New Britain herald., 1916-06-09

some others began a settlement just a few yards south of the present boundary line between New Britain and Berlin. A fort was built, and never, failing well dug; the place became known as Pennington village and was a part of Great Swamps.
 The settlements of Great Swamp, Christian Lane and Pennington vil- lage grew rapidly, for the land was swampy and thus suitable for farm ing purposes.
 As the population of these villages increased, the difficulty of attending church and transacting business In Pennington became more apparent, and at last the people sought a change. They asked the privilege of becoming a separate parish and after @ brief struggle Pennington consented. After the erection of a galleried church the Great Swamp society wished to change it's name to the Society of Kensington.
 Soon it became apparent that more commodious meeting-house was needed but no agreement could be made as to it's location. The result of this disagreement was the division in 1754 of the society into the two so- cieties of New Britain and Kensington.
 Thus in 1754 New Britain com menced it's career as an independent ee-thinking community. It was still a parish under Harrington but from this time on New Britains growth and development was rapid.
 The founders of New Britain were men of the greatest energy and the keenest intelligence. AS their de- 11o o4o1 powers the great prominence and inn portance of New Britain today is largely due to the splendid forefath- CTS of that- city. This influence is clearly shown in the rapid rise of New Britains industrial life.
 At first the citizens were farmers; even the professional men, doctors and lawyers, spending part of their time upon their farms. Upon the unfrequented roads and near the bor- ders of the parish, lumber camps were coming into prominence, while sever al sawmills made it possible for the people to build with saWn lumber.
 Taverns now were erected in differ ent parts of the parish. One of the first ones was opened by Noah Stan ley in Stanley Quarter. Two, erected soon after, were those, of Joseph Smith on East street and of Elizur Hart in the southwestern part of the parish.
 The blacksmith trade was also a common one in New Britain. South of Noah Stanley's tavern, Thomas Richards had one of the first black smith shops. It was here that James North and many others learned the trade. on East street, and was owned by Jo- seph Clark. After a few years, many other stores were added in differ ent parts of the parish, but between 176O and 1900 few houses were erected.
 Thus it was, that in 1900, New Britain was practically, only a small l nor mail route and with no water power nor other manufacturing ia ] cilities.
 About the middle of the eighteenth i century tinware was first manufact- ured in the United States by a noted l man living in Berlin. Many "Yan- i kee" peddlers now took this new | product south where it was not large 1 ly known, sold it and did, a f1ourishing l business. In fact the business was so 1 profitable that between 1900 and 1912 | were made to manufacture 1 cutlery. This venture, however, was | a failure as was also the later silk 1 worm industry for these articles could | be purchased for far less money, l