There is much more to Hartford than being the Capital of Connecticut. Walt and I talked about what a good feeling we had about the city. We get this feeling now and then about an area and can't pinpoint what it is.......just an uplifting reaction.
This is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. It is Memorial to the American Civil War.
It honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, and the 400 who died for the Union.
Each tower is topped by a bronze angel, one playing a trumpet, the other cymbals. The architect was George Keller and the ashes of he and his wife are interred in the tower. The Arch is located near the Capitol on the street outside Bushnell Park.
Bushnell Park is adjacent to the Capitol and is the oldest publicly funded park in the United States.
It is a refreshing greenscape right in the middle of the city. It is the site of several festivals and music events each year and as a direct opposite of the event on the Boston Commons when we were there the event today was "Recovery Walk". It is in support of alcohol and other drug addiction recovery.
The Bushnell Park Carousel has been operating in Hartford since 1974 and was originally crafted in 1914 in Brooklyn, New York.
The horses swirl around a Wurlitzer band organ and you can rent the facility for parties. Walt loved it and I am actually surprised he didn't spring for a ride.
The building on the right is City Place I, the tallest building in Hartford. The white one is Goodwin Square that is an office tower and Hotel.
Hartford is nicknamed the "Insurance Capital of the World". The Hartford, Aetna and the Hartford Financial Services Group, both Fortune 100 companies, are headquartered in Hartford. Travelers Insurance has its largest national employment center and historical headquarters in the city. CIGNA insurance is headquartered in the region with a presence in Hartford and its suburb Bloomfield. United Health Insurance has a significant presence in the city.
While driving through downtown we were treated to this. It is the 1st Company, Governors Foot Guard. It is the oldest continuously serving military unit in the United States. It came into existence in 1771. The Governor's Guards remain active today as subordinate units of the Connecticut Military Department, under the command & control of the Connecticut Adjutant General. Their mission today remains primarily ceremonial, but they can be called up to active service to augment the Connecticut National Guard for state emergency operations.
The Old State House was completed in 1796. It was the original seat of the state legislature and used when they met in Hartford prior to the State Capitol being completed.
We went by Dunkin Dounuts Ball Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats a AA Minor League team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. (FYI there is a Dunkin Donuts on every corner in the east)
It was the location for the Police Department vs the Fire Department that day. Big crowd on it's way in.
Walt always manages to locate the ethnic neighborhoods in the cities we visit. There is always so much activity and the delicious aroma of the world wide food tempts us.
I think Hartford won the award for their diversity of foods.
A very diverse Church as well.
On our way to check out the industrial area we saw this old barn......the vines seem to be trying to spiff it up.
Mile after mile of Distribution Centers with many Help Wanted signs.
We very much enjoyed our time in Hartford. A beautiful city surrounded by very pretty countryside.