NORWICH. A city and one of the county seats of New London County, Conn.. 90 miles southwest of Boston, Mass., and 50 miles south east of the State capital, Hartford; on the Thames River, at the head of navigation, and on the Central Vermont and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads (Alai): ('onnecti cut, G 3). It is built among the hills, in the valleys of the Mantic and Shetueket, which here form the Thames; and has exceptional water power, a prominent feature in the development of its industrial interests. There is a large trade in lionber, coal, manufacturers' supplies, gro ceries, dry goods, etc. Norwich is one of the prominent manufacturing centres of the State, the chief articles produced being firearms, cot ton, silk, and woolen fabrics. stoves and titre, rolled and cast iron, leather and belting, and a great variety of machinery. The city is noted for its picturesque beauty, and possesses fine residences, several public parks. and streets shaded with beautiful elms and maples. It has a Free Academy, which was built and endowed by private subscriptions from wealthy citizens. A fine new building, including an art musemn, and costing nearly $200.000. the gift of W. A. Slater. has been erected for• the acad emy. Other institutions include the William \V.
Backus Ifospital, representing an endowment of over $500,000. the Otis Free Library, having 24.000 volumes with an annual circulation of nearly 100.000. and the V. M. C. A. The court house and Saint Patrick's Boman Catholic Church are notable structures. The Indian bury ing ground where Uneas is buried is of historic interest. So is the spot where Miantonomoh fell. The government, under a revised charter of 1877, is vested in a mayor, chosen evert• two years, and a bicameral council, elected one half each year on a general ticket, which controls elections of all administrative officials, with the exception of one water commissioner, who is annually chosen by popular vote. The water-works are owned and operated by the municipality. Population, in 1890, 16.156; in 1900, 17,251. Settled in 16.59 by a company from Saybrook, (named from Norwich. England) was chartered as a city in 1784 and revhartercd in 1871. It was the home of Samuel, •abez, and Jedediah Huntington, Christopher Leffingwell, and Nathaniel Niles—all prominent during the lIevolutionary period. Con sult: Gilman, Historical Disco if Ise DO ho•lcichh in. /855 Itoston, 1859) ; and Caulkins, History of A oricich (Hartford, 1866). '