Hartford
2 of the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Hartford. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a city, capital of the county-seat of Hartford co.; on the Connecticut river and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and the New England and New York railroads: 36 miles N. E. of New Haven. It is an important commercial and manufacturing city, and 1 besides it is noted for its many insurance companies. Area, 17 square miles. Public Interests. - The city is lighted by electricity, has a waterworks system owned by the with 115 miles of mains city, 115 miles of streets, of which 84 miles are paved, and 89 miles of sewers. It is the seat of Trinity College, Hartford Congregational Theological Seminary, American Asylum for the Deaf, Insane Retreat, Old People's Home, and the High School, Young Men's Christian Association building. There are a Roman Catholic Cathedral (St. Joseph's), and many elegant churches, a large free public library, and several valuable libraries connected with the educational institutions of the city. The City Hall and Capitol Buildings are the two most famous buildings in Hartford. The former was used as a State House for nearly 100 years and housed the famous Hartford Convention. Near the City Hall is the Center Church, which was constructed in 1807, and has adjoining a burying ground which was in use from 1640 to 1803. Opposite is the Wadsworth Atheneum, containing the Connecticut Historical Society, the Hartford Public Library, and the Morgan Memorial. These three are noted buildings in Hartford, and contain many works of art, rare collections of paintings and books. A few blocks away from the center of the city is a tablet which marks the site of the Charter Oak, a famous old tree, in the hollow of which was hidden the Connecticut Charter to save it from Sir Edmund Andros. The State House is an imposing structure completed in 1880 at a cost of $3,100,000, having its main approach by way of a bridge over Park river, on which bridge a soldiers' memorial arch has been built. Business Interests. The city's manufactures are varied and extensive, including machinery, tools, firearms, bicycles, carriages, sewing machines, typehosiery, writers, nails, boilers, engines, brass goods, woolens, tobacco, silver and plated ware, stoneware, etc. In 1919 there were 4 National banks. The exchanges at the United States clearing house during 1919 amounted to $427,- 118,000. History. The first settlement was made by the Dutch in 1623, but it was not till 1636 that a permanent settlement, called Newton, was made by the English. The name was changed to Hartford in 1637. The Dutch were banished from Connecticut in 1654, and in 1687 an attempt was made by the English Governor Andros to seize the Charter, which was thwarted by hiding it in the Charter Oak. The city was incorporated in 1784 and became the State capital in 1873. Pop. (1910) 98,915; (1920) 138,036.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
the capital city of Connecticut. It is situated on the Connecticut River, at the head of navigation. The first white settlement on its site was made by the Dutch in 1633. John Mason's celebrated expedition against the Pequots started at Hartford. It was here that Andros endeavored to seize the charter of Connecticut. In 1701 Hartford became the joint capital with New Haven . In 1873 it became the sole capital of the state. Early in its history the city had an extensive trade with the West Indies . Out of insurance against disaster at sea has grown up a large marine and fire insurance business. There are six life insurance companies, making Hartford one of the insurance centers of the world. There are extensive manufactures. The Gatling gun and the Colt revolver are made here. Hartford is headquarters for the manufacture of bicycles and typewriters. It is a leading city in the production of steam engines, boilers, leather belting, knit goods, carriages, harness, and electric machinery. The city is well built. Its streets and parks are shaded with beautiful elms. Trinity College is a prosperous institution. The various libraries of the city contain 327,000 bound volumes and as many pamphlets. The population as reported by the last census was 79,850. For its size, Hartford is one of the richest cities in the Union. The assessed valuation exceeds $1,000 per inhabitant. See Charter Oak ; Insurance ; Connecticut
What Has Changed in the Last Century
When Aiton's wrote in 1910 that "for its size, Hartford is one of the richest cities in the Union," it was describing a manufacturing boom that has since gone. The Colt revolver works, the typewriter and bicycle plants and the steam-engine shops closed or moved out over the twentieth century; the Colt armory with its blue onion dome became Coltsville National Historical Park in 2014. Population peaked near 177,000 around 1950 and had fallen to about 121,000 by the 2020 census, and Hartford is now one of the poorest cities in the country, with roughly a quarter of residents below the poverty line. What survives is the insurance business the accounts singled out — Travelers, Aetna and The Hartford are still there — along with Trinity College, the 1878 Capitol, the Old State House and the Wadsworth Atheneum, still the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the United States.
Written for this edition, 2026.