Local History
Town of Vernon
City of Rockville
Vernon’s Rockville section, once known as the “Loom City,” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in the development of the American woolen industry. Powered by the waters of the Hockanum River, Rockville’s textile mills made Vernon a thriving industrial center from the early 19th century until the last mill closed in 1951. The Rockville Public Library has an extensive Local History collection covering the Town of Vernon’s development.
Local History works (call numbers beginning with LH) and some Connecticut reference works (numbers beginning with R) are located in the Community Room in the library. Please ask staff for these items. You will be asked to leave your driver’s license with staff during the time that you are working with these items. Most reference titles are located in the reference room. Works in both of these collections may be used only in the library.
*Parentheses around LH or R indicate that the library also owns a circulating copy
GENERAL HISTORY
The “classic” on local history is George S. Brookes’ Cascades and Courage (1955)—LH 974.64 BRO; R 974.64 BRO; circulating copies, 974.64 BRO. A good overview of Vernon history is provided in Vernon, Our Town (Vernon Historical Society, 1989)—LH 974-64 VER; R 974.64 VER; circulating copies, 974.64 VER. Written for school children, it covers major developments in town history. Other general history titles include:
| Boys from Rockville: Civil War Narratives by Benjamin Hirst | *(LH) B HIRST |
| Building the Loom City by Ardis Abbott (1998) | *(LH, R) 974.64 ABB |
| Burpee’s the Story of Connecticut, vol 2. (1939) | R 974.64 BUR |
| Centennial of Vernon (Rockville), souvenir program (1908) | LH 974.64 CEN |
| Century of Vernon, Connecticut, 1808-1908 | LH 974.64 CEN |
| Early Reminiscences of Rockville, CT, in Rhyme by Frank D. Maine (1908) | LH 974.64 MAI |
| History of Rockville by William Cogswell (1872) | LH 974.64 COG |
| History of Tolland County by J.R. Cole (1888) | LH 974.64 COL |
| History of Vernon & Rockville by Mrs. Gardner Stanley (1936) | LH 974.64 STA |
| News and Views in Vernon… by Bruce G. Ronson (1952) | LH 974.64 RON |
| Official Program of Rockville-Vernon Observance of the | |
| Tercentenary of Connecticut… (1935) | LH 974.64 OFF |
| 175th Anniversary Official Souvenir Program (1983) | LH 974.64 ONE |
| “Rockville,” Guide to the History and Historical Sites of Conn. (1937) | LH 974.64 CRO |
| “Rockville,” Illustrated Review of Northeastern Conn. (1891) | LH 974.64 ILL |
| Sesquicentennial of the Town of Vernon, Conn. (1958) | LH 974.64 SES |
| Vernon & Historic Rockville by Ardis Abbott & Jean Luddy (1998) | (LH, R) 974.64 ABB |
| Vernon & Rockville in the Olden Times by Celia E. Prescott (n.d.) | LH 974.64 PRE |
| Vernon Bicentennial Commission Official Scrapbook (1977) | LH 974.64 VER |
| Vernon Vignettes, vols. 1 & 2, by Hazel Lutz (1970s) | LH 974.64 LUT |
| Vernon through the Years, 1808-1983 | LH 974.64 VER |
ARCHITECTURE |
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| City of Rockville Historical District, U.S. Dept. of Interior (1984) | LH 720 CIT |
| Survey of Architectural & Historical Resources, | |
| Vernon Historical Society (1980) | LH 720 SUR |
INDUSTRY |
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| History of Rockville Mills—articles (1867-1972) | LH 974.64 HIS |
| Red Envelope, house organ of U.S. Envelope Company (1915-25) | LH 974.64 LOG |
LANDMARKS |
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| Fox Hill War Memorial Tower & Henry Park (newspaper articles) | LH 974.64 FOX |
| Learning from the Stones: …Cemeteries as Social History | LH 974.64 LUD |
| Old North Bolton Burial Ground | LH 974.64 OLD |
| Rockville Hospital—articles | LH 974.64 ROC |
| Snipsic Lake & Grove, souvenir program, 32nd season | LH 974.64 SNI |
| Study of the Henry Opera House by E. William Gourd | LH 974.64 GOU |
BIOGRAPHY/REMINISCENCES |
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| Charles Ethan Porter (2 different works) | *(LH) B PORTER |
| Christian Patriot: …Col. Hugh Maxwell of Mass. | LH B MAXWELL |
| Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland & Windham Counties | LH 92 COM |
| Gene Pitney | *(LH) B PITNEY |
| Family Album by Elizabeth Goddard Davis | LH B GODDARD |
| In Memoriam: George Sykes | LH B SYKES |
| Kelloggs in the Old World and the New | LH 929 HOP |
| Let’s Visit Rockville by Alma L.H. Steig | LH 974.64 STI |
| Maxwell Family by Charles W. Burpee | LH 92 BUR |
| Maxwell Family by Henry D. Maxwell | LH 929 MAX |
| Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok by William Fraser | LH 92 FRA |
RELIGION |
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| Church of Christ in Vernon by Allyn Stanley Kellogg | LH 974.64 KEL |
| Congregationalism in Rockville, Conn. by George Brookes | LH 974.64 BRO |
| Diamond Jubilee of St. Joseph Church, 1905-1980 | LH 974.64 DIA |
| St. Bernard Church, 125th Anniversary, 1854-1979 | LH 974.64 SAI |
| St. Bernard Church 150th Jubilee Directory, 2004 | LH 974.64 SAI |
| 75th Anniversary Celebration, 1888-1963, Union Congregational Church of Christ (1963) | LH 974.64 SEV |
| Trinity Lutheran Church: Centennial, 1882-1982 | LH 974.64 TRI |
| 200th Anniversary Celebration of the First Congregational Church, 1762-1962 by Mildred S. Willes | LH 974.64 WIL |
PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTIONS |
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| Glimpses of Rockville, Conn. (1902) | LH 974.64 GLI |
| Looking Back: Historic Images of North Central Conn. | LH 974.64 LOO |
| Sesquicentennial 1808-1958 Photo Record | LH 974.64 SES |
| Sesquicentennial of the Town of Vernon, scrapbook | LH 974.64 SES |
| Souvenir of Rockville, Conn. (1908) | LH 974.64 SOU |
| Souvenir of Rockville, Conn.: Indelible Photographs | LH 974.64 SOU |
| The 200th Anniversary of Vernon-Rockville | LH 974-64 VER |
MAGAZINE ARTICLES |
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| Articles on Vernon’s centennial, Connecticut Magazine, 1908 | LH 974.64 CON |
| “City of Rockville,” Connecticut Magazine, 1900 | LH 974.64 CON |
| “Cogswell’s Great Fountain Crusade…,” Yankee Magazine, Mar-71 | LH 974.64 YAN |
The Local History collection also contains information on such topics as finances, government, planning and development, ordinances, regulations, schools and statistics, as well as directories and reports for both the Town of Vernon and City of Rockville. Back issues of local newspapers—Tolland County Journal, Rockville Journal, Rockville Leader and Tri-Town Reporter—are available on microfilm.
Additional information on Vernon/Rockville history is available at
Vernon Historical Society
734 Hartford Turnpike
Vernon, CT 06066
(860) 875-4326
http://www.vernonhistoricalsoc.org/