Gail Leach

Bristol Gail Leach

Bristol was originally a tightly held and uninhabited portion of Farmington and was known in its early days as the West Woods. Settlers did not arrive until the 1720s and, after building their small community, they sought and received status as the New Cambridge Parish in 1742. Their numbers continued to grow and, by 1785, the community joined neighboring West Britain Parish in separating from Farmington and becoming the town of Bristol. Bristol tells the story of the people, places, and events that transformed this small agricultural hamlet into a true industrial city. The waters of the Pequabuck River brought industry, which soon surpassed farming as the residents' primary livelihood. Bristol became the source of many important products-clocks, springs, silverware, coaster brakes, doorbells, automobiles, roller bearings, and fishing rods, to name a few. In following this evolution, Bristol highlights the residents and workers, their homes and places of business, their entertainment and modes of transportation.