Willimantic a Nexus, 1910
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.