Lebanon, Connecticut

For other places with the same name, see Lebanon (disambiguation).

Lebanon, Connecticut
Location in Connecticut Location in Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Windham Region
Incorporated	1700
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Joyce R. Okonuk
Population  (2005)
• Total	7,334
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06249
Website	http://www.lebanontownhall.org/

Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census.

History

Incorporated in 1700, Lebanon was home to Connecticut's first Governor, Jonathan Trumbull. The Revolutionary War Office is located on the town's historic green, which is the largest in the nation, along with the William Beaumont home and the Wadsworth Stable. The town was also home to famous American neo-classical painter John Trumbull and his brother Governor John Trumbull Jr.

American Revolution

Connecticut’s war effort during the Revolutionary War was directed from the War Office on the Green and the adjacent home of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull Sr.

"During the Revolutionary War, Governor Jonathan Trumbull [Sr.] convened the Council of Safety to deal with the defense of the colony of Connecticut and to supply provisions to the Continental Army. Many of the over 1,100 meetings were held in this building. Among major figures who participated in the work done here were General Knox, Putnam, the Count de Rochambeau, George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette."

Lauzun's Legion in Lebanon

In the winter and spring of 1781 (from November 1780 to June 21, 1781), the French Duc de Lauzin's Legion of Horse, comprising 220 soldiers, encamped in Lebanon. The troops were generally well behaved, which was apparently unusual for them -- they were later known for pillaging. A patrol of hussars, horses and all, did desert into the woods, and two less lucky Frenchmen, corporals Christoph Hand and Joseph Frank, were executed by firing squad in April 1781 for desertion. At this stage, however, the troops and officers were relatively well supervised. (The next winter, according to one officer, a fifth of the officers in the contingent engaged in duels with each other.)

"The rank and file included subjects of 15 European countries, from Ireland to Russia and from Denmark to Hungary. Just a third of the men were French. ... The officers hailed from Sweden and from France, from England and Ireland, from Poland and from sundry German states. Among them they spoke eight tongues, but by tradition and heritage the unit cursed in Hungarian," according to historian Robert A. Selig.

Lauzun himself was once described by Rochambeau as the "most amiable man in France." But he added that the duke was "often the most foolish...who never had enough force of character to be successful."

Residents made a bit of money off of the troops, but not much. In June, the soldiers rode off toward White Plains, New York. Lauzun later wrote in his memoirs, "Siberia alone can furnish any idea of Lebanon, which consists of a few huts scattered among vast forests." Lauzun was later praised by Rochambeau for his heroism. (He was later guillotined during the French Revolution).

Notable residents, present and past

Gov. Jonathan Trumbull

• William Beaumont (1785-1853), the "Father of Gastric Physiology," whose book describing digestion, published in 1833, became a classical medical study still used today.
• Nelson Dewey (1813-1889), first governor of Wisconsin (1848-1852) at the age of 35, born in town
• Ralph Gurley (1797-1872), a clergyman, chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, and an influential figure in the American Colonization Society, which offered passage to their colony in west Africa (now Liberia), to free black Americans.
• John Trumbull (1756–1843), famous American artist, born in town.
• Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740-1809), served as General George Washington's secretary during the American Revolution; later eight-term governor of the state
• Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710–1785), governor of Connecticut, father of Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., and a strong supporter of Washington during the American Revolutionary War, studied theology in Lebanon and later died in the town, where he is buried (PORTRAIT AT RIGHT)
• Joseph Trumbull (1737–1778), a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774 (he didn't attend sessions), and colonel in the Continental Army. He served as one of the Commissary Generals.
• Joseph Trumbull (1782–1861), represented Connecticut in the U.S. Congress and served as governor, grandson of Jonathan Trumbull Sr.
• Eleazar Wheelock (1711-1779), founder of Dartmouth College.
• William Williams (1731–1811), merchant and delegate for Connecticut to the Second Continental Congress in 1776, where he signed the Declaration of Independence.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 143.1 km² (55.2 mi²). 140.1 km² (54.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.9 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (2.05%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 6,907 people, 2,446 households, and 1,934 families residing in the town. The population density was 49.3/km² (127.6/mi²). There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 20.1/km² (52.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.89% White, 0.81% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.

There were 2,446 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $61,173, and the median income for a family was $63,198. Males had a median income of $45,952 versus $35,594 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,784. About 1.5% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage	Republican	1,195	40	1,235	25.72%	Democratic	1,178	49	1,227	25.56%	Unaffiliated	2,216	119	2,335	48.64%	Minor Parties	4	0	4	0.08%
Total		4,593	208	4,801	100%

External links

• Official town government Web site
• Jonathan Trumbull Library, the town public library
• Jonathan Trumbull, Junior House Museum
• Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District