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Voluntown in New London County, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
 

Voluntown

 
 
Voluntown Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Michael Herrick, October 4, 2019
1. Voluntown Marker
Inscription.
Upon these lands settled volunteers who had fought in the Narragansett Indian Warre 1675-76. In October, 1696 Lieutenant Thomas Leffingwell of Norwich and Sergeant John Frink of Stonington petitioned the General Court "that they with the rest of the English volunteers in the former warrs might have a plantation granted to them.” A tract of land six miles square was granted. With land later added this comprised the present towns of Sterling and Voluntown.

In 1708 the plantation was named "Volluntown.” Eight men lead by Lieutenant Leffingwell formed a committee for the management of the plantation on February 23, 1713/14. The proprietors’ affairs progressed slowly and on May 21, 1721 town privileges were obtained. The Reverend Samuel Dorrance served as the first permanent minister from 1723 to 1770. His church, established in 1723, was the first Presbyterian church in Connecticut.

Mr. Dorrance was a Scotch Presbyterian who had arrived from Ireland and was a graduate of Glasgow University. He had been accompanied to New England by several families of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who had followed him to Voluntown and settled. In 1794 a division was granted and Sterling became a separate town. The great length between the north and south borders and the difficulty of traveling to the meeting house
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were contributing factors to this separation. On December 4, 1732 it was voted that there shall be a surkelating school kep and a schoolmaster hired at ye town's charge. The first school house was built in 1737. An extensive textile industry began operation here as early as 1814, when James Treat established the Industry Manufacturing Company, whose successor firm, the Beachdale Manufacturing Company, continued well into the present century.
 
Erected 1977 by The Town of Voluntown, The Voluntown Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is February 23, 1696.
 
Location. 41° 34.471′ N, 71° 51.742′ W. Marker is in Voluntown, Connecticut, in New London County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Connecticut Route 138) and Shetucket Turnpike (Connecticut Route 165), on the right when traveling east on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Preston City Road, Voluntown CT 06384, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Voluntown Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Revolutionary Soldiers of Ancient Pachaug (approx. 3.8 miles away); Griswold (approx. 4.1
Voluntown Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Michael Herrick, October 4, 2019
2. Voluntown Marker
( back )
miles away); Preston (approx. 6.4 miles away); Griswold World War I Monument (approx. 6˝ miles away); Griswold Korean War Monument (approx. 6˝ miles away); Griswold Civil War Monument (approx. 6˝ miles away); Griswold World War II Monument (approx. 6˝ miles away).
 
Also see . . .
1. Welcome to Voluntown. (Submitted on October 9, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Voluntown, Connecticut on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 9, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
 
Voluntown Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Michael Herrick, October 4, 2019
3. Voluntown Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on October 9, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.

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Mar. 29, 2024