Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury, Connecticut | ||
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City | ||
FIPS code 09-18430 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 206580 | |
Airport | Danbury Municipal Airport | |
Interstates | ||
U.S. Highways | ||
State Routes | ||
Commuter rail | ||
Website | www |
Danbury (/ˈdænbɛəri/ DAN-bair-ee) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest city in Connecticut.[3]
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City" because it was the center of the American hat industry for a period in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The mineral danburite is named for Danbury while the city itself is named for Danbury in Essex, England.[4]
Danbury is home to Danbury Hospital, Western Connecticut State University, Danbury Fair Mall, and Danbury Municipal Airport.
History
Danbury was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now
One of the original settlers in Danbury was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from the Paquioque in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. This area was also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by the Paquioque.[5] In recognition of the wetlands, the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town. In October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the new town's boundaries. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702.
During the Revolutionary War, Danbury was an important military supply depot for the Continental Army. Sybil Ludington, 16-year-old daughter of American Colonel Henry Ludington, is said to have made a 40-mile ride in the early hours of the night on April 26, 1777, to warn the people of Danbury and her father's forces in Putnam County, New York, of the approach of British regulars, helping them muster in defense; these accounts, originating from the Ludington family, are questioned by modern scholars.[6][7][8]
During the following day on April 26, 1777, the British, under Major General William Tryon, burned and sacked Danbury, but fatalities were limited due to Ludington's warning. 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 at the Battle of Ridgefield by the British forces which had raided Danbury, but at the beginning of the battle, the Americans succeeded in driving the British forces down to Long Island Sound.[9] Wooster is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery; the private Wooster School in Danbury also was named in his honor.
In 1802, President
The first
In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the
The central part of Danbury was incorporated as a borough in 1822. The borough was reincorporated as the city of Danbury on April 19, 1889. The city and town were consolidated on January 1, 1965.
The first dam to be built on the river, to collect water for the hat industry, impounded the Kohanza Reservoir. This dam broke on January 31, 1869, under pressure of ice and water. The ensuing flood of icy water killed 11 people within 30 minutes, and caused major damage to homes and farms.[12]
As a busy city, Danbury attracted traveling shows and tours, including
In 1928 local plane pilots bought a 60-acre (24 ha) tract near the Fairgrounds, known as Tucker's Field, and leased it to the town. This was developed as an airport, which is now Danbury Municipal Airport (ICAO: KDXR).
Connecticut's largest lake,
During World War II, Danbury's federal prison was one of many sites used for the incarceration of conscientious objectors. One in six inmates in the United States' federal prisons was a conscientious objector, and prisons like Danbury found themselves suddenly filled with large numbers of highly educated men skilled in social activism. Due to the activism of inmates within the prison, and local laborers protesting in solidarity with the conscientious objectors, Danbury became one of the nation's first prisons to desegregate its inmates.[15][16][17]
On August 18–19, 1955, the Still River, which normally meandered slowly through downtown Danbury, overflowed its banks when Hurricane Diane hit the area, dropping six inches of rain on the city. This was in addition to the nine inches that fell from Hurricane Connie five days earlier.[18] The water flooded stores, factories and homes along the river from North Street to Beaver Brook, causing $3 million in damages. Stores downtown on White Street between Main and Maple were especially hard hit. On October 13–16, another 12 inches of rain fell on Danbury, causing the worst flooding in the city's history. This time, the river damaged all bridges across it, effectively cutting the city in half for several days. Flooding was more widespread than in August, and the same downtown areas hit in August were devastated once again. The resulting damage was valued at $6 million, and two people lost their lives. The City determined the river in the downtown area had to be tamed. $4.5 million in federal and state funding were acquired as part of a greater urban renewal project to straighten, deepen, widen, and enclose the river in a concrete channel through the downtown. At the same time, roads were relocated and rebuilt, 123 major buildings were razed and 104 families were relocated. This began various efforts by the City through 1975 towards urban renewal, using another $22 million of federal funding. However, these efforts failed to reinvigorate the central business district.[19]
On February 13, 1970, brothers James and John Pardue detonated time bombs (injuring 26 people) at the police station, Union Savings Bank and in their getaway car to cover their escape from robbing the bank at gunpoint, the culmination of a two-year crime spree that included four bank robberies and five murders.[20]
The flawed
In the August 1988 issue of
A case that would make national headlines and play out for over four years began on September 19, 2006, when eleven day laborers, who came to be known as the "Danbury 11", were arrested in Danbury. A sting operation had been set up where day laborers were lured into a van whose driver, a disguised Danbury police officer posing as a contractor, promised them work. The laborers were driven to a parking lot where, if it was determined they were in the US illegally, were arrested by agents of ICE and the Danbury police. Yale University law students represented the men pro bono and filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city on their behalf. On March 8, 2011, it was confirmed a settlement had been reached in the case whereby Danbury agreed to pay the laborers $400,000 (Danbury's insurance carrier paid the settlement plus legal fees of close to $1,000,000, less a $100,000 deductible). The federal government agreed to pay them $250,000. As part of the settlement, the City did not admit any wrongdoing and there were no changes in the city's policies or procedures.[22][23][24]
Hatmaking in Danbury
In 1780, what is traditionally considered to be the first hat shop in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict. (Hatmaking had existed in Danbury before the Revolution.) The Benedict shop had three employees, and they made 18 hats weekly.[25][26][27]: 47–48 By 1800, Danbury was producing 20,000 hats annually, more than any other city in the U.S.[28] Due to the fur felt hat coming back into style for men and increasing mechanization in the 1850s, by 1859 hat production in Danbury had risen to 1.5 million annually. By 1887, thirty factories were producing 5 million hats per year.[27]: 52 Around this time, fur processing was separated from hat manufacturing when the P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company (1884) on Oil Mill Road and the White Brothers' factory began operation.[28]
By 1880, workers had unionized, beginning decades of labor unrest. They struggled to achieve conditions that were more fair, going on strike; with management reacting with lockouts. Because of the scale of the industry, labor unrest and struggles over wages affected the economy of the entire town. In 1893, nineteen manufacturers locked out 4000 union hatters. In 1902, the
Beginning in 1892, the industry was revolutionized when the large hat factories began to shift to manufacturing unfinished hat bodies only, and supplying them to smaller hat shops for finishing. While Danbury produced 24% of America's hats in 1904, the city supplied the industry with 75% of its hat bodies.[27]: 57 The turn of the century was the heyday of the hatting industry in Danbury, when it became known as the "Hat City" and the "Hatting Capitol of the World". Its motto was "Danbury Crowns Them All".
Mercury poisoning
The use of mercuric nitrate in the felting process poisoned many workers in the hat factories, creating a condition called erethism, also called "mad hatter disease."[29] The condition, known locally as the "Danbury shakes", was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and, in extreme cases, hallucinations.[30][31] The effect of mercury on the workers' health was first noted in the late 19th century. While workers in the Danbury factories lobbied for controls on mercury in the early 20th century, a government study on the health effects of mercury was not conducted until 1937. The State of Connecticut announced a ban on mercury in hatmaking in 1941.[32]
While Danbury hat factories stopped using mercury in the 1940s, the mercury waste has remained in the
Industry decline
By the 1920s, the hat industry was in decline. By 1923, only six manufacturers were left in Danbury, which increased the pressure on workers. After World War II, returning GIs went hatless, a trend that accelerated through the 1950s, dooming the city's hat industry.[27]: 64–65 The city's last major hat factory, owned by Stetson, closed in 1964.[35] The last hat was made in Danbury in 1987 when a small factory owned by Stetson closed.[36][37]
Historic pictures
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Main Street looking east from White Street, 1907
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National Hat Factory, about 1912
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View of a hat factory, 1911
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Danbury station, c. 1910
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Revolutionary Sycamore
Geography
According to the
A geologic fault known as Cameron's Line runs through Danbury.
Neighboring towns
Pollution
The hatmaking fur-removal process was based on the use of mercury nitrate. The waste caused serious water pollution as the hat manufacturers dumped it into the Still River throughout the late 19th century and into the 1940s. This toxic product flowed into the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound, affecting water quality and various fish and other organisms.[26][38]
Field studies conducted in the Still River basin in the 21st century have detected the continuing presence of high levels of mercury in the river sediments and nearby soils.[26][33]
Climate
Danbury has a
Climate data for Danbury, Connecticut (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1937–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
78 (26) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
97 (36) |
105 (41) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
91 (33) |
82 (28) |
80 (27) |
106 (41) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
58.6 (14.8) |
69.1 (20.6) |
83.3 (28.5) |
90.3 (32.4) |
93.7 (34.3) |
96.0 (35.6) |
93.6 (34.2) |
87.7 (30.9) |
79.2 (26.2) |
69.3 (20.7) |
59.2 (15.1) |
97.7 (36.5) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
47.9 (8.8) |
61.0 (16.1) |
71.8 (22.1) |
80.6 (27.0) |
85.5 (29.7) |
82.2 (27.9) |
75.1 (23.9) |
63.2 (17.3) |
51.1 (10.6) |
40.5 (4.7) |
61.2 (16.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.0 (−2.2) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
37.8 (3.2) |
49.7 (9.8) |
60.0 (15.6) |
69.3 (20.7) |
74.4 (23.6) |
72.3 (22.4) |
64.4 (18.0) |
52.7 (11.5) |
41.9 (5.5) |
32.5 (0.3) |
51.1 (10.6) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
38.5 (3.6) |
48.2 (9.0) |
58.1 (14.5) |
63.4 (17.4) |
61.8 (16.6) |
54.0 (12.2) |
42.2 (5.7) |
32.7 (0.4) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
41.1 (5.0) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 1.3 (−17.1) |
5.2 (−14.9) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
34.3 (1.3) |
44.4 (6.9) |
52.5 (11.4) |
49.8 (9.9) |
38.7 (3.7) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
8.7 (−12.9) |
−1.4 (−18.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) |
−16 (−27) |
−9 (−23) |
14 (−10) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
38 (3) |
37 (3) |
23 (−5) |
16 (−9) |
0 (−18) |
−11 (−24) |
−18 (−28) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.74 (95) |
3.28 (83) |
4.43 (113) |
4.17 (106) |
4.23 (107) |
4.83 (123) |
4.98 (126) |
4.88 (124) |
4.89 (124) |
4.97 (126) |
4.02 (102) |
4.65 (118) |
56.04 (1,423) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 15.7 (40) |
11.0 (28) |
10.4 (26) |
1.7 (4.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
8.6 (22) |
49.3 (125) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 7 (18) |
9 (23) |
6 (15) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
5 (13) |
12 (30) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.0 | 10.8 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 13.1 | 12.0 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 12.0 | 134.3 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.0 | 6.0 | 4.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 26.6 |
Source: NOAA[40][41] |
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1756 | 1,527 | — |
1790 | 3,031 | +98.5% |
1800 | 3,180 | +4.9% |
1810 | 3,606 | +13.4% |
1820 | 3,873 | +7.4% |
1830 | 4,311 | +11.3% |
1840 | 4,504 | +4.5% |
1850 | 5,964 | +32.4% |
1860 | 7,234 | +21.3% |
1870 | 8,753 | +21.0% |
1880 | 11,666 | +33.3% |
1890 | 19,473 | +66.9% |
1900 | 19,474 | +0.0% |
1910 | 23,502 | +20.7% |
1920 | 22,325 | −5.0% |
1930 | 26,955 | +20.7% |
1940 | 27,921 | +3.6% |
1950 | 30,337 | +8.7% |
1960 | 39,382 | +29.8% |
1970 | 50,781 | +28.9% |
1980 | 60,470 | +19.1% |
1990 | 65,585 | +8.5% |
2000 | 74,848 | +14.1% |
2010 | 80,893 | +8.1% |
2020 | 86,518 | +7.0% |
U.S. Decennial Census[42] 2018 Estimate[43] Population by Decade 1790–2010[44] State of Connecticut[45] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[46] |
It's estimated that the population of Danbury as of 2015 is 84,657.
6.7% of the population was under the age of 5, and 21.1% was under the age of 18. 11.1% of the population was 65 years of age or older. 50.9% of the population was female.
The per capita income for the city was $31,411. 11.1% of the population was below the poverty line. The median gross monthly rent was $1,269.
In 2015 the median income for a household in the city was approximately $66,676.[47]
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2023 [48] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
Unaffiliated | 19,671 | 1,287 | 20,958 | 45.53% | |
Democratic | 14,260 | 787 | 15,047 | 32.69% | |
Republican | 8,760 | 487 | 9,247 | 20.08% | |
Minor parties | 731 | 52 | 783 | 1.7% | |
Total | 43,422 | 2,613 | 46,035 | 100% |
When
Economy
In 2016 Danbury's workforce was approximately 79,400 workers. 12,200 (15.4%) of them worked in goods producing industries. 67,200 (84.6%) of them worked in service providing industries which includes: trade, transportation and utilities (17,300), professional and business services (9,400), leisure and hospitality (7,300), government (10,200) and all other (23,000). In Nov. 2016, the unemployment rate for the Danbury Labor Market Area was 3.0%, compared to 3.7% for the State and 4.6% nationally.[49]
The top employers in the city in 2020 were:[50]
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Western CT Health Network-Danbury | 3,300 |
2 | Boehringer Ingelheim | 2,500 |
3 | Danbury School Systems | 2,400 |
4 | Cartus
|
1,300 |
5 | IQVIA | 1,040 |
6 | Western Connecticut State University | 650 |
7 | Praxair | 602 |
8 | UTC B.F. Goodrich | 550 |
9 | City of Danbury | 548 |
10 | Pitney Bowes | 315 |
Government
The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two-year term. The current mayor is Roberto Alves (D). The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each of the seven city
Danbury's Fiscal Year 2020–2021
Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties
|
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 58.93% 18,869 | 39.94% 12,788 | 1.13% 364 |
2016 | 55.75% 16,084 | 40.30% 11,626 | 3.95% 1,139 |
2012 | 58.45% 15,290 | 40.48% 10,590 | 1.07% 281 |
2008 | 59.41% 16,028 | 39.78% 10,732 | 0.81% 219 |
2004 | 51.34% 13,477 | 47.24% 12,399 | 1.42% 372 |
2000 | 55.13% 12,987 | 39.78% 9,371 | 5.09% 1,199 |
1996 | 53.59% 12,102 | 35.27% 7,965 | 11.14% 2,515 |
1992 | 38.35% 9,909 | 39.90% 10,310 | 21.75% 5,621 |
1988 | 42.10% 10,071 | 57.23% 13,690 | 0.66% 158 |
1984 | 35.38% 8,922 | 64.01% 16,143 | 0.61% 154 |
1980 | 40.04% 9,374 | 48.30% 11,308 | 11.67% 2,732 |
1976 | 46.50% 10,379 | 52.76% 11,777 | 0.74% 166 |
1972 | 37.51% 8,186 | 60.81% 13,271 | 1.69% 368 |
1968 | 48.12% 9,602 | 44.85% 8,948 | 7.03% 1,403 |
1964 | 69.30% 12,932 | 30.70% 5,728 | 0.00% 0 |
1960 | 54.53% 10,363 | 45.47% 8,640 | 0.00% 0 |
1956 | 34.11% 5,816 | 65.89% 11,233 | 0.00% 0 |
Infrastructure
Education
Public schools
Parochial schools
Roman Catholic schools in Danbury reside within the administration of the Diocese of Bridgeport and include:
- 1 high school: Immaculate High School(9–12)
- 3 elementary schools: St Peter-Sacred Heart School (Pre-K–8),[60] St. Gregory the Great School (Pre-K–8),[61] and St. Joseph School (Pre-K–8)
Other parochial schools in Danbury are:
Private schools
- Hudson Country Montessori School[64]
- New England Country Day School[65]
- Wooster School
Post-secondary schools
Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University and a campus of Naugatuck Valley Community College.[66]
Danbury Federal Correctional Institution
Danbury is the site of a low-security men's and women's prison, the
Libraries
The Danbury Public Library was established in 1869.[71]
The Long Ridge Library is a small library occupying an old schoolhouse on Long Ridge Road in Danbury. It was founded in 1916.[72]
Places of worship
Danbury is home to numerous churches, three synagogues, two mosques, and a Hindu temple.
Mass media
Danbury is in the New York City TV market and receives its TV stations. Some TV stations in the Hartford-New Haven are also available to Danbury viewers.
- The News-Times – a daily newspaper owned by Hearst Communications.
- Tribuna Newspaper – a biweekly, bilingual (Portuguese/English) news publication.
- HamletHub Danbury – a local news publication.
- WFAR-FM, 93.3 MHz, low-power – religious (Christian) and ethnic/Portuguese-language programming.
- WLAD-AM, 800 kHz, 1000 watts (daytime), 287 watts (nighttime) – news/talk format, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.
- WDAQ-FM 98.3 MHz, 1300 watts – hot adult contemporary format, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.
- WDAQ-HD2 FM, 103.7 MHz – alternative rock format, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.[73]
- WDAQ-HD3 FM, 107.3 MHz – new country music, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.[74]
- WDAQ-HD4 FM, 94.5 MHz – "The Hawk" – classic rock format, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.[75]
- WAXB, 850 kHz AM / 94.5 MHz FM, 2500 watts (daytime only) – Spanish-language adult hits, owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation.
- WXCI-FM, 91.7 MHz, 3000 watts – non-profit, college radio station, owned by Western Connecticut State University and operated by past and present students
- WRKI-FM, 95.1 MHz, 50000 watts – classic rock music, owned by Townsquare Media; debuted on December 24, 1976.
- WDBY-FM, 105.5 MHz ("Kicks 105.5") – contemporary country music, owned by Townsquare Media.
- CBS Sports Radio, owned by Townsquare Media.
Public utilities
The Public Utilities Division operates and maintains the City of Danbury's Water Division, water utility infrastructure, sanitary sewer infrastructure, which includes several large water supply dams, a closed landfill, landfill gas collection system, and administer programs for recycling and disposal of solid waste.[76] The Division oversees a Water Pollution Control Plant, operated by Veolia Water North America, and a public yard waste management processing center, located on Plumtrees Road, in accordance with an agreement between the City of Danbury and Total Landscaping and Tree Service. The sewer fund makes up 80 percent of Danbury's 2019–2020 Adopted Capital Projects Budget, accounting for $103 million of the $127 million budget to maintain the plant.[77]
In October 2020, the city renamed its water pollution control plant the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant after John Oliver, the host of the late-night comedy program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver jokingly insulted the city. Oliver attended the unveiling ceremony in person as a condition of Mayor Boughton.[78][79]
Transportation
Highways
Buses
Local bus service is provided by Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART), and connects the entire Greater Danbury region as well as various train stations along the Harlem Line in Putnam County and Westchester County. A shuttle also operates between Downtown Danbury and Norwalk.
Railroad
Danbury is the
Frequent direct rail access to New York City is also available from Brewster station along Metro-North's Harlem Line. The station is located just over the New York state line, roughly 8 miles from downtown. Plans are also being made to connect Danbury station to the Harlem Line, utilizing existing Maybrook Line track which is owned by the MTA. This plan has been dubbed the "Fast track to NYC", as it will provide more frequent access between Danbury and Grand Central Terminal. In June 2022, a $2 million federal grant was approved to study the environmental impacts of the project.[81]
Airports
Danbury is within reasonable distance of 11 airports: four general aviation, two regional, five international. The city is also the location of Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR).
General aviation airports | Distance from Downtown/Location |
---|---|
Danbury Municipal Airport | 2 miles southwest in Danbury, Connecticut |
Waterbury–Oxford Airport | 18 miles northeast in Oxford, Connecticut |
Sikorsky Memorial Airport | 23 miles southeast in Stratford, Connecticut |
Teterboro Airport | 49 miles southwest in Teterboro, New Jersey |
Regional airports | Distance form Downtown/Location |
---|---|
Westchester County Airport | 26 miles southwest in Westchester County, New York |
Tweed New Haven Airport | 30 miles southeast in East Haven, Connecticut |
Stewart Airport | 34 miles west in Newburgh, New York |
International airports | Distance from Downtown/Location |
---|---|
LaGuardia Airport | 48 miles southwest in Queens, New York
|
John F. Kennedy International Airport | 54 miles south in Queens, NY |
Bradley International Airport | 55 miles northeast in Windsor Locks, Connecticut |
Newark Liberty International Airport | 61 miles southwest in Newark, New Jersey |
Sites of interest
Hiking trails
- Bear Mountain Reservation[82]
- The Old Quarry Nature Center has two short educational trails on 39 acres (16 ha)[83]
- Tarrywile Mansion and Park[84] has 21 miles (34 km) of trails and several ponds on 722 acres (292 ha), as well as a Victorian mansion and gardens. The Ives Trail runs through the park.
- The Ives Trail is a 20-mile stretch of trail that runs from Bennett's Pond in Ridgefield through Danbury to Redding. The Charles Ives House and Hearthstone Castle are located along this trail.
Parks
- Bear Mountain Park
- Blind Brook Park
- Candlewood Town Park
- Danbury Dog Park at Margerie Lake Reservoir
- Danbury Dog Park at Miry Brook
- Elmwood Park
- Farrington Woods
- Hatters Park
- Highland Playground
- Joseph Sauer Memorial Park
- Kennedy Park
- Lake Kenosia Park
- Lions Club Children's Park on Rowan Street
- Memorial Park
- Old Quarry Nature Center
- Richter Park
- Rogers Park
- Rogers Park Playground
- Stephen A. Kaplanis Field
- Still River Greenway
- Tarrywile Park
- Tom West Park[85]
Museums
Other
- The Connecticut 9/11 Memorial by sculptor Henry Richardson is located in Danbury in Elmwood Park.[86]
- The Danbury Fair Mallwas built on the old fairgrounds in 1986.
- Danbury is also home to an Special Operations unit, the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion.
- coronary angioplasty.
- Richter Park Golf Course is Danbury's municipal golf course[90] and hosts numerous tournaments such as the annual Danbury Amateur and American Junior Golf Association majors. It has won a variety of awards, including being a "Top 10 Connecticut Course" and the "#2 Best Public Course in the NY Metropolitan Area".[91]
- The Summit at Danbury is one of the largest office complexes in Connecticut
- Danbury Ice Arena
- The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant
National Register of Historic Places
Name | Location | Date added to NRHP
|
---|---|---|
Ball and Roller Bearing Company | 20–22 Maple Ave. | September 25, 1989 |
Charles Ives House | 7 Mountainville Ave. | May 26, 1976 |
Hearthstone | 18 Brushy Hill Rd. | December 31, 1987 |
John Rider House | 43 Main St. | added December 23, 1977 |
Locust Avenue School |
Locust Ave. | June 30, 1985 |
Main Street Historic District | Boughton, Elm, Ives, Keeler, Main, West and White Sts. | December 29, 1983 |
Meeker's Hardware | 86–90 White St. | July 9, 1983 |
Octagon House | 21 Spring St. | June 7, 1973 |
P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company | Oil Mill Rd. | December 30, 1982 |
Tarrywile |
Southern Blvd. & Mountain Rd. | February 6, 1988 |
Union Station (Danbury Railway Museum) | White St. and Patriot Dr. | October 25, 1986 |
Richter House (Richter Memorial Park) | 100 Aunt Hack Road | September 17, 2010 |
Sports
Ice hockey
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. The team folded in 2006 after its owner, coach and management were charged (and later convicted) of several charges of wire fraud and racketeering.[92][93][94]
On December 27, 2009, Danbury was named the first city to officially have a team in the newly formed
The
Other sports
The Danbury Westerners, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, play their home games at Rogers Park in Danbury.
Danbury-based amateur soccer team Villanovence FC play in the United Premier Soccer League.
Danbury High School carries a strong athletic tradition in wrestling, boys and girls track and field, boys cross country, baseball, tennis, basketball, and football. The wrestling, boys cross country, and boys track teams have all numerous state titles and New England championships. All three programs are considered to be nationally ranked annually.
Western Connecticut State University is a member of the
The Danbury Hatters Cricket Club formed in 2001 and has been playing cricket in Southern Connecticut along with other cities such as Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury and West Haven. Their home ground is Broadview Middle School.[96]
The Western Connecticut Militia is a semi-professional football team that played in the
Notable people
- Renata Adler, author, journalist and film critic
- Willard H. Allen (1893–1957), New Jersey secretary of agriculture
- Marian Anderson (1897–1993), singer
- Sylvia Sydney (1910–1999), actress[98]
- James Montgomery Bailey, 19th century Danbury News editor
- Matt Barnes, professional baseball player
- Zadoc Benedict, the first hat maker of Danbury
- Jonathan Brandis (1976–2003), actor
- Peter Buck (1930–2021), co-founder, Subway sandwich restaurants[99]
- Austin Calitro, professional football player
- Ray Cappo, singer
- Neil Cavuto, television anchor
- Frank Conniff (1914–1971), 1956 Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
- Mackenzie Fierceton, activist
- Ken Green, professional golfer
- Lee Hartell, Medal of Honorrecipient
- Charles Ives (1874–1954), composer[100]
- Joe Lahoud, professional baseball player
- Steven Kaplan, American economist and professor
- Carole King, singer-songwriter[101]
- Rose Wilder Lane, author, writer, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Jimmy Monaghan, Irish musician and former boxer
- Jerry Nadeau, professional auto racing driver
- skeptic
- Laura Nyro (1947–1997), musician, songwriter, bandleader, singer
- Elizabeth Peyton, painter
- Chet Powers a.k.a. Dino Valenti (1937–1994), musician and songwriter
- George Radachowsky, professional football player
- William R. Ratchford, three term U.S. Congressman
- Allen Ritter, music producer
- Delvin Rodríguez, professional boxer
- Neil Rudenstine, past president of Harvard University
- James A. Ryan, U.S. Army brigadier general[102]
- Chauncey Foster Ryder, Postimpressionist painter
- Trevor Siemian, professional football player
- Christian Siriano, fashion designer
- Ian Smith, panelist on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club
- Lee Smith, Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Relief Pitcher [103]
- Ronnie Spector, singer[104]
- Glover Teixeira, Professional MMA Fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and former champion of the Light heavyweight (MMA) division.
- U.S. Air Force
- John Toland (1912-2004), 1971 Pulitzer Prize-winning historian[105]
- TJR(birth name Thomas Joseph Rozdilsky), musician
- John Hubbard Tweedy, U.S. Congressional Delegate from the Wisconsin Territory[106]
- U.S. Representativefrom Connecticut
- Jenna von Oÿ, actress
- William A. Whittlesey, former U.S. Congressman
- Zalmon Wildman (1775–1835), U.S. Representative from Connecticut
Cultural references
- Danbury's sewage plant has been named the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant" in honor of comedian John Oliver after a lighthearted social media exchange between Oliver and mayor Mark Boughton following Oliver's satirical criticism of Danbury on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in August 2020. Oliver donated $55,000 to local charities in exchange for the renaming.[107] In October 2020, Oliver visited Danbury for the official unveiling of the renamed plant.
- In American War of Independence and later of the town's young men going off to fight in the American Civil War and many of them not coming back.[108]
Sister cities
See also
- CityCenter Danbury, a redevelopment project in the city's downtown
- Greater Danbury, the metropolitan area centered on the city
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