Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/history/historic-footnotes/page/2/)
For many years, the only building on the main intersection in Granby was the Meeting House built in 1736 on the northwest corner hill, which once was much closer to the corner. The cemetery was established around the Meeting House.
The Granby Land Trust acquired the Wilcox property on Simsbury Road, owned by the late Steve Wilcox Hastings, in 2019. Since it does not have houses on its property, the Trust generously offered the late 18th century home to the Salmon Brook Historical Society if we agreed to preserve and maintain it.
There have been black families living in Granby since pre-Revolutionary times. Since even the free blacks could not vote or hold public office, were not leaders in the church or government and rarely owned businesses, they are practically invisible in the history of a town.
Where do spirits go when their home is destroyed? An early 19th century dwelling at 18 East Granby Road was torn down late in 1998.
Rev. Haynes spent the next 30 years of his ministry in West Rutland, Vt. His congregation was very attached to him and vigorously objected to any disparaging remarks about their “coloured minister.”
A young man of mixed parentage—black and white—through his talent, diligent study and hard work, became a well-known and much-loved minister.
A hundred years ago, Granby had the reputation of having the best 4th of July in the Farmington Valley. The town was also famous (or infamous) for the noise and mayhem produced by the “boys” of Granby.
Sometimes in history two seemingly unrelated events will fit together to solve a puzzle—and also add another fascinating footnote to the history of Granby.
The image of Granby in the early 1800s is one of a typical small New England town. Almost everyone was a farmer, even the men who also operated mills.
The English language is not static. Despite the efforts of purists to freeze the language at a certain time period and say, “This is correct forever,” the language continues to change and grow.