Shipbuilding and shipping have always been key elements in the life of
Essex. Since the seventeenth century, the men and women of the lower
Connecticut River Valley sustained maritime traditions that spanned the
globe in splendid wooden sailing vessels. Their accomplishments include
building the first warship of the Connecticut navy and the world's first
submarine. They also served as packet ship captains, navigators and
skilled crew members who crossed the Atlantic. The Essex area was also
home to dedicated craftsmen who produced some of the finest yachts ever
built. Noted historians Wick Griswold and Ruth Major detail one
village's important role in American maritime history.