Editing Sprague, Connecticut

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                   = Sprague, Connecticut
| official_name          = Town of Sprague
| settlement_type        = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline          = Sprague Public Library, Baltic CT.jpg
| image_caption          = Sprague Public Library
| image_flag             =
| image_seal             = SpragueCTseal.jpg
| image_map              = {{switcher|[[File:New London County Connecticut Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sprague Highlighted 2010.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Sprague's location within New London County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[New London County, Connecticut|New London County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Southeastern Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Sprague highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Sprague's location within the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region]] and Connecticut|default=1}}
| image_map1             = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=200|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q2572372}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|37|26|N|72|04|30|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q2572372;Q779;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1|switch=Sprague;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates            = {{coord|41|37|26|N|72|04|30|W|region:US-CT|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1      = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2      = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[New London County, Connecticut|New London]]
| subdivision_type3      = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3      = [[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern CT]]
| established_title      = Incorporated
| established_date       = 1861
| government_type        = [[Board of selectmen|Selectman-town meeting]]
| leader_title           = First selectman
| leader_name            = Cheryl Blanchard (R)
| unit_pref              = Imperial
| area_total_km2         = 35.7
| area_total_sq_mi       = 13.8
| area_land_km2          = 34.2
| area_land_sq_mi        = 13.2
| area_water_km2         = 1.6
| area_water_sq_mi       = 0.6
| elevation_m            = 84
| elevation_ft           = 276
| population_total       = 2967
| population_as_of       = 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone               = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset             = -5
| timezone_DST           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST         = -4
| postal_code_type       = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code            = 06330, 06350, 06383
| area_code              = [[Area codes 860 and 959|860/959]]
| blank_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info             = 09-71670
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info            = 0213510
| website                = {{URL|www.ctsprague.org}}
| footnotes              =
}}
'''Sprague''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[New London County, Connecticut|New London County]], [[Connecticut]], United States. The town is part of the [[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region]]. The town was named after [[William Sprague III]], who laid out the industrial section.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=9275|title=Profile for Sprague, Connecticut|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|access-date=May 11, 2010}}</ref> The population was 2,967 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0901171670| title=Census - Geography Profile: Sprague town, New London County, Connecticut| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=December 21, 2021}}</ref> Sprague includes three villages: [[Baltic, Connecticut|Baltic]], [[Hanover, Connecticut|Hanover]], and Versailles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://connecticuthistory.org/towns-page/sprague/|title=Sprague|work=ConnecticutHistory.org|date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=July 4, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
The town of Sprague was incorporated in 1861, formed from portions of the towns of [[Lisbon, Connecticut|Lisbon]] and [[Franklin, Connecticut|Franklin]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Benjamin Tinkham Marshall|title=A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut|date=1922|publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company|location=New York City|url=https://archive.org/details/modernhistoryofn01mars|volume=1}}</ref> A few years earlier, in 1856, former [[Rhode Island Governor]] and [[U.S. Senator]] [[William Sprague III]] of Rhode Island had laid out plans to build "the largest mill on the Western Continent" in eastern Connecticut, only to die later that year.<ref name="CHS">{{cite web|title=Map of the Baltic Estate in Sprague, Connecticut|url=http://emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/view/objects/asitem/People$00409460/|website=Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library|publisher=Connecticut Historical Society|access-date=May 6, 2018}}</ref> His nephews [[William Sprague IV|William]] and [[Amasa Sprague Jr.|Amasa Sprague]] constructed the Baltic Cotton Mill in what was to become the village of Baltic.<ref name="CHS" /> The mill village of Baltic sat on the [[Shetucket River]] in the southwest corner of the town.<ref name="CHS" /> The original mill burned down in 1877, but the Baltic Power Company continued to operate a mill on the site until 1967.<ref name="CHS" />

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 13.8&nbsp;square miles (35.8&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), of which 13.2&nbsp;square miles (34.2&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}) is land and 0.6&nbsp;square miles (1.6&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), or 4.41%, is water.

===Principal communities===
*[[Baltic, Connecticut|Baltic]] (town center)
*[[Hanover, Connecticut|Hanover]]
*Versailles

The town hall is located in Baltic and was constructed in the 1950s.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 3463
|1880= 3207
|1890= 1106
|1900= 1339
|1910= 2551
|1920= 2500
|1930= 2539
|1940= 2285
|1950= 2320
|1960= 2509
|1970= 2912
|1980= 2996
|1990= 3008
|2000= 2971
|2010= 2984
|2020= 2967
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
{{See also|List of Connecticut locations by per capita income}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,971 people, 1,111 households, and 797 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|224.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,164 housing units at an average density of {{convert|88.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.71% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.64% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.35% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.37% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.45% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 1,111 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $57,500. Males had a median income of $40,808 versus $28,616 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $20,796.  About 2.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The previous industry in town was the Baltic Textile Mill, which burned down in 1999.

===Ecotourism and events===
Sprague is quickly becoming a destination for [[eco-tourism]], having held their first RiverFest, a celebration of the local [[Shetucket River]]. The river and festival attract kayakers, canoe enthusiasts, tubers, and nature lovers. A companion festival, the Three Villages Festival, is held each year in October in Baltic, on the public ball field and surrounding area.

==Notable people==
* [[Leo Connellan]] (1928–2001), poet laureate of Connecticut (1996-2001), lived his later years here and died in town<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/24/arts/leo-connellan-connecticut-s-poet-laureate-72.html|title=Leo Connellan; Connecticut's Poet Laureate, 72|work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press|date=February 24, 2001|access-date=April 12, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
* [[Charles Seymour Whitman|Charles S. Whitman]] (1868–1947), judge and the [[List of Governors of New York|41st Governor of New York]], born in town
* [[Chase Going Woodhouse]] (1890–1984), feminist leader, suffragist, educator, U.S. Representative<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/woodhouse-margaret-chase-going-1890-1984|title=Woodhouse, Margaret Chase Going (1890–1984)|website=encyclopedia.com|access-date=April 9, 2022}}</ref>

==On the National Register of Historic Places==

A historic district and two individual buildings in Sprague are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]:
* [[Ashlawn]] – 1 Potash Hill Road (added July 4, 1979)
* [[Baltic Historic District]] – Roughly bounded by Fifth Avenue, River, High, Main, West Main, and the Shetucket River (added September 3, 1987)
* [[William Park House]] – 330 Main Street (added March 7, 2007)

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Connecticut}}
*[http://www.ctsprague.org/ Town of Sprague official website]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Sprague, Connecticut
 | North     = [[Scotland, Connecticut|Scotland]]
 | Northeast = [[Canterbury, Connecticut|Canterbury]]
 | East      = [[Lisbon, Connecticut|Lisbon]]
 | Southeast = [[Lisbon, Connecticut|Lisbon]]
 | South     = [[Norwich, Connecticut|Norwich]]
 | Southwest = [[Franklin, Connecticut|Franklin]]
 | West      = [[Franklin, Connecticut|Franklin]]
 | Northwest = [[Windham, Connecticut|Windham]]
}}

{{Connecticut}}
{{New London County, Connecticut}}
{{Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Sprague, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:Towns in New London County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut]]