Farm Country

Bethlehem was originally part of Woodbury, bought from Chief Nunawaug among others in 1710 to enlarge Woodbury. This purchase included Bethlem (Bethlehem) and Judea (Washington).

There was once a straw bonnet and hat factory, and woolen and cotton mills in Bethlehem. Now people come to Bethlehem near Christmas in order to have the Bethlehem postal stamp on their Christmas cards, and to look at the huge Christmas tree on the green.

Like Woodbury, Morris was purchased from the Potatucks (who often visited Bantam Lake) in 1767. Originally named South Farms, Morris was a part of Litchfield. After many attempts to split from Litchfield, it was finally successful in 1859 and renamed for James Morris, prominent educator who established the first co-educational school in the nation.

More Algonquian names: Connecticut:" At the Long Tidal Estuary"; Naugatuck:"One Tree"; Bantam:"He prays".
The Algonquian Indians included the Mohegans, Mahicans and the Massachusett (no"s" at the end). Massachusett means " people of the great hill country".
The local tribes were continuously on the lookout for the Iroquoian Mohawks from the northwest. Consequently, when they sold the lands to the Europeans, they often retained the high hills, like Mt Tom, as lookout areas. Mohawk means "cannibal"or "cowards". Iroquois means "real adders"