The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Putnam

PUTNAM, Conn., city, one of the county-seats of Windham County, on the Quinebaug River, junction joint of New York, New Haven and Hartford main line and Norwich and Worcester branch, about 45 miles east by north of Hartford. It was incorporated from portions of the towns of Thompson, Killingly and Pomfret, by the State assembly in May 1855 and was organized as a municipality 3 July 1855 and in 1895 was chartered as a city. Near the centre of the city are Cargill Falls, noted for their beauty. It is the centre of an agricultural region and has a number of manufacturing interests. The chief industrial establishments are cotton and woolen mills, a tire fabric factory, silk mills, manufactories of heaters and castings and a toolmaking plant. The number of employees in the manufactories is about 2,200. It has the Day Kimball Hospital, Mother House of the Sisters of the Holy Ghost and seven churches and a Jewish synagogue. The educational institutions are a high school, State trade school, public and parish schools and a public library. There are two banks, one National, with a capital of $150,000 and one savings and the business annually is over $20,000. The government is administered under the charter of 1895, which provides for a mayor, who holds office two years, and a council of nine members. A board of three commissioners operates the municipally-owned water supply system. Pop. 9,000.