Connecticut
Connecticut names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Connecticut kon-net I-kut
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
kon-net I-kut, a New England state. It lies on Long Island Sound, between New York and Rhode Island . With the exception of two jogs in favor of Massachusetts, the northern boundary is formed by the line of 42 deg. 30' north latitude. The general outline of the state is an oblong, 88 miles in length, and of irregular width. Area, 4,845 square miles. Capital, Hartford. Eight counties. Population in 1900, 908,420. Two railroads with 4,072 miles of track. The name of the state is that of its principal river. It is a Pequot word, meaning the long river. Nicknames are "The Wooden Nutmeg State ," "The Land of Steady Habits," "The Constitutional State." The first account of the country was published by Hudson and Adrian Block, Dutch navigators. Plymouth Colony established a trading post on the Connecticut in 1633. A permanent settlement was effected in 1636 at Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor, by a colony from Massachusetts Bay. Trouble ensued with the Pequot Indians, but, as the natives were armed at best with bows and arrows, midnight massacres and scalping were soon brought to an end. In May, 1637, Captain Mason and a band of ninety men armed with guns surprised the natives in their stockade at Groton, set fire to their wooden stronghold, burned them out like rates, and killed seven hundred men, women, and children who endeavored to escape. The pious chroniclers of the period report a cessation of hostilities. In 1637 the settlers, finding themselves beyond the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, adopted a constitution, said to be the first ever prepared for their own use by a self-governing people. Deriving all its authority from the people, it contained many democratic features, such as annual elections, and vote by ballot; but, upon the whole, it was made up by selecting the more liberal of the practices actually in use at the time in the Massachusetts Colony. In 1662 a charter was granted the colony by Charles II. Much against its will New Haven Colony on the sound was included. This charter was suspended for a short time during the administration of Andros. Otherwise it served as the fundamental law of Connecticut until 1818. The oft quoted Blue Laws of Connecticut are now admitted to have been in part a mere literary forgery. Connecticut has a record for patriotism. A full quota of men and money was supplied during the intercolonial wars. At the outbreak of the Revolution Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut was the only colonial governor in full accord with the American patriots,--the only one who was not asked or forced to resign. He sent forward men and provisions in a most energetic manner, and stood on such intimate terms of confidence with Washington that the expression, "Brother Jonathan," is said to have arisen from Washington's having referred to him, then governor, in that familiar, trustful way. About the only reason for regret in this connection is the circumstance that Benedict Arnold was a native of this state, a fact that resulted in the disgraceful raids of Tryon and of Arnold himself, when seaboard towns were burned and the rules of civilized warfare disregarded. Although the War of 1812 ruined a prosperous trade with the West Indies, local opinion was by no means unitedly in favor of the Hartford Convention of 1814-15. During the Civil War, Connecticut furnished 54,882 volunteers, far more than her share. From the first, the state has been noted for frugality, industry, and thrift. Agriculturally, the state may be divided into four regions. A sandy shore along the sound; the valley of the Connecticut; the uplands east of that river; and the region west of the valley. The valleys of the Connecticut and the Housatonic are noted for the production of a cigar tobacco. Small fruits, orchard fruits, and vegetables are raised for city markets. Dairying is an important industry. An unprofitable copper mine, opened at Granby in 1705, was the beginning of the manufacture of brass, in which the valleys of the Housatonic and Naugatuck now lead the world. The Yankee peddler, with his tin and wooden ware, is a product of the state, dating from 1770. It is but fair to say he peddled far better wares than are now on the market. The cannon, balls, chains, wagon tires, and camp kettles of the Revolution were made here from native ore found at Salisbury. Paper, American clocks, watches, sewing machines, vulcanized rubber, and electro-plating owe their early reputation to Connecticut. In proportion to population, more patents have been issued to the inhabitants of Connecticut than to the inventors of any other state. Manufacturing has become the leading industry. Ships, cotton goods, locks, cutlery, timepieces, thread, sewing machines, bicycles, carriages, hats, and brass and copper wire, are leading articles of manufacture, amounting in all to nearly $400,000,000 a year. In return for relinquishment of territory in Wyoming Valley, Connecticut received a grant of 3,500,000 acres of public land in northeastern Ohio, including the present site of Cleveland. This tract was known as the Western Reserve. About half a million acres was given to those who suffered from the British during the Revolution; the remainder was sold to settlers for the benefit of the Connecticut school fund. It now yields an income of about one hundred thousand dollars, devoted to the maintenance of common schools, high schools, an agricultural college, and three normal schools. Higher education is provided for by endowed institutions, chief among which are Yale University at New Haven, Wesleyan at Middletown, and Trinity at Hartford. Despite the influx of illiterate people to work in the factories, the percentage of those who cannot read and write is less than four per cent, a record excelled only by that of Massachusetts. STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources: Land area, square miles 4,845 Population 1,005,716 New Haven 121,227 Hartford 95,822 Bridgeport 84,274 Waterbury 61,903 New Britain 33,722 Meriden 25,880 New London 19,822 Norwich 19,759 Stamford 17,599 Danbury 16,537 Ansonia 14,085 Manchester 12,029 Naugatuck 13,133 Torrington 10,808 No. counties 8 Members of state senate 35 Representatives 255 Salary of governor $4,000 U.S. representatives 5 Presidential electors 7 Assessed valuation of property $791,000,000 Bonded indebtedness $874,100 Acres under plow 1,000,000 Corn, bushels 2,000,000 Wheat, bushels 8,600 Oats, bushels 316,000 Rye, bushels 203,000 Tobacco, pounds 23,000,000 Horses 52,000 Mules 278 Cattle 217,000 Sheep 124,000 Swine 46,000 Miles of railway 1,018 Manufacturing establishments 3,477 Capital invested $373,000,000 Operatives 181,605 Raw material $191,000,000 Output of manufactured goods $369,000,000 Output of minerals $3,389,000 Quarry products $1,050,000 Teachers in public schools 4,729 Pupils enrolled 173,973 Percentage of male teachers 6.9 Average monthly salary of men teachers $103.92 Average monthly salary of women teachers $45.83 Average annual expenditure per pupil $30.60 See Hartford ; New Haven ; Yale; Charter Oak ; Copper ; Brass ; Colt ; Howe ; Sewing Machine , etc.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a State in the North Atlantic division of the North American Union; bounded by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Long Island Sound, and New York; gross area, 4,845 square miles; one of the original 13 States; number of counties, 8; population (1890) 746,- 258; (1900) 908,420; (1910) 1,114,756; (1920) 1,380,631; capital, Hartford. Topography.- Connecticut lies on the S. slope of the New England hill region, and while its surface is diversified by hills and valleys it is in only a few places over 1,000 feet in altitude. The highest elevation is Bear Mountain, Salisbury, 2,354 feet. The State is drained by three large rivers and their tributaries; the Connecticut, rising in New Hampshire, bisects the State in a N. and S. direction, and is navigable for 50 miles; the Thames, formed by the Shetucket, Yantic, and Quinnebang, is navigable as far as Norwich; and the Housatonic, with its main branch, the Naugatuck, navigable to Derby. The coast line is about 100 miles in length and affords many excellent harbors, of which New Haven and New London are the largest. Geology. The valley of the Connecticut river exhibits triassic sandstone and post-tertiary formation, but the greater part of the State is of eozoic or primary formation, which is separated into E. and W. sections by secondary rocks. Extensive trap dykes traverse the E. and W. sections, and boulders of great size on the hill tops, together with scratches on the mountain sides, are indications of a glacial passage down the Connecticut valley. Soil. Along the coast as far N. as Middletown the soil is very sandy; but the remainder of the Connecticut valley has a rich deep loamy soil. In the N. E. is a light gray loam and in the S. E. a dark argillaceous soil. The climate is temperate, and there are no swamps or marshes. The trees include several varieties of oak, pine, cedar, tamarack, chestnut, beech, wild cherry, ash, basswood, hickory, walnut, willow, poplar, dogwood, sycamore and holly. Mineralogy. Of various mineral productions iron ore is the most abundant. Copper and lead exist, but have never been mined with much profit. Silver occurs in minute quantities. There are immense quarries of red sandstone at Portland and Cromwell, and marble and limestone is quarried at Canaan and Washington, while the largest amount of orthoclase quarried in the United States comes from Glastonbury and Middletown. The total value of the mineral production is about $4,000,000 annually. Clay products rank first in valueabout $2,000,000-and stone second, with a value of about $1,300,000. Agriculture. The agricultural interests of the State are very important. Cereals, fruits, and vegetables grow in great abundance in the W. valleys, and tobacco in the valley of the Connecticut. The acreage, production, and value of the chief crops in 1919 was as follows: Corn, 55,000 acres, 3,300,000 bushels, with a value of $5,940,000; hay, 340,000 acres, 544,000 tons, with a value of $16,- 429,000; tobacco, 25,000 acres, 39,000,- 000 pounds, with a value of $18,057,000; potatoes, 24,000 acres, 1,680,000 bushels, with a value of $3,276,000. Manufactures. Connecticut is one of the foremost manufacturing States in the Union. There were in 1914, 4,104 manufacturing establishments in the State, employing 226,264 wage-earners. The capital invested amounted to $620,- 194,000. There were paid in wages $125,220,000. The value of materials used was $288,511,000, and the value of the finished product was $545,472,000. The principal articles were cotton goods, foundry and machine shop products, hardware, and brassware. Other important manufactures are woolen goods, silk and silk goods, plated and britannia ware, hats and caps, brass castings and finishings, corsets, and worsted goods. Banking. In 1919 there were 66 National banks in operation, having $20,- 306,000 capital, $13,577,478 in outstanding circulation and $12,858,850 in United States bonds. There were also 3 State banks, with $550,000 capital, $12,179,000 in deposits, and $14,515,000 in resources. In the year sending Sept. 30, 1919, the exchanges at the United States clearinghouses at Hartford and New Haven aggregated $722,532,000. Education. The school population of the State is about 330,000, with an enrollment of about 250,000. There are about 8,000 teachers, with an average monthly salary of about $75. The annual expenses of the towns for educational purposes is about $10,000,000. For higher instruction there are public high schools, , public normal private secondary schools schools, at Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven (State Normal School), and Willimantic, and Yale University, New Haven University, New Haven (opened 1701, Cong.); Wesleyan University, Middletown (1831, M. E.), and Trinity College, Hartford (1824, P. E.). Among the principal private secondary schools are: the Hotchkiss School, at Lakewood; Morgan School, at Clinton; Norwich Free Academy, at Norwich; and Bulkley School, at New London. Charities and Corrections. The charitable and correctional institutions include the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane at Middletown, the Norwich Hospital for the Insane at Norwich, the Connecticut State Prison at Wethersfield, the Connecticut School for Boys at Meriden, the Connecticut Industrial School for Girls at Middletown, the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics at Mansfield, and the Connecticut School for Imbeciles at Lakeville. Railways. - There are about 1,000 miles of railway in the State. The New York, New Haven and Hartford has about 850 miles, the Central New York about 83 miles, and the Central Vermont about 58 miles. There has been practically no new construction of railways in recent years. Finance. The receipts for the fiscal year ending 1918 amounted to $15,198,- 326, and the expenditures to $13,706,034. There was a balance at the end of the year of $642,572. The State has a funded debt of about $12,000,000. State Government. The governor is elected for a term of two years and receives a salary of $5,000 per annum, Legislative sessions are held biennially The legislature has 258 members in the House and 35 in the Senate, each elected for a term of two years. Connecticut sends five representatives to Congress. History. The first settlement in Connecticut was made at Hartford, in 1633, by the Dutch. The first constitution was adopted in Hartford in 1639, and formed the basis of the charter of 1662. In 1686 the royal governor, Andros, attempted to obtain the charter, but, according to popular belief, it was hidden in the hollow of an oak tree. On the dethronement of James II. the colonial government resumed its functions. Connecticut took an active part in the French, Indian, Revolutionary, English (1812), and Civil Wars. She instructed her de delegates in the Continental Congress to propose a declaration of independence, and was the fifth State to ratify the Federal Constitution. The Hartford convention, most memorable of gatherings in the State, assembled Dec. 15, 1814. It protested against the war with England and against the action of the national government with reference to State defense. This convention, which adjourned Jan. 5, 1815, raised the Federal party in the estimation of the people.
Connecticut a river of the United States
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a river of the United States, the W. branch of which forms by treaty the boundary between the United States and Canada to lat. 45° N. It rises on the N. border of New Hampshire; forms the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire, passes through the W. part of Massachusetts and the central part of Connecticut, and falls into Long Island Sound. It is navigable for vessels drawing from 8 to 10 feet for about 300 miles from its mouth, subsidiary canals, however, being required above Hartford; total length, 450 miles. It is famed for its shad fisheries. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, an institution for the higher education of women, founded in New London, Conn., in 1911. The college has received generous gifts for endowment, including $1,000,000 from Morton F. Plant. It was officially opened in September, 1915. In 1919 there were 42 teachers and 304 students. President, B. T. Marshall. CONNECTICUT RESERVE. See WESTERN RESERVE, THE.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Aiton's put Connecticut's 1900 population at 908,420 and its output of clocks, brass and cutlery at nearly $400,000,000 a year; the state now holds about 3.6 million people, and the brass mills of the Naugatuck Valley that "lead the world" closed through the middle of the twentieth century, leaving insurance and finance at Hartford and defence work (submarines at Groton, jet engines at East Hartford) as the mainstays. The eight counties the 1910 account lists still appear on maps, but county government was abolished outright in 1960, so Connecticut is administered by its towns; the 1818 constitution the entry praises was replaced by a new one in 1965 after federal courts forced fairer apportionment. Most striking against the account's description of the Pequots burned out "like rats" at Groton in 1637: the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation won federal recognition in 1983 and opened Foxwoods, for years among the largest casinos in the world, on its reservation in 1992. Yale, Wesleyan and Trinity are all still where the entry left them.
Written for this edition, 2026.