A SHORT HISTORY OF PINE ROCK PARK (Written by an unknown author in late 50’s/early 60’s): Pine Rock Park was once called Oronoque Manner. Known as a housing development on the southern edge of town today, it was actually named in 1900 when the trolley company built a small amusement park and picnic area there to encourage riders on weekends. It was constructed less than a year after the Shelton-Bridgeport line was completed. It only lasted about 10 years, and never really caught on as it was unable to compete with resorts like Bridgeports Pleasure Beach and West Havens Savin Rock. In its heyday, however, it had dancing pavilions, a merry-go-round and other amusement park rides, a small zoo, and nicely manicured picnic areas and grounds. A spur line was built to allow trolleys to deposit riders at the parks location on top of the steep hill. One well known feature was the balloon ascensions, which used to attract a large number of people - a stuntman would ride the balloon up, the parachute down. It is a beautiful country spot with many pine trees, springs, and an abundance of rocks. As is true of many American towns, Indians were the first residents. We have proof of this by the finding of arrowheads and remains in what was a burial ground. This is located on a bank in back of Gajdosiks property. Our next recollections are of Pine Rock Park as an Amusement Park. This was approximately fifty-four years ago where Kohary’s now live. These buildings of the park were made of split logs. When the park was in full swing, approximately 1903, there were extra trolleys on Sundays to bring the people from Bridgeport and Derby. In those days the regular trolley schedule from Derby to Bridgeport was once an hour, just as it is today. In 1904 the Amusement Park closed. There were however, trolleys running up to a certain point where McElroy’s now live. In back of the firehouse ran a stream with a small bridge over it. It had benches on either side with flowers and shrubs around it. In about 1930 the land which makes up Pine Rock Park was divided into building lots and sold by Robert Davies. Previous to this the land was owned by The Connecticut Company. At first the lots were ideal for summer cottages and most purchases were made with that in mind. However during the depression years, more and more residents remodeled making the homes suitable for year-round living. Where the Pine Rock Grocery now stands there was once a large house belonging to General David Wooster. In this house there were secret hiding places in the fireplaces to be used in case of an Indian attack. David Wooster was born in 1711 and died in 1777. He was a graduate of Yale University where he was a brilliant student. In 1739 when the war broke out between England and Spain he entered a provincial army as a Lieutenant and was later made a Captain. In the French and Indian War, which ended in 1763, he was commissioned by the governor of Connecticut as colonel and then brigadier general and served during the whole war. The town of Wooster, Ohio was named in his honor. Mr. Steven Palmer, a first-selectman of Shelton, and very well-known, lived where Mr. Grassos house recently stood. The house was torn down to make room for the new highway construction. The story of the early Far Mill River for industrial purposes had its beginning a full century before the American Revolution. As families settled back into the wilderness, they needed mills of various kinds to meet the requirements and comforts of life, To build a mill was an enterprise or venture requiring considerable money and much energy. Some distance back from Shelton Road on the north side of the river stood an old mill owned for many years by the Wooster family. After serving as a grist mill and saw mill for many years it was later converted into a paper mill soon after 1850. It was known for some time as the Pine Rock Paper Mill, but later it was changed to Roberts Paper Mill. During the time it was operated as a paper mill, it had served several owners and at the time of its destruction by fire early on the morning of April 10, 1907 was owned by Curtis F. Booz of Norwalk. Pine Rock Park has a post office, candy store, and a grocery store. It is in Sheltons second ward. The streets in Pine Rock have Indian names such as Oronoque Trail, Manhanssett Trail, Seneca Trail, Algonkin Road, Ojibwa Road and Shinnacock Trail.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 15:33:41 +0000
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