Chronology

The East Granby
Historical Society

------- Chronological Highlights -------

The Simsbury Years c. 1664 -1786

From the settling of Simsbury to the separation of Granby

		1633 Windsor founded thirteen years after landing of Pilgrims at Plymouth. c. 1645 Tar works established on the Farmington River in present North Bloomfield by John Griffin and Michael Humphrey. c. 1664 John Griffin and family settled west of the Mountain on land within the present East Granby. 1670 Simsbury incorporated. 1675-1676 King Philip's War. c. 1705 Copper discovered at Copper Hill. 1707 First settlement east of the Mountain in Turkey Hills. c. 1725 First steel made in the English colonies produced by Samuel Higley.
		1735 First copper coins made in the English colonies produced by Samuel Higley.

.		1736 Turkey Hills Ecclesiastical society established.
.	.	.
.		1738 First Congregational meetinghouse erected.
.	.	.
.		1773 Newgate Prison established.
.	.	.
.		1775-1783 Revolutionary War.

The Granby Years 1786 - 1858

From the incorporation of Granby to the separation of East Granby

1786 Granby Incorporated

1794 Reverend Whitfield Cowles ordained Congregational minister at Turkey Hills.

c. 1800 First cigars made in Connecticut.

1800 Granby Turnpike chartered.

1816 Copper Hill Methodist - Episcopal Church established.

1820 East Granby Post Office established.

1822 Farmington Canal chartered.

1827 Newgate Prison closed.

1830 Phoenix Mining Company chartered.

1830 Present Congregational meetinghouse erected.

1839 Present Methodist - Episcopal meetinghouse erected.

1843 German silver flatware silver-plated at Spoonville.

1850 Canal Railroad opened to Granby.

The East Granby Years 1858 -

1858 East Granby incorporated.

1861-1865 Civil War.

1882 East Granby Creamery opened.

1899 Hydroelectric plant on the Farmington River began operation.

c. 1900 First shade grown tobacco raised.

c. 1900 Roads first paved.

1902 Branch of Central New England Railway opened through East Granby Center.

1904 First telephones installed.

c. 1908 First automobile purchased by East Granby resident.

c. 1910 First electric lights installed.

1914-1918 World War I.

1922 East Granby Library Association organized.

1929 Stock market crash presages Great Depression.

1930 East Granby Volunteer Fire Department founded.

1939-1945 World War II.

1951 Housing boom in East Granby started.

1968 Newgate Prison returned to state control.

For a definitive study on the history of East Granby, please refer to the book
"East Granby the evolution of a Connecticut Town",
by Mary Jane Springman and Betty Finnell Guinan.