New Haven—Maritime History and Arts
George Foote and Richard Silocka
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Give FeedbackImages of the Past—The Harbor
The objective of presenting this series of slides taken from vintage post cards, historic photographs and maps, both antique and modern, is to show the physical changes which have occurred in the New Haven Harbor area from 1614 to the early 1900s.
The slides of this series cover the following areas:
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1. A set of sixteen maps illustrating the physical changes in and around the Harbor area from 1640 to 1976; 2. Twenty-eight slides covering the development of Lighthouse Point, Fort Hale, Savin Rock and other Harbor recreational areas; 3. Six slides showing the history of Union or Long Wharf on the west side of the Harbor; 4. Twenty slides illustrating eighteenth and nineteenth century houses, such as Benedict Arnold’s home on Water Street, commercial establishments such as the Pavilion Hotel and the old Sargent plant on Water Street, as well as many shipyards of the Harbor area that no longer exist; 5. Eighteen historic photographs and paintings illustrating the type of ships that sailed the waters of New Haven Harbor, from Captain Adrian Block’s
statenjacht
to the ships of New Haven’s West Indies Fleet and grand two, three and four masted schooners that carried coastal cargoes well into the 1930s; and 6. Fourteen slides showing the development of New Haven’s Fair Haven section along the Quinnipiac River and her once famous and still flourishing oyster trade.
The slides of this series are intended to supplement a unit on the history and environment of New Haven Harbor. It is hoped that the pictorial and graphic materials of this set of slides would prove useful to any student and teacher of New Haven’s past.
The Slides
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1.
Vander Dock’ s map of New Netherlands
. Note early Dutch name for New Haven—“Roodenbergh” for the “red mounds,” East and West Rocks. Named in 1614 by Captain Adrian Block, a Dutch explorer. Quinnipiac River called “Roodenbergh River” on this early Dutch map. From
Valentine’s History of New York
, 1853.
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2.
New Haven region before 1640
. Note West Creek, approximate location of the Oak Street Connector; East Creek, approximate location of railroad cut near State Street. See
The Four Rocks
by James D. Dana, New Haven, 1891.
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3.
New Haven in 1644
. The way John Brockett planned and laid out New Haven between East and West Creeks—they haven since been filled in. See
Attwater’s History of New Haven
.
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4. Eighteenth Century map of Connecticut, Long Island Sound, and Rhode Island. Map in the Silocka Collection.
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5.
Plan of New Haven, 1775
. Ezra Stiles’s map of New Haven showing Long Wharf in 1775 and the pier to which the wharf was eventually connected. See G. D. Seymour,
New Haven
, p. 646.
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6.
Map of the British invasion of New Haven in Julv 1779
, by President Ezra Stiles of Yale College.
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7.
Plan of the City of New Haven in 1838.
Note route of the Farmington Canal to Union Basin and Long Wharf. See
History of the Colony of New Haven
by Edward R. Lambert, New Haven, 1838, p.54.
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8.
Map of the City of New Haven, 1849
, by J. W. Buckingham. Note Long Wharf, now called Union Wharf, and the rope walk located between Putnam and Spring Streets. Map in the Silocka Collection.
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9.
Map of the City of New Haven,
1852. By 1852 West Creek (to the left of George and Meadow Streets) had become too small to be useful and East Creek had completely disappeared under the tracks of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad. Map in the Silocka Collection.
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10.
Map of New Haven and its Harbor. 1870
, by J. W. Barber. Map in the Silocka Collection.
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11.
Map of the New Haven region in 1891
. See
The Four Rocks
by James D. Dana, New Haven, 1891, Plate I, p. 121.
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12.
Map of New Haven Harbor
. NOAA Nautical Chart no. 12372, Nov. 6, 1976.
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13. Map of oyster grounds, Bridgeport-Stratford area, 1900. Note slide shows the method of laying out oyster beds along the Connecticut coast. See
Oystering From New York to Boston
, by John M. Kochiss, p. 14.
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14. “The grid of latitude and longitude lines that overlays every chart enables a mariner to pinpoint any location on it. Longitude is reckoned by degrees east (E) or west (W) of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, and latitude is indicated as north (N) or south (S) of the equator. Thus, the coordinates 20° W20° N mark a spot just off Africa’s west coast (blue dot).” See
Navigation
, Time Inc., 1975, p. 24.
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15. “The aerial photograph at right, taken at 6,000 feet, was used by cartographers to chart a section of Great and Little St. James, Virgin Islands. Ragged lines of cliffs, defined by breakers, alternate with smooth beaches along the coast lines. A profusion of rocks, particularly off the southern shore of the smaller island, poses navigational hazards. The two white specks in the coves at the top and center of the picture are anchored boats.” See
Navigation
, Time Inc., 1975, p. 14.
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16. “This chart of Great and Little St. James Islands duplicates all of the coastal characteristics depicted in the aerial photograph opposite, and includes water depths for the entire area. Hatch marks along the shore indicate bluffs, and chart points out small but dangerous rocks only a few yards from the beach. Wherever possible—as with Welk Rocks to the east of the islands—the cartographers have even drawn the true shapes of the rocks, though they are 25 yards or less in length.” See
Navigation
, Time, Inc., 1975, p. 15.
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17.
Savin Rock
. Northern view of Savin Rock and Hotel, West Haven., ca. 1870. Savin Rock on the West Haven shore was an important recreational area from the early 1800’s to the 1970’s when redevelopment changed the character of the “Rock.” See
History and Antiquities of New Haven
by J. W. Barber, p. 203.
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18.
Savin Rock
. profile, Wilcox Pier in distance. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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19.
Savin Rock
. View from the top of Savin Rock “Lovers’ Lane” looking toward the north. East Haven shore in the distance, ca. 1900. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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20.
Savin Rock
. Wilcox’s Pavilion and Restaurant at Savin Rock, ca. 1900. Silocka Collection.
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21.
Savin Rock
. View of Wilcox’s Pier ca. 1906. From Wilcox’s Pier one could take a ferry to Lighthouse Point. See Slide 30. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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22.
Savin Rock
. Roller Coaster over the water at Savin Rock, 1930s. Photograph in the Silocka Collection.
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23.
Savin Rock
. “Shoot the Chutes,” White City, Savin Rock, Connecticut. White City was one of the amusement areas of Savin Rock during the 1890s and 1900s. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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24. View of the fountain and pavilion on Beach Street, Savin Rock, ca. 1903. See
New Haven and Yale University
by A. Wittemann, 1903, p. 23.
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25.
Savin Rock Rock Theater on Beach Street
, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut, ca. 1905. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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26.
Savin Rock
. View of “White City.” Note bandstand to the right of the slide, ca. 1905. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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27.
Savin Rock
. View of “White City,” Savin Rock, 1976. Note bandstand (see slide 26). Photograph in the Silocka Collection.
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28.
Lighthouse Point
. Aerial view of Lighthouse Point, 1970s. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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29.
Lighthouse Point
. View of Lighthouse Point looking to the southeast, ca. 1900. The old lighthouse on Five Mile Point was built by the U.S. Government in 1845. The lighthouse was in operation until 1877, when it was replaced by the Southwest Ledge Lighthouse. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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30.
Lighthouse Point
. Ferry landing at Lighthouse Point. From here for 10¢ one could take a ferry across the Harbor to Savin Rock, West Haven. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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31.
Lighthouse Point
. The “Old Guards” at Lighthouse Point, ca. 1900. These Civil War seacoast guns may have been removed from Fort Hale during the 1900s. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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32.
Lighthouse Point
. “Bathing Beauties, Lighthouse Point Beach, New Haven,” ca. 1915. Photograph by New Haven photographer T. S. Bronson. See
This Was Connecticut
by Martin W. Sandler, p. 46.
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33.
Fort Hale.
View of British fleet entering New Haven Harbor on July 4, 1779. See
The Sailing Ship
by Jan DeHartog, Odyssey Press, 1964, p. 31.
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34. View of British troops landing from an eighteenth century print. This slide can be used to illustrate the landing of Crown forces in the New Haven area on July 5, 1779. Print in the Silocka Collection.
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35.
Fort Hale
. Map of Fort Hale titled “A Rough Draft of New Haven Fort.” Fort Hale was known as Black Rock Fort during the period of the American Revolution. See
Black Rock Fort
by Leonard E. Adams, Fort Hale Restoration Project, Inc., 1975.
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36.
Fort Hale
. View of Black Rock Fort in the American Revolution, 1775-1783. See cover of
Black Rock Fort
by Leonard E. Adams, Fort Hale Restoration Project, Inc., 1975.
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37.
Fort Hale
. View of the reconstructed Black Rock Fort as it appears today. Note men of the reactivated Webb’s Regiment in front of Black Rock Fort. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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38.
Fort Hale
. View of Fort Hale Park ca. 1900. Note the remains of the Civil War fort (mounds in the upper right of the slide). Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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39. View of Fort Hale as it appeared after the war of 1812. This circular stone fort was built on the site of the old Black Rock Fort. See
New Haven
by G. D. Seymour, p. 713.
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40. Destroying old Fort Hale in 1865. See Connecticut Quarterly, no. 3, 1898, “New Haven Defenses” by Louise Greene.
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41.
Fort Hale
. South view of New Haven and Fort Hale, 1825. Note West Rock to the left of the slide. East Rock is to the right. Fort Hale is just left of center. J. W. Barber engraving in the Silocka Collection.
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42. Fort Hale Park. Summer House, ca. 1918. The “Summer House” still stands at Fort Hale Park. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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43.
Morris Cove
. Old Morris House before restoration, ca. 1908. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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44.
Harbor View, 1779
. Southeast view of New Haven from the East Haven shore. A. is Long Wharf, B. West Rock, C. is East Rock, H. is Yale College, J. is the pier, and K. is the home of General Benedict Arnold. See
The British Invasion of New Haven
by C. H Townsend, 1879, p. 7.
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45.
Harbor View, ca. 1845
. New Haven from the southeast. Beneath this deceptive, sleepy view of New Haven from the east side of the Harbor in the 1840’s, the city was gradually assuming its character as an industrial center. See A
Graphic View of New Haven
, NHCHS, 1976, p. 46.
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46.
Harbor View, 1849
. “New Haven, Connecticut from Ferry Hill.” Note Long Wharf, steamboats and smoking factories.
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47.
The waterfront in the 1830s
. Scene along Water Street in the 1830’s shows the Pavilion Hotel at the left and Brewster’s carriage factory at the extreme right. See
New Haven
by G. D. Seymour, p. 738.
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48.
The water front, ca. 1830s.
“The Brewster Carriage Factory” James Brewster’s carriage factory at the foot of Wooster Street. Here was begun the great carriage industry, for which they city was world famous. See
New Haven
by G. V. Seymour, p. 378.
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49.
The Water front
. The Pavilion Hotel, Water Street. This was one of New haven’s best hotels, built about 1816. The hotel, up to the Civil War, was a favorite resort for southerners who spent summers here. The hotel was demolished during the 1900s. See
New Haven
by G. D. Seymour, p. 736.
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50.
The Benedict Arnold house (built 1771)
. Formerly on the north side of Water Street about midway between Union and Olive Streets. Noah Webster lived there from 1789 to 1807, and here he started his dictionary. The house was torn down in the 1930s: See
Revolutionary Characters of New Haven
by Seymour C. Loomis, 1911, p. 73.
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51.
Waterfront
. The Ralph Isaacs House on Water Street, built in 1771. Ralph Isaacs was a well-to-do New Haven merchant prior to the American Revolution. See
New Haven
by G. D. Seymour, p. 776.
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52.
Waterfront.
The Sargent factory on Water Street, ca. 1880s. See
Journal NHCHS
Vol. 24, No. 1 Spring, 1976, p. 20.
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53.
Waterfront
. New York and New Haven Steamboat Office, ca. 1864, Water Street area. The arrival of the steamboat “Fulton” at New Haven on March 21, 1815 marked the beginning of Long Island Sound steam navigation and a century of steamboat service between New York City and New Haven. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, NHCHS, 1976.
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54.
Waterfront
. An illustrated ad for the New Haven Steamboat Line, 1860. Note the fare of one dollar to New York and no charge for berths. Silocka Collection.
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55.
Waterfront
. The steamboat “Continental,” ca. 1861. Steamboats such as the “Continental,” shown leaving Belle Dock, provided fast, luxurious service between New Haven and New York. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies,
NHCHS, 1976, pp. 44-50.
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56.
Waterfront
. Steamboat “Richard Peck.” The “Richard Peck” was built in 1892. It was the New Haven Steamboat Co.’s first departure from the side-wheeler. By 1918 the increased use of rail transportation between New York and New Haven brought an end to steamboat service from New Haven. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
p. 50.
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57.
Waterfront
. View of Canal Dock, ca. 1900. Note rail and water connection. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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58.
Waterfront
. Camp Terry, ca. 1862-5. Camp Terry was a Civil War training camp located on Grape Vine Point (See slide 11) near Chapel and James Streets. See
Fair Haven
by Doris B. Townshend, NHCHS, 1976. p. 60.
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59.
Waterfront
. The Bigelow Co. in the 1880’s. The Bigelow Boiler Co. occupies most of the territory where soldiers of the 23rd, 27th and 28th Connecticut Volunteers were trained. It was known as Camp Terry. See
Fair Haven
by D. B. Townshend, p. 101.
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60.
Farmington Canal
. The canal boat “Pioneer” on the Farmington Canal, near the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. The canal was charted in 1822 by James Hillhouse of New Haven. The canal eventually reached Northampton, Mass by 1832 and was out of business in 1847. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 21.
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61.
Farmington Canal
. The old Union Street Market which was located at the end of the old Farmington Canal. See
New Haven
by G. D. Seymour, p. 735.
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62.
Long Wharf
. William Lanson, builder of Long Wharf. William Lanson was a local contractor and a prosperous member of New Haven’s Black community. In 1810 Lanson began the work to extend Union Wharf to the “Pier.” Lanson extended the wharf 1,500 feet. The total length of the wharf was now 3,500 feet. See
New Haven
:
The Revolutionary Generation
. Vol. II. p. 5.
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63.
Long Wharf
. View on Long Wharf in 1850. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 18.
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64.
Long Wharf
. View of Long Wharf from Custom House Square, 1864. This view looks east down the long expanse of the wharf. See
Shallops
,
Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 19.
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65.
Long Wharf
. View of Custom House Square. The Custom House Square was a section south of State and Water Streets. The Custom House was built by the government in 1812. Photograph in the Silocka Collection.
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66.
Long Wharf
. Fire at Long Wharf, October, 1820. Probably the most destructive fire in the early history of the city occurred one October night in 1820 and destroyed some twenty-six stores and warehouses on Long Wharf.
The New Haven Almanac
, 1906, p. 13.
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67.
The Phipps House
. The captain Solomon Phipps’s house on old Meadow and Whiting Streets. Here in the days before the American Revolution Captain Phipps taught young men navigation. The house was razed in the 1900s. Meadow and Whiting Streets disappeared during the 1960s. Photograph in the Silocka Collection.
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68.
Waterfront. Bay View Park, ca. 1914.
The Civil War Monument commemorates the training camp of the 9th Connecticut Volunteers. City Point, site of the park, was long known as Oyster Point, because of the productive oyster beds off its shore. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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69.
Shipyard
. This view is of a typical nineteenth century shipyard that could be found in the New Haven area. Ca. 1855. See
Portrait of a Port, Boston 1852-1914
by W. H. Bunting, p 76.
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70.
Shipyard
. The frame of a ship, a diagram of how a ship was framed. See
Seaman’s Friend
by R. H. Dana, Jr., 1842, Plate III.
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71.
Shipyard
. A vessel in frame, ca. 1868. See
Portrait of a Port
, p. 86.
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72.
Waterfront
. Shipbuilding. Launching of the four masted schooner “Lucinda Sutton” at Gesner and Mar Shipyards, West Haven, July 21, 1891. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 52.
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73.
New Haven Ships
. Dutch
Statenjacht.
This ship was designed for inland and coastal use in Holland’s shallow waters. In the open sea the “lee boards” were lowered to act as a keel. Captain Adrian Block may have used a ship like this on his visit to New Haven in 1614. See
The Sailing
Ship by Jan DeHartog, 1964, p. 26.
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74.
New Haven Ships
. Landing at Quinnipiac in 1638. Members of the Eaton-Davenport group sailed from Boston on a small coasting vessel, the “Hector.” The landing site was near the present corner of George and College Streets. See slide 74. See
Stories of Old New Haven
by E. H. Baldwin, p. 32.
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75. Panorama looking southeast, New Haven. The Oak Street Connector marks the location of West Creek and the landing site of the “Hector” in April, 1638. Postcard by The Color Studio, New Haven.
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76.
New Haven Ships
. “The Ship in a Summer Cloud.” The “Great Shippe” was lost at sea in 1646 carrying one-fifth of the New Haven Colony’s wealth and seventy of its citizens. This misfortune was made famous by the mysterious appearance of a “ghost” ship the following spring. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 5.
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77.
New Haven Ships
. The West Indies trading brig “Favorite” entering New Haven Harbor ca. 1865. Trade with the West Indies was, for 250 years, New Haven’s principal foreign commerce. New Haven shipped food, livestock and timber products to the Caribbean. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 34.
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78.
New Haven Ships
. The coasting schooner “Minerva Wedmore” of New Haven, ca. 1870. New Haven’s shallow harbor could easily accommodate the relatively small sloops, brigs, and schooners used in the West Indies trade. See
Shallops, Sloops a Sharpies
, pp. 34-44.
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79.
New Haven Ships
. Chart of sailing vessel types. See
The Seaman’s Friend
by R. H. Dana, Jr., Boston, 1842, Plate IV.
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80.
New Haven Ships
. The knockabout Schooner “Washakie” of Boston, ca. 1906. Ships such as the “Washakie” were once a familiar sight in the Harbor. They were used for fishing and carrying light cargoes. See
Portrait of a Port
, p. 210.
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81.
New Haven Ships
. The three-masted schooner “J. E. DuBignon.” The last half of the nineteenth century saw coasting schooners reach their maximum development. The expansion of coastal sail was a direct consequence of the growth of American industry and cities. See
Portrait of
a
Port
, p. 250.
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82.
New Haven Ships
. View of the four master “Stanley M. Seaman,” ca. 1908. Schooners like the: Stanley M.” carried cargoes of lumber, wood pulp, and coal to New Haven. See
Portrait of a Port
, p. 282.
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83.
New Haven Ships
. Tugboat “James H. Hogan” alongside the coasting schooner “New Era” ca. 1900, New Haven Harbor. See
Shallops, Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 42.
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84.
New Haven Ships
. Dockside view, showing rail and water connections, ca. 1904, at New Haven Harbor. See
Guide to New Haven
,
New Haven Chamber of Commerce, 1904, p. 11.
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85.
New Haven Ships
. The “Traveler” on East Reef, Thimble Islands, August 12, 1907. Navigation could be hazardous for coastal sail. See
This Was Connecticut
by Martin W. Sandler, p. 57.
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86.
Ships
. The coastal freighter “Carib” passes a line of coasting schooners. By 1905 the demand for coastal sail steadily declined. By the 1940s the once proud schooner was a rare sight in New Haven Harbor. See
Portrait of a Port
, p. 218.
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87.
Fair Haven.
South view of Fair Haven, ca. 1836. See
Connecticut Historical Collections
by J. W. Barber, 1836, p. 159.
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88.
Fair Haven
. Fair Haven as seen from the south, ca. 1850. This early view of Fair Haven, looking north up the Quinnipiac River, shows much of the economic activities of the area. Shipyards, oyster houses, and oyster keg factories can be seen. See
History and Antiquities of New Haven
by J. W. Barber, 1870, p. 198.
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89.
Fair Haven
. View of fish and oyster houses along the Quinnipiac River, ca. 1916. Postcard in the Silocka Collection.
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90.
Fair Haven
. Fair Haven sharpie. The sharpie was New Haven’s contribution to small boat design. See
Oystering From New York to Boston
, p. 94.
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91.
Fair Haven
. View of a fifty bushel canoe or dugout on the Quinnipiac River, ca. 1901. Such canoes were once used by New Haven oystermen to harvest their catch. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 93.
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92.
Fair Haven
. River Scene. Oyster dugouts and a two-masted sharpie on the Quinnipiac River, ca. 1890s. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 92.
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93.
Oystering
. Anatomy of the oyster. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 6.
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94.
Oystering
. Oyster opening tools. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 67.
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95.
Oystering
. Tonging for oysters, ca. 1855. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 31.
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96.
Oystering
. Photograph of an oysterman tonging for oysters. Note oysters on the deck. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 82.
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97.
Oystering
. View of the principal storehouses, opening shops, and packing house of the H. C. Rowe Co. of Fair Haven, ca. 1885. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 57.
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98.
Oystering
. View of the F. F. Brown and Son’s oyster dock on the Quinnipiac River. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 56.
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99.
Oystering
. Powered oyster boat. Gasoline powered oyster boats, such as the “Isabella” shown here at City Point in June, 1907, were replacing the sharpie by 1900. See
Shallops
,
Sloops and Sharpies
, p. 59.
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100.
Oystering
. Oyster boat. The suction dredger “Quinnipiac” of New Haven, used mainly for clearing ground and catching oyster shells, gathering as many as 200,000 bushels of shells in a season. See
Oystering from New York to Boston
, p. 153.