
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.
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“The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.” 2016. Farmington Valley Trails Council. https://fchtrail.org/.
“Simsbury Historical Society.” 2017. http://www.simsburyhistory.org/.
Barber, John Warner. 2016. “Drawing: South View of Tariffville in Simsbury.” http://hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:14031 (October 3, 2016).
“Phelps Tavern.” 2016. Simsbury Historical Society. http://www.simsburyhistory.org/buildings/tavern.html.
“Talcott Mountain State Park.” 2016. Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325272&deepNav_GID=1650 (February 29, 2012).
“McLean Game Refuge.” 2016. http://www.mcleangamerefuge.org/.
“Stratton Brook State Park.” 2016. Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325270&deepNav_GID=1650.
“Talcott Mountain State Park.” 2016. Friends of Heublein Tower. http://www.friendsofheubleintower.org/.
Phelps, Noah A. 1845. History of Simsbury, Granby and Canton from 1642 to 1845. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany and Burnham. http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofsimsbur00phel#page/n3/mode/2up.
Vibert, William M. 1970. Three Centuries of Simsbury, 1670-1970. Simsbury, CT: Simsbury Tercentenary Committee.
Simsbury Historical Society, and Mary Springman. 2011. Simsbury. Charleston, SC: Arcadia.