Day 20: A Three Hour Tour

This morning Lon and I went out to the big book barn. I love the book barn. I love the cats and the goats (now just goat) out there.

Petting one of the many cats. They put up with lots of attention from many many children. We purchased only a few books. Then we went down to Dunkin Donuts, but the line was so very long and we had an appointment to keep!

Lon pushing the buttons to find the light house at the New London Maritime Museum in the Custom House.  I had heard they were giving tours of lighthouses. Getting out to one by boat. Seems that this lighthouse has not been open to the public for more than 250 years. They just started letting people back into it.  This is something I really wanted  to do!  We did get tickets, the last three for the three pm tour.  Uncle Jeff was with us for our trip to New London!

Looking at the Amistad model.  There was an entire exhibit on the ship and the case.
A short synopsis of the case:

The Amistad, also known as United States v. Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 (1841), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of Africans on board the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839. It was an unusual "freedom suit" which involved international issues and parties, as well as United States law.
The rebellion broke out when the schooner, traveling along the coast of Cuba, was taken over by a group of captives who had earlier been kidnapped in Africa and illegally sold into slavery. The Africans were later apprehended on the vessel near Long Island, New York, by the United States Revenue Cutter Service and taken into custody. The ensuing, widely publicized court cases in the United States helped the abolitionist movement.
In 1840, a federal trial court found that the initial transport of the Africans across the Atlantic (which did not involve the Amistad) had been illegal, because the international slave trade had been abolished, and the captives were thus not legally slaves but free. Given that they were illegally confined, the Africans were entitled to take whatever legal measures necessary to secure their freedom, including the use of force. After the US Supreme Court affirmed this finding on March 9, 1841, supporters arranged transportation for the Africans back to Africa in 1842. The case influenced numerous succeeding laws in the United States.

We still had some time left before our boat set sail. We thought we would see what we could see in downtown New London, CT!

Does anyone want the history of New London? At one time the second busiest whaling port in the US just behind New Bedford, MA. Home to the US Coast Guard Academy.

Let me know and I will fill you all in!

Just down the street is the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse.  Run by the Connecticut Society of the  Sons of the American Revolution. We had a nice chat with the volunteer there. He was a nice man. 

History Bit:

Our state hero, Nathan Hale, taught here in 1774 and 1775, several years after graduating from Yale at the age of eighteen. Hale moved here to take over the Union Grammar School after complaining of the "remote life in the wilderness called Moodus" and leaving East Haddam.

In 1775, Hale enlisted to fight for our independence in the American Revolution, soon after being promoted to the rank of Captain. He was the only soldier to volunteer to spy on the British who had taken control of Long Island when George Washington needed valuable information.
"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Nathan Hale's immortal last words on being hanged as a spy by the British in New York on September 22, 1776.

Inside the schoolhouse. They have done a great job with the little schoolhouse. It has been moved so many times.

Lon was getting hot and cranky, and a little hungry.
He wanted some food, and he is just not a fan of sandwiches, unless they are peanut butter and jelly. We went to a place called the Exchange. Don't really recommend it. The food was not all that good,  but Lon was able to get something in his tummy and get a nice cold drink.

Since today is National Ice Cream Day, I got Lon some ice cream. This is the smallest size they serve. This is insane. I asked her for one scoop only, she said they could not do that since she had to charge me for two since she could not do a half order. And no, I could not have the second scoop on another cone, unless I wanted two scoops on that one too.  HUH?

Our little retired Coast Guard boat coming into the dock with the Mystic Whaler  going up the Thames. The Mystic Whaler is neither from Mystic or a whaler. But it is a good sounding name!

Lon found his seat! That is the one he wanted. They did put the chain up to make me feel better.

New London Harbor Light. You guessed it, time for history bits!

Established as a beacon at the 'Harbor's Mouth' of the Thames River possibly as early as the 1730s, New London Harbor Light was formally established as a lighthouse in 1759, in the reign of King George II. In 1761, with money raised by selling lottery tickets, a 64-foot stone tower with a lantern was erected at the west side of the harbor entrance.
New London's Shaw family made a vast fortune in shipping during the colonial times leading to the American Revolution. At the start of hostilities in 1775 and under the permission of the Governor of Connecticut Johnathan Trumbull, Shaw began to outfit ships of line to wreak havoc on British supply ships. This type of legal piracy, also known as privateering, was an extremely effective tool for the colonies, as there was not any serious American navy at this point. The ship owner and his investors would share in the profis of the goods that were taken and resold usually at the docks at escalated prices. A share would then go to the coiffures of the state and everyone was happy.
New London Harbor lighthouse helped to guide Shaw's American privateers into New London Harbor. As a result of this activity, Benedict Arnold targeted and burned down New London in 1781, having landed his troops near the lighthouse.
New London Harbor Light was the fourth lighthouse recognized by George Washington when he enacted the 1789 Act for the Establishment and support of Lighthouse, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers.
By 1799, the lighthouse developed a large crack and there also were complaints that the light was difficult to distinguish from neighboring homes.
The current octagonal tower, designed by Abisha Woodward, was constructed of brownstone in 1801. New London Harbor Light was one of the earliest American lighthouses with a flashing light. The revolving eclipser gave it a distinct characteristic so it couldn't be confused with the lights of nearby houses. (This eclipser was not noted in Robt. Mills's American Phares,1832, so may have been installed later than noted.)
New London Harbor Light was extinguished during the War of 1812 at the request of Commodore Decatur. With the militia nearby the British decided not to raid the lighthouse, but they did raid Little Gull Island Light farther out in Fishers Island Sound.
The keeper's quarters were constructed in 1863 (enlarged in 1900). The station was automated in 1912 (possible date range based on construction of fog signal house, whose date is given as 1903 (discontinued 1911) and automation of light).
The lighthouse is mentioned in Eugene O'Neill's play Ah Wilderness. and its former foghorn in the New London playwright's Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Walking up the 180 stairs to the light itself. 

At the 30 foot mark. They have the numbers impressed into the cast iron stair well. This stairwell was not original to the light, the original one was wood. The interior was also plastered and painted white until they put in the cast iron stairs.  

The view of our little boat from the top! 

Not the best photo of Lon, but proof he made it to the top of the light. The lighthouse still has its original Fresnel  lens. That is impressive.  

More information:

A Fresnel lens (/freɪˈnɛl/ fray-nel or /ˈfrɛznəl/ frez-nel) is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.

The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. Compared to conventional bulky lenses, the Fresnel lens is much thinner, larger, and flatter, and captures more oblique light from a light source, thus allowing lighthouses to be visible over much greater distances.

Lon helping our Captain, John Kennedy, the pull the floating dock into position so we could re board the boat. 

Our return was to be the last of our tour.   There were only two people who signed up for the 4pm three lighthouse harbor tour. No stopping at any light. When we got to the dock to disembark, Lon wanted us to go back and get the 4pm tour also, I was not so sure. It was exactly 100 dollars for the three of us and I was not sure I could really afford another 100 dollars, so I hemmed a bit. The other couple left the boat. Our guide looked at Lon and me and asked if we would like to stay aboard, as her guests just to fill out the tour. Lon was jumping with joy!  I thanked her very much and told her we would be pleased to do that!  

Pretty Light on our way back to port

Swans and Cygnets as we left the dock again. 

New London Ledge Light. There are tours of this light too.  We did not get that one as they go on Thursday. We are picking up Daddy on Thursday. That is more important. 

Lon was very intrigued that the light is haunted by a ghost nicknamed Ernie. His real name was John Randolph. 

We were able to chat with the first mate and captain while we were going around the light. Seems that John Kennedy's father, John Kennedy Sr. taught my father to sail at the Coast Guard Academy. Mr. Kennedy Sr, was a bosin mate stationed on the Barque Eagle. (yes, he met the president, John Kennedy in the 1962 at the Coast Guard Academy, I saw the picture!)

We were flagged down. Their engine quit and the radio was out, they could receive but not send. They could not put out a distress call. Seems the two families and the dog had been out there for hours.  It was starting to rain, there was thunder and lightning was flashing. 

Doing our good deed. We did get wet with rain. We were about 1/2 an hour late getting back to the dock. Sadly this ment I missed getting the two children's books by Mark Shasha. He was in the New London Maritime Museum and he could have signed them.  I will call and ask if that is possible and we could get them shipped out to us. He wrote two books, Night of the Moon Jellies and the Hall of Beasts. LOVE the art in Hall of Beasts.  He did all the art in both books. The originals were on display upstairs at the Customs House.  

http://www.markshasha.com/index.html

It was important to get the boat back to the dock so they could at least get the kids and the dog back home! 

We got back to the car, stopped by the grocery store and picked up some Italian bread and a bag of salad. I made pasta for dinner!  Uncle Jeff stayed and had dinner with us. 

Lon saw the Carvel ice cream cakes. He really wanted one since that was the cake served yesterday at Godfather's birthday party. Well, it is National Ice Cream Day!  How could I say no?

Lon got two wonderful mini figs from Uncle Jeff. A slightly late birthday present. He got baseball mini figs of Derek Jeeter and David Ortiz. Uncle Jeff gave me a bag of Seaglass. We are all happy campers. 

I hope the rain stops so we can do what we have planned tomorrow! Well, okay, perhaps only Lon is sweet enough to melt in the rain and we will do what we are planning anyway!