Early Names for Branchville:

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Early Names for Branchville Wheer Cock Native
American Name obviously Anglicized. Weyaquock or
something along those lines is more Native
American. Copps Corner John Copp surveyed the
Land in Ridgefield 1707-8. The land was high and
rocky, but the soil was fertile and there were
more than sixty miles of streams that could serve
future mills. Copps Corner is the intersection
of Mountain Rd. and Peaceable St. Ridgefield
Station/Beers Station From 1852-1870 it was the
only station in Ridgefield. Sherman Beers sold
Land to RR for 600, William W. Beers, Postmaster
until 1879.
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Ridgefield, Redding, Wilton Boundary Marker.
Located at corner of Peaceable St. and Mountain
Rd.
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Branchville Pre-Railroad

• Not Much to Report

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Why was Branchville less traveled?Norwalk to
Danbury Turnpike

• The Main Route to Danbury at this time came up
  Old Mill Road.
• Most Businesses/Mills are along Old Mill Road
  heading into Georgetown.

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Great Pond
Florida Hill
1811 Map Main Roads
Branchville
Old Mill Rd.
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1856
No Businesses On Sugar Hollow
Cabinet Shop Blacksmith
Plenty of Business on Old Mill Rd.
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Sugar Hollow to Branchville

• Sugar Hollow Highway created around 1818 to ease
  traffic on Danbury to Norwalk Turnpike. This was
  not successful until the railroad arrived. Later
  referred to as The Old Route 7, a.k.a. State
  Road

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Portland Ave.
Route 7
Sugar Hollow Rd.
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Old State Highway
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Hortons Ice Cream Shop. At the corner of Sugar
Hollow Route 7. Building still stands today.
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Danbury to Norwalk RR completed 1852
The Danbury to Norwalk Railroad began
construction in the autumn months of 1850, the
task was to convert 23 miles of rugged landscape
along the Norwalk River into an iron trail that
could not exceed a 1 gradevia human labor.
There was not any specialized equipment, hardy
souls and hand tools would be the only tools
employed in the railroad's construction. Newly
immigrated, enduring prejudices, and in need of
work, the Irish were the hardy souls that manned
the pick axes and accomplished the arduous task
in an astonishingly short timeframe. With the
completion of the Danbury to Norwalk Railroad in
the spring of 1852, its workers were faced with
two options take up work on another stretch of
rail-line or settle where they were and find new
work. Thus, the area around Branchville
Georgetown became home - or at least a
jumping-off place - for many Irish immigrants in
search of a home.
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Railroad Workers Pay- 1851
Name Days Wages Board Take-Home Pay
John McCauliff 21.75 21.75 0.00 21.75
Thomas Corcey 19.75 14.81 8.70 6.11
Timothy Sullivan 19.25 14.44 10.00 4.44
Andrew Sullivan 22.00 16.50 10.00 6.50
John Brody 9.75 6.17 7.50 -1.58
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Beers Family major landowners in Branchville
Ridgefield From 1789 to 1814 Anthony
Beers Acquired 252.5 acres. Future Generations
enjoy the benefits. Branchville station is the
lowest point in Ridgefield at 342. Seeing
Sherman Beers sold land To RR company the Station
is referred to as Beers or Ridgefield Station
for 18 yrs. Branchville name given by RR Company
in reference to Branch Line to Ridgefield built
1869-70.
William Woolsey Beers- Station Agent/Postmaster
until 1879
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After RR Arrives Stores and Businesses Quickly
find their way to Branchville.
Map circa 1856 Branchville then Ridgefield or
Beers Station
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The Mining Town

• Branchville Becomes a Mining Town First Granite,
  then Mica, then Oh MY! World Wide Fame.

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P.W. Bates owned Ridgefield Granite Works and
deeds show the Bates name on or close to Mountain
Rd. until 1890. William Haaker also was given
the right to Quarry granite in the late 1800s,
early 1900s.
Branchville Art Gallery Location
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Single-Jacking
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Double-Jacking
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Mining Scar or feather mark. These can be found
throughout the Scott Preserve/Rock Lot off
Peaceable St. and Mountain Rd.
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House on Peaceable St. view facing north. An
mid-1800 map notes Iron Ore being mined on
Peaceable Street.
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1856
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Peaceable Street at the turn of the
century. House shown still stands today (barely).
A caretaker house for 33 Peaceable St.
Anne Parrish Titzell
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The World Famous Branchville Mine

• Some Redding Residents call themselves
  Reddingites Very few know it actually means
  hydrated phosphate of manganese and iron
• Reddingite was one of the 8 unique minerals
  discovered at the Branchville mine.

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Reddingite
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Branchville Mine
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Branchville Mine
Abijaha N. Fillow
Branchville Art Gallery Location
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Pine Mountain Road
Branchville Station
Mountain Road
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Branchville Mine Timeline

• First Excavation by Abijaha N. Fillow approx.
  1876. Mined for Mica but ceased in the spring of
  1878 because he thought the mica was of inferior
  quality.
• George Brush and Edward Dana of Yale University
  become so enthused by the new minerals Fillow
  uncovers that they engage Fillow to resume
  excavations with Yale Funds.
• Nine new minerals were discovered. Mineral types
  pegmatite, and quartz, feldspar, mica, spodumene,
  beryl and columbite. Eight unique to Branchville
  location. Brush and Dana get famous, Fillow gets
  rich.
• In 1926 31 minerals excavated by Frank Schairer.
  Schairer, in addition to being a well known
  Mineralogist, was a key contributor to the
  stellite-lined machine gun barrel project.

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George Brush
Edward Dana
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YPM Yale Universitys Peabody Museum
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Branchville Mine Timeline, cont.

• From September 1943 to November 1944, Fred and
  Joseph Burrone and Carlo Rusconi, all of North
  Branford, Connecticut, operated the mine for mica
• Sandy Ridge Mica and Mining Company, Inc., 927
  15th Street N. W., Washington, D. C., worked the
  mine in November and December 1944. Minor mining
  projects would continue until 1954.
• Sheet Mica was important in WWII because it was
  used to insulate electrical equipmentSpark
  Plugs, Radio Apparatus, Fuse Boxes, Heating
  Devices and Telephones.
• Michael DeLuca attempted to open the mine again
  in 1979-80 but ran into zoning problems.
  Monaplastics, Inc. landowners

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J. Frank Schairer located 31 different minerals
in 1926. It was part of his research work on
"The Minerals of Connecticut." He collected the
data while he was at Yale. Schairer helped
organize the Yale Mineralogical Society and was
elected its first president on October 5, 1923.
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Branchville Mine 2006
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Branchline to Ridgefield completed 1870
Prior to Branchline passengers driven to
Ridgefield by Horse and Buggy. Branchline the
result of increased demand for both passenger
freight service to Ridgefield. Following
completion 3 trips a day were made to/from
Ridgefield15 minutes each way. Almost
immediately Branchville name applied to
village. Branchline is now hiking/biking trail
starting at CLP lines below Hickory Lane off
Florida Road.
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Route 7 Looking North Toward Route 102
Building to the left is currently Petes Mane
Concern. Branchline RR Crossing can be seen in
the distance. By this time Rt. 7 improvements had
closed Branchline to passenger service in 1925.
Freight continued until 1964. The line was never
electrified.
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Ridgefield Station 1875
Grass yard shown later replaced with gravel.
Station is Ridgefield Supply warehouse in the
present day.
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Ready to head off to the country estate
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Dangerous Return Trip to Main Line
There was no turn-around in Ridgefield. Trains
traveling up to Ridgefield would have to return
to Branchville in Reverse. This was dangerous
seeing Ridgefield is 700 above sea-level,
Branchville is 342 above sea-level.
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Branchline from Branchville to Ridgefield
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1905 Accident Ivy Hill. Conductor William Horan
Killed.
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The snow is up to my knees this morning and
still coming. I had a fierce time getting to the
station.
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Water Tower
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Double semaphore is a train order signal, one
for each direction
Grumans Ice Tools
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Post Office Store
Elisabeth Mead operated a general store and post
office in Branchville. It was said to have been
reached via a bridge. She sold Santanella Baked
Goods.
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Comical story relayed by Jack SandersBranchviller
s tried to pull a "switch-a-roo" on Ridgefield.
Signs were created and posted re-naming
Branchville as Ridgefield and the actual town of
Ridgefield as "West Ridgefield" This did not go
over big and lasted a very short time. Perhaps
this explains why West Branchville Rd. was
applied to the eastern most section of
Ridgefield. Pay back.
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Quartz Feldspar Mining

• 1880 Union Porcelain Works of Greenpoint, New
  York, leased the Branchville Mine property and
  operate it for feldspar and quartz until at least
  1890. Feldspar is used in making porcelain.
• Soon after (1891) The Bridgeport Wood Finishing
  Company of New Milford, Connecticut, operated
  for quartz and feldspar until approx. 1917. BWFC
  also leased mining land to other companies during
  this time period.

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Key Products Wheelers Wood Filler, Breinings
Oil Stain Lithogen Silicate Paint.
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Anconas Market
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Viewpoint from Route 7 looking toward
Ridgefield. Branchville Oil/Motorcycle location
Silex trade name for finely ground quartz
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Viewpoint looking back toward Route 7
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Main line Water tower
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View from Branchville School Playing Fields
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Double Jacking Method
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Fine Powdered Quartz Feldspar
The BWFC first baked, then crushed and ground
Quartz and Feldspar into a fine powder with large
Quartz wheel stones. Of the crusher Willis
DeForest recalled I can still hear the pounding
noise, Hour after hour, of that crusher. The
powdered material was then sifted through sieves,
some produced locally by Richard Bennet. Over
time they found silk sieves worked the best (they
were more durable). Next the product was
barreled and shipped via railroad to their
processing Plants. Where Coopers Tavern (Bank
59, Amicis) stood there was once a cooperage
that supplied barrels for this purpose (in
addition to local wine). Top quality (flour
sized) quartz became wood filler and paint,
low-to-mid quality (sand sized) feldspar was
used as poultry grit. High quality feldspar was
used in ceramics and soap. Many mill employees
died as a result of the ever-present dust. 90 of
the employees were said to be Italians.
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Wilson Point on Long Island Sound
Shipped Trains To Long Island
1882 Addition to Danbury/Norwalk Railroad. This
leads to profitable Agreements with other RRs
is a great benefit to businesses on the line.
Ice, Eggs/ Milk, Wire, Granite, Feldspar, Quartz
all products that can now reach NYC ports from
Branchville Georgetown.
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RRs 1893
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Railroad Success Community Growth

• Branchville, fueled by the success of the RR
  Mining Industry, attracts Italian Immigrants,
  Summer Residents, Service Related Businesses.

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National Historic Register
DeBenignos Branchville General Store Doubled as
a Boarding House for Italian Immigrants
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Cooperage
Joseph Anconas 1930. Arrived in 1912 from Sicily.
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Porch Enclosed
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Walter Littles General Store. West Branchville
Rd.
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The Italian American Citizens Political Club of
Ridgefield, June 29, 1913
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Where Could Immigrants Find Work?

• Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company
• Country Estates
• Deland Gilbert Soap
• Gilbert Bennett Wire Mill
• Gruman Ice Tools

• Mead Stone Tools
• Monarch Mining Co.
• Railroad
• Ridgefield Water lines
• Ridgefield Sewage lines
• Service industry

In addition to these day jobs many Italian
immigrants were able to create a second income
via wine and hard cider. A number of home based
Taverns or drinking rooms proved successful and
quite popular in the area.
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Cooking Porchetta- Frank Santini, James Costanzi,
Enrico Frulla and Bruno Franceschini
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Clearing the land for Branchville playground and
ball field. Branchville Civic Association. Joe
Ancona, Jr Sr, Ray Platt, Frank DAddario, Rick
Gene Ridolfi. 1930 Chevy.
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Memorial Day parade from Georgetown to
Branchville Cemetery was once an annual event.
GB School, North Main, speech at 3 trees
(memorials to WWI), Route 7, Route 102, Florida
Road, Flowers on Graves. Some would walk back to
Methodist Chapel, Kearns would give out Ice
Cream to kids that walked back from Miller
Sisters Beth and Kate.
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Anna Giovanna, Anne, Giuseppe and Anthony Del
Biondo
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Adolfo, Silvestro and Nazzareno Lavatori
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Sacred Heart Church convenient to Branchville
residents. A good number attended Saint Marys
in Ridgefield.
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Branchville District School. Closed June 1939
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Lifes Fresh Air Camp

• John Ames Mitchell of Life Magazine opened the
  camp in 1899.
• He originally raised 800 to send 266 under
  privileged city kids from NYC to Branchville.
• Located where Branchville School is today.
• Later Hidden Valley, the New York Herald
  Tribunes Fresh Air Camp.
• A version of the camp still exists to this day in
  other parts of the countryin Redding New Pond
  Farm runs a similar program each summer.

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John Ames Mitchells West Lane Estate Windover
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Lifes Fresh Air Camp location of Branchville
Elementary School
The Branchville School opened in 1969 on lower
Florida Road, and remained in use until 1983.
Declining enrollment led to the schools closing.
The Board of Education occupied the school until
1994 when increasing enrollments resulted in
voters agreeing to re-open the school.