Documentary History of American Water-works

Stonington

Stonington, Connecticut

Stonington was incorporated as a borough in 1801.

In 1865 the railroad leased Sylvia's Pond on Smith farm from Frank G. Sylvia, and installed "tin pipe covered with cement,"(probably cement-lined wrought-iron pipes) to supply water to locomotives and steamers. The first two volumes of the Manual of American Water Works reported that "a small private gravity supply for railroad and steamboat use was introduced in 1865, consisting of 4 miles of pipe, 12 taps and 9 hydrants." A 6-inch cast-iron pipe replaced some of the older pipe in 1906.

The Mystic Valley Water Company was incorporated in 1887 by Thomas E. Packer, George E. Grinnell, William E. Wheeler, Jr., Henry B. Noyes, Allen Avery, John S. Heath, Stiles T. Stanton, D. Burrows Spalding, William Wheeler, Charles F. Parks, and L. H. Fuller "for the purposes of supplying the villages of Mystic and Mystic Bridge, and the borough of Stonington in the town of 8tonington, and the villages of Mystic River, except the section thereof hereinafter mentioned, and Noank in the town of Groton, and their immediate vicinity, with a supply of pure water for public, domestic, and other uses. This company built a system that pumped water from Mustuxet brook.

The Mystic Valley Water Company was acquired by the Atlantic Public Service Company in 1928, and the SEC ordered that it and other subsidiary companies be divested in 1942. By 1958 the company was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Northeastern Water Company, by 1969 was owned by Greenwich Water Systems, Inc. The Mystic Water Company was merged into the Greenwich company in 1997 to form the Connecticut American Water Company, which was bought by Aquarion in 2000.

Water is provided by the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut.

References
1882 History of New London County, Connecticut: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, by Duane Hamilton Hurd

1887 Incorporating the Mystic Valley Water Company. April 13, 1887.

1888 "Stonington," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Stonington," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Stonington," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1893 USGS Stonington, CT-RI-NY Quadrangle, showing location of Stonington Borough

1897 "Stonington," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1900 History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut: From Its First Settlement in 1649 to 1900, by Richard Anson Wheeler
Pages 142-143: The Mystic Valley Water Company was incorporated under and by virtue of a resolution of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, April 13th, 1887, the object and purpose of which was to furnish pure fresh water for the inhabitants of Stonington Borough, the Mystics and Noank. The company was organized agreeably to its charter, elected its officers and commenced operations during the summer of 1887, selecting its water from the Mistuxet Brook in Stonington, purchasing the necessary real estate for its dam flowage, pumping station and reservoir, laying its pipes to the villages aforesaid ; furnishing water to its customers agreeably to the provisions of its charter, successfully
operating its plant with increasing demand for its water supply. The officers of the company for 1897 were : Thomas E. Packer, Mystic, President; George E. Grinnell, Mystic, Secretary; William Wheeler, Boston, Treasurer. Directors : Lucius H. Fuller, Putnam ; Edward E. Fuller, Putnam ; Edward Mullan, Putnam; Thomas E. Packer, Mystic; Henry B. Noyes, Mystic;
William Wheeler, Boston ; D. B. Spalding, Stonington.

1949 Stonington Chronology, 1649-1949; being a year-by-year record of the American way of life in a Connecticut town, by Williams Haynes
Page 72: 1865. February. Frank G. Sylvia leased Sylvia's Pond on Smith farm (formerly Fellowes Grist Mill, bought by Sylvia 2 yrs. before) to railroad for 99 yrs. for water for their engines and steamers. Water by gravity through tin pipe covered with cement until 1906, when 6-in. iron pipe was installed.
Page 83: 1887. Mystic Valley Water Co. incorporated for $140,000: Thos. E. Packer, pres. A proposal to bring running water into Mystic and Borough homes till then all supplied by wells with hand pumps and tanks in the attics of "mansions."
Page 84: 1888. Mar. 14 — Borough meeting voted for water works: $100,000 capital stock in $100 shares. July — Decided to locate reservoir on Henry M. Palmer's land, northwest of Borough, and streets torn up with pipe-laying.
July 6 — Mystic Valley Water Co. stockholders elected Thos. E. Packer, pres.; D. B. Spaulding, treas.; Geo. E. Grin-
nell, secy.; Packer, Spaulding, and Lucius H. Fuller, dirs. Work started on brick building to house pumps, etc., at Dean's Mills on site of old mill which was moved nearby, and reservoir started on Henry M. Palmer's land.
Page 115: 1925. May — Mystic Valley Water Co. raised rates to $10 for 1st faucet; $3 for 2nd; $6 each for bath, closet, and hose cocks.
Page 117: Dec. — New, larger dam at Mystic Valley Water Co. at Dean's Mills completed.
Page 121: Apr. 1 — Mystic Valley Water Co. installed meters at flat $9 yrly. rate with fee for water by cu. ft.; per mo.; much opposition.

1969 "Enthusiasm Grows for Water System," Hartford Courant, January 24, 1969, Page 23.
Stonington considers local ownership of water system.

1977 "Merger Approved of Three Stonington-Area Water Companies," Hartford Courant, March 31, 1977, Page 37.