Windsor Locks, Connecticut

Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 12,498.^[1] It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approximately 1/3 of the town. Windsor Locks is also the site of the New England Air Museum.

Located beside the Connecticut River and equidistant from the densely populated cities of Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut, Windsor Locks is named for a set of canal locks that opened in 1829. Windsor Locks is situated just south of the first large falls in the Connecticut River, the Enfield Falls, which is the northernmost point that seagoing vessels can reach on the Connecticut River before transferring to smaller ships. The Enfield Falls Canal circumvents the Enfield Falls and its nearby shallows.^[2]

History

Originally part of Windsor, Windsor Locks broke off into its own settlement in 1854 after the thriving Enfield Locks going around Enfield Falls which opened in 1829. The Bradley International Airport opened in 1940 and to civilian use in 1947. In 1967 the town boundary was somewhat altered due to the opening of the Bradley Connector. The town boundary between Windsor Locks and Windsor changed several times and was altered with Windsor Locks being on the westbound side and the Windsor side on the eastbound side with the border on the median.

The 1965 Little League World Series winning team is from Windsor Locks.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²), of which 9.0 square miles (23.4 km²) is land and 0.35 square miles (0.9 km²), or 3.65%, is water.^[1]

Climate

Windsor Locks has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summer days to cold sometimes frigid winter nights. Average January temperature high is 36°F (2.2°C) and a low of 18°F ( -7.8°C) temps can reach zero degrees or below 4 nights a year. Summer in Windsor Locks can be hot with the average July temperature of 87°F (30.6°C) at daytime and 63°F (17.2°C) at nighttime. Temperatures at or above 90 can occur 15 to 25 days per year. The hottest temperature at Windsor Locks was 103°F (39.4°C) on July 22, 2011 and the coldest recorded temperature was -26°F (-32°C) on January 22, 1961. Average rainfall in Windsor Locks is 46.27 inches.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,587		—
1870	2,154		35.7%
1880	2,332		8.3%
1890	2,758		18.3%
1900	3,062		11.0%
1910	3,715		21.3%
1920	3,554		−4.3%
1930	4,073		14.6%
1940	4,347		6.7%
1950	5,221		20.1%
1960	11,411		118.6%
1970	15,080		32.2%
1980	12,190		−19.2%
1990	12,358		1.4%
2000	12,043		−2.5%
2010	12,498		3.8%
Est. 2014	12,565	^[3]	0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[4]

As of the census of 2000, there are 12,043 people, 4,935 households, and 3,306 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,333.8 inhabitants per square mile (514.9/km²). There are 5,101 housing units at an average density of 218.1 persons/km² (565.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town is 92.47% White, 2.67% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.57% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,935 households out of which 29.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% are married couples living together, 11.7% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.0% are non-families. 27.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.43 and the average family size is 2.97.

In the town the population is spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $48,837, and the median income for a family is $59,054. Males have a median income of $41,179 versus $33,641 for females. The per capita income for the town is $23,079. 4.4% of the population and 3.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.5% are under the age of 18 and 4.7% are 65 or older.

Businesses

Until 2000, Windsor Locks was home to the oldest corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dexter Corporation. Established in 1767 as C.H. Dexter and Sons, the company grew from a family-owned saw and grist mill and evolved into a multi-national producer of long fiber papers and chemical laminates. In its 233 years of operation, the company grew from manufacturing tissues, toilet paper, and tea bags to marketing more specialized products like medical garments and industrial finishes. Faced with a proposed buyout by International Specialty Products Incorporated in 2000, the Dexter Corporation separated its three divisions and sold them off to avoid a hostile takeover.

The Life Sciences division merged with Invitrogen Corporation. The Specialty Polymers division was sold in part to Akzo Nobel, and the remaining businesses merged with Loctite Corporation. The third division, Dexter Nonwoven Materials, located on the company's original site in Windsor Locks, was sold to the Finnish Ahlstrom Paper Group. The physical plant continues to operate, with offices located nearby at 2 Elm Street. In 2011, the Home and Personal Nonwovens division of Ahlstrom Windsor Locks was sold to Suominen Corporation, also headquartered in Finland.

In 1952 Hamilton Standard opened its aircraft propeller plant in Windsor Locks. In 1999, Hamilton Standard merged with Sundstrand Corporation to become Hamilton Sundstrand, which is headquartered in Windsor Locks. Hamilton Sundstrand is now UTC Aerospace.

On 19 September 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston ceased operations at Windsor Locks and moved them to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.^[5]

Education

Primary and secondary education falls under the oversight of "Windsor Locks Public Schools".

Interest

The Windsor Locks High School mascot is the Raider; the colors are maroon and white.^[6]
For many years, Windsor Locks was known as Pine Meadow—a section of neighboring Windsor. In 1854, it was formally incorporated as Windsor Locks.
Windsor Locks is home to FlightSimCon, the only flight simulation focused conference in North America
Windsor Locks won the Little League World Series in 1965.^[7]
Windsor Locks claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, thus making it the home of the first Christmas tree in New England.
Windsor Locks High School won the 2005 and 2006 Class S State Championships in baseball.
Windsor Locks High School won the 2001 basketball state championship.
Windsor Locks High School won the 1966 Class M State Championship indoor track

Historical places

The following places are in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP):

Dave Pinney House and Barn — 58 West St. (added August 25, 1977)
Enfield Falls Canal — along Connecticut River from Windsor Locks north to Thompsonville (added May 22, 1976)
Memorial Hall — Intersection of South Main and Elm streets (added July 2, 1987)
Windsor Locks Passenger Station — Main Street (added October 2, 1975)

Notable residents

Kim Zolciak - Don't Be Tardy, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 21)
Kathryn Morris - American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case.

References

1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Windsor Locks town, Hartford County, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
↑ Connecticut Heritage (Dorothy A. DeBisschop). The Canal at Windsor Locks. Retrieved January 20, 2006.
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "Boston Fed Moves up Plans to Close Windsor Locks Office". Retrieved 2008-09-21.
↑ WLHS Student Handbook 2006-2007. (p 18)
↑ Little League World Series Champions

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Municipalities and communities of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States

Cities	Bristol Hartford New Britain

Towns	Avon Berlin Bloomfield Burlington Canton East Granby East Hartford East Windsor Enfield Farmington Glastonbury Granby Hartland Manchester Marlborough Newington Plainville Rocky Hill Simsbury South Windsor Southington Suffield West Hartford Wethersfield Windsor Locks Windsor

Other communities	Blue Hills Broad Brook Burnside Canton Center Canton Valley Collinsville East Windsor Hill Glastonbury Center Hazardville Hockanum Kensington Marion Milldale Newington Junction North Granby Plantsville Salmon Brook Sherwood Manor Simsbury Center South Glastonbury Southwood Acres Suffield Depot Tariffville Terramuggus Thompsonville Weatogue West Granby West Simsbury

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