Branchville: A Rich History of Mining and Railroad

1. Early Names for Branchville: Wheer Cock “Native American Name” obviously Anglicized. Weyaquock or something along those lines is more Native American. Copp’s Corner John Copp surveyed the Land in Ridgefield 1707-8. “The land was high and rocky, but the soil was fertile and there were more than sixty miles of streams that could serve future mills.” Copp’s Corner is the intersection of Mountain Rd. and Peaceable St. Ridgefield Station/Beers Station From 1852-1870 it was the only station in Ridgefield. Sherman Beers sold Land to RR for $600, William W. Beers, Postmaster until 1879.

2. Ridgefield, Redding, Wilton Boundary Marker. Located at corner of Peaceable St. and Mountain Rd.

3. Branchville Pre-Railroad Not Much to Report

7. Why was Branchville less traveled?Norwalk to Danbury Turnpike The Main Route to Danbury at this time came up Old Mill Road. Most Businesses/Mills are along Old Mill Road heading into Georgetown.

8. Great Pond Florida Hill 1811 Map Main Roads Branchville Old Mill Rd.

9. 1856 No Businesses On Sugar Hollow Cabinet Shop Blacksmith Plenty of Business on Old Mill Rd.

10. Sugar Hollow to Branchville Sugar Hollow Highway created around 1818 to ease traffic on Danbury to Norwalk Turnpike. This was not successful until the railroad arrived. Later referred to as The Old Route 7, a.k.a. “State Road”

11. Portland Ave. Route 7 Sugar Hollow Rd.

12. Old State Highway

13. Horton’s Ice Cream Shop. At the corner of Sugar Hollow & Route 7. Building still stands today.

14. Danbury to Norwalk RR completed 1852 The Danbury to Norwalk Railroad began construction in the autumn months of 1850, the task was to convert 23 miles of rugged landscape along the Norwalk River into an iron trail that could not exceed a 1% grade…via human labor. There was not any specialized equipment, hardy souls and hand tools would be the only tools employed in the railroad's construction. Newly immigrated, enduring prejudices, and in need of work, the Irish were the hardy souls that manned the pick axes and accomplished the arduous task in an astonishingly short timeframe. With the completion of the Danbury to Norwalk Railroad in the spring of 1852, its workers were faced with two options: take up work on another stretch of rail-line or settle where they were and find new work. Thus, the area around Branchville & Georgetown became home - or at least a jumping-off place - for many Irish immigrants in search of a home.

16. Railroad Workers Pay- 1851

17. Beers Family major landowners in Branchville & Ridgefield: From 1789 to 1814 Anthony Beers Acquired 252.5 acres. Future Generations enjoy the benefits. Branchville station is the lowest point in Ridgefield at 342’. Seeing Sherman Beers sold land To RR company the Station is referred to as Beers or Ridgefield Station for 18 yrs. Branchville name given by RR Company in reference to Branch Line to Ridgefield built 1869-70. William Woolsey Beers- Station Agent/Postmaster until 1879

18. After RR Arrives Stores and Businesses Quickly find their way to Branchville. Map circa 1856 Branchville then Ridgefield or Beer’s Station

19. The Mining Town Branchville Becomes a Mining Town: First Granite, then Mica, then “Oh MY!” World Wide Fame.

20. P.W. Bates owned Ridgefield Granite Works and deeds show the Bates name on or close to Mountain Rd. until 1890. William Haaker also was given the right to Quarry granite in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. BranchvilleArt Gallery Location

22. Single-Jacking

23. Double-Jacking

24. Mining Scar or feather mark. These can be found throughout the Scott Preserve/Rock Lot off Peaceable St. and Mountain Rd.

25. House on Peaceable St. view facing north. An mid-1800 map notes Iron Ore being mined on Peaceable Street.

26. 1856

27. PeaceableStreet at the turn of the century. House shown still stands today (barely). A caretaker house for 33 Peaceable St. Anne Parrish Titzell

28. The World Famous Branchville Mine Some Redding Residents call themselves Reddingites… Very few know it actually means: “hydrated phosphate of manganese and iron” Reddingite was one of the 8 unique minerals discovered at the Branchville mine.

29. Reddingite

30. Branchville Mine

31. Branchville Mine Abijaha N. Fillow BranchvilleArt Gallery Location

32. Pine Mountain Road Branchville Station Mountain Road

33. Branchville Mine Timeline • First Excavation by Abijaha N. Fillow approx. 1876. Mined for Mica but ceased in the spring of 1878 because he thought the mica was of inferior quality. • George Brush and Edward Dana of Yale University become so enthused by the new minerals Fillow uncovers that they engage Fillow to resume excavations with Yale Funds. • Nine new minerals were discovered. Mineral types: pegmatite, and quartz, feldspar, mica, spodumene, beryl and columbite. Eight unique to Branchville location. Brush and Dana get famous, Fillow gets rich. • In 1926: 31 minerals excavated by Frank Schairer. Schairer, in addition to being a well known Mineralogist, was a key contributor to the stellite-lined machine gun barrel project.

34. George Brush Edward Dana

35. YPM = Yale University’s Peabody Museum

36. Branchville Mine Timeline, cont. • From September 1943 to November 1944, Fred and Joseph Burrone and Carlo Rusconi, all of North Branford, Connecticut, operated the mine for mica • Sandy Ridge Mica and Mining Company, Inc., 927 15th Street N. W., Washington, D. C., worked the mine in November and December 1944. Minor mining projects would continue until 1954. • Sheet Mica was important in WWII because it was used to insulate electrical equipment…Spark Plugs, Radio Apparatus, Fuse Boxes, Heating Devices and Telephones. • Michael DeLuca attempted to open the mine again in 1979-80 but ran into zoning problems. Monaplastics, Inc. landowners

37. J. Frank Schairer located 31 different minerals in 1926. It was part of his research work on "The Minerals of Connecticut." He collected the data while he was at Yale. Schairer helped organize the Yale Mineralogical Society and was elected its first president on October 5, 1923.

38. Branchville Mine 2006

39. Branchline to Ridgefield completed 1870 Prior to Branchline passengers driven to Ridgefield by Horse and Buggy. Branchline the result of increased demand for both passenger & freight service to Ridgefield. Following completion 3 trips a day were made to/from Ridgefield…15 minutes each way. Almost immediately “Branchville” name applied to village. Branchline is now hiking/biking trail starting at CL&P lines below Hickory Lane off Florida Road.

41. Route 7 Looking North Toward Route 102 Building to the left is currently Pete’s Mane Concern. Branchline RR Crossing can be seen in the distance. By this time Rt. 7 improvements had closed Branchline to passenger service in 1925. Freight continued until 1964. The line was never electrified.

43. Ridgefield Station 1875 Grass yard shown later replaced with gravel. Station is Ridgefield Supply warehouse in the present day.

44. Ready to head off to the country estate

45. Dangerous Return Trip to Main Line There was no turn-around in Ridgefield. Trains traveling up to Ridgefield would have to return to Branchville in Reverse. This was dangerous seeing Ridgefield is 700’ above sea-level, Branchville is 342’ above sea-level.

46. Branchline from Branchville to Ridgefield

47. 1905 Accident Ivy Hill. Conductor William Horan Killed.

50. “The snow is up to my knees this morning and still coming. I had a fierce time getting to the station.”