West Hartford History: Where Are These People?

If you think you know the answer or have a special memory related to the photo, respond in the "Leave a comment" box below this article. We'll run the answer next Monday, along with a new historical photo. The image has been provided by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. For more information on the museum's collection and programs, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.

Last week we asked: "What Is Located Where This Farm Once Stood?" This one generated quite a few comments, with a number of different guesses.

"Sherman's Farm, and now Rockledge Country Club," was the suggestion offered by John Maloney. R.C. Pond recalled that a dairy farm was located where Bishops Corner now stands.

Rick Liftig went back to the southern part of town. "Elmwood Cows - born and bred on the Gerth farm (where Chatfield and Wolcott Park is today)," he guessed. "VC" also thought it was the farm where Corbins Corner is today, and Robin Lindemann added the following: "My thoughts are that this might be the Gerth Farm. It would be where Corbin Corner, Astronaut Village and that whole area is today. The land seems to be fairly flat and not with a lot of trees which seems to fit that end of town. My late Dad used tell me that our homes were built on what used to be a large farm a while ago."

Joy Brigham Taylor also remembered her dad talking about a farm in that area. "My dad always talked about the farm land on the Westfarms section of town... could this be that area? I see Robin mentions Gerth Farm. My dad never mentioned the name of the farm," she wrote.

Judy Salm thought perhaps the image is of Neilson's Farm on Simsbury Rd., where CIGNA is located today, and Lynn Jones mentioned AC Peterson's.

Quite a few of you got it right. The official answer from the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is: "The land that the Gerth dairy farm was on went from New Britain Ave. and South Main St. to South Road. In 1961 50 acres of the farm became the site of Corbin’s Corner Parkade with 31 stores including Sears. The Parkade was named for the Corbin Farm which was located across the street."