During my mudlarking exploration I discovered, within this small messy landscape, a history of a time, before Mystics’ tourist popularity but after its waters ran pure. Garbage collecting in this area began in the 1940s. Before this time, backyard incinerators were used as well as the old heave-ho into the river. The Rossie textile mill as well as other business occupants of the site would incinerate garbage (metal, glass, coal slag). The remnants of this process created a landfill jutting out into the river. Today, this fill will share some of its' history after big storms or during very low tides. Popular culture items like vintage Avon bottles, Heinz pickle bottles, and broken bits of Bromo Seltzer tell the story of the various immigrant groups turning into Americans.

Mary Kane Hendrickson

Mystic, Greenmanville, 2023