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East Hartford, Connecticut

Coordinates: 41°45′41″N 72°36′55″W / 41.76139°N 72.61528°W / 41.76139; -72.61528
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East Hartford, Connecticut
Town
Town of East Hartford
The skyline near the Connecticut River
The skyline near the Connecticut River
Flag of East Hartford, Connecticut
Flag
Official seal of East Hartford, Connecticut
Seal
East Hartford's location within Hartford County and Connecticut
East Hartford's location within the Capitol Planning Region and the state of Connecticut
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 41°45′41″N 72°36′55″W / 41.76139°N 72.61528°W / 41.76139; -72.61528
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyHartford
RegionCapitol Region
Incorporated1783
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorConnor Martin
Area
 • Total18.7 sq mi (48.5 km2)
 • Land18.0 sq mi (46.6 km2)
 • Water0.7 sq mi (1.9 km2)
Elevation
[1]
49 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total51,045
 • Density2,837/sq mi (1,095.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
06108, 06118
Area code(s)860/959
FIPS code09-22630
GNIS feature ID0213424[1]
Interstates
U.S. Highways
State Routes
Websitewww.easthartfordct.gov

East Hartford is a town in the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census.[3] The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford.[4] It is home to aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. It is also home to Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, a stadium used mainly for soccer and football with a capacity of 40,000 people.

History

[edit]

When the Connecticut Valley became known to Europeans around 1631, it was inhabited by what were known as the River Tribes—a number of small clans of Native Americans living along the Great River and its tributaries. Of these tribes the Podunks occupied territory now lying in the towns of East Hartford and South Windsor, and numbered, by differing estimates, from sixty to two hundred bowmen. They were governed by two sachems, Waginacut and Arramamet, and were connected in some way with the Native Americans who lived across the Great River, in what is now Windsor. The region north of the Hockanum River was generally called Podunk; that south of the river, Hockanum; but these were no certain designations, and by some all the meadow along the Great River was called Hockanum.[5]

In 1659, Thomas Burnham (1617–1688) purchased the tract of land now covered by the towns of South Windsor and East Hartford from Tantinomo, chief sachem of the Podunk Indians.[5] Burnham lived on the land and later willed it to his nine children.[6] The town of Hartford, founded in 1635, once included the land now occupied by the towns of East Hartford, Manchester, Bolton, Vernon, and West Hartford. During the Revolutionary War, French troops under Lieutenant General Comte de Rochambeau twice camped in town, before and after aiding General George Washington's forces in the 1781 defeat of the British during the Siege of Yorktown.[7]

East Hartford was incorporated as a separate town in October 1783. Manchester (then known as Orford Parish, adopting the name of a prominent English factory city) separated from East Hartford in 1823.[5] Beginning in the late nineteenth century, residents began to form tax districts for fire protection, street lighting, sanitation, and other public works improvements. The East Hartford Fire District was granted a charter by the General Assembly in 1889 and organized in June 1891. The Meadow Fire District existed before the turn of the twentieth century. The Hockanum Sewer District and Hockanum Lighting District were formed in 1915 and 1916 respectively. The Silver Lane Fire and Lighting District was founded in 1925. On June 10, 1929, voters of the town approved a new charter. All of the old districts were abolished and a Town Council would govern the municipality.[8]

Since first being settled, East Hartford's economy was primarily agricultural, with tobacco being the main crop. All that changed in 1929, when Frederick Rentschler, head of Pratt & Whitney, moved production from Hartford to a sprawling 1,100 acres (450 hectares) site in East Hartford. The grounds included a small airport called Rentschler Field that was in service from 1931 to 1999. It was originally used for test flights and maintenance operations, and later for corporate aviation.[9] The 75-acre (30-hectare) site was decommissioned as an airport in the 1990s, and donated to the state of Connecticut by United Technologies in 1999, and a new Rentschler Field opened as a stadium with capacity of 40,000 people. Pursuant to a lease agreement with the State, UConn plays all its home football games at Rentschler Field.On July 16, 2015, it was announced that the stadium had been named Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in a deal between Pratt & Whitney and UConn. The playing surface is still named Rentschler Field.[10]

Geography

[edit]

The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford. The town includes the neighborhoods of Burnside Hockanum, and Mayberry Village. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.5 km2), of which 18.0 square miles (46.6 km2) is land and 0.73 square miles (1.9 km2), or 3.93%, is water.[4]

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for East Harford (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 36.1
(2.3) 		38.8
(3.8) 		46.9
(8.3) 		59.5
(15.3) 		70.3
(21.3) 		78.8
(26.0) 		84.2
(29.0) 		82.8
(28.2) 		75.6
(24.2) 		63.5
(17.5) 		51.8
(11.0) 		41.5
(5.3) 		60.8
(16.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 27.9
(−2.3) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		37.9
(3.3) 		49.5
(9.7) 		60.1
(15.6) 		68.9
(20.5) 		74.5
(23.6) 		72.9
(22.7) 		65.5
(18.6) 		53.6
(12.0) 		42.8
(6.0) 		33.6
(0.9) 		51.4
(10.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.4
(−7.0) 		21.0
(−6.1) 		28.8
(−1.8) 		39.4
(4.1) 		49.6
(9.8) 		59.0
(15.0) 		64.6
(18.1) 		63.0
(17.2) 		55.4
(13.0) 		43.7
(6.5) 		33.8
(1.0) 		25.7
(−3.5) 		41.9
(5.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.65
(93) 		3.22
(82) 		4.33
(110) 		4.16
(106) 		3.51
(89) 		4.61
(117) 		4.54
(115) 		4.60
(117) 		4.48
(114) 		4.76
(121) 		3.63
(92) 		4.73
(120) 		50.22
(1,276)
Average dew point °F (°C) 18.3
(−7.6) 		19.0
(−7.2) 		24.6
(−4.1) 		34.5
(1.4) 		46.9
(8.3) 		57.6
(14.2) 		63.3
(17.4) 		62.6
(17.0) 		56.3
(13.5) 		44.6
(7.0) 		33.1
(0.6) 		24.6
(−4.1) 		40.5
(4.7)
Source 1: NCEI(precipitation)[11]
Source 2: PRISM Climate Group[12]

Demographics

[edit]
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

As of 2021,[13] there were 50,731 people, 20,206 households, and 12,830 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,200 people per square mile (1,200 people/km2). There were 21,328 housing units at an average density of 1,180.2 units per square mile (455.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 32.6% non-Hispanic White, 24.8% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, and 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.2% of the population. The town has seen significant demographic changes in recent decades due to immigration from Hartford, as well as white residents leaving the city to other suburbs.[14]

There were 20,206 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. Of all households, 30.2% were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population's ages were spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,954 and the median income for a family was $50,540. Males had a median income of $36,823 versus $29,860 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,763. About 8.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

[edit]
Former Mayor Marcia Leclerc

East Hartford has a mayor–council government. Michael P. Walsh was sworn in as Mayor of the Town of East Hartford on November 8, 2021.[15] Walsh replaced Maricia Leclerc, who served five terms before deciding not to seek reelection.[16] Both are Democrats.

In presidential elections, East Hartford has voted predominantly for the Democratic candidate.

East Hartford town vote
by party in presidential elections[17]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
2020 71.76% 14,787 26.81% 5,524 1.43% 294
2016 69.20% 13,180 27.37% 5,213 3.43% 654
2012 75.04% 14,149 24.16% 4,556 0.80% 150
2008 73.19% 14,811 25.67% 5,195 1.14% 230
2004 64.25% 11,996 33.86% 6,322 1.90% 354
2000 67.12% 12,371 27.80% 5,124 5.08% 936
1996 62.84% 11,904 23.89% 4,525 13.27% 2,514
1992 48.70% 11,450 27.53% 6,472 23.78% 5,590
1988 58.98% 12,511 40.07% 8,501 0.95% 201
1984 47.78% 10,647 51.64% 11,508 0.58% 129
1980 49.30% 11,416 36.65% 8,487 14.05% 3,254
1976 57.57% 14,052 41.70% 10,178 0.73% 179
1972 50.61% 13,057 48.12% 12,414 1.27% 327
1968 60.03% 14,349 33.20% 7,935 6.78% 1,620
1964 77.07% 16,605 22.93% 4,940 0.00% 0
1960 62.53% 12,971 37.47% 7,771 0.00% 0
1956 44.52% 8,266 55.48% 10,303 0.00% 0
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 30, 2007[18]
Party Active Voters Inactive Voters Total Voters Percentage
Democratic 11,321 1,088 12,409 45.82%
Republican 2,820 305 3,125 11.54%
Unaffiliated 10,087 1,420 11,507 42.48%
Minor parties 38 6 44 0.16%
Total 24,266 2,819 27,085 100%
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18203,375—
18502,497—
18602,95118.2%
18703,0071.9%
18803,50016.4%
18904,45527.3%
19006,40643.8%
19108,13827.0%
192011,64843.1%
193017,12547.0%
194018,6158.7%
195029,93360.8%
196043,97746.9%
197057,58330.9%
198052,563−8.7%
199050,452−4.0%
200049,575−1.7%
201051,2523.4%
202051,045−0.4%

Economy

[edit]

East Hartford is home to the headquarters of Pratt & Whitney,[19] part of the Raytheon Technologies conglomerate. The manufacturing plant takes up a significant amount of East Hartford's area, and at its peak, it employed tens of thousands of people; [20] however, currently, it only employs about 7,621. East Hartford also contains a Coca-Cola bottling plant, located on Main Street. The city is dotted with industrial and suburban office parks, and in the early 2000s, urban planners strategically situated a regional stadium, Rentschler Stadium (construction completed September 2003), and a hunting and camping focused department store, Cabela's, on the then vacant former Pratt & Whitney company airfield, Rentschler Field.[21]

Top employers

[edit]

Top employers in East Hartford according to the town's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:[22]

# Employer # of Employees
1 Pratt & Whitney 8,000
2 Town of East Hartford 1,716
3 Goodwin University 533
4 Riverside Health Center 385
5 American Eagle Federal Credit Union 331
6 Connecticut Natural Gas 310
7 Raytheon Technologies 275
8 Hoffman Auto 249
9 Gengras Motor Cars 244
10 Coca Cola Bottling Company 199

Infrastructure

[edit]

Utilities

[edit]

Education

[edit]

East Hartford Public Schools

Attractions

[edit]
Sign for Great River Park
Rentschler Field Stadium in East Hartford

The Great River Park is located on the banks of the Connecticut River in East Hartford, providing riverside activities for the town.[23]

Wickham Park, located in East Hartford and Manchester, features Oriental gardens, fountains, open fields, woodlands, ponds, picnic areas, softball fields, and an aviary. The west side of the park offers a scenic view of East Hartford and the skyline of Hartford across the Connecticut River and is a popular site for weddings. It also has a very popular sledding hill in the winter.[24]

Nearby, Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field is home of the Huskies football team.[25]

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Hartford, Connecticut
  2. ^ Stuart, Christine (August 13, 2021). "Census Data Shows Shifts In Connecticut's Demographics". CT News Junkie. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  3. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: East Hartford town, Hartford County, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): East Hartford town, Hartford County, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Goodwin, Joseph Olcott (1879). East Hartford: Its History and Traditions. Hartford, Connecticut: Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co.
  6. ^ Burnham, Roderick Henry (1869). The Burnham Family; Or Genealogical Records of the Descendants of the Four. Hartford, Connecticut: Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co.
  7. ^ "East Hartford". ConnecticutHistory.org. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  8. ^ Paquette, Lee (1976). Only More So: The History of East Hartford, 1783-1976. East Hartford, CT: Raymond Library Company. pp. 142, 205, 209.
  9. ^ "May 24, 1931: 'Original' Rentschler Field Dedicated". United Technologies. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  10. ^ Rent Being Renamed Pratt & Whitney Stadium At Rentschler Field
  11. ^ "Station: EAST HARTFORD 1.3 E, CT US US1CTHR0022" (PDF). Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020. NOAA. p. 1. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "Time Series Values for Individual Locations". prism.oregonstate.edu. Oregon State University: Northwest Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering. Retrieved May 16, 2024. Latitude: 41.7824 Longitude: -72.6211 Elevation: 14m (46ft)
  13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  14. ^ "East Hartford, CT Population - Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts - CensusViewer". censusviewer.com. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  15. ^ Villanova, Joseph (November 9, 2021). "Walsh sworn in as East Hartford's new mayor". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  16. ^ Branciforte, Anthony (February 5, 2021). "East Hartford's Mayor Leclerc won't seek re-election this year". www.journalinquirer.com/. Journal Inquirer. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  17. ^ "General Elections Statement of Vote 1922".
  18. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 30, 2007" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  19. ^ "Contact Us Archived 2011-03-19 at the Wayback Machine." Pratt & Whitney. Retrieved on January 7, 2011. "Corporate Headquarters Pratt & Whitney 400 Main Street East Hartford, CT 06108."
  20. ^ Chen, Xiangming and John Shemo. 2013. “Shifting Fortunes: Hartford’s Global and Regional Economic Dimensions.” Pp. 193-218 in Confronting Urban Legacy: Rediscovering Hartford and New England's Forgotten Cities. Xiangming Chen and Nick Bacon (eds). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
  21. ^ Bacon, Nick. 2013. “Podunk after Pratt: Place and Placelessness in East Hartford, CT.” Pp. 46-64 in Confronting Urban Legacy: Rediscovering Hartford and New England's Forgotten Cities. Xiangming Chen and Nick Bacon (eds). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
  22. ^ "Town of East Hartford Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Year Ended June 30, 2023" (PDF). Town of East Hartford. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "Great River Park | Riverfront Recapture". www.riverfront.org. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  24. ^ "Wickham Park, Manchester Connecticut". www.wickhampark.org. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  25. ^ "PRATT & WHITNEY STADIUM AT RENTSCHLER FIELD". UConn Athletics. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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