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Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the south-central part of the state, 16 miles (26 km) south of Hartford. It was founded in 1650 and incorporated the town of Mattabeseck in 1651. It received its present name in 1653 and was incorporated as a city in 1784. Originally a busy sailing port and then an industrial center, it is now largely a residential city and college town, home to Wesleyan University. In 1910, 11,851 people were residents of the city. In 1940, 26,495 people lived here. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 43,167.
History
The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River where Middletown now lies was home to the Mattabesett Indians when the Connecticut General Court elected to establish a settlement there in 1650. Colonists arrived shortly thereafter from nearby Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor, and lived peacefully (for the most part) alongside the tribe. Later in the seventeenth century, Mohegans moved into the area from the Hudson River Valley. Dubbed Pequots, or killers of men, by the more peaceful Mattabesetts, the newcomers threatened and raided fellow Native Americans and English settlers alike for several decades before a peaceful coexistence was reestablished. The English settlers eventually purchased nearly all of the shrinking holdings of the Native Americans, including substantial lands on the eastern side of the river, limiting them to a small strip of land surrounding the tribal home of the Mattabesett chief.
During the 1700s, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut. By the time of the American Revolution, Middletown was a thriving port, with one-third of its citizens involved in merchant and maritime activities. The port's decline began in the early 1800s with strained American-British relations, and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the War of 1812. The port never recovered; however, the city distinguished itself in the war effort, as Middletown's Commodore Thomas Macdonough led American forces to the victory on Lake Champlain in 1814 which ended British hopes for an invasion of New York.
During this period, Middletown became a major hub of firearm production. Numerous gun manufacturers in the area supplied the majority of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812. Afterwards, however, the center of this business passed to Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut, and New Haven, Connecticut. (See also History of Connecticut industry)
1831 saw the establishment of Wesleyan College (later Wesleyan University,) which became one of the United States' leading liberal arts institutions. The mid-nineteenth century also saw manufacturing replace trade as Middletown's economic mainstay; however, industrial growth was limited by railroad operators' decision to bypass Middletown when tracks were laid between Hartford and New Haven. Regardless, Middletonians played a role in the Civil War. For example, General Joseph K. Mansfield of Middletown led Union forces at Antietam, where he died in action in 1862. The city was also active in the abolition movement, and was a hub along the underground railway.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the once predominantly Anglo-Saxon city underwent a demographic transformation. First the Irish, and then large numbers of Italian immigrants arrived to work in Middletown's factories and farms, many coming from the town of Melilli, Sicily. Polish and German arrivals followed, and by 1910 the population had swelled to nearly 21,000. Meanwhile, the number of African-Americans dwindled to a mere 53 persons, as employers chose to hire white immigrants. Later in the century, more African-Americans migrated to the area, followed by a more recent influx of Hispanic residents, giving the city its current mix of diverse ethnic groups.
Both natural events and a continuing influx of people and businesses impacted the city in the first half of the twentieth century. Middletown was hit by floods in 1927 and 1936, and by The Great New England Hurricane in 1938. Despite these occurences, the Arrigoni Bridge was completed over the Connecticut River in 1938, connecting Middletown to Portland and points east.
During the 1950s, as the popularity of the automobile increased, government officials approved the construction of a highway that effectively separated Middletown from the Connecticut River, its initial, natural raison d'etre. Highway construction demolished historic neighborhoods, including many buildings from the 1700s. Thereafter Middletown, like many other Northeastern cities at the time, went into a decline that did not reverse until the 1990s. During this time, many handsome (albeit decrepit) buildings were torn down in the name of 'urban renewal', and later turned into parking lots, or left empty. Crime increased. During the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney Aircraft opened a large plant in Middletown. Concurrently, developers bought much of the city's remaining farms, including most of Oak Grove Dairy, to create suburban developments for local workers and commuters to surrounding cities. During the 1990s, Wesleyan University invested heavily in Middletown's Main Street, and downtown Middletown revived somewhat. Crime decreased, and new restaurants and shops opened.
Geography
Physically smaller than the colonial town from which it grew, Middletown now sits solely along the west bank of the Connecticut River, in the south-central portion of the state. Running alongside the river, State Route 9 traverses the city's eastern border. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 109.6 km² (42.3 mi²). 105.9 km² (40.9 mi²) of it is land and 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.36% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 43,167 people, 18,554 households, and 10,390 families residing in the city. The population density is 407.5/km² (1,055.4/mi²). There are 19,697 housing units at an average density of 185.9/km² (481.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 80.01% White, 12.26% Black or African American, 5.30% Hispanic or Latino, and 2.68% Asian, .
There are 18,554 households, of which 25.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% are married couples living together, and 44.0% are non-families. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.90.
21.7% of residents are under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years.
The median income for a household in the city is $47,162, and the median income for a family is $60,845. Males have a median income of $45,790 versus $34,648 for females. The per capita income for the city is $25,720. 7.5% of the population and 4.3% of families are below the poverty line.
Middletown today
In recent decades, Middletown has focused on balancing the needs and comforts of its residents with the industrial development required to help fund services. These efforts date at least to 1931, when the city was one the first in America to establish a planning board. Progress continued under the leadership of four term Democratic mayor, Domenique S. Thornton. On November 8, 2005, Republican Sebastian Giuliano won the mayor's office, ousting Thornton, whom he criticised for raising taxes and for the awarding of a contract for the construction of a new high school to Tomasso Brothers, Inc., a firm that has been the target of a federal corruption probe.
Middletown is in the midst of an effort to revitalize its historically disadvantaged North End with the building of Wharfside Commons, a new 96-unit mixed income housing unit on Ferry Street. The Green Street Arts Center, founded by Wesleyan and a coalition of community groups in 2000, is a pioneering attempt to attract residents and businesses to the neighborhood by promoting arts education and outreach.
At present, the Main Street Market development continues to revitalize the downtown area. In addition to Pratt and Whitney, Aetna Life and Casualty is a major employer, while both Middlesex Community and Technical College and the Wilcox School of Nursing support the town's reputation as an educational center. Meanwhile, Sunshine Dairy continues to represent Middletown's agricultural heritage. Adjacent to the town is Powder Ridge Ski Resort, on Powder Hill.
Located on the western border of the city, in an area known as Westlake, is an 84 house community known as The Farms. This architectural award winning community was developed in 1969 by George Achenbach and was one of the first communities in Connecticut designed for cluster living, with open areas designated as common land.
Well-known Residents
- Thomas Macdonough, hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812
- Joseph K. Mansfield, hero of the Battle of Antietam in the Civil War
- Joey Jay, major league baseball player and the first Little Leaguer to reach the major leagues.
- Bill Rodgers, five-time Boston Marathon winner and Wesleyan University graduate
- Ambrose Burfoot, former Boston Marathon winner and Wesleyan University graduate
- Willie Pep, pound-for-pound one of the greatest boxers of all-time.
- Major Taylor, world-champion cyclist and second African-American world champion in any sport.
- U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, professor of History at Wesleyan University
- Dean Acheson, US Secretary of State, 1949-1953
- Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros first baseman, who lived in Killingworth, Connecticut, is a Xavier High School graduate.
- Bill Watrous, jazz musician and band leader, was born in Middletown.
External links
Additional "famous" people of Middletown CT
Bill Belichick, was an Assistant Coach at Wesleyan University
William Manchester, famous author, lived in Middletown
Other references
- History of Middlesex County 1635-1885: With Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. Pratt & Read Co. New York: J. B. Beers & Co., 1884.
- History of Middlesex County, Connecticut, Whittemore, (New York, 1884)
- Middletown Upper Houses: A History of the North Society of Middletown from 1650 to 1800, C. C. Adams, (New York, 1908)
"Middletown, Connecticut"