• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

West Haven Voice

West Haven’s only independent news source - By and For West Haven

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Archive
  • Advertise With Us!
  • Classified
  • Announcements
  • Contact Us
  • Web Exclusive
    • Kids Activity Pages

Historian’s Corner

January 15, 2020 By whvoice

By Dan Shine

Voice Columnist

The founding of New Haven came in 1638 with settlers from Massachusetts looking to begin a new life. It was situated between East Rock (shown above) and West Rock.

New Haven Topography

 Topography is defined the study of the shape and features of land surfaces..  It is the intent of this article to describe the early topography of Greater New Haven, and to explain its influence on its early inhabitants.  New Haven lies at the southern terminus of the central lowland of Connecticut.  It is surrounded by ridges to the east and west, hills to the north, and New Haven harbor to the south.  The land in between is a flood plain cut by three rivers, the West, the Mill and the Quinnipiac. 

The rivers and the harbor provided an easy, convenient mode of transportation for early settlers, and the central plain facilitated settlement, transportation and agricultural development.  Thus, the Nine Squares of the early town could expand with ease.

How was this homeland of ours formed and developed, so long before the arrival of human settlers?  Much of the following is related to us by Floyd L. Shumway and Richard Hegel of the New Haven Museum and Historical Society:  Back in early geological times, during the Triassic period, an enormous north-south depression extending from the shoreline to Massachusetts developed in Connecticut.  A large tract of rock dropped below the level of the surrounding area, forming what is known as a trench fault of the earth’s crust.  In this way, the twenty-mile wide central valley lowland of Connecticut was created. 

 Subsequent rain deposited large amounts of sand and other matter into the valley, then volcanic lava forced its way up along the cracks of the original fault and spread across the surface.  This lava is known as basalt or locally as “trap rock.”  Next, the entire process repeated itself.  Subsequent action–the pressing inward of the sides of the valley–forced segments of the trap rock upwards, forming among other things, West Rock and East Rock, and to the north, Sleeping Giant.

 The Connecticut River flows due south from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, on a steady north-south track; and it might seem reasonable that it should continue due south directly into New Haven.  However, when that river reaches Middletown, it leaves the central lowland of Connecticut and heads southeast to Old Saybrook. 

It is believed that concentrations of resistant basalt lava at Middletown forced the river to change its flow and switch over to its current course.  The Quinnipiac Indians would have disagreed:  It was their tradition that Hobbomock, the Sleeping Giant changed the course of the river simply by stamping his foot there.  Anyway, had the Connecticut River continued south into New Haven, the topography of this area would have been radically different.

To the south lay New Haven Harbor, an estuary that is more than four miles wide.  The first white settlers chose this harbor as a place where they could establish an important commercial center, and trade with the West Indies and Europe.  However, the harbor was shallow, and the long channel—only seven feet deep at mean low water—was hard to negotiate, even with the ships of the 1600s.

This was the land first inhabited by the Quinnipiac Indians, and later on by a group of Puritans, led by Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport, who hoped that they had found their Promised Land, thereupon to build their “Shining City on a Hill.”

To be continued-

Filed Under: 011620, Column, Historian's Corner

Primary Sidebar

Seach our site

Follow us on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Historian's Corner ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Historian’s Corner

westhavenvoice.com

Historian’s Corner June 4, 2025 By whvoice 1 Comment By Dan Shine Voice Columnist West Haven Veterans Museum Part II See part 1 The West Haven Veterans Museum and Learning Center offers exhibits on ...
1 week ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Letters ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Letters

westhavenvoice.com

Letters June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Peace Officer Memorial proposed Thursday, May 15, marked National Peace Officers Memorial Day. It is a day that we honor and remember law enforcement of...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Editorial ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Editorial

westhavenvoice.com

Editorial June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Have we learned a lesson? The recent decision by the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) has been hailed by city officials as a banner day fo...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Dear Felicia ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Dear Felicia

westhavenvoice.com

Dear Felicia June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment By the time yew git this missive, m’dear, it’s the beginning of June! It seems hard to believe in many ways. It seems Cobina was shoveling the ...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

 

 

West Haven’s Calendar

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

tockify.com

Fri 23 Jun, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM [EDT]: Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT Old Grove Park Public · Anyone on or off Facebook West Haven summer concerts are back! Join us in West Haven thi...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Mark Your West Haven Calendar

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/442/1686776400000

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum

tockify.com

Wed 14 Jun, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM [EDT]: Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT West Haven Veterans ...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Added for June 10th & 11th

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/443/1686405600000

West Haven Historical Society Open House
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

West Haven Historical Society Open House

tockify.com

Sat 10 Jun, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM [EDT]:
View Comments
  • likes Like 2
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

Footer

Address

West Haven Voice
840 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT

 

Contact us

Call (203) 934-6397

Contact form

SITE NAVIGATION

HOME
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
ADVERTISE!
CLASSIFIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONTACT US
WEB EXCLUSIVE

FIND US IN PRINT

Our print edition is available each Thursday. Here is a list of locations!

Letters Policy

Information on submitting letters to us.

Our submission deadlines.

Copyright © 2025 West Haven Voice, LLC