SIMSBURY

town (township), Hartford county, north-central Connecticut, U.S., on the Farmington River. The area, originally called Massacoe, was settled in 1660 as part of Windsor. The community was separately incorporated in 1670 and named either for Simondsbury, Eng., or for Simon Wolcott, an early pioneer. The settlers fled during King Philip's War (167576), and the village was burned. It was rebuilt and thrived after copper was discovered at East Granby (then part of Simsbury) in 1705. The first colonial copper coins were minted there in 1737 by John Higley. The town's area was reduced with the separate incorporation of Granby (1786), Canton (1806), and Bloomfield (1835). Simsbury is mainly residential with some light manufactures, including safety fuses (since 1839). Tariffville village, near a portion of Talcott Mountain State Park, is in the northeastern part of the town. Area 34 square miles (88 square km). Pop. (1990) 22,023; (1996 est.) 21,782.