Five Mile River
Encyclopedia
The Five Mile River is a river approximately 23.5 miles (37.8 km) long, located in Connecticut
's Northeast Corner. The original Nipmuc name was Assawaga, meaning "place between" or "halfway place." The Assawaga received its English name from the fact that the first land laid out upon it was "supposed to be about five miles from" Woodstock, Connecticut
. The Five Mile is a tributary of the Quinebaug River
and is part of the Thames River Watershed. Its source is Little Pond (also known as Schoolhouse Pond); close to the Massachusetts
border. It empties into the Quinebaug River at Danielson
, at the intersection of New England Interstate Route 12 and U.S. Route 6
.
The Five Mile River has several dams, most of which are former mill operations. Its largest impoundment is Quaddick Reservoir, though there are several smaller dams including those that were built for the purpose of harnessing waterpower for industry. The best examples of surviving mills villages can be seen in Killingly; in villages such as Pineville, Ballouville, Attawaugan, and Dayville.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
's Northeast Corner. The original Nipmuc name was Assawaga, meaning "place between" or "halfway place." The Assawaga received its English name from the fact that the first land laid out upon it was "supposed to be about five miles from" Woodstock, Connecticut
Woodstock, Connecticut
Woodstock is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,221 at the 2000 census.-Annual events:*The Woodstock Fair, run by the Woodstock Agricultural Society has been held since 1860. The current President of the Woodstock Fair is Susan Z. Hibbard...
. The Five Mile is a tributary of the Quinebaug River
Quinebaug River
The Quinebaug River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously Qunnubbâgge, Quinibauge, etc., meaning "long pond", from...
and is part of the Thames River Watershed. Its source is Little Pond (also known as Schoolhouse Pond); close to the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
border. It empties into the Quinebaug River at Danielson
Danielson, Connecticut
Danielson is a borough in the town of Killingly in Windham County, Connecticut. The population was 4,265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
, at the intersection of New England Interstate Route 12 and U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
.
The Five Mile River has several dams, most of which are former mill operations. Its largest impoundment is Quaddick Reservoir, though there are several smaller dams including those that were built for the purpose of harnessing waterpower for industry. The best examples of surviving mills villages can be seen in Killingly; in villages such as Pineville, Ballouville, Attawaugan, and Dayville.