New Britain herald., 1925-07-15
WOMEN DELVE INTO
 HISTORY OF BERLIN
Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Crane
 Speak at Voters Meeting

The early romantic days of Der lin's history furnished topics for two highly interesting addresses at a meeting Of the Kensington League Of Women Voters. held last evening at the home of Mrs. Leon Alling of Kensington. Mrs. Paul c Baker and Mrs F, H Crane were the speakers,
 The History and Population of the Town of Berlin" was the sub Iect chosen by Mrs. Paul c Baker Her address follows;
 "Farmington. our mother settle ment. was founded in l6i5 by Eng fish Puritans. About 20 years later, Jonathan Gilbert, Daniel Clark and a handful Of other men from the Pennington settlement, lured by the fertility Of the valley to the south east, obtained grants Of hundreds of acres of land in what vas known as the Great Swamp, It was during the reign of Queen Anne that the Great Swamp settlement was made a parish separate from Pennington, but remaining still part of the town of Pennington,
 "The very first road through the Great Swamp settlement was trail connecting the huts of the Tun&is Indians with the village of the Mat tabessett Indians In what is no" known as Beckley Quarter, the first settler having been one Richard Beckley of New Haven. This trail led from Beckley Quarter through what Is now New Britain and over the mountain to Pennington. The first white mans road was not made by settlers from Pennington, but by people travelling from Hartford tc New Haven.
 That road ran along through the valley at the foot of Worthingtor Ridge, just rough path for those on foot or horseback, unfit for the passage of wagons. Later this road was replaced by one along the tor of the ridge, now Berlin street, which road was In use in 178a wher Washington rode over if, II wa; called the Hartford and New Haver path.
 ". Roads Are Established
 Christian Lane was the name given to one of the first roads out of the Great Swamp, running north and south at the southeastern edge of New Britain. The other road running north from the Great Swamp was in the western part of the settlement and was known as West Lane. These two roads were connected by what was known aE the Mattabessett road, running from Christian Lane past the Berlin tail grounds, the railroad station anG the present American Paper Goods factory to West Lane near which the early mills of the Great SWaml were located, the most importan one being owned by Deacon Elijal Hart and his sons of kensingtol road. This mill ground grain anC exported meal to the West Indies together with bundles of hoops ant barrel slaves, there 10 he made into kegs and casks to be filled with run and molasses for the return trip.
 During all this time people O the Great Swamp still belonged tt the Pennington church and had tt take the long, arduous journey ovel the mountain on Sundays and fol the burial of their dead, eight nllei Of primitive pathway In 1T45 ; petition for new church society 0 their own was granted and the frs church Of the Great Swamp va built in Christian Lane, being com pleted in 1712 and being known a the Second Church of Farmingt on There were 10 members, sever males and three females as the rec ords tell us. with Rev William Burn ham ordained as the first pastor.
 Not far from the church was th fort, built for protection from hostil Indians, surrounding 2 spring O clear water, which well has been il use until recently.
 kensington Society Founded
 Ten years after the settlement q the Great Swamn society it's nam was changed to Kensrgton. th kensington soC,etr being founded il 1T22. The settlement had by tha time grown SD large that it was con sidered necessary to build q ner church and a new school nearer th heart cf the eEranding colony tn spot being finally selected near Dea con Harts home, facing Mauabes sstt, nearly the geographical centf Of the parish and close to the pres ent hone of 1Ir. and Mrs Georg Green. 1hls house was huiIt by Rev Samuel Clark, the successor to Rev Mir. Burnhan}, and II stands today { sxemplfy the dignity and charm 0 18th century architecture.
 Tn 17S4 the society Of New Brit ain was set off from that of Ken gtngton and somewhat later the east ern section was made into the sepa rate parish cf Worthin5ton, name for Colonial John Worthington C Springfield, Mass, who vas at th head of the cemwlttee of arbtra ton assisting in th5 satting Of th new boundaries
 
 War that the parishes If Worhine ton. Kensington and New Pritat were united into town tndepenaer of Farming on. the new town bein called Berlin hv state authoritr Town meetings were held in each z inc three parishes in rotation, th first being held IT Eensngton