The Lower Naugatuck Valley, also known in Connecticut as simply "The Valley", is a geographic area located around the confluence of the southern parts of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. It consists of the municipalities of Seymour, Derby, Ansonia, and Shelton, which constitute the Valley Council of Governments. The scope of the Lower Naugatuck Valley is also sometimes extended to encompass the next three towns upstream and to the north, which are Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, and Oxford, Connecticut. 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, varying the title of that award as "All-America Valley".
History
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 history of this downstream portion of the Naugatuck Valley on the Facebook page entitled . 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. Since the early 1990s, rural and southern portions of the Naugatuck Valley have evolved into sprawling commuter towns. Communities like Shelton and Oxford have become popular bedroom communities for residents working in New York City and lower Fairfield County. Vast sections of farmland up and down the Naugatuck Valley have also been developed for the building of luxury homes. Despite this suburbanization, however, the region is still tied to its core city centers like Derby and downtown areas of Ansonia and Naugatuck, thus retaining its working-class flavor. During the Vietnam War, factories such as the Naugatuck chemical plant were key players in the production of the chemical Agent Orange, heavily used in herbicidal warfare.
Culture
Along with other towns in Connecticut, the Naugatuck Valley maintains a high emotional and cultural involvement with its high school football teams and their rivalries. Football shapes many peoples lives in the valley with high school alumni, faculty and students giving a huge fan base which also includes families and town citizens. The Naugatuck Valley League serves six high schools in the Valley: Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Woodland, Seymour, and Ansonia. The Naugatuck Valley League also contains nine schools that are outside of the Valley: Kennedy, Torrington, Watertown, Crosby, Holy Cross, St. Paul, Wilby, Wolcott, and Sacred Heart. Politically, the Valley is far more conservative than much of the rest of Connecticut, and supported George W. Bush in the 2004 election, centrist Senator Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary; and favored Republicans John McCain in the 2008 election, Mitt Romney in the 2012 election, Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and Thomas C. Foley in the 2010 and 2014 gubernatorial elections. The Valley is home to the Valley Arts Council. The council was established under the guidance of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2000. The Council serves the seven municipalities that comprise this region. The region is particularly strong with many talented Artists of all skills, mediums and levels. The Arts Council has a fine Art gallery on Main Street in downtown Ansonia. The gallery was in neighboring Derby for over ten years. Surprisingly, the Valley is a wealth of Artists and Artisans. Some world class artists, in their specific genres, work and live in these communities. The Valley also has a notable population of Poles, with shops and other various services catering to this population.
