By Ann McGarity
Wonalancet, one of Tamworth's five villages, is a secluded and peaceful hamlet with no store or post office. Its picturesque chapel is featured on many photographs and paintings of the iconic interval. The village has survived relatively unchanged through the centuries, and I often wonder what life was like there 200 years ago, especially in the winter, before modern transportation and today's conveniences. Surveyer Paul King of Wonalancet has researched deeds, probate records and documents pertaining to existing and previous houses. On Tuesday he was the featured speaker on behalf of the Tamworth Historical Society in a talk entitled "Wonalancet in the 1800s." Paul provided maps of the village with some of the homes marked according to the families who occupied them in the 1800s, including the Tiltons, who produced several notables. Three important periods affected the economic well being of the population: agricultural, industrial and post industrial. The decline of agriculture was due primarily to the attractiveness of the West, and consequent depopulation of our region. An economic downturn in the years 1893 to 1897 led to several generations of families living and working together. There were several summer hotels in the area. Important farms included The Brown Farm, now Wonalancet Farm.

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