Killingly, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Killingly is a town
in Windham County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 16,472 at the 2000 census. It consists of the borough of Danielson
and the villages of Attawaugan, Ballouville, Dayville, East Killingly, Rogers, and South Killingly.
, the town has a total area of 50 square miles (129.5 km²), of which, 48.5 square miles (125.6 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (2.94%) is water.
of 2000, there were 16,472 people, 6,359 households, and 4,279 families residing in the town. The population density
was 339.5 people per square mile (131.1/km²). There were 6,909 housing units at an average density of 142.4 per square mile (55.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.73% White, 1.40% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.77% from other races
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.
The borough of Danielson, as well as the town of Killingly, is also home to a small but significant Laotian community. Both Danielson and Killingly are on the nation's list of top 50 cities with the highest percentage of citizens claiming Laotian ancestry.
There were 6,359 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,087, and the median income for a family was $46,645. Males had a median income of $35,367 versus $24,600 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,779. About 6.2% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Windham County
Windham County, Connecticut
Windham County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 118,428.The entire county is within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, as designated by the National Park Service.-History:Windham...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 16,472 at the 2000 census. It consists of the borough of Danielson
Danielson, Connecticut
Danielson is a borough in the town of Killingly in Windham County, Connecticut. The population was 4,265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
and the villages of Attawaugan, Ballouville, Dayville, East Killingly, Rogers, and South Killingly.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 50 square miles (129.5 km²), of which, 48.5 square miles (125.6 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (2.94%) is water.
Principal communities
- Attawaugan
- Ballouville
- Chestnut Hill
- DanielsonDanielson, ConnecticutDanielson is a borough in the town of Killingly in Windham County, Connecticut. The population was 4,265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
(borough) - Dayville
- East Killingly
- Elmville
- Goodyear
- Killingly Center
- Rogers
- South Killingly
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Broad Street-Davis Park Historic District — Roughly along Broad Street, from Dorrance Street to Winter Street (added 1998)
- Daniel's Village Archeological SiteDaniel's Village Archeological SiteDaniel's Village Archeological Site is an historic site in Killingly, Connecticut. Located in the vicinity of the crossing of Putnam Road and the Five Mile River, the area is the site of one of the earliest textile mills in Connecticut. The mill and surrounding village burned down in 1861 and was...
(added 1978) - Danielson Main Street Historic DistrictDanielson Main Street Historic DistrictDanielson Main Street Historic District is a historic district representing the commercial business district of the borough of Danielson in the town of Killingly, Connecticut....
— Main Street from Water Street to Spring Street (added 1992). The area features Colonial Revival, Italianate, and other architectural styles. - Dayville Historic DistrictDayville Historic DistrictDayville Historic District is a historic district in the town of Killingly, Connecticut, in the unincorporated community of Dayville.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988....
— Main and Pleasant Streets (added 1988) - Elliottville Lower MillElliottville Lower MillElliottville Lower Mill or "Peep Toad Mill" is an historic mill in the East Killingly section of Killingly, Connecticut.The mill was built in 1850 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982....
— Peep Toad Road (added 1982) - Old Killingly High SchoolOld Killingly High SchoolOld Killingly High School is a historic school on 185 Broad Street in Killingly, Connecticut.The school was built in 1908 and added to the National Historic Register in 1992....
— 185 Broad Street (added 1992) - Quinebaug Mill-Quebec Square Historic District — Roughly bounded by Quinebaug RiverQuinebaug RiverThe Quinebaug River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously Qunnubbâgge, Quinibauge, etc., meaning "long pond", from...
, Quebec Square, Elm and South Main Streets (added 1985). The area contains buildings designed by Amos Lockwood and includes Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne architectural styles.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,472 people, 6,359 households, and 4,279 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 339.5 people per square mile (131.1/km²). There were 6,909 housing units at an average density of 142.4 per square mile (55.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.73% White, 1.40% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.77% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.
The borough of Danielson, as well as the town of Killingly, is also home to a small but significant Laotian community. Both Danielson and Killingly are on the nation's list of top 50 cities with the highest percentage of citizens claiming Laotian ancestry.
There were 6,359 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,087, and the median income for a family was $46,645. Males had a median income of $35,367 versus $24,600 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $19,779. About 6.2% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter registration and party enrolment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
2.335 | 110 | 2,445 | 26.40% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
1,543 | 69 | 1,612 | 17.41% |
Unaffiliated | 4,935 | 260 | 5,195 | 56.10% |
Minor parties | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.09% | |
| Total | 8,821 | 439 | 9,260 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Notable people, past and present
- Mary Dixon KiesMary Dixon KiesMary Dixon Kies was an early 19th-century American who was the first recipient of a patent granted to a woman by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, on May 5, 1809, which was for a technique of weaving straw with silk and thread.-Biography:Her father was John Dixon born in 1679 in...
(1752–1837), the first woman in the United States to receive a patent (in 1809, for a method of weaving straw with silk or thread). Kies was born and lived in South Killingly, an unincorporated village in the Town of Killingly. - Francis AlexanderFrancis AlexanderFrancis Alexander was an American portrait-painter.He was born in Killingly, Connecticut. Brought up on a farm, he taught himself the use of colors, and in 1820 went to New York City and studied painting with Alexander Robertson. He spent the winters of 1831 and 1832 in Rome...
, (1800–1881), born in Killingly, was a portrait painter - William Torrey HarrisWilliam Torrey HarrisWilliam Torrey Harris was an American educator, philosopher, and lexicographer.-Early life and career:Born in North Killingly, Connecticut, he attended Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. He completed two years at Yale, then moved west and taught school in St...
(1835–1909), a philosopher who introduced reindeer to Alaska, educator (and later U.S. Commissioner of EducationCommissioner of EducationThe Commissioner of Education was the title given to the head of the National Bureau of Education, a former unit within the Department of the Interior in the United States...
) who introduced the first permanent kindergarten, and lexicographer who introduced the "divided page" into dictionaries (the 1909 edition of Webster's New International Dictionary). He was born in North Killingly. He also founded the first philosophical journal in the country. - Sidney P. Marland, Jr. (1914–1992), U.S. Commissioner of Education from 1970 to 1972 and then the first Assistant Secretary of Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1972 to 1973, under President Nixon. Marland was born in Danielson, a borough of the Town of Killingly. Killingly may be the only town in the nation to be the birthplace of two U.S. Commissioners of Education.
- Charles Tiffany (1812–1902) born in town, owner of Tiffany and Company (and father of the more famous Louis Comfort TiffanyLouis Comfort TiffanyLouis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
, a designer) - Ebenezer YoungEbenezer YoungEbenezer Young was a United States Representative from Connecticut. He was born in Killingly, Connecticut and was graduated from Yale College in 1806. He studied law and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Danielson, Connecticut...
(1783–1851) was a United States Representative from Connecticut.