Torrington

Torrington, George Byng, Viscount, 1663-1733, British admiral. Early in his career he helped win the support of the navy for William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. After thwarting attempted Jacobite invasions in 1708 and 1715 and defeating a Spanish fleet in the Strait of Messina in 1718, he was raised to the peerage in 1721. He was the father of Admiral John Byng.

Torrington, city (1990 pop. 33,687), Litchfield co., NW Conn., on the Naugatuck River; inc. 1740. It is the industrial and commercial hub of NW Connecticut and is known for its metal (especially brass) and machinery manufactures. The first machine-made brass goods in the country were produced in Torrington in 1834. The city was also the site of the world's first condensed-milk plant; the process of homogenization was invented in Torrington. The abolitionist John Brown was born there; his birthplace burned in 1918, and the spot is marked by a plaque. Of interest are a wildlife sanctuary and conservation area, noted for its mountain laurel; and a museum with early American glass exhibits and a John Brown room. A branch of the Univ. of Connecticut and the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts are in Torrington.

Torrington is a city in and the county seat of Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,776 at the 2000 census.

History

The city was founded by W.G. Curtis and named by him for his home town of Torrington, Connecticut. Originally a watering and coaling station Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), the blossoming town soon became the main source of civilization for nearby residents. With a post office (established in 1889) and several businesses, it became a central area of trade for that region of Wyoming. The town site was surveyed April 21, 1900 by Ashland B. Smith of the Lincoln Land Company of Nebraska, and in June the land was sold to its residents for one dollar by the president of the real estate extension of the CB&Q. Torrington was incorporated in 1908.

When Goshen County was created from part of the northern end of Laramie County in 1911, Torrington and Lingle competed for the title of county seat. Torrington was eventually selected after its residents raised enough money to build the courthouse, which was constructed in 1913.

Geography

Torrington is located at (42.066542, -104.182471).

The city is situated on the North Platte River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²).Its elevation is 4104 feet, 1251 meters.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,776 people, 2,436 households, and 1,522 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,617.4 people per square mile (624.7/km²). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 740.4/sq mi (286.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.49% White, 0.31% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.65% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.47% of the population.

There were 2,436 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,136, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $31,058 versus $20,101 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,026. About 9.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• Official city web site
• Torrington Telegram newspaper web site