New London: A History of its People

Title:New London: A History of its People
Author:Carmelina Como Kanzler
Publication date:1996
Publisher: 
Digitizing Sponsor:Internet Archive
Contributor:Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Repository:Internet Archive
New London - A History of its People
New London – A History of its People

Introduction

My expectations for this book were clear from the beginning. I had a theme running in my head and a vision in mind’s eye. However, I must admit that the end result was far more than I envisioned.

The history was to be about the different people that lived in New London beginning with the Native Americans who first inhabited this land, and continuing with those that arrived later. It was to be a history that present day New Londoners could relate to.

I had not expected to write this entire book; there was not enough time. My plan was to lend my expertise, provide resources (often written papers), be on call for consultation and, lastly, have complete license to edit. Having lived an active life in this area for over 30 years with service on many boards and agencies, i.e. political, economic development and, especially human services agencies, I realized that I had tremendous resources right there in my head, and also a roomful of friends to call upon.

I selected 15 subjects and set out in search of the authors. Publicity in The Day attracted some volunteers and I had my first two writers. The others were ‘pressed’ into service by me. However, in finalizing this book, I found that three groups could not be included. With the time planned for research, we could not find sufficient material to warrant inclusion in this book.

The Indian history had been previously published as a supplement in The Day and the author had the difficult task of cutting it down for this book. The watercolors used in this chapter had also been used in the supplement, and with the permission of the artist, Dennis O’Brien, we were able to reproduce them here.

The Huguenot history was written as a research paper funded by the Connecticut Humanities Council. It has been reproduced in its entirety.

For the African American history, I searched for a writer that would tie in the ‘remembrances’ of local people with history dating back to the mid-1600s. Thus, I chose Dr. Stacey Close, a history professor who has lectured in this region. Brian McCarthy offered me the use of the 1795 document used in this chapter.

When I could not find an author of Polish descent to write the history of the Poles of New London, I asked a non-Pole to write this history. I am sure you will agree that he has done a splendid job.

As for the rest of the authors, they were all tied in one way or another to the group they were writing about.

When the first four manuscripts were turned over to me, I began to breathe easier. They were fascinating! My expectations for a book that could be read and enjoyed by everyone who shared a love for New London was beginning to be realized.

Please note that I am completely responsible for the format, final content, editing, and the selection of art work/photographs. I did consult with many and I am asking that, if you find it lacking in some areas, do not direct any criticism towards the writers, editorial assistant or photographer consultant. They were given a time frame to work with and were constricted as to the length. I value them highly and my hope is that you will as well.

In conclusion, I wish to thank Citizens Bank for their financial support; making this book affordable to all. In addition, I would like to thank Roger Dennis for granting permission to use his painting on the cover of the book, Marcia Stuart of the New London Public Library for her help in research, and Faye Vathauer for the many volunteer hours she spent in making this book ‘camera ready’.

My thanks to Maria Hileman, Harold Hanks, Robert Patterson and, Milton Moore of The Day for their help and generosity in the use of colored etchings and photographs for the history on the Indians. My thanks to Tom Hahn, photographer consultant. My thanks to Mark L. Kanzler, my editorial assistant. My thanks to Conway & Londregan, P.C., for donating their time, services and cost to have this material copyrighted.


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