Bozrah, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Bozrah is a town
in New London County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains three villages: Fitchville, the town center; Leffingwell, a crossroads on Route 82; and Gilman, a mill village along Fitchville Road.
as well as part of the Parish of West Farms. The area became its own parish, called "New Concord" or the "Fourth Society of Norwich," in 1737.
According to a persistent legend, the name "Bozrah" was derived from another Biblical text, which came to someone's mind under the particular circumstances surrounding the community's petition to the Connecticut General Assembly for township status. Whether or not the story is true, the informal, early name "New Concord" was dropped when the town was incorporated.
The community, according to the legend, really wanted to call itself "Bath" after the famous spa in England. The local man chosen to carry the parish's request to Hartford had a somewhat eccentric manner of dress, however, and when he appeared before the Legislature he was dressed in loud, parti-colored homespun so odd as to bring to the mind of one amused legislator the query of Isaiah: 63, I: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" Overcome by the humorous appropriateness of this verse, the Assembly decided to name the town "Bozrah" when it incorporated the place.
, at 17 and 23 Bozrah St., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1991.
, the town has a total area of 20.2 square miles (52.3 km²), of which, 20 square miles (51.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.33%) is water. The town abuts 487 acres (2 km²) Gardner Lake, a popular recreational destination at its southwestern corner.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 2,357 people, 883 households, and 662 families residing in the town. The population density
was 118.0 people per square mile (45.6/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 45.9 per square mile (17.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.39% White, 0.55% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.
There were 883 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,059, and the median income for a family was $65,481. Males had a median income of $45,291 versus $27,361 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $26,569. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in New London County
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains three villages: Fitchville, the town center; Leffingwell, a crossroads on Route 82; and Gilman, a mill village along Fitchville Road.
History
The area that became Bozrah was first settled as part of the original "nine-miles-square" of NorwichNorwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
as well as part of the Parish of West Farms. The area became its own parish, called "New Concord" or the "Fourth Society of Norwich," in 1737.
A legend about the origin of the town's name
Bozrah is the name of a pastoral community mentioned several times in the Old Testament sometimes with pleasing connotations, sometimes not. The town name may have resulted from the happy connotations connected with Micah: 2, 12: "I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold; they shall make a great noise by reason of the multitude of men."According to a persistent legend, the name "Bozrah" was derived from another Biblical text, which came to someone's mind under the particular circumstances surrounding the community's petition to the Connecticut General Assembly for township status. Whether or not the story is true, the informal, early name "New Concord" was dropped when the town was incorporated.
The community, according to the legend, really wanted to call itself "Bath" after the famous spa in England. The local man chosen to carry the parish's request to Hartford had a somewhat eccentric manner of dress, however, and when he appeared before the Legislature he was dressed in loud, parti-colored homespun so odd as to bring to the mind of one amused legislator the query of Isaiah: 63, I: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" Overcome by the humorous appropriateness of this verse, the Assembly decided to name the town "Bozrah" when it incorporated the place.
Points of interest
Bozrah Congregational Church and ParsonageBozrah Congregational Church and Parsonage
Bozrah Congregational Church and Parsonage is a historic church and parsonage at 17 and 23 Bozrah Street in Bozrah, Connecticut.The church was built in 1843 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.-References:...
, at 17 and 23 Bozrah St., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1991.
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 20.2 square miles (52.3 km²), of which, 20 square miles (51.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.33%) is water. The town abuts 487 acres (2 km²) Gardner Lake, a popular recreational destination at its southwestern corner.
Demographics
| Historical population of Bozrah http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/Population1830.htm http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/Population1900.htm http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/Population1970.htm |
|
| 1830 | 1,079 |
| 1840 | 1,067 |
| 1850 | 867 |
| 1860 | 1,216 |
| 1870 | 984 |
| 1880 | 1,155 |
| 1890 | 1,005 |
| 1900 | 799 |
| 1910 | 861 |
| 1920 | 858 |
| 1930 | 859 |
| 1940 | 904 |
| 1950 | 1,154 |
| 1960 | 1,590 |
| 1970 | 2,036 |
| 1980 | 2,135 |
| 1990 | 2,297 |
| 2000 | 2,357 |
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 2,357 people, 883 households, and 662 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 118.0 people per square mile (45.6/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 45.9 per square mile (17.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.39% White, 0.55% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.51% 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 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.
There were 883 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% 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, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,059, and the median income for a family was $65,481. Males had a median income of $45,291 versus $27,361 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 $26,569. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% 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... |
639 | 18 | 657 | 37.74% |
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... |
321 | 7 | 328 | 18.84% |
Unaffiliated | 732 | 24 | 756 | 43.42% |
Minor Parties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Total | 1,692 | 49 | 1,741 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Education
The town's educational center, Fields Memorial School, serves grades Preschool to 8, and is located in Fitchville. While there is no high school in Bozrah, students are given the tuition-free choices of to attend the public high school in Norwich (Norwich Free Academy), the public high schools of Montville, or Lebanon (Lyman Memorial). Norwich Tech, a state technical high school, is also a tuition-free option. Tuitioned education is available at Saint Bernard High School, a private co-ed Catholic High School in Uncasville.Notable people, past and present
- Sam GejdensonSam GejdensonSamuel "Sam" Gejdenson is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Belarussian father and Lithuanian mother. Gejdenson grew up in Bozrah, Connecticut on a dairy farm...
, former United States congressman representing the second congressional district, was born of Jewish parents in a German displaced persons camp following World War II, then came to America with his family in 1950 to eventually settle on a dairy farm in town. - Reuben Hyde WalworthReuben H. WalworthReuben Hyde Walworth was an American lawyer and politician...
(1788–1867), a New York state jurist and United States Congressman, was nominated three times to become justice of the United States Supreme Court, but his nomination was thwarted on all three occasions.