The Connecticut (Rivers of America,) (ISBN 0932691277)

History, Geology, and technology on the river:
This is a wonderfully readable book about the history of the Connecticut River published in 1947, before the river got cleaned up at all. Mr. Hard covers everything from an overview of the geology of the River to its discovery by Europeans and its settlement, first by the Dutch and then by the British. He writes of crossings (ferries and bridges) to some degree, of the first steam boats (before Fulton!), and quite a bit about the decline of the fishery. This is largely a history book about the Connecticut River Valley, and I highly recommend it for those interested in this topic.