203-272-2245 · 104 Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410

Local History for Cheshire, CT

The Town of Cheshire

The area that is now Cheshire, Connecticut, was first settled in 1694, as a part of Wallingford.  In 1780, Cheshire was established as a separate town.  Cheshire remained a farming village well into the 1900s.  As recently as 1950, the town’s population was 6,295.  Cheshire has been home to  Cheshire Academy college prep school since the school was founded as the Episcopal Academy in 1794.

Historical Print Resources

The Library maintains a print collection which includes: town, county, regional & state histories; local family histories; high school yearbooks; city directories; the Cheshire volume of the Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Inscriptions; a clipping file primarily containing articles from the Cheshire Herald, 1953 to date; & most of the volumes of The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records.

Cheshire Newspaper Articles Collection Index (1756 – 1922)

From its settlement in 1694, until 1953, Cheshire did not have a long standing local newspaper.  There is no ‘paper of record’ that contains the town’s day-to-day news for over 250 years.

The Cheshire Newspaper Articles Collection is drawn from state and national newspapers that printed articles about the town and its residents.

Most articles include the names of local residents.  Many articles are very brief, or are legal notices that include local residents’ names. For genealogists, the value of these articles is that they place an individual in an historic place and time. Historians will be interested to read about notable town events.

The Collection does not include all events that occurred in town.  In some cases there are gaps of many years between articles.  The intent of the collection is twofold.  It partially fills a gap that exists regarding newspaper archives, and it provides information to family history researchers about ancestors who at one time lived in Cheshire.

Please note: The articles are protected by copyright laws and may not be used without the permission of the provider.

Cheshire Herald Obituary Index

The Cheshire Public Library index to obituaries from the Cheshire Herald currently runs from 1953 through 2015, for individuals whose last names begin with the letters A through R.

Obituary Index A to R

Digital Yearbooks

Browse our collection of Cheshire High School yearbooks dating back to 1955

Digital Yearbook Catalog

 

How to Request Copies of Articles

Cheshire Public Library will email copies of newspaper articles or obituaries listed in the online indexes upon request.  To order copies, email the complete citation as found in the index. Questions?  Contact the library at 203-272-2245.

Please Note – The information within the email must include the complete citation to the requested information.

Examples:

News Article: Trolleys – Accident on trestle – 20 Feb 1903
News Article: Baldwin, Jesse – Death – 15 Dec 1892
Obituary: Adams, John – 02/27/1964 – page 7

Request Copies