Berlin Historical Marker
Posted by: 
Walt_Felix
N 41° 38.017 W 072° 46.128
18T E 685844 N 4611502
In 1967, The Conn General Assembly approved legislation directing the Conn Historical Commission to "provide an appropriate marker describing the time, place and circumstance of the founding and subsequent history of each of the towns in the state.."
Waymark Code: WMKXNX
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 06/09/2014
Views: 5
Side One:
BERLIN
This land, granted to settlers in 1661 and 1668 by the General Court of Connecticut, was also purchased from the local Mattabesett Indian tribe. Founders of the community include Sergeant Richard Beckley, who came north on the trail from New Haven before 1660 and built a home in the northeast section; Jonathan Gilbert, owner of a tract of land along the Hartford-New Haven path; and Captain Richard Seymour, who led a group of families from Farmington in 1686 to begin the settlement at Christian Lane. The area was named the Great Swamp Society in 1705, when it was granted a distinct ecclesiastical unit. Portions of Farmington, Wethersfield, and Middletown were included in the reorganization of 1722, when the name became Kensington. The Worthington Society was later separated from Kensington, but in 1785 all parts were incorporated as the town of Berlin, including Worthington, Kensington, East Berlin, and New Britain. Known at the "Town at the Crossroads" Berlin is the geographic center of Connecticut.
Side Two:
BERLIN
Here in the birthplace of the Yankee Pedlar, the Pattison brothers started the tin industry in 1740, when they began manufacturing and selling tin pots and pans. Simeon North, official pistol maker for the United States Government, developed a system of standard interchangeable parts here in his shop c. 1800. Other citizens who brought fame to Berlin include: Emma Hart Willard, educator; Robert Brandegee, artist-poet; Elisha Cheney, clock maker; James Gates Percival, poet-geologist; and General Selah Hart, regimental and brigade commander in the American Revolutionary War.
The period from 1850 to 1900 saw the New Britain section grow from a farming village to a thriving industrial center after its separation from Berlin in 1850. Some factories still operated in Berlin, however, and the brick industry flourished well into the 20th century because of the excellent quality of the local clay. The Berlin area has long been a major stop on main routes of travel, from Indian paths to superhighways.
Erected by the Town of Berlin
the Berlin Historical Society
and the Connecticut Historical Commission
1982
Marker Name: Berlin Historical Marker
Marker Type: Roadside
Date Dedicated / Placed: 1982
Additional Information: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Visits require a photograph of the marker or some location referenced in the text. Please also provide what you've learned about this piece of Connecticut history. Inform us.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|