Stonington's History Includes Pawcatuck

My name is Elizabeth Wood and as the editor of the 's newsletter, Historical Footnotes, the idea of a blog struck me as the perfect forum for sharing the many tidbits of Stonington’s history that come across my desk.

The ability to reach a larger audience also fits perfectly with our mission to "advance public knowledge of and interest in the Town of Stonington, and of the diverse people who have made it their home," and that includes Pawcatuck.   

Today’s local news via Stonington Patch and The Westerly Sun provided a timely topic and it’s a topic we talk about often here at the Society.  What about Pawcatuck?  When telling, sharing, and recording the history of Stonington, which stories do we tell?  Usually the most obvious and noteworthy, but what defines noteworthy? There are so many and they’re all important; but some are just easier to tell than others and that’s not a true representation of our history.  They’re almost always men of wealth, education, and property.  

Hence, the story of Stonington is usually weighted towards those who left more complete records.  Pawcatuck was the earliest settlement within the modern day boundaries of Stonington and it contains the only historic district in town, yet many of this neigborhood’s inhabitants weren’t wealthy, landed, or learned.  Pawcatuck has always been closely associated with Westerly and for many years they even shared a post office.  Many of the early postcards in the collections of the are even labeled “Pawcatuck, R.I.” as you can see in the two images included here.

Although William Chesebrough settled with his wife and four sons on the head of Wequetequock Cove in 1649, a prominent piece of Pawcatuck’s history lies in the distinct immigrant communities of the 19th century. The need for skilled  labor by the many manufacturing mills along the river was the driving force behind much of Pawcatuck's population. We have some ideas about where they came from: Italy, Ireland, England figure prominently.  Many were specifically recruited for their skills. The English came to work in the textile mills. Italians were skilled stoneworkers and came to work in the granite quarries and along with the many Irish immigrants, they were employed building the railroad and trolley lines.  

Yesterday’s Patch features an effort by First Selectman, Ed Habarek, to energize downtown Pawcatuck: “. The five-part plan seeks to foster the economic and cultural development of downtown Pawcatuck . . . .” The history of Pawcatuck should be celebrated alongside this initiative and will only strengthen their efforts. 

I want to this to be about dialogue and so welcome your thoughts, suggestions, stories, and tidbits, too. I promise less philosophy in future postings and more of those fascinating tidbits in future posts. Tell me what you want to know and I'll try to find the answer and the history behind it.