New Haven (Connecticut Capital)

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Part One - Connecticut's Capital: From Hartford to New Haven

Until 1875, Connecticut had two state capitol buildings and two capital cities in which the General Assembly conducted business in on a rotating schedule: Hartford and New Haven. Since being founded in 1636 and 1638 respectively by Thomas Hooker and John Davenport, a great sense of rivalry existed between these two settlements (and later cities). The Hartford settlement initially assumed the indigenous name of the local river, Connecticut, before later changing it to Hartford in honor of the town of Hertford, England. Similarly, the colony on Long Island Sound was originally named after the local Native American tribe, Quinnipiack, but soon changed its name to the more English title of New Haven. Before 1662, Hartford and New Haven were considered part of two different colonies. In 1662, the royal charter was obtained which would join the two settlements together as part of the Connecticut colony in 1665. Nevertheless, it was not until 1701 that New Haven and Hartford were decreed as co-capitals, with General Assembly meetings taking place each May in Hartford, and each October in New Haven.

The status quo held until the 1860s. Toward the end of the decade, a debate began regarding the condition of the two statehouses used for General Assembly meetings. In 1869, a committee formed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-capital system. It was decided that the capital buildings of both New Haven and Hartford required structural repairs and additional meeting rooms. Furthermore, it was deemed practicing keeping separate books and files at two locations as wasteful and unnecessary. After further consideration, officials issued a public referendum to determine the city of Connecticut's sole capital. New Haven supporters lobbied it as a better choice due to the city’s booming industry and larger population and being nearer to the balance point of population than Hartford. On the other hand, Hartford attempted to gather votes by offering the state a plot of land, previously occupied by Trinity College, for a new capitol building and a sum and a sum of $500,000 to aid the construction. In the fall of 1873, New Haven emerged victorious by a small margin, becoming Connecticut’s sole capital city. This move would not become effective until 1875.

With the decision made to make New Haven Connecticut's sole seat of government, the General Assembly authorized the million-dollar construction of a new, relocated capitol building. In the meantime, the Assembly continued to meet in the New Haven State House, as designs from bidding contractors poured in. Ultimately, officials chose the design of New York-based architect Richard M. Upjohn was responsible for the design while, ironically, Hartford-based designer James G. Batterson served as the building's contractor. The project was completed in 1878, located on the corner opposite the New Haven Town Green at the corner of College Street and Chapel Street. General Assembly meetings have been held there since 1879.

Note: What if, instead of Hartford, New Haven emerged as the sole capital of Connecticut? This article will try to explore the potential consequences of such a move in the late 1800s. Furthermore, this was inspired by another thread on here recently discussing alternate state capitals so I decided to give my two cents on the matter. This partially explains why my update on Timeline 1828 hasn't happened yet, that and summer school work.

 

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Part Two - Post-1875 Adjustments and Industrialization

The last meeting in the Hartford statehouse was in 1874. It was not until 1885, however, that state officials decided to dismantle the former seat of the General Assembly. Following an 1889 Hartford City Council vote in 1889, roughly 3,000 spectators saw the building’s ceremonial demolition, signifying the end of Hartford's connection between modern Connecticut politics and its colonial past. While there was little regret at the time, it began to appear later on in Connecticut's history. A 1933 report in the Hartford Courant posted a message that commended New Haven for its decision to preserve its Old State House following after the General Assembly moved to the new capitol building in 1879 while condemning Hartford. As an additional response to the move of the sole capital to New Haven, the plan to establish the Connecticut Agricultural College (now the University of Connecticut) in Storrs in 1885 was canceled, deciding to relocate the runner-up for selection, Colchester, located nearly halfway between New Haven and Storrs in east-central Connecticut.

Despite this move, the Second Wave of Immigration brought tens of thousands of new residents from Southern and Eastern Europe to both Hartford and New Haven, both tripling to approximately 130,000 and 190,000 people respectively between 1880 and 1930. For decades following the Civil War, both were among the ten wealthiest cities in the country, with New Haven perhaps being the wealthiest commercial port. Hartford was renowned for its booming insurance industry and was a prominent manufacturing city in New England from 1873 until 1933. In fact, Samuel Colt had previously patented the revolver in Hartford in 1836, with manufacturing operations lasting as far as 1994. Hiram Maxim invented the gun silencer in 1909, as did John M. Browning with the automatic pistol, the Browning machine gun, and the Browning automatic rifle, all in 1917. As a result, Colt became one of Hartford's most powerful corporations of all time. Additionally, the 1880s and 1890s launched the boom of bicycle manufacturing, as the first pneumatic tires were made in Hartford in 1895. In 1897, the electric car was first demonstrated in Hartford. This would open doors to automobile manufacturing in the early 20th century in both Hartford and New Haven, preparing for President Theodore Roosevelt visiting New Haven in an automobile in 1902, the first president to ever do so. Aircraft engines were produced there as early as 1925. It hosted several insurance companies, including Met Life, Cigna, Lincoln Financial, Mass Mutual, The Hartford, Etna, and Travelers.

Meanwhile, thanks to Eli Whitney's and his interchangeable parts technology, revolutionizing mass production, New Haven was at the forefront of innovation and manufacturing at the turn of the century. Raw materials were brought into the harbor on Long Island Sound and finish goods left via railroad to Philadelphia, New York City, Providence, and Boston. As early as 1862, there were 232 factories in New Haven. The Winchester rifle, also known as the "Gun that Won the West" was initially manufactured in New Haven beginning in 1873. Simultaneously, the Candee Rubber Company produced over five million boots and shoes a year, courtesy of New Haven native Charles Goodyear, the Strouse Adler company manufactured corsets as late as 1899, and New Haven was the center of the American carriage industry. Also, pianos and organs, clocks, furniture, dentures, artificial limbs, cigars, rolling invalid chairs, and even steamships were mass-produced there. Regarding entertainment, New Haven became the “go-to” destination for “off-Broadway” affairs such as Broadway shows and vaudeville, and even fashion. While both cities were very fortunate in the early 20th century, the Great Depression of 1929 would change everything forever.