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About the Designer
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Designer of History of Redding, Connecticut Web Site  
   

My name is Brent M. Colley. I grew up in Redding, CT on Peaceable Street in the Georgetown section of town.

My family came to Redding in the late 1800's and settled on Peaceable Street. Since then five generations have grown up in Redding.


Brent M. Colley & John J. Merlino
at the Redding Roadhouse.
View more photos
.

My interest in the town's history got a late start. Throughout my life my grandfather let me know about the town's history and showed me all the important areas, but for some reason it wasn't until 1998 I became fully aware of the town's rich history.

In the Fall of 1998, I came up with the idea for the site. I was hiking in "the Rock Lot" across the street from my parent's house exploring the stone walls on the Seventy Acres side and I started thinking about how I could help others enjoy what I was finding so enthralling.

Initially I went to a designer to create the site, but choked on the price tag of over $2000 and opted to purchase the Microsoft Front Page98 web design program to do it myself. The program was so easy to pick up that it took me just two months to complete and post the site. Since then I've been adding to the site with the help of individuals around the world that have forwarded me information and pictures from their private collections. The response to the site has been overwhelming.

My move to the Northwest corner of the state (Sharon, CT) in 2000 was a tough decision but I am very happy to have made it. The farmland is vast and the people are incredibly friendly, it's much like the Redding I remember growing up. I'm an avid outdoorsman and I have much to explore in these hills. History surrounds me: there are iron furnaces, limekilns, riverside mills and blacksmith shops throughout the region. I've found countless artifacts on my hillside exploration trips, so needless to say I'm right at home.

The future of the History of Redding site is very bright. I still have many years to cover and I hope that with the help of individuals I can continue to add to the history of the town and it's wonderful people. Financing the project has been my greatest hurdle. Without sponsorship I have been forced to treat the site as a hobby and not devote as much time to the project as I would like to. If you have any ideas or would like to sponsor me in the quest for history I would greatly appreciate it.

A special thank you must be given to my grandfather who has been extremely helpful and enthusiastic. Without his help and knowledge, none of this would have come to fruition. From a young age he has shown me the town as it is and as it was and told me countless stories of places, people, and events that have enriched the history and shaped the landscape of our town. I can not thank him enough for this, I can only say  "this is for you Grandpa, I will always be grateful."

Our page views increase every month! We are now averaging 10,000+ page views a week and over 43,000 a month. 5 Reasons to Advertise on the History of Redding.com

View my Mission Statement

Short Bio for Media:

Brent M. Colley is an local historian who has been documenting and promoting the history of Branchville, Georgetown, and Redding, Connecticut via his web site www.historyofredding.com since 1998. In addition to the web site, Mr. Colley leads yearly walking tours, slide shows and speaking engagements that showcase the people, places, and events that have enriched the histories and shaped the landscapes of Branchville, Georgetown, and Redding. Born and raised in Georgetown, his ties to Georgetown and Gilbert & Bennett date back to the late 1860's when his great-great grandfather arrived from England on a ship carrying Barnard, Bishop & Barnard power twisters used by the G&B factory to produce Galvanized Poultry Netting. Brent is the 5th generation of Colley's to call the Georgetown section of Redding, Connecticut home. Henry Colley(1), John Colley(2), Harry Colley(3), John Colley(4), Brent Colley(5).

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History of Redding is a not a business or an organization..It's one person working to promote the history of his hometown
and surrounding areas. All costs are out-of-pocket so donations and/or sponsorships will allow me to dedicate more time
and effort to research and updates.