An upcoming hike up Rattlesnake Mountain offers not only breathtaking views but adds a bit of interest and local color as the trial winds past the 'den' of the notorious and colorful character Will Warren. A favorite spot for hikers, the mountain view is beautiful and lends a certain air of curiosity due to the legendary Will Warren.
A Brief History of Will Warren’s Den: Portions of Farmington’s history are fanciful; elements of truth are always found within the traditional tales of a locale. Such is the story of Will Warren. A brief reference to Will appears in Andrews’ History of New Britain but the full legend was written down for perhaps the first time in the 1906 Green Book. Will was said to have been an odd character whose various offenses included skipping church and fishing on the Sabbath. In response to his unconventional behavior, the village of Farmington subjected him to a public whipping. In a burst of incendiary vengeance, Will is said to have set the village on fire. The conflagration offered him the chance to flee to a cave on top of Rattlesnake Mountain. There, legend says he lived out the rest of his days as a “hermit”, foraging down into town from time to time to steal sheep.
The cave is actually a cavity beneath huge tumbled trap rock boulders, and certainly could have sheltered an outcast like Will. It is high on the rocky ridge, near the TV towers and on the Blue Trail. For generations, it has been the goal of youngsters and their elders to explore the rocky oak woodland of the ridge. Though Will Warren may be partly legend, his cave is definitely still there up on the mountain.
The Den and 7.2 acres was donated to the Town of Farmington in 1987 by William Wadsworth, and is further protected by the Farmington Land Trust’s conservation easement. Will and his Den are very much part of our local story and if he did not really exist, he probably should have. History courtesy of Farmington Land Trust Board Member Dr. Charles Leach and Farmington, Connecticut, The Village of Beautiful Homes, Robert Brandegee,1906.
