The History of Farmington
Farmington is known as the Gateway to the Berkshire Mountains, and is one of the oldest communities in the state of Connecticut. The land was first settled and inhabited by the Tunxis Indian Tribe. They named the area Tunxis Sepus meaning “bend of the little river”. This land would become the History of Farmington.
In 1640, a group of Hartford residents settled in the area. They chose Tunxis Sepus because of its rich soil, and, in 1645, changed the name to Farmington (Farming Town).
Farmington would soon become known as the “Mother Town”. Donating sections of land which led to the birth of the towns of Avon, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Berlin, Southington, and Burlington. This history is mirrored in the Town Seal.
After the American Revolution the town underwent an industrial explosion that lasted until the early 19th century. During it’s peak years in 1802 and 1803, Farmington produced everything from hats and buttons, to linens and muskets.
Grand Central Station for The Underground Railroad
In the 1800s, Farmington became known as the “Grand Central Station” of Connecticut’s Underground Railroad.
In the autobiography of John Hooker, “Some Reminiscences of a Long Life”, he retells the story of Henry Davis.
Henry Davis escaped slavery in South Carolina. He soon found himself in Farmington, where he was given refuge and a job. After he had been in Farmington a few months, another escaped man from South Carolina came through town and told him that Davis’s former master had charged his mother with helping him escape and flogged her violently.
Infuriated, Davis braved the long trip back to the South, despite the threat of capture and torture. He found his mother and then took revenge on their former master by leading eight more enslaved people north. The people he helped rescue would move on safely to Canada. Davis would return to Farmington, where he lived until his death in 1930.
Notable Places in Farmington:
Miss Porter’s School (1843)
Tunxis Community-Technical College (1969)
Stanley-Whitman House (c. 1720),
The Congregational Church (1771)
The Hill-Stead Museum (1901) – noted for its collection of French Impressionist paintings
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