The Influence American Indian Pathways had on Connecticut Transportation Systems

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The Influence American Indian Pathways had on Connecticut Transportation Systems

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Title: The Influence American Indian Pathways had on Connecticut Transportation Systems


1
The Influence American Indian Pathways had on
Connecticut Transportation Systems Settlements
2
How this all got started
  • For many years before Connecticut was settled,
    there was a traveled way leading up from the
    shores of the sound east of the Norwalk River.
    Passing through Georgetown then heading due North
    to the land of Pah-quio-que (Danbury) the
    dwelling place of the southern tribe of the
    Schaticoke Indians
  • Wilbur F. Thompson, April 1919 The Old Indian
    Trail

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5
How this all got startedLooking deeper
  • The first Connecticut highway was, so far as we
    know, the Indian Trail Lewis E. Stanton,
    History of Highways in Connecticut
  • While the water courses may be aptly termed the
    primary Indian Highways in New England, there
    were also many economically important overland
    trails throughout the area.
  • Leaman F. Hallett, Indian Trails and Their
    Importance to Early Colonists

6
And these are only the main foot paths!!
7
Indian Foot Paths
  • Laid developed through ages of Indian use with
    an eye to the easiest quickest topographical
    route, many of these ancient Indian foot paths
    were later adopted and enlarged into the bridle
    paths by the early pioneers, and eventually
    became the modern highways of today.
  • Leaman F. Hallett, Indian Trails and Their
    Importance to Early Colonists

8
Indian Foot Paths
  • Seasonal rotations from planting grounds to
    fishing hunting grounds were made over these
    paths with inter-tribal communication along the
    way. Ordinarily there were two main paths running
    perpendicular to each other North-South,
    East-West, quartering each tract. Leaman F.
    Hallett, Indian Trails and Their Importance to
    Early Colonists

9
East-West Path
Routes 112, 182, 183, 20, 219, 190
North-South Path
Routes 7, 202, 126
East-West Path
Routes 6, 317, 67
North-South Path
Route 5
Albany Turnpike
10
Access to our StateEnglishmen of Boston Asked
to Travel to Connecticut via Indian Pathways
11
Paths to Connecticut
  • On April 4, 1631, John Winthrop, Jr. recorded in
    his Journal that Wahginnacut, a Podunk Sachem on
    the River Quonehtacutcame to Boston with John
    Sagamore and Jack Straw (his interpreter) and
    said he was very desirous to have some Englishmen
    come plant (settle) in his countrywhich is not
    above 5 days journey from us by land.
  • Winthrop Journal, I 223

12
Roger Ludlow Settles the CT River Valley
  • In 1633 trader John Oldham three companions
    traveled to CT and came home to MA with a
    positive report
  • The Sachem used them kindlythey traded for
    beaver, hemp and black lead (graphite)they
    lodged in Indian towns the whole way.
  • This report followed by a treaty offer from the
    Pequots led Roger Ludlow overland to present day
    Greater Hartford Area in June of 1635 with his
    Dorchester Association members. Ludlow followed
    the Connecticut path of the Indians, now Routes
    44, 197, 198.

13
Springfield, MA
Ludlows Route
Routes 44, 197, 198
Hartford
14
Indian Paths become modern highways
Springfield, MA
Route 190
Route 197
Route 5
Route 140
Route 198
I-84
Route 44
384
Route 6
Hartford
Route 2
15
Pequot War Results in Coastal Settlements
16
Pequot War opens Coastal Settlements
  • In 1636 trader John Oldham was killed on Block
    Island. To avenge his death the Bay Colony set
    out to attack the Narragansetts for the murder
    and the Pequots for their lands. The Pequots had
    nothing to do with the murder.
  • By this time there were two settlement areas in
    CT, Hartford Saybrook. In response to the Bay
    Colonys attack, the Pequots attacked Saybrook
    Wethersfield, killing settlers in Wethersfield.
    Thus began the Pequot War.

17
Pequot retaliation starts a war
Wethersfield
Saybrook
18
Pequot War opens Coastal Settlements
  • Ludlow declared an offensive war on the Pequots
    with the help of Uncas Mohegans and soldiers
    from Massachusetts Bay they chased the Pequots
    all over CT, until they finally cornered them in
    a swamp at modern day Southport where it all
    ended horribly for the Pequot tribe.

19
1639
1639
Coastal Settlements Quickly follow the Pequot War
1639
1649
1650
1641
1640
Roger Ludlow purchased land in Saugatuck
Norwalk (1640) but it wasnt settled until
later.
20
Indians Pushed Inland as Settlers Take Over Their
Coastal Villages
21
Land Sales Oversight or Misunderstanding?
  • European settlers continually ignored important
    text in the Indians portion of the deeds
  • "Reserving in the whole of the same, liberty for
    myself and my heirs to hunt, fish, and fowl upon
    the land and in the waters, and further reserving
    for myself, my children, and grand childrenthe
    use of so much land by my present dwelling house
    or wigwam as the General Assembly of the Colony
    shall judge necessary for my or their personal
    improvement...

22
Different Viewpoints
  • Indians did not understand land ownership the way
    the English and their future generations viewed
    it in their culture, no tribe nor Indian had
    exclusive, permanent rights to specific parcels
    of land, "different groups of people could have
    different claims on the same tract of land
    depending on how they used it." By ignoring the
    Indians provisions within the land deeds, the
    settlers were exceeding the usage rights the
    Indians were granting them.

23
Different Viewpoints
  • What the Indians owned or had claim to- was not
    the land but the things that were on the land
    during various seasons of the yearIn nothing is
    this more clear than in the names they attached
    to their landscape, the great bulk of which
    related to usage not possession.William
    Cronon, Changes in the Land

24
Meanings of Indian Names
  • Pok-a-no-ket at or near the cleared lands.
  • A-bess-ah clam bake place
  • Mitt-in-eag abandoned fields
  • Eack-honk the end of the fishing place
  • Simpaug beaver pond
  • Aspetuck at the high place.
  • Ousatonic land beyond the mountains
  • Waramaug good fishing place
  • Pequonnock a small plantation
  • Mash-an-tucket in the little place of much
    wood

25
Oyster Shell Pile!
You can see why coastal tribes would not want to
leave their lands!!
26
American Indian Pathways Early Access to the
Interior Lands
27
Early Interior Settlement
From 1639 to 1651 there are no English
settlements in the Western interior of
Connecticutat least that I am aware ofThat
changes once Derby, Woodbury Danbury are
settled.
  • Derby is settled in 1651. Indian Trails and a
    Ford where the Naugatuck meets the Housatonic.
  • Woodbury is settled in 1672. Indian Trails lead
    these coastal settlers to the interior.
  • Settlers make their way from Norwalk to Danbury
    in 1684 to establish a town. Indian Trails lead
    these coastal settlers to the interior.

28
1672
1684
1651
Indian trails used in all these migrations
29
Why Indian Paths were important
30
Indian Guides Were Essential
  • In finding their way inland, settlers needed
    Indian guides to find where the Indian paths were
    and where they went. One writer noted they
    (the English) sadly search up and down for a
    known way, the Indian paths not being above a one
    foot road. So that a man may travel many days and
    never find one.The use of guides would
    continue into the 1800s. i.e. Lewis and Clark
    Expedition.

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33
Derby
Waterways Early Indian North/South Trails.
34
34
Naugatuck R. meets Housatonic R Fording place.
35
Ford
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37
From these Pathways Begins the Progression of
our Transportation Systems
38
The simplest early roads were described as paths
cut out i.e. brush was cut out along the Indian
pathways and trees were marked with an ax
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Later these paths were made passable for horses
by cutting tree limbs high enough to permit the
passage of a horse and rider. For many years this
was the method of travel throughout our state.
Pack horses became common and goods were often
transported by packhorse trains
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42
The next progression, which proves to be an
important one, was the widening of bridle paths
to accommodate Ox Carts. Oxen were strong and
capable of travel over terrain that would be
impassable for a horse-drawn cart
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Packhorse lobbyists protested heavily, claiming
the construction of wider roads was a waste of
taxpayers money but they lost and as a direct
result of these new Ox Cart paths, inland
settlements in our State increased quickly.
45
Ox Carts headed to a Ferryno bridges back then!
46
Ox Cart Paths Improve Travel Access to the
Interior Lands
This Assembly doth free the town of Danbury from
paying country rates this present year (1702),
They paying their deputies salary and all other
Public charges amongst themselves, and they
making a sufficient cart-way from their town and
through their bounds and the country lands, for
transportation of what they raise to the sea
(i.e. the ports of Fairfield and Norwalk).
47
Woodbury
Waterbury
New Milford
Southbury
Naugatuck
Brookfield
Seymour
Danbury
Newtown
Pioneer Settlement
Ansonia
Settlements resulting from success of
improvements by pioneer towns
Derby
Bethel
Redding
Ridgefield
48
American Indian Pathways as Post Roads
49
Colonial Postal Route
  • Indian Paths played a major role in the
    establishment of the postal system in this
    country. The first colonial postal route was
    started by a single rider, in the winter of 1673,
    who rode between New York and Boston with a horse
    change in Hartford, his route traveled was over
    the old Indian trails between these points.
    Travel time? 3 weeks!

50
Colonial Postal Route
  • The three major alignments of this The Boston
    Post Road were the Lower Post Road (now U.S.
    Route 1 along the shore and through Providence,
    Rhode Island), the Upper Post Road (now US 5 and
    US 20 from New Haven, Connecticut via
    Springfield, Massachusetts), and the Middle Post
    Road (now Route 44 which split from Hartford,
    Connecticut, and ran diagonally to Boston via
    Pomfret, Connecticut).

51
Route 44
Middle Post Road
Upper Post Road
Route 5
Lower Post Road Route 1
52
The Early Postal System
  • In 1692 an attempt was made to establish postal
    service to Virginia which failed.
  • By 1717 mail was being carried from Boston to
    Virginia. Travel time? One month in Summer Two
    months in Winter.
  • Philadelphia was added in 1720, receiving mail
    from New York once a week.
  • 1754- Benjamin Franklin named Colonial
    Postmaster. Reduces trip from New York to Philly
    from 3 days to a day and a half.

53
The Early Postal System
  • By 1765 the postal system of the colonies had
    grown from a single post rider to about 60 post
    offices, almost all of which were on the coasts
    or not more than 60 miles inland.
  • Ben Franklin stated "...The posts only go along
    the sea coasts they do not, except in a few
    instances, go back into the country..."

54
Colonial Postal Route
  • Franklin likely noted this because Inland roads
    in the colonial period were poor, as colonists
    did not have modern conveniences such as
    bulldozers and excavators to clear pathways for
    their travels. Trees and bushes were cut back
    with hand-tools and oxen teams were harnessed to
    remove stumps and boulders in order to widen the
    existing footpaths.

55
Colonial Postal Route
  • Once mail reached a point on the "coastal" Post
    Road close to its destination, it would be sent
    inland via post rider, or it would wait for
    someone who was traveling in the direction of the
    addressee to pick it up and carry it the rest of
    the way inland.

56
Inland Post Roads
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58
The Post Rider
  • The Post Rider was a man of importance in our
    rural communities, delivering the weekly
    newspaper and some letters. He traveled on
    horseback, with his saddle bags filled and often
    accompanied by one or two pack horses. He acted
    as a middleman between local farmers and city
    dealers, taking the smaller products of the farms
    - butter, cheese, honey, beeswax, woolens, yarn,
    flax, etc., to the larger towns - selling them,
    and bringing back dyestuffs, calicos, needles,
    pins and other articles used in the rural homes
    of that day.

59
The Post Rider
  • Postmasters and post riders were exempt from
    military duties so as not to interrupt service.
    These post-riders were allowed the exclusive
    privilege of carrying letters, papers and
    packages on their respective routes, and any
    person who infringed upon their rights was
    subject to a fine. So in addition to their 100
    a year salary, many Post Riders operated
    side-businesses along their exclusive routes.

60
Many of these Post Roads were used during the
American Revolution
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To Boston
Hartford
Albany Turnpike
New London
New Haven
To Providence
Post Road
63
After the Revolution Turnpikes ReplaceExisting
Cart Paths Horse Paths
64
Apparently Our Roads Were in Need of Some
Improvement
  • In 1760, citizens of Hartford petitioned the
    Assembly to raise 6000 pounds to repair Main
    Street because it was the worst road in the
    Colony
  • Speaking of Hartford roads, Prof. Alexander
    Johnson noted the roads of Hartford and its
    neighborhood had a certain evil preeminence. A
    Good number of wagons had been sunk to the hub in
    the native clay of Pearl Street.

65
Apparently Our Roads Were in Need of Some
Improvement
  • Dr. Samuel Holton in June, 1778, went from Boston
    to Philadelphia. The only route he describes as
    very good, was the one from Springfield to
    Hartford. From Hartford to Litchfield the roads
    were very bad, while the roads from Litchfield
    to the New York Line were the worst he had ever
    seen!
  • Count Chastellux who went through Connecticut in
    1780 remarked that in going from Canaan to
    Norfolk you mount for 4 or 5 miles continually
    bounding from one large stone to another, which
    cross the road give it a resemblance of
    stairs.

66
Some Indian Paths just werent made for
Turnpikes
67
The Turnpikes
  • Turnpikes came into Connecticut in the 18th and
    19th centuries. During this period a large number
    of turnpike companies were being chartered by the
    General Assembly in towns and cities throughout
    Connecticut. The turnpikes were very superior
    to the old cart paths, generally having
    straighter alignments, lesser grades, bridges
    instead of fords, and graveled surfaces.

68
The Turnpikes
  • Most turnpikes were two-way thorough-fares, about
    twenty-four feet wide and relatively straight. In
    New England, in order to avoid muddiness and road
    erosion, drainage was provided by giving the road
    a convex surface to shed the water. Connecticut
    companies tended to spend less money for
    turnpikes than those in states such as
    Massachusetts, since many turnpike corporations
    simply improved existing public roads and
    therefore avoided heavy expenditures for rights
    of way.

69
Early Turnpikes of Connecticut
  • One of the first highways to come into general
    use was known as the high road to Albany, this
    ran from Hartford to Farmington, Harwinton,
    Litchfield, Goshen, Cornwall, Canaan, Salisbury
    and on into New York.Another East-West route
    ran from Waterbury, Woodbury, through New Milford
    and on into New York.These highways pushed
    Connecticut products to the Hudson River and
    diminished trade within our State.

70
Derby Becomes Seaport
  • To keep trade local- a cart part was built in
    1761 from Canaan to Derby and a petition was
    issued to make the Housatonic navigable for
    two-ton loads.As a result, Derby developed into
    an important seaport for most of Western
    Connecticut. In the trade expansion following the
    Revolution, it was common to see a string of
    wagons loaded with country produce, waiting hours
    for their turn at the docks to reach worldwide
    markets. For Example The Derby Fishing Co. was
    carrying on an extensive commerce with the north
    shore of the Mediterranean.

71
N.H. Turnpike Hurts Derby
  • In 1798 a turnpike to New Haven was promoted by
    local business men to improve this trade route,
    howeverinstead of helping Derby it diverted many
    suppliers to New Havens harbor, which was
    larger. A second Turnpike from Bridgeport to
    Newtown in 1801 cut off trade goods that had been
    coming down from the towns above Derby on the
    Housatonic River.

72
Early Turnpikes of Connecticut
  • To touch on some other Turnpikes of interest
    Running North-South was the Hartford New
    Haven Turnpike running down though Farmington,
    Southington, Cheshire. Hamden and on into New
    Haven. James Hillhouse directed the building of
    this road and later was the superintendent of the
    Farmington Canal project.

73
Early Turnpikes of Connecticut
  • Other Turnpikes of interest Running
    North-South, The Waterbury River Turnpike was
    chartered in 1801-02. It ran from Naugatuck to
    Waterbury, then north through- Thomaston,
    Torrington, Winchester, West Windsor, Colebrook
    and then crossed the border to connect to the
    Massachusetts 15th Turnpike

74
Stage Coaches
  • With the improvement of roads, stage coaches
    appear in the early 1800s.Advertisement by the
    New Post-Coach Line Dispatch6 hours from
    Hartford to New Haven, leave Hartford at 11am and
    arrive in New Haven at 5pm. and you thought
    your commute was bad!

75
Stage Coaches
  • Road Improvement wasnt always a givenIn
    some of these ancient roads the passenger was
    jolted and distressed going down hill as well as
    up. In one case an occupant of the Stage Coach
    called out to the driver- Are you going down any
    further? For if you areI must get out, for I do
    want to remain on this earth a little longer.

76
No Fear here!
3
Stacked three levels high
2
1
77
Taverns Postmasters
  • Taverns were often Post Offices. Why?
    Stagecoaches were used to carry mail because they
    stopped regularly at Taverns, which in the time
    period were the social center of most
    communities. In 1845, Congress abandoned its
    preference for stagecoaches in an effort to
    reduce mail transportation costs, opting to use
    the railroad.

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12 MS (Miles) to NW (Norwalk) 1786 On South
Street in Danbury, there is a milestone bearing
the date of 1787, "67 miles to New York, 67 miles
to Hartford"
81
Hartford to Poughkeepsie Stage Route Marker
82
Turnpikes Milestones
  • In the summer of 1763, Ben Franklin completed a
    five-month carriage tour to inspect post offices.
    On that tour, he utilized an odometer. The
    Institute News describing the action of his
    odometer noted "When actuated from a carriage
    wheel having a circumference of thirteen and
    one-fifth feet, a mile was registered in each
    four hundred revolutions. If wired to the top of
    the front axle at the right hand side it was
    easily set in operation by a hub-type projection
    on a hub or spoke and the dials were readily
    visible to both driver and rider."

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Many of these turnpikes doubled as freight roads
too
85
Too Slow and Too Expensive
  • Average freight costs in 1820 were about 15 cents
    a mile per ton, more than twice as much as water
    transportation. By 1825 more than half of the
    turnpike ventures in the country had been either
    partially or totally abandoned. A contributing
    factor to the failure of these internal overland
    routes was the emergence of the canal.

86
Canalsa method of transportation superior to
any previously known.Charles R. Harte,
Connecticuts Canals
87
Efforts to Establish a Connecticut Canal System
Extending from Albany to Buffalo, the Erie Canal
was completed on November 4, 1825 and soon became
a great commercial success. Before its
completion the cost of shipping 1 ton of cargo
between Buffalo NYC ranged from 90 to 125.
Within 10 years of the Erie Canals completion,
the cost had dropped to 4 per ton.
88
Efforts to Establish a Connecticut Canal System
The wave of enthusiasm that followed the success
of the Erie and other canals did not escape the
entrepreneurs viewing the productivity
transportation needs of Connecticut. By the early
1820s a total of six (6) canals were proposed for
Connecticut. Two (2) would be constructed and
placed into service The Farmington and Enfield
Canals.
89
1
2
6
5
4
3
90
Connecticuts Proposed Canal System
  • New York and Sharon Canal
  • Ousatonic Canal
  • Saugatuck New Milford Canal
  • Farmington Canal
  • Enfield Canal
  • Quinebaug Canal

91
The Farmington Canal
In the year 1822 the principal means of
transportation between towns in New England was
by highway, which wasdusty in the summer,
covered in slick, wet leaves in the fall, buried
under snow drifts in the winter, and come the
spring thaw? It was mud to depths
unknown!Travel was slow and pricey too. After
May 1st, leaving Hartford at 3 am you would
arrive in Boston at 8pm. Fare? 6.50
92
The Farmington Canal
Planning for the Farmington Canal began in
January of 1822 with a 1000 pledge from 17
interested towns to cover the expenses of a
survey by Benjamin Wright, the Chief Engineer of
the Erie Canal and leading American authority on
canal construction.Charters were issued to The
Farmington Canal Company in 1822 and The
Hampshire and Hampden Canal Company in 1823. The
canal was to go from tidewater at New Haven
through Farmington to the Massachusetts boundary
at Southwick, with a side cut northwest via the
Farmington R. through New Hartford and Colebrook.
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The Farmington Canal
July 4th, 1825 a ground breaking ceremony took
place in Granby, Connecticut. It is estimated
that between two and three thousand people
witnessed the removal of the first shovelful of
dirt.Fellow Citizens and Friends The noble
enterprise of uniting the Valley of Connecticut
with the city of New Haven by a navigable canal
is this day to be commenced! from Gov.
Wolcotts address
95
Farmington Canal For Southwick and
Memphremagog
96
The Farmington Canal
Two years later, the little hole started by
Governor Wolcott had deepened into a ditch 36
wide from the Massachusetts line to the waters of
the Sound. The heaviest machine that had been
used was a horse scoop no bigger than the one any
farmer kept in his barn. The tools were picks,
shovels and wheelbarrows.Anticipation ran
highTaverns were built along the banks and land
was marketed for sale as being close to the
canal. Industries grew beside the canal even
before it held water.
97
The Farmington Canal
On November 24, 1827, water was let into the
so-called Cheshire Summit level to great
celebration. From what is now West Cheshire,
three boats went up a short distance.I have
recollection of incidents in CheshireI was
there. It was about 1827 and I was 6 years old.
It was the Fourth of July, at the Canal assembled
a crowd of people estimated by myself at the time
at one million. I think my estimate was too
largeIt was a time when almost every man drank a
little and on that day several respectable men of
Cheshire walked unsteadilynoted by Ms. Horace
Hitchcock for Cheshire Historical Society
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Delays, Delays, Delays
It wasnt until July 29, 1835 the Canal opened
the full length from New Haven to Northhampton.
The first boats in use on the canal were designed
for carrying freight and were of not more than 25
tons but by 1838 passenger boats had made their
way to the canal, among these were the Gold
Hunter, the Paragon and the Sachem.A trip over
the full length of the canal took 24-hours and
cost 3.75 (meals included). These boats were
boldly painted and towed by teams of big gray
horses.
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101
Impressive Numbers!
Four million pounds of merchandise were shipped
every month from New Haven, through Hamden,
Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Farmington,
Simsbury, and Granby, bound for Northampton,
Massachusetts, on the Farmington Canal. At three
every afternoon, packet boats left the Elm City
docks in New Haven, making the trip to
Northampton in the unheard-of time of twenty-four
hours. The age of canals had arrived in
Connecticut.
102
Water Issues, Debt and the Railroad
From 1835 to 1847 the canal suffered
extraordinary damages from flooding. Repairs were
constant and debt ran high. 1845 looked to be the
year they turned the corner but it turned out to
be their most disastrous as a drought interrupted
service from mid-July to late September.The
Company turned its attention to the
practicability of building a railroad. After
1847, the Farmington Canal was never operated
through its total length again.
103
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104
Shelton Railroad and Canal
105
Railroads ReplaceTurnpikes/Stage Routesand
Canals
106
Housatonic RR completed 1841
Originally chartered as the "Ousatonic" Railroad
in 1836, the charter allowed the company to build
either north towards Massachusetts, or west
towards New York City. The Housatonic Railroad
began construction in 1837, the task was to
convert miles of rugged landscape along the
Housatonic River into an iron trail that could
not exceed a 1 gradevia human labor. There was
not any specialized equipment, hardy souls and
hand tools would be the only tools employed in
the railroad's construction.
107
Housatonic RR completed 1841
By February 1840 rails stretched from Bridgeport,
CT to New Milford, CT. In December of 1841, rails
reached to Canaan, CT. Ten years later, the
railroad had reached into Massachusetts and had
forged links with the Western Railroad of
Massachusetts.Major freight commodities on the
Housatonic in this period were lime limestone,
marble, iron railcar wheels, coal, tobacco and
tools, as well as many agricultural products. And
it carried another very important product --
milkthe Housatonic RR was the very first run a
scheduled milk train.
108
Housatonic RR
Early Indian Trails later used as Iron Trails
a.k.a Railroads
109
Canaan
Falls Village
West Cornwall
Cornwall
Housatonic Railroad
Kent
New Milford
110
Danbury to Norwalk RR completed 1852
The Danbury to Norwalk Railroad began
construction in the autumn months of 1850, the
task was to convert 23 miles of rugged landscape
along the Norwalk River into an iron trail that
could not exceed a 1 gradevia human labor.
Again, there was not any specialized equipment
(not even black powder!), hardy souls and hand
tools would be the only tools employed in the
railroad's construction.
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112
Early Indian Trails later used as Iron Trails
a.k.a Railroads
Railroad follows Indian Trail
113
1850s Map
Danbury to Norwalk Railroad
114
Railroad Workers Pay- 1851
Why many workers looked for other work
after Railroad was completed
115
Impact
Stage Coach looks for new options of which
there are few
Turnpike
Post Office moves to RR
Railroad
1856 Map
116
Stage Coach line moves over to Branchville
Ridgefield
117
RRs 1893
Competition
118
Wilson Point on Long Island Sound
Crosses Long Island Sound by Steamship avoiding
rail traffic on the NY/NH line
Shipped Trains To Long Island
A 1882 Addition to Danbury/Norwalk Railroad. This
leads to profitable agreements with other RRs
is a great benefit to businesses on the
Danbury/Norwalk line. Ice, Eggs/ Milk, Wire,
Granite, Feldspar, Quartz all products that can
now reach NYC ports quickly
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Commodities came into Connecticut via the
Railroad too
Pounds Commodity Destination
  • Groceries- Litchfield
  • Salt and Cod- Redding
  • 200 Tea- Derby
  • 1050 Soap and Starch- Ansonia
  • 4800 Tobacco- Danbury
  • 900 Rags- New Haven
  • 1800 Eggs- Bridgeport

120
In addition to products, immigrants found their
way to Connecticut via the railways.
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Routes 112, 126, 63
Route 5
I-84
What is amazing is that Indian Path played a
major role in all these transportation systems
384
Route 44 198
Routes 41, 7, 202, 35
Canal
Route 6
Route 2
Route 5
Route 32
Routes 67, 317, 6
I-395
Routes 119, 34, 25, and RR Line
Route 15
Route 1
Routes 7, 33, and RR Line
Route 25
122
The Progression
123
From Pathways
124
To Bridle Paths
125
To Cart Paths
126
Turnpikes
127
Modern Highways
128
And Railways
129
The Influence American Indians had on
Connecticutis Extensive Deserves Recognition
130
It has been my pleasureto share this with you
today. Thank you allfor coming.
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