Early Settlement of Wethersfield

Early Settlement of Wethersfield. . , The illustrations displayed on this panel are intended to depict, in a simplified way, the development of Wethersfield during its early settlement and to highlight some noteworthy historical events., 1684 , By the late seventeenth century the village area along the bend in the Connecticut River was the center of community life. The curve of the Connecticut River created a natural port with deep water. Wethersfield was very much a maritime community with shipbuilding and maritime trade becoming important industries. Wethersfield became a port of distribution for the interior and cargo bound to and from the West Indies and other distant ports passed through Wethersfield. Several warehouses were established in this area as part of the port operations. The meetinghouse which had been built at the corner of Main and Marsh Street was the center of both religious and government affairs. Most homes were built within the village along Main and Broad Streets., Flooding frequently changed the course of the Connecticut River and this complicated port operations. A major flood in 1692 straightened the course of the river and resulted in the creation of what we now call Wethersfield Cove., 1734 , By the early eighteenth century the changing configuration of the Connecticut River affected the operation of the port and facilities began to be established elsewhere on the main channel of the Connecticut River at the end of River Road and in what we now know as Rocky Hill. The settlement pattern has spread further out from the village. The availability of maritime transportation created an opportunity to sell local products to a much larger market and more land was converted to agriculture., The illustrations on this panel were created by Phil Lohman, artist and Wethersfield resident. The birds-eye views were prepared for the Town's Plan of Conservation and Development in 2013 and are part of a series that depict the development patterns of Wethersfield in 50 year increments from 1634 to 1984., (left illustration) , Up to and around 1684, A compact settlement and port are developing. Farm roads lead to cultivated fields, homes are improved... town is growing... trade and industry expand. Divisions within the church lead to migrations to Fairfield, Stamford, Hadley, Northampton and other towns. , Population 600, (individual illustration areas not transcribed), (right illustration) , Up to and around 1734, Changes in rivers path allow further navigation north... Wethersfield no longer a major transfer point., After Indian threats are reduced farming spreads west... farms are larger...swamps are drained, land reclaimed...more mills built using wind power...Griswoldville grows..., ...and settlements being further out, travel to church becomes difficult...leading to daughter towns Glastonbury, Newington, and Stepney (Rocky Hill) separating from Wethersfield..., (individual illustration areas not transcribed)