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Hartford County Area Guide

Hartford County is located in the north central part of Connecticut. As of 2000 the population was approximately 857,000. This Hartford County region is commonly referred to as "The Insurance Capitol of the World". Aetna, Cigna, Hartford Steam Boiler, ITT Hartford, Phoenix Mutual and Travelers are some of the larger insurance firms that call Hartford home. At the turn of the century, Mark Twain also called Hartford home. Many people think Mark Twain was looking out at the Mississippi River as he wrote many of his most popular books. In fact, he wrote many of them while looking out over the Park River in Hartford.

History

Hartford County was one of four original counties in Connecticut that were established on May 10, 1666, by an act of the Connecticut General Court. Hartford County consisted of the towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, Hartford, Farmington and Middletown. The "Thirty Miles Island" referred to in the constituting Act was incorporated as the town of Haddam in 1668. In 1670, the town of Simsbury was established, extending Hartford County to the Massachusetts border. In the late 17th to early 18th centuries, several more towns were established and added to Hartford County: Waterbury in 1686, Windham in 1694, Hebron in 1708, Coventry in 1712 and Litchfield in 1722.
In 1714, all of the unincorporated territory north of the towns of Coventry and Windham in northeastern Connecticut to the Massachusetts border were placed under the jurisdiction of Hartford County. Windham County was constituted in 1726 resulting in Hartford County losing the towns of Windham, Coventry, Mansfield and Ashford. Northwestern Connecticut, which was originally placed under the jurisdiction of New Haven County in 1722, was transferred to Hartford County by 1738. All of northwestern Connecticut was later constituted as a new county, Litchfield County, in 1751. In 1785, two more counties were established in the now U.S. state of Connecticut: Tolland and Middlesex. This mostly resulted in the modern extent of Hartford County. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the establishment of several more towns resulted in minor adjustments in the bounds of the county. The final adjustment resulting in the modern limits occurred on May 8, 1806, when the town of Canton was established.

Parks and Recreation

Hartford County is dedicated to providing a safe and clean environment for all residents and visitors to enjoy. The county is committed to providing fun recreational opportunities. The open spaces and recreational parks are maintained by the country and are beautiful places to relax at!

For a complete list of parks in Hartford County click here

Events

Hartford County and the surrounding areas offer great events that are sure to please everyone in the family. Come participate in one of the many great festivals or fairs for a spectacular time in Hartford County!

Silk City Flick Fest http://www.silkcityflickfest.com
The Festival is open to all students and independent film makers worldwide. Think of it as an escape to the quaintest New England town highlighting the autumn beauty with indie movies, shorts, documentaries, parties and panel discussions throughout the 4 day weekend!

Annual Arts and Crafts Festival
The Festival will take place on Iron Horse Boulevard in the Center of Simsbury. Admission and parking are free.  Proceeds make it possible for the club to award large scholarships to one adult and two high school students and to give substantial funds to area charitable organizations.

St. Francis of Assisi Craft Fair
The event will be held at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi located at 673 Ellington Rd., South Windsor, Connecticut. There is an outdoor display of over 100 crafters of unique and varied products, raffles, food concession and free admission and parking.

For more information on events in the County visit the events calendar by clicking here

Attractions

Hartford County features many exciting attractions that will keep you and your friends occupied throughout the year. Come visit one of the great museums, take a ride on the carousel or visit Dinosaur State Park. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to be creating lasting memories here in Hartford County.

Bushnell Park Carousel http://www.thecarouselmuseum.com
Bushnell Park Carousel is a nintricately hand-carved 1914 carousel with 48 horses, 2 lovers’ chariots, oval and square mirrors reflecting 800 twinkling lights and aWurlitzer band organ.

Connecticut Science Center http://www.ctsciencecenter.org
With 150 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art 3D digital theater, four educational labs, plus daily programs and events, the Connecticut Science Center offers endless exploration for children, teens and adults. Every part of science will be at a visitor's fingertips, from Physics to Forensics, Geology to Astronomy.

Connecticut Trolley Museum http://www.ceraweb.org
3-mile round trip rides on vintage trolley cars through scenic countryside.  The museum features a newly expanded gift shop, the Whistle Stop Deli, Conn. Fire Museum, pumpkin patch, and winter events. 

Dinosaur State Park http://www.dinosaurstatepark.org
View Jurassic period dinosaur tracks with nature trails, and make your own dinosaur cast.

The Children’s Museum http://www.thechildrensmuseumct.org/index.asp
The Children’s Museum is the largest in the state and the fifth oldest children’s museum in the nation. Hartford Magazine readers have consistently voted it “Best Kid’s Attraction” since the poll’s inception three years ago.

The Children’s Museum has flourished in its current Trout Brook Drive location since 1958, at which time it moved from its former home on Farmington Avenue. In addition to the museum itself, The Children’s Museum is comprised of the highly respected, science-curriculum based preschool, The Children’s Museum Preschool; Connecticut’s largest space theater, the Gengras Planetarium; the UTC wildlife; and our wonderful nature center, Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. We are the only children’s museum in the nation that has such a wide range of distinct science and nature-based offerings.

For a complete list of attractions in the county click here

For more information on Hartford County, CT visit the River Valley website by clicking here http://www.enjoycentralct.com/index.cfm?ns=t