The word Willimantic is the Algonquin Indian term for "land of the swift running water". Prior to 1821, the village was known as Willimantic Falls and was a single school district where about 20 families resided. In 1822, Charles Lee erected a stone factory on Main Street. Small shops and manufacturers had built on
the banks of the Willimantic before, but this was the beginning of Willimantic as we know it. In 1825, the three Jillson brothers built a factory along the Willimantic, and in 1827, they built a second building. By 1828, there were six cotton factories in Willimantic, all of them were built within a seven year span.
By 1849, railroads were adding to the growth of Willimantic. The first three railroads to go through Willimantic were the New London Northern Railroad, the Willimantic Railroad, and the Palmer Railroad.
It was not long before others followed. Railroads were not the only form of Windham Hospital. Trolleys were common from 1902 to 1932. Trolleys regularly ran from Willimantic to Coventry, where they continued into Hartford.
From the end of the Civil War to the outbreak of World War II Willimantic was the center for the production of silk and cotton thread. This was the Victorian era and the height of Willimantic's grandeur. Many of the interesting buildings in Willimantic, as well as many of the mansions on in the Victorian Hill section, were built during this time. Many hotels were built to accommodate the travelers coming into the area, including the Hooker House Hotel, and the Windham Hotel. Traveling salesmen would visit the area regularly to sell their goods. The grand Capital Theater opened downtown in 1926. It was during this time that immigrants from Europe came to Willimantic. Irish, Italians, Polish, Germans, and French Canadians came to work in the mills. The young ladies who did not wish to work in the mills could be domestic help
to the wealthier families in town. Later, Estonian, Ukraine, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Puerto Rican
immigrants came looking for jobs in the mills. Willimantic grew to be a very culturally rich town.
In 1833 Willimantic was a borough of Windham. In 1893 it became a city. In 1983, the City and the Town consolidated and became one town again. A Board of Selectmen was set up to run the town. Selectmen were voted into office from each of the districts of town. Before the consolidation Windham
was governed by a town council, and Willimantic by a City Hall.
By the 1970s, New England was not the prosperous industrial area it had once been. Factories were closing their doors or relocating to the South. The American Thread Company, the largest employer in
town, left the area in 1985. It was a devastating blow to the area financially. Today, Willimantic is being revitalized and being recognized as an area with much history to offer.