WETHERSFIELD, an ancient and populous town, is situated on the west side of Connecticut river, four miles south of Hartford, and 34 north of New-Haven. It is bounded north by Hartford, south by Middletown and Berlin, west by Farmington and Berlin, and east by Connecticut river, which separates it from Glastenbury.

to a million and a half raised an nually, and sent abroad.

This is the only town in the State which makes a business of the cultivation of this excellent root. It is peculiarly novel and interesting, on passing through the town in the month of June, to behold in every direction the extensive fields of onions. Whilst in a The area of the town is about luxuriant state of vegetation, the six miles square, containing 23,000 growing vegetable exhales its acres. This is an excellent town-strong savour. The atmosphere ship of land, having an undulating becomes impregnated, and the lussurface, and exhibiting a beautiful cious qualities of the onion are diversity of hill and dale. The soil wafted far and wide, upon every is generally a rich gravelly and san- passing breeze. dy loam, but in the western part of The largest stream within the the town, argillaceous loam pre-town is Piper's river; in addition vails; and some small sections in the to which, there are numerous centre, may be considered as a brooks which intersect and water garden mould. It is well adapted the different sections of the town. to grass and grain, & particularly to esculent roots. The tract of alluvial upon Connecticut river is exten-quently large quantities of shad are sive and beautiful, and very pro- taken. Alewives are also taken ductive. The clay of Hartford does in abundance, and put up for exnot extend to Wethersfield, but on portation. the contrary, there are some small sections of silicious sand.

On Connecticut river, there are several shad fisheries, and fre

The business of navigation has received considerable attention in Among other agricultural inter- this town, and it possesses consideests in this town, the cultivation of rable tonnage. Ship building also onions has long held a conspi- has frequently been carried on, cuous rank. This is an important but the commercial and maritime agricultural pursuit, although it oc-interests of the town have not cupies but a small portion of land, increased for some years past. and the service is principally per- The civil divisions of Wethersformed by females. Wethersfield field are three Congregational Soonions have long been justly cele-||cieties, and 12 School districts. brated, & are exported to the south- In the first Society, there is a ern states and the West Indies for a pleasant village, containing a brick market. The onions, when prepa-Congregational Church, a Post-ofred for market, are sorted and fice, several Mercantile Stores, & arranged into Ropes or Bunches, a number of neat and handsome consisting of a number strung to-dwelling houses. gether, of which it has been esti- At Rocky hill, in the Society of mated, that there are from a million Stepney, there is a small but plea

sant village. There are 12 primary Schools, one in each district, two academical Schools, and three Social Libraries.

and notwithstanding the great influence of Mr. Hooker and others, who favoured the enterprise, it was decided to be inexpedient to attempt a settlement upon Connecticut river. But notwithstanding this opposition of the Court, the spring following, 1635, a number of persons engaged in the enterprise, set out for Connecticut, and arrived there in July, and erected a few huts at Pyquag, within the town of Wethersfield, and made out to subsist through the winter. The year after, the General Court having granted permission, a number of families arrived from Newtown and Dorchester, a part of

The population of Wethersfield in 1810, was 3931, and there are now 500 Electors, 300 militia, and about 600 dwelling-houses. There are 5 Distilleries, 4 Tanneries, 3 Grain Mills, 2 Saw-Mills, 3 Fuling Mills, 2 Carding Machines, 15 Mercantile Stores, and one Ropewalk. The list of the town, in 1817, was $67,627. The assessment of the U. S. in 1816 was $1,324,178.|| That of 1799, 636,452. Wethersfield was one of the first settled towns in the State. In 1634, some of the people at New-which settled here, and a part at town, in the colony of Massachu- Hartford, where a settlement had setts, having visited the country also been began by John Steel and upon Connecticut river, and be- his associates, the same year with ing pleased with its beautiful mea- that at Pyquag. dows, were anxious to remove and commence a settlement there. The|| subject having been submitted to the Governor and Council, at the autumnal session of the General Court, it was debated at great and enterprise, and had a vigorlength, and with great warmth ;||ous understanding.

BIOGRAPHY. The Rev. Elisha Williams was settled in the gospel ministry in this town.-He was made President of Yale College, in 1726. He was a man of energy

WINDSOR.

WINDSOR, one of the first set-sor originally comprised an extentled towns in the State, is situated sive tract of country, extending far on the west side of Connecticut back upon both sides of the river, river, north of Hartford; the Post- which at this time forms a number Office in Windsor being seven miles of townships. The town now comnorth from the city of Hartford, prises an area of 50 square miles, and 41 miles from New-Haven. or 32,000 acres; being eight and a The town was settled by emigrants half miles in length from north to from Dorchester, in the colony of south, and averaging about six Massachusetts, in the spring of miles in breadth, from cast to west. 1636. Mr. Warham, their clergy- It is bounded north by Suffield, man, removed in October follow-west by Farmington, Simsbury ing. There is, however, some rea-land Granby, south by Hartford, son to believe, that some of the and east by Connecticut river, Dorchester people commenced the which separates it from East-Windsettlement the year before. Wind-sor. The town is intersected inta

nearly two equal sections, by Far-|| chesnut, butternut, cherry, thorn, mington or Tunxis river, the lar-horn-beam, bass, birch, spruce, gest tributary stream of the Con- hemlock, yellow and white necticut. This is a delightful riv-pine. The lands, in a cultivated er, of about 100 yards in width, state, produce wheat, rye, Indian the borders of which are fertile, corn, oats, barley, hemp, flax, pleasant and diversified. In the beans, grass, the various esculent spring of the year it annually over-roots, and tobacco. Rye and Inflows its banks, and transcending||dian corn are the principal grains its ordinary bounds, assumes the which are cultivated. There are appearance of a large stream: the a considerable portion of the imalluvial tracts that it affords, which proved lands, excepting the plains, are of considerable extent, are thus that are under a grass culture, to enriched and fertilized. But the which they are well adapted. river is by no means rapid, being There are extensive orchards in navigable for flat bottomed boats the town, and cider is an important for about seven miles from its agricultural interest with the inmouth, and for sloops nearly the habitants. It is manufactured into same distance, in the spring sea-spiritous liquor, called cider branson. Above the boatable waters, dy, for which purpose almost evethere are numerous sites for millsry respectable farmer has a small and other hydraulic works, many distillery upon his own premises. of which are advantageously occu-This is a source of profit to the inpied. There are two considera-habitants, and the orchards, from ble bridges erected across this stream, on the two branches of the great northern road which runs through the town. Windsor is generally of a level surface, having some extensive tracts of plains, and the other parts are of an undulating character. The soil is Windsor is divided into three very various; there being a conside- Ecclesiastical Societies, and sixrable quantity of alluvial, both up-teen School Districts. These Soon the Connecticut and Tunxis riv-cieties are well settled, and form ers; large tracts of plains, which are || considerable villages.

whence it is derived, add greatly to the value of the lands, and at the same time give them the most charming and interesting appearance, exhibiting fields, having a canopy of verdure, and studded over with art.

light,dry,and inclining to a sand; but The first Society, in its central are healthy, feasible, and consider-section, has a spacious and handably fertile; and in the west part some street, containing many well of the town there is a portion of built houses; and being intersectthe lands that are low, flat, and in-ed by the river, having a beautiful clining to be wet and marshy; but grove upon its banks, which are the more prevailing character of connected by a bridge, it has a rothe soil is a sandy or gravelly loam.mantic and pleasing appearance. It is free from stone, and, with few Upon the north side of the river, exceptions, from clay. Its natural upon an elevated site, stands a growth is oak, walnut, maple, elm,|| large Congregational Church, con

tiguous to which are a number of Schools, and one Grammar School, Stores and handsome Dwelling having a public fund, but it is not Houses. flourishing, 4 small Social LibraThe Society of Poquonock, be-ries, 4 Clergymen, 5 Physicians, ing farther back upon the Tunxis, and 3 Attornies. is a delightful situation, almost un- The general list of the town, in rivalled for its conveniences, and 1817, was $57,068 14, there being its rural scenery and objects. The 302 polls, 341 Horses, 394 oxen, road runs for several miles nearly 885 cows, heifers and steers, 3135 parallel with the river, having a acres of plow land, 4153 acres beautiful declivity to the meadows of mowing and clear pasture, 7453 which line its borders to the cast, acres of pasture lands, 9589 acres and a gentle rise of land upon the of uninclosed land. The valuation west, extending back to the forests or assessment of the lands and and plains. In the centre, for near houses of the town, in 1816, was a mile, there is a "purling brook,"$1,449,908, 47. In 1799, it was that courses along by the road, $620,261, 13.whose limpid treasures, not yieldBIOGRAPHY. The late Hon. ing to the severest droughts, are a Oliver Ellsworth was a native and grateful tribute both to man and a resident of Windsor. His embeast. There are in this Society, inent talents and distinguished both upon this stream and the riv-public services are well known. er, numerous water privileges, and He was one of the first and most sites for hydraulic works. The eminent lawyers in Connecticut, Society of Wintonbury is situated and contributed essentially towards in the southwest part of the town; the establishment of our judicial it contains numerous roads, and system, being for several years a many handsome and well built hou-judge of the superior court. He ses. There is a Post-office in this was a member of Congress, both Society. in the house of representatives and STATISTICS. There were in the senate, for several years; but Windsor in 1810, 2868 inhabitants. was most distinguished for his arThere are 400 Dwelling Houses, 5duous services in the judiciary of Churches, 3 belonging to the loca- the United States, both in its orted Societies, but I which of is not ganization and as one of the judgCongregational, and 2 for Baptists;es of the supreme court; which of3 companies of Infantry, and part fice he held for a considerable of a company of Cavalry, of mili-time, and succeeded Mr. Jay, as tia, and 500 freemen or Electors. chief justice of this court. Whilst There are 4 Gin Distilleries, 5 in this office, he was appointed Grain Mills, 9 Tanneries, 1 Cot- minister to France, with William ton Factory, 1 Tin-ware Manufac-Davey and Mr. Murray, who were tory, 5 Mercantile Stores, 3 Cloth-commissioned to negotiate a treaie Works, and 3 Carding Ma-ty of peace between the United chines. States and the French Republic, There are in Windsor, 12 Tav-||which they succeeded in accomerns, or Public Inns, 16 Districtplishing. He died in Nov. 1807,

NEW-HAVEN

COUNTY.

field, and in part by Litchfield coun

NEW-HAVEN COUNTY is ||parates it from the county of Fairsituated in the southern central section of the State, on Long-Isl- ty. The county has an irregular and Sound. It is bounded on the form, and has an average length north by Litchfield and Hartford from east to west of about 26 miles, counties, on the east by Middlesex with a medium breadth from north county, on the south by Long-Island to south of about 21 miles, and Sound, and on the west principally comprises an area of more than by the Ousatonick river, which se- 540 square miles, or 345,600 acres.

The following TOPOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL TABLE exhibits a compendious view of the several towns in the county; their situation, with relation to New-Haven; population, according to the census of 1810; dwelling-houses; religious societies; school districts, and post-offices.

Towns.

Post- Popu- Dwelling Religious School Distance from offices. lation. houses. societies. districts. N. Haven.