Collinsville in Canton in Hartford County, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)

The Collins Company Plow Building

Photographed By Alan M. Perrie, March 13, 2016

1. The Collins Company Plow Building Marker

Inscription.
This building was built in 1865. Here, plows were assembled, painted, labeled and stored. By 1870, the Collins Company was producing 100 plows a day.

The introduction of the tractor and gasoline powered farm equipment eventually made hand plowing obsolete. The Collins Company stopped making plows in 1930, though parts were still made. In 1924, the plow storage building was converted to a social hall, containing a reading room, luncheonette, a shooting gallery and bowling alleys.

In 1939, Collins Company employee Fred Widen started displaying his personal collection of antiques and oddities several times a year. “Fred Widen’s Museum” became the forerunner of today’s Canton Historical Society Museum.

Erected by Canton Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 41° 48.6′ N, 72° 55.367′ W. Marker is in Canton, Connecticut, in Hartford County. It is in Collinsville. Marker is at the intersection of Front Street and Main Street, on the right when traveling south on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 Front Street, Canton CT 06019, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as

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the crow flies. Canton Soldiers Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Charter Oak Offspring (about 400 feet away); Collinsville (about 400 feet away); Collinsville’s Powerhouse Station No. 3 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Canton Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Collinsville, Town of Canton (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Collinsville, Town of Canton (approx. ¾ mile away); Constitution Oak (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Canton.

Also see . . . The Collins Company. (Submitted on March 28, 2016, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut.)

Collinsville Historical Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Alan M. Perrie, March 13, 2016

2. Collinsville Historical Museum

The museum contains a reconstructed 19th century general store, post office, barber shop, blacksmith shop and a Victorian parlor.

The Plow Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Alan M. Perrie, February 14, 2016

3. The Plow Building

The Collins Company became the world’s largest manufacturer of edge tools, including: axes, adzes, cane-knives, hatchets, hammers, hoes, machetes, picks, plows, shovels and sledges.

Plows for sale image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Alan M. Perrie, March 19, 2016

4. Plows for sale

A page from the Collins Company catalog. The photo courtesy of the Canton Historical Museum.

Collinsville model railroad diorama image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Alan M. Perrie, March 13, 2016

5. Collinsville model railroad diorama

Two HO Scale railroads operate in the 65 foot long diorama which represent the 2 railroads that served the town in 1910. The photo courtesy of the Canton Historical Museum.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2016, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 471 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 28, 2016, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.