Here's a map of former, major stagecoach routes and major inter-town highways in CT. The map is not exhaustive, but it shows CT before many "newer" towns were formed/incorporated and gives a good sense for how development was prioritized.Porcupine224 t1_iueq359 wrote
Some observations as someone who isn't well-educated in CT history at all:
-Southington is nowhere to be found; further reading shows it was the "South Society of Farmington" until being an official town in 1779.
-The clear pattern of older cities surrounding the waterways and expansion going further outward from there can be seen by the years of settlement.
-"Saybrook". Just that.
-The almost uniform boundaries of Litchfield county at the time. Like there was a concerted effort to split the county evenly into towns all at once.
-How recently the towns we know of and think of as staples of CT were formed based on just being separate neighborhoods that declared township.
-Tolland and Middlesex counties don't exist.
-Beginnings of I-95 and I-91 are obvious. The route I-84 eventually creates isn't present.
As a map nerd, old maps like these are sooo interesting. Thanks for sharing!
TankGirlwrx t1_iuf3wv7 wrote
I’m not sure if it’s just a quirk of whoever labeled this but Middle Town makes me kinda giggle. “Oh, here’s a town in the middle…what a great name!”
roubaixSport t1_iufw19l wrote
Midway between Saybrook and Hartford.
billdf99 t1_iufjp95 wrote
Really interesting observations. Thanks for sharing.
I think I CAN make out 84. Follow the road from danbury to Newtown to Southbury to Waterbury to Hartford. This map isn't exactly correct so it's hard to follow, but I think that's the general path.
Porcupine224 t1_iufvw89 wrote
Yeah, you're right I can see it. I was more commenting on how 95 and 91 already appear as "major" roads at this time. I definitely would have thought 84 came before 91.
billdf99 t1_iuha62w wrote
I see what you mean. I'm not sure the order the highways were built. I think 84 was a little later though.
Personal-Ad-7407 t1_iuggd7z wrote
Another fun look is Windsor, which later splits into Windsor Locks, East Windsor and Ellington. Later, South Windsor splits off from East Windsor.
On this map, Windsor is on both sides of the CT River. Am I correct that Haddam is the only town that still is on both sides of the river?
CalligrapherDizzy201 t1_iuhk26n wrote
An infuriatingly tiny part of Wethersfield is between East Hartford and Glastonbury. You can walk through it on the Goodwin University river trail.
Personal-Ad-7407 t1_iuhr8fd wrote
Interesting!
That is a strange jog in the border. I checked the Wethersfield GIS map to be sure it wasn’t a Google Map artifact. Great trivia question material.
CalligrapherDizzy201 t1_iuhrr39 wrote
It’s really cool to walk through the woods and see an East Hartford/Wethersfield town line sign followed, about a half mile later, by a Glastonbury/Wethersfield town line sign. There’s even a reason for it but I don’t remember what. I’ll go look and update.
ETA: https://www.realhartford.org/2019/09/18/east-of-the-river-to-wethersfield/
Turns out it was a flood. This is a cool article about the area.
infiniZii t1_iuhgsck wrote
I'm pretty sure Naugatuck existed at the time of this map. The river was the Naugatuck river but the borough isn't listed. It was tiny at the time though so they probably just didn't include it.
smartypants4all t1_iufvrc8 wrote
I am pretty sure that Route 44 follows that same path through the NW hills and into Hartford.
realbusabusa t1_iugn2yo wrote
More like proto Rt 1 & Rt 5 than 95 & 91 but yeah
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