East Hampton was first settled in 1710, when Gideon Goffe and his family located in an area along the Connecticut River that later became the parish of Middle Haddam. Families from that locality moved eastward and settled in the hills surrounding Lake Pocotopaug, and in 1746 named their community East Hampton. In 1767, the town was incorporated as Chatham in honor of the Earl of Chatham in England for his support of the American colonies at that time. The town's name was changed to East Hampton in 1915. Historically, bell manufacturing, mining, and shipbuilding enterprises within the town stood as examples of early American industry.