oxford
Originally part of Derby, Oxford was first settled as a collection of farms, establishing itself as a separate "parish" in 1741 and becoming incorporated by the General Assembly in 1798. The desire to separate was a practical one. Residents from the Oxford district traveled about nine miles each Sunday to the Derby Meeting House.
In addition to agriculture, Oxford was known for its variety of mills along its waterways. A number of mills, including a sawmill, grist mill and paper mill, were located at the site of what is now Southford Falls on Route 188, north of the Quaker Farms section of town. Hospitality was another industry in town since the main thoroughfare, established in 1798 as The Oxford Turnpike and now known as Route 67, was used to transport agricultural products from Litchfield County to markets in New York. Two of the stops along the way were the Oxford House, still a restaurant in the center of town, and the Washband Tavern, a notable building overlooking the southern end of Route 67. Dairy and chicken farming were chief industries for many years, also. Eventually, a large part of the population went to work in factory towns stretching from Bridgeport to Naugatuck and Waterbury.
