SGPA’s Founding
A Forest Preserve for the People
The Sleeping Giant is a place of special signifiance for many, and that was especially the case for James W. Toumey, a Professor at Yale Forestry School and a staunch advocate for public parks. Toumey envisioned Mount Carmel as a “forest preserve” and began rallying support to conserve the ridges of the Sleeping Giant. Unfortunately, the onset of World War I delayed these ambitions.
Following the war, Toumey picked up where he left off, forming the Sleeping Giant Park Association (SGPA) on March 4, 1924 as an offshoot of the North Hamden Improvement and Fire Association. Toumey served as SGPA’s first president, and at its initial meeting, 100 members of the New Haven community joined the organization as members.
The goals of the newly formed organization were clear: acquire land and transfer it to the public; promote opportunities for recreation and scientific research, and; save the landmark from destruction. SGPA immediately went to work, purchasing and accepting gifts of land, including an initial gift of 104.5 acres from John Heaton. The park was first open to the public on October 12, 1924, and by 1929, SGPA had acquired 845 acres, which were turned over to the State’s Park and Forest Commission.
James Toumey
Founder
A Regional Landmark at Risk
While efforts to conserve the Giant were progressing swiftly, another threat lingered – the quarrying operation on the Giant’s head. Since 1912, Connecticut Trap Tock Quarries had been operating under a lease that allowed them to blast traprock from the mountain. Importantly, the 20-year lease included a clause that “no rock shall be taken from…any point where the quarry face would show from Mt. Carmel Ave” (read the relevant section of the lease HERE).
The continuous blasting and the increasing size of the cut into the Giant’s head quickly raised public furor, and the local newspapers were rife with stories of the quarry’s impact.
“[By] 1915 it was apparent to everyone who looked toward the mountain that the unsightly inroads already made by the trap-rock company into the back of the Giant’s head would soon destroy the beautiful and imposing figure—unless something were done at once to stop it.”
— Rachel M. Hartley in her 1959 book The History of Hamden Connecticut 1786-1959.
During this time, the owner of the underlying land agreed to sell the land to SGPA for $65,000. Although SGPA owned the land, the lease was still valid. The quarry, then run by Blakeslee Associates, remained active and stone continued to be removed from the Giant’s head. In 1925, Blakeslee Associates offered $655,000 for the sale of their lease – an exorbitant amount of money at the time.
Rising to the Occasion
Arnold Dana
Second SGPA President
Like James Toumey, Arnold Dana also had a special affinity for the Giant. Having survived a childhood fall from the Giant’s chin, Dana believed the mountain had spared his life and become committed to protecting its iconic ridges.
In an effort to stop the quarrying, Dana took the company to court in 1930. The trial centered around the terms of the lease noted above, as quarrying had become visible from Mt. Carmel Ave. On May 10, 1932, Superior Court Judge Carl Foster found for SGPA, stopping the existing quarrying work (read the full opinion HERE >>). The victory was bittersweet, as James Toumey had passed away just four days prior.
Blakeslee Associates threatened to open a new quarry on the north side of the head, but demand for quarried stone (primarily used in road construction) waned as the Great Depression worsened. Public sentiment against the quarrying also continued to grow, and was fueled by two fatalities at the quarry (related newspaper article HERE >>).
Negotiations to purchase the lease continued, with Blakeslee Associates requesting $106,000 and SGPA counter-offering with $25,000. This stalemate continued for more than a year.
Sealing the Deal
In the summer of 1933, while Dana was on vacation in Europe, SGPA Secretary Helen S. Porter made one more offer of $30,000 to secure the lease. The company accepted the offer, provided the money was paid within six months.
In only three months, at the height of the Great Depression, the resourceful Miss Porter raised the required amount, and purchased the lease on July 29, 1933.
With the land and lease now owned by SGPA, the Sleeping Giant’s head was finally protected from further quarrying. The ridge, once an undeveloped wild rise, had been transformed into a symbol of preservation and unity, safeguarding the legacy of the Sleeping Giant for generations to come.
For all that she achieved, Miss Porter remained modest, stating only “I feel like a French girl praised for saving her mother from a burning house. It just had to be done”.
Helen Porter
Early SGPA Secretary & Fundraiser
Securing the Giant’s Future
In 1934, SGPA commemorated the park’s 10-year anniversary and the official closure of the quarry the year prior.
The Sleeping Giant’s story is not just of a mountain but of a community’s unwavering commitment to preserving its natural heritage. While the quarry was active (1912-1930), a total of 1,053,571.23 cubic yards of rock were taken from the Giant’s head.
Today, the quarry has long been silent, but other intrusions still arise. Proposals for communications towers on the Giant, logging, and an effort to close the park have all been defeated thanks to the hard work of the SGPA board, volunteers, and members.
A century of conservation has helped to protect the Sleeping Giant as a regional landmark, and to ensure that this special place remains open to all.
Presentation by Trina Learned. Video courtesy of the New Haven Museum
Want to Learn More?
There are many more fascinating details to this story, some of which are revealed in this video from the New Haven Museum, recorded October 30, 2024.
We encourage you to view the remarkable presentation by Trina Learned, who (in addition to serving on SGPA’s Board of Directors) has done extensive research into the park’s history and creation of the Sleeping Giant Park Association.
This presentation was part of the Centennial Celebration for Sleeping Giant State Park.