Name/Title
Highway Petition, 1818Entry/Object ID
2026.014.040Scope and Content
Petition for a public road from Packer's ferry (in Mystic) to the Post Road, May 25, 1818 and response from the New London County Court of Common Pleas, June 1818.
"To the Honorable Court of Common Pleas to be holden at New London within and for the County of New London the second Tuesday of June AD 1818. The petition of the subscribers, inhabitants of the Town of Groton in said County humbly showeth that a road from the Post Road leading from New London to Newport to Packer's ferry, a distance of about three miles, would be of great public utility and importance - That a large, fertile and [?] section of the County now without a public highway would be greatly accommodated by said proposed road - That the road from said Post Road to Packer's ferry, as now laid out, is circuitous, rocky and uneven and for teams almost impassible - That the proposed road could be straight, smooth and level and the distance from said Packer's ferry to said Post Road shortened more than one half and from the head of Mystic more than three quarters - That said Packer's ferry is a place of considerable business, is at the head of ship navigation and where, from 10 to 15 sail of vessels are owned and employed and where members are every year built, and is the natural market for the country adjacent - That the Hon. General Assembly at their late session authorized a Company to build a bridge across the river at said Packer's ferry, which will probably greatly increase the public travel - And that the expense of said proposed road would be trifling and inconsiderable compared to its great utility and importance - We therefore pray your Honors would enquire into the facts above stated, and on their being found true, to appoint a Committee to view the ground and lay out a public highway - beginning at said Post Road not far from the dwelling house of Mr. Daniel Chesebrough in said town of Groton, thence southerly to the Mystic Road, not far distant from the dwelling house of the widow Katherine Ashbey in said Groton, or in some way grant relief in the premises - heed your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray. Dated Groton May the 25th AD 1818."
Signed by Roswell Fish, Jedediah Randall, Jonathan Wheeler, Thomas Potter, John Packer, Elam Eldredge, Dudley Stark, Samuel Welch, Nathan Eldredge, Simeon Fish, Eldredge Packer, Samuel B. Ashbey, Elisha Rathbun, Henry Niles, Daniel Packer, Joseph Packer, James Packer, Amos Clift, Sands Fish, Caleb Haley, Stanton Babock, Daniel Chesebrough, William Smith, Rowland R. Smith, Silas Burrows 2nd.Collection
Lacerte CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2026.014Source or Donor
James LacerteAcquisition Method
GiftLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
PetitionNomenclature Primary Object Term
RequestNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsSearch Terms
Road Construction, Packer's Ferry, Post Road, Mystic DrawbridgeArchive Details
Date(s) of Creation
1818Archive Notes
Date(s): 1818
