Hartford (pop. 121,054; met. area pop. 1,150,473) is the capital of Connecticut and one of the largest cities in the state. It is an important manufacturing center and a regional retail center. The Hartford area also has many insurance companies. The city lies on the west bank of the Connecticut River, in the north-central part of the state.
In 1633, the Netherlands established a trading post in what is now the Hartford area. English settlers from Massachusetts, led by Thomas Hooker, a Congregationalist minister, founded Hartford in 1636. They named the town for the English town of Hertford.
Description.
Hartford covers 18 square miles (47 square kilometers). Constitution Plaza, a modern business center, lies in the heart of the downtown area. Nearby is the XL Center, which includes an assembly hall, an exhibition hall, and a sports arena. The State Capitol is next to Bushnell Park in the center of the city.
Hartford is the home of Trinity College, the Hartford Seminary, and Rensselaer at Hartford, a branch campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The University of Hartford and the University of St. Joseph are in nearby West Hartford.
Hartford’s landmarks include the Old State House; homes of the authors Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe; the Connecticut Historical Society; and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, one of the first public art museums in the United States. The atheneum was established in 1842. The Connecticut Science Center, near the Connecticut River downtown, has many interactive exhibits.
The Hartford Courant is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the country. The newspaper was founded in 1764.
Economy.
Hartford’s insurance companies employ many of the city’s workers. However, the industry has declined since the economic downturn of 2007-2009. Manufacturing and trade are also important to the city’s economy. Hartford is one of New England’s largest retail centers.
Government and history.
Hartford has a mayor-council government. The voters elect a mayor and nine city council members to four-year terms.
Saukiog Indians lived in what is now the Hartford area before the Dutch founded a trading post there called the House of Hope. In 1639, English settlers of the Connecticut Colony met in Hartford and adopted the Fundamental Orders, sometimes called the first written constitution. The Fundamental Orders later served as a model for the United States Constitution.
Hartford was incorporated in 1784. New Haven and Hartford were twin capitals of Connecticut from 1701 to 1875, when Hartford became the only capital. In 1835, after a fire in New York City, the Hartford Fire Insurance Company was one of the few insurance firms that was able to pay its claims. As a result, Hartford became known for reliable insurance companies.
The city’s population increased from 79,850 in 1900 to 138,036 in 1920, largely because of immigration from Europe. The population reached a high of 177,397 in 1950 but then began to decline as thousands of people moved to suburban areas. By 2020, the city’s population had declined to 121,054.
In 2017, Connecticut lawmakers adopted a spending plan that kept Hartford, burdened by tens of millions of dollars of debt, out of bankruptcy. The state then appointed a panel to oversee the city’s finances.
