Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport (41n10, 73w12 EST) is the largest city by population in Connecticut, and is located in southeastern Fairfield County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 139,529. The city is considered to be part of the greater New York metropolitan area. Its nickname within Connecticut is The Park City.

History

Bridgeport's early years were marked by a reliance on fishing and farming, much like other towns in New England. The city's location on the deep Black Rock Harbor fostered a boom in shipbuilding and whaling in the mid-19th century, especially after the opening of a railroad to the city in 1840. The city rapidly industrialized in the late-19th century, becoming a manufacturing center producing such goods as brass fittings, carriages, sewing machines, the famous Bridgeport milling machine, saddles, and ammunition. By 1930, Bridgeport was a thriving industrial center with more than 500 factories and a booming immigrant population.

Related Topics:
Fishing - Farming - New England - Black Rock Harbor - Whaling - Railroad - 1840 - Carriages - Sewing machines - Ammunition - 1930

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Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport fared less well during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Unemployment rose, crime soared, and the city became known for a large drug problem and for having an exploding AIDS rate. Many former-industrial sites within the city were discovered to be heavily-polluted, leaving the city with extensive environmental costs and damage. Other sites were simply abandoned and left to burn down, leaving some areas of the city resembling ghost towns.

Related Topics:
Deindustrialization - AIDS

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In the early 21st century, Bridgeport is rebounding after a loss of jobs and population, and is transitioning into a role as a center of service industries and as an outlying region of the New York metropolitan area. It remains the largest city in the state of Connecticut, although it is often ignored or overlooked by residents of the state.

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