Historical Markers in
Hartford County, Connecticut

100 Birthday of Freedom Tree 1985 Bicentennial Time Capsule 1st Company Governor's Horse Guards 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery 1st Sgt. Henry J. Szczesny Abel Buel Adriæn Block Adventurers Albert F. Rockwell Alexis de Tocqueville American Board of Commissioners For Foreign Missions American School for the Deaf An Industrial History of Unionville, 1780-1880 Andersonville Boy Ann Uccello Avon Avon Veterans Monument Beacon and Tower Bell of the U.S.S. Hartford Belvidere Area WWII Veterans Berlin Berlin Veterans Monument Berry-Rosenblatt US Army Reserve Center Birthplace of Jonathan Edwards Birthplace of Oliver Ellsworth Birthplace of Wilford Woodruff Bissell Ferry Bissell Ferry Bissell's Ferry Bloomfield Bloomfield Civil War Memorial Bloomfield Korean War Memorial Bloomfield Vietnam Veterans Monument Bloomfield World War II Memorial Bob Steele Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski Brig. Gen. John Patterson House Bristol Bristol Civil War Memorial Bristol Korean War Monument Bristol Persian Gulf War Monument Bristol Revolutionary War Plaque Bristol Spanish War Veterans Monument Bristol Veterans Monument Bristol Vietnam Conflict Monument Bristol World War I Memorial Bristol World War II - Korean War Monument Bristol WW I Monument Broad Brook Windsorville Melrose Veterans Memorial Brownell Hall Burgoyne Elms Burgoyne Rest Burlington Burlington Civil War – WW I Memorial Burlington WW II – Korean War – Vietnam War Monument Burritt Hotel Canal Aqueduct Canal Junction Canton Canton Soldiers Memorial Canton Veterans Memorial Capt. Pownal Deming Captain Brian S. Letendre Captain Joseph Wadsworth Center Church Central New England Railroad Chapman-Taft House Charles K. Hamilton Charter Oak descendant Charter Oak Monument Charter Oak Offspring Christ Church Cathedral City of New Britain Sesquicentennial Anniversary Civil War Civil War Memorial Col. Thomas Knowlton Collinsville, Town of Canton Collinsville, Town of Canton Collinsville, Town of Canton Collinsville, Town of Canton Collinsville- Railroad from both sides Collinsville’s Powerhouse Station No. 3 Columbus Come Ye To The Waters Confucius Connecticut Charter Oak Descendent Connecticut Constitution Oak Connecticut Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial Connecticut State Veterans Memorial Connecticut Veterans Memorial West Hartford Constitution Oak Constitution Oak Constitution Oak Constitution Oak Cornelius B. Erwin Darius Miller Dawson Dawson-Watson Dedicated To All Veterans Dedicated to All Veterans Dedicated to the Memory of Our Fallen Comrades Dwight D. Eisenhower East Granby East Granby Roll of Honor East Granby World War Roll of Honor East Hartford East Hartford Civil War Monument East Hartford World War I Monument East Hartford World War II Monument East Windsor East Windsor Veterans Memorial East Windsor World War I Monument Elbert Weinberg Abstract Untitled Sculpture Elise Traut Enfield Enfield Monument to Veterans Enfield Soldiers Monument Enfield Veterans Monument Enfield World War II Honor Roll Eno Memorial Hall Fairview Cemetery Farmington Farmington Farmington and the Freedom Trail Farmington Canal 1828-1848 Farmington Veterans Memorial First Church in Enfield First Civil War Monument First Company Governor's Foot Guard First House and Ferry First Meeting House First Meeting House In Simsbury First Public Library Building in West Hartford First School House First U.S. Girl Scout Day Camp Forever Honored Forever Mourned Forever Honored Forever Mourned Forever Honored Forever Mourned Forever Honored Forever Mourned Former Site of Oddfellows Building Founders of Enfield Founders Of Windsor Fourth Ward WWII Veterans Monument Frederick Douglass Frederick H. North Frederick Law Olmstead Frederick T. Stanley Frederick "Doc" Mirliani Front Street Gang Scarpa Shoda General Casimir Pulaski George M. Landers George Washington George Washington George Washington Bicentennial George Wyllys Gifford Pinchot Birthplace Glastonbury Glastonbury Korean War Memorial Glastonbury Revolutionary War Monument Glastonbury Soldiers Monument Glastonbury Vietnam Conflict Memorial Glastonbury War II Memorial Glastonbury War II Monument Glastonbury World War I Monument Gold Star Casualties of World War II Goodman Green Governor's Foot Guard Granby Granby Civil War Monument Granby Veterans Wall Griffin A. Stedman Harriet Beecher Stowe House Harry S. Truman Hartford Hartford Municipal Building Hartford Vietnam War Memorial Hartford's Isle of Safety Hartland Hazardville Veterans Monument Henry E. Russell Henry Howard Brownell Hilliard Mills Historic Center Cemetery Holy Cross WWII / Korean Conflict Monument Home of Silas Deane Homesite of Col. Jeremiah Wadsworth Honored Veterans Walk With God Horace H. Hayden, M.D.,D.D.S. Horace Wells I Have A Dream In Memoriam John F. Kennedy In Memory Challenger Crewmembers In Memory of French Soldiers In Memory of Phoebe Humphrey In Memory of Sgt. Albert Elson In Memory of Southington Men In Memory of the First Settlers of Hartford John Christopher Mack John F. Kennedy John Haynes John Lee Levitow Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Trumbull Joseph J. "Joe" Buzas Joseph Roswell Hawley Kimberly Tract Korczak Ziolkowski Lake Basile Lake Compounce Last Horse Drawn Trolley In Hartford Late Eighteenth Century Sundial Latin School Laurent Clerc Leo A. Milewski Park Lest We Forget Lincoln Meets Stowe Lorenzo Deming Lost Acres Fire Dept. Lt. Vincent H. Core Memorial Site Lyndon B. Johnson Maj. Thomas Y. Seymour Major General Clarence Ransom Edwards DSM Major John Mason Manchester Manchester Iraq Afghanistan Veterans Monument Manchester Korean Conflict Memorial Manchester Soldiers Monument Manchester Spanish American War Monument Manchester Veterans Monument Manchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial Manchester World War II Memorial Mark Twain Marlborough Marlborough Veterans Memorial Marlborough Veterans Monument Marquis de La Fayette Marquis De La Fayette Matthew Furlong Maxwell Noble Drive Meeting House Corner Memorial Boulevard Commemoration Militia Training Ground Nathan Hale Nathan Hale Nathaniel Foote National Iwo Jima Memorial Nation's Oldest Ferry Near This Spot New Britain New Britain Soldiers' Monument New Britain Spanish-American War Memorial New Britain Veterans Memorial New Britain Vietnam Veterans Memorial New Britain World War I Monument New Cambridge (now Bristol) New Ross, County Wexford Park Newington Veterans Memorial Newington World War I Monument Newington, Connecticut Nike Missile Site Noah Webster Birthplace Old Burying Ground Old Center Cemetery Old Fort Marker Old North Cemetery Old North Cemetery Old State House Old Town Hall of Enfield Old Wintonbury Cemetery Olde East Street Burying Grounds Original Design of Walnut Hill Park Orville Hitchcock Platt Pettibone Tavern Pitkin's Basin Plainville Civil War Memorial Plainville Korean War – Vietnam War Monument Plainville Persian Gulf War Monument Plainville World War I & II Monument Planted in Memory Post Office & Store President Theodore Roosevelt Prudence Crandall Recapture of the Connecticut River Rev. Joseph Emerson Rev. Samuel Stone Rev. Timothy Stevens Parsonage Reverend Zygmunt Woroniecki Revolutionary War Soldiers of Orford Parish Rev'd. John Brady Richard Caputo Memorial Rochambeau Rochambeau Route 1781-82 Rocky Hill Rocky Hill Iraq Afghanistan Veterans Monument Rocky Hill Korean Veterans Monument Rocky Hill Vietnam Veterans Monument Rocky Hill World War I Monument Rocky Hill World War II Monument Rocky Hill World War II Veterans Monument Roderick A. White M.D. Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon Roll of Honor Sacred to the Memory Salute To Women Samuel Colt Savitt Jewelers Scion of the Charter Oak Second Hopmeadow School House Second Lt. Sherrod Emerson Skinner, Jr. Seth E. Case SFC Lawrence A. Dufraine Silas Deane House Simsbury Simsbury Civil War Memorial Simsbury Revolutionary War Memorial Simsbury Veterans Memorial Simsbury World War I Memorial Sisters of Mercy Site of Bloomfield Methodist Church Site of Constitutional Oak Site of Original First Congregational Church Meetinghouse Site of Second First Congregational Church Meetinghouse Site of Second Meeting House Society of the Cincinnati Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch Soldiers Memorial Hall Sophie Tucker South Windsor South Windsor Korean War Memorial South Windsor Veterans Memorial South Windsor Vietnam War Memorial South Windsor World War I Memorial South Windsor World War II Memorial Southington Southington Recreation Park Southington Soldiers Memorial Southington Veterans Memorial Southington World War II Spanish War Veterans Memorial Spirit of Unity Time Capsule SS Maiden Creek Stephen A. Douglas Suburban Park 1895-1905 Suffield Suffield Soldiers Memorial Suffield Veterans Monument Sulliman Memorial Tadeusz Kosciuszko TGM Memorial Parkade The Collins Company Plow Building The Ensign-Bickford Company The Farmington Aqueduct The Farmington Canal The Farmington Canal 1828-1848 The Farmington Canal in Avon The First Meeting of Washington and Rochambeau The Founders Bridge The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut The Hartford Courant The Hazardville Institute The Hiker The History of Memorial Boulevard The Huguenot House The Landmark Building The Legend of Will Warren’s Den The Old Academy The Old Center Cemetery The Pinchot Sycamore The Safe Arrival The Southern New England Ice House on Birge Pond The Stark Building The Tower Clock The Village Green The Wadsworth Barn The Warham Mill The Water Fountain Theodore Wirth This Approach This Captured Gun This Elm Tree Thomas Abbey Thomas Hooker Thomas Hooker Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet Thomas McManus Timothy Edwards To Elihu Burritt Trinity College Union Unionville Unionville Civil War Memorial Unionville Feeder Canal Unionville Veterans Monument Veterans Memorial Park Veteran's Monument VFW Post 511 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Walnut Hill Park Washington – Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Washington – Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Washington – Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Weatogue Bridge Weatogue Soldiers’ Memorial Webb House Webster Walk West Hartford Wethersfield Wethersfield Elm Wethersfield Settlers Memorial William A. Churchill William B. Stanley William H. Mortensen Riverfront Plaza William H. Mortensen Riverfront Plaza William H. Putnam Windsor Windsor Freight House Windsor Locks Windsor Locks Korean Conflict Monument Windsor Locks Vietnam War Monument Windsor Locks World War I and II Monument Windsor Pilgrims Windsor Train Station Windsor World War I Monument World War I Memorial World's First Pay Telephone Ye Old State House Step Yodkins-Morin Memorial Park Zlo Dobrem Zwyciezaj "American Board"
Connecticut was home to the first municipal public park in the United States. The park, named Bushnell Park, was established in Hartford in 1854.
Hartford County, located in central Connecticut, has a rich history that spans over three centuries. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Pequots and the Mohegans, before European settlers arrived in the 17th century. In 1636, English Puritan minister Thomas Hooker led a group of settlers from Massachusetts Bay Colony to establish the settlement of Hartford along the Connecticut River. This marked the beginning of Hartford County's European settlement.

Throughout the 18th century, Hartford County prospered as a center of trade and commerce. It became an important hub for shipbuilding, trade, and manufacturing. The county played a significant role in the American Revolution, with notable figures such as Nathan Hale, a spy for the Continental Army, hailing from the area.

In the early 19th century, Hartford County experienced industrialization and rapid growth. The region became a manufacturing powerhouse for textiles, firearms, and other goods. The city of Hartford emerged as a major center of insurance and finance, earning it the nickname "Insurance Capital of the World." The county also saw significant social and cultural advancements during this time, with the establishment of educational institutions, such as Trinity College and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

In the 20th century, Hartford County continued to thrive economically, with industries diversifying and expanding. It saw development in sectors such as aerospace, technology, and healthcare. However, the county also faced challenges, including urban decay and the decline of manufacturing. Efforts have been made to revitalize cities such as Hartford and improve the quality of life for residents.

Today, Hartford County remains an important economic and cultural center in Connecticut. Home to numerous businesses, educational institutions, and cultural attractions, it attracts visitors and residents alike. The region's rich history, coupled with its vibrant present, makes it a compelling destination for those interested in exploring Connecticut's past and present.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Hartford County, Connecticut.

  • 1633 - Dutch explorer Adriaen Block becomes the first European to sail up the Connecticut River and visit the area that would become Hartford County.
  • 1636 - English settlers led by Reverend Thomas Hooker establish the settlement of Hartford, the capital of Connecticut and the county seat of Hartford County.
  • 1666 - Hartford County is officially established as one of the original four Connecticut counties.
  • 1784 - The Charter Oak, symbolizing the colony's independence from British rule, is toppled during a storm in Hartford.
  • 1836 - The Colt Armory is established in Hartford, becoming one of the world's largest manufacturing sites for firearms.
  • 1846 - The Hartford Courant, the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States, begins publication.
  • 1874 - Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and his family move to Hartford, where he writes some of his most famous works.
  • 1960 - The construction of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford is completed.
  • 1964 - The Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library is established in Hartford, preserving the state's rich history.