Canal Towns: Southwick

Southwick, particularly the Congamond Ponds (also known today as Lake Congamond), was a pivotal location for the Farmington and the Hampshire and Hampden Canal system. The ponds served as the summit level for the entire canal, sitting 21 feet above the Farmington summit and 52 feet above the Cheshire summit. Planning for this section was active by 1822, with the route from Southwick to Northampton described as "fine and very feasible". Local citizens, including the Hon. Mr. Mills of Southwick, participated in early meetings to organize surveys. The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Farmington Canal was held as a grand celebration at the south end of the Southwick Ponds on July 4, 1825, attended by Governor Wolcott of Connecticut and thousands of spectators.

Construction of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, which connected to the Farmington Canal at the state line, formally began in Southwick in November 1826. An initial survey by Jarvis Hurd was later altered in favor of a new route surveyed by Davis Hurd, which ran directly through the Southwick Ponds. This unique design choice required the construction of a 700-foot-long floating towpath, or pontoon bridge, to allow tow-horses to walk across the water. This floating bridge was launched in September 1827 with music and artillery fire and was noted for occasionally breaking loose from its moorings. The canal section through Southwick, which eventually included seven locks, had an estimated construction cost of $28,675.

By October 1829, the full line from the Massachusetts border to New Haven harbor was operational. The first boat to make the complete passage was the Sachem, which carried passengers from Southwick, Granby, and Simsbury. The Congamond Ponds also became a destination; in January 1830, the Sachem hosted "Winter Canal Navigation" excursions, taking parties of gentlemen and ladies from Southwick and Granby on trips through the ponds. This section, however, was beset by challenges. A severe drought in the summer of 1830 dried up the Congamond Ponds, making the canal impassable between Southwick and Granby for three months. This prompted the construction of new feeders, including one from Salmon Brook, to ensure a more reliable water supply. The canal near Southwick also suffered from floods, with severe breaches reported in October 1843, and at least two instances of sabotage, including small breaches caused by "supposed malice" in 1835 and 1843.