|
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Hartford on the Naugatuck River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 107,271 and was the fifth-largest city in Connecticut. In the past, Waterbury had large industrial interests, and was the leading center of the United States for the manufacture of brassware (including castings and finishings). It was noted for the manufacture of watches and clocks. Waterbury's nickname is the Brass City. Indeed, the city's motto is Quid Aere Perennius, which means "What Is More Lasting Than Brass." The city is on Interstate 84 and is the hometown of former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland who spent a year in jail for ethical violations stemming from corruption. The city has a Metro North railroad station and is home to Post University and a regional campus of the University of Connecticut.
History Settled in 1674, Waterbury was part of Farmington until 1686, when it was incorporated as a town and its present name adopted in place of the old Indian name, Mattatuck. It was incorporated as a city in 1853. In 1900, the town and the city of Waterbury were united into one municipality. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 74.9 km² (28.9 mi²). 74.0 km² (28.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.21%) is water. As of the census² of 2000, there were 107,271 people, 42,622 households, and 26,894 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,449.7/km² (3,754.7/mi²). There were 46,827 housing units at an average density of 632.8/km² (1,639.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.14% White, 16.31% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 10.91% from other races, and 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.77% of the population. Waterbury is probably the most heavily Italian-American large city in Connecticut today. The Italian influence is especially strong in the Town Plot neighborhood. At the beginning of the 21st century, Waterbury had a growing Jewish Orthodox population . Demographics There were 42,622 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,285, and the median income for a family was $42,300. Males had a median income of $35,486 versus $27,428 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,701. About 12.7% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. Government John S. Monagan, who is a prolific author in addition to his political responsibilities, served as Waterbury's mayor from 1943 to 1948. He also served as its district's congressional representative from 1959 to 1973. The City is known for its hard nosed political culture compared locally to Cook County, Illinois, close elections, and a number of scandals. Two of Waterbury's recent mayors, Joseph Santopietro and Philip Giordano, have both served jail sentences for wrongdoings during their terms. Giordano remains incarcerated as of May 2005. Waterbury is in serious financial straits due to years of mismanagement. The successors to Giordano, former Acting Mayor Sam Caligiuri and present Mayor Michael Jarjura have managed the city without major controversy since 2001. A number of Presidential candidates have campaigned in Waterbury due to its pivotal role in statewide elections. The most famous was the election eve visit on the Green by John F. Kennedy in 1960. In September 1984 Ronald Reagan held a huge noontime election rally at the same location. In July 2006 former President Bill Clinton made a campaign appearance at the Palace Theatre for Senator Joe Lieberman during his campaign for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Shortly after the Democratic primary, Tom Swan, campaign manager for Lieberman's opponent Ned Lamont, described Waterbury as a place where "the forces of slime meet the forces of evil" after a large majority of the town's voters backed Lieberman. Swan claimed he was referring to former Mayor Philip A. Giordano and former Governor John G. Rowland. Education The city's schools are operated by Waterbury Public Schools. The four public high schools in Waterbury are Crosby, Kaynor Technical, Kennedy, and Wilby High Schools. Private high schools include Chase Collegiate (formerly St. Margaret's-McTernan), Holy Cross High School, and Sacred Heart High School. Trivia Holy Land Holy Land USA is an 18 acre park in Waterbury, CT representing a miniature Jerusalem and Bethlehem. It was one of Connecticut’s biggest tourist attractions in the 1960s and 1970s with 50,000 visitors per year. Holy Land was built in the 1950s by John Baptist Greco. The 50' cross was designed and built by Frank Veto Lyman. This steel cross was once lit up purple for Lent and red for the Christmas season. Holy Land closed in 1984 and the plaster, wire caves and structures are now in miserable shape. Some local residents want the place restored while others want it razed and turned into a park. Mattatuck Museum The only museum in Connecticut solely dedicated to collecting and exhibiting Connecticut artists and sculptors and reflecting the industrial history of the state. The renovation and construction was done in 1986, designed by noted Argentine-born architect Cesar Pelli. The original museum, built by Griggs and Hunt in 1912, is located on the opposite side of the Green. TIMEXPO Another educational landmark of Waterbury is the TIMEXPO Museum. The museum opened to the public in May of 2001. There are three floors of exhibits that explore the heritage of the world-famous Timex Corporation, tracing back to its early days as Waterbury Clock. Visitors can witness the birth and growth of Timex, enjoying demonstrations of the inner workings of clock and watches. Within the museum there are a variety of hands on exhibits with craft activities, and computer interactions. Brass Mill Center The Brass Mill Center & Commons is the best shopping, entertainment and dining in the Greater Waterbury Region. There are many stores here including, Old Navy, American Eagle, Hollister & Co., Brookstone, Barnes & Noble, Chili;s, and TGI Friday’s. Also, there are bigger department stores such as Macy’s, JCPenney, Burlington Coat Factory, Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear, and Macys. This mall not only draws in business to the stores, but it also draws attention to the city of Waterbury also. Being right off the highway, it is a nice little break from a long drive going towards New York or Hartford. Notable residents Notes See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |