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From the earliest textile mills along the Blackstone and Merrimack rivers to the iron furnaces in cranberry country and the armories along the Connecticut River, the three states of Southern New England have distinguished themselves as centers of pioneering industrial effort. Although the region is no longer a major industrial power, it is still rich with both the curious artifacts of its manufacturing past and to living enterprises — from brick works to paper mills to iron foundries and more — that continue to compete, struggle and sometimes thrive. Today, the Southern New England Chapter (SNEC) of the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA) keeps that legacy alive. Through our chapter newsletter, our annual conference on New England industrial archeology and, most importantly, our exclusive tours of industrial sites — most of them active, working factories otherwise inaccessible to the general public — we explore the places, lives and ideas of our industrial heritage. SNEC members include engineers, architects, professors, archeologists, technicians, historians and the just plain inquisitive — people fascinated by machines, engines, steam, rail, iron, textiles, canals and more. We invite you to explore our website. And if the smell of grease, the sight of red-hot steel and the din of working looms excite you, we encourage you to become a member and join us in our real-world explorations as well.
SNEC members get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at antique steam, gas and diesel marine engines stored at Mystic Seaport (August 19, 2006). Photo by Dave Laun.
© SNEC SIA |
News and Upcoming Events
The following two publications are available upon request from the Connecticut SHPO. Quantities are limited and requests will be honored until copies are exhausted: Where Water Meets Land: Historic Movable Bridges of Connecticut (Clouette 2004) Marine Railways of Southeast Connecticut: Historical Survey and Inventory ( Raber 2006) 
Two exhibits of interest to IA enthusiasts are running at the
University of Connecticut Library in Storrs,
May 29 to October 9, 2009: New Haven Garment Workers, an exhibit that traces their history from the 1930s to the
1990s, and Train Wreck, a photographic exhibit that looks at the effects of railroad accidents on public policy.
The Essex Steam Train in Essex, Connecticut, (860) 767-0103, will open a new exhibition in its gallery: watercolors by Robert Hauschild that appeared as covers of Locomotive Quarterly in the 1920s - 1950s. The National Model Railroad Association will be holding its national convention in Hartford July 5-11, 2009. Among the things of interest to IA types will be a presentation on marine railways by Michael Raber. More info at www.hn2009.org/home.html (5/14/2009). The National Trust for Historic Preservation has added the Ames Shovel Shops in Easton, MA to its List of Most Endgangered Historical Places (5/14/2009). The Connecticut SHPO has revised its extensive bibliography (in MS Word format) of IA-related reports and documentation studies. Most of the reports are archived at the Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs. To make additional recommendations, contact Dr. David Poirier, Staff Archaeologist. The National Park Service and American Rivers have issued a joint publication entitled Dam Removal and Historic Preservation: Reconciling Dual Objectives (4/16/2009). The National Register has issued policy guidance regarding Integrity Requirements for locomotives and rolling stock (4/9/2009). |
