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A Letter From President Richard Griswold and A History of Rocky Hill CT
Don’t worry Chevy Chase, Wally World is safe!!
The descendants of William Francis Griswold and Margaret Augusta Williams
Griswold (1868-1970) would like to invite members of the GFA to join us on a
trip back in time to celebrate the history of our family in Rocky Hill, CT.
William and Margaret were the parents of nine children. Large families were not
uncommon in the agrarian society of central Connecticut. Our family story is
centered on the fertile Connecticut River valley just to the south of Hartford.
Descendants of Michael Griswold (1608-1684) settled in the Wethersfield, CT.
area in the 1640’s. Michael and his family were for the most part, involved in
farming and the fulling/textile industry during the 1700’s and 1800’s. Rocky
Hill (a parish of Wethersfield) just to the south, was incorporated (May 1843).
William F. Griswold moved from Wethersfield to Rocky Hill and established
himself as a prominent farmer in the community. This is where our trip back in
time begins.
The focus of our 2005 GFA Reunion will be a representative example of the
American family farm. Sunny Crest Farm developed and prospered for near to 100
years. A rural community developed around a group of family farms. For our
cousins who can remember Rocky Hill in the 1940-1960’s, we would like to invite
you back to revisit, for those who have never visited the birth place of your
grandparents and family we invite you to vacation with us. We hope to have four
generations in attendance, and would like to share a very important part of our
family history with our children, grandchildren and members of the greater GFA
Family.
I was a science teacher for 35 years in a local public school system. After
attending an agricultural college (UCONN) in the 1960’s, I graduated with
degrees in zoology and wildlife management with dreams that took me beyond the
farm. Well it was about this time that our family farm was falling on hard times
and we were not able to compete with the big commercial dairy farms of the time.
My life on the farm had a profound impact on my life. I developed a good work
ethic, a love of the land and respect for nature and all life forms. My decision
to teach science was very much influenced by my agrarian background. I often
used the knowledge and skills acquired on the farm in the classroom. I remember
a discussion one-day in class concerning lactose intolerance. One thing led to
another and I asked the class “where does milk came from?” One bright young
student said “from Cumberland Farms Store.” No I insisted, after a little
laugh,” where does the fluid really come from?” “Oh, they have a big plant up in
Massachusetts!” She was serious, and took a little ribbing from classmates, but
it made me realize how many of my suburban students had never been on a farm,
nor understood the milk processing business.
I would be remiss if I didn’t share with my children and grandchildren the
stories and history of their farming family of Rocky Hill, CT. In my last year
as President of the GFA I thought this would be the ideal time for me to
dedicate time to a special reunion of my greater family the GFA and my Rocky
Hill cousins and their families. In the 1980’s the U.S. Department of
Agriculture published statistics indicating an American farm was going out of
business every 6 minutes. Singer and songwriter Willie Nelson, is quoted as
saying, “If we lose the family farm, we lose more than a piece of land or
individual growers of food. We lose a self-sufficient spirit that has made our
country great.” Many of the Rocky Hill family farms have been consumed by urban
growth, converted to housing developments, athletic facilities and shopping
malls. We can’t let our children and grandchildren forget about the
contributions made by the American farmer!
We have chosen the Hartford Marriott of Rocky Hill as our headquarters for the
weekend. The committee has developed a program full of activities that we feel
will appeal to all ages, all members of the GFA and certainly to the descendants
of William and Margaret. An outline of the weekend activities is included in
this bulletin. Our committee is committed to making this a fun and memorable
reunion. We will continue to add detail to the plans and will be working on
special projects dedicated to our family.
The Griswold Family Association is currently working on our next genealogical
publication, The Griswold Family-Sixth & Seventh Generation of Michael Griswold.
We are very excited about the possibility that a draft manuscript may be
available at the reunion for our review. We will also have available on request,
personal ancestry publications. These are linear genealogies that connect a
current descendent with their direct ancestry back as far as our records allow.
Members of the GFA who participated in Heritage Tour V will have just returned
from England and will have stories to tell and photo albums to share with us at
the reunion.
The next GFA Bulletin will be published in May 2005. More detailed information
and reservation forms will be included. The committee would encourage you to
make plans to attend the reunion now! Make hotel reservations (our special rate
$79/night) and flight plans now to take advantage of special rates. When May
arrives, you can fill in the details and make your reservations and join the
Griswolds on Vacation in Connecticut. |
ROCKY HILL, CT
STEPNEY PARISH 1722-1822—-ROCKY HILL 1843
(Extracts from the notes of Dr. Rufus W. Griswold-local historian)
Rufus Wolcott Griswold, M.D. was born in Manchester, CT., February 20, 1825.
He was a descendent from Edward Griswold, who came from England to Windsor,
CT. Until he was 17 years old, Rufus lived with his grandfather Samuel
Arnold in East Hartford, CT., and his life was an ordinary one of a boy on a
small farm. In his 17th year, he entered the office of the Hartford Times,
where he was for four years an apprentice and journeyman. In 1848, he
started The New England Weekly Gazette, of which he was editor, printer and
publisher for two years. In 1850 he entered upon the study of medicine at
the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City. After graduation he
began his practice in Rocky Hill where he resided until his death in 1902.
Dr. Griswold was very active in church and town affairs, in school and
library functions and maintained a strong interest in his adopted home. He
served in many community offices to include town clerk and register of
births, Justice of the Peace, Clerk and Treasurer of Centre School district,
notary public and many other civic offices.
The establishment of Stepney Parish, otherwise known as the Third
Ecclesiastical Society in Wethersfield was incorporated in 1722. Despite the
old world baptismal name of Stepney, it continued to be known from the first
as Rocky Hill. The hogback ridge of trap rock, some 300 feet high, was and
remains so conspicuous a feature of the landscape, that it could not be
ignored. The name suggests dreariness and desolation, a region dominated by
rocks and unproductive hillsides, instead of being as it really is one of
the most beautiful towns in the valley.
The creation of a new parish, meant of course, the building of a
meetinghouse. The first meetinghouse was constructed in 1722 and remained
the center of community functions until the second meetinghouse was
constructed in 1808. The present Rocky Hill Congregational Church was
dedicated in 1808, but prior to this celebration a committee was appointed
to “seat the meeting house”. It was a well defined, but unwritten law of
those early days, which took into consideration the age, dignity, official
standing in the community, relative wealth, amount of tax paid, etc. by each
person. Children were confined to a special gallery under the watchful eye
of some deacon or tythingman. It was not until 1766 that men and their wives
sat together in the meetinghouse.
Not very far from the established town center and its meetinghouse was the
commercial center of a thriving business in Rocky Hill for some years. The
Connecticut River provided a route south and to the trade centers of the
world. A thriving ship building business produced ships that traveled the
world piloted by captains from the region such as Capt. Wm. Griswold and
Capt. Caleb Griswold of Wethersfield. The area supported other trades
associated with shipbuilding, such as sail making, pump and block making.
During the years from 1750 to 1820 the commercial prosperity of Stephney
Landing and the commercial link to the West Indies brought the local farmers
a prosperity of their own as they could market many of their farm products
right from the banks of the Connecticut River. The rich agricultural lands
of the river provided the opportunity for the William and Margaret Griswold
family to grow and prosper. This is where our family story begins. |
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