Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/New London

NEW LONDON, a city and port of entry of the United States, one of the shire towns of New London county, Connecticut, lies on the west bank of the Thames, about 3 miles above its entrance into Long Island Sound. It is the southern terminus of the Central Vermont Railroad, and a station on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford and the New York, Providence, and Boston Railroads, whose trains cross the river by ferry. By rail it is 126 miles from New York and 62 from Providence. Two lines of steamers ply daily to New York. The city is built on a declivity facing the south-east, and from the higher points enjoys fine views over Long Island Sound and the surrounding country. To the south lies Fort Trumbull, having 80 guns and room for 800 men, but too near the city to be a sufficient defence. At Groton Heights on the opposite bauk, a small battery occupies the site of Fort Griswold, near which is a granite shaft, 127 feet high, commemorating the massacre of its garrison by Arnold's troops in 1781. As a fashionable summer resort, rivalling Newport, it is well provided both with private residences and public hotels. The city-hall, the county court-house, and the custom-house are among the most conspicuous buildings. The harbour of New London, the best on Long Island Sound, and one of the best in the world, is 3 miles in extent, and has a depth of from 4 to 7 fathoms; the river is navigable also for 3 miles above the city. The granite wharf, built by the New London Northern (Central Vermont) Railroad, is 1125 feet long, 220 feet wide at the river end, and 150 feet at the shore end. On the east side is a United States navy yard. As a whale-fishery port New London was from 1840 to 1857 second only to New Bedford. Since the decline of the whale fishery it has prosecuted the seal fishery (Alaska and New Shetland), and the cod and mackerel fisheries. A woollen mill, a cotton-gin factory, iron foundries, a fruit-canning establishment, and an extensive cracker bakery are the chief manufacturing works in the city. The population was 8991 in 1850, 10,115 in 1860, 9575 in 1870, and 10,537 in 1880. In 1645 John Winthrop the younger settled on what was then known as Pequot Harbour, and in 1658 the Connecticut assembly resolved that the "plantation" should bear the name of New London. During the Revolution the harbour was the headquarters of the Connecticut privateering fleet. In 1781 the city was captured by Benedict Arnold, and, together with Groton, was burned by accident or design.