The Story
The town that began as âSwampfieldâ became Danbury, one of the best cities in Connecticut, the one-time capital of the hat industry, and the gateway of New England.
The founding families of Danbury, with names such as Thomas Barnum, Judah Gregory, and John Hoyt, left Norwalk in 1684 and traveled some 30 miles north. There, at the western edge of Connecticut, they settled in the surrounding wetlands, and in 1687, the town was decreed as Danbury. Over the years, the small community has grown from the first residentsâ homes on Towne Street (todayâs Main Street), and has become a city of over 80,000 people. From a pivotal role in the American Revolution, to the Great Danbury State Fair, and how Danbury became Americaâs âHat City,â producing over 5 million hats a year and supplying the hat industry with 75% of its hat bodies.
Description
The town that began as âSwampfieldâ became Danbury, one of the best cities in Connecticut, the one-time capital of the hat industry, and the gateway of New England.
The founding families of Danbury, with names such as Thomas Barnum, Judah Gregory, and John Hoyt, left Norwalk in 1684 and traveled some 30 miles north. There, at the western edge of Connecticut, they settled in the surrounding wetlands, and in 1687, the town was decreed as Danbury. Over the years, the small community has grown from the first residentsâ homes on Towne Street (todayâs Main Street), and has become a city of over 80,000 people. From a pivotal role in the American Revolution, to the Great Danbury State Fair, and how Danbury became Americaâs âHat City,â producing over 5 million hats a year and supplying the hat industry with 75% of its hat bodies.
