Redding Co-Historian Brent Colley discusses how the railroad shaped Gilbert & Bennett’s success and aided the growth of surrounding areas.

This lecture will be co-sponsored by Ridgefield Historical Society. Town of Redding Co-Historian Brent Colley will examine how the institution of the railroad helped shape the success of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill and impacted the growth of the surrounding areas, including Branchville, a section of Ridgefield.

Destination: Georgetown, Part Three
Join us for a five-part lecture series, Destination: Georgetown, where we explore the impact of the Gilbert & Bennett Manufacturing Company on the development of Georgetown and surrounding towns.

The Destination: Georgetown lecture series will explore the lived experience of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill complex in Georgetown and its involvement in the creation of “place.” Closed in 1989, the mill remains a landmark tied to the development of the area – the settlement of Swedish immigrants, education and the construction of a school, and the local labor movement. This lecture series will present a new look at the mill and help understand Georgetown as a place of cooperation and diversity.