Digital Farmington Project – Page 2

Hiking to Connecticut’s Historic Hermit Havens

May 9, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Jennifer Lawton Schloat Connecticut is an ideal destination for day hikers. There are many blazed trails through rocky areas on hills and mountains with many caves. These caves have sheltered people throughout history. Some Connecticut towns are home to hidden historic sites, deep in the woods, secluded locations. These were already off-the-beaten-path in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Several havens of early American hermits and outcasts have survived the centuries, untouched by the population expansion and modernization of…

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In a Secret and Clandestine Manner: 18th-Century Thieves in Farmington

May 9, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Amanda Keenan Colonial Farmington residents were not immune to crime. They faced property loss at the hands of their neighbors, visitors, and vagabonds. It is difficult to understand the frequency of burglary in the 1700s as individual towns kept separate court records and these documents have since been lost or archived in repositories spread across the state. Thankfully, Farmington’s Solomon Whitman’s papers still exist at the Connecticut State Library. Thus his judgments for twelve accused thieves during his tenure…

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Miss Sarah Porter: The Beginnings of Women’s Advanced Education in Farmington

January 6, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Marisa Ferretti One day in 1843, as Mr. Noah Porter and his daughter pulled away in their carriage from their Farmington home, an idea he had for quite some time found its way into his daughter Sarah’s consideration. Taking on the responsibility of running her own school did not seem too outrageous, given her teaching experience. Their conversation on a casual afternoon was the beginning was what would become Miss Sarah Porter’s legacy. Miss Sarah Porter was born and…

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The Derrin Farmhouses of Avon, Connecticut

January 4, 2016 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 1 comment

Author: Janet M. Conner, Avon Historical Society The Avon Historical Society has leased the Derrin farmhouse, located at 249 West Avon Road, and one acre of land on which it is situated from the State since 1996. It is open for tours during the summer months at no charge. A history of the house is detailed in a 2014 Historic Resources Inventory. A deed for the house, dated September 24, 1766, conveying the property to Lucy Page, says that “39…

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The Impressive Isabella Beecher Hooker

November 26, 2015 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Meghan Buchanan Farmington, CT is the quintessential picturesque New England town. Though many have not heard its name, this little town nestled in the Farmington Valley has a rich and fascinating history. But even more interestingly, this little town had Isabella Beecher Hooker. Born in Litchfield in 1822, Isabella Beecher Hooker was a fascinating woman. The daughter of well-known preacher, Lyman Beecher, Isabella grew up in a family full of powerful and influential people. Her father,…

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Joseph Johnson and the Farmington Indian School (ca. 1772/3)

May 27, 2015 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 3 comments

Author: Katherine Cotuc It was a usual busy day on January 22, 1776 for Joseph Johnson. Back in Mohegan, Johnson was living on a farm and spending most of his time completing everyday chores. He looked over his horses, worked on construction around the house, cut wood, and questioned the state of his immortal soul. Johnson was born and raised in Mohegan, Connecticut as a Christian Indian. He was baptized in a Christian church and sent to Eleazar Wheelock’s Charity…

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Taverns of Colonial Farmington

May 16, 2015 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 1 comment

Author: Alex Tremblay There was no place more necessary to early American life than the tavern. For travelers it was a much needed place for rest and food, and for locals, a place of fun and respite from daily life. Yet taverns were a constant thorn in the side of those trying to keep civil order or lead a religiously upright life. In a meeting of the General Court of Connecticut on June 3, 1644, representatives passed a law requiring…

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Sickness and Disease in Colonial Farmington

May 3, 2015 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 2 comments

Author: Samantha Kissko Various diseases and illnesses have plagued people for centuries, and Farmington, Connecticut, was not without its fair share. Disease often spread quickly in colonial Farmington. If one household became ill, chances were that several more would fall ill before anyone even had the chance to stop the disease from spreading. One of the diseases that spread the most rapidly during this time period was smallpox. Smallpox, named “The King of Terrors” by the United States’ second president…

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Digital Farmington: The Concept and Development

February 22, 2015 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

In September, 2014, Prof. Stan Kurkovsky sent this message to other professors at Central Connecticut State University: “The CCSU Computer Science department regularly offers senior software engineering courses in which student teams participate in design and development of software projects of various sizes and complexity. Usually, the best projects come from working with local non-profits or campus departments and organizations, rather than letting students work on projects that they would make up just for the purposes of this course. In case…

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