Eastford - Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project

General Lyon Cemetery, Eastford
– Dave Pelland, CTMonuments.net

Located in the northern portion of Windham County, the town of Eastford encompasses a significant portion of Natchaug State Forest. Settled in the early 1700s, this eastern portion of Ashford separated from its parent town in 1847. Prior to this, light industry, such as the production of cotton batting, twine, and wooden handles, complemented what would remain a predominantly rural agricultural community well into the 20th century. Markers of Eastford’s past include a monument to hometown hero Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in the Civil War, and a hiking trail along remnants of the Boston Post Road, a route that facilitated commerce and communication in the colonial era.

Featured

From the State Historian: The Final Journey of Nathaniel Lyon

The first Union general to die in the Civil War, this soldier from Eastford received national attention as mourners gathered to pay tribute. …[more]

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Websites

“The Last Green Valley,” 2017. Link.

Places

Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. “Natchaug State Forest,” 2012. Link.

Documents

Connecticut State Library Digital Collections. “Eastford - WPA Architectural Survey,” 2014. Link.

“Eastford Collection.” Connecticut Digital Archive, n.d. Link.

Woodford, E. M. “Map of Windham County, Connecticut.” Philadelphia, PA: E.M. Woodford, 1856. University of Connecticut Libraries, Map and Geographic Information Center - MAGIC, Yale University Library, Map Collection. Link.

Books

Eastford Historical Society, and Diane Cameron. Eastford: The Biography of a New England Town. Eastford,  CT: Eastford Historical Society, 1976.

Bayles, Richard, ed. History of Windham County, Connecticut. New York, NY: W. W. Preston & Company, 1889. Link.

Larned, Ellen. History of Windham County, Connecticut. 1760-1880. Vol. 2. Worcester,  MA: Ellen Larned, 1874. Link.