Mystic was one of the most active shipbuilding ports along New England's southern coast during the mid-1800s. At the end of the age of sail, Mystic made a successful transition to a new economy based on textile and machine manufacturing, maritime engineering, and small craft building. These industries carried the village into the twentieth century. Today Mystic is a world-class tourist destination, a community that is both divided and unified by the Mystic River. The history of Mystic mirrors the history of many coastal New England towns, but the images here are unique to this southeastern Connecticut region and will be recognized by both residents and visitors alike.
“Images of America: Mystic” by Mystic River Historical Society (Dorothy Hanna and Judith Hicks). ISBN 978-0-7385-3498-5.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and looking at the pictures from the past and comparing it today.
As part of my local Maritime history research, I wanted to learn more about Mystic and Mystic River in Connecticut.
“The first recorded name of the Mystic River was Siccanemos (River of the Sachem). De Laet, a Dutch geographer, identified the river on a map he drew of the southern New England coastline in 1616 for Capt. Adriaen Block, a Dutch explorer. The first English settlers in 1654 called the river Mystick, spelled in a variety of ways. The word is a Mohegan word and has been defined as a tidal river whose waters are driven by waves, tides, and winds.”
“…the Pequot Plantations (now known as New London)…”
“On the west side of the river, Portersville appears as the first recorded name. The origin of this name is unknown, but by the 1850s, it had been changed to Mystic River. The area on the east side was called Mystic Bridge. Again, the west side was in the town of Groton and the east in Stonington.”
“The population and economy grew rapidly in the mid-19th century. Shipyards appeared along the Mystic River. Whaling ships, clipper ships, even an ironclad Civil War vessel, the Galena… Mystic was recognised in the Atlantic coast as a major and quality shipbuilding port.”
“The Mystic maritime economy dipped after the Civil War. Steam and iron were replacing sail and wood.”
I’ve listed the pages I liked: - page 8: “Mystic Seaport Museum, incorporated in 1929..” - Page 16: “Carl C Cutler, (1878 - 1966), c. 1918. Maritime historian and one of the three founders of the Maritime Historical Association (now the Mystic Seaport Museum), came to Mystic in 1928..” - page 16: a photo of “the mystic manufacturing company, c.1920. George Greenman and his brothers built Greenmanville Manufacturing Company, later known as the Mystic Manufacturing company in 1849. It was located on land adjacent to the Greenman shipyard and the Greenman homes, all on Greenmanville Ave. In 1931, a granddaughter, Mary Stillman Harkness, gave the buildings and land to the Marine Historical Association.” - page 19: The Mystic Academy, c. 1879. - Pages 20-21: the burrows mansion, c. 1892 : “second site for Jonathan Whipple’s school for the deaf mutes..” - Page 22; broadway school. - Page 27: The Mallory Arch, c. 1930. “In 1853, the Elm Grove Cemetery Association purchased land on the east side of the river. The cemetery was designed to resemble an elm tree, and two large elm trees flanked the entrance. In 1892, Charles H Mallory’s family commissioned this arch in his memory, and the elms were taken down over the objections of many Mystic residents. The arch was dedicated in 1895.” - Page 27: The Elm Grove Cemetery Chapel, c. 1930. - Page 28: The Mystic Railroad station, c. 1925. “The exterior of the station looks the same today as it did when built in 1907. In 1977, the station and grounds were restored through the efforts of a group of mystic citizens who organised as Mystic Depot Inc. The station has been used as a model for Lionel electric sets.” Nice to know that the coffee shop at the train station is called Mystic Depot Roasters. - Page 28: The Mystic Telephone exchange building, c. 1925. “In 1895, telephone service was installed in 30 Mystic houses at a charge of $18 per subscriber. The telephone became very popular, and in 1899, this building was constructed to consolidate the Pawcatuck, Stonington, Mystic and Old Mystic exchanges. The building still stands at the corner of Washington Street and Broadway.” - Page 29: The Mystic Post Office, c. 1925. - Page 31: The Mystic and Noank Library, c. 1930. - Page 32: Capt. Elihu Spicer (1825 to 1893), c.1880, “..went to sea as a cabin boy and eventually commanded clipper ships. After retiring from the sea, he entered into partnership with C H Mallory, transporting cargo from New York to Galveston. In 1893, he constructed a library on Elm Street, opposite his home, for the villages of Mystic, Old Mystic and Noank. Unfortunately, he died from injuries suffered in a carriage accident just before the dedication of the building in January 1894.” - Page 32: The Mystic and Noank Library Fireplace, 2003. “..made of brick and hand-carved oak with black iron decoration. The gold-leaf plaque reads ‘Elihu Spicer Gave This Library To The People. Large Was His Bounty And His Soul Sincere.” Explains why the library has a Spicer room dedicated to this man. - page 36: No. 15 Gravel Street, c.1980 - Page 36: No. 19 Gravel Street, c. 2000 - Page: 37: Capt. Jeremiah Holmes (1782-1872), c. 1865, “a hero in the Battle of Stonington in 1814, was owner and captain of many mystic sloops involved in southern trade. As one of the respected man in Mystic, he was asked to raise the flag at the liberty Pole on July 4, 1865…after the end of the Civil War.” - Page 38: No. 17 East Main Street, c. 1910, “Anne and Jeremiah Holmes’s dwelling was built on the east side of the mystic river in 1813.” - Page 45: Charles Davis, c. 1900, Impressionist landscape artist and “began teaching in Mystic in 1891, formed the Society of Mystic Artists.” - Page 45: The Mystic Art Association, c. 1970. “In 1931, the society of mystic artists changed its name to Mystic Art Association.. raised enough money to purchase land along the mystic river and to build this gallery.” - Page 46: A Mystic Art Association Exhibit, 1921. - Page 47: “Central Hall, built in 1863 on Main Street just west of the bridge.” - Page 49: an 1868 map. “..the west of the mystic river was called Mystic river and the land to the east of the river was Mystic Bridge. In the late 1890s the US Post Office Dept combined the two into a village called Mystic. The village that had been known as Mystic, at the head of the river was renamed at Old Mystic.” - Page 51: West Main Street, c. 1920.
I look forward going round mystic and comparing the photos to how they look now. There’s lots of local names that I recognised in the book which are now street names or buildings in mystic: Denison, Holmes, Greenmanville, Spicer, Mallory, Stillman
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.