Hartford City and Town Clerk Archive

Collection Overview

Repository: Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library Hartford, Connecticut
Creator: Hartford (Conn.)
Title: Hartford City Archives collection
Dates: 1639-2010
Extent: Over 375 linear feet
Abstract: The City and Town Clerk records include, but are not limited to, building permits, street commissioner reports, park records, licenses, tax records and vital statistics.
Location: HHC Closed Stacks
Language: English

Historical Note

In 2005, the Town/City Clerk of Hartford, Daniel Carey, under a grant from the Connecticut State Library hired a firm to survey the clerk’s five story vault. The next year, under a second grant, an archival aide was hired to remove the records and documents from the vault. They were sorted into record groups, placed in acid free folders and then into manuscript boxes. In the fall of 2010, with the permission of the Mayor of Hartford, the Court of Common Council of Hartford, the Town/City Clerk of Hartford and the Public Records Administrator and the State
Archivist of the Connecticut State Library, the City and Town Clerk Archive was formally transferred to the Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library.

 

Scope and Content

The archive is a comprehensive record of the City of Hartford as collected by the City and Town Clerk Office and includes record groups by department/governmental entity or area of focus. For example, the collection holds Street Commissioner Reports 1784-1945 as well as records with single subject headings like bridges, railroads and celebrations. In addition, the collection holds vital statistics for select years.

 

The finding aid for the Hartford City and Town Clerk Archives is broken up into several files. Links are below, and in the column on the left. 

 

I. Hartford Streets

II. City Government

III. City Property, Education, Legal Matters

IV. Public Utilities, Public Welfare, Public Works

V. Transportation, Private Property, Other City Business