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History of Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
Journey back in time to Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
Explore the history, people, photographs, newspapers, postcards, and genealogy connected to Ansonia, Connecticut, USA.
ABOUT THE PLACE
About Ansonia
Ansonia, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Ansonia was named for Anson G. Phelps, who helped establish the town.
How New England Towns Received Their Names
The Day
New London, Connecticut
October 21, 1914
Ansonia is a city located in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is situated in the southwestern part of the state and is part of the greater New York City metropolitan area.
Ansonia was originally part of the town of Derby, and it was known as "Colony Lands at Derby." It gained separate identity and was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city's name, "Ansonia," is said to be derived from Anson Greene Phelps, a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the area's copper industry.
Ansonia has a rich industrial history, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city was a hub for manufacturing, including metalworking, copper production, and various forms of machinery. The Ansonia Clock Company, founded in the mid-19th century, was one of the city's most famous industries. It produced a wide range of clocks and timepieces, earning Ansonia the nickname "Copper City."
Ansonia was named for Anson G. Phelps, who helped establish the town.
How New England Towns Received Their Names
The Day
New London, Connecticut
October 21, 1914
Ansonia is a city located in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is situated in the southwestern part of the state and is part of the greater New York City metropolitan area.
Ansonia was originally part of the town of Derby, and it was known as "Colony Lands at Derby." It gained separate identity and was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city's name, "Ansonia," is said to be derived from Anson Greene Phelps, a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the area's copper industry.
Ansonia has a rich industrial history, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city was a hub for manufacturing, including metalworking, copper production, and various forms of machinery. The Ansonia Clock Company, founded in the mid-19th century, was one of the city's most famous industries. It produced a wide range of clocks and timepieces, earning Ansonia the nickname "Copper City."
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VINTAGE ANSONIA
Ansonia Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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National Bank
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Main Street
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Farrell Foundry & Machine Shop
museumofcthistory.org
museumofcthistory.org
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Bridge Street Bridge
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Coe Brass Mills
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Main Street looking N.
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Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Maple St. Bridge, Looking North
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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The Osmon & Cheesman Factory
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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South Cliff Street
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Ansonia Savings Bank
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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City Hall
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Episcopal Church
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Garden St. School
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Emanuel Church, 1909
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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High School
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Naugatuck River, Looking South from Maple St. Bridge, Ansonia, Conn.
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Congregational Church
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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The Brooker Residence
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Public Library
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Mott and Cottage Avenues
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Looking North From Maple St. Bridge
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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South Cliff Street
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Osmon & Cheesman Factory and Canal
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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First Baptist Church
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Franklin Street
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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The Steps
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Looking Up The River
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Church of the Assumption, R.C., 1911
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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The Industrial Heart of the Naugatuck Valley, Ansonia, Conn.
museumofcthistory.org
museumofcthistory.org
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Ansonia Wire Mill
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museumofcthistory.org
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Westwood Park
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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Athletic Field
Ansonia, Connecticut, USA
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The Capitol Theatre
Genealogy gifts & optional resources
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Genealogy Gifts & Resources Related to ANSONIA
CONNECTICUT Gift Idea - Apizza, Burger on Toast, White Clam Pizza - I Love Connecticut! - CT Mug for Genealogists Family History
Featuring iconic local delicacies, the design of this mug captures the essence of Connecticut's food culture. It pays homage to the Apizza, a unique and mouthwatering pizza style that originated in New Haven. The legendary Louis' Lunch Burger, said to be the birthplace of the hamburger, is also prominently featured. And of course, there's a nod to the classic White Clam Pizza, a coastal favorite that's a must-try for seafood enthusiasts.
SAVIN ROCK, CT Memories - Vintage Amusement Park Connecticut Postcards Ceramic Mug
Take a nostalgic trip to Connecticut’s beloved Savin Rock amusement park with this charming ceramic mug. Featuring vintage-inspired images and iconic landmarks, it’s perfect for reminiscing about summer days, family outings, and the golden age of amusement parks.
CONNECTICUT Roots Mug: Bed-and-Breakfast Enthusiast Edition
Start your day with a sip of history and charm from our Connecticut-inspired ceramic mug, proudly proclaiming: "My ancestors came from Connecticut, that explains a lot about my love for charming bed-and-breakfasts and discussing the nuances of colonial architecture." This delightful mug is perfect for those who appreciate the finer things in life, like cozy mornings at quaint inns and lively conversations about the elegance of colonial design.
LOCAL HISTORY
Discover Ansonia: History, News, Travel, and Stories
Explore the events, newspaper stories, people, and moments that shaped Ansonia through the years.
1854 - Ansonia
Ansonia, a flourishing manufacturing post- village of Derby township. New Haven county, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck railroad and river, 5 miles N. from Derby, and 16 N. from Bridgeport. This village, which has grown up within the last 4 or 6 years, owes its prosperity entirely to manufactures, which are here extensively carried on. It contains 2 or 3 churches, and a fine school, the building for which has been erected during the past year.
1864 - Ansonia, CT incorporated as a town
1869 - "Sharpshooter"
An Ansonia, Conn., "sharpshooter" recently fired at a squirrel that was being pursued by his ferret and a $30 dog, and succeeded in killing both dog and ferret and in scaring the squirrel.
1873 - Ansonia Clock Company is established (Ansonia, CT)
1882 - TWO MEN BURNED TO DEATH A DISASTROUS FIRE IN ANSONIA, CONN.
THREE HOUSES DESTROYED AND TWO LIVES LOST - NARROW ESCAPE OF SOME OF THE OTHER INMATES.
New-Haven, March 27. - Fire broke out at 8:45 o'clock this morning in George Hall's meat market, at Maple and High streets, West Ansonia. It was fully half an hour later before the firemen arrived and got to work. The three frame buildings just west of the Ansonia upper bridge were then in flames. The ground floor of the first building was occupied by Ying Lee, a Chinese laundryman; that of the second by Hall, the butcher, and Walter W. Betts, a harness-dealer, and that of the third by Daniel McCarthy, a saloon-keeper. The buildings burned like so many tinder-boxes. No wind was blowing, but the fire spread rapidly, and an hour after the alarm the three buildings were level with the street. Over the laundry lived Mr. Betts and his family. They saved none of their household effects. Mrs. Hall and his family lived over the harness shop and market. They escaped in their night clothes. The third...
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New-Haven, March 27. - Fire broke out at 8:45 o'clock this morning in George Hall's meat market, at Maple and High streets, West Ansonia. It was fully half an hour later before the firemen arrived and got to work. The three frame buildings just west of the Ansonia upper bridge were then in flames. The ground floor of the first building was occupied by Ying Lee, a Chinese laundryman; that of the second by Hall, the butcher, and Walter W. Betts, a harness-dealer, and that of the third by Daniel McCarthy, a saloon-keeper. The buildings burned like so many tinder-boxes. No wind was blowing, but the fire spread rapidly, and an hour after the alarm the three buildings were level with the street. Over the laundry lived Mr. Betts and his family. They saved none of their household effects. Mrs. Hall and his family lived over the harness shop and market. They escaped in their night clothes. The third...
1883 - A CONNECTICUT HOTEL BURNED. A THIEVING ACTOR, SUPPOSED TO HAVE SET FIRE TO THE ANSONIA HOUSE.
New Haven, April 10. - At an early hour this morning the west end of the Ansonia Hotel, Ansonia, Conn., was found to be on fire. The building was of wood and five stories high. W. H. DAYTON, the proprietor, was in the office at the time, and rushing from room to room he aroused the guests from their sleep. Most of them ran into the street in their night clothes. A servant girl named KATE GRADY, who slept in the fifth story, thinking that everything was on fire beneath her, sprang out of a window on the south side, landing on top of a man named CHARLES CONATY. One of her legs was broken in two places, and she received other injuries which may prove fatal. Other inmates escaped by the firemen's ladders. The fire was soon under control, and the damage to the building will not exceed $8,000. The insurance on the building is $13,000, divided as follows: In the Equitable of Providence, Washington Fire, Rochester, German, and North German, Hamburg, $2,000 each; in the Providence of...
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1889 - WRECK AT ANSONIA.
Main Line Rails of Naugatuck Division Twisted Out of Place.
Ansonia, Sept. 27. - In making a flying switch on the Naugatuck division, in Ansonia this morning, five gondola cars loaded with coal were derailed and the siding was torn up for a distance of 100 feet, while the main line was twisted from its bed. The road was effectually blocked for the remaineer of the day. The trains, both passenger and freight, were run from Ansonia to Derby Juction over the tracks of the Berkshire division, so there was but little interruption to travel, trains being only 20 minutes late. It was necessary to have the wrecking crew from the main line, with the iron derrick car before the debris could be removed. There was no one injured and the damage to cars was small.
Ansonia, Sept. 27. - In making a flying switch on the Naugatuck division, in Ansonia this morning, five gondola cars loaded with coal were derailed and the siding was torn up for a distance of 100 feet, while the main line was twisted from its bed. The road was effectually blocked for the remaineer of the day. The trains, both passenger and freight, were run from Ansonia to Derby Juction over the tracks of the Berkshire division, so there was but little interruption to travel, trains being only 20 minutes late. It was necessary to have the wrecking crew from the main line, with the iron derrick car before the debris could be removed. There was no one injured and the damage to cars was small.
1893 - Ansonia, CT reincorporated as a city
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1895 - Ansonia
Anso/ nia, a city of New Haven co., Connecticut, on the E. bank of the Naugatuck River, nearly 2 miles from its mouth, 15 miles by rail N. by E. from Bridgeport, and 13 miles by rail N.W. of New Haven. It is on the New Haven & Derby Division of the Housatonic system. It has a bank, 5 churches, a daily and a weekly paper, an iron-foundry, and manufactures of clocks, brass and copper goods, woollen goods, &c. Pop. in 1880, 2855; in 1890, 10,342.
1900 - ANSONIA FREIGHT WRECK.
Four Cars Derailed on the Naugatuck Division and Line Blocked.
Ansonia, Jan. 6. - Because a rod dropped from a freight car on the Naugatuck division, four cars were derailed, a rail broken and torn up, and the main line blocked for nearly an hour yesterday morning.
The train was a freight bound from Bridgeport. Engineer Sherman was at the throttle and Conductor Colgan was in charge. There were 23 cars in the train, many of them empty, and it was getting under full headway.
A connecting rod of the brakes dropped and fell between the rail of the switch and that of the main line. The wheels of the car passing over it, jammed it tight and the four succeeding cars as they passed over the obstruction were lifted from the rails and thrown on to the ties. The heavy train could not be stopped inside of 300 feet.
The accident occurred about 8:30 o'clock and it was not until 9:13 that the cars were restored to the rail and the line opened. For that reason the through New York train...
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Ansonia, Jan. 6. - Because a rod dropped from a freight car on the Naugatuck division, four cars were derailed, a rail broken and torn up, and the main line blocked for nearly an hour yesterday morning.
The train was a freight bound from Bridgeport. Engineer Sherman was at the throttle and Conductor Colgan was in charge. There were 23 cars in the train, many of them empty, and it was getting under full headway.
A connecting rod of the brakes dropped and fell between the rail of the switch and that of the main line. The wheels of the car passing over it, jammed it tight and the four succeeding cars as they passed over the obstruction were lifted from the rails and thrown on to the ties. The heavy train could not be stopped inside of 300 feet.
The accident occurred about 8:30 o'clock and it was not until 9:13 that the cars were restored to the rail and the line opened. For that reason the through New York train...
1916
Anso'nia, a city of New Haven co., Conn., on the E. bank of the Naugatuck River, nearly 2 miles from its mouth, and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford R., 12 miles NW. of New Haven. It has manufactures of clocks, brass and copper goods, woollen goods, paper machinery, etc. Pop. in 1890, 10,342; in 1900, 12,681.
Whether you're a local looking for new adventures or a visitor passing through, here's a list of places to go and things to do in Ansonia and the surrounding areas:
1. Ansonia Nature Center: Start your exploration of Ansonia at the Ansonia Nature Center. This beautiful 104-acre park offers walking trails, gardens, and a visitor center where you can learn about the local flora and fauna. It's a great place for a leisurely hike or a peaceful picnic.
2. Osbornedale State Park: If you're a fan of the outdoors, Osbornedale State Park is a must-visit. This state park in Derby, just north of Ansonia, features hiking trails, fishing ponds, and even a bird-watching area. It's an excellent spot for nature lovers and photographers.
3. Birmingham Green Historic District: Take a stroll through history in the Birmingham Green Historic District. This area is filled with well-preserved 19th-century homes and buildings, giving you a glimpse into the town's past. Don't forget your camera, as the architecture is quite picturesque.
4. David Humphreys House: History buffs will appreciate a visit to the David Humphreys House, a National Historic Landmark. It...
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2. Osbornedale State Park: If you're a fan of the outdoors, Osbornedale State Park is a must-visit. This state park in Derby, just north of Ansonia, features hiking trails, fishing ponds, and even a bird-watching area. It's an excellent spot for nature lovers and photographers.
3. Birmingham Green Historic District: Take a stroll through history in the Birmingham Green Historic District. This area is filled with well-preserved 19th-century homes and buildings, giving you a glimpse into the town's past. Don't forget your camera, as the architecture is quite picturesque.
4. David Humphreys House: History buffs will appreciate a visit to the David Humphreys House, a National Historic Landmark. It...
GENEALOGY IN ANSONIA
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Updated: 9/22/2023 7:12:06 PM
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