Editing Colchester, Connecticut (section)

=== The 1700s ===
Nathaniel Foote and his family were some of the first to settle here and finished building their house in 1702.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Walter |first=Gary |title=Historical Landmarks, A Historical Tour Of Colchester |publisher=Colchester History Society |location=Colchester Connecticut}}</ref> The house began construction in 1699 by Nathaniel Foote III and was then finished by his son Nathaniel Foote IV.<ref name=":4" /> On November 29, 1703,<ref name=":2" /> a saw and grist mill were voted to be built by Israel and Samual Wyatt if they promised to maintain the mill for the town's use.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Extracts from the records of Colchester, with some transcripts from the recording of Michaell Taintor ... |url=https://lccn.loc.gov/02005181 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> The first schoolmaster began operations in 1705, and a schoolhouse was finished in 1711.<ref name=":5" /> In 1707 or earlier, a cemetery was built behind where [[Bacon Academy]] would later be built.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ancient Burial Grounds {{!}} Colchester CT |url=https://www.colchesterct.gov/historic-district-commission/pages/ancient-burial-grounds |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=www.colchesterct.gov}}</ref> The cemetery later held people like Reverend John Bulkeley, Dr. John Watrous, Pierpont Bacon, and his wife, Abigail Bacon. In 1708 Colchester re-joined [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Hartford county]],<ref name=":0" /> and a second religious meeting house was built.<ref name=":2" /> On December 31, 1712, at a legal town meeting held in Colchester, Capt Gilbert Wyatt and Mr. Darnell Clark were Chosen, Selectmen.<ref name=":5" /> On December 28, 1713, Samuel Northam, Thomas Day, and Ebenezer Colman were chosen for a school committee ensuing year.<ref name=":5" />

At a town meeting on June 12, 1716, it was voted to finish the schoolhouse where the foundation of the said house was the only partly standing.<ref name=":5" /> The selectmen Committee for the school has agreed with Nathaniel Loomis Jr. (He and his family are from [[Windsor, Connecticut|Windsor]]<ref name=":2" />) to keep school for twelve months and give him twenty-five pounds and ten shillings. He began to keep building the school. On December 8, 1729, Ensign Foote, Ensign Wells, and Israel Newton were chosen as Selectmen. The constables were selected at the same meeting, being Joseph Chamberlain and Isaac Jones.<ref name=":5" /> On June 3, 1774, Stephen Goodwin wrote to the [[Hartford Courant]] that he had a runaway slave. The slave was named Jefferey and rode away on horseback. A reward was said to be given out if said horse or Jefferey was found (6 dollars for Jeffery and 4 for the horse).

In 1756 Colchester's population was 2,300 people. In 1761 Michael Taintor built Taintors Farm, which stayed in the family until the early 20th century.<ref name=":4" /> The [[Nathaniel Hayward]] house was built in 1775 for Dudley Wright;<ref name=":4" /> The house was lived in by Dr. John Watrous and his wife (who was Dudley Wright's daughter). The house was later sold in 1848 and lived in by [[Nathaniel Hayward]]. The lawn of this house was the original town green. In 1777 Breed's Tavern was built, which is most known for being one of the two remaining sites associated with the Wooster Masonic Lodge.<ref name=":4" /> In 1782 Colchester had 3,300 inhabitants.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=History of the Town of Colchester CT {{!}} Colchester Society |url=https://www.colchesterhistory.org/colchester-history/ |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=www.colchesterhistory.org}}</ref> Several men went into the [[American Revolutionary War|revolutionary war]], many of them died. One of which was Ephraim Little Jr., son of the 2nd Reverend of Colchester. In 1783 Colchester rejoined [[New London County, Connecticut|New London County]] after being within [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Hartford County]].<ref name=":0" /> On Thursday, January 29, 1784, [[United States Congress|Congress]] suggested a tax, and the representatives of Colchester (Capt. Buckley and Col. Worthington) voted not to have it go into effect. In 1785 the Foote Family house was built by Nathaniel Foote and was lived in by his family. The [[Henry Champion House]] was built in 1790 by architect William Sprat. for [[Henry Champion (general)|Colonel Henry Champion]] who was active in the revolution and a military figure.<ref name=":4" />

Starting in the mid-1700s, Colchester was a hub for the making [[bed rugs]], heavy embroidered bed covers that were both decorative and served to keep [[New Englanders]] warm in the cold winters. Colchester bed rugs are important for their strong designs and complex embroidery.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Marshall |first=Jessie Armstead |title=Bed rugs: 18th and early 19th embroidered bed covers: Expressions of the American Spirit. |publisher=J. A. Marshall |year=2000 |location=Storrs, CT |pages=26 |language=en}}</ref> Several women from the Foote family, including Mary Foote, Abigail Foote, and Jerusha Foote Johnson, all have bed rugs attributed to them.<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Collections Database |url=https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.416 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=museums.fivecolleges.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bed Rug {{!}} All Works {{!}} The MFAH Collections |url=https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/157589/bed-rug?ctx=aa9eb23e334dadbf0a8c511e906176816ae9089c&idx=0 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=emuseum.mfah.org |language=en}}</ref>