History of West Haven, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
West Haven, Connecticut
West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 52,721.-History:...
:
Colonial and revolutionary history
The QuinnipiacQuinnipiac
This article is about the Native American nation. For the university, see Quinnipiac University.The Quinnipiac — rarely spelled Quinnipiack — is the English name for the Eansketambawg a Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the Wampanoki This article is about the Native...
, Pequot
Pequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
, and Mohegan
Mohegan
The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in the eastern upper Thames River valley of Connecticut. Mohegan translates to "People of the Wolf". At the time of European contact, the Mohegan and Pequot were one people, historically living in the lower Connecticut region...
Native American tribes spent summers near the West Haven green and Morse Park
Morse Park
Morse Park , occupies 15.8 hectares, is an urban park located in Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon.It was competed in 1967. The Park was named after Sir Arthur Morse , the head of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation during and after World War II.-History:The Hong Kong Golden Jubilee Jamborette ,...
, and as far inland as Maltby Lakes. Before New Haven was colonized in 1638 by five hundred settlers following Reverend John Davenport from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, Dutch trader Adriaen Block
Adriaen Block
Adriaen Block was a Dutch private trader and navigator who is best known for exploring the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts during four voyages from 1611 to 1614, following the 1609 expedition by Henry Hudson...
noted the high mounds of oyster shells along the shoreline while exploring in 1614.
Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) was a part of the original New Haven Colony
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was an English colonial venture in present-day Connecticut in North America from 1637 to 1662.- Quinnipiac Colony :A Puritan minister named John Davenport led his flock from exile in the Netherlands back to England and finally to America in the spring of 1637...
. The historic crossing of the West River
West River (Connecticut)
The West River is a freshwater stream in southern Connecticut. It flows through the towns of Bethany, Woodbridge, and New Haven before discharging into the West Haven Harbor....
by horse bridge is commemorated in the 1938 mural, "Fording of the West River to Settle West Haven", in the main post office.
Colonists built both a Congregational meeting house and, in the early 18th century, Christ Episcopal Church, one of the first Episcopal churches in New England. The church was started with the help of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and constructed next door to the meeting house. The Congregational meeting house was the site for all town records, government, events, and housed the first public library in the state of Connecticut.
In 1719, the hamlet separated from the Orange parish as West Haven.
In 1779 the British attacked New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
and came ashore in West Haven. Thomas Painter, a militiaman watching for British ships from atop Savin Rock
Savin Rock
Savin Rock is a section of West Haven, Connecticut.It was the site of the Savin Rock Amusement Park, which began in the late 19th century as a regionally renowned seaside resort. It evolved into a general amusement park in the 20th century and eventually closed in 1966. The park ran along the west...
, is depicted on the city seal. The main commercial street, Campbell Avenue, is named for British Adjutant William Campbell
William Campbell
-Canada:* William Campbell , Scottish-born Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Upper Canada* Lord William Campbell , Scottish-born Royal Governor of Nova Scotia and South Carolina* William A. Campbell -Canada:* William Campbell (jurist) (1758–1834), Scottish-born Chief Justice of the Supreme...
, who stopped to help a minister who had been shot. Campbell is buried in the Allingtown section.
Economic history
| Historical population of West Haven |
|
| 1930 | 25,808 |
| 1940 | 30,021 |
| 1950 | 32,010 |
| 1960 | 43,002 |
| 1970 | 52,851 |
| 1980 | 53,184 |
| 1990 | 54,021 |
| 2000 | 52,360 |
| 2002 | 52,733 (est.)] |
From colonial times until at least World War II, West Haven was heavily involved in shipping. Ships from West Haven sailed to the West Indies and South America for spices, silks, rum, sugar and similar items in return for local timber. More than 35 ship owners, ship builders, masters and captains from West Haven have been identified with that trade. Tall-masted trade ships were built in town by Scandinavian boat builders, and in World War II, pontoon craft and light weight Chris Craft were built in the community.
Industry was also a major part of the local economy, starting with the West Haven and American Buckle Shops, which produced buckles, buttons, clips, and braces during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. These factories were later joined by piano and organ companies. During World War II, Armstrong Rubber Company manufactured tires and rafts for the military.
Savin Rock Park
Savin Rock became a popular vacation spot by the 1870s, when ferries and horse-drawn cars from New Haven created easier access to the site. The New Haven HarborNew Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
beachside resort had a playground and carousel. Savin Rock Amusement Park thrived in the 1940s and '50s and was closed in the 1960s. One of the last reminders of the area is Jimmies of Savin Rock, a restaurant known for its seafood and split hot dogs.
Twentieth century
Orange, Connecticut
Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,233 at the 2000 census. A 2007 Census Bureau estimate puts the population at 13,813. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen.-History:...
(incorporated as a town in 1822). In 1921, West Haven split from Orange to become a separate town. It was incorporated as a city in 1961 and is known as "Connecticut's Youngest City."
In 1927, Lender's Beigel Bakery
Lender's Bagels
Lender's Bagels is a brand and producer of bagels that pioneered the bagel industry in the United States. Established in 1927 in New Haven, Connecticut, it became a North American leader in the marketing, distribution and sales of bagels. Lender's introduced frozen bagels and sold the first...
was founded in the city by Polish immigrant Harry Lender. His customers were primarily Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Lender's sons, Murray and Marvin, later ran the business, specializing in "flash-frozen" bagels, a process that allowed the bagels to be sold nationwide. The business had grown to 600 employees by 1984, when it was sold to Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
.
West Haven has a mayor-City Council form of government. John M. Picard, the city's tenth mayor, was elected in 2005. There are three independent fire districts served by the West Haven, West Shore and Allingtown fire departments.