47 replies to this topic

[Cotuit]

Facts & Figures
Capital city of Connecticut


Hartford Map [Windows Live Local]

Hartford, Connecticut | Official city website
Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau
Hartford Neighborhoods | Karen O'Maxfield
HartfordInfo.org

Area: 17.31 square miles
Population (City): 124,387 2003 Estimate
Overall Density: 7185.85 Persons Per Square Mile

Diversity:

• 27.7% White
  
• 38.1% Black or African American
  
• 0.5% American Indian and Alaska native
  
• 1.6% Asian
  
• 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander
  
• 4.3% Some other race
  
• 5.4% Two or more races
  
• 40.5% Hispanic or Latino

-SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census; ePodunk

City History

History
Dutch fur traders from New Netherland colony set up trade in the site as early as 1623, after Adriaen Block explored it in 1614. The Dutch named their post the 'Hope House' (Huys de Hoop). Prior to the Dutch arrival, the Indians who inhabited the area had called it Suckiaug. By 1633 Jacob van Curler had added a block house and palisade to the post while New Amsterdam sent a small garrison and a pair of cannons. The fort was abandoned by 1654, but its neighborhood in Hartford is still known as Dutch Point.

The first English settlers arrived in 1636. Thomas Hooker led 100 settlers with 130 head of cattle in a trek from Newtown (now Cambridge) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and started their settlement just north of the Dutch fort. The settlement was originally called Newtown, but was changed to Hartford in 1637 to honor the English town of Hertford.

On December 15, 1814, the Hartford Convention was called to order in Hartford. Delegations from the five New England states, (Maine was still part of Massachusetts at that time) were sent to Hartford to discuss New England's possible secession from the United States.

During the early 1800s, the Hartford area was a center of abolitionist activity. The most famous abolitionist family was the Beechers. Reverend Lyman Beecher was an important Congregational minister known for his anti-slavery sermons. His daughter, Harriet Beecher Stowe, wrote the famous Uncle Tom's Cabin, while her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, was a noted clergyman who vehemently opposed slavery and supported the temperance movement and women's suffrage. Beecher Stowe's sister, Isabella Beecher Hooker, was a leading member of the women's rights movement.

In 1860, Hartford was the site of the first "Wide Awakes," abolitionist supporters of Abraham Lincoln. These supporters organized torch-light parades that were both political and social events, often including fireworks and music, in celebration of Lincoln's visit to the city. This type of event caught on and eventually became a staple of mid to late-1800s campaigning.

In July 6, 1944, Hartford was the scene of one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. The fire, which occurred at a performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus circus, became known as the Hartford Circus Fire.

After World War II, many residents of Puerto Rico moved to Hartford and even today Puerto Rican flags can be found on cars and buildings all over the city. Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Hartford in 1969, when he was 12 years old.

In 1997, the city lost it's professional sports franchise, the Hartford Whalers, to Raleigh, North Carolina despite an increase in season ticket sales and an offer of a new arena from the state.

Lately, Hartford has been having problems as the population shrunk 11 percent during the 1990s. Only Flint, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Saint Louis and Baltimore experienced larger population losses during the decade. However, the population has increased since the 2000 Census.

-SOURCE Wikipedia

Transportation




CT Transit
Hartford System Map [pdf]
Detail of Downtown Hartford [pdf]
CTTransit
Greater Hartford Transit District
Star Shuttle

Connecticut Department of Transportation

Airport
Bradley International Airport

Buses
Amtrak
Bonanza Bus
Greyhound

Proposed Transit
New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail
New Britain-Hartford Busway
Hartford East Busway
CTBusway.com

Media


Newspapers & Magazines
The Hartford Courant
Journal Inquirer
The Hartford Advocate
The Hartford Business Journal
Hartford Magazine
Connecticut Business Magazine
Connecticut Magazine

Television
WTNH Channel 8 ABC | New Haven
WFSB Channel 3 CBS
WVIT Channel 30 NBC | New Britain
WTXX Channel 20 WB
WEDH Channel 24 PBS
WCTX Channel 59 UPN | New Haven
WTIC Channel 61 Fox

Colleges & Universities

University of Connecticut School of Business
University of Connecticut Law School
University of Connecticut - HartfordWest Hartford
University of Hartford
Trinity College
Central Connecticut State University | New Britain
Charter Oak State College | New Britain
Hartford College for Women
Goodwin College | East Hartford
St. Joseph College | West Hartford
Connecticut Culinary Institute
Rensselaer at Hartford
Capital Community College
Manchester Community College Manchester
Tunxis Community College Farmington
Asnuntuck Community College Enfield
Middlesex Community College Middletown


Arts & Entertainment

Your Hartford
CT.now
Greater Hartford Arts Council
Connecticut Center for Science & Exploration
Hartford.com
Mark Twain House & Museum

Sports




Hartford Whalers [Wikipedia]
The Blowhole [HartfordWhalers.org]

Hartford Wolfpack AHL
UCONN Huskies NCAA Basketball

[HartfordTycoon]

Looks good. A few schools should be added to the colleges and universities section, The University of Hartford and Trinity College. I personally would also throw in UConn, the Storrs campus and Hartford Campus, and oh yeah, UConn Law School, Hartford Seminary, Capitol Community College, and Rensalear at Hartford.

[Cotuit]

HartfordTycoon, on Mar 13 2006, 11:52 PM, said:

Looks good. A few schools should be added to the colleges and universities section, The University of Hartford and Trinity College. I personally would also throw in UConn, the Storrs campus and Hartford Campus, and oh yeah, UConn Law School, Hartford Seminary, Capitol Community College, and Rensalear at Hartford.

This isn't really done yet. Please let me know what needs to be added.

[HartfordTycoon]

Cotuit, on Mar 13 2006, 11:58 PM, said:

This isn't really done yet. Please let me know what needs to be added.

I figured that, I was going to post the links but I'm too tired.

[mudcrab]

how about a list of prominent businesses that are located/headquatered
in the area (like United Technologies)?  Also,
you might like to add the Wadsworth, R.A.W. etc to the Arts list.

[TaylorG4444]

isn't it misleading to have the Whalers up there?....also agree with adding Trinity College

[beerbeer]

The photo on the initial post is pre-Marriott and pre-Hartford 21. Both of which are part of the skyline from that angle.  

This photo is also dated, it happens quick with the construction, but it's more comtemporary.

[HartfordTycoon]

^^I was going to post this same picture for what we should use. It's much better than the first one because it's much more recent.

[Cotuit]

HartfordTycoon, on Mar 14 2006, 11:35 AM, said:

^^I was going to post this same picture for what we should use. It's much better than the first one because it's much more recent.

Who took it?

[LItoCT]

Need some love for Camp Trin Trin.

[beerbeer]

I took it.  Probably from the same steps to the Charter Oak Bridge that the original was taken.

[HartfordTycoon]

It's a great picture, beerbeer! It's the current wallpaper on my PC.

[Cotuit]

mudcrab, on Mar 14 2006, 12:04 AM, said:

you might like to add the Wadsworth, R.A.W. etc to the Arts list.

The arts section was the last part I was working on and I just kind of got tired of doing it, I wanted to post it already, it's been sitting in the Collaboration section for months. It definately needs to be fleshed out more.

TaylorG4444, on Mar 14 2006, 04:07 AM, said:

isn't it misleading to have the Whalers up there?

Probably, but I feared revolution if I didn't include it.  


I can swap out SOCOMs photo for beerbeer's, but I liked SOCOMs because of all the cranes.

[drc72]

Those are some great pics of the city.

[MadVlad]

Being a Revolutionary, I kinda like the fact that the Whalers are included....

[ctman987]

Heres some pictures I have taken (everyones probably seen them before) that you can use if you want to

[drc72]

Those are nice shots of the city ctman.

[Garris]

beerbeer, on Mar 14 2006, 10:48 AM, said:

The photo on the initial post is pre-Marriott and pre-Hartford 21. Both of which are part of the skyline from that angle.  

This photo is also dated, it happens quick with the construction, but it's more comtemporary.

That's a fantastic panorama, where's it taken from?

- Garris

[MadVlad]

It's taken from our favorite place.... the stairwell to the walkway of the Charter Oak Bridge....

Edited by MadVlad, 19 March 2006 - 05:36 PM.

[Jerseyman4]

Great profile page! The WB and UPN no longer exist, WB is CW and UPN is MyNetworkTv (MNTV).