Norwich

Founded: The first settlers arrived around 1788. The town of Norwich was formed in 1793, and became a city in 1914.

Hamlets within the town: Hawley’s Corners, Haynes, North Guilford Corners, Polkville, Springvale, Webbs Corners, White Store and Woods Corners.

Named after: Norwich, Conn., where many early settlers relocated from. The original name is from Norwich, England.

Current population: 11,353 (2010 U.S. Census) for both the town and city.

Notable people: Gail Borden (1801-1874) is the inventor of condensed milk. This enabled the milk to be transported and stored without refrigeration.

Interesting facts: Norwich is home to the invention of Pepto-Bismol in 1901. The Norwich Knitting Mill was the first company in the world to produce Mickey Mouse undies, with a copyright date of 1933.

Industry past: The Maydole Hammer Factory (1845-1961) was the largest hammer factory in the U.S. Its success was due to a safely attached head. The Norwich Shoe Company (1946-1991) was producing 4.68 million pairs of shoes per year in its peak manufacturing years. M.P. Berglas Manufacturing (1918-1977) produced toilet seats from a plant on East Main Street.

Industry present: G.E. Aviation continues to manufacture and engineer aviation and aerospace parts. It was founded from the original General Laboratories Associates. For more than 40 years, Chentronics, LLC has provided innovative, High Energy Ignition (HEI) and flame detection technology for the power generation, utility, petrochemical, industrial, marine and green environment industries. Since 1856, NBT Bank has been building long-term financial relationships with individuals, businesses, organizations, agricultural operations, and local government at more than 150 locations in six states.