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Hamden Revisited


$19.00 - Copies available at the Historical Society History Room (Miller Library), Town Hall, at the Dickerman House (during summer hours).

Overview

At the turn of the 20th century, the town of Hamden, Connecticut, "the Land of the Sleeping Giant," was a patchwork of small hamlets, largely rural and agricultural. During the next 100 years, it would undergo a dramatic transformation; as orchards and fields gave way to factories and subdivisions, Hamden's population grew from only a few thousand at the beginning of the century to over 60,000. In the time of war needs, local industries like the Web Shop factory and High Standard Manufacturing retooled to meet demands. The middle of the century saw the appearance of some of the first shopping malls in the state, including Hamden Plaza. Major universities attracted workers, families, intellects, and authors. Hamden was the childhood home of poet laureate Donald Hall, the residence of playwright Thornton Wilder, and the birthplace of Ernest Borgnine. As the town's diversity grew, the community faced the challenges and opportunities of each generation and, inevitably, its identity evolved.

Hamden Revisited was authored on behalf of the Hamden Historical Society by the late Al Gorman, president of the Hamden Historical Society and Kenneth P. Minkema, Hamden's municipal historian at the time of publication. Images are drawn from collections owned by the Hamden Historical Society, housed in Miller Library.

Official Website of the Hamden Historical Society

Unless otherwise cited or in the Public Domain, all material on this website, including photos, essays, articles and commentary published herein, are © Copyright 2016-2024 by the Hamden Historical Society, and may not be copied or republished in whole or in part without prior written  permission of the
Hamden Historical Society
P.O. Box 5512
Hamden, CT  06518-0512
hhs@hamdenlibrary.org