Manchester, Connecticut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Town of Manchester | |||
| |||
| Nickname: "Silk City" | |||
| Motto: City of Village Charm | |||
 | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NECTA | Hartford | ||
| Region | Capitol Region | ||
| Founded | 1672 | ||
| Incorporated | 1823 | ||
| Government type | Council-manager | ||
| General Manager | Scott Shanley | ||
| Board of directors | Josh Howroyd (D), Mayor Joseph S. Hachey Lisa Paggioli O'Neill Matt Peak Cheri Ann Pelletier David M. Sheridan Louis A. Spadaccini John D. Topping Kevin L. Zingler | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 71.7 km² (27.7 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 70.6 km² (27.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 1.1 km² (0.4 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | (at Town Hall) 82.9 m (272 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2005) | 55,572 | ||
| - Density | 786/km² (2,036/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 0604x | ||
| Website: http://www.townofmanchester.org | |||
Manchester is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 54,743 [1].
Contents |
[edit] History
Manchester was settled by colonists around 1672 as a farming community. The many rivers and brooks provided power for paper, lumber and textile industries, and the town quickly evolved into an important industrial center.
In 1838, the Cheney family started what became the world's largest silk mill. Eventually, Manchester became an ideal industrial community. The mills, houses of the owners, and homes of the workers are now part of a National Historic Landmark District.
Many of the buildings on Main Street and Hartford Road reflect the rich industrial and cultural heritage of the silk age.
Visit the Historical Society of Manchester, CT for more information about the rich history of the community.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.7 km² (27.7 mi²). 70.6 km² (27.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (1.52%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 54,740 people, 23,197 households, and 14,010 families residing in the town. The population density was 775.4/km² (2,008.2/mi²). There were 24,256 housing units at an average density of 343.6/km² (889.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.77% White, 8.42% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.54% of the population.
There were 23,197 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,426, and the median income for a family was $58,769. Males had a median income of $41,893 versus $32,562 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,989. About 6.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005<ref>Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.</ref> | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Democratic | 10,612 | 584 | 11,196 | 33.86% | |
| Republican | 6,249 | 374 | 6,623 | 20.03% | |
| Unaffiliated | 14,150 | 1,069 | 15,219 | 46.03% | |
| Minor Parties | 25 | 2 | 27 | 0.08% | |
| Total | 31,036 | 2,029 | 33,065 | 100% | |
[edit] Places of interest
Manchester is home to one hospital, the Manchester Memorial Hospital. MMH is a member of the Eastern Connecticut Health Network, the main office of which is also in Manchester.
Manchester is also famous for Manchester Community College, a two-year community college that offers general education classes during the summer. The town also has a highly rated private school, East Catholic High School ECHS.
Manchester is also known for The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, an enclosed shopping mall, and the nearby strip mall, Buckland Plaza. In the last decade, the area surrounding the mall, which extends into the town of South Windsor, has been blanketed with numerous shopping outlets and plazas and quickly transformed into a shopping hub for the state's residents.
Manchester is also the home of several technology companies including Smith Aerospace.
As a center of the silk industry in America from the late 19th through the mid-20th Century, the "Cheney Family" historic district [2] showcases mills refurbished as apartments and includes nearby museums.
Manchester is also the home of the Manchester Silkworms collegiate wood-bat summer baseball team, which plays in the New England Collegiate Baseball League from early June to early August.
Manchester is perhaps most famous for its incredibly popular Manchester Road Race[3] which is held every Thanksgiving Day. This race has over 10,000 participants yearly, as well as thousands of spectators, and is considered the second-largest road race in New England, behind only the Boston Marathon.
Manchester is also home to the world-known Shady Glen Dairy Stores, known best for their Cheeseburgers and home-made ice cream. Shady Glen was opened in 1948 by John and Bernice Reig of Manchester. This smalltown restaurant is also known for holding on to the traditions of restaurants of the 1950s.
[edit] Transportation
Downtown Manchester is located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 83) and Center Street (Route 6/Route 44). It is also served by Interstate 84 and its spur route Interstate 384.
Manchester is also served by the Hartford division of Connecticut Transit. The B, YM, and Z routes connect Manchester directly to the city of Hartford.
[edit] Notable people
- Daniel C. Burbank (born in Manchester), NASA astronaut
- Fred Norris (childhood hometown), Howard Stern Show cast member and sound effects maestro. During an interview on Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006, Norris expressed disappointment with Manchester's commercial development, changing from a once rural tobacco town to a shopping mecca which he described as, "mall after mall after mall." "No offense, Manchester, but you've really gone downhill," Norris added.
- Frederick Walker Pitkin (born in Manchester), governor of Colorado from 1879 to 1883
- Alan Sandals (born and schooled in Manchester), former candidate for Democratic nomination for the 2006 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race
- Dana White (born in Manchester), president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Chris Clark (hockey player), currently plays for the Washington Capitals of the NHL (grew up in South Windsor, Connecticut, but was born at Manchester Memorial Hospital).
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
- Town of Manchester
- Manchester Community College
- Manchester High School
- East Catholic High School
- Journal Inquirer
- Manchester Road Race
- Wickham Park
- Downtown Special Services District
- Manchester Area Conference of Churches
- Eastern Connecticut Health Network
- Manchester Silkworms
- The Shoppes at Buckland Hills (Buckland Hills Mall)
- Lutz Children's Museum
- Home Town Locator page
- Central Regional Tourism District
- 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article on Manchester, Connecticut:
- Text from www.1911encyclopedia.org
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| State of Connecticut | |
|---|---|
| Topics |
Culture | Geography | Government | History | Images |
| Capital | Hartford |
| Regions |
Central Naugatuck River Valley | Gold Coast | Greater Bridgeport | Greater Danbury | Greater New Haven | Greater Hartford | Litchfield Hills | Lower Connecticut River Valley | Quiet Corner | Southeastern Connecticut |
| Counties |
Fairfield | Hartford | Litchfield | Middlesex | New Haven | New London | Tolland | Windham |
| Cities |
Ansonia | Bridgeport | Bristol | Danbury | Derby | Groton | Hartford | Meriden | Middletown | Milford | New Britain | New Haven | New London | Norwalk | Norwich | Shelton | Stamford | Torrington | Waterbury | West Haven |
| Places |
Towns | Boroughs | Villages | Historic Places | Geography |
