Housatonic River - History

History

The river's name comes from the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place".

Inspired by the river during his honeymoon, the American classical music composer Charles Ives wrote The Housatonic at Stockbridge as part of his composition Three Places in New England during the 1910s. The town of Stockbridge is located in southwestern Massachusetts. The river enters Stockbridge on the east side of town then turns south towards Connecticut.

From about 1932 until 1977 the river received PCB pollution discharges from the General Electric plant at Pittsfield, MA. Although the water quality has improved in recent decades, the river continues to be contaminated by PCBs.

There is an American nuclear weapon test of the same name, although it is not known if the name came from the river or some other source.

The United States Navy named a ship for the Housatonic River. The USS Housatonic has the distinction of being the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine, the confederate vessel CSS H.L. Hunley.