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Pomfret, Connecticut

Pomfret is a town located in Windham County, Connecticut, United States, with a population of 4,266 according to the 2020 United States Census. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The town was incorporated in 1713 and was named after Pontefract in West Yorkshire, England. The land on which Pomfret stands today was purchased from Native Americans in 1686 in a deal known as the "Mashmuket Purchase" or "Mashamoquet Purchase".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.6 sqmi, of which 40.3 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi  (0.64%) is water. Pomfret is bordered on the north by Woodstock, on the east by Putnam and Killingly, on the west by Eastford, and on the south by Brooklyn and Hampton.

Villages
Pomfret includes several villages, neighborhoods, or sections:
 * Abington
 * Elliotts
 * Pomfret
 * Pomfret Center
 * Pomfret Landing

Other geographic features
The principal roads through the town are U.S. Route 44 (running east–west) and Routes 169 (running north–south), and 101 (running east–west).

Mashamoquet State Park and Wolf Den State Park are both located in Pomfret, near the intersection of US 44 and CT 101. Wolf Den State Park is the alleged site of General Israel Putnam's slaying of the last wolf in Connecticut. Rocky paths connect the small cave, which is the actual wolf den with a glacially positioned boulder called the Indian Chair. Camping and cook-out facilities are available for a nominal fee.

The Air Line Trail, a former railroad bed, joins the town of Pomfret with its neighbor to the east, Putnam. The Airline Trail runs seven miles (11 km), much of it through an Audubon Society property named the Bafflin Sanctuary, a 700 acre nature preserve. Pomfret has no formal town center due to the town's significant southward expansion after its establishment, first around Mortlake, later absorbing that town. The town office is located on US Route 44. The Congregational Church, until its destruction by fire on December 7, 2013, stood on the eastern edge of the old town green on Pomfret Hill, across from the Pomfret School, a college preparatory school founded in 1894. Approximately one mile north of the Congregational Church site is Christ Episcopal Church, which contains several windows designed and constructed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Across from Christ Church on the west side of Route 44 is the Rectory School, founded in 1920. At the divergence point of US 44 and CT 169 is Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church.

Town House Road is the location of the historic Pomfret Town House, built in 1841 at a location chosen by a committee of Selectmen from neighboring towns when Pomfret citizens could not agree on a location; it is listed on the National Register. Pomfret First Church was established in today's Pomfret Hill area; Pomfret Second Church covered what is largely today's Town of Brooklyn; while Pomfret Third Church was established in today's Abington area.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,247 people, 1,582 households, and 1,123 families residing in the town. The population density was 105.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,684 housing units at an average density of 41.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.7% White, 0.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

Of the 1,582 households: 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 32.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $82,661, and the median income for a family was $96,641. Males had a median income of $54,042 versus $45,526 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,712. About 3.8% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Major firms in Pomfret include:
 * Loos & Co.

Education
Pomfret residents are zoned to the Pomfret Community School for grades Kindergarten through 8. Pomfret students are eligible to attend Woodstock Academy, which became Pomfret's zoned high school in 1987

Two private schools, the Pomfret School and the Rectory School, are also located in Pomfret.

Historic sites
A 380 acre portion of the town, along Pomfret Street, is listed as a historic district on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Pomfret Street Historic District comprises properties along Route 169, from Bradley Road to Woodstock Road. The district was added to the National Register in 1998.

Other properties listed on the National Register in the town are:
 * Brayton Grist Mill – US 44 (added 1986)
 * Gwyn Careg US 44 (added 1994)
 * Israel Putnam Wolf Den – Off Wolf Den Road (added 1985)
 * Pomfret Town House – Town House Road (added 1989)

Notable people

 * Jim Calhoun (born 1942), former head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team, lives in the town
 * Effingham Capron (1791–1859), born in Pomfret, anti-slavery champion at Uxbridge, MA, state and national anti-slavery leader
 * John Capron (1756–1834), "clothier" at Pomfret, built first woolen power looms at Uxbridge, MA
 * Augustus Sabin Chase (1827–1896), industrialist of Waterbury, Connecticut
 * Rivers Cuomo (born 1970), member of American rock band Weezer, lived in the town
 * Ernest Flagg (1857–1947), designer of the Singer Building designed the main buildings of the Pomfret School Campus
 * Lemuel Goodell (1800–1897), Wisconsin politician
 * Nathan Goodell (1798–1883), Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
 * Roswell Eaton Goodell (1825–1903), politician and businessman
 * Bertram Goodhue (1869–1924), an architect renowned for his work in the neo-Gothic style and the designer of notable typefaces, was born in town
 * Robert Hillyer (1895–1961), poet, novelist, and critic, lived in the town
 * Asa Lyon (1763–1841) a United States representative from Vermont was born in town
 * Louise Chandler Moulton (1835–1908), poet, story-writer, and critic, was born in town
 * Israel Putnam (1718–1790), a major general serving George Washington, lived in the town
 * Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002), Indian religious figure, lived in the town
 * Solomon Spalding (1761–1816), is believed to have authored the Manuscript Story while staying at the Post Road Tavern in the town
 * Warren L. Wheaton (1812–1903) philanthropist and co-founder and namesake of Wheaton College and Wheaton, Illinois, was born in Pomfret
 * James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), a painter and printmaker, lived in the town
 * Renée Zellweger (born 1969), Academy Award-winning actress, owned a home in the town

title: Pomfret, Connecticut


text:
Putnam, Connecticut

Putnam is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 10,214 at the 2020 census.

History
Putnam, originally known as Aspinock, then part of Killingly, is a New England mill town incorporated in 1855. Created from sections of Killingly, Pomfret, and Thompson, the town was named in honor of Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam.

Putnam was a key contributor in providing clothing and other goods to the Civil War soldiers. There were numerous mills and a train ran through the town, providing transportation for the goods being produced.

On August 19, 1955, Putnam was devastated by floods from torrential downpours caused by two hurricanes, which hit Connecticut within the span of a week. Hurricane Connie affected Connecticut on August 13, dropping between four and six inches (152 mm) of rain across the state. Hurricane Diane soaked the state with 14 in of rain on August 18–19. The result was flooding in many of the state's rivers, including the Quinebaug River. The resulting torrent of water destroyed homes, businesses and factories. Floating magnesium barrels burst, lighting up the night. The railroad bed was washed away.

Toward the end of the twentieth century, the town took advantage of the empty mills and underutilized downtown commercial buildings to develop a large antique center. Antique shops lined Main Street and other areas in town. Beginning in the early 2000s, many of the antique stores begun to close and were replaced by restaurants, small shops, and a vibrant arts community.

Putnam was also the unlikely base of operations for the All-Russian Fascist Organization, a pre-war Russian emigre group that advocated fascism for the country under Anastasy Vonsiatsky.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.4 square miles (52.8 km$2$), of which, 20.3 square miles (52.6 km$2$) are land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km$2$) (0.54%) is water. The town is drained by the Quinebaug River, which runs north and south through the center of town. A tributary of the Quinebaug, the Five Mile River, runs north and south through East Putnam. Putnam has common boundaries with Thompson on the north (approx. 6 mi.), with Rhode Island on the east (approx. 2 mi.), with Killingly on the south (approx. 7 mi.) and with Pomfret and Woodstock on the west (approx. 4 mi.).

The town is crossed by Interstate 395, U.S. Route 44, Connecticut Route 12, Connecticut Route 21 and Connecticut Route 171.

Principal communities

 * Putnam District
 * Putnam Heights
 * East Putnam

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 9,584 people, 3,950 households, and 2,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 472.1 PD/sqmi. There were 4,299 housing units at an average density of 211.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.1% White, 1.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

Of the 3,950 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years old.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,171 and the median income for a family was $63,030. Males had a median income of $51,586 versus $44,901 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,994. About 10.6% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Putnam District or "Historic Downtown" is home to many arts events and businesses. Aligning Main Street, which runs through the center of Downtown, there are over seven arts-related businesses in just one block of the town. In 2010, a small group of local business owners started First Friday Putnam, a monthly arts-based event running from March to October.

Putnam is home to WINY, an AM and FM radio station.

Bradley Playhouse
Originally called the Bradley Theatre, the Bradley Playhouse was completed on January 29, 1901. In 1914, the playhouse suffered a series of fires, and upon remodeling changed the interior to better showcase movies, as they were of increased popularity at the time. In 1984, the Northeast Repertory Theatre was formed, bringing live performance back to the Bradley.

Schools

 * Public
 * Putnam Elementary School – K–5th grade
 * Putnam Middle School – 6th–8th grade
 * Putnam High School – 9th–12th grade
 * Private
 * Putnam Science Academy – Private school for students in Grades 9–12 wanting to further their education in the world of science.
 * Tri-State Christian Academy (grades K–8)

National competitions

 * Putnam Science Academy has entered and won the Connecticut Science Olympiad for four years in a row (2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, and 2007–2008).
 * Putnam was also featured in a mid-1970s summer game show on ABC, "Almost Anything Goes", where teams from towns under 20,000 were invited to compete.

Transportation
Putnam is served by the Northeastern Connecticut Transit District.

Notable locations

 * Cady-Copp House – historic home at 115 Liberty Highway and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
 * Putnam Town Hall – historic building on 126 Church Street and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
 * Putnam Railroad Station – historic train station at 35 and 45-47 Main Street and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Notable people

 * Bruce Boisclair (born 1952), baseball outfielder
 * Henry Breault (1900–1941), Medal of Honor recipient
 * Brooke Brodack (born 1986), viral video comedian
 * Lewis C. Carpenter (1836–1908), congressman from South Carolina
 * John N. Dempsey (1915–1989), Mayor of Putnam, Governor of Connecticut
 * Candy LaChance (1870–1932), baseball first baseman
 * Richard Normand Langlois (born 1952), economist and professor
 * William St. Onge (1914–1970), congressman
 * Michael Bruce Ross (1959–2005), serial killer
 * Bob Schaefer (born 1944), baseball coach
 * Rollie Sheldon (born 1936), baseball pitcher
 * Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890–1979), children's author

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Putnam, Connecticut


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Quinebaug, Connecticut

Quinebaug is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Thompson, a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.8 km$2$ (4.5 mi2), of which 11.3 km$2$ (4.4 mi2)  is land and 0.4 km$2$ (0.2 mi2)  (3.74%) is water. The CDP is located where the Quinebaug River enters Connecticut from Massachusetts.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,122 people, 454 households, and 310 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 99.4/km$2$ (257.1/mi2). There were 476 housing units at an average density of 42.2/km$2$ (109.1/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.31% White, 1.16% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, and 0.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.09% of the population.

There were 454 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,614, and the median income for a family was $51,667. Males had a median income of $37,292 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,615. None of the families and 4.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 4.8% of those over 64.

title: Quinebaug, Connecticut


text:
Scotland, Connecticut

Scotland is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,576. Scotland is a predominantly rural town, with agriculture being the principal industry. Scotland is the least populous town in Windham County.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.3 km$2$), of which 18.6 square miles (48.2 km$2$) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.1 km$2$)  (0.27%) is water. It was incorporated in 1857.

History
In 1700, Isaac Magoon purchased 1950 acre of land from then Windham and thus began Scotland's History. He named the town Scotland as a way of commemorating his ancestral home. Scotland was incorporated in May 1857.

Government
The town still maintains the town meeting as its form of government with a board of selectmen. The town also has eight boards & commissions, including Inlands & Wetlands, Planning & Zoning and Board of Education.

Education
Scotland Elementary School, located on Brook Road, serves grades Pre-K–6 for the town, which is part of Regional School District 11.

Attractions
Scotland is home to the D'Elia Antique Tool Museum, a museum established in 2005 in the Scotland Public Library building. It holds more than 1,200 antique woodworking planes dating to the mid-18th century.

The Samuel Huntington Birthplace, birthplace of Samuel Huntington, a Founding Father, is on Huntington Road (CT Route 14).

Transportation
CT Route 14 passes east–west through the town. Route 97 goes north–south through the town. The Providence and Worcester Railroad runs through the southwestern part of the town, but doesn't stop.

On the National Register of Historic Places

 * March Route of Rochambeau's Army: Palmer Road: Palmer Road, from intersection with Miller Road to east of junction with Pudding Hill Road (added July 6, 2003)
 * Samuel Huntington Birthplace: Route 14, 2 mi west of Route 97 (added December 11, 1971)
 * Edward Waldo House: Waldo Rd., intersects with Route 97 (added 1978)

Demographics
At the 2020 census there were 1,576 people, 553 households, and 425 families living in the town. The population density was 83.6 PD/sqmi. There were 577 housing units at an average density of 31.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.45% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31%.

Of the 553 households 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 15.7% of households were one person and 4.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.16.

The age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median household income was $56,848 and the median family income was $60,147. Males had a median income of $40,871 versus $29,830 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,573. About 4.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

 * Samuel Huntington (1731–1796) a leading American Patriot during the American Revolution and a Founding Father and delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he signed the Declaration of Independence

title: Scotland, Connecticut


text:
South Windham, Connecticut

South Windham is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is located within the town of Windham. The population was 1,421 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.1 km$2$ (3.1 mi2), of which 8.1 km$2$ (3.1 mi2)  is land and 0.1 km$2$ (0.04 mi2)  (0.96%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,278 people, 517 households, and 350 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 158.7/km$2$ (411.0/mi2). There were 579 housing units at an average density of 71.9/km$2$ (186.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.07% White, 0.47% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 2.90% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.79% of the population.

There were 517 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $51,282, and the median income for a family was $52,434. Males had a median income of $35,428 versus $31,944 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,113. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: South Windham, Connecticut


text:
Sterling, Connecticut

Sterling is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 3,578 at the 2020 census. The rural town is home to two villages: Oneco (named for Oneco, Sachem of the Mohegans) and Sterling village. Each contains a post office, a church, and a fire station. The town hall and public library are located in Oneco, and the town's one public school is in Sterling village.

History
The town was named after John Sterling, an early settler. Sterling was incorporated in 1794 following approval of the state Assembly and was carved from northern part of the Town of Voluntown. Le Comte de Rochambeau, Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, marched through and camped in the town during the American Revolutionary War on his way from landing at Narragansett Bay to join George Washington's forces on the Hudson River in 1781. A cotton mill was first established in Sterling in 1800.

Charles Dow, of Dow Jones fame, was born in this community.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.3 sqmi, of which 27.2 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.29%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,099 people, 1,116 households, and 835 families living in the town. Sterling's population increased 23.6% between 2000 and 2010, making it the third fastest-growing municipality in Connecticut that decade. The population density was 113.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,193 housing units at an average density of 43.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.19% White, 0.71% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.32% of the population.

There were 1,116 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,167, and the median income for a family was $52,202. Males had a median income of $39,792 versus $26,167 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,679. About 3.8% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable locations

 * Dorrance Inn is a historic inn located at 748 Plainfield Pike and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
 * March Route of Rochambeau's Army: Plainfield Pike
 * Sterling Hill Historic District (Plainfield and Sterling, Connecticut) was added to the National Register in 1986.

Education
The town has operated the newer Sterling Community School, since the construction and closing of Sterling Memorial School. Plainfield High School in Plainfield is the designated high school of the town. Residents are also given the option to send their children to Killingly High School, Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School, Quinebaug Middle College or ACT High School.

Notable people

 * Charles Dow (1851–1902), journalist and founder of the Dow Jones & Company; born in Sterling
 * Allen Cleveland Lewis (1821–1877), founder of the Lewis Institute (later the Illinois Institute of Technology); born in Sterling
 * Tom "T-Bone" Stankus, musician

In popular culture
The survival horror video game Faith: The Unholy Trinity is set in Sterling.

title: Sterling, Connecticut


text:
Thompson, Connecticut

Thompson is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The town was named after Sir Robert Thompson, an English landholder. The population was 9,189 at the 2020 census. Thompson is located in the northeastern corner of the state and is bordered on the north by Webster, Massachusetts and Dudley, Massachusetts, on the east by Douglas, Massachusetts and Burrillville, Rhode Island, on the west by Woodstock, Connecticut, and on the south by Putnam, Connecticut.

Thompson has the highest-banked race track (Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, a 5/8 mile oval and a restored 1.7 mile road course) in New England. This speedway holds one of the biggest race programs in New England, The World Series of Auto Racing, where 16 divisions and about 400 cars show up each fall. Another claim to fame is that the Tri-State Marker is located just on the border of Thompson. The term "Swamp Yankee" is thought to have originated in Thompson during the American Revolution in 1776. In colonial times, the town was the site of an Indian village, known as Maanexit.

Thompson was the site of the Great East Thompson Train Wreck in 1891, one of the worst train wrecks in American history and the only one to involve four trains.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.7 sqmi, of which 46.9 sqmi is land and 1.7 sqmi, or 3.51%, is water. Thompson possesses many small ponds, such as Little Pond and Long Pond, as well as two principal lakes: West Thompson Lake and Quaddick Reservoir. Contained within its borders are several moderately sized rivers, including the French River and Five Mile River, both tributaries of the Quinebaug River, which also runs through Thompson. One of the highest points in Thompson and the surrounding villages is Fort Hill at 649 ft above sea level. The city is located 64 miles southwest of Boston and 110 miles northeast of Bridgeport. It is on the 42nd parallel north, putting it on the same latitude as the northern suburbs of Rome, Italy.

A minor point of geological interest is the Wilsonville Fault, created during the breakup of Pangaea nearly 200 million years ago.

Adjacent towns

 * Burrillville, Rhode Island
 * Douglas, Massachusetts
 * Dudley, Massachusetts
 * Webster, Massachusetts
 * Putnam
 * Woodstock

Villages
Thompson is composed of ten villages:
 * East Thompson
 * Fabyan
 * Grosvenordale
 * Mechanicsville
 * North Grosvenordale (including the North Grosvenordale Mill Historic District).
 * Quaddick
 * Quinebaug
 * Thompson Hill (including the Thompson Hill Historic District).
 * West Thompson
 * Wilsonville

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 9,458 people, 3,730 households, and 2,587 families residing in the town. The population density was 201.7 PD/sqmi. There were 4,171 housing units at an average density of 88.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

Of the 3,730 households: 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,385, and the median income for a family was $75,652. Males had a median income of $52,716 versus $39,362 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,044. About 5.1% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Schools
Thompson has a public school system in which the elementary, middle, and high school buildings are connected. The Mary R. Fisher Memorial Elementary School has students in Pre-K through 4th grade, Thompson Middle School consists of grades 5–8, and Tourtellotte Memorial High School has students in grades 9–12. Also in town are several private schools, the Catholic St Joseph's School, currently serving grades Pre-K–8, and Marianapolis Preparatory, a Marian high school located on historic Thompson Hill.

The original Tourtellotte Memorial High School building, which exists today as administrative offices for the school system, was built in the Greek Revival style. The cornerstone was laid in 1907 and the school opened in 1909. The school is named in memory of Dr. Jacob F. Tourtellotte. Tourtellotte was a ship's surgeon in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. The school also houses a small museum, called the "Memorial Room" which contains portraits of Tourtellotte and his family, and some of their possessions. It is maintained by the local historical society, and is usually open to the public for tours one Sunday per month.

Marianapolis Preparatory School was established in 1926, sponsored by the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception. The school is located on the former Ream Estate, built by Norman Bruce Ream, a Director of The Pullman Company, U.S. Steel, and The National Biscuit Company, which is now known as Nabisco. The Estate, including the c. 1900 mansion "Carolyn Hall," named after Ream's wife, was sold to the Marians in 1931, but the Mansion burned down in 1964 and a new main school building was built in its place.

Libraries
The Thompson Public Library is  located at 934 Riverside Drive, North Grosvenordale. It is combined with the town's Community Center, and contains 20400 sqft holding 55,000 items, including books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audio tapes, video tapes, and online resources.

The library was started in 1902 with 1,370 books in a small building on Thompson Hill, now known as the Ellen Larned Memorial Library. Two branches were created, the Quinebaug Branch, in operation from 1961 to 1994, and the Grosvenordale Branch, in operation from 1958 to 1966. Thompson was the first small town in Connecticut to have a bookmobile service, operating from 1966 to 1993. The current library in North Grosvenordale was finished in 1994.

Notable people

 * Marietta Stanley Case (1845–1900), author and temperance advocate
 * Emma Shaw Colcleugh (1846–1940), journalist, lecturer, traveler, and collector
 * George Whitefield Davis (1839–1918), engineer and Major General in the United States Army, military governor of Puerto Rico and the first military governor of the Panama Canal Zone; born in Thompson
 * James Hillman (1926–2011), post-Jungian psychologist and founder of Archetypal psychology; died at his home in Thompson
 * Simon Larned (1753–1817), Revolutionary War captain, War of 1812 colonel and US Congressman for Massachusetts; born in Thompson
 * Andrew Mamedoff (1912–1941), pilot who fought for the RAF and died during the Battle of Britain; born in Thompson
 * James Brown Mason (1775–1819), two-term US Congressman for Rhode Island; born in Thompson
 * Ossian Everett Mills (1846–1920), founder of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity; born in town and buried in a small family plot in Thompson
 * James M. Munyon (1848–1918), publisher and doctor; born in Thompson
 * General Stafford (1868–1923), baseball player; born in Thompson
 * Daniel Takawambait (1652–1716), first indigenous pastor ordained in colonial America
 * Raymond S. Thatcher (1903–1988), Connecticut State Comptroller for 10 years
 * John E. Tourtellotte (1869–1939), architect; born in East Thompson
 * Ithiel Town (1784–1844), architect and civil engineer; born in Thompson
 * Anastasy Vonsiatsky (1898–1965), Russian anti-Bolshevik émigré and fascist leader of the All Russian National Revolutionary Party; lived in and is buried in Thompson

title: Thompson, Connecticut


text:
Wauregan, Connecticut

Wauregan is a village located in the northwestern corner of the town of Plainfield, Connecticut, United States. Originally a mill village, Wauregan was established around a cotton mill powered by the Quinebaug River. Wauregan and West Wauregan, across the Quinebaug in the town of Brooklyn, together comprise the Wauregan census-designated place, with a population of 1,205 at the 2010 census.

A 90 acre portion of the original village area is listed as a historic district, the Wauregan Historic District, encompassing structures that are directly related to the economic and social activities of the mill. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Extant buildings in the Wauregan historic district include the Wauregan Mill, an H-shaped building built from local fieldstone; James Atwood's home; the two boarding houses; the company store; and over one hundred workers' houses. Architectural styles represented include Greek Revival and Late Victorian architecture.

History
Named for a Mohegan word meaning "Pleasant Valley" Wauregan has a long history as an industrial village. In 1850, Amos D. Lockwood, who was involved with the Quinebaug Mill in Danielsonville, bought the water privileges and surrounding land at Wauregan. After the Wauregan Mills Company charter was approved by the Connecticut legislature in 1853, the first mill was constructed circa 1853-1854. Wauregan Mills was well known for its woven cotton goods, including various types of flannel. Lockwood became the mill's first agent and recruited James S. Atwood as his superintendent, who became responsible for setting up all machinery and starting production. The principal product of Wauregan was cotton sheeting.

James S. Atwood, who purchased the mill from Lockwood in 1858, took particular interest in the village surrounding the mill, making it what he considered to be a "model hamlet" where his factory's employees "could find attractive and comfortable homes near their daily tasks." Under James S. Atwood's leadership, Wauregan began to prosper. The mill was expanded, workers' houses were built, and several amenities to Wauregan village life were added. Worker housing in the village included 104 company-owned buildings containing 255 tenement apartments for rental to workers, plus two boarding houses for unmarried workers. A railroad station was built in 1859 and a post office was established in 1860. A company store was built in 1875 and operated with subsidies from the company. Another building in the mill village housed a firehouse, clubhouse, jail, and a reading room and library. A dairy farm and nearby woodlands were also part of the mill operation. Atwood quadrupled the size of the factory, adding the south mill of the front block in 1859 and the entire rear block in 1867-68. The mill's labor force was around 750 people, with most living within the village. The mill would eventually reach a capacity of 56,616 spindles and 1,464 looms, with an annual output of eleven million yards.

When James S. Atwood died, management of Wauregan Mills was passed on to his twin sons, James Arthur and John Walter Atwood. The Atwood brothers continued to expand and improve the mill, which employed 325 men and 160 women and children as of 1917. The Atwood brothers successfully responded to the competition of the newer, steam-powered mills by producing finer quality cotton goods such as shirting for the U.S. Marine Corps, and later rayon, instead of the traditional cotton sheeting. Wauregan Mills had a close working relationship with DuPont and was one of the pioneers of synthetic fabric. This partnership led to the development of the technology to produce fabric made of a blend of wool and rayon. In contrast to many larger, corporate-owned mills that were wedded to a particular product, the economic organization of Wauregan Mills enabled its owner/managers to easily diversify and change its product mix to meet new demands resulting from competition from newer textile centers, allowing them to stay profitable through World War II, much longer than many other larger mills.

After World War II, Wauregan Mills entered a period of decline from which it never recovered. In the 1950s, free trade policies with Japan, which had modern equipment shipped to them by the U.S. as part of post-war reconstruction enabling them to produce fine cotton goods much more cheaply, resulted in the death of the New England textile industry as cheap cotton goods flooded the U.S. market. Wauregan Mills tried to emphasize their capabilities in synthetic blend output and also to reduce labor costs by negotiating with the labor unions to eliminate certain fringe benefits. In August 1955, torrential rains from Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused many dams along the Quinebaug River to break, including the one at Wauregan. The mill was flooded to the level of the first floor ceilings. Workers tried to salvage as much cloth, raw materials and machinery as they could but ultimately the company lost more than $1,500,000. The company borrowed a large sum of money in order to be able to resume production but they didn't have enough working capital to repair and modernize their facilities. In 1957, James Arthur Atwood III, grandson of James S. Atwood, and the rest of the company directors decided to cease all operations resulting in the company's final closing.

James Arthur Atwood III was responsible for disposing of the company's assets to pay off their creditors. Land, the water company, and other properties were sold, and the mill rented to various tenants over the next decade. American Standard was one of the early buyers and built a manufacturing facility in Wauregan soon after the Wauregan company closed. All the debts of Wauregan Mill were eventually paid off in 1970. In 1974, C&M Corporation, a vertically integrated manufacturer of electrical cable, owned and occupied the former Wauregan Mills complex, where it operated as a production facility and as its corporate headquarters. In 2014, the Wauregan Mill was sold to a real estate management company. As of 2023, the mill is currently listed for sale on LoopNet for $6,000,000.

The village is described as looking "much as it did in the 1850s." The Wauregan Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Geography
The village is centered on the former site of the mill on the east bank of the Quinebaug River, near where modern Route 205 crosses the river. The village extends eastward from the river up a gently rising slope towards Route 12 located at the crest of a ridge. The mill workers' houses are located along Walnut and Chestnut streets just east of the mill site, while the supervisor's houses and the company store are located further east (and further up in elevation). The mill owners' houses and the church are even further up and east. The historic district covers an area of about 90 acre, roughly bounded on the east by Grove Street, Fountain Street, Route 12, Route 205, and South Chestnut Street; on the south by Third Street; on the west by South Walnut Street, a westward extension of First Street, and the Quinebaug River; and on the north by the extension of the east-west portion of North Chestnut Street. The boundaries of the historic district exclude a large tract of open land to the north that the Wauregan company once owned. The district includes 114 buildings and structures.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Wauregan CDP has a total area of 4.3 sqkm, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 1.25%, are water. The CDP includes, in addition to the original village, the village of West Wauregan across the Quinebaug River in the town of Brooklyn, as well as tracts of open land to the north, newer residential development to the south, and modern commercial properties along Route 12.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,085 people, 378 households, and 288 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,211.5 PD/sqmi. There were 410 housing units at an average density of 457.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.56% White, 1.29% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.65% from other races, and 2.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.87% of the population.

There were 378 households, out of which 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 34.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 15.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,846, and the median income for a family was $30,795. Males had a median income of $33,224 versus $24,821 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,311. About 3.6% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: Wauregan, Connecticut


text:
Willimantic, Connecticut

Willimantic is a census-designated place located in Windham, Connecticut, United States. Previously organized as a city and later as a borough, Willimantic is currently one of two tax districts within the Town of Windham. Willimantic is located within Windham County and the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. Known as "Thread City" for the American Thread Company's mills along the Willimantic River, it was a center of the textile industry in the 19th century. Originally incorporated as a city in 1893, it entered a period of decline after the Second World War, culminating in the mill's closure and the city's reabsorption into the town of Windham in the 1980s.

Willimantic was populated by a series of ethnic groups migrating to the city to find work at the mills, originally Western European and French Canadian immigrants, later Eastern Europeans and Puerto Ricans. Architecturally, it is known for its collection of Victorian-era houses and other buildings in the hill section, the Romanesque Revival town hall and several crossings of the Willimantic River, including the Willimantic Footbridge and the "Frog Bridge". It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University and the Windham Textile and History Museum. As of 2020, Willimantic had a population of 18,149 people.

History
Willimantic is named for the Willimantic River which passes through it. The word was first attested in English writing as Waramanticut in 1684, and later as Wallamanticuk, Wewemantic and Weammantuck before being standardized as Willimantic. The word is of Algonquian origin, either Mohegan-Pequot or Narragansett. It is commonly translated as "land of the swift running water", but the word more likely means "place near the evergreen swamp". The town of Willimantic, Maine, is named after Willimantic, Connecticut.

The surrounding town of Windham was founded in 1693 on land bequeathed by the Mohegan people. The first settler in what is now Willimantic was Samuel Ashley, who bought property there in 1717. Until it was industrialized, the area was called "Willimantic Falls". The first mill to be established was a picking and carding facility for wool, in 1806. Other mills followed, most notably a series of thread mills starting in 1822. As the city grew, it was incorporated as a borough in 1833. Willimantic became known as "Thread City" for the proliferation of textile mills, primarily thread, along the river.

Willimantic became a city when its charter was revised in 1893. Up to the outbreak of World War II, it continued to be a center for the production of silk and cotton thread. Various groups of immigrants arrived over the years to work in the mills. The city was a major rail hub; in the early twentieth century, as many as a hundred trains ran through Willimantic daily. Ornate Victorian homes were built in the town's Prospect Hill section, and the town prospered, growing from a population of less than 5,000 in 1860 to more than 12,100 by 1910.

But hard times followed; American Thread moved to North Carolina in 1985 and without it, the town's economy foundered. The city consolidated back into the town in 1983. The poverty rate, at 25.9%, was more than double the state average in 2010.

Heroin use, present since the 1960s, became a major public health problem in the early 2000s, declining somewhat by the 2010s. In 2002, The Hartford Courant ran an investigative series called "Heroin Town" describing rampant heroin use in Willimantic, disproportionate to the town's small size, which was followed by a 60 Minutes segment in 2003. The coverage upset local residents, and the state appointed a task force to study the issue. The Hotel Hooker, long known for drug use and prostitution, was renamed to the Seth Chauncey Hotel and put under new management in 2004, then renamed Windham House in 2005. Drug and prostitution arrests peaked in the late 2000s with increased enforcement, and began to fall by 2010.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place (CDP) has a total area of 4.5 sqmi, of which 4.4 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi  (2.23%) is water. The Willimantic River and the Natchaug River converge to form the Shetucket River in southeastern Willimantic. The Hop River also flows into the Willimantic River at the western border.

Willimantic is, in part, bordered by rivers. Its western border follows the Willimantic River; its eastern border is formed by the Natchuag and Shetucket Rivers. The CDP borders the towns of Coventry, Mansfield, Columbia, and Lebanon. It also borders the CDPs of South Windham (which is in the same town as Willimantic) and Mansfield Center.

Demographics
Immigrants of many national origins populated the city. First, Europeans arrived to work in the mills—Irish, Italians, Poles, Germans and French Canadians. Later, Estonian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Puerto Rican immigrants moved to the town in search of mill jobs. As a mark of how strongly newcomers identified with their places of origin, Willimantic has many churches, even several from the same denomination: for example, one Catholic church for French Canadians, another for Irish, Polish and Italian immigrants.

As of the 2010 US Census, there were 17,737 people, 5,812 households, and 3,324 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,031 PD/sqmi. There were 6,282 housing units at an average density of 1,428 /sqmi.

The racial makeup of the CDP was 66.0% White, 7.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 20.2% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.8% of the population, of whom the majority are (26.4%) Puerto Rican.

Of the 5,812 households, just over one third (34.2%) included children under the age of 18, 30.6% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 42.8% were non-families. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% of households were one individual aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the CDP the population's age distribution was 21.5% under age 18, 31.0% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 women ages 18 and over, there were 95.8 men.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,469, and the median income for a family was $45,254. Males had a median income of $37,111 versus $33,862 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,441. About 23.7% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.4% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

The Willimantic urban cluster is an area surrounding the CDP, which has a population of 29,669 as of the 2010 census.

Economy
Willimantic's first factory was built in 1822 on Main Street by Charles Lee, followed by the first of the Jillson Mills in 1824. The Jillson Mills were bought in 1854 by a group of investors from Hartford, who formed the Willimantic Linen Company. In 1879, the Company built a woodworking factory to source its spools in Howard, Maine, which was renamed Willimantic in 1881. In 1880, the Willimantic Linen Company built its Mill No. 4, the first industrial building designed for electric lighting and the world's largest cotton mill at the time, which stood until it was burned down by two teenagers in 1995. The company was acquired by American Thread Company in 1898, and expanded production. The mill closed when the company moved operations to North Carolina in 1985.

Major employers include Willimantic Waste Paper Company, which specializes in the collection and recycling of fiber products, scrap metal, and co-mingled plastic refuse, as well as Brand-Rex Corporation, which maintains a manufacturing making specialty wire and cable for commercial and industrial customers. In January 2018, a fire destroyed the Willimantic Waste Paper processing plant, however it was rebuilt and is currently operating. On July 26, 2021, Casella Waste Systems purchased Willimantic Waste Paper Company.

Points of interest
Willimantic is home to a wealth of Victorian-era architecture. Prospect Hill Historic District is a National Register-listed historic district containing 993 buildings. Windham Town Hall, formerly Willimantic City Hall, is a Romanesque Revival building housing the town offices for Windham and Willimantic.

The Windham Textile and History Museum preserves and presents the history of the neighboring Jillson Mills and the rest of Willimantic during the Industrial Revolution. The Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum, located where the Columbia Junction Freight Yard was, has a collection of locomotives and rolling stock, as well as a reconstructed six-stall roundhouse.

Willimantic is the home of the Willimantic Footbridge. Built in 1907, it is the only footbridge in the United States to connect two state highways, as well as crossing all three major forms of transportation: road, rail, and river. The Thread City Crossing ("Frog Bridge") is a road bridge over the Willimantic River, opened to traffic in September 2000, featuring eight-foot high, green-painted bronze frogs sitting on concrete thread spools to represent Willimantic's history in textiles as well as the local legend of the Windham Frog Fight of 1754.

Culture
Willimantic holds a Boom Box Parade every 4 July where, instead of a marching band performing, residents bring boom boxes tuned to WILI, the local AM radio station. The tradition started on Memorial Day of 1986, when no marching band was available for a parade. The parade has received national attention from the Washington Post. For Valentine's Day, it runs a chocolate festival, including a baking contest. The event started with a popular set of T-shirts first printed in 1980, which led to the first crowning of a "Town Cupid" in 1982, now an annual event.

Once a year, the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association offers tours of homes in the Prospect Hill Historic District as part of a "Victorian Days" event.

Starting in 2002, on the third Thursday of each month from May to September, the town holds the Third Thursday Street Fest on Main Street, an arts festival with live music and street vendors. The event is run by Willimantic Renaissance, a local nonprofit organization, and draws about eight thousand attendees.

Education
Willimantic is served by Windham Public Schools, which administers public schools in Willimantic as well as in the rest of Windham. Willimantic itself has a public preschool, the Windham Early Childhood Center, as well as Sweeney Elementary and Natchaug School for primary education, Windham Middle School for middle-school education, and Windham High School for high-school students. Middle-school students can also apply for admission by lottery to the Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy in Windham.

Additionally, Willimantic contains the Arts at the Capitol Theater Performing Arts High School, administered by EASTCONN, and Windham Technical High School, part of the Connecticut Technical High School System. There is also a private Christian school, St. Mary-St. Joseph School, serving Pre-K through eighth grade.

Eastern Connecticut State University, a four-year liberal arts college, is located in Willimantic, as is a satellite campus of Quinebaug Valley Community College.

Government
Before it was re-incorporated into Windham, Willimantic had a series of mayors; the Town of Windham was administered by a board of selectmen until 2009, when it changed to use a town council/town manager system with an elected mayor. As part of Windham, it is part of Connecticut's 2nd congressional district; in the Connecticut Senate, the 29th district, and in the Connecticut House of Representatives, most of it is in the 49th district, with some western parts in the 48th district.

Willimantic was the county seat of Windham County from 1893 to 1960, when the county system was abolished. The Windham Judicial District building is in downtown Willimantic as well.

Transportation
Willimantic is served by several state routes: Route 14, Route 32, Route 66, Route 195, and Route 289. It is additionally served by the Willimantic Bypass (US 6), a controlled-access highway. Notably, the only connections to the outside world are via surface roads, as the Willimantic Bypass is only divided between its two intersections with Route 66. In the 1960s, Interstate 84 was intended to connect Willimantic to Hartford in the west and Providence in the east, but the plan was eventually abandoned. Though the city was a major rail hub, Interstate 84 only skirted the area between 1970 and 1983, until plans to continue the highway eastward were scrapped by 1984, after which time U.S. 6 was moved to the Willimatic Bypass.

Public transportation in Willimantic is provided by the Windham Region Transit District, which provides two in-town routes, and three intercity routes to Norwich, Danielson and Storrs. Historically, Willimantic was also served by intercity trolley service: from 1903 to 1936, a line ran southeast to Norwich, and from 1909 to 1926, another ran northwest to Coventry. Both lines ended at the downtown railroad yard, but did not physically connect, as they did not cross the tracks.

In the 19th century, three active rail lines passed through Willimantic: the Central Vermont Railway in 1849, running from New London in the south northward to Vermont, the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad (later purchased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) in 1849, running east-to-west, and finally a line of the New York and New England Railroad, running from Boston in the northeast towards New York via Middletown and New Haven in the southwest, in 1872, which also was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Willimantic was one of only a handful of stops between Boston and New York on the high-speed "White Train" of the 1890s. At its peak, the passenger rail system ran forty trains a day through Willimantic. The NH operated the Nutmeg and several unnamed local trains on an east–west route from Waterbury, through Hartford and Willimantic, and on east to Boston. These rail services ended in 1955 after a bridge was flooded out by Hurricane Diane.

Currently no active passenger rail service stops at Willimantic station, though formerly Amtrak's Montrealer stopped at the city from 1991 to 1995.

Windham Airport (IJD), a nearby general aviation airport, is the only airport that directly serves the CDP. Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks is the closest commercial airport.

The Airline Trail South crosses the Willimantic River to enter Willimantic on a 2016 built path that ends at Bridge St. The Airline Trail North starts on Jackson St. across the street from Jillson Park, the trail then goes through the northeastern part of Willimantic before crossing the Natchuag River to leave the CDP and heading on to Putnam. The Hop River Trail enters Willimantic on CT 66 (crossing over the Willimantic River) shortly before departing to follow the river to the Airline Trail, where it ends.

Utilities
Electricity and gas service is provided by Eversource. Municipal water and sewer services are provided by Windham Water Works.

Healthcare
Windham Hospital, a subsidiary of Hartford HealthCare, is a 130-bed community hospital serving the area. The Veterans Administration also runs an outpatient primary-care facility on Main Street. Generations Family Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, is also located on Main Street.

Media
Willimantic is served by The Chronicle, a local paper founded in 1877 with continuous service since then, which also serves other towns in Eastern Connecticut.

Two commercial radio stations serve the Willimantic area: WILI AM 1400 (with a translator station to 95.3 FM), a news/talk/sports station, and its sister station WILI-FM 98.3, a top 40 station. Eastern Connecticut State University also broadcasts WECS, the local NPR affiliate, on FM 90.1.

Notable people

 * William Bonin, serial killer known as the Freeway Killer
 * Apathy (birth name Chad Bromley), rapper
 * Chris Dodd, senator
 * Eileen Farrell, soprano opera and concert singer
 * Jennifer Guthrie, actress
 * John Manning Hall, lawyer and state legislator
 * Skip Holtz, football coach
 * Julian Jordan, composer
 * Jules Jordan, composer
 * James A. Kowalski, clergyman
 * John T. Lis, professor of molecular biology and genetics
 * Alfred Henry Noel, mayor from 1969 to 1971
 * Fred Norris, radio personality
 * Isaiah Oggins, American spy for the Soviet Union, GULAG prisoner, and victim of Stalinism
 * Helen Turner Watson, one of the first African American women to serve in the U.S Navy
 * Ethel Paley, nursing home patient advocate

In popular culture
Connecticut State Troubadour Hugh Blumenfeld wrote a "Willimantic Trilogy" of songs about the city from 1990 to 1995: "Thread City", "Main Street Sky", and "How Long".

In 2007, writer-director A.D. Calvo filmed portions of his debut film, The Other Side of the Tracks, in Willimantic, and in 2011, he returned to film the majority of his third feature, House of Dust, on the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University and various other locations in town.

In Marvel Comics "Avengers: Celestial Quest", Mantis recounts raising her son, Sequoia, in Willimantic for a year. One of her fragmented manifestations would later return and be found by a clone of Thanos.

title: Willimantic, Connecticut


text:
Windham, Connecticut

Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut,  United States. It contains the former city of Willimantic as well as the communities of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. Willimantic, an incorporated city since 1893, was consolidated with the town in 1983. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 24,428 at the 2020 census.

History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the region was occupied by Algonquian peoples, including the Pequot, Mohegan, Narragansett, and Nipmuck. After the conclusion of the Pequot War in 1638, the Pequots ceased to exist as a tribe; after King Philip's War ended in 1678, the Narragansett and Nipmuck did as well, leaving the Mohegans the only native power in the region. The settlement of Windham was left to settlers by Joshua Uncas, son of Uncas, in a will dated 1675. Settlers moved in, and held their first town meeting on May 18, 1691. The tract was named the town of Windham in May 1692, and was incorporated into Hartford County in fall of 1693.

Starting in the early nineteenth century, the town's center of activity moved from Windham to Willimantic, as the water power available there led to the establishment of factories. First established as a borough in 1833, it was incorporated as a separate city in 1893, then reincorporated into the town of Windham in 1983 as its industry declined.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.9 square miles (72.3 km$2$), of which, 27.1 square miles (70.1 km$2$) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km$2$) of it (3.04%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,857 people, 8,342 households, and 5,088 families residing in the town. The population density was 844.4 PD/sqmi. There were 8,926 housing units at an average density of 329.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 74.0% White, 5.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 15.2% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.9% of the population.

There were 8,342 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,087, and the median income for a family was $42,023. Males had a median income of $32,742 versus $25,703 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,978. About 12.7% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:
 * Dr. Chester Hunt Office
 * Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army
 * Fourth Camp of Rochambeau's Army
 * Main Street Historic District
 * March Route of Rochambeau's Army: Scotland Road
 * Willimantic Armory
 * Windham Center Historic District

Education
The Windham Public School system serves students from pre-K through high school. Elementary schools are district-based, while Windham Middle School and Windham High School serve all residents. The school district has a preschool, four elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and an alternative high school. The alternative high school, Windham Phoenix Academy, is designed to provide individualized instruction and offers a transition program for 18-22 year olds (Assisted Work Program). As of January 2024, the district schools enrolled 3,209 students. Among those students, one in three students is an English language learner, among the highest proportions of Connecticut school districts.

In Willimantic, a public STEM-focused magnet school, Charles Barrows, enrolls students in kindergarten through eighth grade through a lottery system. At the high school level, Windham Technical High School offers technical education to students from Windham and surrounding towns. Windham Tech is a part of the Connecticut Technical High School System, rather than the public school district. Windham Tech students come from twenty-three different towns as of the 2023-24 school year.

In addition, high schoolers from Windham may attend E. O. Smith High School through its vocational agriculture program, in the neighboring town of Mansfield. In Willimantic there is also a specialized high school, Arts at the Capitol Theater Performing Arts High School, operated by the non-profit organization EASTCONN. A Catholic school for students in grades pre-K through 8, St. Mary-St. Joseph, is also located in downtown Willimantic.

Public Schools located in the town of Windham:
 * Windham Early Childhood Center (pre-K)
 * Natchaug School (K-5)
 * North Windham School (K-5)
 * W.B. Sweeney School (K-5)
 * Windham Center School (K-5)
 * Windham Middle School (6-8)
 * Windham High School (9-12)
 * Windham Technical High School (9-12)
 * Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy (K-8 magnet school)

Private Schools located in the town of Windham:
 * Arts at the Capitol Theater
 * St. Mary-St. Joseph School (pre-K to 8)

Higher education
Eastern Connecticut State University, a four-year liberal arts college, is located in Willimantic, as is a satellite campus of Quinebaug Valley Community College.

Transportation
Route 32 runs through South Windham and north-western Willimantic. Route 66 goes east to west from North Windham to Columbia. Route 14 serves Willimantic to Windham Center. Route 203 severs the eastern section of town from North Windham to South Windham. Route 195 goes from Willimantic to Mansfield eventually going to the University of Connecticut. Route 289 starts in southern Willimantic and shortly after going into Lebanon to Route 87. US 6 bypasses Willimantic and serves North Windham. Bus service is available around the town seven days a week. Windham Airport is a general aviation airport located in North Windham. Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks is the closest major commercial airport. There is no passenger train service, but a freight train stop is found in Willimantic for the Providence and Worcester Railroad. Bus service is provided by the Windham Region Transit District, and Connecticut Transit express bus route 918.

Notable people

 * George Hewitt Cushman (1814–1876), engraver and painter of miniature paintings and portraits
 * Eliphalet Dyer (1721–1807), a lawyer, jurist, and delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress, was born in town
 * Benjamin Hanks (1755–1824), goldsmith, instrument maker, and first maker of bronze cannons and church bells in America
 * William Hebard (1800–1875), a United States representative from Vermont was born in town
 * Samuel Huntington (1731–1796), signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation; was 18th Governor of Connecticut
 * Jerusha Bingham Kirkland (1743–1788), missionary; niece of Eleazar Wheelock
 * Gardiner Means (1896–1988), economist
 * Mary A. Ripley (1831–1893), author, lecturer, teacher
 * Eleazar Wheelock (1711–1779), a Congregational minister, orator, educator, and founder of Dartmouth College, was born in town

title: Windham, Connecticut


text:
Woodstock, Connecticut

Woodstock is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 8,221 at the 2020 census.

17th century
In the mid-17th century, John Eliot, a Puritan missionary to the Native Americans, established "praying towns", where Native Americans took up Christianity and were expected to renounce their religious ceremonies, traditional dress, and customs. One praying town, called Wabaquasset (Senexet, Wabiquisset), six miles west of the Quinebaug River in present-day Woodstock, was the largest of the three northeastern Connecticut praying towns.

In 1675, when King Philip's War broke out, some of the town's Indians, (especially in the southern part of the town) sided with the Mohegans and the English while others sided with the Indians led by Philip, rallying to arms on what is now Curtis Island in present Holland, Massachusetts and Brimfield, Massachusetts. During the war, the Praying town became deserted, and the English with their Indian allies marched through Woodstock to present day Thompson in the summer of 1676 burning any crops or stored corn they could find.

In 1682, Massachusetts bought a tract of land, which included Woodstock, from the Mohegans. A group of 13 men from Roxbury, Massachusetts (home of the Pastorate of Woodstock's earlier visitor, John Eliot), settled the town in 1686 and named it New Roxbury. Judge Samuel Sewall suggested the town change its name to Woodstock in 1690, citing its proximity to Oxford, Massachusetts, and in 1749 the town became part of Connecticut. The present name is after Woodstock, in England.

18th and 19th centuries
A farming town in the 18th century, Woodstock began attracting industry after the War of 1812. "By 1820, there were 2 distilleries, 2 wheel wrights, an oil mill, fulling mill, carding machines, grist mills, saw mills, a goldsmith, and twine and cotton batting operations. Woodstock Valley was known for its shoe factories," according to the history page at the Woodstock town government Web site.

By the middle of the 19th century, industry almost ceased, and Woodstock reverted to a rural state. The town then became a summer destination for wealthy city dwellers from around the East coast of the United States.

Henry C. Bowen was critical to this development. Bowen was a Woodstock native who became wealthy through the dry-goods business and publishing in Brooklyn, New York. He also founded the anti-slavery newspaper The Independent, helped found the Republican Party, and headed the lay managers of the famed Plymouth Church. Bowen had built a home in Woodstock and invested heavily in the improvement of his home town. Other lay leaders of Plymouth Church would summer with him, including Henry Ward Beecher, the church's pastor; Frederick Hinrichs, whose descendants still live in Woodstock; the Holt publishing family; the Tappans; and Albert Lythgoe, an Egyptologist renowned for pioneering the use of scientific methods in the unearthing of antiquities.

Fourth of July celebrations
Bowen hosted July 4 celebrations in Woodstock at his Roseland Park during the latter part of the 19th century. These festivities attracted as many as 10,000 people who heard speeches, saw fireworks, and drank pink lemonade. Bowen, often called "Mr. Fourth of July," eventually gave Roseland Park, which included a man-made lake, to the community.

Several U.S. Presidents visited Bowen's summer home on Woodstock Hill: Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, and Rutherford B. Hayes, as his guests and speakers for Fourth of July celebrations. Grant visited while he was a sitting president. Grant spent a night there in spite of the fact that Bowen (a teetotaler) forbade drinking and smoking in his home (Grant was made to smoke his cigars out on the porch, and he drank covertly). Hayes arrived for the July 4 celebration of 1883, and gave a speech in support of national education aid. Benjamin Harrison arrived in the first year of his presidency, planting a liberty tree during the 4th of July celebration. Other prominent visitors were Henry Ward Beecher and John C. Fremont.

Roseland Cottage
Roseland Cottage, also known as the Pink House or the Bowen House, was a summer home built by wealthy businessman Henry C. Bowen in 1846. This is where Bowen hosted U.S. Presidents for his then-famous Independence Day celebrations at Roseland Park. Ulysses S. Grant bowled his first strike in the bowling alley located in the carriage barn.

The pink-colored house features "tall, angular gables, gingerbread trim, and 21 formal flower gardens outlined by dwarf boxwood hedges," according to a Hartford Courant article. Roseland is an example of Victorian Gothic Revival style, which can be seen in its pointed gables, scrolled bargeboards, many tall chimneys, and leaded glass windows in diamond shapes. The outside walls, of board and batten wood siding, have been painted 13 different colors over the past 150 years—all shades of pink. As of the summer of 2006, the house was a coral or salmon color. The house still includes the owners' original furniture and knickknacks.

Roseland was designed (under Bowen's direction) by architect Joseph C. Wells. The design was influenced by the design books of architectural critic Andrew Jackson Downing.

Fine Homebuilding magazine named Roseland one of the 25 most important houses in America in its 2006 Fine Homebuilding Houses Annual Issue.

Roseland Cottage was purchased by Historic New England in 1970 and is currently open to the public for tours.

Events

 * The Woodstock Fair, run by the Woodstock Agricultural Society (established in 1846) has been held since 1860.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.8 sqmi, of which 60.5 sqmi is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km$2$ or 2.10%) is water. It is the second-largest town in Connecticut in terms of land area (after New Milford). The 42nd parallel north and the 72nd meridian west meet in the north central part of town.

Principal communities

 * East Woodstock
 * Harrisville
 * Kenyonville
 * Lake Bungee
 * North Woodstock
 * Quasset Lake
 * South Woodstock
 * West Woodstock
 * Witches Woods
 * Woodstock Hill (town center)
 * Woodstock Valley

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,964 people, 3,151 households, and 2,330 families residing in the town. The population density was 131.6 PD/sqmi. There were 3,582 housing units at an average density of 59.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.000001% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

Of the 3,151 households: 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 35.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $81,705, and the median income for a family was $102,008. Males had a median income of $61,500 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $37,611. About 1.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Woodstock is served by the Woodstock School District. Woodstock Elementary School (Pre-Kindergarten through 4) and Woodstock Middle School (5–8) serve Woodstock. Dr. Francis Baran is the Superintendent. Woodstock Elementary School serves children in pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade. Enrollment exceeded 500 as of 2006. Woodstock Middle School, acquired in 1996, has an enrollment of more than 400 in Grades 5–8.

The town has an "Independent New England Academy" (a special public / private school governed by a 30-member Board of Trustees) called Woodstock Academy.

From 1941 to 1980, Woodstock was home to Annhurst College, a private, Catholic institution.

Woodstock Academy
Woodstock Academy, a "New England Academy" which is a corporate school (there are two others in the State; Norwich Free Academy and The Gilbert School) and is governed by a 30-member Board of Trustees, is located in Woodstock. Founded in 1801 as a New England Academy, Woodstock Academy briefly closed twice in the 19th century, and the second time was revived by local philanthropist and Academy graduate Henry C. Bowen. After Bowen's death, his family set up an endowment fund to help keep the school running. In 1915 it became designated the town of Woodstock's public high school. In 1932 Eastford, a nearby community, also designated it as its town high school. From 1915 until 2004 the Town of Woodstock had officially designated the academy as its public high school. Since then the town's Board of Education and the Academy Trustees have been unable to come to an agreement, although Woodstock continues to send its students to the academy for its high school.

Today the school serves the towns of Woodstock, Eastford, Pomfret, Union, Canterbury, and Brooklyn with a student population of over 1100. The school is often described as "independent" as it is not controlled by any of the municipalities that it serves or by a regional high school board.

Presently the Woodstock Board of Education is in the process of negotiating a new contract with the school, but negotiations have been at an impasse these last two years as the Woodstock Board of Education has been trying to get more financial control over Woodstock Academy, a school which, as of 2009, is administered by itself with oversight by the state of Connecticut.

Points of interest

 * Roseland Cottage
 * Woodstock Academy
 * Camp Meet (Tyott Road)
 * Solair Recreation League, a family nudist resort and campground

title: Woodstock, Connecticut


text:
Bowers, Delaware

Bowers (commonly known as Bowers Beach) is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan area. According to the 2020 census, its population was 278.

History
Bowers Beach was originally settled in the late 1600s and was named Whitwell's Delight by Francis Whitwell. The land was acquired by William Frampton in 1685 and was called Dover Peers. After Frampton died, the land was sold to William Bassett. Eventually, 420 acres of Whitwell's Delight belonged to Nathaniel and Mary Hunn. After Nathaniel Hunn died in 1734, his children sold the land to John Bowers and the land along the Delaware Bay between the St. Jones River and Murderkill River became known as Bowers Beach starting on August 16, 1734. The land later belonged to John Bowers' son and then his granddaughter, with the latter being the last person in the Bowers family to own the land. Part of the land was acquired by John Booth in 1750, who sold it later in the year to Benjamin Chew. By the 1800s, the properties in Bowers Beach were owned by Joseph Wood. The properties were later sold to multiple owners.

Bowers' population was 150 in 1890, and was 146 in 1900.

On March 9, 1907, Bowers was incorporated. In 1962, the settlement was reincorporated as the Town of Bowers.

Throughout its history, Bowers Beach was a major fishing town along the Delaware Bay and once saw an average of 300 boats at the docks. Today, people come to Bowers Beach for fishing, swimming, birdwatching, kayaking, sailing, and the beaches along the Delaware Bay.

The Fourteen Foot Bank Light and Saxton United Methodist Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 sqmi, of which 0.3 sqmi is land and 3.33% is water.

Bowers Beach is situated along the Delaware Bay between the St. Jones River to the north and the Murderkill River to the south.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 305 people, 138 households, and 81 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,063.4 PD/sqmi. There were 224 housing units at an average density of 781.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.48% White, 5.25% African American, 0.98% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races.

There were 138 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,031, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $23,594 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,404. About 10.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.1% of those 65 or over.

Transportation
Road access to Bowers Beach is provided by Bowers Beach Road, which leads west to an interchange with Delaware Route 1 in Little Heaven. DE 1 heads north toward Dover and Wilmington and south toward Milford and the Delaware Beaches.

Utilities
Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Bowers Beach. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town. Trash and recycling collection in Bowers Beach is provided under contract by Waste Industries.

Education
Bowers is within the Lake Forest School District. The zoned high school is Lake Forest High School.

title: Bowers, Delaware


text:
Camden, Delaware

Camden is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan area. The population was 3,715 in 2020.

History
Camden was established in 1783 as a community originally known as Mifflin's Crossroads. The community of Mifflin's Crossroads was a Quaker settlement laid out by Daniel Mifflin on the Piccadilly tract. The town originally gained some commercial trade through wharves in nearby Forest Landing and Lebanon on the St. Jones River. From these wharves, regular boat service connected the area to Philadelphia and New York City, with local merchants shipping cordwood, staves, grain, and Spanish-oak bark. The Delaware Railroad was built through nearby Wyoming in the 1850s and expanded the market for local farm products, bringing increased prosperity to Camden. The town has numerous historic properties and part of it is designated as the Camden Historic District. In addition, Brecknock, Camden Friends Meetinghouse, Star Hill AME Church, and Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church are all listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places.

On February 22, 1975, a vote was held to merge with the bordering town of Wyoming; the residents of Camden voted 117 to 49 in favor of merging the towns, but the measure failed when Wyoming residents voted against the measure by a similar proportion in reverse: 113 against to 78 in favor. The Wyoming town council had previously opposed a merger attempt in 1967.

Geography
Camden is located at 39.11333°N, -75.54194°W (39.1134458, –75.5418687).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 sqmi, all land.

Because of the small size of this town, and its even smaller neighbor of Wyoming, the U.S. Postal Service has jointly assigned the towns a single ZIP code, 19934, which is designated as the Camden-Wyoming ZIP code.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Camden has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of 2020, its population was 3,715.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,100 people, 835 households, and 573 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,130.9 PD/sqmi. There were 886 housing units at an average density of 477.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 76.67% White, 18.00% African American, 0.81% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.90% of the population.

There were 835 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,097, and the median income for a family was $50,347. Males had a median income of $32,154 versus $25,261 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,113. About 1.8% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
U.S. Route 13 runs north–south through the eastern part of Camden, heading north toward Dover and south toward Salisbury. U.S. Route 13 Alternate passes north–south through the center of Camden on Main Street. Delaware Route 10 runs east–west through Camden on Camden Wyoming Avenue, heading west through rural western Kent County to the Maryland border and east toward Dover Air Force Base. DART First State provides bus service to Camden along Route 104, which runs from the Walmart in Camden north to the Dover Transit Center in Dover and connects to other local bus routes serving the Dover area; Route 117, which runs from the Walmart in Camden south to Harrington; and Route 303, which heads north to Dover and south to Georgetown.

Utilities
Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Camden. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town. The Camden-Wyoming Sewer & Water Authority provides sewer and water service to Camden and the neighboring town of Wyoming. Trash and recycling collection in Camden is provided under contract by Republic Services.

Education
Camden is located in the Caesar Rodney School District. It is divided between the boundaries of Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School in Camden and W. B. Simpson Elementary School in Wyoming. Students zoned to Stokes and Simpson are zoned to Fred Fifer III Middle School in Camden. Areas east of US 13 zoned to W. Reily Brown Elementary in Dover are on land zoned as commercial. Caesar Rodney High School in Camden is the comprehensive high school for the entire district.

Government

 * Mayor: Larry Dougherty
 * Vice-Mayor: Vicki Rhodes
 * Councilman: Dan Woodall
 * Councilwoman: Darlene Sturgeon
 * Councilman: Dan Ridgley
 * Chief of Police: Marcus Whitney
 * Town Manager: Harold Scott

Notable people

 * Ashley Coleman, Miss Delaware Teen USA 1999, Miss Teen USA 1999 (born and grew up in Camden)
 * Eric Buckson, born in Camden and a current Kent County Levy Court Commissioner
 * Henry Hayes Lockwood, born in Camden Civil War general
 * Charles L. Terry Jr., born in Camden, 65th Governor of Delaware
 * R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., State Auditor of Delaware and former Mayor of Camden

title: Camden, Delaware


text:
Cheswold, Delaware

Cheswold is a town in Kent County in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,923 in 2020.

History
The town was incorporated in 1856 following the construction of the Delaware Railroad. When the town was founded, the population consisted of Lenape, blacks, and whites, who were mainly Dutch and referred to as Moors. The town was home to a railroad station called Leipsic Station, named for the nearby town of Leipsic. The community became a shipping point for grain and fruit that was grown in the area. By 1860, the town had 35 homes, three general stores, a wheelwright, a brickyard, and a grain warehouse.

Prior to 1888, Cheswold was called Moorton after landowner James S. Moore. The town was also known as Leipsic Station after the railroad station. In 1888, a contest was held to rename the town, and Cheswold was chosen. Cheswold is a combination of "chess", from a large group of chestnut trees, and "wold", which stands for forest of trees.

Cheswold is the birthplace J. Caleb Boggs, who served as Governor of Delaware, three terms as U.S. Representative, and two terms as U.S. Senator. The town was home to the Cheswold Tigers, a minor league baseball team that existed from 1950 to 1960 and was known for a winning record. In the 21st century, Cheswold faced a period of financial issues but has seen its economy improve.

Geography
Cheswold is located at 39.21917°N, -75.58583°W (39.2192786, –75.5857596).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 sqmi, all land.

The Old Town area of Cheswold is located at the intersection of Main Street (Delaware Route 42) and Commerce Street west of the Delmarva Central Railroad tracks and serves as the oldest settled part of the town. Cheswold is made up of several residential communities, including Parkers Run, Strimmels Mobile Home Park, Fox Pointe Mobile Home Park, Blanton Mobile Home Park, Stonington, and Nobles Pond.

Cheswold has a post office for P.O. boxes with a ZIP code of 19936. However, the delivery of mail in Cheswold is handled by the Dover post office with a ZIP code of 19904. The Cheswold name may be used for mail delivered to addresses in town with the 19904 ZIP code.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cheswold has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 313 people, 116 households, and 80 families residing in the town. The population density was 729.8 PD/sqmi. There were 122 housing units at an average density of 284.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 71.57% White, 12.14% African American, 5.11% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 6.39% from other races, and 4.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.86% of the population.

There were 116 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $32,045. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $22,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,588. About 18.8% of families and 25.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.7% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Cheswold has a council-manager system of government with a six-person Town Council, which consists of a mayor and vice mayor among the council members. Elections for the council are held every year, with three council seats up for election for two-year terms. After elections, the Town Council selects a Mayor, who then selects a Vice Mayor and Secretary/Treasurer. The Town Council holds meetings once a month. As of 2023, the Mayor is Santo Faronea, the Vice Mayor is Max A. Amoako, and the Secretary/Treasurer is Theon (Sam) Callender, while the remaining members of Town Council are Judith Johnson, Mark Moxley, and Robin Ridgway. The town government also consists of a Planning Commission, Town Administrator, Town Clerk, Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and Maintenance Technician.

Police services in Cheswold is provided by the Cheswold Police Department. The Town of Cheswold Police Department is currently under the direction of Chief Christopher Workman and has four(4) full time officers. Cheswold officers currently patrol the Town of Cheswold at seven(7) days a week with some special duty patrols at various times of the day. The Delaware State Police cover the Town when Cheswold Officers are off duty. Fire protection in Cheswold is provided by the Cheswold Volunteer Fire Company-Station 43.

Transportation
U.S. Route 13 runs north–south through the eastern part of Cheswold, heading north to Smyrna and Wilmington and south to Dover. Delaware Route 42 serves as the main east–west road through Cheswold, heading west to Kenton and east to Leipsic. The Delaware Route 1 toll road passes east of Cheswold but the nearest interchange is in Dover. DART First State provides bus service to Cheswold along Route 120, which heads south to Dover to connect to local bus routes serving the Dover area and north to Smyrna. The Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north–south through Cheswold. Delaware Airpark, a general aviation airport, is located outside of Cheswold.

Utilities
Water and sewer service in Cheswold is provided by Middlesex Water Company. Electricity in Cheswold is provided by Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon. Natural gas service to Cheswold is provided by Chesapeake Utilities. Trash and recycling in the town is provided by Republic Services, Waste Industries, Waste Management, and Burns and McBride. Cable and internet in Cheswold is provided by DirecTV, Xfinity, Dish Network, and Verizon.

Education
Cheswold is in the Capital School District. Dover High School is the comprehensive high school of the district.

Notable people

 * J. Caleb Boggs, politician who served as U.S. Representative from Delaware from 1947 to 1953, 62nd Governor of Delaware from 1953 to 1960, and U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1961 to 1973

title: Cheswold, Delaware