2.80 Moose Meadow to the Willimantic River Crossing: Willington & Tolland, CT
Starting at Moose Meadow in Ruby-Fenton Park/Conservation Land in Willington, we find the way of the Old Connecticut Path across Willington following long forgotten roads and pathways. The route through Willington passes through deep woods along deeply worn trails that show the effects of heavy travel during the early years. We visit a colonial era bridge crossing site on the Willimantic River and head downstream to explore the fording place where travelers on the Old Connecticut Path crossed on foot. This segment's route of travel ends in Tolland at the crossroads of the ancient and modern routes from Boston to Hartford.
To view the video tour of the route from Moose Meadow across Willington to the Willimantic River Crossing in Tolland, click on the picture (left) or the link Willington to the Willimantic River
Westbound travelers on Interstate 84 may enjoy a walk along the Willimantic River from the Connecticut Welcome Center located in Willington. For more information and a short video introduction, click her to go to Willimantic River Walk - I-84 Welcome Center
TRAIL SLEUTHING IN WILLINGTON
Ellen Larned's "Map of Ancient Windham County" has proven to be a reasonable guide for locating the route of the Old Connecticut Path across towns in Windham County. However, beyond the Windham County line at the border of Ashford and Willington, the line of the Path only is shown to head west across Willington to the Willimantic River. More information about the "Map of Ancient Windham County", can be found in 2.30 Treasure Hunting in Windham County
Rediscovering the route of the Old Connecticut Path across Willington required intuition and trail sense. The maps available showing the Old Connecticut Path through Willington lack details. No descriptions of locations and landmarks along the route have been found.
Ancient maps, topographic maps and modern satellite maps were needed to identify the most likely route of the Old Connecticut Path across Willington. Field exploration filled in the details at the ground level to form a clearer picture of the most likely line of travel followed by the Old Connecticut Path from the Fenton River crossing at Moose Meadow to the crossing of the Willimantic River at Nye Holman State Forest.
Harral Ayres' map of the Old Connecticut Path published in his book, The Great Trail of New England, shows the Path crossing Willington. While he was certain about landmarks in Ashford and identified the area where the Path crossed the Willimantic River, Ayres gave no description of the route in his book.
Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffery crossed Willington in 1642. The route followed on their survey along the Providence Path was recorded with latitudes and distances on a map preserved at the Massachusetts archives. A portion of the map as interpreted by Levy Badger Chase is shown (right).Harral Ayres noted in his book that the Old Connecticut Path met with the Providence Path in the vicinity of Willington, but provided no specific location or landmarks.
Matthias Spiess, local historian, described the route of the Providence Path from East Willington to the Willimantic River, and thence on to Tolland and Windsor. The route he described would interesect with the Old Connecticut Path.
More information on the Providence Path and the Woodward & Saffery survey can be found in 2.32 Providence Path
FINDING THE BEST ROUTE
Harral Ayres met with Charles Chism in Ashford while researching the route of the Old Connecticut Path from Crystal Pond through Eastford and across Ashford to the Willington border. Charles Chism provided Ayres with a description of the route of the Path with landmarks identified on a map drawn by his brother, David Chism. The map is preserved at the Connecticut State Library. A portion of the map is displayed (left) that shows the route of the Old Connecticut Path from Westford Hill in Ashford to the Willington town line. Based on field exploration (see 2.75 Finding the Way to Moose Meadow - Ashford & Willington, CT for more information), the intersection of Howey Road and Seckar Road in Ashford form the last reliable landmark for the Path in Ashford. The route displayed on the Chism map indicates direction towards Willington consistent with Ellen Larned's map. Field exploration did not locate a route along the line shown from the intersection of Howey/Seckar Roads. However, Howey Road and Taylor Road formed a continuation of the route west to Moose Meadow in Willington that appeared to be a most likely route for the Path.
The Woodward & Saffery map of the route of the Providence Path identified the area where the Willimantic River was crossed in West Willington that was confirmed by Matthias Spiess. Harral Ayres identified the crossing place of the Old Connecticut Path in the same area. Based on their descriptions, the Willimantic River fordway would most likely be in the area of Nye Holman State Forest and Route 74 in Tolland opposite West Willington (for more information see 3.05 Tolland). The modern highways leading to Hartford (Interstate 84 and CT Route 74) intersect along the route of the Old Connecticut Path and Providence Path. This intersection provides another landmark to help locate the corridor of the Old Connecticut Path across Willington.
The route of the Old Connecticut Path was remarkably direct, efficient and safe as it crossed Massachusetts and entered the hills of Windham County. Assuming that the Path would continue on a fairly direct line towards the Willimantic River crossing, a line can be drawn between the two known landmarks (i.e. intersection of Howey & Seckar Roads in Ashford, Willimantic River crossing at Nye Holman State Forest).
The baseline between Ashford and Tolland was used to explore possible ground level routes crossing Willington from Ruby-Fenton Park in Moose Meadow to the area of the Willimantic River Crossing at Nye Holman Sate Forest.
FORGOTTEN BYWAYS OF WILLINGTON
Modern maps did not show a coherent route across Willington that fit the direct line of travel. An antique map helped to find the way from the Fenton River across the highlands to the Willimantic River. The Petersen map of Willington showed the road ways known in 1850.
Close examination revealed a possible route following sections of roads that have fallen out of use. Using the Petersen map as a guide supplemented by the the 1946 Staford CT USGS topographic map, field exploration reconnected these old road ways and located connecting paths.
The eastern section (see "Willington, CT - East" map below) of the Path likely entered Willington from Ashford along the line of Burma Road to reach Moose Meadow at what is now Ruby-Fenton Park. Crossing Moose Meadow Road and the Fenton River, the Path headed southwest along the line of Liska Road where it joined Ketches Road. The Path ascended the ridge following Curtis Brook to reach the area where Jared Sparks and Cosgrove Roads intersect. The likely route of the Path continued along the line of Cosgrove Road crossing over the height of the land on the south side of Whifford Hill. As has been seen repeatedly along the route of the Path, the preferred route goes along the south side of hills. The eastern section continued to the area where Cosgrove and Ruby Roads meet.
While the Petersen map did not show a connection between the eastern and western sections, the USGS Stafford, CT 1946 map (see below) shows the likely connection to continue west. The area bewteen Ruby Road and Eldrege Mills Road has been developed as an apartment complex and gravel pit.
The old roadway crossing Eldrege Mills Road is still evident, but has been adapted for use as residential driveways. The deeply worn road way west continues through the woods down hill to Trask Road as shown on the USGS and Petersen maps.
The likely route of the Old Connecticut Path crosses Conant Brook and continues along the line of Trask Road for a short distance west to the point where it branches onto old foot paths leading southwest towards the Willimantic River.
Trask Road descends on a steep grade in a gulf between two surrounding hills. While this would be a direct approach to the river, the steep grade and reduced exposure to the sun would likely make this route difficult to travel, and retain snow cover longer. As shown by the yellow line aerial map (left), continuation of a line from Trask Road would connect with the Center Turnpike built in the early 1800s. The "Red Bridge" carrying the Center Turnpike across the Willimantic River was in use up to the time of the 1938 hurricane. The floods carried the bridge away leaving only the stone abutments. This site on the old Center Turnpike can be easily visited by those stopping at the westbound Connecticut Welcome Center on Interstate 84. A walking trail below the visitor center leads down to the Willimantic River and the Red Bridge site. This route did not appear to be the likely route of the Old Connecticut Path due to the potential difficulties descending between hills on Trask Road and the narrow, fast flowing current of the Willimantic River in the area of the Red Bridge site. For a closer look at the area near the "Red Bridge" site on I-84, see Willimantic River Walk - I-84 Welcome Center.
Field exploration of the woods south of Trask Road located a pathway leading southwest through forest on a slope receiving strong sun light. The old woodland path leads down hill to RT-32 to the area of Willimantic River flood plain where the Old Connecticut Path is likely to have met with the Providence Path. The low river banks, slower current and shallower water found in this area of Nye Holman State Forest would provide a safe crossing place for pioneers walking west along the Old Connecticut Path and the Providence Path on their way to the Connecticut River valley.
OLD CONNECTICUT PATH EXPRESS WAY
The likely route of the Old Connecticut Path across Willington from Ashford to the Willimantic River crossing follows forgotten roadways and paths on a fairly direct line. The route avoids difficult terrain and provides and "express" way to easily walk across Willington within less than a half days time.The likely route of the Old Connecticut Path was found to stay close to the hypothetical direct line drawn between the known reference points in Ashford and Tolland. The variations reflect need to follow the contours of the land along a safe, efficient course.
Field explorations found that much of the route through Willington remains within wooded lands following forgotten roads and pathways preserved by the town of Willington, conservation land trusts, and private land owners.