Cheshire, Connecticut

Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census.

History

When Cheshire was originally settled by Europeans, it was part of the town of Wallingford and known locally as "Northfarms". In 1780, Cheshire separated from Wallingford to become its own town, and for the next 170 years, Cheshire remained a small but prosperous farming town.

In the post-war period, Cheshire began to suburbanize as residents of New Haven began moving outwards from the urban core. Several industrial plants also located themselves in one of the town's many planned industrial parks. Despite significant residential development, Cheshire has remained a highly agricultural town that has found an economic niche in producing bedding plants for local and national consumers. The town's slogan is "The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut".

Well known people born in Cheshire include James Van Der Beek, Ron Palillo ("Horshack" from Welcome Back Kotter) and Brian Leetch of the NHL (not born there, but grew up there). Brad Ausmus of the Houston Astros and journalist Vijay Vaitheeswaran of The Economist are Cheshire High School graduates.

Perhaps the best known local celebrity is ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman, or the CEO of Bruegger's Corporation (Bruegger's Bagels), James J. Greco.

For additional historical questions, please consult the Cheshire Public Library.

Culture and notable features

Every June, the town celebrates its annual Strawberry Festival on the First Congregational Church green. The town is also known for its highly competitive high school sports team, the Cheshire Rams, its award-winning marching band, and its rivalry with Amity High School.

Cheshire Academy (originally The Episcopal Academy of Connecticut) was founded in Cheshire in 1794.

Cheshire is home to two large state prison facilities located in the northern section of town. The largest of these facilities is the Cheshire Correctional Institution, which opened in 1910. In 1982, the Manson Youth Institution opened adjacent to the CCI. These prisons explain the skewed male/female ratios listed below.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 86.5 km² (33.4 mi²). 85.2 km² (32.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (1.50%) is water.

Cheshire is situated in the midst of several major cities of Connecticut. It lies fourteen miles north of New Haven, twenty-five miles south of the capital Hartford, and is adjacent to Waterbury. Hamden, Connecticut borders the town to the south. Interstate 691 skirts the northern edge of the town. The main north-south artery is Route 10.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 28,543 people, 9,349 households, and 7,254 families residing in the town. The population density was 334.9/km² (867.4/mi²). There were 9,588 housing units at an average density of 112.5/km² (291.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.40% White, 4.67% African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.91% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population. The largest ethnic groups in the town are Italian Americans and Irish Americans.

There were 9,349 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 113.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $80,466, and the median income for a family was $90,774. Males had a median income of $60,078 versus $38,471 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,903. About 1.6% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Town of Cheshire official Web site
• Cheshire Public Library - The Library has a Cheshire/Connecticut history section and will answer genealogical and historical questions about Cheshire and environs.