|
- English settlement of the area now known as Manchester began in 1673, and was originally the homesite of a Podunk tribe.
During this time, Manchester was a part of Hartford, and became known as "Five Mile Tract."
- "Five Mile Tract" becomes a part of East Hartford in 1783, and was deemed Orford Parish.
- 1823 brought the incorporation of Manchester into the state of Connecticut.
- The Cheney Brothers develop silk mills in South Manchester in 1838, and continue to build schools, town offiices, railroads,
and residential areas throughout operation of the company. The first original wooden mills do not stand today.
- After 1872, steam power permitted mills to move away from Hop Brook, which was originally used as a source of water power.
- By 1900, the Cheney Brothers employed more than a quarter of Manchester's residents.
- During the twentieth century, Manchester residents cosntinued the innovative legacy of the Cheney family, with Hale's
(one of America's first self-serve groceries), the E.E. Hilliard Wool and Cotton Mills, and the Bon Ami soap company.
- Pioneer Parachute, a subsidy of the Cheney Mills, mass-produced silk parachutes for the military during World War II.
|
