Monterey Mills – An Exploration of Water Powered Industry

On September 23 the Bidwell House Museum will host its final Housatonic Heritage Walk of the 2023 season at the Monterey Library with Rob Hoogs. The village of Monterey today is small and quaint, but in the 1740s through the late 1800s it was bustling with saw mills, grist mills, carding and fulling mills and a paper mill, as well as stores and other businesses. Join Rob Hoogs, a Trustee at both the Bidwell House Museum and the Monterey Historical Society, for an illustrated talk and walk to explore the remains and history of these water-powered mills.

The presentation will start inside the Monterey Library multipurpose room for a 30 minute talk, followed by a 60-90 walk minute along the Mill Brook (now called Konkapot River) to visit the foundations of the mills, dams, and other features. The walk will only be about one mile but the footing in some places is rough and may be wet, so bring good hiking shoes and trekking poles if you use them; also bring bug repellant.

For information about all of the Housatonic Heritage walks being offered in 2023, click HERE

The Monterey Library is located at 452 Main Rd, Monterey. There is limited parking at the Library. Attendees can also park in the public lot behind the Monterey Town Hall, a short walk from the Library.