Putnam, Connecticut
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| Putnam, Connecticut | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| NECTA | Worcester MA |
| Region | Northeastern Connecticut |
| Incorporated | 1855 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Council-manager |
| - Board of selectmen | Joe Goold, Mayor Richard C. Place, Deputy Mayor David W. Coderre Frederick C. Hedenberg Alma D. Morey Jitendra "Jay" Sinha Owen A. Tarr |
| - Town administrator | Douglas M. Cutler |
| Area | |
| - City | 52.8 km² (20.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 9,288 |
| - Density | 177/km² (458/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 06260 |
| Website: http://www.putnamct.us/ | |
Putnam is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,002 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 52.8 km² (20.4 mi²). 52.6 km² (20.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.54%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2006, there were 8,998 people, 3,683 households, and 2,290 families residing in the town. The population density was 171.3/km² (443.6/mi²). There were 3,955 housing units at an average density of 75.3/km² (194.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.32% White, 1.30% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.
There were 3,683 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,010, and the median income for a family was $53,460. Males had a median income of $37,390 versus $26,558 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,597. About 4.8% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Sports
Putnam High School's athletic programs, nicknamed the Clippers, have captured four Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State Championships in several sports.
The Putnam Clippers football team defeated Haddam-Killingworth 20-14 for the 1994 Class S Championship. The Clippers lost championship games to Ansonia in 1984 and to Trinity Catholic in 1993.[1]
The Putnam Clipper boys' basketball team won the Class S championship in 1985. The team lost the championship game in 1929, 1930, 1956, 1995 and 2006.[2]
The Clipper Girls Basketball team placed second to Thomaston in 1993.[3]
The Baseball team won the 1985 Class S title, topping Thomaston.[4]
The Clipper Softball team won the 1989 Class S crown, defeating Old Saybrook. The team finished as the runner up in 1992 and 1993.[5]
[edit] Schools
Public
- Putnam Elementary School — K-5th grade
- Putnam Middle School — 6th-8th grade
- Putnam High School — 9th-12th grade
Private
- Saint Mary School — Private school for K-8th grade, based off of members of nearby St. Mary's Catholic Church.
- Putnam Science Academy — Private school for students in Grades 9-12 wanting to further their education in the world of science.
- Tri-State Christian Academy (grades K-8)
[edit] National Competitions
- Putnam Science Academy has entered and won the Connecticut Science Olympiad for two years in a row (2004-2005, 2005-2006).
- Erkin Ahmedi and Deniz Secilmis won 4th place for Putnam Science Academy in Entomology at the 2006 National Science Olympiad hosted at Indiana University.
[edit] History
Putnam was incorporated in 1855, which separated it from Killingly, Pomfret and Thompson. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam.
Putnam was a key contributor in providing clothing and other goods to the Civil War soldiers. There were numerous mills and a train ran through the town, providing transportation for the goods being produced.
On Aug. 19, 1955, Putnam was devastated by floods resulting from torrential downpours caused by two hurricanes, which hit Connecticut within the span of a week. Hurricane Connie affected Connecticut on Aug. 13, dropping between four and six inches of rain across the state. Hurricane Diane soaked the state with 14 inches of rain on Aug. 18-19. The result was flooding in many of the state's rivers, including the Quinebaug River. The resulting torrent of water destroyed homes, businesses and factories. Floating magnesium barrels burst, lighting up the night. The railroad bed was washed away.
More recently town has developed a large antique center. Antique shops line Main St. and other areas in town. People travel great distances to shop in these stores.
Recently, the town made national news after an individual was shot twice by masked robbers while waiting in a group overnight outside of a local Wal-Mart for the release of the Playstation 3 video game console. The alleged perpetrators have been apprehended.[6]
[edit] External links
- Town government Web site
- Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District
- St. Mary's School in Putnam
- Putnam Science Academy Web site
- Bradley Playhouse Web site
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