Historic Map - Plainville, CT - 1907

Bird's eye view of Plainville, Connecticut 1907. By O. H. Bailey.

A print reproduction of Plainville, CT, drawn and published by Hughes & Bailey in 1907. Named for its flat terrain, Plainville officially separated from the town of Farmington, where it had been known as the "Great Plain" and became a town in 1869. Due to its shallow soil, it had not been strongly selected as farm land by early settlers and had a population of 1,433, according to the census of 1870.

The construction of the Farmington Canal that was completed in 1828 resulted in the establishment of a station called Bristol Basin, located just south of Main Street. Bristol Basin became a busy mercantile center and led to the establishment of Plainville as a town. While a great achievement, the Farmington Canal did not fare well, with porous and sandy soil, and harsh winter weather causing frequent closures. To keep the canal open while waiting for the east-west railroad to be completed, a track was built along the tow-path of the canal, completed in January 1848. A disastrous washout left the Bristol Basin empty, and it was never refilled. The Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad, running east and west through Plainville was completed in 1852, which had also been included in the New York and New England Railroads routes.

The Town Hall that is shown as an inset illustration is now the home of the Plainville Historical Society.

Inset illustrations in the margins of the map include:

• Town Hall
• Catholic Church
• Methodist Episcopal Church
• Congregational Church
• Public School
• Episcopal Church
• The Trumbull Electric Mfg. Co.
• Edwin Hills, Manufacturer of Saddlery Hardware
• The Osborne & Stephenson Mfg. Co.
• The Bristol Mfg. Co.
• The Elm City Brass and Rivet Co.
• E. T. Carter's Brass Foundry

Complete reference list below.

Features lettered references to the following locations:

1. - Town Hall, Public Library and Fire Department
2. - Plainville Station, N. Y. N. H. & H. R. R.
3. - New Freight Depot, N. Y. N. H. & H. R. R.
4. - Public School
5. - Congregational Church
6. - Episcopal Church
7. - Methodist Church
8. - Baptist Church

10. - Catholic Church
11. - Adv. Christian Church
12. - Af. M. E. Zion Church
13. - The Bristol Manufacturing Co., Manufacturers Knit Underwear for the jobbing trade.
14. - C. H. Calor, Hardware Manufacturer and Electro Plating.
15. - A. N. Clark & Son, Sheet Metal Stamping and Cold Swedging.
16. - E. T. Carter's Brass Foundry.
17. - The Elm City Brass and Rivet Co.
18. - The Empire Electric Manufacturing Co., Manufacturers of High Grade Electrical Goods.
19. - Edwin Hills, Manufacturer of Saddlery Hardware and Hardware Specialties.
20. - The Norton & Jones Machine Tool Works, Manufacturer of High Speed Drills for Rapid and Accurate Drilling, Machine Tools and Special Machinery.
21. - B. Lamb & Co., Machinery, Dies, Tools, Etc.
22. - The Osborne & Stephenson Mfg. Co., Special Hardware and Screw Machine Products.
23. - The Trumbull Electric Mfg. Co., Manufacturers of High Grade Electrical Specialties.