*** Beach, Joseph, Perkins,
History of Cheshire, Conn. from 1694-1840
. Cheshire, Conn., Lady Fenwick Chapter, D.A.R., 1912. This is one example of the many local histories that make mention of the canal. A teacher considering this unit should look to see if their town histories refer to the canal in anyway. Discusses the importance of the canal in West Cheshire in promoting new business.
*** Camposeo, James, Mark, “The History of Canal System between New Haven and Northampton, 1822-1849,
Historical Journal of Western Massachusetts. 6
(Fall, 1977.) A narrative of the history of the canal. A good reference for creating a chronology of the financial difficulties of the canal.
* ** Cheshire Lock 12 Historic Park, Main Street, Cheshire, Connecticut, Kevin Simmons (park foreman) This restoration of one of the canal locks in Cheshire was part of this towns bicentennial project. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to actually see what the canal looked like. I strongly suggest a field trip to the site.
* ** Connecticut Writer’s Project, St. Board of Education Co-sponsor “Boats Across New England Hills” The Story of the Farmington Canal. 1941., with corrections by Charles Rufus Harte. This pamphlet contains interesting information and would be useful as an outside reading for your students. The corrections by Mr. Harte can teach a lesson about the problems of historical inaccuracies. A copy is available at the Connecticut State library.
*** Gay, Julius,
Farmington Papers
, “The Canal” An Historical Address Delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Village Library Company of Farmington, CT Sept. 13, 1899.The author deals with the human side of the canals history. He concentrates on the canal’s affect on the town of Farmington; and gives an overview of the canal’s financial history.
++ Goodrich, Carter, ed.
Canals and American Economic Development
. New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1961.
A very informative work which deals extensively with the economic impact of canals in the United States. Two essays by Harvey H. Segal provide a more in depth study of the canal age.
+ Harlow Alyin F.,
Old Towpaths, The Story of the American Canal Era
. New York and Lonson: D. Appleton and Company, 1926. A good general work on canals. Makes mention of the Farmington Canal as being a New Haven scheme.
+ Harte, Charles R., Connecticut’s Canals (New Haven, 1938) “Reprinted from the fifty-fourth Annual Report of the Connecticut Society Civil Engineers, Inc.” This is the major scholarly work on the Farmington Canal. Harte, an engineer, is an expert on the history of the canal. A teacher wishing to teach this unit should read this pamphlet. A copy is available at the Connecticut State Library and may be photocopied.
*** Heinz, Bernard, “The Farmington Canal” Connecticut Magazine, December 1979. This article briefly reviews the history of the Farmington Canal. It would be very useful as a reading for students.
*** Hurlbert, Mabel S., Farmington Town Clerks and Their Times, Hartford, Connecticut: Finlay Bros. Press, 1943. There is a chapter titled ‘Samuel Richards’ which deals briefly with the canal. The author mentions how farmers were not happy about the building of the canal through Farmington.
* ** Jocelyn, Nathaniel, Improved Reference Map of the Valley of Connecticut and Western section of New England. Engraved by N. & S.S. Jocelyn New Haven, 1828. This is an excellent map of the proposed route of the canal from New Haven to the Canadian Border. A copy cam be found at Sterling Library, Yale University. Photocopies can be made of this map, Which can be a valuable teaching tool.
+ Kirkland, E.C., Men, Cities and Transportation. A Study In New England History, 1820-1900. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University Press, 1948. A very good general explanation of the development of transportation during the antebellum period. Makes mention of the Farmington Canal and its competition with the Connecticut River Company.
* ** *** Plainville Historical Society, Inc., Story of the Farmington Canal in Plainville, Connecticut, 1971. This booklet was printed for the Canal Museum in Plainville, Connecticut. This fabulous restoration site and canal museum would be an excellent student field trip and one that I would strongly urge you to take if you use this unit. The Plainville Historic Center is located on Pierce Street, Plainville, Connecticut. The Canal room contains paintings, posters, model boats and other memorabilia which can spark a students interest in the canal,s history. Two slide shows are also available for use in local schools and President Ruth Hummel offers one on a commercial lecture circuit.
* ** Sloane, Eric, “The Farmington Canal.”
American
Heritage
, February 1958. This is a very good but brief article on the history of the canal which would be very useable in the classroom. Eric Sloanes, illustrations would be in excellent motivator of discussion about the canal American Heritage is very available in many school and town libraries.
*** Quigley, Dorothy L. “Story of the Farmington Canal Adventure of a Century Ago.”
Connecticut
Teacher
, February, 1964. Another general history of the canal is dealt with in this article. It also is very useable in the classroom as an extra reading.