Oct. 12 is the 100th anniversary of the opening of Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden.
The park includes a distinctive mountain. If you look at it from a certain angle, it resembles a person laying on their back, with a head, a chin and neck, and a chest next to that.
But a large part of the landmark mountain was nearly destroyed in the early 20th century. A local group banded together to save it.
Around 1912, a quarry began to Sleeping Giant to dig out gravel. The owner of part of the property leased it for mining.
"There was a huge industrial boom at the time. The gravel was being used to build roads and railroad beds, and anything else during that period that it could be used for," said Aaron Lefland, vice president of Sleeping Giant Park Association. "Where they started was effectively the very top of the giant's head. So bit by bit, his head was slowly blasted away with dynamite and crushers. The scars of that still remain today.
Neighbors were unhappy about the damage to the landmark mountain, the noise and chunks of blasted debris that would sometimes land near their homes. A group formed to stop the destruction. After years of effort, they eventually purchased land and halted the gravel operation.
Lefland says several other state parks were also created in the 1920s, indicating there was support for such efforts at the time.
Lefland grew up down the street from the park.
"You do get the most bang for your buck in terms of trail variety and views and challenging terrain that you really can get in southern Connecticut," Lefland said.
If you go
A celebration of Sleeping Giant's centennial will be held at the park all day Oct. 12. It will include guided hikes, food trucks and a beer garden.
