New Britain, Connecticut, is a city that almost didn't exist. In the mid-1750s, the settlers in this area separated from Kensington and founded the parish of New Britain with the establishment of the First Church. It was 1850 before parishioners incorporated as a town. Within twenty years, the town flourished and New Britain applied for and received a city charter. The people of New Britain then voted to incorporate as a city, but the historic motion passed only by the narrow margin of one vote In this fascinating visual history, city historian Arlene C. Palmer examines the 125-year history...

As the millennium approaches, New Britain residents
have an additional reason to celebrate. The Year 2000
marks New Britain 's Sesquicentennial anniversary of its incorporation as a town. The year of its founding, 1850, was indeed a pivotal year for this manufacturing hub located in the middle of Connecticut. New Britain was once a rural area dotted with blacksmith shops and mills, but quickly
evolved into a thriving manufacturing center. The din
of factory whistles and the continuous flow of the varied accents of immigrants soon enlivened this sleepy little town. New Britain...

New Britain was once known as the "Hardware Capital of the World," and it is this that has made the city famous. But as well as its rich industrial history, New Britain has a diverse and dynamic cultural heritage. As its name suggests, the town was originally settled by people of British descent, but in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century it became a haven for immigrants fleeing oppression or economic hardship in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, Armenia, the Ukraine, Poland, and Greece. The photographs that make up this fascinating visual history bring life to...