Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It has an estimated population as of July 1,
2005 of 78,736.[1]
The city was named for the place of origin of many of the early settlers, Danbury,
Essex in England. Its nickname is Hat City because it used
to be a center of the hat industry, at one point producing 25% of America's hats.[citation needed]
Danbury is also the site of a low-security women's prison, the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute[2]
Danbury is home to Danbury Hospital and Danbury High School.
History
Danbury was first settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved to the area from the area that is now
Norwalk and Stamford. The area was
then called Paquiaqe by the Paquioque Native Americans. One of the first settlers was Samuel Benedict who bought land
from the Paquioque natives in 1685 along with his brother James, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. The settlers originally chose
the name Swampfield for their town, but in October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury.
Downtown Main Street scene, ca. 1907
During the American Revolution, Danbury was an important military supply depot
for the Continental army. On April 26-27, 1777, the British under Major General William
Tryon burned and looted the city. The central motto on the Seal of the City of Danbury is Restituimus
(Latin for "We have restored"), a reference to the destruction caused by the Loyalist army troops.
The American General David Wooster was mortally wounded near the city of Ridgefield,
Connecticut by these same British forces which had earlier attacked Danbury. He is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery, and the
private Wooster School in Danbury is named in his honor.
In 1780, the first hat factory in Danbury was established by Zadoc
Benedict, employing three workers and producing 18 hats a week. Danbury was known as "The Hat City" or the "Hatting
Capital of the World" during the early 20th Century.
In 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, a
religious group, in which he used the expression "Separation of Church and State". It is the first known instance of the
expression, which does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, contrary to
popular belief. (This letter is on display at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Danbury.)
The first Danbury Fair was held in 1821. By 1869, it became a yearly event and was held
until 1981. After 1981, the fairgrounds were demolished to make room for the Danbury Fair Mall.
Danbury reservoir disaster, January 31, 1869
In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the "Fairfield
County Railroad," but after 15 years, no work had been completed and investment was slow. In 1850, the organization's vast
plans were scaled back and it was renamed the "Danbury and Norwalk
Railroad." Work moved quickly on the 23-mile (37 km)
railroad line. In 1852, the first railroad line in Danbury opened, with two trains making the 75-minute trip to Norwalk.
The city of Danbury was incorporated April 19, 1889.
In 1902, the American Federation of Labor union called for a nationwide
boycott of a non-union hat manufacturer, Dietrich Loewe, in Danbury. The manufacturer sued the union under the Sherman Antitrust Act for unlawfully restraining trade. The Supreme Court held that the union was
liable for damages in 1908. This case is also known as the Danbury Hatters case.
"Scene of the Disaster at Danbury", January 31, 1869
A 60-acre (24 hectares) tract near the Danbury Fairgrounds
known as Tucker's Field was purchased by local pilots in 1928, and leased to the town. This became an airport, which is now
Danbury Municipal Airport (ICAO airport code: KDXR).
Connecticut's largest lake, Candlewood Lake, was
artificially created in 1929 where Wood Creek and the Rocky River meet near the Housatonic River. The lake is operated as a hydroelectric
power facility by the Connecticut Light and Power Company. In June 2006, Connecticut Light and Power company sold the man-made
lake for nine million dollars.
In the August 1988 issue of Money Magazine, Danbury topped the magazine's
list of the best U.S. cities to live in, mostly due to low crime, good schools, and location.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Danbury, where I-84 enters
Connecticut, was a popular place for out-of-staters to purchase Powerball tickets. Those who
live west of the Hudson River now usually find Pennsylvania more convienient for Powerball.
Historic pictures
Main Street looking east from White Street, 1907
|
National Hat Factory, about 1912
|
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 114.7 km² (44.3 mi²). 109.1 km² (42.1 mi²) of
it is land and 5.7 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (4.94%) is water. Danbury is located at 41°45.23′N,
73°16.85′W. Danbury also surrounds the southern parts of Candlewood
Lake.
Demographics
Historical
population
of Danbury[1] |
| 1756 |
1,527 |
| 1790 |
3,031 |
| 1820 |
3,873 |
| 1850 |
5,964 |
| 1880 |
11,666 |
| 1910 |
23,502 |
| 1940 |
27,921 |
| 1970 |
50,781 |
| 1980 |
60,470 |
| 1990 |
65,585 |
| 2000 |
74,848 |
| 2004 |
78,263
(est.)[2] |
As of July 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s total population at 78,736. This number does not include illegal
aliens, which various estimates have put at between 10,000 and 20,000.[1] In 2005, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said the city actually
numbers around near 90,000, due to recent immigration from Ecuador[2] and Brazil. An unofficial estimate is that there
are 5,000 Ecuadorians (mostly from the Andes province of Azuay) and 15,000 Brazilians (mostly from the southeastern state of
Minas Gerais). Danbury has the one of the largest concentration of immigrants from Brazil
for a city of its size.[citation needed]
As of the census² of 2000, there were
74,848 people, 27,183 households, and 17,886 families residing in the city. The population
density was 686.3/km² (1,777.4/mi²). There were 28,519 housing units at an average density of 261.5/km² (677.2/mi²). The
racial makeup of the city was 76.0% White, 6.8%
African American, 0.29% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.6% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.8% of the population.
There were 27,183 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were
non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
The population was distributed as follows: 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45
to 64, and 11.0% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every
100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,664, and the median income for a family was $61,899. Males had a median
income of $39,016 versus $31,319 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$24,500. About 5.9% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] |
| Party |
Active Voters |
Inactive Voters |
Total Voters |
Percentage |
| |
Democratic |
9,084 |
778 |
9,862 |
29.11% |
| |
Republican |
6,404 |
594 |
6,998 |
20.66% |
| |
Unaffiliated |
15,124 |
1,643 |
16,767 |
49.49% |
| |
Minor Parties |
226 |
27 |
253 |
0.75% |
| Total |
30,838 |
3,042 |
33,880 |
100% |
Economy
- ATMI Inc. (ATMI) -- headquarters 7 Commerce Drive; makes materials and materials packaging for semiconductor and flat panel
manufacturers worldwide; 700 employees companywide; $281.8 million in 2005
revenues; CEO Doug Neugold
- Cartus (a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation) -- headquarters, 40 Apple Ridge Road; Relocation; 1,800 employees (2,700 worldwide); CEO
Kevin Kelleher
- Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (ETH) -- headquarters, Ethan Allen Drive; designs,
manufactures and distributes furniture, rugs, lamps, draperies and other decorative home accessories sold by a network of more
than 300 Ethan Allen interior design centers in the United States and abroad; 6,400 employees companywide, 618 in Connecticut;
$949 million in 2005 revenues; CEO Farooq Kathwari
- Praxair Inc. (PX) -- headquarters, 39 Old Ridgebury Road; the Fortune 500 company makes and
sells industrial gases used worldwide in the electronics, metal fabrication, health care and food processing industries, also
makes metallic and ceramic powders and coatings; 27,000 employees companywide, 550 in Connecticut; $8.3 billion in 2006 revenues;
CEO Steve Angel
- Scholastic Library Publishing Inc. (a division of Scholastic Corporation) -- headquarters, 90 Sherman Turnpike; Scholastic Library publishes educational,
children's and reference books, including the Encyclopedia Americana (the first
encyclopedia published in the US), as well as Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre en Linea (the Spanish language encyclopedia) and
Lands and Peoples. Imprints include Franklin Watts and Children's Press]. Its interactive unit produces games and
interactive software, including Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (the
first encyclopedia in electronic form); Greg Worrell, division president
Government
The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two year term. The current
mayor is Mark Boughton-R. The Mayor is the presiding officer of the Common Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each
of the seven city wards, and seven at-large (Current
councilmembers). The Common Council enacts ordinances and resolutions by a simple majority vote. If the Mayor does not
approve the ordinance (similar to a veto), the Common Council may re-vote on it. If it then passes
with a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective without the Mayor's approval. The current Common Council consists of 14
Republicans and 7 Democrats. Danbury also has four state representatives, Rep. Jason Bartlett D-2nd, Rep. Joe Taborsak D-109,
Deputy Speaker of the House Bob Godfrey D-110, and Rep. Jan Gieglier R-138. There is one state senator who is David Cappiello
R-24.
Danbury's 2003 to 2004 mill rate is 24.29.
Danbury is also home to an Army Reserve Special Operations unit, the 411th
Civil Affairs Battalion.
Education
Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University. It is
also home to Danbury High School, Henry Abbott Technical High School, and Immaculate High
School.
Media
- The News-Times of Danbury, a daily newspaper owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.
- Tribuna Newspaper a biweekly,
bilingual(Portuguese/English) publication.
- WLAD-AM 800; 1,000 watts (daytime); 287 watts (nighttime)
- WDAQ-FM 98.3; 3,000 watts; owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation
- WXCI-FM 91.7; 3,000 watts; College radio station owned by Western Connecticut State University
and operated by past and present students. It receives funding from the Western Connecticut State University Student Government
Association.
Sites of interest
Hiking trails
- Bear Mountain Reservation
- The Old Quarry Nature Center has two short educational trails on 39 acres (15 hectares) off Mountainville Avenue.
- Tarrywile Mansion and Park is one of Danbury's most popular parks. There are 28 miles of trails as well as several
ponds located on the 800-acre (264 hectare) park. The historic Victorian mansion and gardens are
a common location for weddings.
- Other trails in the area can be found at berkshirehiking.com[4]
Parks
- Danbury Candlewood Park overlooks Candlewood Lake. Swimming, picnicking, and a boat launch are available in the 11.1 acre
(45,000 m²) park.
- Elmwood Park
- Hatters Community Park
- Kenosia Park
- Richter Park
- Rogers Park
- Tarrywile Park
Museums
Other
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Ball and Roller Bearing Company - 20-22 Maple Ave. (added September 25,
1989)
- Charles Ives House - 7 Mountainville Ave. (added May 26, 1976)
- Hearthstone - 18 Brushy Hill Rd. (added 1987)
- John Rider House - 43 Main St. (added December 23, 1977)
- Locust Avenue School - Locust Ave. (added June 30, 1985)
- Main Street Historic District (Danbury) - Boughton, Elm, Ives, Keeler, Main, West and White Sts. (added December 29, 1983)
- Meeker's Hardware - 86-90 White St. (added July 9, 1983)
- Octagon House - 21 Spring St. (added June 7, 1973)
- P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company - Oil Mill Rd. (added December 30, 1982)
- Tarrywile - Southern Blvd. & Mountain Rd. (added February 6, 1988)
- Union Station - White St. and Patriot Dr. (added October 25, 1986)
Sports
The United Hockey League (UHL) expanded to Danbury in
2004. The Danbury Trashers played their first season at
the Danbury Ice Arena in October 2004. Among those on the roster included Brent
Gretzky (brother of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky) and Scott Stirling (son of former
New York Islanders coach Steve Stirling).
Scott's older brother, Todd, coached the Trashers in the 2004-2005 season.
On June 9, 2006 the owner of the Trashers, James Galante, was arrested as part of a federal investigation into illegal practices in the Connecticut
garbage industry. Team executives were also charged with fraud as it was alleged the owner illegally subsidized players and
violated the league salary cap. The club folded due to the ongoing investigation and lack of teams within close proximity to
them.
As of 2006 a new team was created to occupy the ice arena, the New England Stars were formed to represent Danbury in the North Eastern Hockey League. The teams colors are red, black and gold.
Danbury High School carries a strong athletic tradition. They are perennial
powers in: wrestling, boys and girls track and field, boys cross country, baseball, basketball, and football. The wrestling,
cross country, and track teams have all numerous state titles and New England championships. All three programs are considered to
be nationally ranked annually.
Transportation
Danbury is the terminus of the Danbury branch line of the MTA Metro-North
Railroad which begins in Norwalk. The line was first built by the Norwalk
and Danbury Railroad which was later bought by the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad Company. Danbury was an important junction between the Danbury Branch and Maybrook Line. The
Maybrook line was the New Haven's main freight line which terminated in Maybrook, New
York, where the New Haven exchanged traffic with other railroads. After the ill-fated Penn Central took over the New Haven, the Maybrook line was shut down when a fire on the New
Haven bridge over the Hudson River made the line unusable. Many believe the fire was set by
Penn Central to reroute that freight traffic over their Boston & Albany
route to the north. Today, the historic station is part of the Danbury Railroad Museum. The Providence and Wooster Railroad,
along with the Housatonic Railroad provide local rail freight service in
Danbury.
Local bus service is provided by Housatonic Area Regional Transit
(HART).
The city is also the location of Danbury Municipal Airport
(DXR).
Notable people
- Marian Anderson, African-American opera singer
- Jonathan Brandis, actor
- Tracy Chapman, singer
- Frank Conniff (1914–1971), journalist and editor who won a 1956 Pulitzer Prize for
international reporting
- Charles Ives, one of America's most influential composers
- Laura Nyro, singer-songwriter
- Neil Rudenstine, ex-president of Harvard
University
- Dr. Ian Smith, panelist on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club;
twin brother also a native
- Michael Whelan, science fiction and fantasy artist
- Rose Wilder Lane, author, writer, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Jerry Nadeau, former NASCAR Nextel Cup driver (retired due to head injury)
- Peter Buck, co-founder of Subway
- Julius Baker, Principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic from 1965-83.
- John Hubbard Tweedy, member of Congress
- Samuel Tweedy (1776-1868)
was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
- Zalmon Wildman (1775-1835) was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
References
- ^ Doing Business in Danbury: Construction industry faring well on public school campuses, an
article by Bob Chuvala, Fairfield County Business Journal, August 21, 2006
- ^ Ecuadorian immigrants
in Danbury, by HatCity BLOG, Retrieved November 17, 2006
- ^ Registration and
Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF).
Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Hiking trail in Danbury, Berkshire hiking, Berkshire hiking, retrieved November
17, 2006
- ^ 2006 Book of Business Lists, Facts and People, published by Westfair
Communications Inc. of White Plains, N.Y., in conjunction with its Fairfield County Business Journal, page 57
See also
External links
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