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| Milestone V - it's in there somewhere |
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Update on Milestone V
September 23 - Historical Society Researcher Paul Saubestre and other History Room volunteers met today with representatives of Connecticut Department of Transportation at Milestone V, on Whitney Aveue opposite Buell Street. The goal was to make it more visible and to try to determine why it has listed so dramaticallly since a photo of it was taken in the mid-1970s.
Paul contacted the state DOT last week and they agreed to meet Monday afternoon. Milestone V was originally thought to have been lost until early last year when it was found buried amongst the underbrush, dead branches, and other foliage near the bus stop at the south driveway to #2200 Whiutney Avenue.
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Fellow HHS researcher Tony Griego looks on as Paul Saubestre points to Milestone V, on Whitney Avenue opposite Buell Street. The stone has been obscured for decades by foliage. Minutes later, the DOT would arrive to remedy the situation.
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DOT's Transportation Supervising Planner Mark McMillan, far left, and a crew from the DOT determined that, while the milestone is now barely situated on private property, it is a state-owned entity going back more than 200 years. (Yeah, it's in there somewhere!)
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It took only a few minutes for the DOT crew to remove the brush and branches . . .
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. . . and, lo and behold, look what was revealed.
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VOILA!
Milestone V is now quite visible, although it seems to have acquired a definite list during the four-plus decades since it was last photographed.
Was the list caused by frost heaving? None of Hamden's other milestones had shifted during that time, so it is believed that perhaps the milestone may have caused a southbound motor vehicle to make a sudden stop. Hopefuly the vehicle occupants suffered no injuries.
If that was the case, then the stone may have been fractured below the ground. This will be determined when the stone is carefully excavated and uprighted sometime in the near future.
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| c. 1975 |
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Milestone V 40+ Years Ago
This photo of Milestone V was taken sometime in the mid-1970s, when the stones were mentioned in Historic Hamden (1976), which was locally published in connection with the National Bicentennial Celebration. The book featured many Hamden structures of historic significance, including the milestones.
The distinct list acquired by the stone during the past four-plus decades is believed to be the result of it having been struck by a motor vehicle and not because of natural frost heaving, which has not affected any of the other seven Hamden milestones.
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The Hamden Historical Society History Room researchers are grateful to Mr. Mark McMillan and the other DOT personnel for meeting with us and for making Milestone V look more presentable. Thank you!
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