Ledyard

Ledyard, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Location in Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°26′23″N 72°00′54″W / 41.43972°N 72.015°W / 41.43972; -72.015
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Norwich-New London
Region	Southeastern Connecticut
Incorporated	1836
Government
- Type	Mayor-council
- Mayor	Fred Allyn
Area
- Total	40.0 sq mi (103.6 km2)
- Land	38.1 sq mi (98.8 km2)
- Water	1.9 sq mi (4.8 km2)
Elevation	295 ft (90 m)
Population (2005)[1]
- Total	15,172
- Density	398/sq mi (154/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06335, 06339
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-42600
GNIS feature ID	0213450
Website	http://www.town.ledyard.ct.us/

Ledyard is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located along the Thames River. The population was 14,687 at the 2000 census. The Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Native American tribe, was located in the northeastern section of Ledyard, until the land was annexed by the tribe. Ledyard's zip code is 06339. Within the southwestern area of Ledyard is the district known as Gales Ferry with postal code 06335.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.0 square miles (103.6 km²), of which, 38.1 square miles (98.8 km²) of it is land and 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²) of it (4.62%) is water. Ledyard is situated north of Groton, and borders the east bank of the Thames River in southeastern Connecticut. The northern half of the Naval Submarine Base New London is located in the southwest corner of the town.

The principal communities of Ledyard are Ledyard Center (also known as Ledyard Village) and the Gales Ferry section (including Christy Hill Estates, Devonshire Estates, Ferry View Heights, Glenwoods, Pheasant Run, Sherwood Forest, Woodridge Estates). Other minor communities and geographic areas are: Aljen Heights, Barrett Park, Colonial Manor, Cranwood Homestead, Highlands, Lakeside, Lantern Hill, Long Pond, Parsonage Hill Manor, Presidential Estates, Quaker Town, and Stonehenge. The town also contains the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation, in the northeastern corner of the town.

Notable Residents

Bob Schaefer, first coach for Ledyard High School Baseball, now bench coach for Los Angeles Dodgers

Samuel Seabury, Bishop

Demographics

As of the census^{[2][page needed]} of 2000, there were 14,687 people, 5,286 households, and 4,101 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.1 people per square mile (148.7/km²). There were 5,486 housing units at an average density of 143.8/sq mi (55.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was:

• 88.23% White
• 3.51% Native American
• 2.70% Hispanic or Latino of any race
• 2.50% African American
• 2.19% Asian
• 0.07% Pacific Islander
• 0.84% from other races
• 2.66% from two or more races

There were 5,286 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.12.

The ages of Ledyard's population were spread out with:

• 28.3% under 18
• 6.3% from 18 to 24
• 31.0% from 25 to 44
• 25.4% from 45 to 64
• 9.0% from 65 years of age or older.

The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $62,647, and the median income for a family was $69,214. Males had a median income of $46,582 versus $32,339 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,953. About 2.9% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Ledyard has four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.

Elementary Schools:

• Gales Ferry School (Grades K through 2)
• Gallup Hill School (Grades K through 6)
• Juliet W. Long School (Grades 3 through 6)
• Ledyard Center School (Grades K through 6)

Middle School:

• Ledyard Middle School (Grades 7 & 8)

High School:

• Ledyard High School (Grades 9 through 12)

Employers

The Naval Submarine Base New London, located immediately south of Ledyard in Groton, is a significant employer of Ledyard residents. Other major employers include Foxwoods Resort Casino, Electric Boat, and Pfizer.

Background

The town of Ledyard is named after Colonel William Ledyard, a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed with his own saber after surrendering to the British at the end of the Battle of Groton Heights.

Trivia

Ledyard is among the areas of the United States that was covered by a continental ice sheet during the last Ice Age. Therefore, Ledyard has its share of interesting glacial geology. The glaciers that covered Ledyard carried the many large boulders that litter the town and most of northern United States. The town has set aside land designated as a 'Glacial Park' which consists of a section of end moraine and outwash deposits (containing kettles). This area encompasses a segment of the 'Ledyard Moraine,'--a clast-supported boulder deposit that is anamolous in nature.

Also, Ledyard was featured on an episode of the MTV show, MADE, in which Katherine, a shy, book-loving teenager, is made into Miss Congeniality in her town's beauty pageant for Miss Ledyard Fair.

Ledyard is also stereotyped as a "cowtown" , the legacy of the remaining few, large, scattered farms which used to pervade throughout the region's early agricultural history, the majority of which have given way to development.

It is also known as home to Foxwoods Resort Casino.

References

1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. http://www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/lists/2005OctRegEnrollStats.pdf. Retrieved 2006-10-02. 

External links

Connecticut portal

• Town government Web site
• Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District
• [2]
• [3]
• Town Education Site

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