Ml 



VECTICUT. 



CONNECTICUT. 



: J 



11 at which an) port towns, ami have daily communication by iteun- 

 boat* with New York : the population ii that of 1650 : 



HaHfurd, the capital of Hartford county, and one of the seats of 

 the atate legislature, is on the right bank, and miles from the 

 mouth of the Connecticut, at the head of the ship navigation, 41 45' 

 .V 1st, 72' 4<X W. long., 885 mile* N.E. from Washington : popula- 

 tion, 17,966. The city stands on rising ground, is regularly laid out, 

 anil is a mile long and three-quarters of a mile wide. The principal 

 public buildings are the state-house, city-hall, custom-house, arsenal, 

 market-bouse, Trinity college, the American asylum, the retreat for 

 the insane, and Wadsworth nthemrum. Some of the churched, of 

 which there are 24 belonging to the various sect*, are handsome 

 building!. Betides Trinity college there are numerous academies and 

 schools in the city. Hnrtford is the centre of the state railway 

 system, and carries on a large trade with the interior. There are 

 considerable manufactories of machinery, fire-arms, boots and shoes, 

 &e, and several Urge lumber yards. Eight newspapers and two 

 magazines are published in the city, and there is an extensive book- 

 selling business. The American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb was 

 the first established, and in still the most flourishing and important 

 asylum of the kind in the United States. The number of students 

 in 1850 was 210, of whom a large number were supported by other 

 state*. The Retreat for the Insane is another very important insti- 

 tution ; it contained 143 patients in 1850. 



Ktf Harm, the capital of New Haven county, and, Alternately with 

 Hartford, the scat of the state legislature, stands at the head of New 

 Haven Bay, 4 miles from Long Island Sound, 41 18' N. lat., 72 56' 

 W. long., 160 miles by railway S.S.W. from Hartford : population, 

 22,539. The city is pleasantly situated, the streets are wide, regu- 

 larly laid, and generally bordered with rows of fine elms. The central 

 square forms a sort of public park, planted with numerous rows of 

 elms, and is said to be the finest public ground in the United States. 

 In this square are three fine churches, the state-house, and the chief 

 part of the buildings of Yale college. The city contains 22 churches, 

 Yule college (next to Harvard college the most important university 

 in America), several scientific institutions, two popular lyceums, 

 having libraries and reading-rooms, numerous academies and schools, 

 several benevolent institutions, and two extensive cemeteries, in 

 which several of the more eminent Americans are interred. The 

 public buildings are mostly of brick ; the houses in the older part of 

 the town aro mostly of wood, and surrounded by shrubberies or 

 gardens. The state hospital, founded in 1832, is a substantial stone 

 edifice, standing on an elevated site. The new railway station is con- 

 sidered to be one of the finest structures of the kind in the United 

 States. New Haven is the chief seat of the foreign commerce of the 

 state, as well as of an extensive coasting trade, and considerable fisheries. 

 The harbour is spacious but shallow, and is gradually silting up. The 

 tonnage belonging to the harbour in 1850 was 15,731 tons, of which 

 2568 tons were propelled by steam. There are considerable manu- 

 factures, especially of carriages and clocks; ship-building yards, 

 tanneries, potteries, woollen-factories, hardware aud cutlery works, 

 lumber yards, &c. Four or five railways meet at New Haven, aud afford 

 great facilities for communication with nil parts of the Union. Several 

 newspapers and monthly and quarterly magazines, as well as Professor 

 KilHman's ' American Journal of Science,' are published at New Haven. 

 Bridgeport, situated on an arm of Long Island Sound, 78 miles 

 aW. from Hartford ; population, 7538. The harbour U eligible for 

 large steam-boats and coasting vessels. The manufactures are exten- 

 sive. The city is neat and regularly built, and contains several 

 <lrir.-h.-s. The Housatonic railway unites with the New York and 

 New Haven railway at Bridgeport. . 



Middlttom, on the right bank of the Connecticut, 14 miles S. from 

 Hartford ; population 8791 ; is situated on gently rising ground, the 

 main street in which ore all the principal buildings running parallel 

 with the river, and the other streets at right angles with it. Some of 

 the public buildings are handsome structures, and there are good 

 nwnsioiw in the higher part of the city and its vicinity. Middletown 

 has coiuiderable manufactures and an extensive coasting trade. In 

 trinity are very productive lead and silver mines, and inex- 

 haustible quarries of felspar, in much request for the manufacture of 

 porcelain. Th Wealeyan University is a fine building. Railways 

 connect the citjr with Hartford and other towns. Three newspapers 

 I* published here. 



N*f &MMSM, on tbo right bank of the Thames, 8 miles above Long 

 Utad Sound, 43 miles 8.B. from Hartford : population, 9006. 'I'h. 

 ttj contains UM county buildings, wen churches, and several ca 

 demies and schools. The harbour has a depth of 80 feet, and is the 

 finest in the Mate. New London U the chief port for the coasting 

 and whaling trade of Connecticut The tonnage of the port in 186( 

 was 40,485 tons. The foreign trade is chiefly with the West Indies. 

 The city hw ample railway facilities, 



AW-teA stands on a vwy picturesque she on the Thames, at 

 junction of the Quinnebaiig and Yantic rivers, 86 miles K.H.E. from 

 Hartford : population, 10,265. It contains the usual county buildings 

 a town-hall, and eight churches. There are numerous manufactories 

 of cotton and woollen good*, paper, hardware, cutlery, Ac., the riven 

 affording great water-power. The celebrated Yantic fulls are in the 

 vicinity. Three railways pass through the city. 



The following are the twelve boroughs: /Awiiiry, near the 

 western border of the state, 48 miles S.W. from Hartford ; population 

 .964 ; possesses good water-power, which works several mills. There 

 ire seven churches and an academy in the town. Utter, on the right 

 ank of the Connecticut, 7 miles from its mouth ; population about 

 200 ; has a considerable coasting trade, and carries on a good business 

 n ship-building, rope-making, Ac. Guildford, a short distance from 

 jong Island Sound, 86 miles S. from Hartford ; population 2650 ; is 

 celebrated for the picturesque scenery in its vicinity, and it much 

 esorted to in the season for sea bathing. The harbour is frequ 

 >y coasting and fishing vessels. Liifktrld, the capital of Litch- 

 ield county, lies between the Naugatuc and Shepaug river, 28 miles 

 iV. by 8. from Hartford : population, 3957. The town contains the 

 isual county buildings, several churches, academies, and schools. 

 There are considerable manufactories of woollens, paper, leather, aud 

 ron, and numerous grist, fulling, and saw-mills. Great Pond covers 

 an area of 900 acres, and is the largest sheet of water in the state. 

 Vnr Britain, 10 miles S.W. from Hartford; population 3023; has 

 considerable manufactures of brass-ware and cutlery : the State 

 Normal school is established here. Neteloten, on the Housatonic 

 railway, 41 miles S.W. from Hartford; population 3358; stands on 

 ligh ground in the midst of a fertile district, and has several woollen 

 and cotton factories, and grist and saw-mi Ha, tanneries, &c. fionralt, 

 on the Norwalk River, at its entrance into Long Island Som, 

 miles S.W. from, Hartford ; population 4651 ; is a place of considerable 

 rade, and has extensive factories of felt-cloth and carpets, bats, Ac., 

 >esides tanneries, potteries, and grist and saw-mills. Vessels drawing 

 6 feet of water ascend the river to Norwalk bridge. < >n the 



right bank of the Mill River at its entrance into Long Island Sound, 

 and on the New York and New Haven railway, 60 miles S.S.\\ 

 Hartford : population, 3184. The harbour, which affords good anchor- 

 age for vessels of 100 tons burden, is protected by au ox- 

 ireakwater constructed by the government of the United States. 

 Stamford, on the Mill River, at its entrance into Long Island Sound, 

 and on the New York and New Haven railway : population, 5004. The 

 larbour admits vessels drawing 8 feet of water, and a cousid 

 coasting trade is carried on. There are also extensive iron and wire 

 manufactories, lumber-yards, &c. Stonington, on Long Island Sound, 

 near the south-eastern extremjty of the state, 51 miles S.E. from 

 Hnrtford ; population 5434 ; is a large well-built and busy town. The 

 larbour, which U one of the best in the Sound, is protected by a 

 ireakwater built at the expense of the United States government, 

 and has a lighthouse at its entrance. The shipping of the harbour 

 in 1850 amounted to 19,913 tons, of which 4020 tons were engaged 

 in the coasting trade, 8861 tons in the whale fishery, and 2226 tons 

 in tlu- cod and mackerel fisheries. Besides ship-building and other 

 works of a maritime character, there are manufactories of plaids and 

 linseys. During the summer Stoniugton is a fashionable watering 

 place. The town has doily steam communication with New York, 

 uid the Stoniugton railway connects it with most parts of the 

 Union. H 'aterbury, on the Naugatuc, 25 miles S.W. from Hartford; 

 population 5137; is one of the busiest manufacturing towns in the 

 state. The factories, for working which there are "great facilities of 

 water power, consist of very extensive works for making pins, gilt 

 ami plated buttons, silver and plated goods, hardware, India rul>l. r 

 webbing, &c. ; there are also rolling-mills and woollen factories. The 

 town is generally well built, and some of the churches aud schools are 

 said to be of a rather superior architectural <-liara< 

 on the Williniaiitic River, 2:j miles K. by S. from llnrtfoiil, <> 

 several large cotton factories and some paper and other mills : 

 railways pass through the town. 



(iurernmrni , Jit" Every white male citizen of 



the United States, 21 years of age, who has resided 6 mouths in the 

 town, has a freehold of the annual value of 7 dollars, or has done 

 military duty for one year, or bos paid a state-tax within thi 

 and has a good moral character, may vote at all elections on 

 the oath ; and U eligible to any office unless it be especially excepted. 

 The legislative body, styled the Qeneral Assembly, consists of a Senate 

 of 21 members and a House of Representatives of 120 members, who 

 are chosen annually by districts of .- |u;il p<.|.n1.v; .n. 

 Assembly meets on alternate years at Hartfor.l iui.1 New ll.i\ . n. The 

 governor, who with the cnuncil of state similarly elected forms the 

 executive, is also elected for ono year: he has a salary of 11 no 



' u 



The revenue from all sources for the year 1852-3 was 150,650 dol- 

 lars; the expenditure was 136,104 dollars. The state debt, chiefly 

 .nt, was 91,212 dollars. The militia of the state is composed 

 of 51,649 men, of whom 456 are commissioned officers. 



The judiciary consists of a supreme and superior court, presided 

 y a chief justice with a salary of 1300 dollars, and 4 associate 

 justices with salaries of 1250 dollars each, who hold their offices until 

 70 years of age ; and of county courts, which have jurisdiction in 

 civil actions where the matter in dispute exceeds 50 dollars : from 

 the county courts there are appeals to the suj>erior court in all cases 

 where the damages exceed 200 dollars. 



The state has a school-fund derived from the sale in 1 795 of 2,500,000 

 acres of land in the north-eastern part of Ohio. The fund amounted 

 in September! 852 to 2,049,482 dollars; the dividends from it amounted 



