New Britain herald., 1927-09-12
HOW DADDY PENNINGTON IS OJTSJRIPPlD EN SONS

IS OUTsTRIPPED BN SONS
 It would be hard to md a town m Connecticut that has shown less population increase than Farming ion. Settled in l644 with the decIar- alton "Tunxis shall be called Farm ,ngton," meaning farming town - it has quite Consistently held to the designation. The first available census was taken in 1756, more than 100 years after the first settlers had arrived, and at that time it's popu- laIon was 3,7g7, The last govern ment cansus of 1920 gave it popu- .,lation of $.S44 This was an increase of ls7 persons In 16i years,
 Of course, Pennington lost some territory during that time, When 1t vas. settled it comprised almost all the lands in these parts. At the time of the Revolution it boasted more than 6,0oo population, but the yicissitudes of the struggle brought this down to less than 5000 by l79O, frye, years after Berlin waa incorpor- af6d from Pennington, MiddietoWn and Wethersheld In 1880 its popu- !aton cbbed to less than 2,60o, It added q thousand by 1860, but by 1870. after Plainvile had been in corporated from it the year before, it reduced 10 2,616.
 The trouble with Pennington has been that the farming town has been q daddy to other towns, II has served this purpose well.
 Berlin hasn't done any highiinEs in population increase, either Its frs; census, in 179o, showed 2,465 inhabitants This was five years after its incorporation. It was named alter Berlin, Prussia. By 1Sfo it had reached q population of 3,4ll; but in 1850. when New Britain was incorporated from it's territory, its population fell to l,saa, According to the 1920 census it had struggled ID to 4.a9S, and is still struggling.
 New Britain. until 1850 a parish, started as a town that year with B. c2q population. and has been rising rapidly ever since. The parish had been organized in t-5f and if il had 2 favorable location nobody knew Of ir. The city's advance from 1850 on did not depend upon location, Of course; certain Of is citizens rrac- ticany forced growth by manufac- turing things the other towns need cd. T. might have been an accident that these enterrisins citizens lived here instead of in Berlin or Farm ,neto1; but there can be no question hat New Br.tain's growth came from within rather than from an advantageous location.
 pIainuu-, named "Cr.at rEoln" in 1s1i. when tt was mere widening rn the road, has had a steady growth since is corporation from Farming -on in 1882 t slarted with Lt3@ inhabitants In ths following census raEtrr ls7o-ard hy ata ra4 B. st2 B. 1n1a aa~s..r. it hoped up toAlIf and there is ae-ry reason 10 think ii has added a comfortable la1o or so alag. ftat ttm.
 Bristol another go-ea.uue con- mu7ty which enrau= from Eaamag- 'ton, vas H,ornoa.el in '1s5. and the census of tToo aaga it 2.4Ge in halHan'@. or only three persons Ieas than ReHtns first census the same year. Bristol Mao1 run away from .BerIjr in the ensuing "populauou race" eitae, as b} tHIg nrr'ol, with t4?S, had mora than laons- and lass inhabitants than Hcrl5n, and this disparity held good urrl alter l54o After Nea Britain uaa tmmed out Of R~4tus territory m Ie5o, however. Bristol shot ahoI to tte uue Of ln10 over Berlin although a, that time ils population Was atil only teo more than ii was jn l1a0. s'Ery years before. From then m inc population situation ateaa~cI untI 1900 slowed nearly 1uaa folks, and in 2a more years l, Aud passed 2oooo. Bristol, like New Britain, found he key 10 advance ment in manufacturing,
 Another town nearby which srraus from the ribs orFarniugton and has outstrlppad it ts southineton, which became the "so1ib society," Of Farm ngton as early as 172d. and Was incorporated from Pennington in t779. The census of 17s2 gave .r t5ss people but by iao0 il had l'e than when it started, and continued 10 have less until 1880. when it had 1.S44: ten years later, or in l8io it had one person more than in 1752