Collinsville is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,746 at the 2010 census. The central portion of the village is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built around the Collins Company Axe Factory, a manufacturer of edge tools, such as axes, machetes, picks and knives. Collins machetes were the brand of choice in South America. Collins tools were used almost exclusively for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and axes and picks made their way across the country to be used in the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

. Admiral Peary carried Collins tools to the North Pole. Typical of New England mills, the Collins Company axe factory was sited on a river (the

Farmington Farmington may refer to: Places Canada *Farmington, British Columbia *Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States * Farmington, Arkansas *Farmington, California * Farmington, Connecticut *Farmington, Delaware * Farmington, Georgia ...

), and their production was powered by utilizing the water's strength to turn turbines and power machines. The numerous old buildings ramble along the riverbanks intertwined by an intricate maze of

sluice Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...

s that run throughout the site. The company closed its doors in 1966, but the factory buildings stayed standing and are now rented out to local businesses. The ambiance of Main Street reflects period architecture with ornate details from the start of the 20th century.

History

According to historian

Diana Muir Diana Muir, also known as Diana Muir Appelbaum, is a Newton, Massachusetts, USA, historian best known for her 2000 book ''Reflections in Bullough's Pond'', a history of the impact of human activity on the New England ecosystem. Personal life Appe ...

writing in '' Reflections in Bullough's Pond'', it was in Collinsville that

Elisha Root Elisha King Root (May 5, 1808 - September 1, 1865) was a Connecticut machinist, inventor, and President of Colt's Manufacturing Company. Root was born on a Massachusetts farm and worked as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill before switching, at the a ...

invented the important industrial technique of die casting. Root was employed by

Samuel W. Collins Samuel Watkinson Collins (1802–1870) was an American businessman and founder of the Collins Axe Company in Canton, Connecticut. He was born September 8, 1802, in Middletown, Connecticut, one of seven children. His father was a successful law ...

whose Collins and Company was the largest manufacturer of axes in the nineteenth century. Other famous historical residents of Collinsville included

George Washington Flint George Washington Flint (March 2, 1844 — October 23, 1921) was an American educator and academic administrator who served as the second president of Storrs Agricultural College, now the University of Connecticut, from 1898 to 1901. Education ...

and

William E. Simonds William Edgar Simonds (November 24, 1842 – March 14, 1903) was a United States Representative from Connecticut and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as a soldier in the American Civil Wa ...

. Collinsville hosts an annual Halloween Parade through the historic town. The parade is held on the last Saturday of October at 7 p.m. Children's activities begin at 6 p.m. Collinsville was voted one of the "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" in the September 2007 issue of Arthur Frommer's ''Budget Travel'' magazine.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 11.79%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,686 people, 1,080 households, and 723 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,128 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.54% White, 0.56% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. There were 1,080 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,690, and the median income for a family was $66,550. Males had a median income of $44,414 versus $37,679 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $29,050. About 1.4% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Sites

Collinsville is located directly on the Farmington River, and is a common place for people to walk and bike to, due to its convenient location along the Rails to Trails path. There are many cultural attractions in this town center, including LaSalle Restaurant, where customers are allowed to leave before paying, and return when they have finished eating, to pay. Frequently on Sundays and other occasions, there are live music demonstrations in the parking lot outside. The Canton Historical Museum is located in a former Collins Company factory building built in 1865. Originally constructed to finish and assemble agricultural plows, the building was converted in 1924 to a recreational facility for its employees. Fred Widen, a pattern maker for the company, used a portion of the building for his large collection of Collins memorabilia. Today, the Canton Historical Society owns the 14,000+ sq. ft. building and has a large assortment of Collins Tools, as well as many Victorian items, a general store, farm/agricultural equipment, children's toys, looms, and a Bridal Parlor featuring wedding dresses worn by Canton residents from the late 1800s. Also of interest, are several Regina music boxes, a large pump fire engine, used by the Collins Company, an Edison phonograph and Edison fans. Upstairs, the Farmington Valley Railroad Society operates a railroad diorama of the village of Collinsville around the start of the 20th century. A research and genealogical library containing thousands of documents and photographs related to Canton and Collinsville history is also located upstairs, including black and white photos of the 1955 flood. Information about local cemeteries in Canton and Collinsville are available in the library. The museum covers three floors with limited handicap accessibility, but plans are underway to make the building more accessible in the future. In the 19th century, a Collinsville butcher feuded with his neighbor.Hirsh, Linda B. (April 17, 1994)

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...

Walking Tour Puts the Traveler in 19th-Century Collinsville.
' Section: Town News Extra; Page H1. To spite his neighbor, the butcher built between their adjoining houses a narrow, two-story structure with windows covered by Venetian blinds. The wooden building located between 23 and 25 River Street was the width of a standard stairway and allowed the butcher to block the sun to the neighbor's home and block the neighbor's view of the butcher's property at will. The butcher's son got along with the family next door and eventually tore down the Collinsville Spite House. On the Farmington Riverbank is a red lumber shed which used to belong to the Miner Lumber Co. Inc., which has since moved to a new location in Canton. It is currently occupied by Collinsville Canoe & Kayak. File:5 River Street, Collinsville, Canton, CT.jpg, 5 River Street File:5 The Green Collinsville CT.jpg, 5 The Green File:10 Front Street Collinsville CT.jpg, 10 Front Street File:42 Bridge Street, Collinsville, Canton, CT.jpg, 42 Bridge Street File:130 Main Street, Collinsville, Canton, CT.jpg, 130 Main Street File:Bridge Street, Collinsville, Canton, CT 2.jpg, Bridge Street File:Bridge Street, Collinsville, Canton, CT.jpg, Bridge Street File:Canton Historical Museum Collinsville.jpg, Canton Historical Museum File:Canton Town Hall.jpg, Canton Town Hall File:Collins Company axe factory Collinsville CT.jpg, Collins Company axe factory File:Collins Company axe factory sign Collinsville CT.jpg, Collins Company axe factory sign File:Collinsville Congregational Church.jpg, Collinsville Congregational Church File:Collinsville, Farmington River spillway.jpg, Farmington River spillway File:Mill complex Bridge street Collinsville 2.jpg, Mill complex Bridge street

References

External links