[3] The area known as Manchester began its recorded history as the camping grounds of a small band of peaceful Native Americans known as the Podunk tribe.

The area was settled by colonists around 1673, some 40 years after Thomas Hooker led a group of Puritans from Massachusetts Bay Colony to found Hartford.

[4] At the time, the community was known as Orford Parish, a name that can still be found on the memorial to local Revolutionary War soldiers.

The owner of the glassworks, Captain Richard Pitkin, was given a 25-year monopoly on glass as recompense for providing gunpowder to the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Eventually, the Cheney family employed a quarter of residents and actively recruited immigrants to work in the mills.

Today, the Cheney Brothers Historic District[12] showcases mills refurbished as apartments and includes nearby museums.

[14] The town is home to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, as well as Shady Glen, a restaurant recognized by the James Beard Foundation in 2012 as an American classic, and has been featured on Food Network.

[19] The Lutz Children's Museum has participatory exhibits covering art, history, science, nature and ethnology.

Permanent exhibits include examples of Cheney silk, Pitkin glass, and Spencer Repeating Rifles; the museum also houses the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame.

[23] Wickham Park, a non-profit private foundation, is located on Manchester and East Hartford property.

Charter Oak Park, located in downtown, is popular for basketball, softball, and tennis, and includes four community soccer field.

The park underwent a $2 million renovation in 2017 which improved existing infrastructure in addition to adding a musical garden, jogging tracks, bathrooms, and an upgraded playground.

The event has also endowed an annual scholarship for local area high school students pursuing further education.

[25][26] Manchester Country Club opened in 1917 and was originally designed by Tom Bendelow and Deveroux Emmet.

[27] Perhaps the most enduring sports legacy of the town is the Manchester Road Race, a 4.748 mile footrace which is held every Thanksgiving morning.

The event attracts over 10,000 participants, including Olympians, world record holders, and international athletes, in addition to thousands of spectators.

Several former players continued their career to the major leagues, including former Red Sox catcher and veteran Ryan Lavarnway.

The department is an all hazards agency, providing a range of services including fire suppression, fire prevention, vehicle extrication, high and low angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, hazardous materials response, and Advanced Life Support (paramedic level) medical care.

[34] The Town of Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS Department was organized in 1897 after a fire destroyed the Weldon business block.

The department was an all hazards agency providing a range of services including fire suppression, fire prevention, vehicle extrication, high and low angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, hazardous materials response, and Advanced Life Support (paramedic level) medical care.

The Patrol Lieutenants, Sergeants, and Officers, providing the Town of Manchester with public safety services all hours of that day and night, is the backbone of the agency.

Also included in this division is the CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) Manager, Recruitment and Hiring, and the Field Training Unit.

The Capital Region Emergency Services Team (CREST) is a multi-agency Regional Tactical Team staffed by dedicated and highly trained Officers from Manchester, Glastonbury, Vernon, South Windsor, Wethersfield, Enfield, East Windsor, Coventry, Rocky Hill, Cromwell and the University of Connecticut Police Department.

The following are considered Critical Incidents handled by CREST: Hostage Incidents, Barricaded Suspects, Sniper Situations, High Risk Arrests, High Risk Warrant Service, Special Assignments such as executive protection, event protection.

The Officers assigned to CREST have to undergo a rigorous selection process consisting of a physical fitness test, a firearms evaluation, and an oral board with current team leaders.

ASM also provides intercept and transport paramedic service to a number of towns in Hartford, Tolland, and Windham counties.

Bradley International Airport, in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, is twenty minutes north of downtown Hartford.