Haddam

Haddam: 1870-1930 recounts the story of a dynamic period in the history of Haddam. Spanning the Connecticut River some 16 miles from Long Island Sound, Haddam was founded in 1662. It soon became a shipping and administrative center. After the Civil War, the population stabilized, as in many rural New England localities. Shipping declined and the town lost its courthouse. Rejecting stagnation, the people of Haddam capitalized on their Connecticut River location and fast-running streams to develop industries as complements to agriculture and quarrying. This period of industrial expansion is exemplified by Clark Cutaway Harrow and the D & H Scovil Hoe Companies. The population also changed, as immigrants arrived and supported the economy and culture. Let Haddam: 1870-1930 lead you through a more exciting and vibrant time in an important community.

Charlotte Gradie and Jan Sweet are experienced town historians and a longtime members of the Haddam Historical Society. They combined extensive research and photographs, mostly selected from the archives of the Haddam Historical Society, to re-create the Haddam of this era.