HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF REDDING, CONNECTICUT

Fairfield County

Geology/Topography:

Terrain:

Hills and valleys (that are narrow and deep)

Four principal streams flowing into Long Island Sound.

1) Aspetuck River (east of Redding Ridge);

2) Little River (east of Redding Center)

3) Saugatuck River (west of Redding Center);

4) Norwalk River (roughly paralleling the Town's western border).

Larger Wetlands:

1)Lyon's Swamp (southeast)

2) Huckleberry Swamp (west central section).

History:

c.1670 --  the proprietors of the Town of Fairfield purchased from local Indian sachems the northerly six miles of territory which had been granted to them by the General Court of the Connecticut Colony.

1686  --  two square mile tract in Umpawaug went to Nathan Gold.

1687  --  some 200 acres in today's Lonetown given to Cyprian Nichols.

1699  --  200 acres north of Redding Center on Webb's Ridge went to Joseph Webb.

1700  --  lands adjacent to those of Cyprian Nichols granted to Daniel Hilton.

1706  --  lands adjacent to those of Cyprian Nichols granted to Richard Hubbell.

1709  --  150 acres in eastern Redding north of Church Hill Road went to Isaac, Jr., Francis and John Hall.

1709  --  600 acres east of Little River to Redding Ridge, for Fairfield School went to Moses Knapp.

1709  --  200 acres in Redding Center  to Captain John Wakeman.

1712  --  the General Court ordered that all the lands not taken up by actual settlers would be sold in Fairfield at public venue. The actual sale, however , was delayed until 1722. 

1722  --  the sale of land ordered by the General Court of 1712 but unfairly.  Captain Couch bid off the land for himself and Nathan Gold, Esq. The settlers at Redding were given no notification of the sale at all.  Needless to say, the Redding settlers were very angry.  Mr. Read drew up a protest and petition presented at the next General Court at New Haven.

c. 1723   --  Captain Samuel Couch was a large landholder in Redding.

Source:

http://www.historyofredding.com/index.htm

http://www.historyofredding.com/HRearlysettlers.htm#Early%20Settlers

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