Willimantic a Nexus, 1910

Detail of GF Cram Connecticut map 1901_medium.png

Detail of Willimantic as nexus in eastern Connecticut. From G.F. Cram map of Connecticut, 1901, courtesy of davidrumsey.com.

Willimantic was a central node in eastern Connecticut's, and New England's, transportation infrastructure. The Willimantic River was unnavigable due to its falls, which made it ideal to power the mills along its banks. Along with the river, the major roads and the railroad tracks defined the east-west orientation of the city.

The railroad played a key role in Willimantic's rise in the 19th century. As the following map illustrates, Willimantic was a critical railway crossroads in New England. The New York-New Hampshire-Harford railroad connected Boston, New York, Middletown (Hartford) and Norwich. The Central Vermont Railway ran from New London to Montreal, also stopping in town, making Willimantic a nexus of rail transport.

The maps below illustrate the primary and secondary road routes connecting Willimantic to the rest of Connecticut.

Detail of Willimantic in Mendenhall's guide, road map Connecticut 1909_medium.png

Detail of Mendenhall's guide, road map of Connecticut, 1909. Courtesy of davidrumsey.com. Red road numbers are numbered routes which Mendenhall suggested for his readers to follow.

Map of primary and secondary roads in Willimantic, 1910. Map by Dr. Ostwald. Importance of roads based off of Mendenhall's guide, road map Connecticut 1909.