Once known as Northington, a northern parish of Farmington, Avon was incorporated in 1830 after the construction of the Farmington Canal. Located at the juncture of the Albany Turnpike, the Farmington Canal, and later the Farmington Canal Railroad, Avon became a transportation and commercial center of considerable importance through the 19th century. Avon Historical Society board member Peter J. Wright, with an introduction from town historian Nora O. Howard, illustrates Avon's past and present in vintage and contemporary images.