Ghost Stories and Legends of Southwestern Connecticut by Donna Kent

Author:Donna Kent [Kent, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Body; Mind & Spirit, Supernatural (Incl. Ghosts), History, United States, State & Local, New England (CT; MA; ME; NH; RI; VT)
ISBN: 9781614234241
Google: SAN_CQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2009-10-07T04:54:36+00:00

UNION CEMETERY, SPORT HILL ROAD, OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY CHAPEL AND THE STEPNEY BURIAL GROUNDS, INCLUDING THE WHITE LADY

Easton, Connecticut, hasn’t changed much over the years; traditional farmhouses and horse stables are commonplace here as well as 7,500 acres of wooded open space watershed and clear reservoirs. Although seemingly remote and definitely rural, the majority of dwellings and those maintaining them have a natural sophistication and a way about them that enriches the pristine New England countryside.

The communities of Easton, Redding and Weston were once combined and known as Norfield. Redding, as it would become, was known as the “oblong,” the “peculiar” and the “common lands”—a two- by seven-mile stretch of land that was unclaimed by surrounding towns. All three towns were acquired as part of the Northern Purchase from local Native Americans on January 19, 1671, for “36 pounds sterling of cloth valued at 10 shillings a yard” (about seventy-two yards of cloth). Redding was settled in 1642 and became a parish in 1729. Easton itself, first settled in 1639, did not become populated enough for town status until 1845. Farming, milling and tanning were the mainstay employment avenues along with blacksmithing, ironwork and boot, shoe, button and comb shops.

Life wasn’t easy, and injurious or deadly catastrophes and fires happened regularly in and out of the mills, barns and shops. Many died from fire injuries or through smoke inhalation, others lost limbs or digits to crude equipment and machinery and some even had their necks snapped as their hair caught up in the exposed leather belting that connected the ceiling-mounted drive shafts to such machines. Even with such hardships, Eastonites’ attitudes toward refinement, affluence and education were advanced for their time, and the town continues to host residences for notorieties throughout the ages such as Mark Twain, Helen Keller, Hume Cronyn and the late Jessica Tandy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.