This history consists of historical excerpts focused on Montville, Connecticut from the years of 1640 up to its publishing in 1896. Some of these excerpts weave the complex interplay between very early colonial settlers and the native Mohegan tribe, leading to a major theme of the history with the gradual encroachment and legal struggles over Mohegan lands. Numerous references to boundary and land grant disputes, and commissions formed to resolve these controversies are included. But, the manuscript primarily serves as a genealogical record, devoting 500 of its more than 700 pages to tracing the lineages of local colonial families. Finally, the excerpts illustrate the development of the region’s early life, from the natives’ “roving and unsettled” hunting and fishing subsistence to the rise of colonial industries like grist-mills, saw-mills, and the manufacture of bog-iron and textiles.
History of Montville, Connecticut
Contents
Introduction, p. 1
History of Uncas and Mohegan, p. 4
Sassacus, p. 66
Rev. Samson Occum, p. 66
History of the North Parish of New London, p. 70
List of Persons who served in the War of the Revolution, p. 94
List of Pensioners of the Revolution, p. 98
List of Pensioners of the War of 1812, p. 99
Genealogies of the Early Settlers, – See list below
Rev. Abishai Alden, p. 600
Rev. Lorenzo Dow, p. 603
Industrial History of Montville, p. 615
Manufacturing Industries, p. 621
Ecclesiastical History, p. 636
Statistical Record, p. 680
Raymond Library, p. 691
St. John’s Church, p. 693
Enlistments in the late Civil War, p. 695
Post-Offices, p. 701
Physicians, p. 704
Appendix
Joseph Chapman, 708
William Walden, 708
Elisha B. Baker, 710
David Gardner and John Gustin, 711
Joseph Willoughby, 712
William Prince. 712
Richard Church, 713
Whiting & Noyes, 714
Nelson & Rogers, 716
Dudley Williams, 717
French Spoliation Claims, 717
William Brown’s Confiscated Lands, 719
Genealogies
Adgate, p. 498
Alden, p. 600
Allen, p. 430
Allyn, p. 514
Atwell, p. 278
Austin, p. 289
Avery, p. 518
Bailey, p. 493
Baker, p. 153
Bliss, p. 523
Bolles, p. 111
Bradford, p. 391
Browning, p. 223
Cardwell, p. 537
Champlin, p. 351
Chapel, p. 474
Chapman, p. 533
Chester, p. 240
Church, p. 505
Comstock, p. 132
Congdom, p. 124
Copp, p. 528
Crocker, p. 531
Darrow, p. 102
Dart, p. 455
Denison, p. 539
Dolbeare, p. 333
Dow, p. 603
Fargo, p. 129
Fellowes, p. 346
Fitch, p. 377
Fox, p. 365
Gardner, p. 543
Green, p. 235
Haughton, p. 486
Hellhouse, p. 554
Hill, p. 422
Holmes, p. 327
Jewitt, p. 563
Latimer, p. 314
Leffingwell, p. 306
Lester, p. 489
Loomis, p. 570
Lyon, p. 450
Manwaring, p. 244
Maples, p. 466
Newbury, p. 471
Otis, p. 404
Palmer, p. 435
Parish, p. 100
Parker, p. 443
Raymond, p. 573
Richards, p. 591
Rogers, p. 176
Rudd, p. 343
Scholfield, p. 267
Smith, p. 293
Stephens, p. 419
Swaddle, p. 592
Thompson, p. 594
Turner, p. 251
Tuttle, p. 598
Vallet, p. 261
Vibber, p. 231
Vincent, p. 448
Whaley, p. 501
Wickwire, p. 360
Williams, p. 458
List of Illustrations
Henry A. Baker, Frontispiece
Cyntha Hoscott House, p. 59
Samson Occum House, p. 67
Nathan Comstock House, p. 143
Alexander Baker House, p. 157
Oliver Baker House, p. 165
Thomas Roger’s House, Vincent’s Mill, Cochegan Rock, p. 198
Browning House, p. 228
Turner House, p. 251
Vallet House, p. 261
Nathan Smith House, p. 302
Mrs. Caroline (Chester) Smith, p. 304
Latimer’s Mill, p. 314
Ezekiel Fox House, p. 315
Latimer House, Chesterfield, p. 320
Waterfall at Latimer’s Mill, p. 324
Elisha Holmes House, p. 327
Dolbeare House, Mohegan, p. 342
Nathaniel Bradford House, p. 391
Joseph Bradford House, p. 394
Town Farm House — Samuel Allen’s Residence, 1720, p. 430
Palmer Bros Mill, 435
Elisha H. Palmer (Portrait), 441
George Williams House, p. 465
Old Elder Palmer House, p. 485
Haughton Tavern, p. 486
Joseph Church House, p. 505
Mercy (Sands) Raymond House, p. 575
John Raymond House, p. 582
Daniel F. Raymond House, p. 584
Lorenzo Dow House, p. 604
Lorenzo Dow (Portrait), p. 614
Palmer Brothers’ Mill, p. 435, 627
Carmichael Robertson (Portrait), p. 628
Rockland Mill, p. 629
Bank Paper Mill of C. M. Robertson, p. 631
Congregational Church, Montville Center, p. 656
Chesterfield Churches, p. 662
Baptist Church, p. 663
Mohegan Chapel, p. 667
Methodist Church, Uncasville, p. 676
Raymond Library, p. 692
St. John’s Church and Parochial House, p. 694
Illustrations
Introduction
No one, except those who have had experience in this line of work, can have any proportionate idea of the amount of labor and patience required to prepare a work of this character, especially in that part of it which contains the genealogies of a multitude of families, many of which are very obscure in the matter of dates, and the record of names.
If a thorough investigation and research is to be made, with dates of births, marriages, deaths, and other events in detail, which is requisite for a full and complete record, many perplexing embarrassments are encountered, which give the compiler no little anxiety.
In compiling this work much time has been spent in investigation and research. The records of this town and the adjoining towns have been thoroughly searched, and every information possible to be obtained from the oldest inhabitants sought.
Much aid has been obtained from the history of New London, written by its gifted author, Miss Frances Manwaring Caulkins, by which many of the early settlers in the North Parish of New London, now Montville, have been ascertained, and their history determined. In the history of the Mohegan tribe of Indians, a large part of the earliest history of these Indians was obtained from the “History of the Indians of Connecticut,” by John W. DeForest, who had very studiously gathered the historic facts from various documents of both public and private record. In the compilation of the town’s history, it has been my aim to gather from its records such points of local interest as would most interest the present inhabitants of the town, and to preserve the same to its future generations.
The illustrations contained in this work are a selection of the oldest and most historic residences now standing, and its portraits are those of the older residents, who have long since passed off the stage of activity.
Much care has been taken to avoid as many errors as possible in the compilation of the family genealogies, but, undoubtedly, some will be found. It is impossible to get every date correct, there being so many discrepancies in the records of dates and names.
To the present generation of the sons and daughters of this historic town, this History of Montville, which their enterprise and that of their ancestors has done so much to honor, is respectfully dedicated by the author.
Source
Baker, Henry Augustus; History of Montville, Connecticut, formerly the North parish of New London from 1640 to 1896; Hartford, Conn. : Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company, 1896.