Clarke Family Member Speaks Out in Opposition of Haddam Land Swap

J.H. Torrance Downes 
Connecticut River Gateway Commission 
455 Boston Post Rd. 
P.O. Box778 
Old Saybrook, CT 06475 

Dear Mr. Downes, 
During the recent past, I was vaguely aware of the dispute over the Clark Creek Wildlife Management Area. I had not, until now, informed myself sufficiently concerning the dispute. Now that I have taken the time to enlighten myself, I am compelled to speak. 

The property bounded by Bridge St. on the north, the Connecticut River on the east, the railroad on the west, and the current Clark Creek Wildlife Management Area on the south belonged to my paternal uncle, William Dudley Clarke. (He also owned the house directly across the street from the present Goodspeed’s Station Country Store.) The same property along the river, before the building of the bridge, was a landing from which my great grandfather, Frank Abbe Clarke, ran a ferry service across to the Goodspeed Opera house dock. 

In my youth I spent many hours with my uncle enjoying his property by boating from his dock, swimming in the river, listening to the quiet solitude of the land, and marveling at the scenic view. I distinctly remember the property that bounded my uncle’s property as a pristine parcel of woods. It was a delight back then, except for the time it became part of Camelot Cruises with its excessive traffic using the road through my uncle’s land. That business, at the time, was a gaudy and tawdry eyesore. 

When my aunt, his wife, passed away, his daughter, my cousin sold the property. She, too, has since passed away. Now I feel compelled to speak on behalf of my uncle and his family. Although he was displeased with the commercial enterprise that was his next door neighbor, he would be delighted to know that Mr. Robertson conveyed the property to the state with the understanding that it would be kept as part of the public’s wild resources in perpetuity. Indeed, were he alive today, I am absolutely certain that he would be one of the louder voices decrying the conveyance of this property from state jurisdiction to another commercial enterprise. 

Obviously Senator Daily and Mr. McHugh (my former high school current events teacher) have nothing to lose in this deal. It is not in their backyard, nor does it involve their families’ esteemed history. I find it appalling that the state Department of Environment PROTECTION is being so cavalier towards this. Perhaps it is a matter of greed on many sides; one looking to boost income, the other to gain a larger parcel of state forest. More importantly, I am further disturbed that our state would be willing to violate a trust it signed in good faith with Mr. Robertson pledging to maintain the area as a wildlife habitat forever. It is a pity that we have come to such a sad state of affairs.

Therefore, as the remaining spokesperson for the Clarke family in this area, which, by the way, has had a long heritage on both sides of the river, I hereby formally announce my opposition to the state’s attempt to swap this parcel for acreage elsewhere, and to make it another enterprise zone again. There is a reason it is called, “Clark” Wildlife Management Area, and as a member of that distinguished family I believe it is my duty to speak out in support of those who would keep this unique and valuable parcel of land wild and open to the public’s enjoyment ad infinitum.

Very respectfully yours,

Dennis J. Clarke

pc: The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy, Governor, State of Connecticut 
The Honorable Phil Miller, Representative, 36th Congressional District, State of Connecticut 
Mr. Daniel Esty, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut 
Mr. Paul J. DeStefano, First Selectman, Town of Haddam, CT 
Mr. Mark B. Walter, First Selectman, Town of East Haddam, CT 
Ms. Wendy Vincent, Editor, East Haddam-Haddam Patch 
Ms. Viktoria Sundqvist, Editor, The Middletown Press 
Editor, The Harford Courant