Childhood Places

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Bill and I left after breakfast, with me driving Ned and Mom's new Prius, for trip to Giants Neck Beach and Rocky Neck State Park. I grew up at Giants Neck: playing on the beaches and rocky coasts, swimming every day I could, skating on the duck pond in the winter, watching hurricanes blast through, hanging out with the summer kids from Memorial Day til Labor Day...

We hiked the beach to the park Pavilion, built in 1935 by the WPA, and then back down the beach to Giants Neck to visit my childhood home and the beaches where I played and swam.

"The Ellie Mitchell Pavilion is a Rustic-style building completed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration, a Depression-era relief program. Designed by Russell F. Barker and others, the curved masonry building stands more than 350 feet long and 80 feet wide.

Construction began in the early 1930s as part of an effort to ease crowding at Hammonasset State Park. Much of its timber and granite were drawn from local suppliers and quarries, and from an abandoned fish fertilizer plant on the grounds. Supporting pillars were fashioned from trees cut from each of the state parks and forests. Visitors could purchase food, eat in the dining areas, and warm themselves by eight fireplaces during cooler months. In 1986, the pavilion and its surrounding 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) were listed on the National Register of Historic Places." (Wikipedia)

Giants Neck was supposedly named after a very tall Nehantic Indian called "The Giant" who had rights to the point of land and passed it on to his sons, Paguan and Tatto-bitton. It was sold to white land agents by 1687. For several generations the Griswold family owned the land. By the end of the 1870s, a fish fertilizer factory was built there and operated until 1902. The Brockett family bought the land and started developing it as a summer cottage community. My grandfather bought 3 lots in the 1930s and built a retirement house, and sold a lot to my parents for $1.00. My father and a local carpenter built our house in 1953.

A quote from an article written in 1892: "Yet on all the varied and beautiful shore between the mouth of the Connecticut River and New London, there is no spot as beautiful and picturesque as Giants Neck."



After lunch, we loaded Mom and Ned's canoe on the other Prius, and headed for the Niantic River, where Bill and I rented kayaks and we all paddled up river for awhile. It was windy, but fun....I tried a stand up paddle board, but was too scared to stand...



What is the history of the village of Niantic? This land was originally occupied by Native Americans, specifically the Nehantic tribe. The history of this territory dates back to the 1600s. War and sickness were prevalent during these times. In order to survive the coming tribulation, eastern and western Nehantic tribes decided to ally themselves with other tribes; specifically, the Pequot and the Narragansett.

In the early 17th century, Dutch traders came upon the area and started to expand beyond the Hudson River. They visited these Native American tribes while they were here. They even set up a trading post near the area that is now known as Hartford. Their intent was merely to start trading with tribes around the river. Unfortunately for the Dutch people, the British people also claimed the same area as a part of their colonies. Instead of fighting the British, the Dutch voluntarily backed away. The Dutch and English people cooperated and signed a trade agreement with England in 1627, allowing them to do business with the Narragansett tribe, which were west of the river.

If only the village of Niantic history could end on that peaceful note! Unfortunately, things changed when Puritans arrived in Massachusetts and ignored earlier agreements. Soon enough, the English and the Dutch were dueling it out to gain control of fur trading. The Niantic and Pequot tribes attempted to trade with both sides but, eventually, the white rivalry influenced the behavior of the Native Americans. Before long, the Pequot favored the Dutch and the Mohegan tribe preferred England. The Western Nehantic backed the Pequot for a time. However, when the Pequot and Mohegan tribes had a falling out, the Nehantic tribe eventually found itself at war with the Pequot. From there, much of the Nehantic tribe was wiped out by the Pequot and the other tribes were eventually slaughtered by the English. Surviving tribes merged while colonists continued expansion.

More on the Niantic tribe: http://www.dickshovel.com/nian.html

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Comments

[Home and Away]

Home sweet home!
It's fun to revisit where we grew up. Thanks for sharing.

[D MJ Binkley]

Giants Neck Beach....and Connecticut
We're enjoying your explorations. Always fun to go back to those places that have created wonderful memories. Happy travels.