Norwich, Connecticut, USA (Norwichtown) (Yantic) (Greeneville) (Occum) (Taftville)
1823 Flood (Norwich)

A remarkable freshet occurred on the 6th of March, 1823, which was caused by a rain of twenty four hours continuance falling upon a deep snow. Six bridges over the Yantic were carried away, viz, three in Norwich, two in Bozrah, Cat Col. Fitch's iron-works and Bozrahville,] and one in Franklin. The oil-mill at Bean Hill was swept off, and the oil-mill and machine-shop near the Falls much injured. On the wharf bridge some of the buildings were shifted in their position, or partly turned round, and the Methodist chapel, which stood on the bridge, was swept away entire, moving off majestically like a ship from her moorings, bowing to the waves and righting herself again, floating a mile down the river before any part of it was broken, and the frame keeping together, according to report, until it passed into the Sound. It had been decorated with evergreens for some previous festive occasion, and these ornaments had not been removed when it sailed so gallantly away. This incident of the wrecked church gave rise to many exaggerative and fanciful stories. The newspapers alleged that it bore off both pastor and flock, and that they were heard singing as they passed New London. They reported also that it had landed whole on one of the islands, and that services would be performed there in future. A schooner from Providence, then in the Sound, asserted that it came driving by them in the night with lights in it.

So great was the force of the water brought down by this flood, that the Yantic was considerably deepened in some places by the removal of large stones. One that weighed more than a ton, and which had been placed in the bed of the river many years before, to support a footbridge, was raised, carried up into a meadow, and thrown against a large tree. An oil-mill was swept off, with a considerable quantity of flax-seed in it. By the middle of May, several meadows adjoining the river were covered with young flax.

History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866 Author Frances Manwaring Caulkins Publisher By H.P. Haven, 1874

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