East Granby Was Founded On July 2, 1858.

The “civil union” between Granby and East Granby was never a completely happy alliance. As early as 1793 an effort was made to have East Granby set off as a separate town, because Granby, with the help of voters of Copper Hill, changed the rule under which the town meeting was to be held only once every three years at "Turkey Hills."

East Granby was eventually incorporated in 1858, out of Granby, Windsor and Windsor Locks. Granby had been set off from Simsbury in 1786, and Windsor Locks from Windsor just four years earlier, in 1854. The proposed town limits asked for then are precisely what they are today.

The would-be “secessionists” tried seven times, from 1793 to 1857, to petition the Connecticut State Assembly to create a town separate from Granby. In 1820 they sought to have a part of Suffield and Windsor joined with Turkey Hills to form a new town.

Over the years, most of the citizens that petitioned for separation were those “east” of the Metacomet Ridge and even though the men who lived “west” of Peak Mountain, in the Copper Hill section, did not want to separate, their land and their “grand list” was necessary to create a viable town with a sound economic base.

The reason given in the petitions were all similar. The signers from Turkey Hills insisted they had little in common with the people of Salmon Brook. The complained of the long distance they had to travel to town meetings and that the road over the “mountain” was many times impassable.

In 1820 and 1823 the citizens of Salmon Brook even agreed and voted to approve the creation of a new town. Even with this, the state assembly went on to conclude that the inconvenience suffered by the Turkey Hills residents was no more than many other Connecticut citizens faced when attending town meetings.

Almost 20 years later a new plan was proposed which would have merged the northeast corner of the parish to Suffield. They cited the proximity to Suffield center and the good level roads leading there, along with the close ties to the people of that town. They were even able to obtain the endorsement of 25 men from Suffield in their unsuccessful bid.

In 1851, many families east of the Mountain petitioned to be merged with the town of Windsor. For the first time, an economic issue was cited: the cost of maintaining the two expensive bridges over the Farmington River, which connected Granby to Tariffville. The voters of Windsor were opposed for the very same reason: they did not want to bear the expense of these two extraordinary bridges.

Ultimately, the citizens of East Granby prevailed due to economic inequities. Salmon Brook had over double the population of Turkey Hills, but the taxable value of their property was only slightly higher. This meant that with two out of three town meetings being held in Granby and a larger block of voters, the folks of Turkey Hills were at a permanent disadvantage. Granby’s terrain was more hilly and thus the cost of maintaining the roads disproportionably greater.

But the greatest injustice came in 1856, when a new state law was passed mandating that school board members would be elected by the voters at large. In the past, each “society” had complete autonomy over their own schools including the distribution of funds, formation of “rules and regulations," studies, books and the disciplinary policies.

Over the years, parents of adjoining towns would also choose to send their children to the school of their choice; thus, many families from Simsbury, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Suffield chose to send their pupils to the common schools in Turkey Hills. These parents were active in the First School Society, but would now have no say in the election of Granby’s board of education, nor could they be members themselves.

At last the Turkey Hills residents felt they had found something in which they could make a strong case for separation before the General Assembly. The assembly agreed and voted that on June 2, 1858, a separate town would be created that would include part of the Salmon Brook Society, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

When the final resolution of incorporation was submitted, the name “Turkey Hills” was crossed out and the name “Fremont” was inserted.  John Charles Fremont had unsuccessfully run against James Buchanan in 1856. He was a Republican and although he easily carried the State of Connecticut, he narrowly won in the town of Granby. Salmon Brook had always been a heavily Republican community but not so in Turkey Hills. With a heavily Republican state assembly, it was thought a new town with this name might garner more support. The folks of Turkey Hills did not like this name and when John J. Viets submitted his successful petition, he specified the name, “East Granby”.

Entries in Elmore Clark’s diary convey the excitement that pervaded Turkey Hills in the spring of 1858. Lighted windows, waving flags, torchlight parades, ringing church bells, booming cannons and marching bands were all a part of the celebration in 1858. After 65 years of anticipation and disappointment, there can be little doubt that most of the residents of East Granby celebrated their own “independence” that early July day in 1858!

Thanks to Mary Jane Springman and Betty Finnell Guinan for many of the facts found in this story.