Millers Pond State Park
Encyclopedia
Millers Pond State Park is located off Foothills Road in Durham, Connecticut
. The state park consists of 30 acres (12.1 ha) of pond and 170 acres (68.8 ha) of woodlands. Here, many residents and guests enjoy leisure activities such as fishing
, hiking
, mountain biking
, and hunting
. Miller's Pond gets its source of water from large springs, making great conditions to fish for trout
and smallmouth bass
.
for his gristmill
that was located further downstream. In succeeding years, the state purchased additional property, completing acquisition of all the land around the pond in 1972. Millers Pond is unique in that its principal source of water comes from large springs which create a body of unpolluted water excellent for smallmouth bass or trout.
Durham, Connecticut
Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...
. The state park consists of 30 acres (12.1 ha) of pond and 170 acres (68.8 ha) of woodlands. Here, many residents and guests enjoy leisure activities such as fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
. Miller's Pond gets its source of water from large springs, making great conditions to fish for trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
.
History
Millers Pond was acquired in 1955 by the State Park and Forest Commission from the heirs of Thomas Macdonough Russell with monies provided in the trust fund of George Dudley Seymour. Thomas Miller was the person who erected the upper dam in 1704 to make a reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
for his gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
that was located further downstream. In succeeding years, the state purchased additional property, completing acquisition of all the land around the pond in 1972. Millers Pond is unique in that its principal source of water comes from large springs which create a body of unpolluted water excellent for smallmouth bass or trout.