In the early 1900s, Middletown could have made a credible claim as the “Ferret Capital of America” thanks to Samuel Farnsworth and his ferret farm. Around 1905, Farnsworth purchased the Wrenn Farm, the area that is now east of Germantown Road near the Hydraulic Canal and brought ferrets, which he had as pets, with him. After getting set up on the farm, Farnsworth set about turning his ferret hobby into a ferret business.