Tariffville Mill, Simsbury

Tariffville Mill, Simsbury – Jerry Dougherty

The Farmington River and Talcott Mountain run along the eastern edge of Simsbury, a town situated in northern Hartford County near the state’s border with Massachusetts. This area, known to early settlers as the Windsor plantation at Massacoe, was incorporated as Simsbury in 1670. In 1737, Dr. Samuel Higley minted the Colonies’ first copper coins with ore from his Copper Hill Mine. The mine (now part of East Granby) later became Connecticut’s first prison. Simsbury also became home to the nation’s first steel-making venture in 1728, its first carpet factory in 1825 and, in 1836, its first safety fuses for use in blasting operations. The fuse company evolved into an aerospace and defense firm and still maintains its headquarters in suburban Simsbury.

More on Simsbury from the CT Digital Archive

Browse more interactive content on the CT Digital Archive website.

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Gifford Pinchot, ca. 1890-1910

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Websites

Friends of Heublein Tower. “Talcott Mountain State Park,” 2016. Link.

Places

“McLean Game Refuge,” 2016. Link.
Simsbury Historical Society. “Phelps Tavern,” 2016. Link.
“Simsbury Historical Society,” 2017. Link.
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. “Stratton Brook State Park,” 2016. Link.
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. “Talcott Mountain State Park,” 2016. Link.
Farmington Valley Trails Council. “The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail,” 2016. Link.

Documents

Barber, John Warner. “Drawing: South View of Tariffville in Simsbury,” 2016. Connecticut History Illustrated, Connecticut Historical Society. Link.
“Simsbury Collection.” Connecticut Digital Archive, n.d. Link.

Books

Phelps, Noah A. History of Simsbury, Granby and Canton from 1642 to 1845. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany and Burnham, 1845. Link.
Simsbury Historical Society, and Mary Springman. Simsbury. Charleston,  SC: Arcadia, 2011.
Vibert, William M. Three Centuries of Simsbury, 1670-1970. Simsbury, CT: Simsbury Tercentenary Committee, 1970.