If 



CONNECTICUT. 



CONNECTICUT. 



550 



of the Connecticut from the Thames. A range of high land of 

 moderate elevation, called the Middletown Mountains, or Mount Tom 

 range, runs from Hartford on the Connecticut, past Middletown to 

 East Rock, 870 feet high, north-east of New Haven, where it termi- 

 nates. The Blue Hills in Southington, a part of this range, are said 

 to be the loftiest in this state, attaining an elevation of 1000 feet. 

 The Housatonic Mountains run along the western margin of the state, 

 on the west side of the Housatonic River. 



Hydrography, Communications The rivers are generally only navi- 

 gable in their lower courses. The most important is the Connecticut, 

 which rises in Lower Canada, about 45 20' N. lat. Its general 

 course is south by west, and then south-west to the point where it 

 breaks through one of the Appalachian ranges, and receiving the 

 Passamsic, descends over the Barnet Falls from the high valley in 

 which it haa hitherto flowed into a lower basin. From the junction 

 of the" Passamsic it continues as before to form the boundary between 

 New Hampshire and Vermont till it enters Massachusetts, through 

 which state it flows, still in a generally southern coin-so. It leaves 

 Massachusetts about 5 miles below Springfield. Its general southern 

 continues to Middletown in Connecticut, where it is deflected 

 to the south-east by some high land, and continuing this direction it 

 enters the Sound. The whole course of the river is probably not less 

 than 400 miles. The Connecticut is in many respects a very remark- 

 able river. Its general course, as already described, is nearly due 

 south ; though it receives numerous streams, they are comparatively 

 of small importance. Tbe river basin above the junction of the 

 Passamsic is about 30 miles wide : below this point it widens to about 

 40 mile* ; the whole surface of the basin is calculated to be about 

 9800 square miles. The river generally flows in a deep and often 

 narrow valley, bordered by high lands, which, where they recede from 

 the river, leave fine alluvial plains. One of these alluvial plains 

 stretches uninterruptedly for 40 miles from a little above Middletown, 

 in Connecticut, to South Hadley, in Massachusetts. The alluvial tracts 

 on the river are exposed to dreadful inundations. The river has a bar 

 at its mouth, but it is navigable for vessels drawing 10 feet of water to 

 MMdletowu, which is at the head of tide-water, and 36 miles from the 

 Sound ; vessels drawing 74 feet ascend to Hartford, 15 miles above 

 Middletown. Though this river is much obstructed by rapids, falls, 

 and shoals, it has been made navigable, by means of canals and locks, 

 for boats of considerable size to the mouth of Well's River in Vermont. 

 The Tunxis, or Farmington, which hag its source on the Green Moun- 

 tains in Massachusetts, is the principal tributary of the Connecticut in 

 this state. The Iloiuatonic rises in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, 

 in a fine plain 1000 feet above the sea, and running a general southern 

 course through a picturesque valley enters the Sound at Milford Point, 

 after a course of about 120 miles. Large vessels cannot enter it, but 

 it hag a sloop navigation for about 12 miles. The Thama, which is 

 formed by the confluence of the Quinnebaug and the Shetucket a 

 little above Norwich, at which town it is swelled by the junction of 

 the Yantic, haa a navigable course of about 14 miles, and falls into the 

 Sound at New London. The small streams which add so much to 

 the fertility of the country are very numerous. 



There is now no canal in the state of any length or consequence, the 

 Farmington Canal having been filled up and converted into a railway. 



The common roads are numerous and well kept. The railways 

 running east and west through the state arc the lines between New 

 Haven and Worcester, in all about 120 miles, which together form a 

 part of the southern main-trunk line, connecting New York and Boston ; 

 and the Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill railway, of which little 

 more than 50 miles are yet completed. The lines running north and 

 couth from the porta on the Sound are the Norwich and Worcester, 

 '!* inilea, of which about 40 miles are in Connecticut; the New London, 

 Willimantic, and Palmer, 66 miles ; the New Haven, Hartford, and 

 Springfield, 62 miles ; the New Haven and Northampton, on the bed 

 of the old Farmington Canal, 46 miles ; the Naugatuc, 57 miles ; the 

 Housatonic (Bridgeport to PitUfield, 110 miles), 74 miles completed; 

 and the Danbury and Norwalk, 24 miles. Besides these there are 

 several branches and small lines : the total length of railway completed 

 in the state in October 1853 was 565 miles, and about 100 miles were 

 in course of construction. 



Geology, Mineralogy. The prevalent rocks of the hill ranges arc 

 granitic, or hypogene ; metamorphic limestones ; and in a depression 

 of the granitic rock* occur thin bedded strata of new red-sandstone, 

 shale, and conglomerate, with masses of trap intruded, the beds 

 'lipping to the eastward at angles varying from 5 to 50 degrees. The 

 t riossic rockR, according to Sir Charles Lyell, must have been " formed 

 in shallow water, and for the most part near the shore, and some of 

 tho beds have been from time to time raised above the level of the 

 watef, and laid dry, while a newer series, composed of similar sedi- 

 ment, wai forming." The red flags of thin-bedded sandstone are often 

 ripple-marked ; and " on ome shales of the finest texture impressions 

 of rain drops may be seen, and casts of them in the incumbent argil- 

 laceous TOndntones." Bnt what haa rendered this formation an object 

 of unusual interest to scientific men is the circumstance of the numer- 

 ous impressions and costs of the footsteps of a great variety of birds 

 which walked over the strata at the time when they were 

 deposited. According to Professor Hitchcock " the footprints of no 

 lew than thirty-two specie* of biped* and twelve of quadrupeds have 



been already detected in these rocks. Thirty of these are believed to 

 be thosj of birds, four of lizards, two of chelonians, and six of batra- 

 chians. The tracks have been found in more than twenty places, 

 scattered through an extent of nearly 80 railea from north to south, 

 and they are repeated through a succession of beds attaining at some 

 points a thickness of more than 1000 feet, which may have been 

 thousands of years in forming." (Lyell, 'Elements of Geology;' 

 Hitchcock, ' Mem. of American Academy,' New Ser., iii. 129.) No 

 fossil bones, either of birds or reptiles, have as yet been met with in 

 these rocks ; the fossil fish are however numerous and very perfect : 

 they belong to a peculiar type which has received the name of 



Title mineral wealth of Connecticut is considerable. Iron ore is 

 found at Salisbury, Kent, and other places, in great abundance, and 

 of excellent quality. In copper ore this state is one of the richest in 

 the Union. The chief mines are those of Bristol and Plymouth. 

 According to Professor Sillimau the Bristol vein extends for above 

 30 miles from Bristol southward aa far as Hampstead, and if fully 

 worked is capable of affording employment to 30,000 miners. The 

 Plymouth mines are said to be equally rich. Copper is likewise 

 found at Granby. Lead, zinc, plumbago, cobalt, and manganese are 

 also met with. At Milford a very fine marble is obtained, and 

 marbles of different kinds occur there and elsewhere. A freestone 

 much in demand for building purposes is quarried in several parts of 

 the state. The mineral springs at Stafford are much resorted to. 



Climate, Soil, Agriculture. The climate is subject to sudden and 

 extreme variations of heat and cold, especially along the coast. With 

 a change of wind a great alteration generally occurs in the weather. 

 In the winter the north-west winds are very keen, the south winds 

 are warmer and more genial. 



The soil of Connecticut is only of a medium quality, more suitable 

 for grazing purposes than the growth of wheat, except in the river 

 valleys, some of which contain rich alluvia. In the valley of the 

 Connecticut the soil varies from a hard stiff clay to a light sandy 

 loam. In the eastern part of the state a warm, strong, fertile soil 

 prevails, which is excellent for grasses. In the western part are 

 many fertile districts. The north-western is more cold and sterile, 

 but contains some good grazing districts. In the south the peach 

 perfects its fruit. The farms are mostly small and carefully culti- 

 vated ; .but the farmers usually follow some manufacturing occupation 

 during a part of the year. 



In 1850 there were in the state 1,768,178 acres of improved land, 

 and 615,701 acres of unimproved land, which together were valued at 

 72,726,422 dollars. The number of farms under cultivation wag 

 22,445. The total produce of the principal crops hi 1850 was 

 wheat, 41,762 bushels; rye, 600,893 bushels; maize, 1,935,843 

 bushels; oats, 1,158,738 bushels ; barley, 19,099 bushels; buckwheat, 

 229,297 bushels; potatoes, 2,689,725 bushels; hay, 516,131 tons; 

 clover-seed, 13,841 bushels; other grass-seed, 16,608 bushels; peas 

 and beans, 19,090 bushels; tobacco, 1, 267,624 Ibs. ; maple sugar, 

 50,796 Ibs. ; flax, 17,928 Ibs. ; wine, 4269 gallons. The value of 

 orchard products was 175,118 dollars; of market-garden products, 

 196,874 dollars. 



The number of horses in 1850 was 26,879; asses and mules, 49; 

 milch cows, 85,461 ; working oxen, 46,988 ; other cattle, 80,226 ; 

 sheep, 174,181 ; swine, 76,472. The products of animals were thus 

 returned: wool, 497,4541bs. ; butter, 6,498,1191bs. ; cheese, 

 5,363,277 Iba. Value of animals slaughtered during the year, 

 2,202,266 dollars. Silk cocoons, 328 Ibs. ; bees-wax and honey, 

 93,304 Ibs. 



Manufactures, Commerce, <tc. Connecticut possesses considerable 

 manufactures, but the manufacturing industry of the state is distri- 

 buted over a large number of small shops. The number of establish- 

 ments in 1850 producing to the value of 500 dollars and upwards 

 annually was 3913, of which 128 were cotton factories, employing 

 2708 males and 3478 females; 149 woollen mills, employing 2907 

 males and 2581 females; and 91 iron-houses, of which 60 manufac- 

 tured castings, employing 942 persons, 13 pig-iron, employing 148 

 persons, and 18 wrought-iron, employing 374 persons. There are 

 also factories for the manufacture of steam-engines and locomotives, 

 hardware, cutlery, fire-arms, gunpowder, paper, soap, candles, boots 

 and shoes, and most of the ordinary articles of home consumption ; 

 besides numerous flour, grist, and saw-mills, distilleries, breweries, 

 tanneries, potteries, glass-houses, &c. 



The foreign commerce of the state is not large. The exports in 

 1852 amounted to 506,174 dollars, the imports to 394,675 dollars, of 

 which the value brought in foreign vessels was only 18,397 dollars. 

 In the same year 65 vessels, of 9034 tons burden, were built in the 

 state. The amount of shipping owned in the state in 1850 was 

 113,085 tons, of which 31,028 tons were employed in foreign com- 

 merce, 11,483 tons in the whale-fishery, 5249 tons in cod-fishing, and 

 571 tons in mackarel-ushing ; the remainder were chiefly employed in 

 the coasting trade. The steam marine of the state, which is wholly 

 I'lnplnycd in the coasting trade, amounted to 8455 tons. 



ttmiliont, Town*, &c. The state is divided into eight counties 

 Kairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, Now Haven, New London, 

 Tolland, and Wyndham, which are subdivided into 148 townships. 

 It contains 6 cities and 12 boroughs. The following are the cities, 



