The lands on the left bank of the Connecticut River, where Middletown is currently located, belonged to the Mattabesett Native tribe (also spelled Mattabesec, Mattabeseck and Mattabesek); the area they lived in, which became from Middletown and its surrounding area, was named after them. At the time of the arrival of the first European settlers in the area, the Mattabesetts were part of a group of tribes in the Connecticut Valley, under the authority of a single chief, called Sowheag.

In 1646, the idea of creating the settlement of "Mattabesett" was developed by General Court; in 1650, the first Europeans came from adjacent colonies in Connecticut. Life is not easy in these nascent puritan colonies: Clearing land, building houses, and working on a farm on the rocky terrain of New England are challenging activities that require a lot of labor. The law, too, is often harsh among puritans. The offenses punishable by death in the Connecticut colonies include "witchcraft, blasphemy, insulting or beating his parents and the incurable stubbornness of children."

The Pequots and Mohegans, at that time traditional allies of the English settlers and enemies of the Mattabesetts and other local tribes, arrived in the Middletown area in the second half of the ^seventeenth century. Conflicts ensued between the newcomers and the local Amerindian tribes. The Mattabesetts and other tribes call the Mohegans "destroyers of men". Sowheag hopes that the settlers will intervene, but his hopes remain in vain. Smallpox also affected Mattabesetts and significantly decreased their ability to resist and cohesion within the tribe. The records show that, over the years, Sowheag is "forced" to sell most of the Mattabesetto lands to local settlers. In 1676, puritans only miss 121 hectares of the mattabesett territory. Similar stories of tragic interactions between Native Americans and settlers are common in ^17th century New England.

In the 1700s, Middletown became Connecticut's largest and most prosperous colony. At the time of the American Revolution, Middletown was a thriving port, of comparable importance to Boston and New York: one third of its inhabitants are involved in commercial and maritime activities. Slavery is part of the Middletown economic system in its early days. In 1661, African slaves were transported from Barbados. In 1756, Middletown had the third largest African slave population in Connecticut: 218 slaves for 5,446 Europeans.

Middletown traders campaigned for the removal of the Saybrook Bar, a sandbar at the mouth of the Connecticut River and later, seeking to create Middlesex County in 1785. The name "Middlesex" was chosen because of the desire to make Middletown the seat of a vast river port, just as London was the seat of its vast river port in Middlesex County, England. The same people also created the Middlesex Toll (now Route 154) to link all the colonies on the left bank of Connecticut, with the intention of creating a single large port.

The decline of the port began in the early 1800s, with US-British relations becoming strained and entangled trade restrictions, leading to the War of 1812. The port will never recover. The city stands out during the war effort: Commodore Thomas Macdonough of Middletown led the American forces to victory on Champlain Lake in 1814, destroying any hope of the British invading New York.

During this period, Middletown became an important center of gun production. During the War of 1812, many arms manufacturers in the region supplied the majority of the guns to the U.S. government. After the war, the center of the industry nevertheless moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut and New Haven, Connecticut. (See also Industrial History of Connecticut)

The year 1831 saw the establishment of the Wesleyan University, which was to become one of the largest liberal arts universities in the United States. The institution replaces the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy in Partridge, another facility located on the same site that had moved to Norwich, Vermont and later became the University of Vermont. The two main buildings of the original campus were built by the residents of Middletown to attract an academic institution to the city. In 1841, Middletown established the state’s first public high school, where all students between the ages of nine and sixteen who attended local schools can be enrolled.

In the mid-^nineteenth century, manufacturing replaced trade as a primary economic resource. Industrial growth, however, is constrained by the decision of the railway operators to bypass Middletown when laying railway lines between Hartford and New Haven. An ambitious project to build a suspended railway between the White Rock, Middletown and Bodkin Rock, Portland areas was studied but was considered unfeasible.

Still, Middletown residents had a role to play during the Civil War. For example, General Joseph K. Mansfield, originally from Middletown, was among the generals of the Union in Antietam, where he died in combat in 1862. Ironically, another victim in Antietam is Brigadier General George Taylor, who studied at a private military academy in Middletown. In addition, "Marching Through Georgia", a popular Civil War military march, is written by Henry Clay Work, a Middletown resident. The city also worked for the abolitionist movement and was a railway station of the underground railway.

During the second half of the ^nineteenth century, manufacturing was the city’s main economic resource, particularly finely crafted metal parts, such as marine equipment (Wilcox, Crittendon & Co.) and typewriters (Royal). There were also many manufacturers of machine tools and metal molds in town. Middletown was also the location of a major Goodyear plant. In addition, the leading manufacturer of the Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company was located in the city.

Middletown was also briefly home to a major league baseball team, the National Association’s Middletown Mansfields.

At the end of the ^19th century and at the beginning of the ^20th century, the city, which until then had been largely Anglo-Saxon, was undergoing a demographic transformation. First Irish, then a large number of Italian immigrants arrive to work in the factories and fields of Middletown, many of them from the city of Melilli in Sicily. The arrival of Poles and Germans followed. In 1910, the population reached nearly 21,000. Meanwhile, the number of African-Americans is decreasing: there are only 53 left, with employers preferring to hire white immigrants. Later in the century, more African-Americans migrated to the region, followed by a more recent influx of Hispanic residents. The efforts of two Wesleyan professors also brought in a small group of Cambodian refugees in the early 1980s, which became the base of a thriving Cambodian community. The small Tibetan community of Middletown had a similar history. Middletown is also the city of Connecticut's first Hindu temple and has also attracted a Hindu population.

This mixture of peoples has become obvious: Just look at Middletown’s choice of restaurants, which is rapidly becoming one of the city’s most famous features.

Natural events as well as a continuous influx of people and businesses affected the city during the first half of the ^20th century. In 1927 and 1936, Middletown was hit by flooding, and in 1938 by the New England hurricane (The Great New England Hurricane). Despite these events, the Arrigoni Bridge, a bridge that spans the Connecticut River, was completed in 1938. It connects Middletown to Portland, is easterly oriented and replaces an old bridge.

During the 1950s, as the popularity of the automobile continued to grow, government officials approved the construction of a highway that, in fact, separated Middletown from the Connecticut River, which was its original and natural purpose. The construction of the highway demolishes historic districts, including many ^18th century buildings and forces residents to relocate to newer units outside older districts. The loss of industries and jobs contributed to the decline of Middletown, as was the case in many other U.S. cities in the northeast, and the situation only reversed in the 1990s.

During this period, many superb buildings (although dilapidated) are demolished in the name of "urban renovation", then converted into parking lots, or left abandoned. Crime is increasing. During the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney Aircraft opened a large factory in Maromas. At the same time, developers are purchasing most of the city's remaining farms, including most of the Oak Grove Dairy, to create suburban developments for local workers and commuters to nearby towns.

During the 1970s, Oddfellows Playhouse was created. This theater attracts hundreds of young people from all over the state every year to perform in plays and other types of performances. This theater is one of the few youth theaters in Connecticut.

During the 1990s, the City of Middletown, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and the University of Wesley joined forces to invest heavily in Middletown’s main street; their efforts bring about the renewal of downtown Middletown. Crime is down, and new restaurants and shops are opening.

In 2001, the Samuel Wadsworth Russell House, built in 1827 and located on High Street, was listed as a National Historic Landmark. The Alsop House, also located on High Street and built in 1840, became a historic monument in 2009. These two monuments are part of the Wesley campus.

Higby Mountain.

Middletown is located on the left bank of the Connecticut River in the central state. Route 9, which runs along the river, cuts the city in half. According to the US Bureau of Statistics, the city covers a total area of 109.6 km², including 105.9 km² of land and 3.7 km² of water bodies. Water bodies represent 3.36% of the total area.

The left side of Middletown is bordered by Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous ridge of magmatic rocks that stretches from Long Island Sound (Long Island Strait) and reaches almost the Vermont border. Among the famous Metacomet Ridge mountains that are part of Middletown are Higby Mountain and the north slope of Lamentation Mountain. The Mattabesett Trail, a 50 mile long track, crosses the ridge. Nature Conservancy, a nature conservation organization, takes care of the summit and the projections of Higby Mountain.

According to the 2000 census, there were 43,167 people in the city, 18,554 households and 10,390 families. The population density is 407.5/km 2. There are 19,697 dwellings, with an average density of 185.9/km 2. The ethnic composition of the city is 80.01% white, 12.26% black or African-American, 5.30% Hispanic and 2.68% Asian.

There are 18,554 households, 25.7% of which have children under the age of 18 living at home, 413% are married together, and 44% are not families. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.9.

21.7% of residents are under 18, 8.3% are between 18 and 24, 35.1% are between 25 and 44, 21.5% are between 45 and 64 and 13.4% are 65 or older. The median age is 36. There are 93.3 men per 100 women. There are 90.2 men per 100 women over the age of 18.

The median income for a city household is $47,162 and the median income for a family is $60,845. The median income of men is $45,790, while that of women is $34,648. The city's per capita income is $25,720. 7.5% of the population and 4.3% of families live below the poverty line. Of the total number of people living below this threshold, 7.5% are under 18 and 6.6% have 65 or more.

View of downtown with Connecticut River and HarborPark.

In recent decades, Middletown has focused on balancing the needs and comfort of its people with the commercial development needed to finance services. These measures date back to at least 1931, when the city was one of the first in the United States to draw up a planning table. Progress has been made throughout the term of office of Democratic Mayor Domenique S. Thornton, who served as mayor for a record eight years (four terms). The city has managed to attract a multiplex cinema with 12 theaters to the city center, as well as numerous restaurants and other shops. The city offers free Wi-Fi along the main street. On November 8, 2005, Republican Sebastian Giuliano was elected mayor and replaced Thornton. He criticized him for raising taxes and for awarding a contract to build a new high school to Tomasso Brothers, Inc., a company that had been the target of a federal corruption investigation. The city is also home to the controversial Connecticut Juvenile Training School, a detention center for juvenile offenders that offers vocational training. Middletown continues to help manufacturing and small business.

Middletown remained a major government administrative center. From the creation of Middlesex County in 1798 to the removal of county government in 1960, Middletown has been its capital. The Middlesex Superior Court of Justice is still located in Middletown, and the judicial district is the same as that of the previous county court. Other functions of the county were either centralized to the state or transferred to other cities. The former official county building was demolished, but there are other official buildings scattered throughout the city, such as the Department of Social Services on Main Street Ext. The county estate court, located in Middletown, is attached to the cities of Cromwell, Portland, Middlefield and Haddam.

From a cultural point of view, Middletown is going through an attempt to revitalize its northeastern neighborhoods, which have always been disadvantaged, thanks to the construction of the Wharfside Commons, a new 96-unit mixed-rent residence located on Ferry Street. The Green Street Arts Center, a cultural center founded in 2000 by associations of Wesley University and several community associations, is an unprecedented attempt to attract new residents and businesses to the neighborhood by promoting artistic education and awareness. For decades, O’Rourke’s Diner, a famous café-restaurant, has worked hard to ensure the stability of these northeastern neighborhoods. Nevertheless, a fire, which took place on 37 (???) August 2006, devastated most of the historic building. The Middletown community then organized numerous fundraising campaigns to raise money for the reconstruction of the café-restaurant. This will begin in September 2007 and the re-opening of O’Rourke’s Diner will take place in February 2008.

The Russell Library, Middletown Municipal Library, continues to be a cultural and educational center and a venue for entertainment, providing a meeting place for the community. Today, the library makes available to the general public books, newspapers, magazines, databases containing the full text of newspaper and magazine articles (thus offering medical, biographical, literary, trade, health, etc.), courses, computer training, workshops, concerts and meeting spaces, including the Hubbard Room, a large meeting room that can accommodate up to 100 people 0 people.

In addition to the Wesleyenne University, the city also hosts the Middlesex Community College, as well as two Catholic high schools. These schools attract students from the surrounding communities.

Oddfellows Playhouse, located on Washington Street, is a renowned theater that hosts a youth theater troupe that attracts children of all ages from all over the state who wish to learn theater. Oddfellows also runs the Children’s Circus of Middletown, a Middletown-based children’s circus that teaches them circus arts and offers a free show to nearly a thousand people. Middletown is also home to the Kidcity Children’s Museum, a children’s museum located in the former home of Judge Elmer, which has now been renovated and recently expanded, and which has been moved 120 meters down to Washington Street. Kidcity is a play area based on manipulations where children aged 1 to 8, accompanied by their parents or a close relative, come to learn through play. The downtown business district continues to revitalize this area. Pratt and Whitney, Aetna, Middlesex Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital, Liberty Bank and Wesleyan University are among the largest employers. There is a community of 84 houses called The Farms, located on the western edge of the city, in a neighborhood called Westlake. This award-winning architectural community was built in 1969 by George Achenbach and was one of Connecticut’s first communities specifically designed for community living, with open spaces for communal lands.

There are also many parks and nature trails, including Middletown Nature Gardens, Wadsworth Falls State Park and Smith Park, as well as 40 hectares of public spaces open to families at the Guida Farm Conservation Area. Harbor Park is a one-hectare recreation area on the Connecticut River, equipped with a planks path, a restaurant/nightclub, fishing areas and offering boat trips (depending on season). There are also boat shelters at Middletown High School and Wesleyenne University. The festivities of July 4 (American National Day), as well as the Connecticut Head of the Regatta, which takes place in October, are conducted from Harbor Park.

Middlesex Hospital, a major employer in Middletown and Middlesex County, funded a new $31 million emergency department. The new emergency room has been open since March 24, 2008. In addition to this new room, a helipad will be added, as well as 70 new parking spaces for users.

Power plant explosion

On 7 February 2010, at 11:17 a.m., a large explosion occurred at the Middletown power plant, which was under construction.

• Dean Acheson, Professor at Wesley, Secretary of State, 1949-1953.
• Raymond E. Baldwin (en) , a graduate of Wesley, Governor of Connecticut, United States Senator, and Judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.
• Bill Belichick, a Wesley graduate, New England Patriots' chief coach.
• Anthony Braxton, teacher at Wesley, famous jazz composer.
• Tyondai Braxton, son of Anthony Braxton, composer and performer.
• Janet Huntington Brewster (1910-1998), was an American patron, writer, broadcaster, and humanitarian based in London during the Second World War. She was married to Edward R. Murrow.
• Ambrose Burfoot, a Wesley graduate, won the Boston Marathon.
• Daniel Burrows, Member of Parliament for Connecticut.
• Jules Dassin, American director.
• James DeKoven, member of the Episcopal clergy.
• Wilbur Fisk, first president of Wesleyenne University (Fisk Hall bears his name).
• Samuel Holden Parsons, a merchant and lawyer, General of the War of Independence, subsequently carried out a project to set up a colony in Ohio.
• Samuel Dickinson Hubbard, Member of the United States Congress, Postmaster General (1852-1853).
• Joey Jay, Major League Baseball player and first Minor League player to reach Major League.
• Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie, American historian, writer.
• Joey Logano, racing driver for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Alvin Lucier, composer.
• Thomas Macdonough, Commodore, hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812.
• George John Maltese, (1931-2009), mathematician, born and died in Middletown, a student at Wesleyan University.
• Eric Mangini, Wesley graduate, chief coach of the Cleveland Browns.
• William Manchester, historian, writer, Wesleyan University.
• Joseph K. Mansfield, General, fallen to the Battle of Antietam during the War of Independence.
• Return Jonathan Meigs, Sr., Hero of the War of Independence and Representative to the Cherokees.
• Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., Governor of Ohio and US Senator.
• Willie Pep, one of the best boxers of all time in his category.
• Bill Rodgers, a Wesley graduate, won the Boston Marathon five times.
• Maurice Rose, General, born in Middletown, died in Germany during the Second World War.
• Samuel Wadsworth Russell, founder of Russell & Company.
• Major Taylor, world cycling champion and second African-American world champion, all sports combined.
• Alton Tobey (November 5, 1914-January 4, 2005), artist, born in Middletown.
• Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser trained MGMT when they lived in Middletown and attended Wesleyenne University.
• Jordan Russolillo, professional football player, born in Middletown.
• Bill Watrous, a jazz musician and group leader, born in Middletown.
• Joss Whedon, Wesley graduate, creator of Buffy against Vampires.
• Jeduthun Wilcox, Member of Parliament for New Hampshire.
• Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, Professor of Political Economics at the University of Wesleyenne.
• Henry Clay Work, author of the Marching Through Georgia Civil War. "
• Allie Wrubel, famous composer of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and other music tubes.

•  Melilli (Italy)
•  Cayey (Puerto Rico), Caserio de Buena Vista.

• History of Middlesex County 1635-1885: With Biographical Sketches of Its Proment Men. Pratt & Read Co. New York: J. B. Beers & Co., 1884.
• History of Middlesex County, Connecticut, Whittemore, (New York, 1884)
• Middletown Upper Houses: A History of the North Society of Middletown from 1650 to 1800, C. C. Adams, (New York, 1908)

• The city's site

•   Connecticut Portal