Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Plainfield Village. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889Moosup sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Plainfield Village.
Timeline
Plainfield Village, 1699 to 1901
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Plainfield was incorporated in 1699 as the town of Quinebaug and renamed the following year to its current name. The present name of "Plainfield" is descriptive of the original town site. Plainfield proved to be an industrial heavyweight in the 19th and early 20th centuries due largely to the ability of the Moosup and Quinebaug Rivers to provide power to the different mills throughout town. The job opportunities attracted French Canadian Americans, Irish Americans, British Americans, and people from other countries during the late 19th century. Combined with the mills, Plainfield had incredible commerce for a small town because four railways from Hartford, New York, Boston, and Providence intersected within the town. There was also a highly acclaimed school on Academy Hill, which is how the present Academy Hill Road got its name. Also, the town annually has the V-J Day parade, said to b…
Passages that mention Plainfield Village, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Windham County, Connecticut1874 · page 575Read the page →
Read the text
f ul management and oversight IHainfield Junction for many yeai-s was nothing but a railroad crossing, but now carries on Foundry works, and steam saw-mills, and iH building up into a village. Old Plainfield Village has perhaps the finest avenue of trees in Windham County, and many handsome residences. The Congregational church still worshi|>s in the stone meetinghouse of 1818, and though greatly weakened by dismissal of members to Central Village and Wauregaii churches, is regaining its former
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Plainfield Village, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1901–1907
1901–1907
1902–1907
c. 1906