Windsor Locks is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Hartford County, Connecticut 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 t ...

, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approximately a third of the town. Windsor Locks is also the site of the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its ...

. Located beside the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

and equidistant from the densely populated cities of

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

and

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, Windsor Locks is named for a set of

canal locks A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a chamber in a permanently fixed position i ...

that opened in 1829. Windsor Locks is situated just south of the first large falls in the Connecticut River, the

Enfield Falls Enfield Falls Canal (commonly known as the Windsor Locks Canal) is a canal that was built to circumvent the shallows at Enfield Falls (or Enfield Rapids) on the Connecticut River, between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. It i ...

, which is the

head of navigation The head of navigation is the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Determining the head of navigation can be subjective on many streams, as the point may vary greatly with the size or the draft of the ship b ...

(the farthest point that seagoing vessels can reach) of the Connecticut River. The Enfield Falls Canal circumvents the Enfield Falls and its nearby shallows.

History

Originally part of Windsor, Windsor Locks broke off into its own settlement in 1854 named after the thriving Enfield Locks going around Enfield Falls which opened in 1829.

opened as a military base in 1940, and opened to civilian use in 1947. In 1967 the town boundary was altered due to the opening of the Bradley Airport Connector. The town boundary between Windsor Locks and Windsor changed several times and currently sits with Windsor Locks being on the westbound side and Windsor on the eastbound side of the median of CT Route 20.

1965 Little League World Series Win

Led by Coach Russ Mattesen, Windsor Locks Little League advanced to the finals, competing against Stoney Creek Little League from

Stoney Creek, Ontario Stoney Creek is a community in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton in the Canadian province of Ontario located 10 km east of Downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton and 57 km south-west of Toronto. It was a municipality until 2001, ...

, on August 28, 1965. Pitcher Mike Roche struck out 14 players, and Dale Misek struck a two-run home run to seal victory by a score of 3-1. Windsor Locks Little League was then crowned the champion of the 1965 Little League World Series.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.65%, is water.

Climate

Windsor Locks has a

humid continental Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

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

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 12,043 people, 4,935 households, and 3,306 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of 218.1 persons/km (565.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 92.47% White, 2.67%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.12% Native American, 2.57%

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

n, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,935 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97. In the town, the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $48,837, and the median income for a family was $59,054. Males had a median income of $41,179 versus $33,641 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,079. 4.4% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.5% were under the age of 18 and 4.7% were 65 or older.

Economy

Until 2000, Windsor Locks was home to the oldest corporation listed on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

, 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 Invitrogen is one of several brands under the Thermo Fisher Scientific corporation. The product line includes various subbrands of biotechnology products, such as machines and consumables for polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription, ...

Corporation. The Specialty Polymers division was sold in part to

AkzoNobel Akzo Nobel N.V., stylised as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational corporation, multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities ...

, 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 Hamilton Standard was an American aircraft propeller (aircraft), propeller parts supplier. It was formed in 1929 when United Aircraft and Transport Corporation consolidated Hamilton Aero Manufacturing and Standard Steel Propeller into the Hamilto ...

opened its aircraft propeller plant in Windsor Locks. In 1999, Hamilton Standard merged with

Sundstrand Corporation Sundstrand Corporation was founded in 1926 as a merger of two companies started by Swedish immigrants: the Rockford Tool Company and the Rockford Milling Machine Company in Rockford, Illinois. It was known as Sundstrand Machine Tool Company until ...

to become

Hamilton Sundstrand Hamilton Sundstrand was an American globally active corporation that manufactured and supported aerospace and industrial products for worldwide markets. A subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, it was headquartered in Windsor Locks, Con ...

, which is headquartered in Windsor Locks. Hamilton Sundstrand changed names to UTC Aerospace Systems before acquiring Rockwell Collins and forming Collins Aerospace in 2018. On September 19, 2008, the

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, commonly known as the Boston Fed, is responsible for the First District of the Federal Reserve, which covers New England: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and all of Connecticut excep ...

ceased operations at Windsor Locks and moved them to the

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia — also known as the Philadelphia Fed or the Philly Fed — headquartered at 10 Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is responsible for the Third District of the Federal Reserve, which cover ...

Education

Primary and secondary education falls under the oversight of Windsor Locks Public Schools. Windsor Locks contains five public schools for students in grades Pre-K3 to 12th grade and one transition academy for students age 18–21. * North Street Elementary School: Pre-K3–2nd * South Street Elementary School: 3rd–5th * Windsor Locks Middle School: 6th–8th * Windsor Locks High School (traditional): 9–12 * Pine Meadow Academy (alternative, Big Picture Learning Affiliate School): 9–12 * Rise Transition Academy: transition program from ages 18–21

Government and Politics

As of 2023, Windsor Locks is split into two House districts: the 60th represented by Jane Garibay (D) and the 61st represented by

Tami Zawistowski Tami Zawistowski is an American politician from the state of Connecticut. She is a member of the Republican Party representing the 61st district. On April 11, 2014, she won a special election to the Connecticut House of Representatives The C ...

(R). Windsor Locks uses the selectman-town meeting system with an elected Board of Finance. Windsor Locks adopted the Windsor Locks Town Charter in 1981. Windsor Locks' Board of Selectman is composed of First Selectman Scott Storms (R), Selectman Jonathan Savino (D), and Selectman James Cannon (R).

Historical places

The following places in Windsor Locks are on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. * David Pinney House and Barn – 58 West St. (added August 25, 1977) * Enfield Falls Canal – along Connecticut River from Windsor Locks north to Suffield CT at a location directly across the Connecticut River from Thompsonville (added May 22, 1976) * J. R. Montgomery Company Industrial Complex – 25 Canal Bank Rd. (added December 31, 2017) * Memorial Hall – Intersection of South Main and Elm streets (added July 2, 1987) * Windsor Locks Passenger Station – Main Street (added October 2, 1975)

Notable people

Airman to be awarded Medal of Honor 180727-F-F3227-1005

* John A. Chapman (1965–2002), US Air Force Combat Controller, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor *

Ella Grasso Ella Rosa Giovianna Oliva Grasso (née Tambussi; May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd governor of Connecticut from January 8, 1975, to December 31, 1980, after r ...

, 83rd

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

Henry Molaison Henry Gustav Molaison (February 26, 1926 – December 2, 2008), known widely as H.M., was an American epileptic man who in 1953 received a bilateral medial temporal lobectomy to surgically resect parts of his brain—the anterior two third ...

(1926–2008), American patient who suffered from life-threatening epilepsy and therefore got his

medial temporal lobe The temporal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The temporal lobe is located beneath the lateral fissure on both cerebral hemispheres of the mammalian brain. The temporal lobe is involved in pr ...

surgically removed, and as a tragic consequence of this life-saving treatment, developed

anterograde amnesia In neurology, anterograde amnesia is the inability to create new memories after an event that caused amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. Thi ...

. *

Kathryn Morris Kathryn Susan Morris (born January 28, 1969) is an American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series ''Cold Case''. Early and personal life Kathryn Susan Morris was born on January 28, 1969 in Cincinnati ...

, American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

series ''

Cold Case ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...

'' * Kim Zolciak, television personality, best known for ''

The Real Housewives of Atlanta ''The Real Housewives of Atlanta'', abbreviated ''RHOA'', is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of '' The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired sixteen season ...

'' and ''

Don't Be Tardy ''Don't Be Tardy'' is an American reality television show that premiered on Bravo (American TV network), Bravo on April 26, 2012, as ''Don't Be Tardy for the Wedding.'' Developed as the first spin-off of ''The Real Housewives of Atlanta,'' feat ...

References

External links

Town of Windsor Locks official website
{{authority control Towns in Hartford County, Connecticut Connecticut populated places on the Connecticut River Towns in Connecticut Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts Greater Hartford Towns in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut