| NOVEMBER 28, 2010 -- In 1988, Nancy Clark and her son would walk from their home on Old Good Hill to visit a local man named Joe and his one-eyed horse, Taxi.
One day, while bringing carrots to Taxi, Joe told Nancy and her son, Cooper, that he was afflicted with cancer and had very little time left.
Joe's main concern was for his homestead, which included two small ponds on a bucolic rural landscape. He offered the land to his church, but feared the parish may sell it if they needed money. Joe had no close relatives to help his cause, so Nancy promised to do her part.
A few days later, Nancy read in the newspaper that the governor was forming a Greenway Commission in Connecticut and that municipal land trusts were invited to a meeting to discuss the proposal.
Nancy learned that land trusts could protect land in perpetuity. She gathered a group of eight like-minded friends at her house to plan Oxford's first land trust.
Representatives from the Seymour and Southbury land trusts attended to offer suggestions. Attorney Ralph Crozier of Southbury served as the land trust's pro bono attorney and filed the incorporation papers. The trust has also benefited from the pro bono services of CPA Paul Filipowich since its start.
Unfortunately, Joe died before the trust could save the land.
A distant nephew inherited and developed the property. Joe's dream of saving his land was not realized. Yet, through the effort, the Oxford Land Trust was born and continues to this day.
Changing landscape
The state expects Oxford's population to exceed 13,000 in 2013. Some folks think it will be higher than that. Oxford's population growth is only part of the story.
The Connecticut Register and Manual over the past 60 years tells and interesting tale about our community:
- 1941: Population 1,375; Principal industry: Agriculture.
- 1975: Population; 5,100; Principal industry: Dairying.
- 2003: Population; 10,173; Principal industry, agriculture and light manufacturing.
- 2007: Population 11,709; Principal industry: agriculture and light manufacturing.
Way back in the 1930s and '40s, many immigrant families as well as "Yankees" farmed the soil. Many earned most of their incomes off the land. Most farms grew diverse crops and livestock, and there were a few large poultry farms.
By the 1970s, milk production became the major farm product. Today, although most of the large dairies are gone, you can still find on Ebay collectible milk bottles from Oxford farms that retailed their milk.
The state lists our principal industry as agriculture and light manufacturing.
Like many former farming communities in Connecticut and nationwide, Oxford has seen dramatic shifts in its workforce.
Currently, according to the Connecticut Register and Manual, agriculture makes up less than six percent of the jobs in Oxford, and most of the folks who live in Oxford work out of town, giving Oxford the title of "bedroom community."
Preserving rural space
People choose to live here because of the rural atmosphere. As more people make that choice, the town changes from rural to suburban. While we welcome new families, most folks prefer the "rural atmosphere" and want to see it preserved.
The Oxford Land Trust has worked for two decades to save open space and our rural community. Originally meeting in private homes, land trust members later met at Christ Church because its membership grew. Eventually meetings moved to the Town Hall, where they now meet on the third Tuesday of each month.
Over the years, the organization has sponsored a variety of public programs, the most popular of which feature animals. Residents have enjoyed programs on birds of prey, wolves, and more, attracting crowds of up to 500 people.
Each year, the group takes the second-grade classes from Oxford on a hike in the Rock House Hill Sanctuary. Oxford purchased this property from Bridgeport Hydraulic as a result of efforts spearheaded by the trust.
The trust encouraged Oxford to require subdivision developers to dedicate 10 percent of the land to open space. Developers may choose not to dedicate the open space by paying an equivalent amount to the town's Open Space Land Acquisition Fund. The town uses the fund to purchase open space; the most recent of which was $400,000 for the Bishop vonWettberg Preserve.
The first property owned by the Land Trust itself was Chalybeate Hill. Bill Griffin donated the nine acres, south of the Old Sawmill miniature golf/snack bar on Oxford Road, to the trust.
Today, the trust holds seven properties, totaling nearly 133 acres of open space. The trust's influence spreads much further than its land holdings.
Oxford Land Trust has been instrumental in supporting town initiatives to purchase open space. The town purchase of the Tetlak property was especially important. Part of the property adjoins Eight Mile Brook.
The trust seeks to develop a walking trail along the brook where residents could enjoy the natural beauty of the area. They could view historic spots where Oxford's early mill-driven industries prospered. The Walter & Katherine Dann Woodland Preserve includes the site of an abandoned button factory site on the stream.
Debate over land use
Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in locally-grown food. As food sources become closer to home, the need for farmland increases. At the same time, demand for building lots continues to grow.
Easements for the preservation of farmland are a tool for saving property from development. The trust educates landowners of the various options available. Easements may be donated or sold to the state or private preservation groups.
Recently, the trust held a Farmers' Appreciation Dinner at the Oxford Grange for farmers from the Naugatuck Valley Region. Terry Jones of Jones' Tree Farm spoke on his work with the state and the work of the Farmland Trust. Farmers received literature on various preservation options, as well as from the Grange. The program, under the direction of Land Trust Director Margie Elliott, was a resounding success, featuring meat and crops from area farms.
Through the efforts of the land trust, the Grange, and preservation-minded landowners, Oxford hopes to save of its rural atmosphere. The formation and work of the land trust is a historic part of the fortunate trend.
To see a map showing open space land in Oxford, click here.
Vist the Oxford Land Trust's website at http://www.oxfordlandtrust.org. |
