With the success of the Erie Canal in New York the idea of a similar canal in New England spread. It was thought that a canal could be instrumental in opening Connecticut and northern New England to future business expansions. As it was the transportation of goods was difficult and expensive. The roads, or what was termed roads, were limited and often closed down by either snow or mud. the expense of hauling local goods over the Mount Tom mountain range to Hartford simply priced them out of the market. There was, at this time, no way to successfully reach the markets in Hartford or New Haven with your products. A canal would be the perfect means of transportation for the blossoming clock works in Bristol. The smooth ride on the canal would insure the arrival of the clocks in much better condition than when they had to travel over the bumpy roads.

The Farmington Canal Company was chartered in May 1822. The route was to travel from the New Haven harbor through Cheshire and Southington, across the Great Plain of Farmington (now the town of Plainville), through Farmington crossing the Farmington River and Continuing to Southwick pond. The plan was to connect the Farmington Canal to the Hampshire and Hamden Canal which was planned to reach up to the St. Lawrence River.

The digging of the Farmington Canal began on July 4, 1825 at the village of Salmon Brook in the town of Granby. It took over 2 years to dig the Farmington Canal. A man, with a horse or ox, was paid $1.50 per day. A man alone was paid $1.00 per day but an Irishman was paid only forty cents a day. A problem arose in the Great Plain (Plainville), our soil was very sandy and thus when water was let in the canal, it quickly disappeared into the ground. The canal had to be puddled, meaning a clay lining had to be stomped into the canal. [When the section of the Farmington Canal that was restored in 1970 that puddling was still intact.]