East Granby, Connecticut
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East Granby is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Hartford County Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. According to the 2020 census, the population was 899,498, making it the second-most populous county in Connecticut. Hartford County contains the ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The population was 5,214 at the 2020 census.


History

Original inhabitants of the current East Granby area were Native American peoples, including the Algonquin/Poquonock, the
Massaco Massaco was a native settlement near the present-day towns of Simsbury and Canton along the banks of the Farmington River. The small, local Algonquian-speaking Indians who lived there in the 17th and early 18th centuries belonged to the Tunx ...
, and the Agawam. The East Granby area was first settled by Europeans in 1664, which was one of the four Congregational parishes in
Simsbury Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, the ...
. The Turkey Hills Ecclesiastical Society in 1786 became a section of Granby, and in 1858 was incorporated as the Town of East Granby. The first incorporated copper mine in America resided in what is now East Granby. The mine later became
Old Newgate Prison Old New-Gate Prison is a former prison and mine site on New-Gate Road in East Granby, Connecticut. It is now operated by the state of Connecticut as the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine Archaeological Preserve. Previously closed for restoration ...
, a Revolutionary War jail and the first
state prison This is a list of U.S. state prisons (2010) (not including federal prisons or county jails in the United States or prisons in U.S. territories): * Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware * Flori ...
in the United States (1790). Farming was the mainstay of the town for much of its history. The early twentieth century saw local farmers specializing in dairy product and
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
. East Granby experienced a housing boom that started in 1951 and resulted in a rise in population. The town celebrated its 150th anniversary with a three-day festival June 7–9, 2008.


Geography

East Granby is in the Farmington valley, with the
Farmington River The Farmington River is a river, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in length along its main stem, located in northwest Connecticut with major tributaries ex ...
passing along the southern border of the town. The
Metacomet Ridge The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and rare or endangered plants. ...
, a mountainous
trap rock Trap rock, also known as either trapp or trap, is any dark-colored, fine-grained, non-granitic intrusive or extrusive igneous rock. Types of trap rock include basalt, peridotite, diabase, and gabbro.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A ...
ridgeline that stretches from
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
to nearly the
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
border, runs through the center of the town, cutting off
Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
to the east, which used to lie under the ancient, glacial
Lake Hitchcock Lake Hitchcock was a glacial lake that formed approximately 15,000 years ago in the late Pleistocene epoch. After the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated, glacial ice melt accumulated at the terminal moraine and blocked up the Connecticut River, cre ...
. High points on the Metacomet Ridge in East Granby include
Hatchet Hill Hatchett Hill, est. , is a trap rock ridge located in East Granby, Connecticut, northeast of Hartford, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through ...
and
Peak Mountain Peak Mountain, also called Copper Mountain, est. , is a traprock mountain located in East Granby, Connecticut, south of the Massachusetts border and 6 miles west of the Connecticut River. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that ex ...
; the latter offers a bird's eye view of the historic
Old Newgate Prison Old New-Gate Prison is a former prison and mine site on New-Gate Road in East Granby, Connecticut. It is now operated by the state of Connecticut as the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine Archaeological Preserve. Previously closed for restoration ...
. The
Metacomet Trail The Metacomet Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large populatio ...
traverses the ridge.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2014, there were 5,055 people (2012) and 2,129 households (2012). The population density was (2012). There were 2,186 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 86.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 5.28%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0% Native American, 5.66%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 2.35% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
or multi-race residents.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.9% of the population. The town the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 4.85% from 18 to 24, 35.55% from 25 to 49, 22.5% from 50 to 64, and 6% who were 65 years of age or older. 47.85% of the population is female (52.15% male). Residents that were 18 years or older compromised 77.47% of the population. 49.46% of residents that were 18 years or older were female (50.52% male). For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. In 2000, the median age was 39 years. As of 2000, there were 1,848 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.


Income and unemployment

As of 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $68,696, and the median income for a family was $77,621. Males had a median income of $48,992 versus $37,450 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $30,805. About 0.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...
rates in 2013 were at 5.8% for East Granby residents, which was less than the state's unemployment rate of 7.8%. In 2014, 6 families were receiving temporary assistance and 154 individuals were receiving food stamps.


Education

As of 2012, residents' educational attainment was: 23%
high school graduate A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
, 12%
associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...
, and 37%
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
or higher. During the 2010–2011 School Year, total town school enrollment was at 939. Most public school students in East Granby attend the East Granby School District, which had 889 students.


Historic sites and buildings


Old historical buildings

East Granby has six historical buildings. The East Granby Historical Society can be found on North Main Street. * Clark Farm Tenant House * Congregational Meetinghouse * Ezekiel Phelps House * Joseph Penney House * Methodist-Episcopal Meetinghouse *
Old Newgate Prison Old New-Gate Prison is a former prison and mine site on New-Gate Road in East Granby, Connecticut. It is now operated by the state of Connecticut as the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine Archaeological Preserve. Previously closed for restoration ...
*
Viets' Tavern Viets' Tavern is an 18th-century tavern on Newgate Road, directly across the street from the Old Newgate Prison State Historical Site in East Granby, Connecticut. The building was home for many years to the prison warden, who also operated it as a ...
- Newgate Road * Whitfield Cowles House


Town cemeteries

East Granby has seven cemeteries. The oldest graves of East Granby can be found in the East Granby Center Cemetery, and dates back to 1737. * East Granby Center Cemetery – Located Near East Granby Center On School Street. The East Granby Cemetery was established in 1722, and it is no longer active. * Copper Hill Cemetery – Located In The Northwest Part Of Town * Elmwood Cemetery – Located On Windsor Locks Road, 3/4 Mile East Of Town Center * Holcomb Cemetery – Located Near The Granby Railroad Station * Prisoners' Cemetery – Located near
Old Newgate Prison Old New-Gate Prison is a former prison and mine site on New-Gate Road in East Granby, Connecticut. It is now operated by the state of Connecticut as the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine Archaeological Preserve. Previously closed for restoration ...
. * Smallpox Cemetery – Located at the top of the hill off Tariffville Road. The cemetery is on top of the "Manitank Mt." between Turkey Hill and Hatchett Hill, the property is owned by Tilcon-Roncari. * Viets Cemetery – Located Near Old Newgate Prison. This cemetery is in a clump of trees and bushes in a field in back of the farmhouse belonging to Jenny W. Kellogg. It is about a mile down the road leading from the prison towards 107-3. The plot is perhaps twenty feet square. There are about twenty stones in it. Not one of them is inscribed. The prisoners were taken down here from the prison and buried according to the story told around here.


Old schoolhouses

East Granby has six old schoolhouses that are no longer in use. * Center District Schoolhouse * Copper Hill Schoolhouse * Falls Schoolhouse * Hazelwood Schoolhouse * North Schoolhouse * South Schoolhouse


Government and politics


Notable people

*
Solomon Flagg Alderman Solomon Flagg Alderman (July 1, 1861 – January 9, 1928) was an American lawyer and politician. Alderman was born in East Granby, Connecticut, East Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut. He went to the Connecticut Literary Institute in Suffiel ...
(1860–1928), Minnesota state senators and lawyer *
Walter Forward Walter Forward (January 24, 1786 – November 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the brother of Chauncey Forward. Biography Born in East Granby, Connecticut, he attended the common schools. After moving with his father to ...
(1783–1852), lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury for President Tyler * Jeff Simmons (born 1976), former
IndyCar INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
driver *
Walter Wick Walter Wick (born February 23, 1953) is an American artist and photographer best known for the elaborate images in two series of picture book activities for young children, ''I Spy'' (1992 to 1999) and ''Can You See What I See?'' (2002 to 2013), ...
(born 1953), author of the ''
I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...
'' find-it-in-the-picture book series


Education

Education in East Granby is through the East Granby Public School System, including
East Granby High School East Granby High School is a public high school located in East Granby, Connecticut East Granby is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,214 at the 2020 United ...
, the smallest public high school in the state of Connecticut. The high school mascot is a crusader, and the middle school's is The Purple Wave. Both the high school's and the middle school's colors are purple and white. Average
class size Class size refers to the number of students a teacher faces during a given period of instruction. Measurements and definitions Some researchers and policymakers have studied the effects of class size by using student-teacher ratio (or its ...
for students in
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
in the East Granby school system was 13.8, second grade 23.7, fifth grade 23, seventh grade 20.5, and high school 17.1. The students per computer ratios were: elementary 3.8, middle school 1.4, and secondary school 1.8. East Granby School students performed high on both the
Connecticut Mastery Test The Connecticut Mastery Test, or CMT, is a test administered to students in grades 3 through 8. The CMT tests students in mathematics, reading comprehension, writing, and science (science was administered in March 2008). The other major standardize ...
(CMT) and
SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schola ...
s, where students' averages were higher than state averages in all grades (grade 4, 6, and 8 for CMT) and test subjects (Reading, Math, and Writing for both tests).


In popular culture

East Granby was noted in the book ''The Black Box'', a record of airplane CVR recordings. East Granby was the site of the
American Airlines Flight 1572 American Airlines Flight 1572 was a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Bradley International Airport on November 12, 1995. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 struck trees and an instrument landing system (ILS) antenna during landing, ca ...
incident, which clipped the tops of trees in East Granby as it came in for a landing at
Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about halfw ...
.


References


External links


Town of East Granby official websiteEast Granby Public Schools
{{authority control Towns in Hartford County, Connecticut Towns in Connecticut Greater Hartford