The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-03
By JULIAN H. STERLING

'+For of all sad words of tongue and The saddest are these: It might have
 Whittier.
 Did you ever stop to think that Bridgeport, teeminS industrial city, came near being Black Rock. and that Black Rock. mild and placid lit- tie community, came just as near be- ing Bridgeport
 Looking backward and looking for ward from a point of vision halfway between, is a fair way to judge why Bridgeport is not Black Rock, ana why Black Rock is not Bridgeport. This argument is based on the har- bor of each, @ fluid basis, perhaps, but a substantial one.
 Weren't Sure of Destination. When the good people shifted down from the old meeting house Io- cated on the Kings highway, now North avenue at the junction of D1- vision street, now Park avenue, they were undecided whether to locate on the banks of the Pequonnock river or on the banks of Ash Creek, where that stream enters tho splendid har- bor of Black Rock.
 At that time there was no brloge across the Pequonnock below the old bridge above Berkshire pond where | the Kings Highway crossed on its way | towards Old Mill Green and over to from fro this bridge clear through to Long Island Sound.
 Where the Berkshire mill nov | stands, sea-going vessels were punt fine schooner was launched there. Captain I,ayfie1d, owner, and Cap tam Lawson in command Just above the shipyard was the Berkshire dam, ana ana | further up the river was Bunneifs 5 dam, built by the Bunnells to furnish | water power to run the Bunnell mills. That dam has been rebuilt ana re- l inforced from time to time untlI to- hat age of city water in summer ana the cutting of ice in winter Berkshire 3 dam was then and is now for tnas a1s | matter, a tide-water detention or salt | water for mill power.
 | The Kings Highway bridge was 1 built in 1641 and the meeting house | above mentioned was erected m Ioso. l Before the lower, or Stratford br1ds Itwas built there was ferry when ran across the harbor from the foot of Unior. street to Cannon and Lock point op .osite In 1791 the lower | bridge, where the Stratford avenue bridge is now, was built with Iunds raised by lottery; TnlS ot+erV Tas Bridee srele ed to permit passage by the largest community was called before Bridge port was decided upon
 This bridge was the first to span the open water from Kings High way bridge down, and a wide draw made room for large vessels to pass through.
 Tried to Buy Land During the early years Of the lore going ailusion to bridge-building, 2 determined effort was made by such prominent citiens as the Hubbells Sherwoods Odel1s, Summerses Wheelers and Beardsleys to secure l sites on the shores of Black Rock har- Dor for business purposes and homes But the old families-the Burrs, Bar: | trans, Buckleys and others. refused l to sell their lands, and placed then ! value at prices decidedly proh1b1t1Ve
 All parties concerned realized thai lor to that of Bridgeport. It was protected from the east by Payer weather Island. It was wide ano deep, sufficient depth being offord ed to permitp assage by the largest l ocean-going craft. Whereas, the Bridgeport harbor was crooked, nar- row and shallow.
 Despite twenty-five years of stIen- uous effort on the part of the late Bridgeport's harbor, it has steadily become narrower by the encroach- ment of docks and buildings. Not only that, but it has also become 3 dumping ground for refuse emptied from the city's sewers. Its waters l are death to fish, besm caring to the outsides of sailing craft, and the smell whereabouts is nauseating-
 Such has become the Pequonnocr river and Bridgeport's harbor. Oul forefathers foresaw that Black Rocks was preferable, but-they didn't have the price!
 Spun Yarns, Too.
 After the Lower bridge was Dui1i and before the Railroad bridge, Gen.