As the millennium approaches, New Britain residents have an additional reason to celebrate. The Year 2000 marks New Britain,'s Sesquicentennial anniversary of its incorporation as a town. The year of its founding, 1850, was indeed a pivotal year for this manufacturing hub located in the middle of Connecticut. New Britain was once a rural area dotted with blacksmith shops and mills, but quickly evolved into a thriving manufacturing center. The din of factory whistles and the continuous flow of the varied accents of immigrants soon enlivened this sleepy little town. New Britain,'s rise in the manufacturing world is surprising, as the town is less than 14 square miles in size and originally had no large natural body of water nor a railroad running through it. However, New Britain came to be one of the most important manufacturing centers in the country.