The Mainstream of Connecticut:
The Many Roles of the Connecticut River

A Natural Bounty

Geologic processes, in particular the effects of glaciers, have provided the Connecticut River Valley with rich farmland, mineral resources, and tributary streams supporting fishing and, later, industrial endeavors.

< The river was a rich source of protein in the form of migratory fish like shade, alewives and, in earlier times, Atlantic salmon. This shore site, in view of the remains of the 17th century English earthen fort at Saybrook Point, includes net reels used by shad fishermen to dry their drift nets.

Connecticut Steam Brownstone Co. Quarry
Portland, ca. 1895
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< Connecticut settlers were quick to utilize the large deposits of fine-grained brownstone found at sites along the river. By the mid-19th century the stone had become fashionable among architects and builders, leading to a boom in quarrying from the Portland area north. Perhaps the largest quarry was this operation, which extracted and shipped thousands of tons each year.

Connecticut River Granite Co. Quarry
Lower Valley, possibly Haddam, ca. 1900
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< The geologic underpinnings of the valley include deposits of both sedimentary rock like brownstone and volcanic rock such as granite. Granite from riverfront quarries like this was used in building construction as well in wharf and breakwater projects. A small railway and derrick facilitate loading of vessels.

< The rich alluvial soil of the valley from Middletown north, coupled with a semi-tropical summertime microclimate, has allowed large-scale tobacco culture to thrive. Broadleaf tobacco, seen here, like the shade-grown Sumatra type grown under cheesecloth tenting, was destined for some of the world’s finest cigars.

< In the 20th century large Connecticut Valley tobacco farms typically included dormitories for migrant workers, visible at bottom left in this aerial view of a farm in the East Windsor Hill section of South Windsor.

Link to other essays in this Journey:

>> The Mainstream of Connecticut: The Many Roles
     of the Connecticut River
>> A Flowing Highway
>> A Water Barrier
>> A Mind of Its Own
>> A Changing Face

>> Guideposts
>> Suggestions for further reading