Former President Of The Bristol Historical Society Will Hold Program On Downtown

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

June 10, 2022

Tom Dickau, the former president of the Bristol Historical Society, will discuss Bristol's transition from agriculture to industry and later efforts to redevelop the city Thursday, June 16 at the Bristol Historical Society

The discussion, “Bristol/Forestville, Recycled”, will be held June 16 at 7 p.m. at the Bristol Historical Society at 98 Summer St., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. It is part of the “Third Thursday” series of programs at the historical society and will include music, more than 500 images of the area and narration chronicling the changes to the city over the years.

Dickau, who is a past president of the Bristol Historical Society, said that the program will open with a brief explanation of the community’s transition from a farming, agricultural-based society to a major industrial city. He will cover the facilities and homes that were created and repurposed over the years as a result.

“The American Industrial Revolution took place from 1820 to 1870,” said Dickau. “During that time, Bristol developed an industrial clock industry. The city was hit with two recessions between 1837 and 1850, which made the clock makers realize that they had to diversify. I will talk about factories like New Departure and Horton Manufacturing and how this time period led to the opulence of its owners. They built a lot of magnificent homes, especially on Bellevue Ave., which have since been re-used and repurposed over the years along with the factories themselves.”

The program will also talk about the reasons for the failure of redevelopment efforts over the years and how they led to Route 6, especially around Farmington Ave., being developed into a major retail hub from 1975 through 1978.

“Some people were born and died here never knowing a downtown center of Bristol,” Dickau said. “You used to be able to do all of your Christmas shopping right here on Main Street. Redevelopment was a disaster and it was considered a ‘scorched earth’ policy. The city has struggled for seven decades to recover.”

Dickau said that Spartacus Carpenter was able to surmise that Route 72 and Interstate 84 would never come through Bristol, so Bristol would be “isolated” as a retail area, with its only connection to Hartford and Waterbury being Route 6.

“It used to be a country road, with just a few shops and gas stations,” said Dickau. “Then, several plazas were built along Route 6, starting with the plaza where Stop & Shop is now. From 1975 to 1978, Bristol’s annual retail sales grew from $38 million to $58 million annually, the biggest portion of which were along Route 6.”

Dickau will also discuss how “political infighting” and “merchants not wanting to resell their land” affected redevelopment attempts and the impact of the former Centre Mall. He will discuss the bitter rivalry between cousins Walter Murphy, redevelopment director, and James P. Casey, a former mayor of Bristol.

“Redevelopment has been a central topic of every mayor’s administration since,” said Dickau. “It is my belief that downtown will never be a truly viable retail center and Route 6 will continue to develop and remain strong.”

Dickau further hinted that a “historically deceptive” and “purposefully distorted inaccuracy” was promoted within the city surrounding redevelopment. He says his program will describe “what actually took place.”

“This program is meant not only to provide accurate history, but also to jog the audience’s memories about places that used to exist but have been recycled or repurposed to their present day uses,” Dickau said.

Dickau hinted that he may be offering a second part of this discussion in September. He said that he is hopeful that the subject will bring people back to attend Bristol Historical Society programs like they did in the past.

Seating is limited to the first 100 people who enter.

Admission is a $5 donation or free for Bristol Historical Society members. The program room is air-conditioned and parking is available behind the building. Refreshments will be served.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.