Danbury, Connecticut

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Danbury, Connecticut
Skyline of Danbury, Connecticut
Official seal of Danbury, Connecticut
Seal
Nickname: "The Hat City"
Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°24′08″N, 73°28′16″W
NECTA Danbury
Region Housatonic Valley
Incorporated (town) 1702
Incorporated (city) 1889
Consolidated 1965
Government type Mayor-council
Mayor Mark D. Boughton (R)
Area  
 - City 44.3 mi² / 114.7 km²
 - Land 42.1 mi² / 109.1 km²
 - Water 2.2 mi² / 5.7 km²
 - Urban 320.1 km²
Population  
 - City (2005) 78,736[1]
 - Density 722/km²
 - Metro 163,000
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 0681x
Website: http://www.danbury-ct.gov/

Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States.

The 2000 census declared the population to be 74,848, but a July 1, 2005, update put it at 78,736.[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. Unofficial estimate is that there are 5,000 Ecuadorians (mostly from the Andes province of Azuay) and 15,000 Brazilians (mostly from the eastern province of Minas Gerais).

Danbury is one of the fastest-growing cities in Connecticut, possibly because the cost of living is relatively low compared to other regions within rail-commuting distance of New York City (via Metro North).

The city may have been named for the 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.

Danbury is the site of a low-security women's prison [3] and also a men's Federal prison which is now closed. Notable ex-prisoners include Unification Church leader the Rev. Son Myung Moon, actor Robert Lowe and hotel magnate Leona Helmsley. James Michael Curley, mayor of Boston from 1945-1949, spent five months of his mayoral term at Danbury Federal Prison, after he was convicted on federal charges of official misconduct.

Danbury Hospital is a 371-bed institution with 3,300 employees.[4] The hospital is the home of the new Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular center, providing state of the art cardiovascular care to this growing region including open heart surgery and coronary angioplasty.

Contents

[edit] 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.

During the American Revolution, Danbury was an important military depot. In April 1777, the British under Major General William Tryon burned and looted the city. American General David Wooster was killed defending 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 British army.

In 1780, the first hat factory in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict, employing three workers and producing 18 hats a week.

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.

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.

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 & 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.

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 2006 Conneticut Light and Power company sold the man-made lake in june for nine million dollars.

Danbury was voted #1 "city to live in" by Money Magazine in August 1988, mostly due to low crime, good schools, and location.

[edit] Large and distinctive companies

  • 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 (formely known as Cendant Mobility Services Corp.) -- headquarters, 40 Apple Ridge Road
  • 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; $7.6 billion in 2005 revenues; CEO Dennis H. Reilley
  • 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] Demographics

Historical population of
Danbury[1][2]
1756 1,527
1774 2,526
1782 2,747
1790 3,031
1800 3,180
1810 3,606
1820 3,873
1830 4,311
1840 4,504
1850 5,964
1860 7,234
1870 8,753
1880 11,666
1890 19,473
1900 19,474
1910 23,502
1920 22,325
1930 26,955
1940 27,921
1950 30,337
1960 39,382
1970 50,781
1980 60,470
1990 65,585
2000 74,848
2004 78,263 (estimate)

As of August 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s total population at 78,736 at one bureau Web site page, 72,312 at another, and the Hispanic and Latino population at 11,570 in 2005; its Asian population was estimated at 7,652. But those numbers don't not include illegal aliens, which various estimates have put at between 10,000 and 20,000.[5]

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 75.96% White, 6.76% African American, 0.29% Native American, 5.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.55% from other races, and 3.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.75% of the population.

The official information regarding ethnic composition, as well as per capita income is skewed somewhat. However, this situation applies to many other cities in the United States. The skewed nature of the data is a result of the many illegal aliens that have traveled to the city from Latin America.

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.

In the city the population was spread out with 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% who were 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[6]
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%

[edit] Law and government

The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two year term. The current mayor is Mark Boughton. 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 revote on it. If it then passes with a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective without the Mayor's approval.

Danbury's 2003 to 2004 mill rate is 24.29.

[edit] Colleges and universities

Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University.

[edit] Media

  • Danbury News-Times a daily newspaper owned by Ottaway, a subsidiary of Dow Jones.
  • Tribuna Newspaper a biweekly, bilingual(Portuguese/English) publication.
  • WLAD-AM 800; 1,000 watts (daytime); 287 watts (nightime)
  • 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 Governmetn Association.

[edit] Sites of interest

[edit] 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 seven miles (11 km) of trails as well as several ponds located on the 654-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[7]

[edit] 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

[edit] Museums

[edit] Other

[edit] 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)

[edit] Sports

Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
New England Stars NEHL Hockey Danbury Ice Arena 2006 0

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 exectutives 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.

[edit] 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, 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).

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Connecticut (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on November 17, 2006.
  2. ^ Ecuadorian immigrants in Danbury, by HatCity BLOG, Retrieved November 17, 2006
  3. ^ Danbury's low-security women prison, by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Facilities, Retrieved November 17, 2006
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ Doing Business in Danbury: Construction industry faring well on public school campuses, an article by Bob Chuvala, Fairfield County Business Journal, August 21, 2006
  6. ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
  7. ^ Hiking trail in Danbury, Berkshire hiking, Berkshire hiking, retrieved November 17, 2006
  8. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.

[edit] External links

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