Picture Vernon: Before The Overpass And The Highway

VERNON, CT — The latest installment of the Picture Vernon series is a photo taken by Vernon police in May of 1964.

The officer was at a crash site looking west on Hartford Turnpike where Routes 30 and 83 run together toward Manchester.

The entrance/exit ramps for Route 15 are now part of the Interstate-84 interchange that includes an overpass. It's commonly known as Vernon Circle from the time there was a roundabout at the interchange.

The water tower for the Aldon Spinning Mills is just barely visible through the trees in the upper left of the photo. The old mill has undergone a major renovation.

It's hard to recreate the photo in 2021 because of tall trees, the overpass and the seeming six zillion cars that travel through the spot each day, but here's an attempt. The water tower is visible to the squinting eye, just above the stores on the left.