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NEW VIDEO - THE TRAIL TO TOLLAND - click on the picture or link below to view.
The Trail to Tolland begins on the banks of the Willimantic River in Nye Holman State Forest. Travelers on the Old Connecticut Path forded the river taking advantage of the shallow water and low river banks found in the Willimantic River's wide flood plain.
The trail west closely follows the modern roads to Tolland and Hartford, yet remains in a world apart. The ancient roadway, following the route of the Old Connecticut Path from the Willimantic River at Nye Holman State Forest to Tolland Green at the center of Tolland, was once an important route for the founders of Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield, and the early settlers. The ancient way has been bisected and bypassed by modern roads and development. The fragments that remain are beautifully preserved and provide a window into travel in the 17th-18th centuries.
The trail to Tolland shows the delicate balance between progress and preservation. Parts of the trail will be preserved within public lands, parts have already been lost to "modern improvements", and portions waver in the balance, at risk of being lost forever.
The "Trail to Tolland" offers a digital time capsule showing a world as it may have been seen by Connecticut's founders and later settlers along side the view from our modern world. Rediscovering this portion of the Old Connecticut Path raises the challenge to ensure that the scales of progress and preservation are balanced for the future.
To view the video, click on the picture (above) or the link Trail to Tolland video
REDISCOVERING THE PATH TO TOLLAND CENTER
The Old Connecticut Path merged with the Providence Path at the Wilimantic River fordway to travel west across Tolland. The junction of these two important paths remains an important cross roads today for modern travelers.Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffery crossed the Willimantic River at the fordway in the area of Nye Holman State Forest. Their 1642 survey map (see 2.32 Providence Path) records the location in the area of West Willington. The route of the paths crossing here were recognized by Harral Ayres, Matthias Spiess and Levy Badger Chase.River crossings before the construction of bridges required careful selection of the time and place. The Willimantic River in during flood times is a powerful and dangerous river that can carry a life away in the blink of an eye. Crossing the river on foot requires knowledge of the river's flow and the places where the river is best suited to walk across. As with the route across the Quinebaug River (see 2.35 Quinebaug River Crossing - Thompson, CT), the qualities for safest passage include slow current, shallow water and low banks.
The Willimantic River flows through a flood plain between Willington and Tolland that is almost perfectly suited for meeting the requirements for safe passage along a foot path. The 1934 Farichild Aerial photograph of the Willimantic River between Willington and Tolland helps to illustrate several qualities. The river enters a wide flood plain below the Center Turnpike crossing on the Red Bridge and the 90 degree turn to the east. South of this point to Route 74, the Willimantic River slows as it passes through a series of bends. At high water, the river overflows its banks and spreads across the low lying flood plain. The flooding lowers the level and angle of the river banks. While it is difficult to build bridges on a flood plain, this area of the Willimantic was perfectly suited for foot travel crossing at the fordways. Because the river changes course over time due to flooding, the precise location of the Willimantic fordway used for travelers on the Old Connecticut Path and Providence Path cannot be precisely located.Finding the route of the Old Connecticut Path/Providence Path from the Willimantic River to the center of Tolland begins at Nye Holman State Forest. The forest service road off of RT 74 provides access to the river and opportunity to explore the Nye homestead. Ebeneezer Nye was among the early settlers of Tolland. In 1727, he constructed a bridge across the Willimantic River here to provide an easier crossing of the river. From here, there are three ways west to Skungamuag and on to Tolland Center.
The Petersen map of Tolland circa 1850 shows two possible routes from the Willimantic River crossing. "RT 74/Tolland Turnpike" follows the approximate route of the modern highway and an early town road provides a southern Turnpike Bypass. 1. Tolland Turnpike
The Tolland Turnpike was built from here in the early 1800's crossing Tolland, Vernon, Manchester, and East Hartford to reach Hartford. While the Tolland Turnpike has been realigned over the past two centuries, it was built upon earlier paths leading west. It provides a corridor in which to explore further to find pieces of the older paths that have been bypassed. The Nye Holman State Forest lands extending from the Willimantic River towards Tolland Center provide a space where fragments of the old way can still be found.
There is a very small portion of the original Tolland Turnpike roadway that can be found on the north side of the modern highway at Grapevine Brook. The old roadway was 10-15 feet wide with the stone foundation for the bridge still remaining. The short portion over Grapevine Brook was bypassed by improvements to RT 74. A visit to the site reveals one of the problems with this route. The old roadway is located on the north side of a hill at a level where it falls in the shadow of the hill side. While the grade of the roadway was improved following this route to make it more suitable for wheeled transportation, it would have been more difficult keep open for travel. Much like a ski area with trails on the north side of a mountain, snow would be deeper and last longer into spring.
2. Turnpike Bypass
The Old Connecticut Path from Sutton, MA to Willington, CT has shown a trend for the path to follow the south side of hills to take advantage of the sun's warmth to keep the trail open longer through the year. While the route of the Tolland Turnpike in this area may have been used in earliest times, it's likely that there were other ways to bypass this area when conditions warranted.
The Peteresen 1850 map shows a Turnpike Bypass south of Tolland Turnpike that headed west from the Willimantic River and then curved north to rejoin the Tolland Turnpike. This roadway now serves as a forest access road for Nye Holman State Forest from South River Road ending at Interstate 84. Sandy and Sharon Roads on the north side of I-84 follow the route of the bypass road with traces of the old roadway leading from Sharon Road to RT 74. The Turnpike Bypass would have offered an alternative route west from the Willimantic. Given a generally southern exposure, it is likely the roadway would remain open longer in the fall and be clear for travel earlier in the spring. However, the route is less direct than the Tolland Turnpike with a grade that is steeper.
3. Old Connecticut Path
There is a third way to Skungamaug that is both direct and on the warm, south side of the hill. The Petersen 1850 map does not show it. It was there, but had fallen out of use as a primary route. Over the past two centuries, this route has been both fragmented and forgotten. Some clues and field exploration helped rediscover the route and put the pieces back together.
In 1934 Connecticut became the first state to complete a statewide aerial survey. The State Library has several aerial surveys of the entire state, along with some partial surveys, and has put the 1934, 1938 (partial survey), and 1965 surveys online. Aerial survey photos are available at Connecticut Aerial Survey.
A composite of two aerial photos from 1934 is displayed (left). Close examination of the aerial view suggested a third line of travel that runs between RT 74/Tolland Turnpike to the north and the Turnpike Bypass to the south. The Yellow line indicates the Old Connecticut Path running from Nye Holman State Forest at the Willimantic crossing to the Skungamuag River, and then west towards Tolland Center via Torry Road.
The route ascends the hill on the south side while traveling on an almost direct line west. Field exploration confirmed that the line was an old roadway.
The Petersen map of Tolland has been updated (left) to show the relationship of the Old Connecticut Path to RT 74/ Tolland Turnpike and Turnpike Bypass. Based on field exploration, it appeared that Buff Cap Road reached a junction with the Old Connecticut Path that has been severed by construction of Interstate 84 (see map below).
The 1946 USGS Stafford Springs, CT map shows a single dashed line along a portion of the route indicated in the 1934 aerial survey. A dashed line indicates a road that has been closed or has limited use. This intersects with a state forest access road that is now closed. The Yellow line indicates the Old Connecticut Path along the road with an extension to RT 74/ Tolland Turnpike based on field exploration.
The map (left) displays the route of the Old Connecticut Path from the Willimantic River to the Skungamaug River in relation to modern highways and streets. Note that the top of the map is facing south.Since the 1934 aerial survey and the later USGS survey, modernization of RT 74, construction of Interstate 84, and suburban housing development have severed the connection of the old roadway. Fragments of the old roadway which were likely built upon the footpath of the Old Connecticut Path can be found today in Nye Holman State Forest and privately owned lands. A selection of photos taken along the route of the Old Connecticut Path provides unmistakable evidence of the roadway and the beauty of those sections that have been undisturbed for more than two centuries.
Detailed aerial view maps of the route of the Old Connecticut Path from Nye Holman State Forest at RT 74 & Pero Road to Skungamaug at RT 74 are displayed below. The lines drawn show the approximate route based on GPS data and field exploration.
Lifetime Tolland resident Madeline Regan shared her recollection of her family's long ownership of land between Evergreen Drive and RT 74 through which the Old Connecticut Path traveled. Ms. Regan recalled stories of her mother and grandmother walking the full length of the old roadway from their home down to the Willimantic River. She was especially pleased to learn from a 1982 survey of her land that the path she walked daily was the Old Connecticut Path. Ms. Regan shared her feelings for the land along the Path, "A quiet walk in my woods, observing and listening to the sights and sounds of nature, brings peace and tranquility to body and soul."
The Old Connecticut Path is most likely to have continued west from Skungamaug to Tolland Center along the upland route of Torry Road. The road stays to the high ground avoiding potentially difficult wet lands and stream crossings along RT 74/ Tolland Turnpike that were overcome during settlement of the town.WEST FROM TOLLAND CENTER
The route of the Old Connecticut Path heads west from Tolland Center along the line of the Tolland-Hartford Turnpike/RT 74 traveling through the pass in the line of hills west of Tolland Center. Harral Ayres noted that Paulk Hill was a noted landmark along the route of the Old Connecticut Path. Crossing the height of the land just below Paulk Hill, travelers on the Old Connecticut Path would take their first steps into the valley leading down to the Connecticut River at Hartford and Wethersfield. Tavelers on the trek to Windsor would soon leave the Old Connecticut Path to continue along the Providence Path towards Windsor.Click on the Petersen 1850 map to enlarge.
The passage of centuries has brought changes in the landscape from forest and then farms to the modern world of businesses and suburban homes. From Tolland Center west to the Connecticut River, most traces of the Old Connecticut Path and Providence Path have been covered over.Research is underway to locate the remaining pieces through Tolland and beyond. The aerial views from Tolland Center to Vernon show the corridor of the Old Connecticut Path and the points where the Providence Path branches to head to Windsor.
Check back for updates as more information about the route through Tolland is found.
Acknowledgments: Finding the route through Tolland has been greatly helped by insights shared by Tolland resident Tim Gottier whose survey and settlement data helped point towards the likely places to look for the forgotten pathway. Thanks to Tolland resident Roseann Gottier shared the story of Madeline Regan and local tradition of the Old Connecticut Path in Tolland.
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