Water for Hartford: The Story of the Hartford Water Works and the Metropolitan District Commission

341 Pages·2010·4.426 MB·English

by  Kevin Murphy

Water for Hartford

The Story of the
Hartford Water Works
and the
Metropolitan District Commission

Kevin Murphy

Wesleyan University Press
Middletown, Connecticut
Published by Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, CT 06459
www.wesleyan.edu/wespress

First Wesleyan edition 2010

© 2004 by Kevin Murphy
All rights reserved

Originally published in cloth by Shining Tramp Press in 2004

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010922128

ISBN 978-0-8195-7080-2

The Library of Congress has cataloged the original edition as follows”

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Murphy, Kevin J., 1949-
Water For Hartford: The story of the Hartford Water Works
and the Metropolitan District Commission / by Kevin Murphy.

318 p. 24 cm.
Bibliography.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-9749352-0-4

1. Hartford Water Works—History. 2. Metropolitan District Commission
(Conn.)—History. 3. Waterworks—Connecticut—Hartford—History. 4. Water-
supply—Connecticut—Hartford—History. 5. Water-supply engineering—
Connecticut—Hartford—History.
HD4464.H37 M87 2004
354.366 2004400764
Dedicated to

Richard “Dick” Keane

Brother-in-law, friend, and confidant.

Wisdom itself,
Loyal beyond belief,
Cheerful in all weather,
Gone too soon.
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgements

A book like this requires a prodigious amount of research. Among other
things, it is the result of stories, reminiscences, and anecdotes as well as
historical and genealogical material supplied by hundreds of people, who
surrender these priceless treasures so that a small—but important—piece of
history can be preserved.

First, I would like to acknowledge the great debt that I owe to my parents,
Bob and Mary Murphy for giving me life, a first-class education and a million
incidentals along the way. A very special thanks goes to Bill and Rosalie Rishar
who, through their great generosity, gave me the perfect place to write, with
luxurious quiet and almost complete freedom from financial worries. Lastly, I
must extend a heartfelt thanks to all of my family members, friends and
neighbors in Wethersfield, who have read the rough drafts of my work through
the years and offered important feedback. Included in this last category are: Sue
Jensen, Liz Kirkpatrick, Lee Ann Forsdick, Carol and Art Bruce, Jack and Billye
Logan, and Deal, Kris and Linde Aseltine.

At the Metropolitan District Commission, I owe a great debt to the
company’s CEO Charles P. Sheehan, the Chairman of the Board of Water
Commissioners, Bill DiBella, and the firm’s former Director of Community
Affairs, the late Matt Nozzolio; also due thanks are engineers and employees
Stanley Johnson, Jim Randazzo, Bob Kerkes, Susan McLaughlin, Dick Allen,
Leland “Bud” Sanders, Sal Gozzo, Frank Dellaripa, Alan King, Fred Barbieri,
Daisy Chavez and Jennifer Ottalagana, all of whom contributed mightily to this
book. Credit goes as well to some retired members of the MDC, who provided
anecdotes and information that could only have come from those who were there
“back when”—Gerry and Paulette d’Avignon, Paul McCarthy, Richard “Dick”
Phillips, Arthur Sweeton III and Mrs. Anthony Fornabi.

I am grateful for the patience of the staff at the Connecticut State Library,
particularly Dick Roberts, Mel Smith, Carol Ganz, Carolyn Picciano, Jeannie
Sherman, Bonnie Linck, Steve Rice, Kristi Finnan and Kevin Johnson.
Further historical and genealogical contributions were made by the able staff
of the Connecticut Historical Society with generous help from Judith Ellen
Johnson, Nancy Finlay, Ava Bolkovac, Martha Smart and Rich Malley.

At the Hartford Public Library, I am indebted to Bob Chapman and, also,
Janice Mathews, administrator of the Hartford Collection.
Deep within the bowels of the Watkinson Library at Trinity College, warm
regards go to Peter Knapp, head archivist.
vi
At the Hartford Town Clerk’s Office, I would like to recognize the aid of
Winston Smith with old land deeds and at the city’s Building Department, I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention Joseph Hewes.
For the delicate information regarding the final disposition of Caleb and
Elizabeth Saville, a note of thanks is extended to D’Esopo’s Funeral Home of
Wethersfield and Joan Kaufman and Janet Heywood of Mt. Auburn Cemetery in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The information about EPA regulations was generously given to me by Bill
Warzecha and Bob Hurst of the Connecticut State Department of Environmental
Protection.

In Barkhamsted, I was aided greatly by Town Clerk Maria Mullady as well
as Harriet Winchenbaugh, Sharon Neumann-Lynes and Charles Lynes of the
Barkhamsted Historical Society. For background information, generous
contributions were made by the following former and present residents— Laura
LeGeyt Merrill, Bertha LeGeyt Warner, Walt Landgraf, Ken Church, Nancy
Winn, Robert Hart, David Gidman and Herbert Case.
In Hartland, immeasurable assistance was rendered by Town Clerk Betty
Hillbrect, and by Marge Nurge and Karen McNulty of the Hartland Historical
Society. This book was completed only with the assistance of the following
present and former residents—Evelyn Peterson, Barb Wright, Marianne “Magi”
Holtham, Joan Stoltze, Joan Schramm, Virginia Lewis, Pauline Emerick Skaret,
Paul Crunden and Doug Roberts.
In Colebrook, I was aided by the kindly attentions of Town Clerk Joyce
Nelson and Robert Grigg of the Colebrook Historical Society. Among the
present and former residents who helped assemble the story in Colebrook
were—Mildred Church, Floyd Jesperson, Katherine Doty, Eugene Carrozza,
Lillian Hamilton, Agnes Harrington, Mary Gray and Juanita Dustin. A special
note of gratitude is extended to another writer, Claire Vreeland, for her help.

Staffers of other historical societies around the state lent a hand as well,
including Jim Bennett and Doris Armstead of the Glastonbury Historical Society
and Marjorie McNulty, Town Historian of Glastonbury. For birth certificates and
more genealogical information, I am grateful to Cynthia Cole of the South
Glastonbury Congregational Church and Jean Green of the First Church of
Christ Congregational in Glastonbury, both of whom worked hard to locate
records of the Bissell family of Shingle Hollow.
I am deeply indebted to Thorndike Saville Jr.—grandson of Caleb Mills
Saville—who supplied a treasure trove of background information regarding the
lives and habits of Caleb and Elizabeth Saville, in Boston, the Panama Canal
Zone and, later, in Hartford.
vii
My great appreciation is extended to Atty. Austin Carey Jr.—the great-great-
grandson of Hiram Bissell—and his aunt, Elizabeth “Sandy” (Carey) Smith, who
were able to render first hand information about H. Bissell Carey, the
industrialist who helped the MDC acquire the lands in and around Colebrook
River for the Hogback Reservoir.
At Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Linda Noll and Susan Tracy are to be
thanked for researching the short academic career of President Grant’s daughter,
Ellen (Nellie), in 1870.

The sextons of cemeteries should be commended for their assistance—Bob
Harrigan of the Spring Grove Cemetery (Htfd.), F. Aldrich Edwards, Debbie
Guerra and Irene McHugh of Cedar Hill Cemetery (Htfd.), Jeffrey Carstens of
the Old Church Cemetery (Glast.) and Bayless Earle of the South “Still Hill”
Cemetery (Glast.). Also, I would like to thank Rhoda Spencer of the Glastonbury
Funeral Home, who was very helpful in chasing down the sextons of the ancient
burial grounds of that town.

A great many people offered bits and pieces of information regarding the
Shingle Hollow section of South Glastonbury. I am especially indebted to
Francis Tryon Barker—and her sister, Shirley Tryon Fuller—whose genealogical
information as well as remembrances of conversations with their “Aunt Amy”
Tryon Benton were invaluable in reconstructing the daily lives of the Bissells
and the Tryons of Shingle Hollow. To others in that neck of the woods—James
and Barbara Morrissey, Davis and Marla Bodznick, John Heagle, Charles Tryon,
Russ and William Shemstone, Sue Duffert, Marjorie McNulty, Howard Horton,
Jr., Dick Chapman, Arlene Dilts and David Taylor—I am also extremely
grateful. A singular word of appreciation is hereby extended to Adrien and
Wendy Tetreault—present owners of the “Bissell place”—who were kind
enough to give me a tour of the house and grounds.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgements v
Contents ix
Preface xi
Introduction xiii
Map of Hartford, 1836 xvii
Map of the Trout Brook System xix
Map of the Complete MDC System xxi
Chapter 1 The Muddling Years 1
Chapter 2 The Breakthrough 17
Chapter 3 Building A Water Company 38
Chapter 4 The River Water Deteriorates 63
Chapter 5 The Dam Collapse of 1867 99
Chapter 6 The Drought of the 1870s 119
Chapter 7 Completion of the Trout Brook System 156
Chapter 8 The Nepaug Dam & Reservoir 172
Chapter 9 Graduation To Regional Supplier 194
Chapter 10 The East Branch Valley 211
Chapter 11 The Barkhamsted Reservoir 234
Chapter 12 A Circle Within A Cycle 253
Afterword 269
Author’s Notes 271
Index 311