©Norfolk Historical Society

Meet John o’the Woods, perhaps the most well-known homeless man in 19th century Connecticut. In the course of his migrations, which spanned forty years, he regularly tramped through Norfolk in late spring and early fall, taking meals at farms along his route. The Town of Norfolk was expected to care for its destitute, and a Town Farm was established near the present Transfer Station to provide food and lodging to those in need. The selectmen issued passes to the Town Farm and authorized the TownTreasurer to pay residents of nearby towns for sheltering Norfolk’s indigent. John o’ the Woods did not call Norfolk home, but he stopped each year at the same farms for his daily meals: the Spaulding farm on Litchfield Road and the Spring farm on North Street.