Editing Waterford, Connecticut (section)

==History==

=== Founding ===
The first people immigrated from England in 1637 and came to the New London and Waterford area (at the time, this land was called West Farms). One of the first people who set sail for this area was John Winthrop Jr. Waterford got its name for its proximity to being in between two rivers. The residents of Waterford resided in wigwams until they dug up plots for 38 houses near the Great Neck area. Winthrop was given several hundred acres of land, including Millstone Point and Alewife Cove. Various dams, mills, and ponds were constructed in these areas. The only expansion of people in the Waterford-New London area were the growth of families and children. Later on, more people immigrated to Waterford, including Welsh, Italian, Russian, Irish, and Scottish.

Waterford separated from New London on October 8, 1801. This happened after several farmers signed a petition to separate them. The first town meeting was held in November 1801 to appoint town officials: tax collectors, town surveyors, [[fence viewer]]s, and [[first selectman]]. Only the first selectman got paid at the time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bachman|first=Robert|title=An Illustrated History of the Town of Waterford Connecticut|year=2000|publisher=Bicentennial Committee|location=Waterford, Connecticut}}</ref>

===19th century===
Waterford was a large agricultural town in the 19th century, having mostly sheep farms. Waterford was also widely known for its granite industry that lasted from the late 19th century to the 1930s. [[Graniteville Historic District (Waterford, Connecticut)|Graniteville]] is a district in Waterford that is named after this industry. The area today known as Crystal Mall was also home to granite quarries. Waterford's granite was used in many construction projects such as roads, the foundation for [[Fort Sumter]], and the [[Statue of Liberty]]. Granite was replaced by concrete which slowly shrank the granite industry until the 1930s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bachman|first1=Robert L.|title=An Illustrated History of the Town of Waterford Connecticut|date=2000|publisher=Bicentennial Committee, Town of Waterford|page=92}}</ref>

===20th century===
During the 20th century, sheep farms were replaced by dairy farms. Between 1920 and 1960, there were about 100 dairy farms in Waterford. In addition, there were 10 to 100 head of cattle. Waterford also obtained its town seal in 1946. It was made by [[Martin Branner]] who was a cartoonist who also made the famous comic, [[Winnie Winkle]]. After  [[World War II]], Waterford boomed with development, adding new roads and buildings. In 1957, the first stop light was added in Waterford. In addition, the first retail center was built starting in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bachman|first=Robert|date=2000|title=An Illustrated History of Waterford Connecticut|url=https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0419/ML041910421.pdf|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=NRC}}</ref>