Picture South Windsor - Then And Now

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Once again, we visit the pages of an amazing picture book entitled Images of America: South Windsor, compiled in 2017 by Claire Lobdell for the Wood Memorial Library & Museum. The book, containing 128 pages of fascinating photos from the town's history, is available for purchase at the library's museum store here.

On page 24 is a photo from the mid-1950s, showing construction of the Bissell Bridge over the Connecticut River. The bridge, connecting Windsor to South Windsor, opened Dec. 16, 1957, and contained toll booths for more than 25 years. It was originally called the Wolcott Bridge, but on Sept. 9, 1960, it was dedicated in honor of Capt. John Bissell, captain of the Connecticut Troops from 1657 to 1676, who led the settlement of the Windsor area.

State Route 291 ran from Interstate 91 over the bridge to U.S. Route 5 for many years. In the early 1990s, the highway was rechristened Interstate 291 and the bridge was completely replaced. In 1994, extension of I-291 to connect with Interstate 84 in Manchester was completed.

Here is a more contemporary look at the Bissell Bridge, courtesy of Google Maps.

Do you have a photo of an old South Windsor business which no longer exists, to which you own the rights and which we could feature in this column? Email tim.jensen@patch.com.

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