The histories of Roxbury and Bridgewater are intertwined, as both communities developed from settlement to ecclesiastical society to incorporated town. Both were once part of larger adjoining towns, with Bridgewater originally known as Shepaug Neck and Roxbury first named Shepaug Plantation. Shepaug is a Mohegan word meaning "rocky river" and was taken from the name of the river that runs through Bridgewater and forms Roxbury's western border. While settlers first plowed the land, they also built homes, schools, and churches and constructed gristmills, blacksmith shops, hat factories, tobacco warehouses, taverns, and general stores. Townsmen mined iron ore and quarried stones in the hills. Over time, the horse and buggy gave way to railroads and automobiles as modes of transportation between the towns, while new inventions gave locals free time for entertainment and civic pursuits. Title: History of Roxbury and Bridgewater Told Through Photographs Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Date: 7/18/2011 The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's popular Images of America series is Roxbury and Bridgewater from local authors Jeannine Green and Eileen M. Buchheit. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by. The histories of Roxbury and Bridgewater are intertwined, as both communities developed from settlement to ecclesiastical society to incorporated town. Both were once part of larger adjoining towns, with Bridgewater originally known as Shepaug Neck and Roxbury first named Shepaug Plantation. Shepaug is a Mohegan word meaning "rocky river" and was taken from the name of the river that runs through Bridgewater and forms Roxbury's western border. While settlers first plowed the land, they also built homes, schools, and churches and constructed gristmills, blacksmith shops, hat factories, tobacco warehouses, taverns, and general stores. Townsmen mined iron ore and quarried stones in the hills. Over time, the horse and buggy gave way to railroads and automobiles as modes of transportation between the towns, while new inventions gave locals free time for entertainment and civic pursuits. Highlights of Roxbury and Bridgewater: ? The towns ? The people ? The settlements ? Farming ? Earning a living ? Community spirit and traditions Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888)-313-2665. Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com. ### Jeannine Green is director trustee at the Roxbury Museum, a member of the Roxbury Historical Society and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, and author of a history of over 300 Roxbury place names. Eileen M. Buchheit is vice president of the Bridgewater Historical Society and has written about local history for Bridgewater's "Our Town" column for several years.