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

A Mind of Its Own

With a watershed comprising much of New England, the Connecticut has periodically challenged those who consider it “their” river. Inundated towns and fields—even changes in its own course—have characterized the river’s behavior through the centuries.

< Historian John Warner Barber’s sketch illustrated how radically the Connecticut River has changed its course over time. The solid line documents the river’s route just below Hartford in the 17th century, while the dashed line delineates the Connecticut’s path in 1836. The sharp turn in the earlier course formed what became Wethersfield Cove.

Spring Freshet on the Connecticut River
Hartford, 1893
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< Seasonal flooding was a way of life on the Connecticut River, particularly in the broad terraced floodplain extending from central Massachusetts to Middletown. The appropriately named Water Street in the North Meadows provided entertainment for two boys in the small boat tied up to the picket fence!

Vermont’s “Great Flood” Hits Connecticut
Portland, 1927
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< The 500-year flood that devastated Vermont in November 1927 also dealt a blow to states downstream. Here high water inundates Portland’s industrial waterfront, wreaking havoc with a lumber company and coal yard sandwiched between the railroad and old highway bridges.

< Rapid melting of the heavy snowpack in northern New England contributed to perhaps the worst flooding in the river’s recorded history. Dozens of square miles lay inundated as the river rose to unprecedented levels. Hartford was particularly hard hit, spurring the development of a protective dike system that ultimately cut the city off from its traditional riverfront orientation. The Colt complex visible at center helps orient viewers to this waterworld.

< The great hurricane of September 1938 that so devastated the Connecticut shore with wind and waves carried its punch well inland. Severe flooding in the central valley once again brought the Connecticut River into streets, factories and businesses along its banks. Here laborers monitor the river’s rising crest along a sandbag dike hastily constructed near the Colt complex.

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 Natural Bounty
>> A Changing Face

>> Guideposts
>> Suggestions for further reading