Richard A. Wheeler, History of Stonington,CT

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Today when you enter The Old Stonington Lighthouse Museum you will see a large plaque, hanging over the doorway, honoring Richard Ansom Wheeler.  It was placed there in 1910 to honor his service to Stonington history. The Woolworth Library also has a small framed picture of him.

 

Wheeler (1817-1904) wrote The History of the Town of Stonington, 1649-1900 with a Genealogical Register and The History of the First Congregational Church (Road Church).  Both are rare and valuable books and still major sources of early local area history. Both books tell about the early settlerment of Stonington: the Indians, the first settlers, slaves, wars, the founding of business, the building of roads, bridges, ferries, etc. 

Wheeler was the Judge of Probate and High Sheriff of New London County for many years. Apparently Richard never applied for the bar, but settled scores of estates and wrote over 650 wills, none of which were ever broken!

“Uncle Richard” was my grandmother’s uncle. My family inherited his home, the 1735 Wheeler Homestead at 343 Wheeler Road, in 1957. We kept his picture hanging in the “sitting room” with pictures of both of his two wives hanging on either side. Those same pictures still hang in the house today! My grandparents met at the house because they were both related to one of these women. (The first an Avery descendant who died, the second a Noyes descendant.)

Richard was a large man, over 6 feet tall, with red curly hair. It turned white prematurely and after that he always wore a full beard.

He became a captain in the CT Militia at 20. He was a town selectman for 15 years, a member of several Historical Societies and the New England Genealogical Society. He was President of Stonington Savings Bank and the Road Church Clerk for 65 years.

Richard descended from most of the families in Stonington. He was proud of his 1735 homestead and the fact that the property had been handed down from father to son until he passed it on to his daughter Grace, having no sons.  My family sold it for the first time out of the family in 1974, after 285 years!

Wheeler wrote about this  First Congregational Church(Road Church) located at 903 Pequot Trail. There is an old district school house located next to it.