History of the Infrastructure of Pomfret Connecticut
One of the first needs that Pomfret felt after the meeting house had
been built, was for a way to get to it. Roads were not laid out at the
start and the attention of the people was now turned toward this
deficiency. Within the bounds of the purchase, which covered more than
half the territory of the town, it belonged to the proprietors to provide
them, but outside of those limits it belonged to the town. This
arrangement was not satisfactory, as harmony of action was not always
attainable. The proprietors, at a meeting in March, 1726, agreed to make
over to the town all highways in the purchase. The town then went forward
with the work of making roads and bridges as occasion and circumstances
required. In 1731 a substantial cart bridge was built over the Mashamoquet
at the saw mill, and a highway was laid out from it to Windham village. In
1788 a new road was laid out to Ashford, beginning "at a small fall in
Mashamoquet brook, thirty rods below the old going-over to Ashford."
In 1770, Pomfret joined with Killingly in rebuilding what was known as
"Danielson's bridge." In the following year, "Cargill's bridge" was
rebuilt. Putnam was foremost in a movement for procuring a new road
through Pomfret to Norwich and New Haven, but failed to secure it.
Notwithstanding all the pains taken to secure easy communication with
Providence, rendered so needful by intimate business and social relations,
the road thither was still very stony and rough, and the journey
laborious. So late as 1776, when Mr. S. Thurber drove over it in the first
chaise, he " could not ride out of a slow walk but very little of the way,
and was near two clays in going." Pomfret was much interested in a project
for deepening the channel of the Quinebaug, so as to make it passable for
boats, Ebenezer and John Grosvenor petitioning with citizens of other
towns for this object. One of the first dams upon the Quinebaug was
accomplished by Jabez Allen, near the mouth of Beaver's brook, about 1770.
A large grist mill was here erected by him and carried on successfully for
a few years. The laying out a public highway from Pomfret street to
Cargill's mills gave the town a great deal of trouble. After the rejection
of many proposed routes, the road " from Little bridge that crosses Mill
river, leading to nigh the dwelling-house of Mr. Abraham Perrin," was
established and recorded, May 14th, 1798. It was also voted to rebuild
Mill River bridge and repair Cargill's bridge.
In the early part of the present century Pomfret was greatly agitated by
the proposed construction of various turnpike roads through her territory.
Progressive spirits favored these enterprises, but the heavy outlay and
prospective imposts terrified a majority of the tax payers. At the first
proposal "to lay out a road from Hartford towards Boston to the
Massachusetts or Rhode Island line," the town appointed Colonel Lemuel
Grosvenor, Lemuel Ingalls, Esq., and Captain Josiah Sabin, to make such
preparations for surveying as would be necessary for information, and to
wait upon the committees sent by the general court. In December, the town
deferred acting upon raising money to pay assessments to individuals for
road laid by state committee, and appointed Peter Chandler, Seth and
Joshua Grosvenor to confer with neighboring towns respecting laying out a
road from Hartford to Douglass, and for preparing a memorial for
alteration of road or repeal of act. In the following year the town
refused to raise money to pay assessments to the persons who waited upon
them. NV hen, in spite of their grumbling and resistance, the Boston and
Hartford turnpike was actually completed through the -whole length of the
town, Lemuel Ingalls and Seth Grosvenor were appointed to have it altered
in certain points and the expense lessened. All efforts proving
unsuccessful, the town was reluctantly compelled to levy a tax of three
and a half cents to meet expenses and pay assessments, but declined to
accept shares in the company or to allow Captain Sabin for attendance upon
the committee. Projects for a new road in the west part of the town
through Joseph Sharpe's land to Brooklyn, and for two other turnpikes,
increased the town's ill humor. They would not view the different routes
through Killingly nor do anything about it, and appointed agents to oppose
the memorial of Sampson Howe and others, and also acceptance of a road
laid out through Pomfret from Norwich to Massachusetts line, but were
again obliged "to raise money to pay assessments made by state committee
for said road." The Pomfret and Killingly turnpike was also carried
through after much opposition and refusing to pay the cost of the jury
that laid it, and in 1803, it agreed to build a bridge in company with the
town of Killingly over Quinebaug river, south of Noah Perrin's-Caleb
Trowbridge, Benjamin Durkee and Freeman James to build said bridge. It
also voted to build a bridge across the stream near the burying ground,
and also one on Mashamoquet "where the turnpike crosseth it w. here old
road is discontinued." So great was the outlay caused by all these
turnpikes and bridges that it was proposed to sell the newly constructed
town house. Before accounts were settled another turnpike was demanded-a
direct road from Providence to meet the Boston and Hartford turnpike in
Ashford. Oliver Grosvenor and Sylvanus Backus were at once empowered to
oppose this farther imposition. Surveys were, however, made and two routes
offered for consideration. In 1806 the town voted that the north route by
Samuel White's to Cotton's bridge would best accommodate town and public,
and to oppose the route from said White's to the Landing, but as in
previous cases they were forced to submit to road and taxes.
A new road was laid out to the Brick Factory, intersecting with the
Woodstock and Thompson turnpike, in 1812, facilitating travel and trade
with both those towns. A road was also cut through the woods over Park's
hill in 1818, and the previous road pitching down to Blindy's mills
discontinued. The financial affairs of the company were very flourishing.
Yarn was sent out for weaving all over the country, even as far as
Brimfield, Mass. A dividend of $36,000 was made in one of the years of
war, and so well established was the company that it was able to continue
work during the succeeding embarrassments. Mr. Wilkinson was a strict
disciplinarian, and looked carefully after the morals of the community. At
his especial request the Windham Association furnished " religious
instruction " at stated intervals, holding meetings in the brick school
house. A Pomfret Woolen Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1817.
and erected buildings upon the Mashamoquet, but it suffered severely from
the great flood the following year, and other causes, and disbanded after
a time with pecuniary loss to its associates. Bridges and dams at Pomfret
Factory and Bundy's mills were carried away by that almost destructive
freshet, which inflicted great damage upon all the manufacturing
corporations of the country. The Killingly & Pomfret turnpike was
discontinued after a time and the bridge built for its accommodation
removed. The great flood of 1817 compelled the erection of new bridges at
Pomfret Factory.
Back to: Pomfret, Windham
County, Connecticut History
Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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