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Revision as of 19:55, 27 June 2015

"Danbury" redirects here. For other uses, see Danbury (disambiguation).

Danbury, Connecticut
City
Flag of Danbury, Connecticut
Flag
Official seal of Danbury, Connecticut
Seal
Nickname: 
The Hat City
Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut
CountryUnited States
StateConnecticut
CountyFairfield
NECTADanbury
RegionHousatonic Valley
Incorporated (town)1702
Incorporated (city)1889
Consolidated1965
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorMark D. Boughton (R)
Area
 • City44.3 sq mi (114.7 km2)
 • Land42.1 sq mi (109.1 km2)
 • Water2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2)
 • Urban
123.6 sq mi (320.1 km2)
Elevation
397 ft (121 m)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • City81,671
 • Density1,800/sq mi (710/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06810, 06811, 06813
Area code(s)203; also future 475
FIPS code09-18430
GNIS feature ID0206580
Websitehttp://www.danbury-ct.gov/

Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 70 miles from New York City. Danbury's population at the 2010 census was 80,893.[1] Danbury is the fourth most-populous city in Fairfield County, and seventh among Connecticut cities. The city is located within the New York metropolitan area.

The city was named for the place of origin of many of the early settlers, Danbury, Essex, England, and has been nicknamed Hat City, because of its history in the hat industry, at one point producing almost 25% of America's hats.[2]

Danbury is home to a regional hospital as well as Western Connecticut State University.

History

See also: Main Street Historic District (Danbury, Connecticut)

Danbury was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut. The Danbury area was then called Pahquioque by its namesake, the Pahquioque Native Americans. One of the original settlers was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from the Paquioques in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict; James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. Also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by local Native Americans,[3] the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town, but in October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the boundaries of the new town. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702.

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 at the Battle of Ridgefield by the same British forces which had attacked Danbury. He is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery; the private Wooster School in Danbury also was named in his honor.

In 1780, the first hat factory in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict; it had 3 employees, and made 18 hats weekly. Danbury was known as "The Hat City" or the "Hatting Capital of the World" during the early 20th century, as it produced 24% of America's hats in 1904.[2]

In 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, a group expressing fear of persecution by the Congregationalists of that town, in which he used the expression "Separation of Church and State". It is the first known instance of the expression, which contrary to popular belief does not appear in the U.S. Constitution in those words, but is often believed to be present by the combined effect of the establishment and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment. James Madison, considered the founder of the Constitution, used similar language regarding such separation.[4] The letter is on display at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Danbury.

The first Danbury Fair was held in 1821. In 1869, it became a yearly event; the last edition was in 1981. The fairgrounds were cleared to make room for the Danbury Fair Mall, which opened in autumn 1986.[5]

Kohanza Reservoir disaster, January 31, 1869
"Scene of the Disaster at Danbury", January 31, 1869

In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the Fairfield County Railroad, which saw no construction as investment was slow. In 1850, the organization's plans were scaled back, and renamed the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Work moved quickly on the 23 mi (37 km) railroad line. In 1852, it, the first railroad line in Danbury, opened,[2] with two trains making the 75-minute trip to Norwalk.

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 Kohanza Reservoir, one of many reservoirs built to provide water to the hat factories, broke on January 31, 1869. The ensuing flood of icy water killed 11 people within 30 minutes, and caused major damage to homes and farms.[6]

Oglala Sioux tribesman Albert Afraid of Hawk died on June 29, 1900, in Danbury during a tour with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show at age 21. His interment was at Wooster Cemetery. Afraid of Hawk's remains were discovered by Robert Young, an employee of Wooster one hundred and twelve years later. The corpse covered in a bison robe was relocated to Saint Mark's Episcopal Cemetery in Rockyford for reburial by tribal descendants.

In 1902, the American Federation of Labor union called for a nationwide boycott of a Danbury non-union hat manufacturer, Dietrich Loewe. The manufacturer sued the union under the Sherman Antitrust Act for unlawfully restraining trade. The U.S. Supreme Court, in 1908, held that the union was liable for damages. This also is known as the Danbury Hatters' case.

A 60-acre (24 ha) tract near the 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: 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 land that is now the lake was owned and operated by Connecticut Light and Power Company as a hydroelectric power facility until sold for $9 million in June 2006.

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.[7]

Downtown Main Street scene, ca. 1907

Social activism, desegregation, and conscientious objectors during World War II

During the Second World War, Danbury's 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.[8][9][10]

Historic pictures

  • Main Street looking east from White Street, 1907
    Main Street looking east from White Street, 1907
  • National Hat Factory, about 1912
    National Hat Factory, about 1912
  • View of a hat factory, 1911
    View of a hat factory, 1911
  • Danbury station, ca. 1910
    Danbury station, ca. 1910
  • Revolutionary Sycamore
    Revolutionary Sycamore

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Danbury has a total area of 44.3 square miles (115 km2), of which 42.1 square miles (109 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), or 4.94%, is water. The city includes the southern parts of Candlewood Lake. Danbury borders Ridgefield to the southwest, Redding to the south, Bethel to the southeast, Brookfield to the northeast, New Fairfield to the north, and Putnam County, New York to the west.

Danbury has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with four distinct seasons, resembling Hartford more than coastal Connecticut or New York City. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cold with significant snowfall. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 26.8 °F (−2.9 °C) in January to 73.9 °F (23.3 °C) in July; on average, temperatures reaching 90 or 0 °F (32 or −18 °C) occur on 18 and 3.1 days of the year, respectively. The average annual precipitation is approximately 52.1 inches (1,320 mm), which is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year; snow averages 50 inches (127 cm) per season, although this total may vary considerably from year to year. Extremes in temperature range from 106 °F (41 °C) on July 22, 1926 and July 15, 1995 down to −18 °F (−28 °C) on February 9, 1934.

Climate data for Danbury, Connecticut (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1937–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22) 		77
(25) 		92
(33) 		95
(35) 		97
(36) 		105
(41) 		106
(41) 		104
(40) 		100
(38) 		91
(33) 		82
(28) 		80
(27) 		106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8) 		39.6
(4.2) 		48.5
(9.2) 		61.3
(16.3) 		72.1
(22.3) 		80.7
(27.1) 		85.0
(29.4) 		82.6
(28.1) 		74.6
(23.7) 		62.8
(17.1) 		51.4
(10.8) 		40.2
(4.6) 		61.2
(16.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 18.3
(−7.6) 		21.1
(−6.1) 		27.7
(−2.4) 		37.9
(3.3) 		47.8
(8.8) 		57.8
(14.3) 		62.8
(17.1) 		61.3
(16.3) 		52.7
(11.5) 		41.2
(5.1) 		33.1
(0.6) 		24.0
(−4.4) 		40.5
(4.7)
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) 3.77
(96) 		3.32
(84) 		4.53
(115) 		4.13
(105) 		4.09
(104) 		4.96
(126) 		4.75
(121) 		4.37
(111) 		4.88
(124) 		4.72
(120) 		4.29
(109) 		4.33
(110) 		52.13
(1,324)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14.9
(38) 		13.1
(33) 		9.7
(25) 		1.6
(4.1) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.2
(3.0) 		9.7
(25) 		50.2
(128.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01-inch) 11.5 9.8 11.8 11.4 12.1 11.9 10.3 9.3 9.0 9.2 10.0 11.5 127.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1-inch) 7.9 5.4 4.2 .9 0 0 0 0 0 .1 1.0 5.0 24.5
Source: NOAA[11]

Demographics

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income
Historical population of Danbury
YearPop.±%
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%
2011 (est.) 81,671+1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
2011 Estimate[13]
Population by Decade 1790–2010[14]
State of Connecticut[15]

As of the census of 2000, there were 74,848 people, 27,183 households, and 17,886 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,777.4 people per square mile (686.3/km²). There were 28,519 housing units at an average density of 677.2 per square mile (261.5/km²). 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 26, 2010[16]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage

Template:American politics/party colors/Democratic/row

Democratic 10,614 678 11,292 31.89%

Template:American politics/party colors/Republican/row

Republican 6,585 373 6,958 19.73%

Template:American politics/party colors/Independent/row

Unaffiliated 15,400 1,333 16,733 47.26%

Template:American politics/party colors/Libertarian/row

Minor parties 385 32 417 0.01%
Total 32,984 2,416 35,400 100%

When ZIP codes were introduced in 1963, the 06810 code was given to all of Danbury; it was shared with a then-still-rural New Fairfield to its north. In 1984, the 06810 Zip Code was cut back to areas of Danbury south of Interstate 84. A new 06811 ZIP code was created for areas north of Interstate 84. New Fairfield received its own code, 06812.

Economy

  • ATMI Inc. – headquarters 7 Commerce Drive; makes materials and materials packaging for semiconductor and flat panel manufacturers worldwide; 700 employees company wide; US$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. – 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 company wide, 618 in Connecticut; $949 million in 2005 revenues; CEO Farooq Kathwari
  • Praxair Inc. – 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 company wide, 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
  • Union Carbide made Danbury its headquarters in 1983. The company remained there for over 20 years, until it was merged into Dow chemical.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[17] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Boehringer Ingelheim 2,547
2 Danbury Hospital 2,310
3 Danbury Public Schools 1,551
4 Cartus 1,364
5 UTC Aerospace Systems 790
6 City of Danbury 535
7 Western Connecticut State University 501
8 Barden 383
9 Praxair 383
10 Ethan Allen 240

Government

The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two-year term. The current mayor is Mark D. Boughton (R). The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each of the seven city wards, and seven at-large.[18] The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions by a simple majority vote. If after five days the Mayor does not approve the ordinance (similar to a veto), the City 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 City Council consists of 15 Republicans and 6 Democrats.[18] Danbury has five state representatives as of 2013; Rep. Dan Carter D-2, Rep. Richard Smith D-108, Rep. David Arconti D-109, Bob Godfrey D-110, and Rep. Jan Giegler R-138.[19][20] There is one state senator, Michael McLachlan R-24. Danbury is represented in the United States Congress by U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D).

Danbury's 2010 mill rate is 20.96.[21]

Danbury is also home to an Army Reserve Special Operations unit, the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion.

Danbury Federal Correctional Institute

Danbury is the site of a low-security women's prison, the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute,[22] formerly a men's prison. It is located near the border with New Fairfield. Notable ex-prisoners include cocaine dealer and trafficker of Blow fame George Jung, Unification Church leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, 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. The prison has also housed Watergate figures such as G. Gordon Liddy. Media personality and homemaker Martha Stewart (incarcerated in West Virginia) and female rap star Lil' Kim requested that their prison terms be served at Danbury Federal Correctional Institute due to its proximity to their New York City homes. However, due to the media attention their requests were denied. Piper Kerman, author of the memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison, highlights her experiences in the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute circa 2004. The prison is transitioning from female housing back to male housing during the last portion of 2013.[23]

Education

Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University, Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute,[24] and the Branford Hall Career Institute.[citation needed]

Public schools

Danbury has two public high schools: Danbury High School and Henry Abbott Technical High School, each which are for grades 9 through 12. An alternative school by the name of Alternative Center for Excellence is housed off-campus, and its graduates receive Danbury High School diplomas upon completion of their studies. Danbury also has 3 public middle schools for grades 6 through 8: Broadview Middle School, Rogers Park Middle School and WestSide Middle School Academy. There are 13 elementary schools in Danbury. These schools are Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies Magnet School (K-5), Ellsworth Avenue (K-5), Great Plain (K-5), Hayestown (K-5), King Street Primary (K-3) and King Street Intermediate (4–5), Mill Ridge Primary (K-3), Morris Street (K-5), Park Avenue (K-5), Pembroke (K-5), Shelter Rock (K-5), South Street (K-5) and Stadley Rough (K-5)

Parochial schools

Roman Catholic parochial schools in Danbury reside within the administration of the Diocese of Bridgeport and include:

Private schools

In addition, Danbury is home to:

  • Anderson Montessori School
  • Colonial Hills Christian Academy
  • Hudson Country Montessori School
  • New England Country Day School
  • Maimonides Academy
  • Wooster School
  • Immanuel Lutheran School

Media

Libraries

The Danbury Public Library maintains a large collection of print fiction and non-fiction. The growing DVD collection has recently been augmented by a new Blu-ray collection. The Danbury Library was established in 1879 to serve the growing city of Danbury.

The Long Ridge Library is a small library occupying an old schoolhouse on Long Ridge Road in Danbury, near the border with West Redding. The library is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays except in winter and hosts a monthly book club.

Pollution

The site of the P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company on Oil Mill Road on the Still River (now converted to condominiums) is known to be the site of serious pollution by mercury nitrate dumped into the river during the time of hat production in the late 19th century.

Sites of interest

Hiking trails

  • Bear Mountain Reservation
  • The Old Quarry Nature Center has two short educational trails on 39 acres (16 ha) off Mountainville Road, with an alternate foot-travel-only entrance at the end of Memorial Drive.
  • Tarrywile Mansion and Park [25] is one of Danbury's most popular parks. There are 21 miles (34 km) of trails as well as several ponds located on the 722 acres (292 ha) park. The historic Victorian mansion and gardens are a common location for weddings. The Ives Trail runs through the park.
  • The recently completed (2013) Ives Trail is a 20-mile stretch of trail that runs from Bennett's Pond State Park in Ridgefield through Wooster Mountain State Park, Tarrywile Park, and through Bethel Public Water Supply property on Long Ridge Road in Bethel ending at Sidecut Rond in Redding. The Charles Ives House and Hearthstone Castle are located along this trail.

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
  • Highland Avenue Park
  • Blind Brook Park
  • Bear Mountain Reservation
  • Tarrywile Park – Recreation park on 722 acres (2.92 km2) with 21 miles (34 km) of hiking trails. Mansion is a community center available for rental, more information can be found at www.tarrywile.com

Portions of the private Morefar Back O’Beyond golf course are located in Danbury.

Museums

Other

On the National Register of Historic Places

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut
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

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.

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.[citation needed] Team executives were also charged with fraud as it was alleged the owner illegally subsidized players and violated the league salary cap.[citation needed] The club folded due to the ongoing investigation and lack of teams within close proximity to them.[citation needed]

In 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. Although the team was successful, the league suspended operations in 2008. On March 25, 2008, Danbury was named the first city to officially have a new team in the newly formed Eastern Professional Hockey League. The team was called the Danbury Mad Hatters. The League lasted one season and is now defunct.

On December 27, 2009, Danbury was named the first city to officially have a new team in the newly formed Federal Hockey League. The team is named the Danbury Whalers, bringing back the name "Whalers" to Connecticut for the first time since 1997. The original Hartford Whalers of the WHA/NHL moved to North Carolina and became the Carolina Hurricanes.

Other sports

The Danbury Westerners, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, play their home games at Rogers Park in Danbury.

AC Connecticut is a soccer team based in the Danbury suburb of Newtown. The team plays in the Northeast Division of the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid.

Danbury High School carries a strong athletic tradition. They are perennial powers in wrestling, boys and girls track and field, boys cross country, baseball, tennis, 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.

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

American Top Team has a gym on 13 Barnum Court. American Top Team is an MMA gym.

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 Danbury and Norwalk Railroad which was later bought by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company. Danbury was an important junction between the Danbury Branch and the 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 Poughkeepsie Bridge made the line unusable. Today, the historic station is part of the Danbury Railway Museum. The Providence and Worcester 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).

Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 7 are the main highways of the city. I-84 runs east-west from the Hudson Valley region of New York towards Waterbury and Hartford. US 7 runs north-south from Norwalk (connecting to I-95) to the Litchfield Hills region. The two highways overlap in the downtown area. The principal surface roads through the city are Lake Avenue, West Street, White Street, and Federal Road. Other secondary state highways are U.S. Route 6 in the western part of the city, Newtown Road, which connects to US 6 east of the city, Route 53 (Main Street and South Street), Route 37 (North Street, Padaranam Road, and Pembroke Road), and Route 39 (Clapboard Ridge Road and Ball Pond Road).

In pop culture

  • In the 1991 Seinfeld episode The Baby Shower (Seinfeld) Elaine mentions her roommate contracted Lyme disease in Danbury.
  • In the 2011 30 Rock episode I Heart Connecticut the Danbury Railway Museum is referenced.
  • In the 2012 Weeds episode Only Judy Can Judge the Danbury mall is referenced.
  • In the popular Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse season 2 episode 15 "Dethdad", Nathan Explosion references Danbury Ct. in the line "Danbury Connecticut is more brutal" than Norway.
  • Parts of Strangers on a Train were filmed in Danbury, which became Guy Haines' hometown, Metcalf.
  • Parts of Rachel, Rachel were filmed in and around Danbury.
  • Parts of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 were filmed in Danbury and various other locations around Connecticut.
  • In the movie Blow, starting Johnny Depp, his character, George Jung serves his 26 month sentence in Danbury federal prison.
  • In Series 6 of the HBO television series The Sopranos, Phil Leotardo, a captain in the Lupertazzi Crime Family, remarks that imprisoned family Boss John Sacramone is "folding laundry in Danbury" in reference to The Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury (FCI Danbury).

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Danbury, Connecticut

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Danbury city, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Danbury Museum and Historical Society. "Timeline" (PDF). Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  3. ^ "A Student's Guide to Danbury, Connecticut". November 4, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  4. ^ James Madison quotes
  5. ^ Ravo, Nick, "Country Fair Becomes Land of the Lava Lamp", New York Times, September 4, 1987
  6. ^ Danbury Museum and Historical Society. "Kohanza Disaster" (PDF). Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  7. ^ Richard Eisenberg and Debra Wishik Englander (August 1, 1988). "The Best Places to Live in America in our second annual rating of 300 U.S. areas, the Northeast and California score best – though a New Jersey city is last". Money Magazine. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  8. ^ D'Emilio, John (2003). Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0684827808.
  9. ^ Kosek, Joseph Kip (2009). Acts of Conscience: Christian Nonviolence and Modern American Democracy. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231144186.
  10. ^ Bennett, Scott H. (2003). Radical Pacifism: The War Resisters League and Gandhian Nonviolence in America, 1915–1963. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0815630034.
  11. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  13. ^ "Table 3. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Connecticut: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011" (CSV). Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  14. ^ Bethel population; Bridgewater population; Brookfield population; Danbury population; New Fairfield population; New Milford population; Newtown population; Redding population; Ridgefield population; Sherman population. Hvceo.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  15. ^ Office of the Secretary of the State. Sots.state.ct.us. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  16. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 26, 2010" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State (PDF). Retrieved December 9, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  17. ^ City of Danbury CAFR
  18. ^ a b "City of Danbury, Connecticut – City Council". City of Danbury, Connecticut. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  19. ^ http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/hlist.asp
  20. ^ "2008 Election Results – CONNECTICUT NETWORK". Connecticut Network, State of Connecticut. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  21. ^ "PROPERTY MILL TAX RATES FOR CONNECTICUT". WordPress.com. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  22. ^ Danbury's low-security women prison, by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Facilities, Retrieved November 17, 2006
  23. ^ http://www.correctionalnews.com/articles/2013/07/17/fci-danbury-prison-being-converted-house-males
  24. ^ "Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute's Website".
  25. ^ http://www.tarrywile.com
  26. ^ 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
  27. ^ Danbury Hospital, Western Connecticut Health Network. Danhosp.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  28. ^ Richter Park Golf Course - Danbury, CT. Richterpark.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  29. ^ Richter Park Golf Course - Course Stats. Richterpark.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  30. ^ Dixon, Ken, "Music Hall of Fame proposed for state", article in Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 26, 2007 ("Charles Ives (1874–1954) of Danbury")
  31. ^ Danbury Newstimes, WSJ Live, Glam.com
  32. ^ Index to Politicians: Tutton to Tylee. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
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