Hartford, Connecticut


Hartford is located in the central part of Connecticut and is the capital and the third largest city in the U.S. State of Connecticut. Hartford houses many insurance company headquarters, and insurance remains the region's major industry. Hartford's nickname is the "Insurance Capital of the World". Almost 400 years old, Hartford is among the oldest cities in the United States.



To See And To Do In Hartford


  • Wadsworth Atheneum
  • Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library
  • Mark Twain House & Museum
  • New England Dodge Music Center
  • Bushnell Park
  • Hartford Stage
  • Museum of Connecticut History


History Of Hartford - Timeline


In 1614, the Dutch private trader and navigator, Adriaen Block, explored the area. Hartford was settled in 1633 as a Dutch trading post called House of Hope. In 1636, a group of English settlers led by the Reverend Thomas Hooker formed a colony in Hartford and a Town square was laid out. In 1638, the first school was built. In 1647, Alse Young was the first person to be executed for witchcraft in the American colonies. She was hanged at the Meeting House Square (on what is now the site of the Old State House).

The Hartford Courant was founded in 1764 and is the country's oldest continuously published newspaper. In 1784, Hartford was incorporated as a city. About 2,000 people now lived in the city. In 1792, Hartford Bank was incorporated. In 1796, the State House was built. In 1797, the Joseph Steward's museum opened.

The insurance industry was created when groups of merchants began to share these risks. The practice was formalized with the creation of the Hartford Fire Insurance Group in 1810. In 1818, a bridge over Connecticut River was built. In 1823, the Trinity College was established. In 1826, the newspaper the Hartford Times was published. In 1827, the Christ Church Cathedral was built. In 1836, Colt's Manufacturing Company was founded.

The nations oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, was founded in 1842. The Wadsworth has nearly 50,000 works of art as part of its permanent collection. In 1844, the railroad was built. In 1854, the Hartford Hospital was formed. In 1871, the Windsor Avenue Congregational Church was built.

In 1873, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was built. In 1874, the Mark Twain House and Museum was built. In 1878, the State Capitol building was constructed. In 1882, the Old Post Office and Custom House was built. In 1889, the Union Station was built. In 1892, the Hartford Public Library opened.

In 1900, more than 53,000 people lived in the city. In 1908, the Bulkeley Bridge (Hartford Bridge) opened. In 1919, the Travelers Tower was built. On July 6, 1944, Hartford was the scene of one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. The fire became known as the Hartford Circus Fire. The fire occurred during a circus performance that was attended by approximately 7,000 people. More than 100 people were killed in the fire. In 1947, the Bradley International Airport was established. In 1991, the Charter Oak Bridge opened.