Woodstock, Connecticut
Windham county. Woodstock is bounded N. by the Massachusetts line, E. by Thompson, W. by Union and Ashford, and S. by Pomfret and Ashford. It is 8 miles long and upwards of 7 in breadth. The surface of the town is characteristically hilly, but not mountainous or broken, and comprises very little waste land, most of all of the eminences being capable of cultivation. The prevailing soil is a deep gravelly loam, which is strong and fertile. It is best adapted to grazing, but generally admits of tillage; and considerable quantities of grain are annually raised, consisting principally of rye and corn; and it may be considered one of the richest agricultural towns in this part of the state. There are 4 woolen and 4 cotton factories in the limits of the town. There are also about 900 persons engaged in the shoe making business, principally in the western part of the town. The town is divided into three parts, viz. the old society of Woodstock, West Woodstock or New Roxbury, and Muddy Brook society or North Woodstock.
The villages of Thompson, North Killingly, and Dudley in Massachusetts, on corresponding elevations, are in fair view from the village in Old Woodstock, which is 41 miles E.N.E. from Hartford, 32 N. from Norwich, 32 W.N.W. from Providence, and 12 N. by W. from Brooklyn. First settled, in 1686. Population, 1830, 2,915. The village of Muddy Brook, or North Woodstock, is about three miles distant, situated in a beautiful valley, through which Muddy Brook, a fine mill stream, passes. The village is in two parts, in each of which is a Congregational church, upwards of one mile distant from each other. The houses in this village are more clustered than in any other part of the town, and viewed from the surrounding hills present an uncommonly beautiful appearance. The west part is called "Village corner."
General William Eaton, a consul to Tunis, from 1797 to 1803, and the hero of Derne in 1804, was born in this town in 1764. He died at Brimfield, Mass., in 1811.
"Gen. Eaton was a very extraordinary character; he possessed much original genius, was bold in his conceptions, ardent in his passions, determined in his resolutions, and indefatigably persevering in his conduct. He possessed considerable literary acquirements, and the style of his writings was characteristic of his mind; bold, energetic and decisive. His courage was equalled only by his resolution, and the boldness of his enterprises, by his ability and perseverance to execute them."
