Hamden

Understand

The main industries in the town are retail trade, computer products, manufacture of wire and cable, concrete, pump mixer products, fabricated metals, construction and business services. Business services account for half of employment in the town, with retail trade accounting for about a quarter, and manufacturing accounting for about 10%. Hamden is a residential suburb for New Haven, with more residents commuting to work in New Haven than residents working in Hamden.

History

Hamden was purchased by William Christopher Reilly and the Reverend John Davenport in 1638 from the local Quinnipiack Native American tribe. It was settled by Puritans as part of the town of New Haven. It remained a part of New Haven until 1786 when 1,400 local residents incorporated the area as a separate town, naming it after the English statesman John Hampden.

Largely developed as a nodal collection of village-like settlements (which remain distinct today), including Mount Carmel (home to Quinnipiac University), Whitneyville, Spring Glen, West Woods, and Highwood, Hamden has a long-standing industrial history. In 1798, four years after Eli Whitney began manufacturing the cotton gin in New Haven, he made arms for the U.S. government at a mill site in Hamden, where a waterfall provided a good source of power. At that site, Whitney introduced the modern era of mass production with the concept of interchangeable parts.

Whitney constructed stone houses for his employees in the nearby area, which is still referred to as Whitneyville; this is believed to be the first example of employer-provided homes in U.S. history. In 1806, the dam that Eli Whitney built at the mill site was enlarged to create a reservoir, Lake Whitney.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hamden received a steady influx of immigrants, most notably from Italy and Ireland. During the post-war period, Hamden underwent significant suburban development. Much of the southern section of town is urbanized and is difficult to distinguish from neighboring New Haven. The northern section of town, however, retains a more rural character, and has the distinct neighborhood of Mount Carmel. This area of town is the location of the Sleeping Giant hill formation that is the source of the town's nickname.

Get in

By car

The easiest way to get to Hamden from the surrounding towns is via I-95 (exit 48 to I-91 follow to exit 10) or the Merritt Parkway (exits 60-63).

By plane

By train

Get around

The Wilbur Cross Parkway runs through the center of the town serving as a connection to Hartford to the north and the New York metropolitan area to the south. The town is connected to Interstate 91 via Connecticut Route 40, a spur expressway to the Mount Carmel section of town. The main route from the town center to New Haven passing through the commercial areas of Hamden is Dixwell Avenue (Route 10). Another route to New Haven via the Spring Glen and Whitneyville residential neighborhoods is Whitney Avenue.

CT Transit operates buses stopping in main areas such as the Hamden plaza, Hamden Hills/Centerville, Circular Avenue, and Putnam Place. Regular cash fares are $1.25 but you could also purchase a 3-, 5-, 7-, or 31-day pass. These prices range from $7.50-45. The main bus routes in the town are the Dixwell Avenue (238) and the Whitney Avenue (228/229) routes. Other secondary routes serving the town are the State Street (224), Winchester Avenue (234), and Shelton Avenue (237) bus routes.

The major thoroughfare through Hamden is named Whitney Avenue in honor of Eli Whitney, and it runs past Whitney's old factory, now the Eli Whitney Museum.