East Haddam, Connecticut
Middlesex county. A town of considerable trade and manufacturing enterprise, on the east side of the Connecticut, and at the outlet of Salmon river. It lies 18 miles above the mouth of Connecticut river, 14 below Middletown and 30 S.S.E. from Hartford. The soil is hilly and rocky, and more fit for grazing than tillage. Considerable business is done here in the shad fishery. It is supposed that more leather is made in this than in any other town in the state. This place has fine water privileges, both for navigation and manufactures. A short distance from the centre of the town is a pond covering 1,000 acres. On the river formed by the outlet of this pond, the water is precipitated over rocks nearly 70 feet perpendicular. The scenery around these falls is beautiful, and worthy of particular notice.
There are 6 cotton mills in East Haddam, two of which manufacture twine.
Leesville, on Salmon river, and Mechanicsville, on Moodus river, a branch of Salmon river, are very flourishing settlements.
This place, the Indian Mackimoodus, is remarkable for frequent slight shocks of earthquakes, producing singular noises, which the Indians attributed to the anger of their gods towards the white men. It is said that some valuable geological discoveries have recently been made in this quarter. The town was first settled in 1685, but not incorporated until 1724. Population, in 1835, about 3,000. This is the birth place of many distinguished men. The venerable Nathaniel Emmons, D.D., of Franklin, Mass. was born here.
