A bridge over the Housatonic River near Colt's Paper Mill, in the east part of this town, was carried away by the recent freshet.

The Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield, MA 19 Feb 1857

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The Housatonic Bridge between Birmingham and Huntington, Con., was swept off. Its cost was $10,000. Bennett's and Down's Bridges were swept away, and the Naugatuck Bridges at Derby and Ansonia were badly injured.

In the village of Birmingham, Con., all the factories sustained much damage, and it will be a number of days before operations can be commenced.

The building occupied by the Manufacturers' Bank did not escape the flood. The water rose to the top of the vault, and after the water had subsided, the officers could not find a dry note of paper of any kind on the premises. The Hawkins Manufacturing Co.'s building was nearly buried out of sight in water; the Shelton Tack Co. lost a large quantity of goods; and the Howe Pin Co. had 80 cases of pins, valued at about $10,000, deluged with water. The Birmingham Iron Foundry suffered a great loss. Their office was swept away, but they were fortunate enough to save their books and valuable papers. The Naugatuck Valley Co., which manufacturers stump joints, lost between two and three thousand dollars worth of coal, besides the damage sustained to their factory.

The Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield, MA 19 Feb 1857
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!