Frequently Asked Questions By Melissa Cook and John Zilliox (2003) Where is Danbury? Danbury is the seventh largest city in the state of Connecticut. The city covers 44 square miles in the southwest corner of the state and is bordered by the towns of Bethel, Brookfield, Ridgefield, New Fairfield and Redding. It also borders New York State. The city of Danbury is 41.40 north of the equator and 73.47 west of the Prime Meridian. It is 259 miles from the Washington D.C. and 51 miles from Hartford (as the crow flies). What is the City Seal? Signs bearing the City’s Seal and “Welcome to Danbury” greet people when they enter the city from any of the neighboring towns, and the state of New York. The seal represents several important time periods for the city. Around the edge of the seal are the words “Seal of the City of Danbury, Incorporated 1889.” On the seal you will find a train representing the railroad system that was built in 1852. The trees represent Elmwood Park; the water below the trees is for the flooding waters. In the center of the seal is a shield. The derby hat found in the upper part of the shield represents the hatting industry. On the lower part of the shield is Wooster Monument. The word “Restituimus” found in the center of the shield means “We have Restored”. It was placed there to remind people that the city restored itself after the British burned Danbury. On top of the shield is a phoenix flying from a burning crown. The phoenix is carrying a banner that reads “Perege Modo” which means “Let Us Go Forward”. This also symbolizes Danbury’s rebuilding after the British burning. The seal of the City of Danbury can be found not only on the Welcome signs but also on important papers, and the Danbury website. Who were some of the first inhabitants of Danbury? Some of the first people to live on the land we now call Danbury were the Paquioque. The Paquioque were a cultural group of Native Americans. The Paquioque were farmers, hunters, and gatherers. They grew crops like corn, beans, and squash. They gathered wild berries, nuts, and other edible plants. Wild game they hunted and trapped consisted mainly of deer, turkeys, and other small mammals. The Paquioque also fished and gathered shellfish. They referred to the land they lived on as Paquiack, which meant, “open land”. The name they referred to themselves as meant “Indians of the Great Falls”. The Paquioque spoke Algonquin. Clothing, shelter, and tools were all made using things from nature. The Paquioque never built a permanent settlement in Danbury because they often moved around to find new and fertile farmland. Who were the first settlers to live in Danbury? Why did they come? The Connecticut General Court created Danbury in 1684. The Connecticut General Court was the people that made important decisions about Connecticut. They decided that the land that is now Danbury needed to be settled so that “hostile Indians” would not move into other settled land and also so that the people of New York would not take the land for themselves. The man most responsible for founding Danbury is John Hoyt. He received permission from the Connecticut General Court to settle the land that is now Danbury. Hoyt, who lived in Norwalk, walked 20 miles and explored this land. He then returned home to gather the other men to help settle the land. These men were Thomas Taylor, Frances Bushnell, Thomas Barnum, James Benedict, Samuel Benedict, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. The men bought land from the Paquioque in 1687 and began a settlement. Together these men began to build Danbury on the land near and around what is now Main Street. How did Danbury get its name? The plot of land garneted by the Connecticut General Court was divided among the original eight settlers and a few other families. The early settlers of Danbury began to clear the land with oxen and plow. They built permanent buildings and began to farm. One of the most successful crops grown was a small white bean, because of this Danbury got its first nickname, “Beantown”. As for the real name of Danbury, the original settlers wanted to name it Swampfield. After some thought, the Connecticut General Court decided this was not such a good name for a town and named it Danbury after a town in England. Why was this land a good place for a town? Danbury soon grew because it had flat land that was good for building and farming. It also had plenty of water. Another reason for Danbury’s quick growth was because it was at a crossroads of important roads that ran to and from Long Island and New York. What was Danbury like during the Colonial Period? If you lived in Danbury during the 1700’s the first thing you would notice would be the noise. Bleating from your neighbor’s sheep, mooing from their cows, crowing from their chickens, and barking from dogs. Animals were not the only things that made noise. The local towns people would be going to and from conducting their daily business. People would be driving squeaky carts down the road to trade goods. Church bells would be bonging. Men would be making deals and plans on the roadsides. Perhaps the loudest noise would be the noisy gossip and singing coming from the local tavern. Fellow Danburians would be relaxing and enjoying a good song at Taylor’s Tavern. Taylor’s Tavern stood where the War Memorial is today; it was one of many taverns in Danbury. If you look at the roadside by the War Memorial you can still see the stone road sign constructed by the tavern. A tavern is a restaurant where people would go to eat. Travelers could also take a room at a tavern. Since the late 1690’s Danbury was growing rapidly. By 1756 Danbury had a population of 1,527 people, by 1774 the population was about 2,500, that’s almost 1000 people in 20 years. By 1774, 50 African American people lived in Danbury. As the population of Danbury grew the people began to come from more wide and diverse cultures, not all of them received a warm welcome. During this time Danbury was an important center of trade because it was in a good location next to New York and the major roads that led to other important large cities. Danbury was also able to become a center of trade because the people of Danbury began to grow a surplus of crops. A surplus is when you produce more of something than your family can use and it is sold or used to trade for other goods. Among some of the surplus goods were produce such as beans, pork, and beef, among other products. Soon Danbury people were trading goods in and out of the city at a swift pace. What was it like to live in Danbury during the Revolutionary War? During the time leading to the American Revolution, Danbury was growing and carrying on business as many small New England towns did. The largely agricultural town was prospering; it was still an important trade route, and hatting was slowly beginning to become a popular industry. People in Danbury dressed and acted like most people of the time. Men wore work shirts, waistcoats, knee breeches, stockings, and a hat of some type. A man might wear a tricorn hat, cap, or round hat. Some men wore buckskin clothing and hunting frocks along with a hat of some style. Woman wore chemises, bodices, long skirts, and aprons. Women would also wear a cap or bonnet on their head. In cold weather both men and women would wear clothing made of heavier material and more layers, they might also wear a cloak. Children dressed similar to adults. The one thing on everyone’s mind in Danbury and the rest of the colonies was the War. England was pressing more taxes and rules on the colonies and some people were getting upset because they wanted to do things their way. Throughout most of the colonies the population was split. About one third were Tories, or people who supported King George and England. One third were neutral, or were not overly concerned. The remaining third were Patriots, or people who were upset and strongly disagreed with King George, England, and the taxes. In Danbury this was not exactly true, before the raid on Danbury a slightly larger population of Danbury and the surrounding communities were Tories who supported England. As the War came closer to Danbury, more people started to join the Patriots, and by the time of the raid on Danbury most people were Patriots. Following the end of the Revolutionary War Danbury went through a great change. Many people began to make their living by producing goods and no longer from farming. People were producing all sorts of goods, the first major industry or business was making combs, but that did not last too long. Soon most of the population of Danbury was involved on some level in making hats. Why did the British burn Danbury during the American Revolution? During the American Revolution Danbury was a supply depot for the Patriots. A supply depot is a place where goods and supplies are stored. Artificiours, or master craftsmen, manufactured products such as leather goods, shoes, tents, and clothing for the Colonial militia. Danbury was also the site of a hospital so medical the Colonial Army was also storing medical supplies for future use. Since the British knew that these supplies were being stored in Danbury they decided it was an important target to raid. On April 25, 1777, the British, under the command of General William Tryon, landed at Compo Beach in Westport. They camped the night and began the daylong march to Danbury in the morning. On April 26,1777, Tryon and about 2,000 British troops entered Danbury. The British located some of the supplies and burned the building where the supplies were storied. The clever citizens of Danbury had quickly hidden many of the supplies in local farms, schools, and churches because they were warned that the British were approaching. The British planned on re-supplying in Danbury but could not use or carry much of what they found. The British then set fire to some buildings in Danbury. Although the fires destroyed only about 19 homes and 20 other buildings the British reported they had done a lot more damage to the city. The British left Danbury quickly because they had information that General Washington and his troops were within a day’s march of Danbury. The truth is General Washington and his men were quite far away in upstate New York. Although Washington and his troops may have been far away, thanks to help from Sybil Ludington and other concerned patriots, the local militia in New York and Connecticut began to prepare to fight the British. Colonial General David Wooster and his men pursued the British as they made their way to Ridgefield. Colonial General Benedict Arnold and his troops were waiting in Ridgefield for the British. With Arnold and his men in front of the British and Wooster and his men behind, a battle began. Most of the fighting took place in and around Ridgefield. When the shooting stopped and the smoke cleared, 125 colonists and about 300 British had been killed. The importance of the raid of Danbury was that the British realized the militia in Connecticut was stronger and better organized than they had first anticipated. After the raid on Danbury, the British did not attack any inland supply depots for the rest of the Revolutionary War. Who was Sybil Ludington and why was she important? Sybil Ludington was a young girl who lived in Patterson, New York during the late 1700’s. During the time of the Raid on Danbury Sybil was about 16, still a young girl, but yet very involved in all of the family work and chores. Sybil was responsible for helping cook meals, sew and mend clothing, care for her eight younger brothers and sisters, tend the garden, and make necessities like soap and candles for the family. Remember that during this time people had to produce almost all of what they needed to live. Up until this point in her life Sybil was an ordinary and average girl of the 1700’s. But on the cold and rainy night of April 26th, 1777, Sybil summoned the courage that many America Patriots gathered to help in the cause of freedom. A load rap sounded on the heavy wooded door of the Ludington home. Sybil’s father Colonel Ludington, an officer in the Colonial Army, rose from the warm fire to answer the door. Outside a cold and weary messenger stood. He had come to inform Colonel Ludington that the town of Danbury was being raided and burned by the British. The rider explained that Danbury was unprotected because no soldiers were close by. Colonel Ludington had to think quickly, he needed to get word to the surrounding militiamen, but it was necessary for him to stay home to plan and give orders. The rider struggled to give Colonel Ludington the message as he shivered from the cold sting of the rain. Although the messenger staggered to get back on his horse to spread the word, Colonel Ludington knew there was a chance that the rider may not be able to ride fast enough to tell the men to get ready. Sybil sensed this also, she announced to the family she would ride and inform Patriots in the surrounding towns to make ready for battle. Sybil’s father and mother both protested that this job was far too dangerous for a young girl to do, with the threat of outlaws and British soldiers on the move. Sybil quickly reminded her mother and father that she was a skilled rider and that she knew where all of the patriot soldiers lived. With little thought mother and father both realized that Sybil was right and that there really was no one else readily available. Sybil speedily mounted her horse Star. Sybil’s mother brought her a warm cloak and she was off. She road quickly over the rough and bumpy roads. Sybil knew she would not have to give the message to everyone in each town, because they would tell each other. She stopped only long enough to explain that the British had raided Danbury and that all were meeting at Colonel Ludington’s house to prepare to fight. Sybil’s ride took her over forty miles through the towns of Carmel, Mahopac, and Stormville. Sybil’s ride was successful. Militiamen gathered and met to help fend off the British near Ridgefield. Later General George Washington visited Sybil and personally thanked her for her unselfish act for the cause of freedom. Why was Danbury known as “The Hat City of the World”? Danbury is known as “The Hat City of the World” because it is famous for producing hats. Different people produced hats in Europe, and it is believed that the first hat made in the United States was made in the city of Danbury. Danbury produced and sold 6,000,000 hats a year at its peak (1910-1920). The city was a great place to have an industry for producing hats for a few different reasons. A lot of water is required in the hat making process. The Still River provided the water to make hats, and a place to dispose the wastes from the hat factories. The closeness of Danbury to New York City helped in the selling of a great deal of hats. Finally the railroad system that was built and connected Danbury to Norwalk, and New York City allowed Hatters (the people who made hats) to get raw materials, like felt, coal, and other goods to make the hats It also provided a way for them to send out their finished hats for sale around the country and the world. After the Revolutionary War the people of Danbury worked mostly in and on their farms, they also produced and sold things from their homes. Some of these things included buckles, shoes, combs, and hats. In 1780 a man named Zadoc Benedict is believed to be the first person in Danbury to have made and sold a hat. It all started when Benedict had a problem with a hole in his shoe. To fix it he put a piece of fur in the hole and continued on his way. At the end of the day the hole in his shoe was still patched but the sweat from his foot, and the constant moving turned the fur into felt. With his discovery Benedict started making hats. He used fur, lots of water, and his bedpost to shape his first hats. He opened the first hat shop in Danbury and was able to produce three hats a day. Twenty years later, the city of Danbury was producing 20,000 hats a year. A few years later in 1808 and 1809 there were 56 hat shops in the city selling hats that cost from $6.00 to $10.00. A little more than a hundred years later, in 1923, Danbury was still making hats but there were only 6 hat factories left. By the 1950’s the hat business was winding down. In 1987 the last hat factory in Danbury closed. What kinds of hats were made in Danbury? How were they made? Hats were a very popular item of clothing in 1800s and 1900s and everyone wore them. The type of hat a person wore said a lot about them, and the time in which they were living. You could tell a person’s gender, occupation, interests, personality, social status, and the season all by looking at the type of hat someone wore. Danbury mostly produced men’s felt hats because men’s hats are easier to make than women’s hats. The one type of women’s hat that was produced in Danbury was the Princess Eugenie. It was made in Danbury because it was made from the shape of a men’s hat. To make a hat, a hatter would have to wash and clean the fur of an animal. Beaver furs were the most popular fur to use when making a hat because it was the easiest to make into felt. After the fur was cleaned, different tools would be used to shape the fur. The fur was boiled, and shaped until it became felt. The felt was then shaped and steamed into the form of a hat. To finish the hat, ribbons, buckles, feathers and other trims would be added to the hat. Most of the hats that were made in Danbury would be sent out of the city to finishing shops to be finished. The hats that were not sent out were finished in the hat shops, and sold in different stores. When the hatters first started making hats it took a long time to produce a few hats. Hatters would use a lot of water, hand tools, and a plank bench. As time went on machines replaced the hand tools, and hats were produced at a faster rate. One of these machines was introduced to the hatters in 1849. This machine formed the bodies of the hats. Once this machine was put into use many of the small hat shops closed because they could not compete with the larger and speedier factories that had machines. Factories along the Still River on West and East Liberty Streets replaced these small shops. Some of the factories were named after the local men who owned them. Ezra Mallory started his hat business on his Great Plain Road farm. These large hat factories usually had several departments. There would be a Weighing and Feeding Department where the amount of fur was placed on scales to be measured. In the Sizing Department the Hatters would bend and straighten the fur. Finally, in the Trimming Department decorative bands would be sewn onto the hats. Women usually worked in this department. Why doesn’t Danbury make hats today? Today when people go out they don’t wear hats like people during the 1900s did. It is the reason people in Danbury no longer produce hats. The last hat-making factory was closed in 1987. The “Hat City” stopped the production of hats mainly because of changing styles. Before people drove cars, they would walk, ride a horse, or ride in a wagon to get from place to place. When people went out of their homes during this time period, they would wear a hat to protect their heads from the elements. When cars were introduced, and people started driving everywhere and they did not need to protect their heads from the elements as much as they did before. People stopped wearing hats when they climbed into cars and so they didn’t wear them when they arrived at their destinations. Slowly but surely there were less, and less people wearing hats. President John F. Kennedy was the first U.S. president that did not wear a hat to his inauguration. What was the Danbury Fair? What kind of fun could you have there? The Great Danbury Fair first began in 1821. During this time the fair was a small agricultural fair where people from Danbury and surrounding towns such as Norwalk and Ridgefield would come to visit and share news. An agricultural fair is a fair where people bring their crops and farm animals to show off and trade. People enjoyed the fair very much and always had a good time there. As the town of Danbury grew, so did the fair. More people began to visit the fair and it grew into more than an agricultural fair. The fair began to change greatly when John Leahy bought the fair. John Leahy was the owner of the local oil company, and had wanted to own a circus since he was a young boy. In 1942 one of his customers could not pay a $250 bill, so she gave John her stock in the Danbury Fair as payment. John Leahy was really fascinated by the idea that he owned a piece of the fair. Quickly he began to buy up other people’s stock and he soon owned much of the fair. Once Mr. Leahy owned most of the Danbury fair, he began to change the entire look and feel of the fair. The fair lasted for one week in October every year. Mr. Leahy was determined to make it the most exciting, memorable, and action packed week of the year. The fair grew and grew and grew, and soon people from all around the Northeast were coming to the fair. People could not wait until the fall so they could go back to the fair. They got all dressed up for the fair and school children even got a day off and a free ticket to go to the fair! Sure, the Danbury fair still had agricultural exhibits of crops and farm animals but there was much more. The Danbury fair was like a circus, a carnival, an amusement park, and much more all rolled into one. The fair was a kaleidoscope of bright colors from lights and attractions and sounds from music and laughter all making for quality entertainment. The Danbury Fair had a Big Top packed with spectators amazed by the acts of the traipse artists, elephants, and a human cannon. The midway had many, many booths of food of every type and taste. Challenging games of skills that could win you fun prizes lined the Midway. The Midway also featured exhilarating rides like a Ferris wheel and carousel. Clowns, magicians, and performers roamed the fair exciting your senses with their wonderment. Long parades of people and animals began and ended each fair. The Dutch Village was a major attraction; it had many different types of entertainment. Horse races, car races, and boat races were also a feature. The fair also gave people a chance to look at new and exciting inventions that would soon be available for use in their homes. More people came to visit the fair than the entire population of Danbury. The people of Danbury took great pride in the fair; it was their fair, their gift to the people. Why did the Danbury Fair end? What happened to the fair grounds? Most of the Fair and Fair grounds were owned by John Leahy. In 1974, Mr. Leahy died. The fair continued for a few years, but people were worried about its future. The fair was just not the same with out Mr. Leahy. No one could run it like he did. A few people who helped run the fair were not being good citizens, they were stealing money from the fair, and this hurt the fair. The group of people who inherited the fair and fair grounds from Mr. Leahy decided it would be best to sell the fair grounds. Some people in Danbury agreed that this was a good idea because it meant Danbury fairgrounds could grow into something new. However, many people were sad to see the fair go because they had been going to it their entire life. The last Danbury fair ever was held in 1981. After the fair closed, most of the rides, attractions, and amusements were auctioned off. Some of the big statues from the fair can be seen in amusement parks in the New York area. The Wilmorite Corporation bought the fair grounds and built the Danbury Fair Mall. Today many people work and shop at the Danbury Fair Mall. Throughout the mall there are over 200 stores. You can see black and white photos of the Danbury Fair in the Mall food court. Many different events and activities are also held at the mall. There are shows, Fourth of July Fireworks, and carnivals. What happened in during the flood? If you happened to be in city center Danbury on August 18 or 19, and again on October 16, 1955, you would have needed a rowboat and paddle to get out. Tropical storms hit Danbury causing the Still River and many small streams to flood. Many people had to leave their homes, belongings, and business to escape the rising waters. A large section of the downtown area, buildings, bridges, and roads were damaged or ruined by the flooding waters. Since the flood caused so much destruction, the city’s center was declared a disaster area. A disaster area is when the federal government will give money (sometimes called funds) to the city to help pay for the damages. The funds the government offered to the city of Danbury was to be used to help re-channel (or redirect) the Still River so that it would not flood out the city’s center again. To accept and use the funds, the city’s leaders would have to follow the plans drawn up by a Redevelopment Agency. The redevelopment plans called for the tearing down of entire areas in the city. Some of these areas were home to historic buildings. The city leaders thought about the plan and finally agreed to it. The Still River was reshaped and city center Danbury had a new look. City center Danbury went from a residential area (a place where people live) to a business area (a place where people work). Today the Still River still flows through Danbury but in a different direction. It can be found behind Stew Leonard’s, and next to Loews movie theater. Through the works of different organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency, the 2.2 mile long river is a clean home for many kinds of fish. A hiking trail has been built alongside the river so that people can enjoy it. The beginning of the trail can be found at Commerce Park. Did any famous people ever live in Danbury? Charles Edward Ives was born in Danbury on October 20, 1874. He was the son of George Ives, the youngest bandmaster in the Union Army during the Civil War. He grew up in a house that was full of music and noises from the street and town in which he lived. At the age of 14, Charles Ives became the youngest paid organist in Connecticut when he started playing the organ at the Second Congregational Church in Danbury. Ives went to Yale University where he studied music. He completed his first major works while he was at Yale. After graduating he went to work in an insurance agency in New York City. While his work in the insurance business made him rich, his work on his music made him happy. This music did not make other people very happy. Ives’ music was a mix of different types of music like patriotic tunes and religious songs. When it was played it sounded very loud and strange. His music was very different than the type of music people were used to listening to and so many people did not enjoy it. Since no one really enjoyed hearing the music that Ives composed and played, he was not given any sort of recognition or reward for his great works. Finally when Ives was 73 years old, he was given the Pulitzer Prize for one of his works known as the Third Symphony. Charles Ives passed away on May 11, 1954 in New York City. Today he is known as the Father of Modern American Music and is remembered in Danbury in a few special ways. The Danbury Historical Society owns the house in which he was born; there is a street and center for the performing arts named in his honor. Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 27, 1897. She began her singing career at the age of 6 when she started singing publicly with the Union Baptist Church Choir. At the age of 12 her father passed away. He was never able to see how famous his daughter would be. She began taking formal music lessons at the age of 17 and her family had to struggle to pay for her lessons. Marian learned to sing different complex types of music, in different languages. She became a famous opera singer, and people were very impressed with her music. She gave concerts all over the United States and Europe. When she returned to the United States after a trip to Europe in 1939, she was invited to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. The Daughters of the American Revolution owned Constitution Hall and when they realized that Marian Anderson was an African American they did not allow her into the Hall to sing. The President’s wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, became so angry with the Daughters of the American Revolution that she left their group. The Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes was also upset with the news and asked Marian Anderson to give a concert from the Lincoln Memorial. People were given the chance to see Ms. Anderson without buying tickets. On April 9th 75,000 people gathered to watch her sing. Television and radio stations broadcast her concert all over the country. In 1943 Marian Anderson and her husband bought and built a home and music studio in Danbury on Joe’s Hill Road. They named the place Marianna Farm and they hosted many parties when they were in town. Ms. Anderson would make appearances at the Danbury Fair; she could be seen at the grocery store, or at City Hall paying her bills. She supported many musical events in town. Marian Anderson moved to Portland, Oregon in the early 1990’s after her husband passed away. She lived with her nephew and on April 8, 1993 she passed away. Today Marian Anderson is most famous for being a contralto singer. She was the first African American woman to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. She was the winner of many awards and was even a delegate for the United Nations. Rose Wilder Lane was born on December 5, 1886 in De Smet, Dakota Territory (today South Dakota). She was the only daughter of Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder. She spent her childhood moving around the country with her family. They did not have an easy life due to health, money and weather problems. As she grew up, she did things differently than most women of her time. She worked outside in her garden, she made the length of her dresses shorter, and she spoke her mind on many different issues. After graduating from high school she got a job as a telegraph operator in Kansas City. In 1909, she married Gillette Lane and they worked together in the real estate business. When the real estate business slowed down because of World War I, Lane started writing articles for the San Francisco Bulletin. Rose divorced her husband in 1918. Rose liked to write very much and soon began writing articles for different magazines. She went on to write a book and then become a ghostwriter, a person who writes using a different name. She continued to write about different things and became a reporter for the American Red Cross. This job took her to many different countries in Europe and she fell in love with traveling all over the world. She visited her parents on Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri and persuaded her mother to write the famous Little House on the Prairie books. Some people today think that Rose Wilder Lane is the real author of the Little House on the Prairie books, but others think she just helped her mother write them. In 1938, Rose Wilder Lane moved to Danbury. She purchased a house on King Street. She lived in Danbury for 50 years. Ms. Lane worked in her house, in her garden, and even won prizes for bread at the Danbury Fair. In her house she had a large collection of books. On October 30, 1968 she was getting ready for another trip to Europe but she passed away in her home before leaving. She was buried in Mansfield, Missouri near her family. Are there any interesting places to visit in Danbury? The Danbury Museum and Historical Society is located at 43 Main Street. In the museum visitors can look at many different items from Danbury’s past. Some of the exhibits show Danbury during the different time periods, like the Revolutionary War. Visitors can also look at exhibits from the hatting industry. The Danbury Museum and Historical Society also owns the Charles Ives house. The Marian Anderson music studio and a reproduction of a colonial school is also there. The King Street Schoolhouse is located in Rogers Park. This one-room schoolhouse was built in the 1800’s and was one of many one-room schoolhouses in Danbury. In a one-room schoolhouse, one teacher taught students from all grades. Since there was only one room, students did not go to specials like art, or media, they did all of their learning in the one room schoolhouse. The Danbury Railway Museum is located at 120 White Street. In this museum visitors can look at old locomotives, and model railroads. During the holidays there are special railroad trips. Candlewood Lake is located in the northern part of Danbury near New Fairfield and Brookfield. It is the largest man- made lake east of the Mississippi River, and the largest lake in the state of Connecticut. When the first settlers came to Danbury, they did not see Candlewood Lake, because it was not there. It is believed that the lake started as a small stream known as Wood Creek or Rocky River. Surrounding the stream were small ponds and an area of land. The land used to be a forest of pine trees. The Indians and earliest settlers of Danbury used to cut pieces of the pine trees, and use them as torches. This area soon got the name of Candlewood because the wood from the pine trees was being used to make a type of candle. The Connecticut Light and Power Company (known as CL&P) bought this land and the farms and buildings around the area so that they could build a water supply known as a reservoir. The area of the land they bought was over 5,000 acres. In 1928, after they cleared away all the buildings, they flooded the streams, and ponds and created what we know as Candlewood Lake. The lake is 11 miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest point. The average depth of the lake is 30 feet. Visitors can enjoy over 60 miles of shoreline, go swimming, fishing, and boating in the lake. The Octagon House is located at 21 Spring Street. The Octagon House is an eight-sided house. In the 1850’s people thought that an eight-sided house would have more room, more light and would be easier to heat than a regular four-sided house. People built thousands of these types of houses in the 1850’s. John Earle built the one in Danbury in 1852. Today it is one of only a few octagon houses still standing in the country. It is on the National Register of Historical Places in Washington D.C. so it cannot be torn down. Today the Octagon House is being used as an apartment building. At Tarrywile Park and Mansion visitors can hike through the 654-acre park. The city of Danbury purchased the mansion and land in 1985. The mansion is a historic building in which many community and private events are held. People visiting the park can hike on the seven miles of cleared trails and experience the wildlife. In 2000 a Children’s Garden was opened on the mansions grounds. The Park and Mansion are located at 70 Southern Boulevard. What is Danbury like today? Even though the people of Danbury don’t make hats, or go to the Danbury Fair any longer, Danbury is still a very busy place with lots of businesses, schools, churches, and activities. There are over 74,000 people living in the city of Danbury. The population of Danbury is made up of many different people. There are Portuguese, Spanish, Brazilian, African, Asian, Italian, Irish, Russian, and German people (just to name a few) living in the city. Did you know that Danbury has the largest population of Brazilian people outside of Brazil? Danbury citizens live in many different areas in and around the city’s center. They may work in different businesses, industries, schools, homes, and other places both in Danbury and in the surrounding towns. Some people even commute to New York City to work. You should be proud of Danbury’s interesting history and proud to call Danbury your home. Sources Danbury Museum & Historical Society. Images of America Danbury. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Durkin, Brigid and Shaw, Darla. “Danbury History Project.” ED 598. Western Connecticut State University. Connecticut, May- June. 2003. Henderson, Debbie. The Handmade Felt Hat. Yellow Springs, Ohio: Wild Goose Press, 2001. Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum Committee. A Young People’s Guide to Danbury. Danbury Public Schools: Danbury, CT, 1998. Schling, Dorothy. The Untold Story: Danbury’s Unsung Role in the Revolution. Volume 2. Danbury Publishing Division. 1985. Warner, Truman. Danbury Tricentennial Committee Historic Booklet Series Volume 1. Danbury Publishing Division. 1983. Web Site Sources Danbury Historical Society http://www.danburyhistorical.org City of Danbury http://www.danbury.org Tarrywile Park and Mansion http://www.danbury.org/tarry http://webpages.marshall.edu1~irby1/laura/rose.html Town USA – Danbury, Connecticut http://www.town-usa.com/connecticut/fairfield/danbury.html http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/ctcountrydanbury.htm Still River Greenway Project http://www.danbury.org/StillRiver Candlewood Lake http://www.candlewoodlake.org Changing Land Use in Danbury, Connecticut http://www.hvceo.org/luchange_danbury.php History of Danbury http://www.lookingforadventure.com/historyofdanbury.htm Hat works http://www.hatworks.org.uk/home.htm Charles Ives Society http://www.charlesives.org http://www.ecommocode.com/hoover/research/wilder/index.htm About the City of Danbury http://www.ci.danbury.ct.us/Public_Documents/DanburyCT_WebDocs/about Ives.htmlAnderson.htmlLane.htmlhttp://www.danburymuseum.orghttp://www.danburyhistorical.orghttp://www.danbury.orghttp://www.danbury.org/tarryhttp://webpages.marshall.edu1http://www.town-usa.com/connecticut/fairfield/danbury.htmlhttp://www.town-usa.com/connecticut/fairfield/danbury.htmlhttp://www.pe.net/~rksnow/ctcountrydanbury.htmhttp://www.danbury.org/StillRiverhttp://www.candlewoodlake.orghttp://www.hvceo.org/luchange_danbury.phphttp://www.lookingforadventure.com/historyofdanbury.htmhttp://www.hatworks.org.uk/home.htmhttp://www.charlesives.orghttp://www.ecommocode.com/hoover/research/wilder/index.htmhttp://www.ci.danbury.ct.us/Public_Documents/DanburyCT_WebDocs/abouthttp://www.ci.danbury.ct.us/Public_Documents/DanburyCT_WebDocs/aboutshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19

J. Kilcourse

revised 10/12/09