Winsted and Winchester

Winchester, a remote hilltop region of dense forests, rocky ledges, and fast-moving streams, was a wilderness when first organized in 1771. Cattle enjoyed the region's abundant grasses, and as a result, a large dairy industry emerged, evident from the tons of cheese shipped to distant markets by the 1850s. Winsted, a borough in the valley below Winchester, was incorporated in 1858 and developed into an industrial giant by the 1870s. Its strategic location on coursing streams and two extensi...