to
Update
is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire .
When Cheshire was originally settled in 1694 by Europeans, it was part of the town of Wallingford and known locally as "Northfarms". In 1780, Cheshire separated from Wallingford to become its own town, and remained a small but prosperous farming town until the 1950s.
In the post-war period, Cheshire began to urbanize as residents of New Haven began moving outwards from the urban core. Several industrial plants also located themselves in one of the town's many planned industrial parks. Despite significant residential development, Cheshire has remained a highly agricultural town that has found an economic niche in producing bedding plants for local and national consumers. The town's slogan is "The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut".
Connecticut's 2nd worst air disaster took place over Cheshire in 1946 (1/18/46) when an Eastern Airlines DC-3 crashed in town. The crash occurred near Wolf Hill Road and Copper Valley Court, on land that is today occupied by a country club. All seventeen people aboard the aircraft lost their lives.
On January 6, 2008 over 130,000 luminary candles were lit in front of thousands of homes across Cheshire in "Cheshire Lights of Hope", a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis and a tribute to the Petit family, victims of the July 23, 2007 home invasion.Founded by local couple, Don and Jenifer Walsh, they raised over $100,000 for Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle Memorial fund.