Bartlett Caffrey, born in Attawaugan, has worked in the mills here all his life and he remembers when there were no houses where the village now stands. In its stead were apple orchards and farming ground. Mr. Caffrey reminisces about the moving of the house where he was born to Main Street while his mother was doing dishes. The house is now owned by Albert Herard. There was a boarding house where the company store now stands and was operated by a Charles Eddy, later by a Mr. Barden.

Robert Dunfield bought a barn from the old company where the garages are now, and moved it to where Donais' market is now, establishing a livery stable.

The first mill here was under the ownership of the Whearheard Co. and was unfortunately struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Mr. Elmer Wood's mother was working in the mill at the time of the fire.

Bartlett Caffrey's grandfather, Peter Caffrey, planted a tree in back of the mill near the cotton house which still stands. Later the old cotton house was turned into a gin mill. Back of Donais' Market was a Linen Mill run by water power from the passing brook.

A stage coach used to stop in Attawaugan daily at the Inn and it marked the high spot of the day. David Desaulniers now owns the house which used to be the Inn.

The old Whearhead Co. mill was built again, with the workers making trip after trip with a team of mules to get bricks from the brick yard located up near Ralph Tracy's home.

The mill was bought by the Blackstone Co. about 1860 and the first boss was a Mr. Calvin Frisbe who worked himself up to superintendent; then a Mr. Chase who got killed in the elevator. Clarence Truesdall succeeded Chase, and he also was accidentally killed while hunting. Then a Mr. Kincler took over the duties. The latter is now living on Killingly Avenue where he has a chicken farm. About this time Powdrell & Alexander bought the mill and Mr. Harrington was agent, John Gardner being the present agent.

When the mill was in the hands of the Blackstone Co. they had a barn and sold milk, vegetables and groceries to their help.

Some of the oldest residents are Bartlett Caffrey, Ralph Tracy, Mary Hughes and Margaret Handell.

Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett Caffrey kindly loaned pictures of Attawaugan and brought these memories to life. George Lapoint was also kind enough to loan a picture of Attawaugan taken at least 55 years ago.

When I was six or seven years old, my Dad and I were traveling up "Breakneck" with a horse and lumber wagon. It was a dirt road then. I remember asking him why it was called Breakneck Hill Road and this is the story he told me----

He said that the south side of Old Breakneck Hill Road was solid ledge and the road dropped sharply. The story was that an ox fell and broke his neck.

 Recalling that these were primitive dirt roads no wider than a cart path, it can be seen that it was treacherous going.

 Through the courtesy of Maggie and Charles Weaver, I have since found out that a large wagon with a team of six oxen would transport the heavy stone from the quarries on the hill that were used to build the mills in the area. If one ox fell going downhill, it is easy to see what a catastrophe it would be and that the rest of the team with all that weight behind them would be hard-pressed to keep their footing.

 DEFINITION OF A YANKEE--To a foreigner, a Yankee is an American. To a Southerner in the United States, a Yankee is a Northerner. To a Northerner, a Yankee lives in New England. To a New Englander, a Yankee is someone from Vermont. To a Vermonter, a Yankee is someone who still uses an outhouse!

---Thanks to the San Diego Genealogical Society

[From: Miles of Millstreams] [Tunk City]

[Reminiscences of Danielson] [The New York Fruit Store]