Hartford 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 o ...

in Windsor County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, 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 (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, United States. It is on the

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

border, at the intersection of Interstates 89 and 91. It is the site of the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the

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 ...

and Connecticut rivers; the

Ottauquechee River The Ottauquechee River (pronounced ''AWT-ah-KWEE-chee'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in eastern Vermont in the United States. It is a tributary ...

also flows through the town. The town is composed of five unincorporated villages:

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

, Quechee,

West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The ...

White River Junction White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest ...

and Wilder. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,686.

History

The community was chartered by Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, W ...

of New Hampshire in 1761, and is named for

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

. On February 5, 1887, Hartford became the site of what remains Vermont's worst railway disaster when a

Vermont Central Railroad The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Conne ...

train struck a broken rail on a bridge west of town. The ensuing derailment threw the train to the frozen river below, killing 37 and injuring 50.

Geography

The town of Hartford is located at (43.66444, −72.38667). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.93%, is water. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

crosses the northwest corner of the town, passing through West Hartford.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 10,367 people in 4,509 households, including 2,800 families, in the town. The population density was 229.6 people per square mile (88.7/km²). There were 5,493 housing units at an average density of 121.7 per square mile (47.0/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 97.02% White, 0.55% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85%. Of the 4,509 households 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 30.6% of households were one person and 10.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86. The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median household income was $42,990 and the median family income was $51,286. Males had a median income of $35,969 versus $27,073 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,792. About 5.3% of families and 8.5% 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 ...

, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* John L. Bacon, Chelsea and Hartford banker and

Vermont State Treasurer The State Treasurer's Office is responsible for several administrative and service duties, in accordance with Vermont Statutes. These include: investing state funds; issuing state bonds; serving as the central bank for state agencies; managing the ...

* Daniel A. Dickinson, Minnesota Supreme Court justice * Albert R. Hall, Minnesota and Wisconsin politician *

Phillips Lord Phillips Haynes Lord (July 13, 1902 – October 19, 1975) was an American radio program writer, creator, producer and narrator as well as a motion picture actor, best known for the '' Gang Busters'' radio program that was broadcast from 1935 to ...

, radio producer and motion picture actor * Frank G. Mahady, Vermont attorney and judge who served on the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Cou ...

* Samuel E. Pingree, 40th

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

* Charles W. Porter, Secretary of State of Vermont * William Strong, U.S. congressman * Andrew Tracy (1797–1868), U.S. congressman *

Joseph Tracy Joseph Tracy (1793–1874) was a Protestant Christian minister, newspaper editor, historian and leading figure in the American Colonization Society of the early to mid-19th century. He is noted as a typical figure of the New England Renaissa ...

, leading figure in the American Colonization Society * Horace Wells, dentist and pioneering anesthesiologist

References

External links

Town of Hartford official website

Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce

Hartford Historical Society

ePodunk: Profile for Hartford, Vermont
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Vermont populated places on the Connecticut River Towns in Windsor County, Vermont