New Britain herald., 1922-02-13
CANAL LINE THROUGH PLAINVILLE
 DURING lS48, AS RECALLED TODAY

ly over the river Today some of the huge posts which upheld this viaduet are still 10 be seen in the bed of the Pennington river at that point. Some of the stone piers arc also left, If took weeks and weeks of labor 10 build that enormous yiaduct across the river with little or none of the assistance from the derricks which make that work easy today.
 Plainvillc's Line.
 The canal bed through Plainville and Pennington was called the Long Level, on account of it's fiat surface. There were no locks through this part of the canal line until one reached Plantsville.
 Remembers old Canal Locks.
 Charles s. Jones of New Haven, but native of Huntsville, can recall with clearness the old canal and many of the recollections of his boyhood days are entwined with this old canal, AS boy he remembers how impatienty he would stop whatever he might be doing and run as fast as he could to the lock at Plantsville when the shrill whistle announced the arrival of the canal boat. Mir. Jones was born in the house at the southwest corner of the junction at Plantsville and his own father was born in the long, rambling, old-fashioned house. in later years used as hotel. near the railroad crossing. These houses are but a short distance from the old lock and today remnants of the old lock can be easily seen from the highway just a short distance up from the railroad cross ing. The old locks were to the south of the roadway, obliquely opposite the cemetery. and today large tree marks the end of either side of the old locks.
 Can See Old Bed
 Part of the canal bed can now be seen running parallel with the Plain ville Grammar school in Plainville The canal passed over Pierce street, directly under where the Tierney home now stands and passed through the yard of the Plainville Lumber &5 Coal company. The engine room of the Bristol Knitting Mills is standing over the old bed now as well as the present railroad tracks The canal ran in back of the Colonial inn and around into Writings Basin
 A basin was necessary for resting place or. sort of transfer station for the boats. It was in the form of wide circle built directly off the main canal, where the boats could draw into and off the line. The home of Frank T. Wheeler. superintendent of the Trumbull Electric Manufacturing company. is built directly in front of this old basin and part of the huge hole can now be seen. At Whiting Basin. the first general store in Plain vile and this vicinity was erected. It contained every article necessary to the daily life Of a person and also served as a storehouse. It was erect ed by Hawley and Adna Whiting. from which the basin received its name.
 Owners of Boats.
 The Whiting brothers did tre- mendous business in those days. Be- ing the only wholesale merchants in these parts they were free from com petition on all sides. Their business was so large that they owned a canal boat and operated their own line. Tine Whiting boat was manned by Captain Andrew Norton, father of Minton Nor ton, owner of the Plainville Hardware | company on Whiting street, Plainville. There were other boats in addition 10 che Writings and those were owned by Harmonious NJ. Welch and Roman go Neal Mr. Welch owned a large lumber yard and also was a success full merchant. His home was located where now stands the residence of John B. Miner on East Main street, proprietor of the Miner Box com