ENFIELD

enfield, a township of hartford county, connecticut, u.s.a., in the n. part of the state, on the e. bank of the connecticut river, 20 m. n. of hartford. it has an area of 35 sq. m., with three villages--thompsonville, hazardville and enfield. pop. (1890) 7199; (1900) 6699 (1812 foreign-born); (1910) 9719. its principal manufactures are gunpowder, carpets, brick, cotton press machinery, and coffin hardware. in enfield and its vicinity much tobacco is grown. first settled in 1679, enfield was a part of the township of springfield, massachusetts, until 1683, when it was made a separate township; in 1749 it became a part of connecticut. at a town meeting on the 11th of july 1774 it was resolved that "a firm and inviolable union of our colonies is absolutely necessary for the defence of our civil rights," and that "the most effectual measures to defeat the machinations of the enemies of his majesty's government and the liberties of america is to break off all commercial intercourse with great britain and the west indies until these oppressive acts for raising a revenue in america are repealed." a shaker community was established in the township in 1781, at what is now called shaker station. see francis olcutt allen, _history of enfield_ (lancaster, pa., 1900).