Town of Berlin history

The city had its first popular uprising in 1830 when tailors’ apprentices took to the streets over working conditions.

With the opening of the Berlin-Potsdam line in 1838, Berlin became the centre of an expanding rail network.

1842 Cornelius Dunham establishes the first commercial brickyard in town-somewhere around Four Rod Road.

During the winter of 1845, Berlin was the scene of a most cold-blooded and cruel murder.

The Revolution of 1848 led to a bloody clash between soldiers and citizenry.

1850 The New York-New Haven Railroad builds a spur through Beckley Quarter and East Berlin to Middletown.

May _, 1861, 2d Regt.; re-enl.

6, 1862, 151st Regt.; trans. to 2d Invalid Corps Booneman, Anson, enl.

July 28, 1863 1st permanent civil war monument in America is dedicated on Percival Ave, designed by Nelson Augustus Moore.

22, 1864, 188th Regt.; lost left arm at Hatcher's Run Walker, Wallace W., enl.

14, 1865, "Kearsarge." Brimmer, Edsick C., enl.

Although the village began in the 1790s, it was not incorporated until 1868, after the Civil War.

1870 New York-New Haven Railroad builds the Seven Sisters Bridge (Railroad Bridge on Kensington Road near the post office).

1893 American Paper Goods factory opens at Main St and Percival Ave.

1902 Peck Memorial Library opens (run by Kensington Library Society) with 1148 books.

1904 Railroad pond is built at Main St & Brook St to supply the steam engines and the railroad power house at 930 Farmington Ave.

1907 Hubbard School opens in East Berlin.

On that date in 1918, Berlin became the capital of the first German republic.

1920 November 4 – Berlin women vote in a national election for the first time.

In 1933 the Nazis began to persecute communists, social democrats, and labour unionists and to deprive the German Jews of their rights as citizens.

1938 The Great New England Hurricane causes significant damage throughout the town.

1941, December 7 – Pearl Harbor –Berlin High alumnus Richard Patterson Jr. is killed on the US Arizona – the town’s first casualty of WW II.

Another 100,000 civilians died in the battle for Berlin launched by the Soviet army on April 16, 1945.

In June 1948 a currency reform was introduced in the trizone, including West Berlin.

1949 The Lions Club resurrects the Berlin Fair at a new location on Beckley Road.

1953 The new Berlin High School on Patterson Way opens.

1966 Berlin Historical Society is founded.

1967 Gary Wasilewski, Berlin High graduate, pitches in World Series for the Boston Red Sox .

1970, July 1 – Timberlin Golf course opens.

1975 New Berlin Town Hall on Kensington Road is dedicated; the police department moves from Murray Heights building.

1978 The roof of the Hartford Civic Center collapses – clays pits along Farmington Ave are filled with some of the debris.

1987 Kenmere Dam spillway collapses and causes damage to local property including Timberlin Golf Course.

1988 Upbeat is formed at Berlin High School.

1990 Central Connecticut Expressway (Route 9) connector opens.