Middletown, Connecticut

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, the home of 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 mostly peacefully 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.

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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 with the strained American-British relations, and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the War of 1812. Although the port never recovered, the city did distinguish 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 into New York.

Related Topics:
American Revolution - War of 1812 - 1814

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Middletown was a major hub of firearm manufacture during this period with numerous gun manufacturers in the area, and supplied the majority of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812. Afterwards, however, the center of this business passed to New Haven and Hartford. (See also History of Connecticut industry)

Related Topics:
Pistol - History of Connecticut industry

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The mid-nineteenth century was marked by the establishment in 1831 of Wesleyan College (later Wesleyan University) and by manufacturing replacing trade as Middletown's economic mainstay. The city's industrial growth was limited by the decision of the railroad to bypass Middletown when tracks were laid to connect Hartford with New Haven. The city played a role in the Civil War as well. General Joseph 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 notable hub along the underground railway.

Related Topics:
Wesleyan University - Abolition - Underground railway

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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. 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.

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Both natural events and a continuing influx of people and businesses impacted the city in the first half of the nineteenth century. Middletown was hit by floods in 1927 and 1936, and by The Great New England Hurricane in 1938. Despite these influences, the Arrigoni Bridge was completed over the Connecticut River in 1938, connecting Middletown to Portland and points east. In the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney Aircraft opened a large plant in Middletown. Concurrently developers bought up much of the city's remaining farms, including most of Oak Grove Dairy, to make room both for local workers and for commuters to surrounding cities.

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