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The perfect small country town, Easton is
home to acres of forest, miles of weathered stonewalls, and some
of the last working farms in the region. Not incorporated until
1845 at its formal separation from surrounding towns of
Fairfield, Westport and Weston, nonetheless, its history as a
settlement begins much earlier, in the early 1700s as a farming
community. Early businesses provided iron from a local foundry
while saw, cider and grist mills supplied building materials and
sustenance for the population. Both spiritual and social life
were entwined in the Colonist’s existence and churches, then
schools, were founded during the 1700’s and 1800’s.
As Easton grew, its citizens flourished.
Businesses expanded; button and carriage factories and mills
sprang up. However, during the last 1800s, nearby Bridgeport was
also growing, into a major metropolis, drawing workers out of
Easton, off the farms. The distance between work and home grew
shorter with the invention of the car and the paving of roads as
Easton developed into a “suburban” town, a still-rural, quieter
place to be restored, body and soul, after a hectic work-day in
the Big City, most likely New Haven, Hartford or New York.
Today, Easton’s unique character is reflected in the care its
citizens take to keep their town singularly Easton. |
