HomeMy WebLinkAboutConnecticut Hill spring 2019 Sue Thompson NL ArticleConnecticut Hill – Enfield Town Historian, Sue Thompson (historian@townofenfield.org)
While looking for ideas for an article on “Enfield History” I found a newspaper article dated August 1911. It told about D.A. Brodie of the bureau of plan industry, department of Agriculture
in Washington D.C. coming to Tompkins County. He was viewing the “so-called” abandoned farms of Connecticut Hill. The government had been making experiments there to improve the condition
of the soil. This was the section of the county which Col. Theodore Roosevelt made a trip through in 1910.
After reading the article I wondered how much land in Enfeld is designated as Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management (WM) area. There is a total of 181.88 acres according to the Tompkins
County Assessment Office (18.-1-9 and 18.-1-10). Then I wondered who owned the land before W.M. Florence and Samuel Decker were listed on the deed. Florence received the land in
her name on February 1911. The family was listed in the Federal Census as living in Newfield on Saxton Hill (Cayutaville Road) until they were listed as living on Town Line Road in
1930 in Enfield. Samuel’s occupation was general farming and Florence’s occupation was housekeeping. They had two children Seeley and Nellie. Their land was sold to the W.M. in 1936.
They both died in the late 1930’s.