Hiostor'local 2B Footnotes Bulletin of the Stonington Historical Society
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Summer Number August 1965 Hiostor'local 2b Footnotes Bulletin of the Stonington Historical Society Vol. II, No. 4 August 1965 $1.00 Stonington's By Harvey K. Fuller (i tS th, UOOk larI. tigI Portuguese Fishermen By Donald Lewis Mystic Fires and Firefighters Origin of Hoxies and Hooks bOII44 je4 Ihe Whdehall Mcutiia# aeo44a.4!o#t 4øtd THE STONINGTON CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY CENTER GARDEN CLUB DONALD LEWIS ROBERT W. DIXON MRS. HARRIET C. HUGHES ANTHONY MEA FRANK TUREK MRS. FREDERICK S. HOPPIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PHILIP W. COTTRELL RAPHAEL AVELLAR WILLIAMS HAYNES FRANK C. LYNCH, JR. WILLIAMS HAVNES, Chainiu;n FRANK TUREK, Secretary-Treasurer Community Center Building Cutler Street, Stonington, Conn. 06378 Telephone: 203-535-9327 The purposes of the Co-ordinating Committee are to serve as a clearing house for plans and projects to further the best interests of the residents of Stonington Borough and to co-operate with its member organizations in joint civic, educational and promotional activities. Stonington Chamber of Stonington Community local history it embraces all of Stoning- Commerce Center, Inc. ton and North Stonington townships. re-organized in 1959, is an active organ- was established in 1946 for the purpose Officers: Robert J. Ramsbotham, pres.; ization of some 60 merchants, profession- of serving the youth of the community Royce E. Gray, vice-president; Malcolm al people, industrial companies and civic- in leisure time in the fields of athletics, D. MacGregor, treas.; B. MacDonald minded individuals whose combined ef- social, and educational activities. A Steers, recd. secty.; Philip W. Cottrell, forts are directed towards making Ston- twelve-month-a-year program, the Cen- corrsp. secty.; Mrs. Thomas W. Storrow, ington a better place in which to live and ter's building is open seven days a week ibm. make a living. during the late fall and winter the better to serve the community. All sports in Officers: John O'Brien, pres.; Louis season, creative arts and crafts, ballet, Pellegrino, vice-pres.; Donald Lewis, exec. Stonington Village trips to the theatre and other places of secty.; Herman H. Ungerer, treas. Improvement Assn. amusement are some of the activities of- fered in a busy schedule. organized in 1899 "to promote the beauty and attractiveness of the Borough and Officers: Robert W. Dixon, pres.; John Stonington Garden Club arouse and foster unusual interest in its L. Lathrop, vice-pres.; Alice Powers, improvement." The VIA spent more than was re-organized in 1958, taking the secty.; Raymond E. Campbell, treas. $50,000 on duBois Beach which it owns place of an earlier group disbanded after and maintains, and additional thousands World War II. Its purpose is to stimulate of dollars replacing trees lost in the '38 interest in gardening, to encourage civic Stonington Historical Society hurricane; restoring Cannon Sq. and planting and to promote measures for the Waylands Wharf; placing trash baskets; owns and maintains the Lighthouse Mu- protection of wild flowers, native plants, maintaining and replacing trees and seum, the Stone Bank and the Arcade birds and wildlife. It has 30 active mem- shrubs. Some 400 members pay minimum Bldg., publishes a quarterly bulletin, "His- bers. dues of $1. torical Footnotes," and has recently res- Officers: Mrs. Harriet C. Hughes, pres.; cued the Whitehall Mansion in Mystic Officers: Steven M. Castle, pres.; Ra- Mrs. Allan Dunning, vice-pres.; Mrs. Ed- from the path of new Interstate Highway phael Avellar, vice pres.; Mrs. Edward ward K. McCagg, treas.; Mrs. Harrison 95. To preserve the records and relics K. McCagg, secty.; Geo. E. Dyke, treas. Jewett, recrdg. secty.; Mrs. Dana Burnet, of the past and to encourage interest in corresp. secty. q klI•u i;• H'Istor'lcal L. Footnotes Bulletin of the Stonington Historical Society A Slonington draggerman prepares to pull the rope which will api/i the contenl,r of the net 0)210 the deck of the boat. —Photos courtesy of Joseph Meringolo Stonington's Portuguese II 4 Fishermen By Donald Lewis - nati%'e-horll Stoniiigtonian, Mr. Lewis is the staff (.orre- spon(lenl in this area oil'The Westerly Sun. Over 300 years ago, in 1649, William Wilcox. While the activities recorded are wife, Helena DeCastro, who had been a Chesebrough and his family settled at the varied, the names are not. Those who lead teacher in the Azores. head of Wequetequock Cove and thus the Village of Stonington through its Joseph A. Vargas, Sr., the second of began the history of the Town of Ston- first 150 years had one thing in common, these men, was born in I 811 and in the ngton. their ''Yankee' background. 1850's came to the United States, first About 100 years later Edward and In the middle 19th century, however, heading for the gold mines of the West. John Denison built a home in what is two men came here from the island of After sometime on the west coast, he re- now the Borough, and the history of Fayal in the Azores, that group of is- turned and served on a cutter patrolling Stonington village started. lands which lies off the coast of Portugal, the east coast after the Civil War. From the time the Denisons first set- where the customs, traditions and lan- Meanwhile, in Stonington, Mr. and tled in the Village, a span of more than guage are Portuguese. Mrs. Sylvia had been blessed with seven 150 years, its history included exploring One of these, Frank G. Sylvia, was children: Ellen, Mary (Mrs. Manuel and such names as Fanning and Palmer; horn in the Azores in 1824 and ar- Amaral). Clara (Mrs. Manuel Perry), shipbuilding, Sheffield and Crandall; seal- rived in the early I 840's. Shortly after Josephine (Mrs. Joseph Rose), John who ing, Pcndleton and Dunbar; whaling, his arrival he acquired land at what is to- married Harriet Harvey, Manuel who Wayl.ind and Williams; government, day called Sylvia's woods and lived in a married Mary Duffy, and Frank who took Miner and Smith; railroading, Phelps large, white farmhouse which is now the Bridget Quilt)' as his wife. and Trumbull; and industry, Collins and home of Walter Cole. Sylvia took as his Vargas, after his cross ontnent travels 2 Historical Footnotes Mystic Fires and Firefighters 11-4 %iigiit 1965 Blazing Disasters That Gave the buildings on both sides of East Main Street from the bridge to Holmes Street came to Stonington where lie learned his Birth to the Fire District were blackened ruins. Six years later, former school teacher had become Syl- September 26, 1864, another serious fire via's wife and through this acquaintance and Two Illustrious met and married the Sylvia's oldest daugh. Volunteer Fire Companies destroyed the carriage shop of E. A. Den- ter, Ellen. He and his wife made their ison, where Campbell's Garage now stands "This Tuesday evening at 8:30 o'cloc<, on Pearl Street and the nearby residence first home in the Sylvia's Woods farm- (Sept. 22, 1858) smoke was discovered house and lie became associated with his of John Batty, which are now both part issuing from the roof of D. D. Mallory's of the Mystic Community Center. This father-in-law in the ice business which store and the appalling words 'Fire! remained in the family until 1947. threat roused Mysticans. Fire!' echoed through our streets"so Ira "What we need," exclaimed the Mystic The Six Vargas Children Hart Palmer began his story of Mystic's Pioneer in an editotial next day, "is a good most disastrous fire in his ''Boyhood The Vargas had six children: May, fire engine with sufficient rubber hose and Memories" which were published in the who married the late Joseph Menclonca; a truck with hooks and ladders. As soon Mstic Journal during the 1890's. Clara, wife of Matthew T. Leahy, and as the citizens furnish these, young mcii With terrifying rapidity the flames Miss Ann Vargas, a retired school teach- of the place will be ready to form a good spread to the United States Hotel (on er, all of whom now live in the ''Vargas company.'' the present site of the Whalers Inne) to home" on Gold Street in the Borough; the store of I. W. Denison & Company, First Fire Company Organized Frank A. of Westerly, Joseph A., Jr. who the building of Capt. Jeremiah Holmes, Mystic's first permanent fire company died in 1964 and Helena who died in on to the house at the northeast end of was organized July 6, 1874, in Washing- 1915. the bridge. The whole lower end of the ton Hall with Thomas W. Noyes, fore- After living for a time in the Sylvia village on the Stonington side seemed man; Eben A. Williams, secretary-treas- farmhouse, Vargas acquired land of his doomed. There was no fire company in urer; Charles W. Clift, engineer; and an own, extending from what is now called Mystic. executive committee of James W. Water- Vargas Corners, at the intersection of "Reliance" to the Rescue man, J. Alden Rathbun, John Cameron, Route 1 and 1-A, westerly to Collins' Men and boys formed bucket brigades George H. Greenman, and William For- Brook and north on Flanders Road; sev- from the riverbank and finally aid came sytli. It was christened "Mazeppa No. 1" eral properties in the Borough to one of with the fire engine from Upper Mystic. after the old hand-brake fire engine which be eventually moved to be closer It was the good old "Reliance," a hand- owned by the Standard Machinery Com- to the Stonington schools which his cliii- pump purchased back in 1837 which is pany, and the fire company promptly ac- dren attended; and also the "Mosquito now one of the most interesting relics quired another engine bought second- Farm" in Wequetequock, now owned by preserved on the Waterfront Street at the hand in New York City.