Colchester

Colchester, Connecticut, incorporated in 1698, was a successful farming community. When wealthy farmer Pierpoint Bacon died in 1800, he left his estate to the town to build a school. Bacon Academy opened in 1803 and not only provided primary education but also included secondary and college preparation branches, making it, in effect, the first high school in the state. In industry, Colchester was the home of the Hayward Rubber Company factory, built in 1847 by Nathaniel Hayward. This factor...