Derby, Connecticut
| Derby, Connecticut | ||
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| — City — | ||
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| Motto: "Connecticut's Smallest City"[1] | ||
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| Coordinates: 41°19′36″N 73°04′56″W / 41.32667°N 73.08222°WCoordinates: 41°19′36″N 73°04′56″W / 41.32667°N 73.08222°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Connecticut | |
| NECTA | Bridgeport-Stamford | |
| Region | The Valley | |
| Named | 1675 | |
| Incorporated (town) | 1775 | |
| Incorporated (city) | 1893 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor-Board of aldermen | |
| • Mayor | Anthony Staffieri | |
| • Chief administrator | Philip Robertson | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.0 sq mi (12.9 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2) | |
| Elevation | 102 ft (31 m) | |
| Population (2010 census) | ||
| • Total | 12,903 | |
| • Density | 2,400/sq mi (920/km2) | |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 06418 | |
| Area code(s) | 203 | |
| FIPS code | 09-19480 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0206671 | |
| Website | electronicvalley.org/derby | |
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,903 at the 2010 census. With 5 square miles (13 km2) of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.
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History [edit]
Derby was settled in 1642 as an Indian trading post under the name Paugasset. It was named after Derby, England, in 1675.[2][3]
Derby was incorporated on May 13, 1775.[4]
In the nineteenth century, both corsets and hoop skirts were manufactured in the city. Charlton Comics, a comic book publishing company that existed from 1944 to 1986, was based in town.
Geography [edit]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (8.7 km2), of which, 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) of it (7.41%) is water. The city is home to the 1.4 square kilometres (350 acres) Osbornedale State Park. Derby is divided into two main sections by the Naugatuck River: East Derby and Derby Center (Birmingham).
Demographics [edit]
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 12,391 people, 5,252 households, and 3,245 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,487.6 people per square mile (960.7/km2). There were 5,568 housing units at an average density of 1,117.8 per square mile (431.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.08% White, 3.62% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.74% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.52% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.67% of the population.
There were 5,252 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,670, and the median income for a family was $54,715. Males had a median income of $42,367 versus $30,458 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,117. About 6.9% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% 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 | 2,834 | 42 | 2,876 | 42.11% | |
| Republican | 931 | 93 | 1,024 | 14.99% | |
| Unaffiliated | 2,802 | 121 | 2,923 | 42.80% | |
| Minor Parties | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0.10% | |
| Total | 6,574 | 256 | 6,830 | 100% | |
The Poles [edit]
Polish immigrants have left a large mark on the demographics of the town, with 18% of all residents claiming Polish as their ethnicity and 2% as having been born in Poland.[7] Due to this large population, the town features several Polish shops, restauarants, and clubs.[8] Saint Michael's the Archangel Parish, a Roman Catholic church serves mass in Polish as well as English.
Arts and culture [edit]
Derby sites on the National Register of Historic Places [edit]
| Historical population of Derby[5] |
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| 1756 | 1,000 |
| 1774 | 1,889 |
| 1782 | 2,218 |
| 1790 | 2,994 |
| 1800 | 1,878 |
| 1810 | 2,051 |
| 1820 | 2,088 |
| 1830 | 2,253 |
| 1840 | 2,851 |
| 1850 | 3,824 |
| 1860 | 5,443 |
| 1870 | 8,020 |
| 1880 | 11,650 |
| 1890 | 5,969 |
| 1900 | 7,930 |
| 1910 | 8,991 |
| 1920 | 11,238 |
| 1930 | 10,788 |
| 1940 | 10,287 |
| 1950 | 10,259 |
| 1960 | 12,132 |
| 1970 | 12,599 |
| 1980 | 12,346 |
| 1990 | 12,199 |
| 2000 | 12,391 |
| 2010 | 12,902 |
- The Kraus Corset Factory, now the Sterling Rowe Apartment House on the corner of Roosevelt Drive and Third Street.
- Osbornedale, a farm house built in the early nineteenth century.
- Howe House, built in 1845.
- Sterling Opera House was built in 1889 to seat 1250, and remained in use until 1945. City Hall and a police station occupied the two lower levels until 1965.[9]
- Derby Public Library, built in 1902 with Ansonia marble, the library was originally founded as a free reading room in 1868. The land was provided by the Sarah Riggs Humphreys Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, on the condition that the building would always have a room the chapter could use. The chapter also donated $5,000 for books with the stipulation that people in the town raise an equal amount.[10]
- Birmingham Green Historic District was designated on April 21, 2000, as Derby's sixth site on the National Register of Historic Places.[11]
Landmark [edit]
The city has resurrected an "historic trough" – a century-old granite structure with lion-head spigots—as part of a gateway entrance plaza at the Division Street entrance to the Derby Greenway. The fountain was given to the City in 1906 by the National Humane Alliance and erected at the intersection of Seymour and Atwater Avenues. The water was first turned on on June 1, 1906. Years later it was moved to Founders Commons when traffic patterns made its original location a problem. It fell into disrepair and was not used as a fountain while on Founders Commons. When the Derby Greenway was built, the fountain was moved to its new location on June 22, 2006, fully restored with new plumbing and new lions heads and formally dedicated with the surrounding Derby Hall of Fame Plaza on September 1, 2007.[12]
Media [edit]
The Valley Independent Sentinel, an online-only, non-profit news site, launched in June 2009. It has an office in Ansonia. Its editor lives in Derby.
The Valley Gazette, a weekly, also covers Derby, as does The Connecticut Post and The New Haven Register.
Infrastructure [edit]
Transportation [edit]
The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.
Notable people [edit]
- Samuel George Andrews, (1796–1863), born in Derby, United States congressman from New York[13]
- Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett (1833–1908), the first black American diplomat (appointed in 1869 to Haiti)
- Brian Dennehy, film actor, lived in Derby during his early life and was a Boy Scout in Troop 3, based in Derby
- Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man comics hero
- Isaac Hull (1773–1843), commodore in the U.S. Navy; commanded USS Constitution among other ships, and nephew of William Hull
- William Hull (1753–1825), general in the American Revolutionary War, governor of Michigan Territory, and uncle of Isaac Hull
- David Humphreys, American Revolutionary War soldier, public official and entrepreneur
- Orson Hyde (1805–1878), a leader in the Latter Day Saint (Mormon) movement
- Patrick B. O'Sullivan (1887-1978), CT state senator, US congressman, Superior Court judge, and Chief Justice of the CT Supreme Court
- Nick Pietrosante, NFL fullback for the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Notre Dame Fighting Irish; born in Derby
- Alan Schlesinger, former Derby mayor and unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2006
- Elizabeth Ann Whitney (1800–1882), early Latter Day Saint (Mormon) leader; born in town
- Stephen Whitney (1776-1860), merchant and one of New York's first multi-millionaires
- Frank P. Witek (1921-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor; born in Derby
- Edward Wooster (1622–1689), "the first permanent settler in Derby"
Plans for the future [edit]
The Howe House "will become home of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Industrial Heritage Center; where the Derby Historical Society's extensive collection of Industrial Era artifacts will be properly displayed. Future educational programs will include student hands-on programs that will introduce the Industrial Revolution and the Valley's active role in this period."[14]
References [edit]
- ^ "City of Derby Connecticut". City of Derby Connecticut. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ Derby, Connecticut - LoveToKnow 1911
- ^ "Profile for Derby, Connecticut, CTistrict". ePodunk. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- ^ "Derby, Connecticut". City-Data.com. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2006-10-02.
- ^ http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/warsaw_coming_to_ansonia/
- ^ http://www.wgby.org/localprograms/polish/orgs.html
- ^ [1] "Sterling Opera House" Web page at the Electronic Valley Web site, accessed July 22, 2006
- ^ [2] "Derby Public Library" Web page on the Electronic Valley Web site, accessed on July 22, 2006.
- ^ [3] "Derby History Quiz" page at the Electronic Valley Web site, accessed on July 22, 2006.
- ^ http://www.electronicvalley.org/derby/quiz/pages/wateringtrough.htm
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
- ^ [4] "Howe House" Web page of the Electronic Valley Web site, accessed on July 22, 2006
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Derby, Connecticut |
- City of Derby official website
- Derby Historical Society
- Griffin Hospital
- Derby, Connecticut, at City-data.com
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