HISTORICAL FACTS

Lisbon's history prior to its incorporation into a town was identified wholly within the town of Norwich, CT, called the Northeast Society.

When purchased from the Diana's on June 6, 1659 it consisted of a wild trace of land in the heart of the Mohegan Indian territory.

Deeded to Major John Mason on the above date by Mohegan Indian chief Uncas, his brother Wawequaw and his sons Owaneco and Attawanhood. This deed was later surrendered to the General Court of the Colony by Major Mason. Shortly after, Captain James Fitch, son of Reverend James Fitch of Norwich, obtained a deed of trust from Owaneco giving him absolute possession of the land.

Josiah Read deserves mention as being probably the earliest white settler in Lisbon. This was in 1687. The estate remained in possession of his descendants until the early 1900's.

The Shetucket River was named from an Indian settlement, "Showtucket", along its banks in the southern part of town.

It is supposed that the first settlers came from Newent, England to Ipswich, Massassachussetts, thence to this area.

In 1718 sixteen persons were enrolled as Lisbon's inhabitants, but with their families and servants must have numbered near seventy.

Needing an assembly for public worship, in May, 1718, a petition was presented to the Colonial Legislature bearing the names of 27 men to grant them liberty to become a distinct society and settle a minister. The first church building was located one half mile south of the present church near the railroad underpass and served for 50 years. Previous to building this meeting house the people in the section "Between the Rivers" (that is, the Shetucket and Quinebaug) had made their way to the First Church at Norwich Town, for some of them a distance of eight miles, the older people going on horseback, but the younger folks traveling the entire distance on foot. A second church was built in 1770 on the site of the present one which was erected in 1858.

In October 1722, by the order of the Colonial Legislature, the whole area, including Hanover, was called Newent.

Up until the early 1800's the Newent church was the governing body of the community, taking care of the roads, schools and the poor, setting a rate for taxing its people in order to raise money.

During the middle 1700's many Newent people were impoverished in money and material by the burden laid on them by England to help her in military way against the French when Canada became an English colony.

Two turnpike roads running through her territory from north to south were constructed by incorporated companies, which had toll gates for gathering money of all travelers to pay cost of construction and repairs. In the early 1800's the toll gates were abolished and the roads given over to the town to maintain. One of these turnpikes was from Norwich Town over Lovett's Bridge (at Occum) north to Canterbury and Brooklyn. The other started from Norwich Landing, crossed Lathrop's Bridge (near Tunnel Hill) kept on a parallel line with the Quinebaug River and crossed it at the Jewett City Bridge, then proceeded northward and eastward through Plainfield to Boston and Providence.Both of these turnpikes maintained stage lines carrying the US mail and passengers.

Captain Burnham's Inn, (now the home of George Hoydila) was an old stage tavern where the stage line changed its horses in route between Boston and New York. It was a busy place where stages in each direction drew up their foaming, panting horses upon the front lawn, the post-horn's mellow tones having heralded their arrival.

Another stage inn was the Colonel Ebenezer Tracy Inn (recently the Geist home on route 12) which had been torn down to make way for the new Connecticut throughway. This house was built in 1740 and still retained its ancient interior with its bar-cupboard and original paneling when it gave way to progress in 1956.

Rev. David Hale, younger brother of Nathan Hale, the patriot, when called as minister to the church, built the parsonage in 1795 where he conducted a boarding school. It was one of the underground stations for runaway slaves preceding the Civil War.

The old Town House at ZNewent Center (now connected to the church building as a parish house) was used for many years as a general store by Tyler Brown. This Tyler Brown was grandfather of W. Tyler Brown, MD born in Newent, who became renowned in X-ray work during the late 1800's and had for several years the only X-ray in New London County.

Newent was incorporated into t town called Lisbon in 1786. Doubtlessly named after Lisbon, Portugal, from the fact that Hezekiah and Jabez Perkins, Newent inhabitants, traded as commercial shippers from Norwich with Lisbon, Portugal, and probably suggested the name.

Hanover was included in the town of Lisbon until 1861 when it became a portion of a town called Sprague.

There were seven schools at one time, each having its own school district – Newent Center #1, Brick #2, The Bend #3, Hyde #4, Blissville #5, Learned #6 and #7 in the north west corner of the town.

Colonel Ebenezer Tracy, a cabinet maker, manufactured Windsor chairs in his shop nearby the Tracy Inn. A number of these prized chairs turned out in the latter 1700's may be found today in homes of Lisbon.

The towns of Kinsman and Kirkland, Ohio were named from Lisbon men who settled there around 1771.

Jewett City was named from a Lisbon born man, Eleazor Jewett.

Over thirty boys from early Lisbon graduated from Yale College, Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst. Etc.

Up to 1873 thirty-three young men had become ministers or missionaries to other countries.

Up to 1873 forty-one had become doctors or physicians.

James Wilson, who became Secretary of Agriculture serving under President McKinley and President Theodore Roosevelt spent his boyhood days on his father's farm just east of Tunnel Hill.

The railroad at Tunnel Hill is said to be the oldest railroad rock tunnel in the United States. It is practically the same today as when it was first made, although it has been in constant use for well over a hundred years (built in 1840). Standing order for many years to all engineers has been to "go slow" as the tunnel is narrow and not very high.