Rocky Hill - A CT River Town

Rocky Hill - A CT River Town. . , The history of Rocky Hill is entwined with the Connecticut River. Flowing past our 4 mile shoreline, on its 410 mile trip from northern New Hampshire to Long Island Sound, the river has been a major factor in our town's growth and development as a commercial and recreational center over the last five centuries. The name of the river means long tidal river., In the 17th century, the Indigenous people used the river to fish and travel by canoe to Long Island Sound. The river's flooding produced alluvial soil which made the Great Meadows perfect for growing crops. The value of the river was acknowledged by colonial settlers and continues to be acknowledged in the present day., In the early 1600s, European exploration of the river saw strong trading potential. When the Connecticut River changed course circa 1700, Rocky Hill became a maritime center. It was a thriving river port from 1750 to 1820 with shipbuilding and commerce. The first shipyard began in 1672. There were five shipyards along the riverfront. Among them were the Shailer Shipyard at Dividend Brook, John Williams Shipyard, Seabury Belden Shipyard at Hog Brook, Town Shipyard at Ferry Park, and the Northern Shipyard at Goff Brook, which produced ships used in the commercial trade with the West Indies., Rocky Hill, as a maritime center in the mid- 1800s, soon gave way to transportations such as steam, motorized ships, and the railroad. The river running through Rocky Hill eventually became a recreation center in the 20th century., Flooding, sometimes beneficial and sometimes disastrous, has always been a factor living along the river. In the early 1900s, the river became impacted by dams, factories, and mills, resulting in the deterioration of water quality. Awareness of the pollution from years of neglect came to the attention of environmentalists and legislators. Beginning in the 1950s, efforts began to reclaim the river, leading to the prohibition of pollution in 1967, the creation of the CT DEEP and regulation to levy penalties for industrial pollution. These ongoing efforts enhanced recreational use of this natural resource., Today, our town has one of the most beautiful shorelines on the river, and we enjoy the location and activities of Ferry and Surwilo Parks. The centerpiece is the Rocky Hill - Glastonbury Ferry, which is the oldest continuously operating ferry service in the country. Our ferry began circa 1650 and, through multiple forms of propulsion (from primitive poles to today's diesel tugboat), has provided transportation and entertainment to generations of Connecticut River visitors., The evolution of our river shoreline continues to provide opportunities for increased enjoyment. The Connecticut River will continue to add to the quality of life in Rocky Hill as it has done for five centuries.