HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – Tuesday was a day to celebrate the history and the beauty of the Connecticut River. The Porter Phelps Huntington House Museum on River Drive in Hadley is the new home Massachusetts’ only waypoint center for the Connecticut River Scenic Byway.
It was designated as a national scenic byway for it’s spectacular views from trails and paths such as the Norwottuck Rail Trail. It’s a place to grabs some brochures, but more than that, it’s also a place to stop and appreciate the river’s beauty and learn about it’s rich history as a natural resource for farmers.
“The Connecticut River is the longest waterway in New England,” Christopher Curtis told 22News. “It flows over 400 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound. We have a scenic byway that runs most of that length. All the way from Massachusetts along both sides of the river and in Vermont and New Hampshire.”
The Connecticut River played an important role in the region from time of the dinosaurs, through the ice age, to the history of Native American tribes, colonial settlers, and the area’s modern industrialization. The name of the river is derived from the Mohegan tribal word quinetucket which means “beside the long tidal river.”