Danbury: The Hat City at the Edge of Western Connecticut
For more than a century, Danbury was the hat manufacturing capital of the United States. At the industry's height in the early 1900s, the city contained over 50 hat factories producing everything from felt derbies to straw boaters. Mercury used in the felting process poisoned workers and polluted the Still River, a legacy that contributed to the phrase "mad as a hatter." The last hat factory closed in the 1980s, but the Danbury Museum and Historical Society preserves artifacts from this era.
Located in northern Fairfield County near the New York state line, Danbury has grown into a mid-sized city of about 84,657 residents. Western Connecticut State University, part of the Connecticut State University system, operates its main campus on the city's west side. The Ives Concert Park, named for Danbury-born composer Charles Ives, hosts outdoor performances during summer months. Ives won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1947 and is considered one of the first major American composers to work in an experimental style.
The local economy has diversified beyond manufacturing into healthcare, retail, and corporate services. Danbury Hospital, part of the Nuvance Health system, is the largest employer. The Danbury Fair Mall, built on the site of the old Danbury State Fair fairgrounds, is one of the largest shopping centers in Connecticut. Interstate 84 connects the city to Hartford to the east and the Hudson Valley to the west.
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For more than a century, Danbury was the hat manufacturing capital of the United States. At the industry's height in the early 1900s, the city contained over 50 hat factories producing everything from felt derbies to straw boaters. Mercury used in the felting process poisoned workers and polluted the Still River, a legacy that contributed to the phrase "mad as a hatter." The last hat factory closed in the 1980s, but the Danbury Museum and Historical Society preserves artifacts from this era.
Located in northern Fairfield County near the New York state line, Danbury has grown into a mid-sized city of about 84,657 residents. Western Connecticut State University, part of the Connecticut State University system, operates its main campus on the city's west side. The Ives Concert Park, named for Danbury-born composer Charles Ives, hosts outdoor performances during summer months. Ives won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1947 and is considered one of the first major American composers to work in an experimental style.
The local economy has diversified beyond manufacturing into healthcare, retail, and corporate services. Danbury Hospital, part of the Nuvance Health system, is the largest employer. The Danbury Fair Mall, built on the site of the old Danbury State Fair fairgrounds, is one of the largest shopping centers in Connecticut. Interstate 84 connects the city to Hartford to the east and the Hudson Valley to the west.
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