Washington, Connecticut
Litchfield county. Judea, the first society in this town, was a part of Woodbury until 1741. It was first settled in 1734. It was incorporated as a town in 1779.
This town is 40 miles S.W. from Hartford and 10 S.W. from Litchfield. Population, 1830, 986.
"A large part of this town is elevated and mountainous. Limestone abounds in many of the valleys. Several quarries of marble have been worked, from which considerable quantities have been raised. Iron ore has been found in various places. Ochre, fuller's earth, and white clay, have also been found. The town is watered by the Shepaug river, a branch of the Housatonick, which passes through the whole length of the town, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. The town is divided into two societies, Judea and New Preston. There is in Judea, or Washington as it is called, about two miles S.W. of the centre of the town, a place called "Steep Rock." From the top of this eminence, which is easy of access, the beholder has one of the most interesting and beautiful prospects in the state. The scene presents an area in the form of an amphitheatre, the sides of which are covered with a dense forest. The Shepaug river is seen flowing in a beautiful circle at the base of the bluff. Within the circle of the river there are several cultivated fields, affording a beautiful landscape to the beholder."
