Windsor, Connecticut
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Windsor was the first town established in the State of Connecticut, the 5th Colony to receive Statehood in the United States of America. Windsor is a suburban community with a relatively diverse population.
Poquonock is a northern area of Windsor that has it's own zip code (06064). Other areas in Windsor, which are not incorporated, include Rainbow and Hayden in the north, and Wilson and Deerfield in the south. The Day Hill Road area is Windsor's Corporate Area.
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[edit] History
Settlors from Plymouth Colony, in Massachusetts, founded Windsor after the Podunk Indians invited them to provide a mediating force between other tribes, and granted them a plot of land.
The Pequot and Mohawk were at war, catching the Podunk in the crossfire and forcing them to pay tribute to the Pequots, who claimed their land.
The Sicaog tribe made a similar offer to the Dutch in New Amsterdam, but they declined to send settlers, since their interest in Connecticut was limited to the fur trade.
After Edward Winslow inspected the site, William Holmes led a party there. The group arrived at Windsor on September 26, 1633, and the group settled near the present location of Loomis Chaffee School.
In 1633, traders began meeting in the Windsor area on a regular basis. The first settlers were a group led by the Revs Maverick and Warham of about 135 people who trekked from Dorchester Massachusetts where they had first settled after coming on the ship "Mary and John" to the New World in 1630.
It was first called Matianuck, the Indian name for the area but was changed to Windsor shortly after. (book- "Dorset Pilgrims" by Frank Thistlewaite) These 135 or so people have many descendants around the country and beyond, many are members of The Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor (DFAW) based in the Windsor area.
The first highway in Connecticut opened in 1638 between Windsor and Hartford. Hartford & Springfield Street Railway connected with the Conn. Co. in Windsor Center until 1925. Buses replaced trolleys between Rainbow (a northern section of Windsor) and Windsor Center in 1930; cars continued to run from Windsor to Hartford until 1940. <ref>http://www.bera.org/trolleytowns/trolleyhtml/windsor.html</ref>
[edit] Tobacco
Windsor was formerly known for its thriving tobacco farms, some of which still exist today. Tobacco grown here beneath a netting of gauze approximates the humidity and growing conditions of Honduras. Windsor tobacco leaves are highly prized by fine cigar makers, and are used as the cigar's outer wrapping, called Broad Leaf or Shade Tobacco.
34,000 acres in Connecticut are covered by Soil named after Windsor, called yes, Windsor Soil. <ref>http://www.ct.nrcs.usda.gov/soil-windsor.html</ref>
While much of the Day Hill section of town has been given over to industry, the long red wooden sheds that are used to store and dry the tobacco are still noticeable. A Tobacco Museum containing authentic farming implements and tools can be found at Northwest Park. [7]
[edit] Historical Society
The Windsor Historical Society manages a collection of old homesteads that have existed since the 17th and 18th centuries and are available for tour. [8]
On historic Palisado Avenue, one can find the First Church Congrgational and adjacent graveyard. [9]
Across the street on the Palisado green stands a statue of John Mason (a founder of Windsor and colonial leader in the Pequot War).
Further down the road is the home of Oliver Ellsworth, second Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. [10]
The town center is well-planned in comparison to many of the others in the Greater Hartford area, including a relative diversity of chains and local shops, as well as a recently restored Amtrak station that dates to the 1850's.
The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut is also located in Windsor. [11]
[edit] National Register
- Allyn, Capt. Benjamin, II, House - 119 Deerfield Rd. (added 1979-06-26)
- Barber, Giles, House - 411--413 Windsor Avenue Connecticut Route 159 (added 1988-09-15)
- Bissell Tavern-Bissell's Stage House - 1022 Palisado Avenue Connecticut Route 159 (added 1985-08-23)
- Broad Street Green Historic District - Rougly along Broad Street Connecticut Route 159 from Batchelder Rd. to Union St. (added 1999-12-30)
- Case, Benomi, House - 436 Rainbow Rd. (added 1988-09-15)
- Chaffee, Hezekiah, House - Meadow Lane, off Palisado Green (added 1972-07-31)
- Chapman, Taylor, House - 407 Palisado Avenue Connecticut Route 159 (added 1988-09-15)
- Ellsworth, Horace H., House - 316 Palisado Avenue Connecticut Route 159 (added 1988-09-15)
- Ellsworth, Oliver, Homestead - 778 Palisado Avenue Connecticut Route 159 (added 1970-10-06)
- Farmington River Railroad Bridge - Spans Farmington River and Pleasant St. W of Palisado Ave. (added 1972-08-25)
<ref>http://www.nr.nps.gov/iwisapi/explorer.dll?IWS_SCHEMA=NRIS1&IWS_LOGIN=1&IWS_REPORT=100000039</ref>
[edit] Windsor Today
[edit] Education
Four public elementary schools (Oliver Ellsworth Elementary School, Clover Street Elementary School, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, and Poquonock Elementary School), one public middle school (Sage Park Middle School) and one public high school (Windsor High School). [12]
Two public libraries: Windsor Public Library [13] and Wilson Public Library
The well-known college preparatory school Loomis Chaffee is located in Windsor, on a 320-acre campus at the confluence of the Connecticut and Farmington rivers.
Saint Gabriel's School is a private school that teaches grades kindergarden through eighth. [14]
Trinity Christian School is a private school that teaches grades kindergarden through seventh. [15] [16]
Praise, Power, Prayer Christian School is a private school that teaches grades kindergarten through twelfth. [17] [18]
Branford Hall Career Institute is located on Day Hill. [19]
[edit] Parks
Windsor Meadows State Park is in the south east corner; it runs down the shore of the Connecticut River.
Keney Park, in the south, straddles Windsor and Hartford, it includes Cricket Fields and a Golf Course.
Northwest Park, Windsor's largest town park, is located, yes, in the northwest corner of Windsor. It includes a nature center, trails and a petting zoo. [20]
[edit] Events
The 53th Annual Shad Derby will be held during May 2007. It includes a fishing contest, pegeant: crowning a Shady Derby Queen for high school seniors, parade, road race, craft fair, and festival.
The Northwest Park Country Fair is held every fall. [21]
The 22nd Annual Columbus Day Soccer Tournament will be held Columbus Day weekend, October 2007. Players ages 9-14 participate from the area. [22]
[edit] Entertainment
Tradition Golf Club. [23]
Keney Park Golf Course.
[edit] Transportation
Bradley International Airport, which serves the greater Pioneer Valley as well as Greater Hartford, is located in the adjacent town of Windsor Locks.
The 'N' line of Connecticut Transit (CT Transit) Buses runs between Hartford and Bradley International Airport through Windsor. [24]
Interstate 91 has 7 exits in Windsor, including an High Occupancy Vechicle Lane travelling north and south between Hartford and Bradley International Airport.
Interstate 291 (Connecticut) begins in Windsor with 3 exits; it connects Interstate 91 with Interstate 84 (east).
A single train line runs along the Connecticut River through Windsor, with one stop for Amtrak trains in Windsor's Center. [25]
[edit] Safety
Windsor Police Department is located at the Windsor Safety Complex, in the middle of town, next to I-91, on Bloomfield Avenue. [26]
Windsor Volunteer Fire Department has 5 stations: Windsor Station (at the Windsor Safety Complex), Wilson Station, Poquonock Station, Rainbow Road Station and Hayden Station. [27]
Windsor Volunteer Ambulance is also located at the Windsor Safety Complex.
[edit] Industry
In the northern industrial sector of the town (Day Hill), Mototown USA recently opened in 2006. At over 200,000 square feet, the complex is the largest indoor motocross facility in the world. [28]
Konica-Minolta, Advo and Pepperidge Farms have headquarters in Windsor. citation needed
[edit] Hotels/Lodging
Atop the highest point in Windsor, next to Day Hill Road, sits the Hilton Garden Inn [29] at 230 feet.
Across the street is the Hartford/Windsor Airport Marriott [30] and Courtyard by Marriott [31].
Marriott also has a Residence Inn towards the center of Windsor. [32]
[edit] Notable People
- Roger Wolcott (1679–1767) weaver, colonial governor of Connecticut (1751-1754), father of Oliver Wolcott.
- Oliver Ellsworth, third Chief Justice of the United States, a drafter of the Constitution and American Founding Father, was born in town.
- Mike Joy (b. 1949), a TV sports announcer who serves as the lap-by-lap voice of FOX Sports' NASCAR coverage, is a former member of the Windsor Town Council.
- John Mason, early military leader in the Connecticut colony, lived in town.
- Oliver Phelps, (1749 - 1809)
- Oliver Wolcott, American Founding Father, was born in town.
- John Fitch, inventor of the steamboat.
- Moe Drabowsky, major league baseball pitcher.
- Al Anderson, guitarist, singer and songwiter, best known for his 20-year stint in NRBQ.
The Troy Donahue movie Parrish, was filmed on Windsor's tobacco "plantations" in 1961. <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055279/</ref> The movie Academy Boyz was shot at Loomis Chaffee in 1997. <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119940/</ref>
[edit] Geography
Windsor's highest point is on Day Hill at 230 feet (70.1 meters). <ref name="hieght">http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.86029&lon=-72.66805&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50</ref>
Windsor's lowest point is at the Connecticut River shore at 5 feet (1.52 meters). <ref name ="hieght"/>
The city of Hartford, the Capital of Connecticut, is just south of Windsor.
The town of Windsor Locks, home of Bradley International Airport, is just north of Windsor.
Windsor Locks was once part of Windsor, as were the towns of East Windsor and South Windsor on east side of the Connecticut River, which defines Windor's eastern border.
The town of Bloomfield is to the west, also originally part of Windsor and originally called "Wintonbury", a composite of the town names Windsor, Farmington and Simsbury. <ref>http://www.bloomfieldct.org/Pages/BloomfieldCT_WebDocs/about</ref>
The town of East Granby is to the northwest.
Windsor is only 2 towns, or 20 minutes, south from Massachusetts.
The Farmington River spills out into the Connecticut River in Windsor. The Farmington River is damned in the northwest corner of Windsor to form the 234 acre Rainbow Reservoir. <ref>http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?931</ref>
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 28,237 people, 10,577 households, and 7,604 families residing in the town. The population density was 368.0/km² (953.0/mi²). There were 10,900 housing units at an average density of 142.0/km² (367.9/mi²).
There were 10,577 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
Median income for a household in the town was $64,137, and the median income for a family was $73,064. Males had a median income of $45,443 versus $37,476 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,633. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Racial makeup of the town was White 65.12%, African American 27.09%, Native American 0.16%, Asian 3.14%, Pacific Islander 0.03%, other races 2.09%, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.98% of the population.
Windsor High School has 1471 students enrolled and demographics for 2004-2005 were: Black 46.2%, White 41.1%, Hispanic 8.8%, Asian 3.8%, and Native American 0.1%. <ref>http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0405/sr139.pdf</ref>
[edit] External links
- Town of Windsor
- Windsor Chamber of Commerce
- First Town Downtown
- Windsor Public Schools
- Windsor Public Library
- Central Regional Tourism District
- MetroHartford Alliance
[edit] References
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