Cheshire’s evolution can be traced to the years 1680 to 1690, when the first settlers moved into a low range of hills on the Cheshire side of the Quinnipiac River. In 1705, Thomas Brooks arrived on the scene and apparently the country was similar enough to his homeland in England that he called this settlement Cheshire. The Brooks name survives today in the southern section, now known as Brooksvale. With a population of 28,733 Cheshire is a quintessential New England town. A traditionally rural town it remains such with its agriculture and land-based industries.