Back in the 1680s
when the Colony of Connecticut was worried that its
charter might be taken away by the British government,
and that the "Western Lands" (now most of
Litchfield County) might be lost, the entire northwest
corner of Connecticut was given to the Hartford and
Windsor “Plantations”* for safekeeping.
When the threat had finally passed and the General Assembly
asked to have the land back, Hartford and Windsor refused!
They claimed ownership because the land had been given
to them.
It was not until 1726 that the matter was finally arbitrated
to settlement. The Colony was given back the western
portion of the entire area, while Hartford and Windsor
kept the eastern section of the contested tract. This
eastern section was to become the seven towns named
Hartland, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Winchester, Torrington,
New Hartford, and Harwinton as two half townships. As
co-owners and developers, and for equitable division,
the Hartford and Windsor proprietor's committee divided
their sections into three and a half townships each,
for eventual parceling out to the proprietors** back
home in Hartford and Windsor who would become the beneficiaries
when the land was parceled out.
By agreement Hartford became
sole owner of “East Harwinton” and Windsor
the owner of the “West Harwinton.” The common
boundary for the two half townships was a reserved straight
North and South ten rod (165') wide “highway.”
It ran down the middle of the town and would contain
the theoretical North and South Roads, running border
to border.
When the Town's settlement began
in 1732, the two halves were put back together in anticipation
of eventually being declared a “Township”
by a vote of the Colonial Assembly. During 1737 this
approval was finally given by that legislative body
and
the first Town Meeting was held. The name of the new
town-to-be must easily have fallen into place. The more
than thirty square mile area known to be
Hartford and Windsor's
town
(Har-Win-Ton) logically became “Harwinton,”
“ton” being old
English for “town” as used in the town names
of Canton, Burlington, Farmington, Stonington, Newington
and other municipalities.
There is a Harvington
- pronounced "Harwinton", in Worcestershire,
England that the name could have been derived from,
but there is absolutely no evidence that it is.
One of the most
unsettling things that native Harwintonians hear is
having the town referred to as "Harwington".
I guess because we are in close proximity to Torrington,
people assume we are "Harwington". We are
"HARWINTON"
and here is the only location in the world that you
will find this unique town name right here in Litchfield
County! The best way to get on the good side of our
natives is to refer to the town the proper way. That
way you will definitely start off on the right foot.
Of course, pure
native Harwintonians reserve the right to refer to "our"
town, using our best old New England accent as simply
"HAR-TEN"
Sources:
Lloyd T. Shanley Jr. research
Connecticut Town Origins by Helen Earle Sellers
(1973)
Roger Plaskett's obversations
NOTES:
* Plantations of Hartford and Windsor consisted of large
areas of land that were eventually divided into several
municipalities.
** “Proprietors”
were qualified property owners of 1720 (or their heirs)
back in Hartford and Windsor. The land was divided by
lot and was in proportion to their old grand lists during
the drawings.
