Town Historian, writer, and researcher Judith Giguere, life-time Terryville resident, writes articles for this website about Plymouth's history during different time periods. They are posted as submitted below. Many thanks to her for presenting these special articles.
Uncle Zac's Pond
by Judith Giguere
Very early in the history of the Plymouth/Waterbury area, Victory Tomlinson purchased over 1,000 acres of unclaimed land. The purchase of unclaimed land required him to stake out the land, measure it and record it on the land records. The land was pristine, heavily forested with many small springs and ponds. Today, five hundred acres of the land is Camp Mattatuck, the Boy Scout camp which retains much of the original woodland character as it had in Victory Tomlinson’s time.
Mr. Tomlinson, known as “Uncle Vic” to locals, gave approximately 200 acres to his son, Zachariah. Zachariah soon became known as “Uncle Zac.” Uncle Zac cleared much of the land by selling off the wood to be burned as charcoal for Waterbury industries. Later, he built a dam and flooded about forty-five acres which became known as “Uncle Zac’s Pond.” Uncle Zac stocked the pond with fish and his pond became well known in the central Connecticut area for excellent fishing. This was in the early 1800’s. Later the pond changed hands to Uncle Zac’s son-in-law, Silas Hoadley who wanted to use the water for irrigating crops. The land was far too wet for crops, cattle or horses except for a very small portion known for growing onions.
In the 1890’s, the land was sold to Plume and Atwood Manufacturing of Thomaston. The forests were again used for firewood for manufacturing purposes and the pond became a recreation area for the employees of Plume and Atwood. Uncle Zac’s pond became Ploucquet’s Pond, although records are unclear as to whom Ploucquet might have been. The land was again sold around 1900 to Stephen Bradley who sold it to the Scopino family. Mr. Scopino successfully operated a farm for many years until 1935 when he sold it to Nicholas Visconti. The land around the lake was then divided into building lots. Roads were developed for the new lake community and in 1947 the Lake Plymouth Community Club was organized by residents for the purpose of providing a united effort for the welfare of the area and its citizens and it is now known as Lake Plymouth. |
The Manufacture of Silk in Terryville
by Judith Giguere
Silk is a natural protein fiber with a shimmering appearance. This appearance is created by the silk fiber’s triangular structure which allows light to refract at many different angles. It is this fascinating fiber that made silk a viable industry in the fledgling United States. Silk had a respectable potential for the Connecticut valley as a supplemental cottage industry. The Connecticut Valley was populated with family farms which made the culture of silk worms very attractive, the financial risk was minimal and it was an opportunity for small producers to earn extra cash.
Late in the 1700’s, several Connecticut residents experimented with silk processes and production. Dr. Ezra Stiles, president of Yale University from 1778 to 1794, hoped the exchange of raw silk would improve the trade deficit with England in favor of the new United States.
James Terry, son of Eli Terry, Jr., experimented with the manufacture of silk thread at his Orchard Street home in the 1840’s. Mr. Terry built his own machines to twist the tiny fibers into sewing thread. At this time, even Europe was still making silk thread by hand processes. Mr. Terry continued the culture of silkworms, raising mulberry trees, caring and feeding his own silkworms. He manufactured silk thread for several years and finally gave it up in favor of a more profitable investment in the manufacture of locks.
It is this ingenuity that earned the Terry family the honor of having the Terryville section of Plymouth named after Eli Terry, Jr., the father of James Terry. This creativity provided the growth of numerous industries in Terryville and the receptive climate for hard workers and the growth of manufacturing in the town itself. |
Who was Dorence Atwater?
The Story behind the Cannon Memorial at Baldwin Park
by Judith Giguere
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Dorence Atwater Memorial, Baldwin Park Lane
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Dorence was the son of Henry and Catherine Fenn Atwater, born in Plymouth, Connecticut and barely 16 years old when he enlisted in Second New York Cavalry at the start of the Civil War. He was captured by Confederate soldiers while carrying dispatches near Hagerstown, Maryland. First imprisoned at Belle Island, Virginia, he was later transferred to the infamous Andersonville Prison.
Andersonville Prison, which was designed to hold a maximum of 10,000 prisoners on its 16.5 acre location, soon became overcrowded. It was expanded to include another 10 acres but the facilities were no match for the influx of prisoners.
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By August 1864, Andersonville held over 32,000 prisoners with a death rate of over 100 prisoners per day!
At Andersonville, Dorence Atwater was detailed to the surgeon’s office and appalled at the horrific number of deaths daily. One of his duties, because of his meticulous penmanship, was to keep a record of the dead. Mr. Atwater was concerned that the Confederate authorities might lose or destroy the original list of the dead, so he secretly made a duplicate copy which he smuggled out upon his release. His plan was to publish his list in the newspapers for the benefit of the families of the deceased. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, the War Department, mistakenly felt Dorence Atwater’s intention was to publish the list for profit. The list was confiscated.
Atwater ’s list contained approximately 13,000 names including a few Confederate soldiers. Of the 13,000, only 460 individuals remained unidentified. Later Atwater, along with Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, and others were sent with Atwater’s lists to Andersonville for the purpose of marking the graves. A new National Cemetery was to be established at the former prison. The Atwater lists were invaluable to properly marking the final resting place of soldiers. The lists were again so important that they were used as evidence of war crimes in the trial against the commander of Andersonville Prison, Henry Wirz. Atwater, a very resourceful individual, after the work at Andersonville was done, reclaimed his lists. The War Department upon discovering the loss, arrested and imprisoned Atwater at Auburn State Prison in New York. Finally upon encouragement by Clara Barton the President of the United States issued a general pardon for Dorence Atwater.
Mr. Atwater’s story does not end there; in 1868 he was appointed United States Consul to the Seychelles Island in the Indian Ocean and later transferred to United States Consulate in Tahiti. Mr. Atwater became a gold speculator and dealer of pearls. He married a Tahitian lady, the daughter of an English gentleman with a successful business in Tahiti . He traveled to San Francisco, California for medical reasons and died there in 1909. Per his request, he was buried in Tahiti.
Miss Clara Barton came to Terryville for the 1895 Centennial celebration and again in 1906 for the dedication of the Cannon Memorial in honor of her friend and local hero, Dorence Atwater.
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Marsh Monster
by Judith Giguere |
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October 2007 - Stories are passed down of mysterious disappearances in the deep woods and ledges of the Old Marsh in East Plymouth. You’ve heard of Loc Ness, Bigfoot and Champ-the Lake Champlain monster, but what about our own, “Marsh Monster.” The first reference is in the times before the Revolutionary War, when the people first began to settle the area. Native Americans warned of strange happenings on cold dark winter nights and the newcomers laughed—at first.
Terrifying sounds in the night and the little flock said the evil one was among them. They shivered close together as if by numbers alone they could protect |
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themselves. The village folk whispered among themselves of evil doings. The “Marsh Monster”, they called it in the softest of tones, fearful of evoking its presence.
Sometimes it was a cow, or small animal that disappeared. Legend has it that Sara Tuttle was one of the lost. Neighbors told of strange glowing red eyes that night and a howling, vile wind. Settlements were far and few. Strange creatures roamed the wooded lands. The dense forests held animals yet unknown and unnamed, witches inspired fear and damnation to tiny settlements of the new land.
Neighbors searched and searched, but Sara was never found. The small dam to the east of the marsh was torn down, possibly she had gotten lost and fallen in—at least her family would have closure if something could be found. Nothing ever was. In the spring, a small stone was placed in the East Church cemetery with just her initials. Friends walked away and carefully avoided the site, in case treading in its vicinity might invite whatever took Sara to call them to share her fate. Was it an accident? The Native Americans blamed the spirits that roamed at night stealing from anyone or anything that interfered with its travels.
And so the old story goes, the dam was torn down in search of little Sara’s remains but she was never found. Eventually, the little community moved on, only a few older souls remained. The |
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stories were only told by elderly grandmas and grandpas to little children to make them eat their vegetables. No one knows the real story of exactly what was the Marsh Monster and the voices have died away. It is quiet now.
Maybe even the Marsh Monster has moved on to Greener pastures, but decades have passed and the legend persists. Do you believe it? Maybe not, but just in case, don’t go walking when the moon turns orange and the first winter chills come calling or just maybe you might be the one to discover the truth about the Marsh Monster! |
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Ancient Milestone Marker
by Judith Giguere
August 2007 - In 1835, a highway mile marker to Hartford was placed on Main Street, near the present Bristol town line, signifying that Route 6 was once a well traveled roadway. The markers were used to specify the distance from the marker’s location to Hartford and Litchfield. The surviving markers are evidence of earlier transportation networks whose history is frequently lost with the passage of time.
This marker is made of dark brown stone and looks a bit like an old tombstone. It is roughly carved and very weathered. It is inscribed:
19 Miles to Hartford
13 Miles to Litchfield
1835 |
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The date of 1835 is confusing as other records state that the marker was placed in 1815, just a few short years after the incorporation of the Town of Plymouth. It is indication of the growth of the area as our town and the fledgling United States expanded.
Some markers in other towns have only a numeral inscribed which implies the traveler may have known where he was going and where he had been. Considering the rural spaces between towns and civilization of early Connecticut, it certainly seems that one might not have known the specifics of his path.
This particular marker has been allotted a special place in the Town of Plymouth with respect to its place in our history. As you can see from the photos, the town has graciously landscaped around this historical remnant of the early days of Plymouth and our nation.
Photos by Judy Giguere ©2007
Remember When?
by Judith Giguere
May 2007 - Remember when the Allentown section of Terryville was mostly dirt roads and Mark Tolles ran a Cider Mill and farm? Mr. Tolles bought apples from Virginia that were unloaded from freight trains at the Tolles Railroad Station almost across the street from his property. Mr. Tolles sold wood to Chase Brass and hired local boys to cut the wood, work the mill and drive horse teams—for a dollar a day!
Remember the 4th of July, when Allentown neighbors gathered near the end of South Main Street to watch the Waterbury fireworks? Or when barn near Buttermilk Brook, during the era of Prohibition, was well known for its 1,000 gallon moonshine still? Also, when the clubhouse at Indian Heaven was a one room schoolhouse; previously the schoolhouse was on Town Hill Road near the present Fairgrounds. Wild turkeys, coyote’s, raccoons, deer and other wild life were quite common in the hills and forests of Allentown.
The first Allentown homes were built approximately 1830 and on Wolcott Road is a small neighborhood cemetery. Noted residents were Lemuel Tuttle, a soldier in the Continental Army. Jedediah Alcott and Richard Mansfield were soldiers in the War of 1812. During the Civil War, Allentown contributed more sons: Thomas P. Tompkins, Frank Farvor who was in the Cavalry and brothers, Burritt Holt Tolles and Henry Tolles. Burritt died shortly after enlistment of fever. Henry was wounded at Cedar Creek, VA and later became a Major. The Tolles brothers are ancestors of Mark Tolles. Homer Olmstead and Clifford Mahoney were veterans of World War I, and Robert W. Moylan was a veteran of World War II. Robert died in 1968 and is buried next to his mother, Blanche Mahoney Moylan Wellman. Robert Moylan was the last burial in Allentown Cemetery.
On May 26, 2007 a group of volunteers have offered to assist the Plymouth Historical Society to rake, clean and repair the fence at the Allentown Cemetery.
George Washington was in Plymouth!
by Judith Giguere
January 2007 - It’s hard to imagine the Revolutionary War and George Washington ever came to Plymouth, Connecticut, but Route 6 was formerly a stagecoach road to Hartford and stopped at David Smith’s inn, later called the Quiet House, near Plymouth Center. Plymouth, at that time, was part of Northbury. The Town of Plymouth did not incorporate until 1795, after the Revolutionary War, with a population of 1,121.
Plymouth area, as a stage coach stop in 1780, was familiar to George Washington as his cousin, Norman Woodruff lived here and later inherited George Washington’s silver spurs. The Quiet House was owned and operated by one of the officers of the Continental Army, Major David Smith and his wife. Major Smith was a member of the local 1774 committee to receive donations for relief of the poor in Boston whose port was closed by the British fleet. Smith also served at Valley Forge and his journals of George Washington’s army at Valley Forge are in possession of the Connecticut Historical Society. On September 23-25, 1780 George Washington was on his way to Hartford to meet with comte de Rochambeau to discuss preliminary plans for future campaigns. It is during this time George Washington was a guest of the Quiet House. It is unfortunate that the hotel register with George Washington’s actual signature was lost in a fire but evidence exists in several diaries to confirm his presence.
George Washington was reported to be in Connecticut several times: September 1780, March 1781, May 23-25 and November 1789--as the first president of our new nation. George Washington is documented as visiting Harwinton, Litchfield, Farmington, Wethersfield, Hartford, and New Preston area. Many homes have a tradition that George Washington stayed there. A home on Washington Road and South Eagle Street, is traditionally referenced as a home where George Washington was a guest and it is how “Washington Road” was named.
Later, after George Washington’s death in 1799, the Woodruff family had the Washington spurs were made into spoons. The spoons were display at the first centennial celebration of the Town of Plymouth held May 14 and 15, 1895.
Sources courtesy of Plymouth Historical Society.
Early Plymouth
by Judith Giguere
November 2006 - It’s hard to imagine Plymouth, before it was Plymouth, but once it was forests, fields and the favorite hunting grounds of the Native Americans. New settlers were lured here first by the promise of a mine of black lead and were granted the right to work it by the Tunxis Indians. Lead Mine Brook bears its name but the hoped for wealth was not realized and the mine was abandoned. The area was pristine but also a rough region of rocks, ledges, hills, swamps, and woods with very few meager trails as even the Native Americans rarely traversed this portion of what later became Plymouth and its surrounding communities. The Native Americans considered this a hunting reserve and called the pond and adjoining area of Allentown , “Indian Heaven” for its excellent hunting. Allentown was also known for corn fields and vegetable gardens tended by Indian women in summer. Fall Mountain was originally named for an Indian whose name sounded like “Fall” to the white settlers as was Poland Brook. Pequabuck, according to the Native Americans, was, “stony river.”
Early Plymouth was a forested area, with sparse population and hunting grounds for settlers and Native Americans alike. The land, water courses and friendly Indians drew settlers to the fertile, open Connecticut valley. In the early days, it took a week to travel from what became Southington to Plymouth and Terryville!
Town Hill was originally intended to be the center of Plymouth. In the early 1800’s several homes were locations of small manufacturing businesses. A blacksmith shop was maintained for many years at the corner of Washington Road. Several dairy and poultry farms were located on Town Hill near the present fairgrounds. The lack of water power prevented Town Hill from remaining the heart of the growing community but it did not stop the industrious settlers. In 1810, Gatus Fenn obtained a patent for block tin faucets which he manufactured here. Pewter tumblers, plows, shoes, linseed oil, hats, picture and looking glass frames, candlesticks also were among the products manufactured in early Plymouth . The stone steps of the Plymouth Congregational Church were quarried from the woods of the Holt District, presently the vicinity of North Harwinton Avenue. A booming carriage making business was started around 1830 by the Coley Brothers. Augustus C. Sheldon built carriages in the 1830’s. Byron Tuttle manufactured wagons in 1855 formed a successful partnership with Augustus Sheldon. Bricks were made near Poland Brook, and a tannery in Todd Hollow. A hat factory was located on North Street and the first straw hats were made by Anson Beecher.
The mid 1800’s brought ambitious individuals into the business community to create the Ives Toy Company, Cooper Thermometer, C. I. Allen Woodturning, the Andrew Terry Company. The formation of Lewis, McKee Company and the James Terry Company merged to form the Eagle Lock Company. It was Eli Terry, the first of the clock makers to come to Plymouth, made clocks of wood and brass. It was this company that brought many people to the Terryville section that bears Mr. Terry’s name.
The E. R. Ives & Company was established around 1868 by Edward Riley Ives who learned his mechanical and manufacturing knowledge from his father when they manufactured uniforms for the union army during the Civil War. Ives manufactured mechanical circus dancers that could ride the back of galloping toy horses, clockwork toys, walking figures, toy trains, augers, pewter mugs, steel springs and hot air toys. Many were exported to Europe.
It was within this wilderness, away from friends and civilization amid hardships and exposure that our ancestors demonstrated the tenacity of spirit, courage and endurance to grow and prosper into the present day Town of Plymouth . It is this hearty, industrious population that forms the Pequabuck, Terryville and Plymouth sections collectively called the “Town of Plymouth.”
Credits: Plymouth Historical Society
Written and researched by Judy Giguere
