Conneticuts' Western Highlands
Well, after 400+ miles it was bound to happen...we made our first wrong turn and got "sidetracked" (we wouldn't call it lost) for a short while. Leaving Windsor Locks, we turned left at an intersection we should have been going straight through, and after about one mile realized that something was amiss. We have a compass that is built into our handelbar bell, and it has proved to be the best $5 buck investment we've ever made. Studying the map, looking for the next intersection that wasn't there, we checked the compass and realized we had headed off in the wrong direction. When in doubt Magellan, check the compass! Some people have asked if we considered taking a GPS with us on the trip. Our feeling is that a lot of the joy in traveling by bike is figuring out how to get from place to place with the maps. We enjoy looking for road signs, deciding if this indeed is the intersection we need to turn on, and the sense of discovery. A GPS is just one more gizmo that needs batteries and when something goes wrong, you're SOL. What we have found is that whenever we're stopped along side of the road, pouring over the maps to figure out which way to go, someone invariably pulls over and asks if we need help. Part of the fun is talking with these folks, finding out about local things to see, and even just exchanging pleasantries. Using a GPS, you don't get that type of interaction. Call us old school, but we think you need a GPS on this type of road trip like a hole in the head.
Back on route, we began a long steady climb out of the Conneticut River valley, and wheeled are way into the western highlands of the state. The western highland, with the Taconic Mts. and the Litchfield Hills, is more rugged than the eastern highland. A few isolated peaks in the west are over 2,000 ft high. There were a few steep ups and downs, but the majority of the day was spent spinning in a middle gear up long gradual inclines. We rode in and out of some storybook communities, but what struck us most was the mill towns we passed through like Winsted.
The City of Winsted was formed at the junction of the Mad River and Still River, and was one of the first mill towns in the state. Manufactured products started with scythes at the Winsted Manufacturing Company in 1792. Winsted, along with New Haven was a center for the production of mechanical clocks. The Gilbert Clock Company, located along the Still River north of town, was founded in 1807 and became one of the largest clock companies in the world at turn of the century.
In 1955, Huricanes Connie and Diane passed over Connecticut within one week, flooding the Mad River and Still River through downtown. Mad River, which parallels the South side of Main Street, caused flooding up to 10 feet deep through the center of town. This damaged the buildings between Main Street and the river such that all buildings on that side of Main Street through the center of town were subsequently removed and Main Street widened to 4 lanes which is the way it is today. Further downstream, Still River flowed between the buildings of the Gilbert Clock Company. The flooding caused extensive damage to their buildings, and this was the final blow to a company which was already in poor financial condition.
Today, Winsted is a city with a much lower median household income than neighbors to the east. The town of Winchester has made efforts to remodel Main Steet by renovating building façades, replacing sidewalks, and other small-scale beautification attempts. There is limited employment in the town, and many residents work in surrounding towns. Here was an example of a town that had been through hard times, suffered a number of blows, but yet refuses to die. It is a story that is being played out throughout New England and the mid Atlantic states, and we realized that we would be seeing many more "Winsteds" before the trip was over.
We continued our slow uphill journey to the village of Norfolk, which is probably the quintesential example of a classic New England town. Beautiful church with historic cemetery, classic homes, and a lovely stone public library. One could easily spend an afternoon there, but we had been told that rain was on the way, so we wanted to get to our campground in East Canaan before nightfall. Stopping at a farm stand, we purchased our provisions for the evenings supper and sped downhill to a wide open valley in which we actually had vistas all around. For folks like us from Big Sky country, it was a sight for sore eyes. We finally had a sense of openness, and could see that this part of the state was decidedly different from whence we came. We set up camp and got to bed early to rest up for our next days ride over the border into New York to take on the mountain ranges of the Hudson River drainage.
Back on route, we began a long steady climb out of the Conneticut River valley, and wheeled are way into the western highlands of the state. The western highland, with the Taconic Mts. and the Litchfield Hills, is more rugged than the eastern highland. A few isolated peaks in the west are over 2,000 ft high. There were a few steep ups and downs, but the majority of the day was spent spinning in a middle gear up long gradual inclines. We rode in and out of some storybook communities, but what struck us most was the mill towns we passed through like Winsted.
The City of Winsted was formed at the junction of the Mad River and Still River, and was one of the first mill towns in the state. Manufactured products started with scythes at the Winsted Manufacturing Company in 1792. Winsted, along with New Haven was a center for the production of mechanical clocks. The Gilbert Clock Company, located along the Still River north of town, was founded in 1807 and became one of the largest clock companies in the world at turn of the century.
In 1955, Huricanes Connie and Diane passed over Connecticut within one week, flooding the Mad River and Still River through downtown. Mad River, which parallels the South side of Main Street, caused flooding up to 10 feet deep through the center of town. This damaged the buildings between Main Street and the river such that all buildings on that side of Main Street through the center of town were subsequently removed and Main Street widened to 4 lanes which is the way it is today. Further downstream, Still River flowed between the buildings of the Gilbert Clock Company. The flooding caused extensive damage to their buildings, and this was the final blow to a company which was already in poor financial condition.
Today, Winsted is a city with a much lower median household income than neighbors to the east. The town of Winchester has made efforts to remodel Main Steet by renovating building façades, replacing sidewalks, and other small-scale beautification attempts. There is limited employment in the town, and many residents work in surrounding towns. Here was an example of a town that had been through hard times, suffered a number of blows, but yet refuses to die. It is a story that is being played out throughout New England and the mid Atlantic states, and we realized that we would be seeing many more "Winsteds" before the trip was over.
We continued our slow uphill journey to the village of Norfolk, which is probably the quintesential example of a classic New England town. Beautiful church with historic cemetery, classic homes, and a lovely stone public library. One could easily spend an afternoon there, but we had been told that rain was on the way, so we wanted to get to our campground in East Canaan before nightfall. Stopping at a farm stand, we purchased our provisions for the evenings supper and sped downhill to a wide open valley in which we actually had vistas all around. For folks like us from Big Sky country, it was a sight for sore eyes. We finally had a sense of openness, and could see that this part of the state was decidedly different from whence we came. We set up camp and got to bed early to rest up for our next days ride over the border into New York to take on the mountain ranges of the Hudson River drainage.
posted by Matt and Mary Ellen | 6:30 PM
1 Comments:
The story of Winstead is the story of small town America, really. Out here in the great flat Midwest it's the loss of manufacturing jobs that is driving down prices and emptying out our towns.
It's interesting that you get a sense of 'openness' when you have something to look at all around. Being from the flatlands, I can't get used to seeing mountains around me when I'm in those areas.
I'm enjoying your adventure vicariously. Keep up the great writing!
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