Welcome to Thompson, CT

We are pleased you have inquired about the Town of Thompson and hope the following information will be helpful to you.

Much of the long, prosperous history of the Town of Thompson is related to the rivers that cross our borders, the mills that grew along their banks, and the railroads that served the industrial complex centered here. Today the Providence and Worcester Railroad travels through town carrying freight to the deepwater port of New London. The town's geographical placement at a locus point between Hartford, Boston, Providence, and New York has historically given the advantage of being centralized, but uncomplicated by urban problems.

About Thompson

"Quality of Life" is the reason people live here: one has only to sample the life style of this community and the surrounding countryside to realize we have something special.

Within our borders, Quaddick Lake offers swimming, boating and fishing with the latter two also being available at the West Thompson Dam Recreational Site maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Thompson Speedway restaurant and golf course attract many to our area as does Quinnatisset, the beautiful private 18-hole golf course off Thompson Hill.

Visitors bound for attractions such as Old Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge, MA) and Mystic Seaport (Mystic, CT) frequently pause in Thompson to enjoy its scenic charms. The picturesque Common is also the site of Thompson's original Town Hall, maintained by the local historical society, whose collection recounts our community's ethnic, agricultural and manufacturing past.

Statistical Information

Windham County.
Form of government: Selectmen, Town Meeting, Board of Finance.
Incorporated May 1785. Taken from Killingly
Total area: 48.7 sq. miles. Land area: 46.9 sq. miles
Population estimated: 8,879.
Voting Districts: 4
Post Offices: Thompson, Grosvenordale, North Grosvenordale, Quinebaug

Although Thompson is one of the largest geographical areas in northeastern Connecticut (some 45 square miles) it has no one single center of identity. Instead, most of its residents identify themselves with the "village" that is closest to them.

Thus Thompson has become known as the town of 10 villages. The Thompson Historical Society has considerable information about each of the villages and its history, together with many photographs of each area and its denizens. The following is only a brief description of the most important or famous historical event in each of the villages. The villages are:

East Thompson

Site of the only 4-train wreck in the history of the United States. The wreck took place in 1901.

Wilsonville

Noted primarily for the Keegan Mill, originally built by Smith Wilkinson, which was a major employer in the area for some 100 years.

Fabyan

Originally known as "New Boston". Settled mainly by Swedish residents.

Quinebaug

Named after the Quinebaug River, which flows through the area.

Quaddick

Located next to Quaddick State Park, and famous for hardy souls braving the lake's cold water on the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Day swim.

Mechanicsville

Located along the banks ofthe French River.

Grosvenordale

Location of the Grosvenordale Mill, later owned by Belding Heminway Corp., and now being demolished to make way for other economic development.

North Grosvenordale

Originally developed as Masonville, a prosperous mill town typical of many New England mill towns, primarily settled by French Canadian immigrants and their descendants, but also home of immigrants from Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Sweden. The mill area was named after William Mason, whose family had developed the mills. William Mason built a magnificent mansion on Thompson Hill.

Thompson Hill

The earliest settled area in Thompson, and the early location of local industries. After the advent of the mill villages of Grosvenordale and North Grosvenordale, the industrial activity declined on the Hill, which became the residence of wealthy mill owners. Its reputation remains to this day.

West Thompson

West Thompson was a thriving area of farms and open spaces, until the flood of 1955, sfter which the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers flooded the village in order to operate a new dam to prevent further floods in the area.