SQUANTZ POND – New Fairfield and Sherman, CT

Connecticut’s State Park – SQUANTZ POND in New Fairfield, CT  and Sherman, CT - is opened from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 8am to 6:30pm for swimming, fishing, boating, scuba diving and picnicking.

The 172 acres are surrounded by mountains with hiking trails, a beach area and is a delight to photographers all year round.

History of Squantz Pond by Wikipedia:

Settlers from Fairfield, Connecticut received approval from the General Assembly to establish a new township and they negotiated with Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke (tribe), a tribe of Algonquianlineage. They “purchased” a 32,000 acre (130 km²) tract of land, that is now New Fairfield and Sherman, for the equivalent of about 300 dollars and on April 24, 1729, The deed was recorded on May 9,1729, and is now deposited in the archives of the State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut.

It is said that Squantz Pond State Park takes its name from Chief Squantz who lived at the northern tip of the lake, which is now separated from the rest of Candlewood Lake by the Route 39 causeway. Before becoming a state park, the area around Squantz Pond was also a farm and an apple orchard. Despite many changes to the land, the presence of the original residents is still marked by occasionally uncovered artifacts such as stone adzes, mallets and other tools. The remains of an Indian canoe over 22 feet long and 5 feet wide was raised from the bottom of the lake, leading to speculation that even before the settlers came, Squantz Pond may have been much larger than it was just prior to its expansion during the flooding of Candlewood Lake.

SQUANTZ POND – a wonderful place for the family.  While visiting, please swim in the designated areas and have fun!

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

June 20, 2008 Posted by dianasantos | Connecticut, New Fairfield, Sherman, Squantz Pond, Uncategorized | Boating, Connecticut, Hiking, New Fairfield, Sherman, Squantz Pond, State Park, Swimming | 5 Comments