The Heart of the City

Many major cities lie by a river. They were founded along that river. For Stamford, it is the Mill River. The first meetinghouse in 1644 was by that river. A school was built in 1702 on its west bank. A general store was at its mouth. Manufacturing in the 19th century relied on the mills laid along the river:

"Relying on the water power of the Mill River as water fell over the dam near Main Street, between 1850 and 1852 George Watson operated the only pottery known to have existed in Stamford."

I remember the Mill River as a collection of sedimentary waste. It was ignored in my childhood. There was the pink tent festival in Mill River Park and Japanese cherry trees planted along its banks, but the river remained dormant. They covered up the foundations of the city. The history of Stamford lay covered in neglect.

People ignored it everyday as they drove along Washington Boulevard. The park was home to abandoned shopping carts and plastic bags. The city's proposed plans sat on the table for years. Hotels and offices sprung up in the area but the park laid in dismay.

Action began with the revitalization of Columbus Park in downtown Stamford on the eve of the 21st century. In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moved in to restore the river's ecosystem. The Mill River Restoration Project began.

They removed a 100 year old dam and revived the heart of Stamford. Engineers chipped away at history and opened up the river so that it flows back into Long Island Sound.

Industry moved elsewhere since the 1800's and no longer relies on the Mill River. Exotic plants and species are back. The city's natural settings have been restored. More buildings surround the river since Stamford was founded, but nature made a comeback. The first meetinghouse is now the Trump Tower. The general store is now the Government Center. The school is now the Hampton Inn.

The downtown looks different. What a difference a river can make. Stamford has only seen taller buildings and a wider skyline. The only thing that has been restored to its natural beauty is the Mill River, where Stamford began 400 years ago.

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." - River Runs Through It

Works cited

http://www.stamfordhistory.org/made-in-stamford.htm