"YE HISTORIE OF GREENWICH" (Greenwich Graphic: February 2, 1912)

 

Valuable Work Compiled by Spencer P. Mead – the History of the Town to Date

"Ye Historie of Greenwich, which Mr. Spencer P. Mead has had in preparation some time, is certainly a find work, and is replete with every valuable and reliable information regarding the history of the town. It is a work of course that everyone interested in the town in town affairs should have in his library. It has much information outside of being directly a history of Greenwich. Mr. Mead is a very careful and painstaking historian, and the work is greatly to his credit, and certainly most valuable, as above noted. It is called "Ye History of Ye Town of Greenwich."

In his preface he gives credit to a number of books and societies and also to the Graphic, and publishes many of the historical articles which appeared in the Graphic and during the past twenty-five years. He lays particular stress on the description of General Putnam's ride down Putnam Hill, which was published in the Graphic some years ago, in which he says: "A very accurate and reliable account of General Putnam's ride appeared in the Greenwich Graphic of July 31, 1897, and by courtesy of the Graphic, it is reprinted here." 

This account which appeared in the Graphic was unlike that given in any history of this ride, which stated that General Putnam never rode down the stone steps, but went down a dangerous cow path, starting in where the Daughters of the American Revolution monument is located, the historian Mr. Mead, virtually giving credence to the Graphic's story over that of any account of the episode ever published. The Graphic is quoted quite frequently, showing that Mr. Mead considered it reliable and authentic.

In this connection it may not be out of place to say that we have in preparation a work, somewhat different from Mr. Mead's but in the line of historic episodes, with many pictures of old houses, bridges and mills, which we have been collecting for thirty years and around which cluster tales and legend of Revolutionary days. Mr. Mead in his history kindly alludes to this and says: "Mr. Edwards, who is also an antiquarian, recognizing that Greenwich is rich in Revolutionary lore, has been engaged for a number of years collecting material consisting of old houses, old mills and old bridges for a book to be published in the near future. His office is a regular curiosity shop of Indian and Revolutionary relics. Among his collection is one of the stirrups used by General Putnam when he rode down the hill, shingles from famous old houses, arrowheads, tomahawks and other rare Indian implements." 

From Page 5: