Hartford: 1636 to 1900 - Where I Live CT · The Hartford Courant newspaper was started in Hartford...
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Where I Live: Connecticut © Connecticut Explored Inc. Hartford: 1636 to 1900 Hartford. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Hartford is the state capital. Like New Haven, Hartford was settled by a minister and his followers. Reverend Thomas Hooker led a group across land. They came from Massachusetts in 1636. They settled on the Connecticut River near a Dutch trading post. Not far away were the English settlements of Windsor and Wethersfield. The Saukiog and Podunk Indians lived in the area. Chief Sequasson sold the land to the settlers. The Indians continued to live nearby. The three “river towns” joined together as the Connecticut Colony. Hartford’s settlers built farms. Small mills were built along the Little River. A sawmill turned trees into lumber. A gristmill ground grain into flour. A kiln baked bricks from clay dug nearby. A person might be a minister, or a carpenter, or a tailor, but he was a farmer, too. The New Haven Colony was its neighbor. The two colonies joined together in 1665. For 200 years, Connecticut had two capitals:
Transcript of Hartford: 1636 to 1900 - Where I Live CT · The Hartford Courant newspaper was started in Hartford...
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Hartford:1636to1900
Hartford.Photo:CarolM.Highsmith,LibraryofCongress
Hartfordisthestatecapital.LikeNewHaven,Hartfordwassettledbyaministerandhisfollowers.ReverendThomasHookerledagroupacrossland.TheycamefromMassachusettsin1636.TheysettledontheConnecticutRivernearaDutchtradingpost.NotfarawayweretheEnglishsettlementsofWindsorandWethersfield.
TheSaukiogandPodunkIndianslivedinthearea.ChiefSequassonsoldthelandtothesettlers.TheIndianscontinuedtolivenearby.Thethree“rivertowns”joinedtogetherastheConnecticutColony.
Hartford’ssettlersbuiltfarms.SmallmillswerebuiltalongtheLittleRiver.Asawmillturnedtreesintolumber.Agristmillgroundgrainintoflour.Akilnbakedbricksfromclaydugnearby.Apersonmightbeaminister,oracarpenter,oratailor,buthewasafarmer,too.
TheNewHavenColonywasitsneighbor.Thetwocoloniesjoinedtogetherin1665.For200years,Connecticuthadtwocapitals:
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HartfordandNewHaven.Thelegislaturemetineachcityeveryotheryear.
Hartfordbecameabustlingcenterofrivertrade.Thefirstwharfwasbuiltin1720.Warehousesandshopslinedtheriverfront.
TheHartfordCourantnewspaperwasstartedinHartfordin1764.Ithasbeenpublishedeversince.Thatmakesitthelongest-publishednewspaperintheUnitedStates.
LikeNewHaven,Hartfordbecameacityin1784.In1788,GeorgeWashingtonbecamethenation’sfirstpresident.HeworeasuitofwoolclothmadebytheHartfordWoolenCompanytohisinauguration.
TherailroadcametoHartfordin1839.Factorieswerebuilttomakesteamengines,nails,organs,saddles,andmore.Hartfordbecameaninsurancecenter.Itwasalsoknownforbookpublishing.That’swhythefamousauthorMarkTwaincametoliveinHartford.Best-sellingauthorHarrietBeecherStowewashisneighbor.
In1855,SamuelColtbuiltalargefactory(right)alongtheConnecticutRiver.Hisfactorybecamefamousformakingguns.Hebuilthousingforhisworkers.Hetoppedhisfactorywithabluedomecoveredingoldstars.TheareawillsoonbetheColtsvilleNationalHistoricalPark.
Manyinventorsgottheirstartinthefactories.Bicycles,sewingmachines,earlyautomobiles,airplanes,andelevatorsweremadeinHartford.
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In1875Hartfordbecamethecapitalcity.Thenewcapitolbuildingwascompletedin1878.
Today,Hartfordisstillaninsurancecenter.Saddlesarestillmadeinthecity.TheWadsworthAtheneumMuseumofArt(right)wasfoundedin1842.Itissaidtobetheoldestcontinuouslyoperatingartmuseuminthenation.
Inthe20thcenturyamigrationofAfricanAmericansfromthesouthandtheWestIndies,andPuertoRicansbroughttheirculturetoHartford.TheAmistadCenterforArt&Culture(above),theArtistsCollective,andGuakiaarethreeorganizationsthatcelebrateHartford’srichculturetoday.
Truckloadoftobaccoworkers,includingboysandgirls,indowntownHartfordboundforAmericanSumatraTobaccoFarm,SouthWindsor,1917.Photo:LewisHine,LibraryofCongress
