Historical Importance of Beebe's Mills at Chapman Falls, Devil’s Hopyard State Park
The story of Beebe's Mills at Chapman Falls illustrates the conflicts of average people during the Revolutionary War era, and presents a wonderful way to teach history using both archeological and colonial document research. The Founders later crafted the Bill of Rights to insure similar atrocities were not committed in the name of Liberty.
The 1775 destruction of the gristmill at Chapman Falls in Devil’s Hopyard State Park by supporters of the cause of Liberty was verified via "Origins and Progress of the American Rebellion" by Peter Oliver, 1781, a Primary Source not widely published until the 1960’s. (1) This confirms and adds detail to Dr. Abner Beebe’s 1775 Connecticut Gazette newspaper claim that “the people of East Haddam” did “damage to my person” and “violent destruction of private property” "as a result of late mentioned vote", "to withdraw commerce", was because his loyalty to England. (2) Then, as now, loyalties determined perspective. For example, Col. Joseph Spencer, in asking for advice in his 1774 letter to Governor Trumbull, wrote that Dr. Beebe was given “the new fashion dress of tar and feathers” by people who had high “zeal” “for what is called Liberty”. He added they visited Beebe several times, but he refused to say anything to give them “satisfaction”, and “without help from abroad”, he was unable to protect him. (3) There is no record Governor Trumbull ever answered. This is not surprising, since Origin and Progress also describes Governor Trumbull being "as relentless as the Mob." Rev. Samuel Peters, the Beebe family’s Episcopal Loyalist minister, had applied in vain to Trumbull for help after his house in Hebron was attacked and he was taken to "one of their Liberty Poles". (4) When Connecticut’s General Israel Putnam tried to stop similar mob action by the Sons of Liberty, George Washington reprimanded him, saying they were engaged in the “cause of liberty.” (5) The description of a Mob in the text below verifies the Beebe story, and judges their actions very differently. It is the last entry in Peter Oliver's Origin and Progess of the American Rebellion 1781 manuscript, one purpose of which was to show how the Mob behaved, and so justify England’s violent suppression of the Rebellion.
"February 1775 - A Parish Clerk of an Episcopal Church at East Haddum in Connecticut, a Man of 70 Years of Age, was taken out of his Bed in a Cold Night, & beat against his Hearth by Men who held him by his Arms & Legs. He was then laid across his Horse, without his Cloaths, & drove to a considerable Distance in that naked Condition. His Nephew Dr. Abner Beebe, a Physician, complained of the bad Usage of his Uncle, & spoke very freely in Favor of Government; for which he was assaulted by a Mob, stripped naked, & hot Pitch was poured upon him, which blistered his Skin. He was then carried to a Hog Sty & rubbed over with Hogs Dung. They threw the Hog's Dung in his Face, & rammed some of it down his Throat; & in that Condition exposed to a Company of Women. His House was attacked, his Windows broke, when one of his Children was sick, & a Child of his went into Distraction upon this Treatment. His Gristmill was broke, & Persons prevented from grinding at it, & from having any Connections with him. All these events occurred prior to the Battle of Lexington, when the rebels say the Rebellion began." (1)
East Haddam lang records confirm the gristmill and sawmill at Chapman Falls were owned in the period by Abner Beebe, an Episcopal physician. The fact that the mills are on opposite sides, but had common interests, can illustrate the Colonists’ dilemma. No matter what side people were on, business and family interests came first. The property on which the mills stand was deeded on 3/21/1774 by Abner Beebe to John Chapman, (6) his brother-in-law via Abner’s sister Ann, wife of John's brother Jabez. (7) The true intent of the transfers may be inferred by the fact that, after the War, Beebe regained title to the mills, escaping the legal confiscation of Tory estates late in the War. (6-c) Beebe continued buying and selling property with the Chapmans, and remained owner of the mills, until his death in 1801. (6-a)
John’s brother Jabez Chapman was also on the key Committee of Association, (or Inspection) modeled by the First Continental Congress in September 1774. The Committees published who was “inimical” (enemy), and prohibited business being done with them. Despite the fact that England was still the official government, such Committees were the real governing power. Often, groups alternately called “Mob”, or “Sons of Liberty” violently enforced the Committee’s findings, even when the only offense was expressing a politically unpopular opinion. (7-a) Although the “Sons” started as a distinct group in the 1760s, by 1774 the distinction between them and mobs became blurred. Near age 70 in 1775, Abner's uncle Jonathan Beebe was very outspoken against the Revolution, declaring that the Boston Massacre's General Gage was right in shooting at the crowd, and anyone against it deserved to have their bowels cut out. The East Haddam Committee of Association voted Jonathan, Abner and his father William Beebe “inimical”. (7-b) With the prospects of no business, and the “new fashion dress of tar and feathers”, all three apparently toned down their talk. Several Beebes recanted, and restored to favor when confessions were published in the Connecticut Gazette. (7-c)
Abner's brother Asa refused to recant, despite also being tarred and feathered, (8-a) and left to settle in Vermont. He was a lay reader for the local Episcopal Parish, as recorded by Beebe’s minister, the renowned Rev. Samuel Peters. Jonathan Beebe was about 70 in 1775, (8-b) so it's likely Abner’s uncle Jonathan was the same Parish Clerk mentioned in Origin and Progress. (8-c) The Church of Englands' Episcopal ministers urged their members to oppose the Rebellion. For taking this risky stance, several in his Loyalist (Tory) congregation were tarred and feathered, and one almost killed. He also encouraged the Beebes and others to write narratives of their sufferings. (7-a) No record their complaints has been found. Unlike the three Beebe’s who stayed, after Rev. Peters and his house were attacked by a “Mob”, which he also called the “Sons of Liberty”, (8-d)he escaped to live in London where Peter Oliver wrote, likely transmitting the Beebe’s tale. Origin and Progress’ Appendix, pg. 154, also records this same incident, adding Rev. Samuel Peters was taken to "one of their Liberty Poles". Rev. Samuel Peters’ abandoned homestead in Hebron is another of the many interesting local sites related to the Revolutionary War. Like the two beautiful stone bridges near Chapman Falls which are on the Historic Register, Beebe’s mills, with their colorful history and extant artifacts, are in good company.
The first American publication of the mills’ tradition was traced to a Connecticut Advertizer newspaper article of 1881 which explained the "large millstone" which "most visitors at Chapman Falls have noticed" this way; "revolutionists broke open the mill and rolled the principal stone down the falls". (9-a) This closely matches the 1781 Origin and Progress manuscript which specifies that Beebe's “gristmill was broke and persons prevented from grinding at it”. Period context of this phrasing is revealing. A 1781 petition by people of nearby Longmeadow, MA describing a common similar incident, is worded this way; "Seize on private property where necessary, and in some Instances prevent people from using their property in such a manner as essentially to injure the whole...Many things were done by the people and their Committees, which could not be justified..." (9-b) The most likely manner to prevent people from grinding would be to remove a gristmill’s millstone, thus adding credibility to the later Connecticut Advertizer account of 1881 about Abner Beebe's millstone. Over the years the tradition evolved, illustrating the importance of mainly using Primary Sources from the time of an incident. For example, an unlikely folklore detail of the early 20th century named a Captain Aaron Fox as the Sons of Liberty leader who personally threw millstones into the falls in the attack. (9-c) Close inspection revealed that the local Aaron Fox was merely eleven at the time, and only became a Captain in the War of 1812.(9-d) A review of the family tree revealed a Eunice Beebe marrying the real Aaron Fox. (9-e) It is feasible that the eleven year old Aaron Fox witnessed the Beebe family's 1775 horrific assault. The attack by the Mob (or Sons of Liberty, depending on the source) occurred in front of Beebe’s children, one of which “went into distraction”, as Origin and Progress specifies. (1) Purely romantic speculation demonstrating the development of folklore might find the young Aaron Fox meeting his future bride Eunice Beebe while they witnessed the gristmill attack as children, and passing on the story as a heroic family tradition.
Another example of speculative folklore resulted in several millstones now in the lawn at the caretaker’s residence near Chapman Falls being wrongly attributed to the event. The myth of "Aaron Fox's millstone" and it's related photo were erroneously published in the otherwise noteworthy guide to Connecticut State Parks titled A Shared Landscape. Recent archeological evaluation revealed quarter-dress design markings from a later, post-colonial period on the two millstones in the lawn, excluding them as related artifacts. This left the sickle-furrowed dress colonial era millstone fragment found in Chapman Falls down-slope from the gristmill in 2002 the only possible candidate found nearby. The furrows on the colonial millstone are also not completely worn down, as they would be if simply worn by use. (10-b) The theoretical possibility that the gristmill ruin's stones, or the one colonial era millstone found downslope, have some other origin is remote. With these understandings of the historical and archeological evidence, and the the colonial era millstone found downslope from the gristmill is linked to it. The millstone story was so compelling that it had to be removed from the falls for the safety of the many people who took the risk of climbing over the fence to see it, and avoid vandalism. (10-c)The millstone is now planned to be on loan from the DEP, to be part of an exhibit of the East Haddam Historical Society, in it’s new museum building.
The Beebe's Mills at Chapman Falls story received national attention in the New York Times article of 1/25/04 titled “Uncovering A Millstone Who-Done-It.” (11-a) After extensive investigation by a joint panel of historical and archeological professionals, the DEP, and lay persons, signage was posted at Chapman Falls by the State of Connecticut DEP commemorating the Beeb's mills' history in 2005, and a future display officially announced. (11-b) In a striking parallel to the Committee of Association’s treatment of Dr. Abner Beebe, heated public controversy by a local non-profit’s lay committee challenged this re-writing of long-cherished local folklore by the distinguished joint panel. In 2005 the leader of the a local park lay committee began publishing the unsupported claim that the new research had "major flaws", without citing any specifics. (11-c) The original govenment supporters of the project then left State service. Suddenly, with nothing about the research proven wrong, the signage was taken down without consulting the distinguished joint panel, and the millstone removed from the falls. DEP qualified this reversal by writing; "If at a time in the future, evidence linking the millstone to the event is brought to light and is verifiable by the State Archaeologist and the State Historic Preservation Office, the agency will reconsider its position...The State Parks Division would be happy to consider an exhibit, at such time..." (11-d).
In 2007 new research verifying the mills’ story was found in the 1781 Primary Source, Origin and Progress of the American Rebellion, and was confirmed by the Connecicut State Historian who wrote this was "exactly what is needed to help clinch the argument." (12-a) While no one piece of the evidence verifies the whole story 100%, when considered together, the evidence is compelling. Re-evaluation of the millstone by an independent Staff Archeologist of the Kentucky Heritage Council concluded "You can still comment in interpretative materials at the park that the position and condition of the millstone seem to verify the story." His examination of photos of the archeological evidence proved was the only candidate found in the immediate area with design markings from the colonial era (10-b), thus linking it to the event. Even the best-selling Revolutionary War historian Ray Raphael, after reviewing the new evidence, wrote; "We use physical artifacts as a means of telling significant tales, and that can certainly be done in this case... Again, you've got a juicy piece of material history there, and in my mind reasonable linking to tell a big story." (12-b) The Conneciticut State Archeologist turned out to be correct when he first concluded that ''We have the mill, we have the stone and we have a wonderful story to go with it. It talks about people's attitudes toward each other at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and to tie it to an artifact is pretty cool.'' (12-c) As a result of further research, at least three artifacts have been definitely linked to the story; the gristmill, the colonial era millstone, and the sawmill. With the conclusions of the joint panel re-confirmed by stronger evidence, and the validation of independent experts, application is made by this document for inclusion of the Beebe’s Mills on the Connecticut Historic Register and an exhibit at the park commemorating the site.
The mills on both sides of Chapman Falls, and the millstone found below, have definite links to the stories real families on both sides of the Revolution. Commemorating them serves as a reminder to carefully guard civil liberties such as Freedom of Speech, especially when those in power claim that urgent circumstances justify giving up essential freedoms in the name of preserving Liberty.
Documented by:
Lou Sorrentino, researcher, 6/6/08
203 Adams Hill Way
East Windsor, CT 06088
860/508-0812
lou@lousorrentino.com
Footnotes:
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1-Peter Oliver's Origin and Progress of the American Rebellion, 1781
Edited by Adair and Shutz, page 157, 1961
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2- Connecticut Gazette newspaper account, September 22, 1775
Abner Beebe states the "recent violent destruction of private property and damage done to me" by "the people of East Haddam" "as a result of late mentioned vote" (of Connecticut Gazette on Jan. 5, 1775), " to withdraw commerce", was because he was "inimical to the Colonies",
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3-Joseph Spencer to Governor Trumbull. East Haddam, September 14, 1774
Force, American Archives, Page v1:787 3. S4-V1-P03-sp25.-
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF LOYALISTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, Lorenzo Sabine Volume II, page 478, 1864 Beebe, Doctor. He was tarred and feathered, and otherwise roughly treated, by a mob styled as the Sons of Liberty, at East Haddam, in the year 1774..
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4--Peter Oliver's Origin and Progress of the American Rebellion, 1781
Edited by Adair and Shutz, page 154, 1961
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5- General George Washington seems to have approved mob persecution of the Tories. In 1776 General Israel Putnam, one of Washington's generals, met a procession of the Sons of Liberty parading a number of Tories on rails up and down the streets of New York and he attempted to halt this inhuman proceeding. On hearing this, Washington reprimanded General Putnam, stating that "to discourage such proceedings was to injure the cause of liberty in which they were engaged, and that nobody would attempt it but an enemy of his country." Mark M. Botner III, ENYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (New York: David MacKay Co., 1974, p. 1094.
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(6)East Haddam Land Records (Grantor and Grantee), CT State Library, and Parker’s History of East Haddam 1925
(7) VITAL RECORDS OF EAST HADDAM, EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX CO., CONN., BARBOUR COLLECTION,
Vol. LR7, page 6. BEEBE, Anne, daughter of William (father of Abner)& Phebe, born Jan. 27, 1731.Anne married Jabez CHAPMAN on 2 Apr 1752 in East Haddam
(6-c) Connecticut Loyalists: An Analysis of Loyalist Land Confiscations, John W.Tyler, 1977, Page 45, # 78,79
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(7-a) Reverend Samuel Peters, in Boston, to his mother, in Hebron, Boston, September 28, 1774,
Amer. Arch.,1. S4-V1-P03-sp23. Page v1:716
REVEREND SIR: The riots and mobs that have attended me and my house, set on by the Governour of Connecticut, have compelled me to take up my abode And for my telling the church people not to take up arms, &c., it being high treason, &c., ...the Sons of Liberty have almost killed one of my church, tarred and feathered two, abused others; and on the sixth day destroyed my windows, ..."Mr. Beebe and Mr. Daniel Jones, Mr. Warren, and Griffin of Millington must draw up a narrative of their sufferings and such words as Col. Spencer, & have spoke by way of encouragement to mobs, and let Dr. Beebe send the same to me, to the care of Mr. Thomas Brown, merchant in Boston.")
*Note that Rev. Samuel Peters uses the terms "mobs" and "Sons of Liberty" as if they were the same, and that they "almost killed one of my church, tarred and feathered two.” Note "Beebe" is mentioned twice; a Dr. and a Mr. This are likely Mr. Asa Beebe, who was a lay reader for the church, and his brother Dr. Abner Beebe.
(7-b)-CT Gazette October 22, 1775 Abner Beebes uncle Jonathan Beebe was voted "inimical”, for approving Gage’s firing on crowd. Beebes' father William Beebe, was voted "inimical to the Colonies" for persisting in maintaining commercial relations with his son Dr. Abner Beebe.
(7-c) Connecticut Gazette April 12, 1776. Jonathan Beebe recanted, confession published.
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(8-a) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE GRADUATES OF YALE COLLEGE, Volume II, Franklin Bowditch Dexter, page 574 ,1896 , Asa Beebe...of East Haddam...studied theology and also medicine, and settled in his township as a physician. He was employed from 1766 to 1774 as a lay reader to the Episcopal families in the village of Millington, in the same town, and to those of Middle Haddam, in a neighboring town. At the approach of the Revolution he was outspoken in support of the mother country, and as a consequence he was tarred and feathered by the Sons of Liberty in his vicinity in the early part of 1774.
(8-b) REV. MR. PETERS TO THE SECRETARY-EXTRACT. Hebron, in Connecticut, Dec 26, 1776. Documentary History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Hawks & Perry, 1864, Connecticut Church Documents ii, 106 , “Millington and Middle Haddam,...., have hired Mr. Asa Beebe, who was educated at Yale College,...to read prayers and sermons .............”
(8-c) )VITAL RECORDS OF EAST HADDAM, EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX CO., CONN., BARBOUR COLLECTION.The only man, near age 70 in 1774, whom Abner Beebe was the nephew of, was his uncle Jonathan Beebe; born: 1695 at East Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT. His father William's brother. William was born 1699 at New London, CT, Died: 29 Jan 1788 at East Haddam, Middlesex Co, CT)
(8-d) The Papers of Loyalist Samuel Peters, Oct. 1, 1774, At Boston, To Dr. Samuel Achmuty, by Kenneth Walter Cameron, Trancebdental Books-Drawer 1080-Hartford
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(9-a)THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY ADVERTIZER, JULY 16,1881 (Connecticut State Library, microfilm) –Millington. "Probably most of the visitors at Chapman Falls have noticed a large mill-stone at the foot of the precipice, but not one out of every ten knows the history of it. During the Revolutionary war, one Beebe owned the grist-mill at the top of the falls. It is said that he was a Tory, and the revolutionists broke open the mill and rolled the principal stone down the falls, where it remains to this day."
(9-b) Petition of Nathaniel Ely, Festus Colton, and Azariah Woolworth to the Senate and House..., 1781,
Massachussetts Archives, 231: reprinted in the Centeniel Celebration of Longmeadow, 213
(9-c) Parker’s History of East Haddam 1928
(9-d) David D. Field's: A History of the Towns of Haddam and East Haddam 1814, Page 15
(9-e) July 8, 1792, Millington Church Records, Vol. 2, Page 122, and Fox family records
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(10-a) A Shared Landscape, 2005, Devil's Hopyard State Park, by Joseph Leary
(10-b)Charles Hockensmith,Staff Archaeologist,Kentucky Heritage Council, 300 Washington Street,Frankfort, Kentucky 40601Phone: (502) 564-7005, Ext. 122, Charles.Hockensmith@ky.gov
Dear Mr. Sorrentino:
Thank you for the photographs of the two millstones at Devil's Hopyard
State Park at East Haddam, Connecticut. I have looked at the
photographs and have the following comments.
Millstone #1. According to the information that you provided, this
millstone may have been rolled over the falls by the Sons of Liberty to
intimidate mill owner Abner Beebe. This broken millstone (slightly less
than one-half of a millstone) appears to be made from a conglomerate
(containing pebbles in a matrix) but I can't tell for sure. The
millstone has a "sickle dress" or curved furrows cut into the stone to
facilitate grinding. According to Howell and Keller (1977, page 76),
"Many millstones used in early colonial mills were dressed with the
'sickle' or circular furrow dress." You have a good point about the
grooves not being worn down. However, the millstone appears to have
some wear (smoothing) from many years of water flowing over it. Thus,
it would be difficult to determine if it needed sharpening when thrown
over the falls. When millstones were resharpened, the grooves were recut
or chipped to make the stone rough again. Repeated use of a millstone
can polish the grinding surface of the stone so that it would not
adequately grind grain. A millstone could have very pronounced furrows
that were polished somewhat from use. The referenced mentioned above is:
Howell, Charles and Allan Keller1977 The Mill at Philipsburg Manor and A Brief History of Milling.
Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, New York.
You have done some excellent archival research that has provided
interesting details about the Sons of Liberty, the Beebe family, and
others connected with the story. The millstone could easily support the
story since it has a dress style that dates to the colonial period, is
broken, and is located below the falls. Unfortunately, there is no way
to be 100% sure. The stone could have been thrown over by someone else
later in time. You can still comment in interpretative materials at the
park that the position and condition of the millstone seem to verify the story.
Millstone #2. (Caretaker's residence)This appears to be a conglomerate millstone. The style
indicates that it was a runner stone or upper stone that turned. The
dress pattern is "quarter dress" which is a very common style. Most
millstones that you see in our area has a variation of this dress
pattern. Thus, I would assume that it is a later period millstone used
at the mill or brought to the site from a another location for display.
Sincerely, Charles Hockensmith
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(10-c) Thomas Morrissey, Chief, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, CT DEP, April 26, 2007 email to Ms. Lisa Porto
Dear Ms Porto:
Thank you for your letter regarding the millstone at Devil’s Hopyard SP in East Haddam.....................
When Mr. Sorrentino brought the story of the millstone to light and interest from the press and resulted in widespread publicity, the millstone became an item of significant curiosity at the Hopyard.
The Department of Environmental Protection State Parks Division wishes to assure you that the millstone was not stolen. Rather, it was removed from the stream due to public safety concerns for the individuals who tried to climb into the water to get a first hand look and, for fear that the stone would be stolen or vandalized. The millstone is stored in a safe location and is being protected for future study and investigation. The State Parks Division is preparing documentation to show the precise location of the stone prior to its removal. This will also be beneficial for future reference.
As you know, the State Parks Division works closely with Mr. Nicolas Bellantoni, State Archaeologist and State Historic Preservation Office Staff Archaeologist David Poirier. All are in agreement that it was necessary to move the stone for safety and security reasons. The three agencies are preparing to embark upon an independent investigative study of the history of the Devil’s Hopyard area and the relationship to the millstone found at Chapman Falls. A graduate student specializing in Archaeology and Natural History, will begin a study likely by the fall of 2007. The outcome of the investigation will be a written report documenting the findings and recommendations for future curatorial action and public information. Yours truly, Thomas Morrissey
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(11-a) New York Times, Metro Section, 1/25/04, “Uncovering A Millstone Who-Done-It.”, by Adam Bowles
(11-b) July 29, 2004 David Leff, Deputy Commissioner CT DEP letter to Louis Sorrentino,
Dear Mr. Sorrentino,
Let me assure you no one disputes the conclusions of Nick Bellantoni (CT State Archeologist in his letter of
9/19/2003) nor does anyone call into question the significance of the millstone...............The matter at hand is how
best to tell the story, not whether the story ought to be told. I sugest we meet with Nick Bellantoni, State Parks
Director Pamela Adams, Henry Alves, and a member of the Friends to work out a methodology for arriving at
appropriate wording and the best means of displaying the available information...Please contact Jill Carr at
my office to set up a meeting time and place. Sincerely, David K. Leff
On 10/7/04 the referenced meeting was held at the CT DEP's Hartford office with above persons. Also included were DEP's Leslie Lewis, Connecticut College Arboretum's Kathy Dame, Friends of Devil's Hopyard President' Barbara Bloomberg, and Mashantucket Pequot Museum's Head Archivist Jon Ault. This joint panel of experts, government, and lay persons decided to post signage at Chapman Falls in Devil's Hopyard State Park and plan a larger display for future installation. Based on the joint panel's decision, DEP's Leslie Lewis designed signage and it posted at the top of Chapman Falls shortly after. Here is her letter verifying this posting:
Leslie Lewis, DEP, May, 25, 2005
Dear Mr. Sorrentino,
As requested, I am enclosing a copy of the material posted at Devil's Hopyard State Park.
Sincerely, Leslie Lewis cc: David K. Leff, Pamela Adams
(11-c) From Barbara Bloomberg, President, Friends of Devils Hopyard to Kathy Dame, Assistant Director,
Connecticut College Arboretum, email from Bbloomberg@aol.com of 2/5/2005 7:01 PM
" Lou's "discovery" is not as it may seem......There are major flaws in his claims of research and discovery."
From Kathy T. Dame (Conn. College Arboretum) to DEP Dep. Com. David Leff & Commissioner Gina McCarthy
"I got a letter from the President of the Friends of Devil's Hopyard (attached) telling me that the research was flawed
discrediting the work...However, Nick (Bellantoni) re-confirmed what I correctly believed I had heard that day....
( On 10/7/04 as a participant and witness of the DEP joint panel that approved the project.)
(11-d) From Thomas Morrissey,Chief, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, CT DEP, to Louis Sorrentino, April, 5, 2007
Dear Mr. Sorrentino,
The facts that the millstone exists and that a mill existed upstream from
the millstone’s location have been verified. The rest of the story,
although fascinating, cannot be tied directly to this artifact. The story
certainly reflects the diverse attitudes of the time and the tensions that
existed around the Revolutionary War period. However, the DEP places
factual information about the parks on its website and this would not
qualify. If at a time in the future, evidence linking the millstone to
the event is brought to light and is verifiable by the State Archaeologist
and the State Historic Preservation Office, the agency will reconsider its position.
Similarly, an exhibit at Devil’s Hopyard State Park would be subject to
the same stipulation. The State Parks Division would be happy to consider
an exhibit, at such time as a definite link can be made between the
millstone and the story.
I understand your interest in the millstone and promoting its place in the
history of East Haddam. The DEP and State Parks Division has the
responsibility to educate the public with factual information.
Interpretive signage will reflect the history of a site with verifiable
information. Please forward any questions or comments to Ms. Pamela Aey
Adams, Director of Connecticut’s State Park Division.___________
Yours truly, Thomas Morrissey
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(12-a) Walter Woodward, Connecticut State Historian
April 30, 2007 email to
Louis Sorrentino lou@lousorrentino.com
"Congratulations! This is a contemporary account from a Tory who fled Connecticut and
wrote a scathing history of Connecticut once he was safely in England. I believe
this is powerful evidence to support your thesis, and is exactly what is needed to
help clinch the argument."
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(12-b) From Ray Raphael, Revolutionary War Historian, Subject: millstone contactray@rayraphael.com
Date: Tue, June 3, 2008 7:40 am To: lou@lousorrentino.com
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(12-c) Nick Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archeologist, New York Time, 1/25/04