The Connecticut River through History

The Connecticut River is New England's dominant waterway and drains much of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. For five centuries its natural beauty and rich history have inspired an enormously diverse array of writers. A major transportation artery and power source, the Connecticut has been the main avenue for colonial settlements, Indian raids and border conflicts, as well as historic floods and hurricanes, epic log drives, farms and industries, sport and quiet reflection. Upper Valley resident, writer, and avid fisherman W.D. Wetherell has complied and edited This American River, a collection of writings about the Connecticut from writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath, and Bill McKibben. He calls the river the heart of New England.