World Wide Kids Community Profile
Mansfield is a rural community in the northeastern part
of Connecticut known as the "The Quiet Corner." It is about 25
miles east of Hartford, the capital city of Connecticut. Mansfield was originally
part of the hunting grounds for the Mohegan Indians. The area has rolling
hills with many rivers and ponds. The Indians called the land "Naubesatuck"
which translates to "Pond Place." The land for the town was given
to a group of men by Joshua who was the son of the Mohegan Indian Chief.
When the town was incorporated in 1703, it was given the name Mansfield.
It is believed that the town was named after Major Mansfield, the largest
landholder at the time.
In the years that followed, people made a living by farming
the land. However, in the 1760's, Dr. Nathaniel Aspinwall introduced the
silk culture to Mansfield. Farmers planted mulberry trees to provide food
for the silkworms. Soon people were raising silkworms in their homes, feeding
them mulberry leaves, and unwinding the cocoons that the silkworms spun.
In 1810, the first powered silk mill in the United States was built in Mansfield.
This meant that the silk thread could be spun and wound using machinery
propelled by water power. The silkworm industry became very successful.
Eventually, a blight caused many of the mulberry trees to die. Competition
from foreign countries helped end the once thriving silkworm industry.
Many other mills were built in the eighteen hundreds. Among
them was a gun powder mill that made powder for use in the War of 1812.
Repeated explosions put an end to that business after several years. One
mill still standing along the banks of the Fenton River is the Gurleyville
Grist Mill. It is the only stone mill of its kind in Connecticut. It houses
the milling equipment which was used to grind corn into cornmeal and buckwheat
into flour. The miller's house across the street was the birthplace of Wilbur
Cross, one of Connecticut's early governors.
Mansfield's first school was established in 1706. The town
was divided into districts and school master went from one district to another
to teach the children. Parents were required to supply wood for the stove
that would heat the one-room school building. The teacher earned a small
salary, taught all grades, and lived in the parents' homes.
Today there are three elementary schools, a middle school,
and a regional high school in town. Mansfield is also home to the University
of Connecticut (UConn). UConn was established originally as a school of
agriculture. In 1881 Charles and Augustus Storrs donated the land and money
to build the school in a section of town known as Storrs. The school expanded
over the years to become a leading university with an enrollment of more
than 20,000 students presently.
Mansfield has grown to approximately 18,700 people. There
are very few industries here now, but there are a number of businesses,
especially in the area around the university. There are educational, cultural,
and recreational activities provided for people of all ages by the town
and the university. Mansfield continues to keep its rural atmosphere, and
its citizens are committed to preserving its open space. Schoolhouse Brook
Park, a 500 acre tract of land, provides a pond for swimming, a picnic area,
fitness and hiking trails for the public. Mansfield Hollow State Park contains
a pond for fishing, a boat launch, a picnic area, and miles of hiking and
cross country skiing trails within its 1700 acres.
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