I remember when I traveled with my father to get certain types of tomato plants for my mom who would can the tomatoes into various sauces for winter use. We traveled down Route 12 and onto Route 2A for our Preston destination. Passing St. James Church, I saw Connecticut Brass behind a large white home. I asked my dad what it was.

Well, he told me that the Green family owned the brass manufacturing company, and then he talked about the old power plant for the Norwich-Westerly trolley. He said that the building had been torn down.

I didn't know much about it, but he told me about his family's trips to Watch Hill in the summer months during his youth and how much fun it had been.

Norwich had been a center for rapid transit for many years. Today, due to the invention of the car in the 1890s and an improved road system, we no longer have the trolley as a conveyance, most likely due to the spread-out nature of the towns and cities and the lack of population density. Norwich does have bus routes for those in need of a ride to certain destinations which has its ability to change routes due to need of the bus riding public.

The early modes of transportation were either horseback, or, as we would say, shoe leather express. Due to poor paths and very narrow rough roads, large transport items came via river traffic.

The first major road in Norwich went from Chelsea (the harbor front) to Norwich Town, costing 100 pounds to build, paid for with private subscriptions and city money. Washington Street was made at this time, also. In 1797, a commercial hotel was constructed to attract businessmen to come to Norwich with all the conveniences of a home. The success of the Merchants' Hotel displayed to the city and commercial interests that they could work together to grow Norwich into a lucrative destination for businessmen. But there was a missing piece: public transportation.

In 1858, the only transportation by public mode was a carriage trip from the city to Norwich Town by William Bennett twice daily. Later, John Hough ran a stagecoach four times daily between Shetucket Street and Bean Hill (Norwich Town).

Still later, a horse railway service was developed in Norwich with rails going to Greeneville and the Westside. Later, it expanded its routes to The Falls and Norwich Town through to Bean Hill.

Starting in 1870

The first use of this type of transportation commenced on Sept. 12, 1870. As time went on, it was electrified in 1892, making Norwich an inter-trolley center for the convenience of its customers to other local towns and cities. The construction of the overhead electrical line was a great cost to the trolley company but the Norwich Gas and Electric Company (privately owned up to 1904) added a revenue stream for its bottom line.

Another trolley company began providing service from Norwich to Westerly, carrying customers, freight, and even coal to the Norwich Insane Hospital. This line went through the city center in Franklin Square, then south from the city over the eastside bridge (Preston Bridge).

It then veered right near Bishop School through a dug cut in a hill. If you take the Middle Road to Poquetanic, you can still see the dirt roadbed with a graceful curve into the woods.

The trolley then traveled to the state hospital and east to Hallville (where one of the electrical substations was located), a section near Poquetanic Cove.

At this time, trolley companies were looking for ways to increase ridership, a place with swimming, food, and clean country air for the paying customers. It only lasted from 1908-1912 due to loss of interest. This concept of a get-away destination was prevalent with most trolley companies which now were competing with Henry Ford's automobiles.

The era of trolley travel to Lincoln Park could not compete with automobiles after the construction of Route 2.

The last run of the trolley traveled the Norwich-New London route and ended during the 1930s. Many of the tracks were ripped up during World War II and scrapped for the war needs of the country or torn up due to the construction needs on the road, such as water mains, sewers, and electrical service.

At the junction of Route 12 and Central Avenue in Greeneville, you can see the old trolley barn. Following the end of trolley service, the Connecticut Bus Company used the trolley barn with its working pits for servicing the traction wheels and motors. The bus company left Norwich in the 1960s.

Following this action, the building was used by Thames Valley Transit as its maintenance shop as it was previously used by the trolleys and Connecticut Bus Company. Alex Cohan ran an antique shop for many years in it cavernous space. Now it has been repurposed by other companies for their own needs.

Bill Shannon is a retired Norwich Public School teacher and a lifelong resident of Norwich.