Picture Enfield - Then And Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's look back at Enfield history, courtesy of the Facebook group Picture Enfield, is unusual in that very little has changed between the time the photo was taken in the 1970s until today. The area depicted does have an interesting history, however.

One of the oldest homes in Enfield is shown at 311 Broad Brook Rd., on the northeast corner of Broad Brook and Kreyssig Rd. According to town property records, the 3,031 square-foot Colonial was built in 1750, and contains nine rooms, including five bedrooms. It is still used as a private residence.

The intersection of Broad Brook, Kreyssig and Abbe roads is notorious for being one of the most dangerous in northern Connecticut. Broad Brook Rd. is state route 191, and according to data from the Department of Public Safety and the state Department of Transportation, more than 60 crashes were reported between 2015 and 2018. Many of those have come at the difficult intersection shown, with sight lines being particularly troublesome.

Some minor tweaks have been done over the years, including reconfiguration of the turning area onto Abbe. The most visible difference from the original photo is the addition of a flashing light, which since its implementation about 40 years ago has prevented exactly zero collisions.

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

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "A 2-part question about Riverview Dairy: a) it is nowhere near a river, but to which river was it closest; and b) who owned and operated the shop?" The answers: a) the Riverview Plaza at 167 Elm St., where Riverview Dairy was located, is about 1.7 miles from the Connecticut River, and 2.5 miles from the Scantic River; b) for several decades, Marshall A. Smith owned the Riverview Dairy and Chuck Wagon Restaurant, across the road from Kosciuszko Junior High School (now Asnuntuck Community College). Riverview's dairy products, including half-gallon cartons of ice cream, were sold in local stores and at the Chuck Wagon until Smith retired in 1974. He passed away in 1997 at age 75. I don't have a photo of the restaurant itself, but found this cool Riverview Dairy cherry vanilla half-gallon at the Old Town Hall Museum (well, the carton anyway; I think the product melted in 1971). FYI Pat Droney was the first person with the correct response; he wins a 7-day, 2-night cruise to Stafford Springs.

This week's trivia question:
The 1970-71 undefeated Enfield High School girls basketball team will be inducted into the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. Who is the only team member who has already been inducted as an individual? Under your real name, post the answer in the comments section below (we'll see who follows directions). The first correct respondent will win a Patch prize pack worth at least a buck and a half.

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