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Health & Fitness

Come in see more in Connecticu'ts Number 1 Walking Town, Seymour!!!

As mentioned in my book, The Signs of Connecticut/my friend Craig used to tease me about
Seymour. I remember asking him at the age of 20, where the town got its name from. He would tell me
that from the flag up on the rock overlooking route... 8, is where you can see more in Seymour. Well, I believed him
for a while until I figured out it was a joke on me. As I look back now, I think Craig might have been right.
As many of you know, the town is named after our 35"‘ Governor Thomas Hart Seymour. Seymour, a
former American/Mexican War Hero was governor of Connecticut from 1850 to 1853. It is in 1850
where Seymour’s name came to be. Before this time, the downtown area was named Humphreysville.
Humphreysville was name after David Humphreys, who was an aide to General Washington during the
revolutionary war. Humphrey also ran a mill in town that was powered by the Tingue Damn located on
the Naugatuck River. The damn believe it or not, still stands today and can be viewed to the
northwest of the Broad Street Bridge by looking underneath the Route 8 Highway. What followed the
mill were factories, as Seymour like many of the other Naugatuck River Towns began to pollute the river
with this type of industry. This in fact killed many of the fish and turned people away from the river.
Seymour and the other river towns then began their decline. These days, Seymour and the river are
doing much better. Construction will soon begin a fish bypass walkway, next to the Tingue Damn. This in
return will allow diadromous fish, like salmon to make its way back up the Naugatuck River to migrate.
This has not happened in this area of the river since the damn was built over two hundred years ago.
Also, the river is now much cleaner because of environmental clean ups. There are also plans in
the works for a walkway along the river. Speaking of walkways and walking, the Connecticut Post just
ranked Seymour as the most walkable town in southwestern Connecticut. If it’s walking you like, then
downtown is the place for you. Seymour is quickly becoming an Antique Metropolis with many of these
type of stores downtown. You will also find many clothing stores and cute little shops. There is Tea with
Tracy, a tea house with over 50 tea flavors. You can also get some finger sandwiches, cookies and soup
here as well. Let's not forget the Strand Theater, one of the Connecticut's oldest theaters playing the
more recent movies. Up the road on South Main Street there is Carolyn's Weenie Wagon, located in a dirt lot north of the railroad tracks. It is here where you can take a bite and enjoy one of the best hot dogs in
Connecticut. Oh, they are slammin!!! Of course who can resist the town festivals, such as the infamous
Pumpkin Festival which gets more and more popular each year. There is also Founders Day and the
more recent up and coming Beer and Chili Festival called Smoke in the Valley. The Smoke in the Valley
event takes place right on the Broad Street Bridge over the Naugatuck River. It is here in September that /
you can sample different types of chili and home crafted brews from several vendors. Also, like I mentioned earlier ,,
you can view the Tingue Damn and in the near future, the new fish bypass. Craig was right folks. You can see more in Seymour.

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