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Final 11 Miles of the Housatonic River
Impressive 7 foot long map of the Housatonic River, from Derby to the Stratford Point Lighthouse, drawn on drafting linen.
The map includes soundings in the river, a town plan for Stratford, the location of several major roads and a bridge across the river, as well as naming several islands, rivers, meadows, etc. Many of the island and river contours have changed considerably since the time of the map.
The map was almost certainly drawn by Civil Engineer Henry Harding, who is best known for his work on the Union Pacific Railroad. The present map was acquired with an archive of nearly 100 of his maps and drawings, most of which relate to the Union Pacific.
Henry Harding (1837-1910) was a railroad engineer from Hartland, Vermont.
Harding worked for multiple eastern railroads during the 1850s, until he was recruited to serve as an assistant engineer for the Union Pacific under the direction of Grenville Mellon Dodge, an old friend and Chief Engineer of the railroad. Harding worked on the Union Pacific from 1865 to1870, Harding’s particular focus was the design and construction of structures such as bridges, station houses, round houses, and terminals.
After the completion of the Union Pacific / Transcontinental Railraod, Harding returned East, working briefly for the Adirondac, Housatonic, and Naguatuck Railroads, befor taking a job with the United States Engineering Corps from 1873-90, and finally retiring to Hartland, Virginia in 1890.
For a more complete account of Harding’s career, see Ellis, W.A., Norwich University, 1819-1911, Her History, Her Graduates, Her Role of Honor. Published by Major-General Grenville M. Dodge, 1911.
