Connecticut River Museum

THE "GREAT RIVER" OF NEW ENGLAND
THE CONNECTICUT RIVER

Excerpted from Edmund Delaney's The Connecticut River: New England's Historic Waterway. (Copyright, All Rights Reserved)

Introduction

The Connecticut River at Guildhall, Vermont

The name Connecticut is derived from the Indian designation of Quonehtacut, or Quinatucquet, or Quenticut (the English did not concern themselves too much with the spelling of Indian names), meaning "long tidal river" or "long estuary." Obviously, it was from the river that the state received its name.

For a small river, the Connecticut is particularly rich in history. In its early days, it was the main avenue of transportation for all of New England. It was also the route to the sea, and the towns on its shores had uninterrupted access to the channels of commerce all along the shores of Long Island Sound. With its rich natural resources and fertile flood plain, the river valley became the center of New England agriculture. The water power of the river and its tributaries was responsible for the Industrial Revolution and growth of many of the towns along its banks, and for a large part of New England's energy resources. It was on the Connecticut that the steamboat was invented and the first submarine was launched. All along its shores are innumerable reminders of its long and exciting history and of the great personalities who, for over a period of 350 years, have had a profound impact upon American life.

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