May 2016 – Digital Farmington

Avon Historical Society asks for help after a fire at the Derrin Farmhouse

May 20, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Hello everyone, As many of you know the c.1810 Derrin Farmhouse at 249 West Avon Road, part of the Avon Historical Society, suffered severe fire damage this past Wednesday, May 11th. Thanks to the very quick and precise response by the Avon Volunteer Fire Department, with mutual aid from Simsbury, Canton and Farmington, the structure was saved and it is structurally sound. The cause was deemed to be an accident – spontaneous combustion of oily stain soaked rags left in…

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A Glimpse into Farmington’s Past: The Charlotte Cowles Letters

May 13, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Garrett Coady Farmington, Connecticut had been a New England hub for evangelical abolition during the decade of 1835 and 1845. Farmington had established an anti-slavery society in 1836 that was initiated around abolitionist reform and evangelical revival. One of the Farmington Anti-Slavery Society’s founding members had been Horace Cowles. Horace and his wife, Mary Anne Steele Smith Cowles had a large family. Among their ten children was their daughter Charlotte Cowles. During the heart of the Farmington abolitionist movement,…

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Opium Dependency in Early 19th-Century Simsbury

May 12, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Chelsea Farrell The history of opium evokes images of wars and imperialism across the globe. This large history often overshadows the prevalence of opium in America. Even before medical morphine was first extracted, opium and its derivatives were used medically and mixed in tonics. Opium, though, causes severe withdrawal, which makes it a highly addictive substance. Early nineteenth-century Simsbury, Connecticut, residents were fully aware of the dangers of opium, especially when the Congregational Church buried Mary Woodbridge, an unmarried woman who…

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Keeping It In the Family: Land Control in the Case Family of Simsbury

May 10, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 3 comments

Author: Brianna Dunlap When conjuring the image of a quintessential New England town, the mind’s eye visualizes an ancient town center with colonial homes surrounded by rolling hills and fields peppered with herds of cattle. The town Simsbury, which was developed during the first two hundred years of its existence by the simple necessities of colonial settlers, is the quintessential New England town. The town selectmen required regions for homes to be built, a common center district for shared use,…

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Charlotte Cowles: Writing Herself into History

May 10, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 1 comment

Author: Regan Miner Charlotte Cowles (1821-1866) lived in Farmington, Connecticut during an extremely polarizing time. During the 1830s, Farmington was grappling with the divisive issue of abolitionism; many people in town were either indifferent to or opposed to changes to the current gradual emancipation legislation. There was a significant minority of influential and wealthy citizens who favored abolitionism. Many abolitionists in Farmington were members of the same social and familial networks. Numerous members of Charlotte’s extended family were abolitionists, such…

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Women and the Law in Farmington

May 10, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Kevin Simon When the founders came to Farmington they looked to create a pious paradise on Earth. With diligence and hard work they created a community in their own image, righteous, and upright. But not everything was as perfect as the first families intended. Some dark traits came with them to the new world. By the turn of the seventeenth century some alarming events took place that would challenge their idyllic world. A Two Sides of a Coin: What…

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Elijah Wampey: Christian Education in Farmington, Oneida, and West Stockbridge

May 10, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Anthony Vinci In Farmington, Connecticut, the Wampey family was considered one of the most prominent families. Elijah Wampey, the father of eight children, played a crucial role in advancing Christianity beyond Connecticut and to both New York and Massachusetts. He became interested in advancing Native Americans’ knowledge of English law and individual land ownership, a common characteristic among Puritans. This increased confidence among the local Indians helped them to send letters to the Connecticut General Assembly, which assisted in…

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Hidden History in the Great Swamp

May 9, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 1 comment

Author: Robert Pawlowski There are sometimes problems taking history outside the classroom. You can do it the easy way, or you can do it the hard way. Let me explain. The easy way is that you go to a beautifully preserved colonial village like Farmington. You can amble comfortably along a Main Street lined with perfectly preserved eighteenth-century treasures. You have an informative brochure to show you the way. Or you can head out to the Great Swamp Society’s 1712,…

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Mary Barnes: Last Witch Hanged In Connecticut

May 9, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 59 comments

Author: Sandra Whitney On January 6, 1662, Mary Barnes was taken from her home in Farmington CT, more than likely by John Andrews, the local constable/sheriff, and taken to Hartford where she was indicted for witchcraft. She was approximately 32 years old at that time and had four children. There is not a lot written down about Mary Barnes in the historical records. Who was Mary Barnes? How did this Farmington goodwife became involved in the witch-hunt that was going…

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Selah Hart: Saint and Sinner

May 9, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 2 comments

Author: Christopher Menapace In 1777, Selah Hart was sitting in prison, captured by British forces in battle, while at the same time his slave Pharaoh was attacking General Howe’s British forces in Germantown, Pennsylvania. These two men were fighting for America’s freedom, yet only one of them was free. Born in Farmington, Connecticut in 1732 to Nathaniel Hart and Abigail Hooker, Selah Hart was raised in a wealthy and prominent family. The Harts were influential members of their community, so…

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