TOLLAND COUNTY, CONNECTICUT

Illustrated Booklet/Colored Map

The early days of Tolland County, CT, and its various townships -- Tolland, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Mansfield, Somers, Stafford, Union, Vernon and Willington --are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 36 Page Booklet reprinted from the 1836 edition of John Warner Barber's Connecticut Historical Collections, with added material from Connecticut, a Guide to its Roads, Lore and People, a 1938 WPA project. The spiral-bound booklet, sold exclusively on e-Bay, is printed one-sided on 60# paper, with the print enlarged for easier reading. A clear plastic sheet has been added to protect the front cover.

INSERTED IN THE BOOKLET is a color copy of the 1936 Map of Connecticut which accompanied the Barber book. The map is printed on a parchment-like paper to simulate the original, and could easily be removed for framing.

Among the many fascinating topics in the booklet are:
Early Settlers; Geological features like the Mineral Springs in Stafford; Tombstone Epitaphs; Manufacturing and industry, such as silk worms and straw bonnets and iron ore, and the Bolton Stone Quary; Dr. Eleazar Wheelock, first president of Dartmouth College; the famous American hero Nathan Hale; the outspoken preacher Lorenzo Dow; Samuel Huntington, later governor of Ohio; Unusual incidents, such as a homemade cannon and a light-fingered preacher; and the Stafford Mineral Springs Hotel.

The booklet is illustrated with Barber's delightfully quaint hand-drawn sketches, such as the one on the cover below. The ILLUSTRATIONS include a South view of Central Tolland, the Bolton Stone Quary, a North view of the Hale House in Coventry, a West view of the central part of Ellington, a South view of Hebron, a Northeast view of the Presbyterian Church in Mansfield, a West view of Somers, a view of the Stafford Mineral Springs Hotel and a South view of the central part of Vernon.

The Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1841, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1938 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities.