Venture Smith and the Dibble Creek Site

It is an exceptional day with light wind and temperatures rising up to near 70F. Recently, I found a book that has provided a lot of new details about prehistoric and historic Native American habitations - "Connecticut's Indigenous Peoples",  by Lucianne Lavin. Of course, the coastal areas were a horn-of-plenty for the first peoples, but it can be difficult to see the details through 400 years of European development. It is no surprise to me that I have been paddling near village and hunting camp sites in most of the places I visit.

I put in at the bottom of Salmon Cove, where it meets the Connecticut River. The water is high, but more or less in the "normal" range. As I get ready, I spot an Osprey.

Red Throated Loon

I make my way up the river-right bank stopping first at the Big Lodge, which is in good shape and always impressive being 7 feet tall and 20 feet in diameter. Then, a couple hundred yards up to the Duplex Lodge, which is just a bit smaller than the previous. There are new earthworks at the Duplex Lodge, with a second dam having been built between the lodge and the original dam. It also looks like a third dam is being built heading back into the swamp. From there, I head toward Dibble Creek. There are a pair of Red-throated Loons fishing the bend in the cove. Another Osprey flies by, with dinner in its talons.

Beaver Dam below Dibble Creek

In the corner of the cove is a swampy bay. This is where Dibble Creek enters the cove. The creek drains a swampy valley that can be seen on maps, and the creek itself is so short that it doesn't seem to rate a name on the USGS topo maps. Today, with the high water and lack of summer vegetation, I can get back to where the creek tumbles down out of the higher swamp. On the way in, I pass over a well established beaver dam that is about a 150 feet long. It has been in place long enough to have a healthy growth of saplings, most of which have been cut off by beaver.  The Dibble Creek site is dated about 2000 to 4000 years old and is believed to be used for hunting and processing game. A cache of broad blade spear points was found there and the wear on the blades showed that they had been used as knives instead of spears. Use of archery began about 2000 years ago, so the site was mostly in use by people who used spears and atlatls to hunt. The actual site is a couple hundred yards up the creek and inside a government no trespassing zone. There once was a nuclear power plant nearby and spent fuel rods are stored in the area - I expect that trespassers are rather quickly met by an armed guard.

Dibble Creek drops out of the cleft right of center

From there, I head up close to the shore. The other site of interest that I've learned about is the Venture Smith farm site. It is, as well, inside the no trespassing zone, being up at the top of the hillside. Venture Smith was captured in Africa and sold into slavery in 1737, when he was about 7 years old. He managed to purchase his freedom when he was about 35 years-old and then through farming, whaling, fishing and wood cutting, managed to purchase the freedom of his wife and children. In 1774, he moved to Haddam and a couple years later bought his farm site next to Salmon Cove. He ended up with 134 acres. An archaeological dig revealed 9 buildings (3 of which were houses, and one which was a blacksmith shop), and about 20 boats. One of his sons was a Revolutionary War Veteran and the other a War of 1812 Veteran. Venture died in 1805 and is buried nearby in the First Church Cemetery in East Haddam.

From the water, you can see that there is still a clearing up there. Remains of his wharf are supposed to still be visible. The only sign of a wharf that I can find is what I call "coyote point" (I once spotted a coyote there). It is clearly a man-made stone work and with the leaves off, I can see an old road cut leading up the side of the hill in the direction of the farm site.

Venture Smith's farm was on the top of the hill

From there, I head up the river to the Leesville Dam. Then return following the river-left shore, working my way over to the Moodus River. Where the Moodus meets the cove was also another village site, although I don't know much about it. I suspect it would have been on the Moodus river-left side because of the gentler lay of the land.  With the high water, I make it all the way up to Johnsonville, then turn round and head back out.

After loading the canoe on the car, I drive to the cemetery to see Venture Smith's grave site.