SEPTEMBER 21, 1938

YEARS AGO, WHEN THERE WERE NO COMPUTER MODELS OF THE WEATHER, AND NO TELEVISIONS, STORMS WOULD COME AND DO CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE WITH LITTLE WARNING.

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1938 STARTED OUT LIKE ANY OTHER DAY ON MOHEGAN HILL. ON THE HILL WAS THE MOHEGAN CHURCH, THE FIELDING SHULTZ HOUSE, THE EDWIN FOWLER HOUSE, AND THE TANTAQUIDGEON HOUSE. THE CHILDREN DID THEIR CHORES AND HEADED OUT TO SCHOOL. THE OLDER CHILDREN TAKING A BUS TO THE UNCASVILLE SCHOOL AND THE SMALLER CHILDREN WALKING TO THE ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE ON THE WEST SIDE OF PRESENT DAY ROUTE 32 AND BROADVIEW AVENUE.

IT WAS PROBABLY CLOUDY AND WINDY THAT DAY. ONE OF THE CHILDREN AT THE ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GO AND FETCH WATER FROM THE WELL IN A METAL BUCKET. ANOTHER CHILD PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IN FIREWOOD FOR THE WOOD BURNING STOVE LOCATED ON THE END OF THE BUILDING. THE OUT HOUSE WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE SCHOOL HOUSE.

SOMETIME AROUND MID-DAY THE CHILDREN WERE LET OUT. THE CHILDREN AT THE ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE (ON CORNER OF ROUTE 32 AND BROADVIEW) WALKED HOME IN THE STORM. THE CHILDREN FROM THE OTHER SCHOOL WENT HOME IN THE BUS WHICH TRAVELED SLOW BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WINDS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SCARY TO THESE SMALL CHILDREN.

THE STORM CAME, A HURRICANE, THE HURRICANE OF 1938. THE MOHEGANS WHO LIVED ON CHURCH LANE (MOHEGAN HILL) SURVIVED THE HURRICANE. THEY HAD NO ELECTRICITY FOR WEEKS. THERE WAS A GREAT DEVASTATION IN NEW LONDON AND ELSEWHERE.

NOW YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1938 ON MOHEGAN HILL.