Litchfield County, Connecticut had a long involvement in the Temperance Movement in the United States. The first American Temperance Society was established at Litchfield, Connecticut in 1789. Two hundred farmers in the town met to create an association to discourage the use of spirituous liquors. Following this, Reverends in the area began taking the topic up at their pulpit. In the year 1811 the General Association of the Congregational body in America appointed a committee on the subject of intemperance. When this committee was unable to suggest or propose a remedy, the Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher of Litchfield moved for the appointment of another committee to report without delay a remedy for intemperance. He was himself appointed chairman of this second committee, and reported resolutions recommending to all good men total abstinence from all distilled liquors. The report was adopted, and from that time Rev. Beecher acted upon the principle and trained his children therein. In 1812, while pastor of the Congregational Church at Litchfield, he preached six sermons on “The Evils of Intemperance.”  These were published in 1827 and widely circulated in the United States and throughout Great Britain and Ireland. In 1827 a temperance society was organized in Torringford, and soon after this a temperance society for Litchfield County was organized. The Litchfield County Society continued its active work for a number of years, and secured much support in the area. Local temperance organizations continued to form in Litchfield County throughout the nineteenth century, including Woman’s Temperance Unions in Litchfield and New Milford.

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