Editing New Fairfield, Connecticut (section)

==History==
In pre-colonial times, the [[indigenous people]] of New Fairfield were part of an alliance of tribes that extended from the source of the [[Housatonic River|Housatonic]] to the sea.<ref name=Silverberg>{{cite book|last1=Silverberg|first1=J.|title=The History of Squantz Pond State Park, New Fairfield, CT|date=June 1979|publisher=manuscript from New Fairfield Free Public Library|location=New Fairfield, Connecticut}}</ref>

In 1724, colonial settlers from [[Fairfield, Connecticut]], received approval from the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut to establish a new township. According to one account, they negotiated with [[Chief Squantz]] of the [[Schaghticoke (tribe)|Schaghticoke tribe]] of [[Algonquian peoples|Algonquian]] lineage. Alternatively, it is told that they did not negotiate with Chief Squantz because he moved to the north end of Squantz Pond land area and refused to "sell" the township of New Fairfield. They returned in the Spring of 1725, but found that Chief Squantz had died during the winter. His four sons and heirs refused to sign the deeds. It was not until four years later that the white men called "The Proprietors" finally got the drawn marks of several other native people who may not have had authority to sell the land.<ref name=Simon>{{cite book|last1=Simon|first1=Irving B.|title=Our Town: The History of New Fairfield|date=1975|publisher=New Fairfield Bicentennial Commission|location=New Fairfield, Connecticut|page=5}}</ref> They "purchased" a {{convert|31,000|acre|adj=on}} tract of land that is now New Fairfield and Sherman, for the equivalent of about 300 dollars, and on April 24, 1729, the deed was recorded on May 9, 1729, and is now deposited in the archives of the state capital in [[Hartford, Connecticut]].

Settlers originally spelled the town as "Newfairfield". It started as a very small farming community, and was not incorporated as a town until 1740. The town of [[Sherman, Connecticut|Sherman]] separated from New Fairfield in 1862, as the size of the combined towns made it difficult to travel to church.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=The News-Times |location=Danbury, Conn. |date=September 9, 2004 |title=Historic New Fairfield |url=https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Historic-New-Fairfield-69920.php |access-date=March 1, 2021}}</ref>

In 1926, [[Connecticut Light and Power]] (CL&P) began construction on [[Candlewood Lake]], considered by many to be an engineering wonder. CL&P flooded the valley to control the water flow from the [[Housatonic River|Housatonic]] and Rocky Rivers and produce hydroelectric power for the region. Candlewood Lake was named for the Native American practice of using stripped wood from pine trees as kindling for fire. The lake shares its shores with the towns of New Fairfield, Sherman, [[New Milford, Connecticut|New Milford]], [[Brookfield, Connecticut|Brookfield]], and [[Danbury, Connecticut|Danbury]].<ref>Preserve New Fairfield, Inc. Images of America: New Fairfield. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2008. Print. p. 7–8</ref>

New Fairfield was home to the Candlewood Playhouse, a 650-seat summer stock theater run by the Gateway Playhouse, currently operating in [[Bellport, New York]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Markland |date=October 22, 1998 |title=Conn. venue shuttering after 'Holiday' ice perf |url=https://variety.com/1998/legit/news/conn-venue-shuttering-after-holiday-ice-perf-1117481720/ |access-date=February 1, 2024 |website=Variety}}</ref> The land once occupied by it is now a [[Stop & Shop]] supermarket.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CT) |first=News-Times, The (Danbury |date=March 27, 2004 |title=Shoppers give Shaw's thumbs up |url=https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/shoppers-give-shaw-s-thumbs-up-248881.php |access-date=February 1, 2024 |website=News-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=By |date=February 12, 2010 |title=Shaw's Selling All 18 Connecticut Stores; Stop & Shop To Acquire Five |url=https://www.courant.com/2010/02/12/shaws-selling-all-18-connecticut-stores-stop-shop-to-acquire-five/ |access-date=February 1, 2024 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}</ref>