Perhaps the largest historical archaeological feature in Connecticut is the abandoned Farmington Canal. It was in operation from 1828 to 1848. The canal was built to connect New Haven Harbor to inland commerce and divert some of the business away from the Connecticut River.

Searching for its remains is a wonderful activity for people who like to explore and experience history first hand. The best time of the year to explore is in the late fall until early spring, when vegetation is defoliated. You will essentially be seeking the remains of a trench that was initially dug to the dimensions of 36 ft. wide on top, 24 ft. wide on the bottom and 4 ft. deep. A berm bordered one side and a 10-foot wide towpath bordered the other side. Of course, these dimensions have become diminutive over time.

The Farmington Canal stretched from New Haven Harbor and continued north to the Massachusetts border, where it joined the Hampshire and Hampden canal, and then on to North Hampton, MA joining the Connecticut River. It was 80 miles long with 56 miles of it in Connecticut. This was the longest canal built in New England and it went through eight Connecticut towns: West Suffield, Granby, Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Southington, Plainville, Cheshire, Hamden and New Haven. Plainville separated from Farmington in 1869, after the canal ceased operations.

Since the canal's abandonment in 1848, much of it has been lost to nature and human development. But, fortunately, there is still much remaining to experience, not only in the engineered water channel itself, but also in the remains of locks, culverts, aqueducts, hotels and taverns. The highlights that follow are just a few of the features you can observe just in northern Connecticut.

To get oriented in finding the canal's abandoned remains, go to the library reference section and copy the aerial topography maps of all the towns listed above. On many of these maps, "abandoned canal" is denoted in most areas where its remains are still visible. The canal follows close to the vicinity of CT/MA Route 10. Therefore, with camera in hand, park the car at some convenient point and get ready for an adventure close to home.

I will start the highlights of our journey at the Congamond Lakes near the CT/MA border and briefly describe what you can expect to see in the northern portion of Connecticut. The Farmington Canal got its name because the major source of its water came from the Farmington River and its tributaries. But the Congamond Lakes were also a huge source. They are 220 feet above sea level and its all downhill from here to New Haven Harbor. The Lake was part of the canal waterway. Horses trotting on a floating towpath pulled the canal boats through it. At the southernmost point of the Lake is an outlet where the southern route of the waterway heads into Connecticut and starts the beginning of our state's portion of the canal system. You will see a stone marker indicating MA/CT border and a large swampy area that once fed additional water needed to keep the canal filled. Continuing south this unnaturally straight waterway is pronounced until the old railroad abutments at Phelps Road in West Suffield. Here the canal route ends and its former channel is amputated and flows into a natural brook. Continuing south into Granby on Quarry and Hungary Roads is a Granby Land Trust sign denoting the location of a preserved section of the canal. Additionally, side streets off the above roads intersect the old canal bed and can be easily seen and photographed.

Just north of the former Granby Station, on Route 189, locks 1 through 6 once existed. They are difficult to distinguish because locals have long reused nearly all the masonry work. These 6 locks lowered the canal bed from 220 feet to 180 feet. The next lock is not encountered for another 30 miles in Southington.

Before we leave Granby we encounter Salmon Brook where a 40-foot culvert carried the canal bed. This culvert was the largest on its 80-mile course and endured over a hundred years of service for the canal and the later railroad. After flood damage in the 1930s, the culvert was replaced by a steel bridge, which still stands and is being converted for rail to trail use. A small section of the 40-foot culvert still remains, and is easily spotted from the steel bridge. It is my hope that this masonry will be preserved.

In Simsbury, the canal existed close to the Route 10 roadway and therefore has disappeared because of road expansion and development along it. But you still can view the remains of a section north of town near Simsbury Airport and another at the Canal Place housing complex in Weatogue. Also, the substantial remains of a culvert over Hop Brook, across from Ensign Bickford, can be seen.

The Avon Old Farms School has left much of the canal bed undisturbed and it is preserved in heavy growth. Also, the substantial remains of another culvert can be seen just before you leave Avon and enter Farmington. Some key remains in Farmington are the aqueduct and the Unionville feeder canal. On the west side of the Farmington River banks, behind the Farmington Club complex, and on the east side off Route 10, the aqueduct abutment wings can be seen. Additionally, from the club's parking lot, the profile of the feeder canal can be observed in the distance. Further down on Route 10, Miss Porter's School has abuilding that was once the Union Hotel that served canal travelers.

The town that is most proud of its canal heritage is Plainville. At Norton Park they have preserved the canal bed and keep it well trimmed and mowed to prevent it from being overgrown. Every applicable street in town has signage to denote the canal's former path through town.

There is more to be seen south of Plainville such as the beautiful restoration of lock 12 in Cheshire with its gatekeeper's house and a small museum. These highlights are just a sample of what you can view. There are many more obvious remains and not enough space to mention them here. With experience you will also be able to interpolate from the existing remains, where the now extinct once existed. I hope you get to enjoy this type of exploring and viewing of living history as much as I have.

References:
1) Boats Across New England Hills - The Story of the Farmington Canal.
Compiled by Workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Connecticut: 1941.

2) Trout, Amy. The Story of The Farmington Canal., New Haven Colony Historical Society: 1995.