The historical society will lead hikes to Will Warren’s Den on Rattlesnake Mountain this summer. "The hike follows the scenic Metacomet Trail, which runs along the ridges of central Connecticut from the Massachusetts border to the Hanging Hills of Meriden," board member Patrick Lamb wrote in the society's March 2009 newsletter. 

Will Warren's Den. Entrance is at bottom center, at base of cleft in rocks.

"Will Warren, Farmington’s legendary ne'er-do-well, is said to have sought refuge in a natural cave formed by large boulders near the top of Rattlesnake Mountain." Lamb wrote. "According to Robert Brandegee’s 1906 book, Farmington, Connecticut, The Village of Beautiful Homes. Warren was an outsider in early Farmington whose various offenses including skipping church and fishing on the Sabbath. In response to his behavior, the village of Farmington subjected him to a public whipping. Then, in a burst of incendiary vengeance, Warren attempted to set the village on fire. The conflagration may have offered the arsonist a chance to escape into the hills and find the cave.

"The full tale of this mysterious figure, and rumored “retired pirate,” will be retold for a family audience during the hike. The hike involves climbing over uneven terrain. Due to the natural environment, the hiking trail is not handicap accessible and participants should be in reasonably good health. Children and adults alike may choose to get dirty and explore the cave."

Plaque at Will Warren's Den.

For more information on the society's upcoming programs and events, including rain dates for hikes, please send your name, street address and e-mail address to: membership@ farmingtonhistoricalsociety-ct.org. The society also offers hikes to Hospital Rock, the site of a smallpox inoculation hospital in the 1790s where names of long-ago Farmington residents are carved in a traprock ledge.

A program called “Clockmakers from Farmington and Unionville” was presented on March 22 at Miss Porter’s School. Mary Jane Dapkus, assistant curator at the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol, gave a talk about 19th-century shelf clock makers and manufacturing companies in town. 

Shelf clock owned by the historical society.
Made by John Hunt, ca. 1830. Photo
by Jean Pickens.

Shelf clocks from the Farmington Historical Society and the Unionville Museum were on display at the lecture.

In her talk, Dapkus told the story of Eli Terry, who designed the first “pillar and scroll” clock in 1816. The clock, which could stand on a shelf, was smaller and more affordable than traditional tall clocks, or “grandfather clocks.” Terry, who began mass-producing clocks with interchangeable parts, is considered one of the fathers of America’s industrial revolution.

Eli Terry. Photo from Wikipedia.

Dapkus is currently writing a series of articles on antique clocks with Snowden Taylor of Tappen, N.Y., an author, lecturer and internationally recognized authority on clocks. At the museum, Dapkus works under the guidance of horologist Chris Bailey, one of the leading scholars and historians of the clock-making industry in America. Horology is the art or science of measuring time.

Farmington in Connecticut,
by Christopher Bickford.

The comprehensive history of the town, first published in 1982, can be ordered by e-mailing Ann Arcari, the president of the society, or by writing to the Farmington Historical Society, P.O. Box 1645, Farmington, CT 06034. The cost is $25, plus $5 for shipping. Please include your name and address and a check payable to the Farmington Historical Society.

On November 23, 2008, Connecticut municipal historians met at a convocation at the Naugatuck Historical Society and Museum. Twenty-two towns were represented, including Farmington. Because Jean Johnson, Farmington’s town historian, was unable to attend the meeting, historical society board members Peg Yung and Jean Pickens went in her place.

Walter Woodward, Connecticut state historian, spoke briefly, encouraging towns to maintain the vitality of their local history for the benefit of longtime residents and newcomers. Keynote speaker Bill Hosley, director of the New Haven Museum and Historical Society, expanded upon this theme, stating that “history is the gateway to a sense of community.” He added that an awareness of local history fosters a sense of pride and self-esteem in individuals.

FHS board member Peg Yung, center, with Bill Hosley, left,
and Walter Woodward at the Connecticut Municipal Historians
Convocation Nov. 23 in Naugatuck. Photo by Jean Pickens.

Hosley emphasized the importance of including local history in our school curriculums. He recalled how as a ten-year-old boy, he was enchanted by a visit to Sturbridge Village and a subsequent walk on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Such “empirical” learning experiences, he said, can be much more meaningful to students than merely reading about history. Hosley went on to say that all people like history; it just depends upon the “packaging.” The popularity of documentaries by Ken Burns and the Biography Channel are good examples.

As one of the original colonies, Connecticut has been a part of every aspect of the American story, Hosley said. Through his travels around the state, he has observed that all local historical organizations have something unique and important to contribute and share.

At the conclusion of the meeting in Naugatuck, those attending agreed that an annual convocation was a good way for town historians to share ideas and resources.

Farmington’s town historian assists with genealogical searches and directs people to resources where other historical questions can be answered. This often includes contacting Ann Arcari, president of the Farmington Historical Society and Farmington Room librarian at the Main Library. The town is also required to notify the town historian if a house or building with historical value is being considered for demolition. The historian then passes this information on to the appropriate organizations.

The Historical Society thanks everyone who contributed to the success of its 7th annual House & Garden Tag Sale on August 29 through 31, 2008.

House & Garden Tag sale, August 2008.

The society raised $4,500 at the tag sale, which was held at 138 Main Street under the direction of board member Peg Yung. Generous donations of furniture and other items were received from many members. Appraisers Lamont McEvitt and Regina Madigan donated their time to assist in pricing. And of course, we thank everyone who came to the sale and purchased items that they couldn’t live without! We are grateful for their continued support of this major fund-raiser for the society.

An exhibit of nineteenth-century clothing and linens was held in June 2008. The Gridley-Case cottage came alive with items from the 1800s. A table was set in the dining room overlooking the restored garden; several pieces of period furniture filled the parlor; the small bedroom held a youngster’s bed and children’s items; and the kitchen contained a variety of household goods, from laundry products and tools to a display of hats and capes. Mannequins dressed in period clothing were arranged throughout the cottage.

 
Nineteenth-century dress, 138 Main Street.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

The exhibit committee included: Wendy Burki, Jean Pickens, Lois Wadsworth and Peg Yung.

The society's membership committee is compiling a list of members' e-mail addresses. If you would like to be informed via e-mail about the society's upcoming programs and events (including this year's annual meeting and party), please send your name, street address and e-mail address to membership@farmingtonhistoricalsociety-ct.org. Nonmembers interested in Farmington's history are encouraged to write to the same e-mail address for more information about the society.

A talk on the life and personality of Theodore Roosevelt was presented by Gordon Williams on March 30, 2008, at Miss Porter's School. Williams is a lecturer and retired history teacher from Trumbull, CT.

Gordon Williams

Williams began his talk by discussing Teddy Roosevelt's connection to Farmington. Roosevelt's sister, Anna Roosevelt Cowles, lived on Main Street in Farmington, in the house called "Oldgate." She was the wife of Admiral William Sheffield Cowles, a naval officer and diplomat. Roosevelt visited the town and his sister's home several times, including when he was president, on October 22, 1901. That visit included a carriage ride, lunch with U.S. senators, inspection of an oak tree planted on the town green in memory of President William McKinley, and a hike up Rattlesnake Mountain.

After visiting the Hill-Stead in 1911, the former president wrote: "I spent a thoroughly happy thirty-six hours at Farmington, and the visit was satisfactory in every way.... The Popes house seemed to me almost the ideal of what an American country house should be."

From left: Ann Arcari, FHS president, 2008; Gordon Williams;
Evan Cowles, great-grandson of Anna Roosevelt Cowles;
and Jean Pickens, FHS vice president in 2008.

Historical Society board member Peg Yung traveled to Sierra Leone in December 2007 with a delegation from the Amistad Committee to greet the Freedom Schooner Amistad on its arrival in Freetown. The voyage of the replica of the Amistad to Sierra Leone, as part of its transatlantic Freedom Tour, commemorated the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the former British Empire. Peg, who had traveled twice before to Freetown, returned once again to strengthen the ties between the West African nation and the town of Farmington, where the Amistad Africans stayed after winning their freedom in 1841. Peg writes about her trip here.

The Amistad, Mystic, CT, 2007. Photo by Brooke Martin.

The Farmington Historical Society, P.O. Box 1645, Farmington, CT 06034

Photos by Brooke E. Martin. Copyright © 2006,2007, 2008.