'Turnback Tuesday' on Wednesday features Housatonic River in Derby

This week's 'Turnback Tuesday' features the Housatonic River or "Ousatonic" as it was originally spelled. 
The river was named by the Paugussett Tribe as Potatuck which means “River with Falls” or “Great River.”
The Housatonic actually starts near Pittsfield, Mass. and runs for 148 miles into Long Island Sound. 
In the early 1800s, factories were built along the river. These factories in Birmingham harnessed the water to power their turbines and water wheels. 
A covered bridge was built in 1839 to connect Shelton to Derby and the Ousatonic Dam was dedicated in 1870. Dikes were installed along parts of the river after the Flood of 1955. 
Not all use of the river was for commercial purposes as recreational boating was very common. 
In fact, the Yale University boat crews used the river to practice and race, hence the Gilder Boathouse on Roosevelt Drive. 
This picture was taken standing on the Derby/Shelton Bridge in 1904. You can see the dam in the background and Oak Cliff Cemetery to the right on the hill.

Thanks go out to the Derby Public Library for providing this interesting local history!