Landscape
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.8 square miles 160.1 km², of which 60.5 square miles 156.8 km² is land and 1.3 square miles 3.4 km² or 2.10% is water. It is the second-largest town in Connecticut in terms of land area after New Milford, Connecticut.
History
In the mid-17th century, John Eliot, a Puritan missionary to the Indians, established "praying towns" where Native Americans took up Christianity and were expected to renounce their religious ceremonies, traditional dress, and customs. One Praying town, called Wabaquasset Senexet, Wabiquisset, 6 miles west of the Quinebaug River in present-day Woodstock, was the largest of the three northeastern Connecticut praying towns.
In 1675, when King Philip's War broke out, some of the town's Indians, especially in the southern part of the town sided with the Mohegans and the English while others sided with the Indians led by Philip, rallying to arms on what is now Curtis Island in present Holland, Massachusetts and Brimfield, Massachusetts. During the war, the Praying town became deserted, and the English with their Indian allies marched through Woodstock to present day Thompson in the summer of 1676 burning any crops or stored corn they could find.
In 1682, Massachusetts bought a tract of land, which included Woodstock, from the Mohegans. A group of 13 men from Roxbury, Mass. home of the Pastorate of Woodstock's earlier visitor, John Eliot, settled the town in 1686 and named it New Roxbury. Judge Samuel Sewall suggested the town change its name to Woodstock in 1690, and in 1749 the town became part of Connecticut.
A farming town in the 18th century, Woodstock began attracting industry after the War of 1812. "By 1820, there were 2 distilleries, 2 wheel wrights, an oil mill, fulling mill, carding machines, grist mills, saw mills, a goldsmith, and twine and cotton batting operations. Woodstock Valley was known for its shoe factories," according to the history page at the Woodstock town government Web site.
By the middle of the 19th century, industry almost ceased, and Woodstock reverted back to a rural state. The town then became a summer destination for wealthy city dwellers from around the East coast of the United States.