| Ansonia, Connecticut |
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| ansonia, connecticut | |
| new haven county, connecticutansonia, connecticut | |
| new haven county, connecticut | |
| towns in connecticut | |
| new haven county, connecticut | |
| naugatuck river valley | |
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Ansonia is known for its devotion to its high school football team, the Ansonia Chargers. The Chargers' arch-rivals are the Derby Red Raiders, from neighboring Derby, Connecticut. The annual Ansonia-Derby game is one of the most important events of the year in the two cities. In 2005-2006, the Ansonia school system was subject to negative publicity from television stations based in New Haven and Hartford surrounding the large class sizes in its elementary schools. HISTORY The city, settled in 1840 and named in honor of the merchant and philanthropist Anson Green Phelps (1781-1853), was originally a part of the township of Derby ; it was chartered as a borough in 1864 and as a city in 1893, when the township of Ansonia, which had been incorporated in 1889, and the city were consolidated. Ansonia suffered grievous damage from the Great Flood of 1955, caused by massive rain from Hurricane Diane that filled the Naugatuck River beyond its capacity. The flood submerged the area flanking the river and destroyed many homes and businesses. The high river waters swept away Maple Street Bridge, which linked the east and west sides of the city. Following the flood, authorities erected a flood wall along the east bank of the river to protect the city's factories and Main Street from future floods. On the west bank, federal public housing took the place of blocks of destroyed homes and businesses along Olson Drive. In the decades following the flood, Ansonia's Main Street fell into decline as retail shoppers abandoned it for malls in nearby Milford, Trumbull, and Waterbury. In recent years, however, Main Street has perked up with the opening of several antique stores, a Polish delicatessan, a coffee shop, and other businesses. GEOGRAPHY According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 16.0 Km&2 (6.2 Mi&2 ). 15.6 km&2 (6.0 mi&2) of it is land and 0.4 km&2 (0.2 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 2.58% water. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census 2 of 2000, there were 18,554 people, 7,507 households, and 4,977 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 1,188.0/km&2 (3,076.3/mi&2). There were 7,937 housing units at an average density of 508.2/km&2 (1,316.0/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.52% White , 8.42% Black or African American , 0.34% Native American , 1.13% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 2.22% from Other Races , and 2.37% from two or more races. 7.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 7,507 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were Married Couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,026, and the median income for a family was $53,718. Males had a median income of $30,747 versus $28,517 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $20,504. 7.6% of the population and 6.2% of families were below the Poverty Line . 12.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. ECONOMY The city has extensive manufactures of heavy machinery, electric supplies, brass and copper products, and silk goods. Ansonia, Derby , Shelton , and Seymour form one of the most important industrial communities in the state. The highly successful Ansonia Clock Company started manufacturing Ansonia Clocks here in 1851, before moving to Brooklyn, New York , in 1878. The original name of the company, however, was retained. In recent years, much of the heavy industry has moved out of town and for many years these factories sat vacant. Starting in 2002, a major renovation of the down town area started to be planned. Opening in spring 2006 will be a Marshalls and a Bob's Store. Target is in the process of getting all of the appropriate permits to begin building where the Latex Foam company once stood. Due to a recent influx of large corporations moving up the coast from New York and Fairfield county, Ansonia's housing market has also improved over the last few years. On the more fashionable East Side of Ansonia, the average home price has climbed almost 20% over the last 5 years. The Federal Housing projects found on the West Side of town, where 98% of the crime in Ansonia takes place, are in the process of being emptied. LANDMARKS Landmarks in Ansonia include the Farrel Company and American Copper and Brass factories situated along the banks of the Naugatuck River (which bisects the city), the Ansonia Public Library, the Valley YMCA, the Ansonia Armory and many Victorian and Queen Anne houses. Ansonia is noted for its many churches, including five Catholic parishes, each historically associated with a different ethnic group: Saint Joseph (Polish), Saint Anthony (Lithuanian), Assumption (Irish), Holy Rosary (Italian), and Saints Peter and Paul (Ukrainian). There are also Congregationalist, Methodist, Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Pentacolist, and other denominations. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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