Middletown, Connecticut in the War of 1812

From Wikipedia.

Before the war, the city was a major shipping center, but the strained U.S.-Britain relations before the war and the Great Embargo started a decline from which the seaport never recovered. Diversification became the order of the day and Middletown was major center for firearms manufacturing and most of the U.S. pistols used during the War of 1812 came from there. After the war, however, manufacturing left the town for Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Ct. and New Haven, Ct..

The city also had a large number of blacks, with some 218 in 1756. During the colonial times, it became quite the city for pewter manufacturing. George Washington visited in 1789, so if you see a place advertising that "Washington slept here," he might have.

Other famous people: BILL BELICHICK, head coach New England Patriots attended Wesleyan University; HENRY CLAY WORK, author of Civil War Song "Marching Through Georgia' and ALLIE WRUBEL, composer of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah."

Now, You Know. --Brock-Perry