The Town of Westport, Connecticut

The Town of Westport, Connecticut. Founded in 1835. , Indigenous people frequented this area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century. In 1637, native Paugussets were driven away after the Great Swamp Fight between the larger Pequot tribe and European colonizers. In 1648, Fairfield colonists known as the Bankside Farmers were given a land grant to once-Native land in Green Farms. With the forced labor of enslaved Africans and Natives, the town's founding families built Westport into a prosperous agricultural community. The Saugatuck River had become an active commercial and militia route. In April 1777, during the Revolutionary War, Westport patriots engaged British troops at the Battle of Compo Hill. In 1779, British troops returned to burn parts of the town. By the early 19th century, today's downtown area, which was called Saugatuck Village, was a thriving port for regional goods. This prompted Daniel Nash and others to create the Town of Westport from parts of Norwalk, Fairfield, and Weston in 1835. In the 1840s newcomers including Irish and Italian immigrants arrived to build the railroad and work in the factories along the Saugatuck River., Before World War I, noted artists, writers, and actors came to Westport, thereby establishing a creative and progressive culture that is a key element of the community. Light industry and farming yielded to urban pressures and by the mid-1900s, Westport had evolved into a residential suburb of New York City. It became more diverse too, with an influx of international residents and a thriving Jewish community. These residents worked to remove restrictive deed covenants in the housing and commercial real estate markets. Due to its natural scenic beauty, its artisan heritage, as well as its proximity to and influence from New York City, Westport developed into a vibrant and affluent community. Through the years, these distinguishing features have helped attract new residents from all parts of the world in a variety of industries including media, arts, and financial services., [Captions:] , People enslaved in Westport labored in the field as well as at skilled trades, including blacksmithing apothecary, weaving, cooking and more., Origin of the Town Seal, John Warner Barber, View of the Central Park of Westport (1836, detail)., Laborers, including many immigrants, built the railroad and worked in factories along the Saugatuck River., Westporter Steven Dohanas was one of America's top illustrators, LIFE Magazine, August 8, 1949.