West Thompson Dam
Thompson is the most northeasterly town in CT, bordering Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Other than a historic mill and international speedway, it doesn’t have much to offer visitors that we could find. We decided to visit the West Thompson Dam, which apparently is in the borough of North Grosvenordale, one of five tiny villages in this tiny town.
The dam on the Quinebaug River and the resulting West Thompson Lake north of the dam were built as a result of the 1938 and 1955 floods, which devastated this area. A kiosk with excellent pictures describes the project. We looked over the spillway and hiked down to the lower level—a large field and pavilion with picnic tables. Near the lake there are hiking trails, a campground, amphitheater,
recreation area, and a boat launch. As we left, we crossed the bridge over the French River, which caused more flooding in 1955, resulting in a huge fire that burned down a large textile mill, leaving a single brick tower still standing. Fall foliage should be nice in that area in a couple of weeks, and kayaking would be quite feasible. (Jan)
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