Lower Naugatuck River Valley

The Lower Naugatuck Valley, also known as "The Valley", is a geographic area located around the confluence of the southern parts of the Housatonic River and Naugatuck River. The area consists of the municipalities of Seymour, Derby, Ansonia, and Shelton (not within the Naugatuck watershed), and is governed by the Valley Council of Governments. The definition of the Lower Naugatuck Valley is sometimes extended to encompass the towns of Oxford, Beacon Falls, and Naugatuck.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Valley was one of the main manufacturing centers in New England, and most of the Valley communities were emblematic New England mill towns. In 2000, the seven towns in the extended Lower Naugatuck Valley region were selected as an All-America City with the title of the award changed to "All-America Valley".

This was the most prosperous part of Connecticut in the early days of industrialization. The region was the location of key factories in national industries, most notably the brass industry, rubber manufacturing, petrochemical production and shipbuilding. Naugatuck was the birthplace of Naugahyde. This industrial past has given the region a heavy urban landscape, with many factory buildings rising prominently along the riverside and dominating the central districts of the towns. Much can be learned about the Lower Naugatuck Valley History at: https://www.facebook.com/LowerNaugyValleyHistory

After the Great Depression, however, the area began a prolonged period of deindustrialization and lost large portions of its manufacturing base, leaving behind weak economies and empty buildings typical of Rustbelt landscapes. In 1955, the area's fortunes were further impaired when floodwaters brought by Hurricane Diane devastated the region. From Naugatuck to Shelton, entire downtown neighborhoods were washed away, leaving the region in disaster. High unemployment, poverty, and isolation marked the more urban Naugatuck Valley cities through the 1980s. Floodwaters even went into surrounding areas such as the lower portion of the Greater Waterbury area.

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Wikipedia