Waterbury

Sister cities

• Struga

History

The land was originally inhabited by the Algonquin bands. According to Samuel Orcutt's history, some Puritan residents of nearby Farmington "found it expedient to purchase the same lands from different tribes, without attempting to decide between their rival claims." The original settlement of Waterbury in 1674 was in the area now known as the Town Plot section. In 1675, the turbulence of King Philip's War caused the new settlement to be vacated until the resumption of peace in 1677. A new permanent location was found across the river to the east along the Mad River. The original Native American inhabitants called the area "Matetacoke" meaning "the interval lands." Thus, the settlement's name was Anglicized to "Mattatuck" in 1673. When the settlement was admitted as the 28th town in the Connecticut Colony in 1686, the name was changed to Waterbury in reference to the numerous streams that emptied into the Naugatuck River from the hills on either side of the valley. At that time, it included all or parts of what later became the towns of Watertown, Plymouth, Wolcott, Prospect, Naugatuck, Thomaston, and Middlebury. Growth was slow during Waterbury's first hundred years. The lack of arable land due to the constant flooding of the Naugatuck River in particular, discouraged many potential settlers. Furthermore, the residents suffered through a great flood in 1691 and an outbreak of disease in 1712. After a century, Waterbury's population numbered just 5,000. Waterbury emerged as an early American industrial power in the 19th century when the city began to manufacture brass, harnessing the waters of the Mad River and Naugatuck River to power the early factories. The new brass industry attracted many immigrant laborers from all over the world, leading to an influx of…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.46%, is water. Waterbury lies in the humid continental climate zone, and normally sees cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. Waterbury's neighborhoods are shaped by the history and geography of the city. Ethnic communities distinguish the city's 25 neighborhoods. Clusters of shops at the street corners created villages within the city. For many people, home, work and community life were contained within their neighborhood. Downtown, a short walk away, was "the city", offering live theater, fancy stores, parades and spectacles. * Brooklyn * Bucks Hill * Bunker Hill * Country Club * Crownbrook * Downtown * East End * East Mountain * Fair Lawn * Fairmount * Gilmartin * Hillside * Hopeville * Long Hill * North End * North Square * Overlook * Pine Hill * Robinwood * South End * Town Plot * Washington Hill * Waterville * West Side * WOW / Walnut-Orange-Walsh

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  14,318
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,782
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,474
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,200
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  11,803
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,643
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  11,523
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,183

Largest nearby schools

• Crosby High School
  High · Waterbury · 1,400 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• John F. Kennedy High School
  High · Waterbury · 1,297 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Naugatuck High School
  High · Naugatuck · 1,288 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Bristol Central High School
  High · Bristol · 1,246 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Cheshire High School
  High · Cheshire · 1,239 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Wilby High School
  High · Waterbury · 1,157 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Michael F. Wallace Middle School
  Middle · Waterbury · 1,062 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• Pomperaug Regional High School
  High · Southbury · 1,039 students · 11.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.66 — 2014-08-14
  6 km SW of Deep River Center, Connecticut