Ashford, Connecticut
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Ashford is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,098 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1714. Eastford, Connecticut was a part of Ashford until 1848 or 1847, when the former split off to organize its own town. For this reason North Ashford is located in northeast Eastford. Ashford is home to the largest Boy Scout camp in Connecticut, June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation and Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
Boston Hollow, a deep ravine, is also in Ashford.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, 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.
[edit] On the National Register of Historic Places
- Ashford Academy — Fitts Road (added 1988)
- Church Farm — 396 Mansfield Road (added December 17, 1988)
- Knowlton Memorial Hall — 25 Pompey Hollow Road (added April 17, 1994)
- Mixer Tavern — 14 Westford Road (added April 17, 1994)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] 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/sq mi (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.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Democratic | 867 | 8 | 875 | 31.34% | |
| Republican | 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% | |
[edit] Notable residents, past and present
- Galusha A. Grow (1822–1907) Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863, was born in Ashford.
- Elias Keyes, (1758-1844), born in Ashford, United States Congressman from Vermont. [4]
- Thomas Knowlton (1740–1776) in addition to being a daring officer in the American Revolution, headed up Knowlton's Rangers, America's first Army intelligence unit. He grew up in Ashford.
- Nathaniel Lyon (1818 -1861), born in Ashford, the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War, grew up on a farm in Ashford. [4] He hated farming but escaped by getting into West Point where he graduated 11th in his class.[citation needed]
- Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866), native of Ashford, was left an orphan without resources, but graduated in 1795 from Brown University. In 1804 he became president of Union College in Schenectady, New York, a post he held till his death 62 years later. From 1829 to 1845 he simultaneously was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was also the inventor of the first stove for anthracite coal. [4]
[edit] Education
Elementary and middle school-aged residents attend the Ashford School, the town's only school. In February 1979, the town's board of education considered closing the school in response to a budget crisis.[5] [6]
High school-aged residents attend E. O. Smith High School of the Regional School District 19 [4].
[edit] Powerball jackpot winner
A ticket bought for the Powerball drawing of October 3, 2007 in Ashford won the jackpot, the first sold in Connecticut since June 2005. The winning ticket was worth $15 million annuity; the cash option of just over $7 million was chosen instead.
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ a b c (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.
- ^ The Hartford Courant, Hartford, Conn. Feb 8, 1979, page 46. by Mark McGrath. "Board May Close Ashford
- ^ The New York Times, Saturday, February 10, 1979, Page 24. "Connecticut Town to Close School in Budget Indecision; Children Seem Unconcerned" by Matthew L. Wald
[edit] External links
- Town of Ashford
- Ashford School
- Babcock Library
- Fire Department
- June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation
- Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District
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