Overview
The Naugatuck Valley region is a vibrant area of the Northeast and west central Connecticut, with robust communities, vast forested hills, beautiful waterways, and connective transportation corridors. As the ancestral homelands of several Algonquian-speaking Indigenous Tribes including the Paugussett, Schaghticoke, Tunxis, Wappinger, Quinnipiac, and Mohican Nations [1], the area has had a depth of significance to its Indigenous residents since time immemorial. Naugatuck itself is an Algonquin language term.
Under the onset of colonization to the area, beginning in the 16th century, a European trading post was established in Derby at the confluence of the Naugatuck and Housatonic River and their settlements were expanded across the area including in the Pomperaug River Valley and in Mattatuck, now known as the Greater Waterbury area of Naugatuck River Valley.[2]
In the 18th century, colonial residents of outlying settlements petitioned the General Assembly for the right to establish their Congregational parishes to avoid long treks in the winter to attend church. Present-day municipalities grew from this and many gained English-rooted names. For example, some colonial villages formed new towns, such as Forestville and Edgewood forming New Cambridge, which would become Bristol at the time of incorporation.[3]
In the 19th century, with the onset of the industrial revolution, major industrial enterprises developed along the Naugatuck River from Derby and Shelton north to Thomaston and beyond, assisted by the from the Naugatuck River and its tributaries.
By the time of the Civil War in 1861, the valley was a national leader in the manufacturing of brass and brass-related products including , and machines. The railroad enabled raw materials to be shipped to the region and finished products to be shipped to markets. A network of trolleys connected residential neighborhoods in Waterbury and the surrounding towns, transporting workers to the burgeoning factories. The growth of the industrial centers, supported by the agricultural productivity of the surrounding towns brought economic prosperity to the region.
Following World War II, auto ownership led to residential expansion in the region’s outer-lying farming communities. With the shift of rail to highway for goods movement and widespread auto ownership, industrial and business centers began to emerge in suburban towns around the region. Brass production soon left the region due to a variety of technological, economic and social factors. Despite these jolts, the innovations from the brass industry enabled local manufacturers to evolve into state-of-the-art precision metal fabrication firms.
In 1955, the region changed during a devastating flood on August 18-19. Due to torrential rains from two hurricanes, the water level of the Naugatuck River rose 27 feet and caused severe flooding. In Waterbury, the tragic event killed 29 city residents and led to more than 53 million dollars worth of damage. In a strategic recovery effort, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed three dams (the Thomaston Dam, the Northfield Brook Dam and the Colebrook Dam) to prevent catastrophic flooding along the Naugatuck River in the future. The dams act as critical infrastructure in the region and continue to be maintained to this day.
The Naugatuck Valley Region Today
The Naugatuck Valley region continues to be known for its cherished forests, hills, and rivers. The region is now home to diverse communities of peoples with numerous cultural activities occurring annually. Learn more about the NVCOG communities and activities across the region.
Indigenous residents, including members of the Golden Hill Paugussett Nation and Schaghticoke Nations, have worked to maintain their ancestral connections to the lands and continue to restore their cultures and livelihoods, despite the impacts of colonization in the area.[4]
The region has also become much more economically diversified since World War II, and recent technological changes have added to the dispersal of population and employment. Health services, banking, business services, educational services, as well as fabricated metal products, now lead the region’s economy. Municipalities are striving to restore and revive after the industrial era through numerous brownfields revitalization projects as well as ecological restoration of the Naugatuck River and the safe removal of Kinneytown Dam. The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments supports these efforts and recognizes the robust history and continued legacy of the area.
Facts About the Region
- The original Mickey Mouse watch was designed and manufactured in Waterbury.
- Ulysess Franklin “Frank” Grant, called the greatest African American baseball player of the 19th Century, was a 2nd baseman and power hitter for Ansonia.
- General Rochambeau and his men were guests at several homes in the area on their march to Yorktown in 1782.
- Carloine Ferriday of Bethlehem supported the French Resistance during WWII, arranging the rescue of 53 Polish women from a forced labor camp in Germany.
- Bristol is home to Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States.
- The wiffle ball was patented in Shelton in 1954, and over a million wiffle balls continue to be manufactured at the Wiffle Ball Factory there annually.
- Wallace Nutting was an influential art photographer in the early 1900s, who started an art commune at his Southbury compound.
- Many impressive homes of famous leaders still stand throughout the region!
Historic Resources Map
Learn more about the history of the Naugatuck Valley Region using the interactive storymap. The map features 108 historic sites and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service, along with 28 local museums you can visit. The map is accessible on desktops, mobile devices, and tablets.