There are two dozen places in the United States named Plainfield, but Plainfield, Connecticut, was the first. When it was incorporated in 1699, Colonial governor Fitz-John Winthrop named the town for its rich, fertile fields along the Quinebaug River. During the 1700s, the town was transformed from Native American country to a farming community populated by English settlers. In the 1800s, textile mills were built along the Moosup and Quinebaug Rivers, and Plainfield became an industrial town attracting workers from all over New England, Canada, and Europe. Today the textile industry is gone, and the surviving mills have been converted to other uses. Located in the northeastern part of the state, Plainfield is in the heart of the breathtaking Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor. Title: Quiet Corner Whispers: Don't forget local books on your gift list Author: Marge Hoskin Publisher: The Norwich Bulletin Date: 12/16/2008 Thinking about giving books for the holidays? Here are some of the many books written recently by Quiet Corner authors. For children, Killingly native Donna Raheb has written "The Adventures of Henrietta Ham: Meet Henrietta," in which Ms. Ham escapes her fate as Sunday dinner and opts instead for wildlife exploration in her backyard. The cautionary tale, "Little Red Riding Hood," has been retold and beautifully illustrated by Andrea Wisnewski of Mansfield. This time around, the locale of the fairy tale originally published by the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century is New England. For grown-ups, Leigh Grossman of Pomfret has written two fantasies, "The Green Lion" and its sequel "The Golden Thorns." Grossman who authored "The Red Sox Fan Handbook" after the Sox won the World Series (no fantasy there!) is a member of the University of Connecticut's adjunct faculty teaching writing and book publishing courses. Jim Wesolowski of Lebanon, a writer and part-time stone mason, has compiled his columns written for a Mystic newspaper in "Sighting by Eye: Selected Essays of a Ruminative Stone Mason." Wesolowski teaches his popular course in stonewall building to students in EASTCONN's adult education program. Books about local history include Margaret Weaver's "Perspectives of Putnam, 1693-2005," an update of the town history she wrote in 1980 for Putnam's 125th anniversary. Lovers of old photographs may want to seek out "Images of America: Plainfield" by the Plainfield Historical Society and "Images of America: Killingly Revisited" by Natalie Coolidge. Clarence and Donna Salmon wrote "Tales of a Farmboy" described by one reviewer as "a true piece of Americana." Clarence (1909-2001) was a local farmer and feed-and-grain specialist from Killingly. Even my neighbor, John Waller, has had another book published by the Australian Naval Historical Society. His first was "Secret Science at Sea" about his 20 years as a sonar scientist at the naval laboratory in Sydney. His latest, titled "Flinders Year 1947," focuses on the personal stories of 24 young Australians, including John, who joined the Royal Australian Navy. Writing something that someone else will want to read is a difficult and lonely creative endeavor. So, why write? Perhaps it's "because it isn't there!" This book was compiled by the Plainfield Historical Society and complements Christopher P. Bickford's history titled Plainfield Transformed: Three Centuries of Life in a Connecticut Town, 1699-1999. The photographs reflect life during the textile-mill era from the late 1800s to early 1950s. Both professional and amateur photographers produced the pictures, many of which are from the society's collection. The narrative is based on original source materials and the stories of residents who loaned photographs for this project.