Ashford, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
President George Washington
, returning from his tour of the country in the fall of 1789, was chagrined to be involuntarily abandoned in the village on a Sunday. It was contrary to law to hire a conveyance on that day, which was observed by villagers, to Washington's great annoyance.
, the town has a total area of 39.5 square miles (102.3 km²), of which, 38.8 square miles (100.5 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 4,098 people, 1,578 households, and 1,084 families residing in the town. The population density
was 105.6 people per square mile (40.8/km²). There were 1,699 housing units at an average density of 43.8 per square mile (16.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.71% White, 1.00% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.44% from other races
, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population.
There were 1,578 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,000, and the median income for a family was $61,693. Males had a median income of $42,117 versus $31,942 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $26,104. About 3.4% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
High school-aged residents may attend E. O. Smith High School in Mansfield, Connecticut
, part of Regional School District 19 http://www.eosmith.org/. They also can go to Windham Technical High School or ACT.
drawing of October 3, 2007 in Ashford won the jackpot, the first sold in Connecticut
since June 2005. The holder of the winning ticket could have received an annuity valued at $15 million but instead chose to receive the cash value
of the ticket, over $7 million.
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, returning from his tour of the country in the fall of 1789, was chagrined to be involuntarily abandoned in the village on a Sunday. It was contrary to law to hire a conveyance on that day, which was observed by villagers, to Washington's great annoyance.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 39.5 square miles (102.3 km²), of which, 38.8 square miles (100.5 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Ashford AcademyAshford AcademyAshford Academy is an historic school building on Fitts Road in Ashford, Connecticut.The school was built in 1825 and added to the National Historic Register in 1988....
— Fitts Road (added 1988) - Church FarmChurch FarmChurch Farm is a historic farm at 396 Mansfield Road in Ashford, Connecticut. It was built in 1821 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.-External links:*...
— 396 Mansfield Road (added December 17, 1988) - Knowlton Memorial HallKnowlton Memorial HallKnowlton Memorial Hall is a historic hall at 25 Pompey Hollow Road in Ashford, Connecticut.It was built in 1924 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994....
— 25 Pompey Hollow Road (added April 17, 1994) - Mixer TavernMixer TavernMixer Tavern is a historic tavern at 14 Westford Road in Ashford, Connecticut.It was built in 1710 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994....
— 14 Westford Road (added April 17, 1994)
Demographics
As of 2010 Ashford had a population of 4,317. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 94.1% white, 1.0% black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 1.1% from some other race, 2.1% from two or more races and 3.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,098 people, 1,578 households, and 1,084 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 105.6 people per square mile (40.8/km²). There were 1,699 housing units at an average density of 43.8 per square mile (16.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.71% White, 1.00% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population.
There were 1,578 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,000, and the median income for a family was $61,693. Males had a median income of $42,117 versus $31,942 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $26,104. About 3.4% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
867 | 8 | 875 | 31.34% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
518 | 2 | 520 | 18.62% |
Unaffiliated | 1,379 | 11 | 1,390 | 49.79% |
Minor Parties | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0.25% | |
| Total | 2,771 | 21 | 2,792 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Notable residents, past and present
- Desireé BassettDesireé BassettDesireé Apolonio Bassett is an American rock music guitarist and recording artist. Considered a child prodigy, she has performed alongside mainline performers such as Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, Living Colour, Barry Goudreau, the Marshall Tucker Band and members of the Allman Brothers Band...
(1992-), child guitar prodigy and recording artist. - Walter Eli ClarkWalter Eli ClarkWalter Eli Clark was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. In addition to his journalistic activities, he served as the last Governor of the District of Alaska from 1909 to 1912, and the first Governor of Alaska Territory from 1912 to 1913.-Background:Clark was born on January 7, 1869...
(1869–1950), journalist, last Governor of the District of AlaskaDistrict of AlaskaThe District of Alaska was the governmental designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously it had been known as the Department of Alaska. At the time, legislators in Washington, D.C., were occupied with post-Civil War reconstruction issues,...
and the first Governor of the Alaska TerritoryAlaska TerritoryThe Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
was born in Ashford. - Clay DresloughClay DresloughClay Dreslough is the creator of the Baseball Mogul and Football Mogul computer sports games, and is the co-founder and President of Sports Mogul, Inc...
(1970-) Game designer and creator of the Baseball Mogul series of products. - Galusha A. GrowGalusha A. GrowGalusha Aaron Grow was a prominent U.S. politician, lawyer, writer and businessman, and was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863. He was defeated for reelection in 1862...
(1822–1907) Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863, was born in Ashford. - Elias KeyesElias KeyesElias Keyes was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and later studied law. He moved to Stockbridge, Vermont in 1785....
, (1758–1844), born in Ashford, United States Congressman from VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. - Thomas KnowltonThomas KnowltonThomas Knowlton was an American patriot who served in the French and Indian War and was a Colonel during the American Revolution. Knowlton is considered America's first Intelligence professional, and his unit, Knowlton's Rangers, made a significant contribution to intelligence gathering during...
(1740–1776) military officer in the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, whom led Knowlton's Rangers, America's first Army intelligence unit. He grew up in Ashford. - Nathaniel LyonNathaniel LyonNathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
(1818–1861), born in Ashford, the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, grew up on a farm in Ashford. - Paul NewmanPaul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
(1925–2008), award winning actor, film director and philanthropist, was a seasonal resident of Ashford from the opening of the Hole in the Wall Gang CampHole in the Wall Gang CampHole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut is a non-profit, residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions.-History:...
in 1988. - Eliphalet NottEliphalet NottEliphalet Nott , was a famed Presbyterian minister, inventor, educational pioneer, and long-term president of Union College, Schenectady, New York.-Life:...
(1773–1866), native of Ashford, president of Union CollegeUnion CollegeUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, and from 1829 to 1845 simultaneously was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteStephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
. He was also the inventor of the first stove for anthracite coal.
Education
Elementary and middle school-aged residents attend Ashford School, the town's only school. This school educates students from pre-k through grade eight. In February 1979, the town's board of education considered closing the school in response to a budget crisis.High school-aged residents may attend E. O. Smith High School in Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
, part of Regional School District 19 http://www.eosmith.org/. They also can go to Windham Technical High School or ACT.
Powerball jackpot winner
A ticket bought for the PowerballPowerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
drawing of October 3, 2007 in Ashford won the jackpot, the first sold in Connecticut
Connecticut Lottery
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, also called the CT Lottery, is the official lottery in Connecticut. It was created in 1971 by then-Gov. Thomas Meskill, who signed Public Act No. 865. The first tickets were sold on February 15, 1972. The Connecticut Lottery offers five in-house drawing games...
since June 2005. The holder of the winning ticket could have received an annuity valued at $15 million but instead chose to receive the cash value
Present value
Present value, also known as present discounted value, is the value on a given date of a future payment or series of future payments, discounted to reflect the time value of money and other factors such as investment risk...
of the ticket, over $7 million.