Prior to its purchase by English settlers in 1662, the area around Moodus was inhabited by Native American Algonquians. The names of three of the inhabiting tribes are known: the Wangunks, the Mohegans and the Nehantics. The name was derived from the Native American name for the area. The name was "Matchetmadosett" or "Matchitmoodus". It can be translated to the place of noises. Its name possibly because of the frequent earthquakes in the area. Numerous earthquakes were recorded in the area between 1638 and 1899. Loud rumblings, possibly the "Moodus Noises", could be heard for miles surrounding the epicenter of the quakes near Mt. Tom. The land, which is now the towns of Haddam and East Haddam, was purchased by settlers from the Indians in 1662 for thirty coats. In today's money, it is worth about $100.
Passages that mention Moodus, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men1884 · page 309Read the page →
Read the text
The Catholic Church in Moodus.* Previous to 1850 the district of Moodus was not visited by any Catholic priest for the purpose of holding divine service. Occasionally one. might be seen there, but it was to administer the last sacraments of the church to some stray Catholic, who happened to be dying, for at that time the Catholics were few and scattered over a wide area; and as the custom is at present,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men1884 · page 312Read the page →
Read the text
The lower, or as it is familiarly known, the " Red Mill," is located in the center of the village of Moodus. In size it is 36 by 100 feet, with detached picker-room, is two stories high, with basement, and is operated by a turbine wheel 30 inches in diameter under a head of 2 1 feet. In the basement of this mill are located the works of the Moodus Machine Company, where general repairs for the mills are made, and machine building is
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Moodus, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1880
2024
2024
2021
2017
2011