Amazingly--just a short walk down the road from our house--we visited a spectacular old dam and hiked on a beautiful river-side trail.
Roaring Brook was a bustling industrial powerhouse for a huge number of mills back in the 1800s!
The Brainard Pond (a..k.a.Smut Pond) Dam
About the dam and early industry in the area.
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| 1869 |
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| 1899 |
Known as the Smut Pond Dam, the impoundment dates to possibly the 1700s, when it helped to power the forge. In the mid-1970s, the dam was repaired and renovated to its original state. The area derives its name from the smoke and soot conditions produced by the forge and other industries in the area.
"The original forge site was purchased in about 1850 by the Hartford Manufacturing Co." The company, the story said, "built two mills to produce cotton textiles. Later the mills were taken over by other companies and operations continued through most of the 19th century. The site was eventually deeded to the town by the J.T. Slocomb Co. in 1967." - Peter Marketa - The Hartford Courant
Along the hillside there are ruins of the old forge and mill buildings
The spillway!
short video...
Yep- its visible in the Google Maps Aerial View!
The Stream-side Hike
Evidence of the retaining wall for the old roadway and/or foundation other mills houses were right along the trail...
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| the spillway |
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| an old well |
Further on, the mossy rock-strewn landscape and riverbed were quite beautiful
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| a secret spot... |
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Cris was quite the intrepid hiker
(especially for someone who "hates the woods") |
Along the hillside there are ruins of the old forge and mill buildings
The spillway!
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