A portrait of Thomas Hooker, Hartford's founder.
An image of Thomas Hooker's cottage during the early founding of Hartford.
Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield were all founded during the 1630s. About 100 Puritans came to establish Hartford as a trading post along the Connecticut River. Thomas Hooker is credited with founding Hartford and had a major impact in establishing Hartford.
Over time, Hartford grew as industry such as trading, farming and insurance financing gave a stable foundation to create a capital. In 1875, Hartford became the sole capital of Connecticut after sharing the capital status with New Haven. It is from this point on that Hartford experienced a "Gilded Age". Hartford was booming and an extremely profitable city that drew people from various industries across the country to Connecticut.
