Bloomfield rooted in Messenger Farms (Greenfields)…

From Windsor, Connecticut, they came; pioneers with an adventurous spirit and love for freedom.  They all had an English national origin, Protestant religious beliefs and most adhered to the strict Puritan traditions.  All had rural roots and a reliance on the self-sufficiency of family and community. These were the builders of our foundations; the settlers of Wintonbury, the forefathers of Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Records show that the first explorers to the region reported to seeing “good ground sufficient for three families.” Henry Stiles, in History of Ancient Windsor writes that Edward Messenger and his son-in-law, Peter Mills, were the first pioneers who settled on this “good ground,” that became known, first, as “Messenger Farms.”  According to Stiles, Messenger bought his land in 1661, and in 1666, deeded it to Peter Mills as a “free gift”, 20 acres, “where on he has builded.” Today, this area is located on the corner of what is now named Blue Hills Avenue and Park Avenue, in the Town of Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Within a short period of time, more settlers came, and more land was cleared.  The original tree growth consisted of elm, butternut, walnut, chestnut and oak, and their timbers were used for the buildings. Stones were gathered and set into foundations.

 from: Not Lost – Gone Before
A History of Latimer Hill Cemetery
by Lucy Woodford Wirsul