Bolton, Connecticut

Bolton, Connecticut
Town

Seal
Motto(s): "A Town for All Seasons"

Location within Tolland County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°45′51″N 72°26′15″W / 41.76417°N 72.43750°W / 41.76417; -72.43750Coordinates: 41°45′51″N 72°26′15″W / 41.76417°N 72.43750°W / 41.76417; -72.43750
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Tolland
NECTA Hartford
Region Capitol Region
Incorporated 1720
Government
 • Type Selectman-town meeting
 • First selectman Sandra Pierog (D)
 • Selectmen Robert R. Morra (R)
Michael W. Eremita (R)
Kimberly A. Miller (D)
Nicole Sullivan (D)
Area
 • Total 14.7 sq mi (38.1 km2)
 • Land 14.4 sq mi (37.3 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation 728 ft (222 m)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Total 4,980
 • Density 346/sq mi (133.5/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code 06043
Area code(s) 860
FIPS code 09-06260
GNIS feature ID 0213393
Website bolton.govoffice.com

Bolton is a small rural town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. It is primarily residential, with an economy made up primarily of small businesses. The high school typically has between fifty and one hundred students per grade. The population was 4,980 as of the 2010 census.[1] Bolton was incorporated in October 1720 and is governed by town meeting. Bolton was named after a town of the same name in England.[2]

History

Originally part of the town of Hartford, the area was referred to as Hartford Mountains or Hanover, until incorporation in October 1720. The northern half of Bolton was set aside in 1808 to form the town of Vernon. Quarries played a significant role in the area's developing economy, and Bolton Notch became the location of the small community of Quarryville. Prior to the railroad, granite was taken by oxcart to the Connecticut River where it was then shipped to major cities on the East Coast.

On November 11, 1723, Jonathan Edwards was installed as the pastor of Bolton.[3]

Encampment site with Rose's Farm in background

Climate

Bolton, like much of Tolland County, straddles the humid continental climate (Dfa) and (Dfb) line.[4]

Climate data for Bolton, Connecticut
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18)		 69
(21)		 83
(28)		 93
(34)		 92
(33)		 96
(36)		 97
(36)		 96
(36)		 96
(36)		 86
(30)		 78
(26)		 71
(22)		 97
(36)
Average high °F (°C) 35
(2)		 38
(3)		 47
(8)		 58
(14)		 69
(21)		 76
(24)		 81
(27)		 80
(27)		 72
(22)		 62
(17)		 51
(11)		 40
(4)		 59
(15)
Average low °F (°C) 13
(−11)		 15
(−9)		 24
(−4)		 33
(1)		 43
(6)		 52
(11)		 57
(14)		 56
(13)		 46
(8)		 35
(2)		 29
(−2)		 20
(−7)		 35
(2)
Record low °F (°C) −32
(−36)		 −27
(−33)		 −24
(−31)		 4
(−16)		 20
(−7)		 27
(−3)		 34
(1)		 28
(−2)		 19
(−7)		 13
(−11)		 −5
(−21)		 −19
(−28)		 −32
(−36)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.38
(111.3)		 3.11
(79)		 4.32
(109.7)		 4.54
(115.3)		 3.96
(100.6)		 4.25
(108)		 4.08
(103.6)		 4.07
(103.4)		 4.54
(115.3)		 4.56
(115.8)		 4.64
(117.9)		 4.02
(102.1)		 50.47
(1,281.9)
Source: The Weather Channel (Historical Monthly Averages)[5]

Education

Bolton High School is a public school with about three to four hundred students. It underwent major renovations and expansion during 2011, including a new outdoor seating area for the cafeteria, a larger and more technologically advanced library, computer labs and media center, and a new science wing and larger administrative offices. Several other improvements were made including parking, bus lanes and the Board of Education offices being moved to the location.

The school has a student-teacher ratio of about 12:1 and a combined math and reading proficiency level of 92.5%.[6] U.S. News & World Report ranked it #27 in Connecticut and #1030 in the United States, and it earned a Silver Award in 2012.[7]

Bolton High is affiliated with the NCCC athletic conference.

Sports

In Bolton High School's first year of participation, it won the boys' conference tennis championship and placed as the runner up in the boys' Class S state championship in cross country. The boys' cross country team also won the conference championship in 2007, going undefeated with a record of 27-0. They went on to win the Connecticut Class S State Cross Country Championship in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012 under the direction of Coach Paul T. Smith. The boys' tennis team won the NCCC conference three years in a row, finishing the 2009 season with a record of 17-0. The hockey team (a co-op with Rockville and Coventry) were state runners-up in 2013 when they advanced to the Division III state title game after winning their conference.

The following year the boy's soccer team, coached by alumni Brian Dube, also advanced to the Class S state championship game. Dube was a multi year All Conference player for Bolton in the mid 90's. As an All State and All New England player he captained the Bulldogs to a share of the 1994 Class S Connecticut state championship on a team coached by Ray Boyd.

The girls' basketball and soccer teams frequently challenge for the conference title and often rank highly in state tournaments. The football team, being led by Tony Bonito, (in a co-op with Coventry, Windham Tech, and Lyman Memorial) were the Pequot League Champions, going 10-0 in 2017. They are considered to be the best team in program history.

In a victory at Portland in 1991 the Bolton High varsity baseball team snapped the longest losing streak for a public school in the nation, at 91 games. Coached by Mark O'Neill, the victors were treated to jungle juice from the Cumberland Farms on the bus ride home.

The school's mascot is the bulldog, and its colors are blue and white.

Geography

Bolton Green

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38 km2), of which, 14.4 square miles (37 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (1.91%) is water. It includes the Bolton Green Historic District.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1820731—
1850600—
186068313.8%
1870576−15.7%
1880512−11.1%
1890452−11.7%
19004571.1%
1910433−5.3%
19204483.5%
193050412.5%
194072844.4%
19501,27975.7%
19602,933129.3%
19703,69125.8%
19803,9517.0%
19904,57515.8%
20005,0179.7%
20104,980−0.7%
Est. 20144,952[8]−0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,980 people, 1,915 households, and 1,438 families residing in the town.[10] The town consists primarily of middle-class families with some working-class families/individuals and small businesses. There are also a few larger commercial entities, notably the Simoniz corporation, specializing in automotive and car wash cleaning supplies.

The population density in 2010 was 346 people per square mile (133.5/km²). There were 2,015 housing units in the town, of which 100, or 5.0%, were vacant. 86.7% of the occupied units are owned and 13.3% are rented.[10]

The racial makeup of the town was 95.7% White, 1.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% some other race, and 1.5% two or more races. 3.00% of the population were Latino or Hispanic of any race.[10]

The median age in 2010 was 45.4. 49.4% of the population were male and 50.6% female.[10]

For the period 2012-16, the estimated median household income was $91,087, and the median family income was $118,958. About 3.2% of the population are living below the poverty line.[11]

Voter registration and party enrollment as of 27 October 2015[12]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Democratic 947 85 1,032 29.78%
Republican 876 49 925 26.70%
Unaffiliated 1,325 140 1,465 42.28%
Minor Parties 38 5 43 1.24%
Total 3,186 279 3,465 100%

Notable residents

  • Ralph Earl, artist and portrait painter; died in Bolton in 1801
  • Ron Hainsey, NHL defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Stanley Cup champion
  • Jacob C. Tobias Co founder and guitarist for the band The Oddities
  • Simeon Olcott, US Senator from New Hampshire; born in Bolton in 1735
  • George G. Sumner, politician; Connecticut House of Representative for Bolton; Mayor of Hartford; Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Connecticut; a native of Bolton
  • William Williams, born in Bolton on September 6, 1815
  • Maud L. Woodward, member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Bolton, 1935–40

References

  1. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Bolton town, Tolland County, Connecticut". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  2. ↑ The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 331. Archived from the original on 2018-04-27.
  3. ↑ George M. Marsden (11 July 2004). Jonathan Edwards: A Life. Yale University Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-300-10596-4. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  4. ↑ Humid continental climate
  5. ↑ "Climate Statistics for Bolton, CT". Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-08-31. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  8. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Bolton town, Tolland County, Connecticut". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Selected Economic Characteristics: 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Bolton town, Tolland County, Connecticut". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 27, 2015" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
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