Before the Footbridge - Part 1 by Pete Zizka 10-29-2022 |
(Part 1 of2) From circa 1850-1905, the need for a better connection
between Main and Pleasant Streets had been a burning issue. How to
address it became a long, roundabout, confusing story.
Historian Allen B. Lincoln, as well, said that Willimantic’s growth,
both industrial and residential was represented by, “a
long straggling line of homes” from today’s Vermont Drive to Jillson
Hill. But so too did Willimantic grow on the south side of the river
along Pleasant Street. In the early 1800s, Main Street was part of the
Windham Turnpike and was known as “the turnpike to Hartford”. Pleasant
Street was part of the Columbia Turnpike whose builders made no effort
to cross the river into Willimantic but continued along the south bank
of the river to the intersection with the Windham Turnpike at the former
Jillson Hill. And so, on each side of the Willimantic River, two
distinct neighborhoods grew. Interestingly enough, according to several
historical reminiscences, people on either side of the river referred
the opposite side as “over the river”. Main Street on the north side of
the river became an industrial and commercial area. On the south side,
Pleasant Street and beyond became home to many influential citizens,
among them General L.E. Baldwin, Judge Wheeler, Sheriff A.B. Green,
Judge Hall, Colonel Jillson, William Burleson and Willard and James
Hayden. A problem, however, was that there was no easy way to cross from
the Pleasant Street side to the Main Street side. As of 1850, only two
wooden bridges crossed the river and neither of those had a pedestrian
walkway.
The Windham Road bridge was rebuilt in 1857 to replace the old, wooden
“Iron Works Bridge”. At Bridge Street, the wooden bridge was
replaced in 1869 by what was then the largest stone arch bridge in
Connecticut. But not until 1875 was a pedestrian walk added to the
Windham Road bridge. In 1908, the
Bridge Street bridge was modified by the addition of a new overhanging
sidewalk. Newspaper articles show that as early as 1860, people on both
sides of the river wanted a suitable way to cross. With the coming of
the railroads, a railroad bridge had been built over the river in 1849
and people had begun to use it.
The Willimantic Enterprise of January 11, 1877 reported that a petition
had been prepared by E. B. Sumner and 54 others, "praying for a survey
and lay-out of a foot way and footbridge...from Main Street to Pleasant
Street." But the cost was considered to be too expensive, and the plan
was abandoned. A year later the Enterprise editorialized that, "the
question of a foot bridge from Pleasant Street to Main street is again
agitated. It is stated that the approaches will cost $10,000. We think
that the same amount of money would do more good if spent on an
efficient system of sewerage."
In 1879, the “Willimantic
Journal” mentioned that “A.R. Morrison has built a flight of steps from
the river bank to Pleasant street, which will be well patronized and
appreciated by parties living in that vicinity.” As the result of many
requests for a pedestrian walkway, “The Court of Burgesses at its July,
1880 meeting, appointed a committee to ascertain and report the probable
cost of a foot-way and bridge eight feet wide, in accordance with a plan
now in the Borough office, from Main Street between the residences of
James Walden and Chester Tilden to Pleasant Street near the house of
E.S. Boss. The Burgesses’ vote was to, “lay
out a foot path or highway from Main Street to Pleasant Street.
Commencing at a point on Main Street and running southerly on lands of
James Walden and Chester Tilden, thence southerly across lands of N.Y. &
N.E. railroad and lands of N.L.N. railroad across the Willimantic river
and lands of heirs of John Tracy to the northwestern corner of lands of
E.S. Boss, thence on said heirs' lands to Pleasant Street.”
What came of the plans was known
as “The River Path”. The
bridge consisted of two, separated tracks and it had a had a walkway
with a railing on the inside of one of the tracks. From the bridge,
people walked on another walkway which connected to Mr. Morrison’s “set
of steps”
(see today’s photo).
In
the early 1960s, there were still remnants of a path and a set of steps
behind the house that is east of the footbridge path. One could walk all
the way…to
the railroad bridge on the south side of the river. Click on photo for larger version |
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