Easton began as North Fairfield, part of the town of Fairfield, purchased from the Aspetuck Indians in 1670 for thirty pounds and an amount of trucking cloth. In 1762 the Connecticut General Assembly established the parish of North Fairfield. In 1787 the legislature combined the parishes of North Fairfield and Norfield into the town of Weston, and in 1845 the former parish of North Fairfield was divided from Weston and became Easton. It is still governed by the town meeting. Samuel Staples died in 1787, leaving his entire estate to establish the Staples Free Academy, and a descended fund still provides a scholarship for college students from Easton. By 1867 there were thirteen school districts in town. The town hall was built in 1937 as the gift of Gustavus A. Pfeiffer and Judge John F. McLane. Until 1910 Easton was primarily a farming community with many small businesses and industries, and forty percent of the town area is devoted to reservoirs and watershed in keeping with the rural and residential character of the community.