in 1902 had a population of 428 people and were allowed two representatives, but big cities such as New Haven with a population of 108,027 were only allowed two representatives.  This disparity was the main reason for the 1902 Constitutional Convention however; when the changes were presented to the voters it was soundly defeated. In the end, no changes were made.      Each representative to the convention received a tiny pin oak (Quercus Palustris) tree from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D. C. in commemoration of the event.  Some trees were planted in the representative’s yards; others were planted on town property.  Plymouth’s tree was planted on Plymouth Green, near the Plymouth Congregational Church. Plymouth's Constitutional Oak Tree Plymouth's Constitutional Oak Tree sign      Plymouth Green dates back to 1747 as a public area, military drilling ground and burial place.  Initially, part of the Green was grass which was allowed to grow and later cut for hay. Even though the civic center of the Town of Plymouth has migrated to the Terryville section, Plymouth Green still maintains its historic character and status as a gathering place for town events. As of 1999, Plymouth Green is one of several Plymouth locations listed on the National Register for Historic Places.  The community focus of Plymouth Green makes it a perfect place for this significant tree.      The Plymouth Constitutional Oak has thrived and in 2002 was recorded to have a trunk size of 10 feet 2 inches with an approximate height of 75 feet!  Not all of the 168 trees were as successful and in the 2002 survey taken by volunteers of the Notable Trees Committee, only 74 trees remained. Note that in 1902, Connecticut had 168 incorporated towns as West Haven did not incorporate until 1921. A large sign is next to the Plymouth tree specifying its historic designation and each year and hopefully many more, this historic tree will grace us each fall with spectacular scarlet leaves and the promise of a bright future! First Settlers in Plymouth by Judith Giguere

Everyone knows that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, but it was not long before adventurous souls were looking for new land.  In 1634 & 1635, settlements were established in Wethersfield, Windsor and Hartford.  In 1638, small communities appeared in New Haven, Milford and Guilford.  By 1640, Hartford expanded and established a settlement at Farmington - just 20 years after the Pilgrims!  The settlement at Farmington was the first settlement away from navigable waters. Early transportation depended on ships and boats, as no roads, only rough trails existed. In 1657, the Farmington Valley inhabitants investigated the Naugatuck Valley area for intersection of Route 72 and North Main Street

further expansion. By 1690, Mattatuck Plantation formed the basis for present day Waterbury.        Most sources agree that Henry Cook of Branford, grandson of Henry Cook of Salem Massachusetts was the first settler to the Plymouth area.  The exact location of his home site is lost.  The only description available of his home states that he lived on the west bank of a river in a non-disclosed area. It is believed this connection between Henry of Salem and his grandson in Plymouth, Connecticut (originally, Northbury) is what gave the Town of Plymouth its name. Henry of Plymouth was born in 1683 with a courageous spirit, moving several times and settling in Northbury. He is believed to have entered Plymouth area around 1728, bringing his wife and several children to the wilderness.  Mr. Cook’s grandson, Lemuel is noted as one of the oldest survivors of the Revolutionary War.  Lemuel was 106 years old when he died. Lemuel Cook was at the battle of Brandywine and the surrender of Cornwallis, receiving an honorable discharge signed by George Washington.       The next settler was John Sutliff who may have arrived as early as 1730.  John’s father was one of the first settlers to the Durham area. It seems Mr. Sutliff gained his wanderlust from his father. Other subsequent settlers were Samuel Towner, Elnathan Taylor, Thomas Blakeslee, Barnabas Ford who became the largest land owner in Thomaston at one time called “Fordtown”, Gideon Allen, John Hummaston, Daniel Curtiss, Jonathan Cook, and Isaac Castle, all arriving in 1731. Isaac Castle and his brother built on the hill between Plymouth and Thomaston, which at the time was called Castles Hill.  By 1736, seventeen families were living in Northbury and by 1747; a cart bridge was to be built over the Naugatuck River at the base of Plymouth Hill.  Northbury grew rapidly to become Plymouth.

Following the North Star
by Judith Giguere

     Frequently it took many months to walk from southern states to the Canadian border with the aid of “Conductors” or those who courageously risked their own safety and livelihood to assist these souls on their journey along the Underground Railroad.  Signs might be a lantern, misplaced sign or even an overturned cup to designate a safe house.
     In Plymouth, the Blakeslee family, William Bull, and Daniel Dunbar were ardent abolitionists and conductors on the Underground Railroad.  Joel Blakeslee was a known conductor, historically known for a cordial welcome and hearty meal at his home for those in need.  The ones that lost their way on the path northward could expect Joel or one of the other conductor’s watchful eyes to find them and to set them back on the right path as soon as it was safe to continue. Joel’s son, Erastus Blakeslee attended college at Williston Seminary in Massachusetts and later from his pastorate in Boston, was known for his sermons on the ills of slavery.  Other conductors in Plymouth were William Bull and Deacon Daniel Dunbar.
      The northeast gradually adopted laws moving toward emancipation.  The 1784 Connecticut General Assembly passed gradual emancipation for all slaves born after March 1, 1784 who would become free at age 25 but even then the law did not apply to slaves 64 years and older. Slaves 64 and older continued in slavery as a means to require the master to support them when they were no longer able to work.  The Underground Railroad was so successful that it is estimated more then 30,000 refugees escaped to freedom through this network of compassionate souls to which Plymouth has proudly contributed!

The 1852 Steam Engine Owned by the Plymouth Historical Society
by Judith Giguere

speed under thegovernor control based on the load of the engine.  This responsiveness to load resulted in major fuel economy and gave it a competitive edge over other engines in the market.  It was unique in its time.
      When the A. C. Shelton and Tuttle Carriage Company closed, the engine came into the possession of the Minor family.  Hiram Minor used the engine as a supplementary power source for his sawmill on Minor Road.  Mr. Minor used a water turbine in the summer but when water was low, he would use the Woodruff & Beach engine because it provided more power with less water than the water turbine. 
     The engine was abandoned in the woods after the mill closed.  It was covered with brush during World War II which prevented it from being used as scrap metal.  After the war, the engine was brought out of the woods and rebuilt by Mr. Minor.  When Morris Minor died, he left the engine to his son-in-law, Carl Miller who donated it to the Plymouth Historical Society.
      Plymouth Historical Society has received a donation that will allow the professional restoration of the engine by Connecticut Antique Engine Restoration of Franklin, Connecticut.  The restoration will take nearly a year, but the engine will be restored to working order and its original black color with some polished metal parts.  A “Steam-Up Demonstration Day” is planned when the engine returns to Plymouth.

Plymouth Historical Society would like to express its appreciation for the patience and confidence of the people of the Town of Plymouth as well as thank the companies and individuals whose contributions will make this project a success.