Brookfield

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During the early 1700s, Brookfield was first colonizedin an area occupied by the Pootatuck Indians. Hat,shear, and comb factories arose along the Still River,enticing settlers, who built farms, churches, and inns. In1752, land was taken from New Milford, Newtown, andDanbury to form the Parish of Newbury. By 1788, the townwas incorporated as Brookfield in honor of the area's firstordained pastor, Rev. Thomas Brooks.Thetown quickly outgrew its horse-and-buggy pathsand one-room schoolhouses. In 1927, CandlewoodLake was born out of area farmland, flooded to formthe largest man-made lake in Connecticut. Brookfielddepicts the settlement of the area and highlights notablenatives, including Lucia Ruggles Holman, the firstAmerican woman to circumnavigate the globe, andSarah Jane Campbell, P.T. Barnum's famous fat lady. Show more