Samuel P. Senior Memorial Park is a 10.2-acre natural walking trail named after an Easton engineer, whose vision as chairman of the board of Bridgeport Hydraulic Company led to the construction of the network of reservoirs in the greater Bridgeport area.
Now, on the 150th anniversary of Samuel P. Senior’s birthday, his grandson Dwight Senior has initiated a fundraising campaign not only to honor his grandfather’s name but also to help repair areas of the park that need to be fixed.
“Every reservoir in the area was built under my grandfather’s direct supervision, and that is why the park is named after him,” said Dwight Senior.
During the early 1900s, Samuel Senior led the planning and construction of a complex and effective water supply system that to this day provides water for over 600,000 people. The Bridgeport Hydraulic Company would become the Aquarion Water Company.
“These reservoirs got us through two World Wars, the Great Depression and countless water shortages,” said Dwight Senior.
The park was founded in 1963 by the Easton Garden Club and opened to the public in 1965. Today it is overseen by a board of directors and relies on volunteers for its upkeep and repairs. The park partners with Eagle Scout programs every year to help with maintenance and selected projects. The scouts have created plant identification signs and helped to make benches and bridges without using any machinery. They receive an honorary plaque for projects they choose to work on as well.
Charles Lynch, president of the Samuel P Senior Memorial Park Board of Directors, said the money raised through the fundraising drive will go toward the upkeep of the park, whose network of bridges and walkways often get damaged by storms.
“The park is used by local groups and school children,” said Lynch.
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $25,000. About a week ago they raised $9,000 in just about two to three weeks of starting the fundraising drive. If you wish to donate, you can mail a check made out to Samual P. Senior Memorial Park to Charles Charles Lynch, 74 Buck Hill Road, Easton CT 06612.
To learn more about the historical connections between the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company and Easton, see Bruce Nelson’s The Bridgeport Hydraulic Company & Eminent Domain.
To learn more about the Easton Garden Club’s history, including charter members Blanche and Samuel P. Senior, see Elizabeth Boyce’s Constant Gardeners: the Founding of the Easton Garden Club.
