Naugatuck Valley Textile Industry

by Mary Ruth Shields

Overview

T he textile industry found its roots in Connecticut along the banks of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers between Waterbury and Bridgeport. From the early 1800s, when David Humphries, former aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington, brought the woolen industry to America, to the 1950s, when the vast Sidney Blumenthal Mills moved to the South, the textile industry shaped life in the Naugatuck Valley. The industry witnessed labor actions, inspired cultural expression, and experienced the growth of shipping by road, water, and rail. Workers produced felted wool, cotton, and silk fabrics, velvet, fake fur, wool hosiery, buttons, ribbons, and various other goods, laying the foundation for the prosperity enjoyed by the valley today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439638897
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/10/2011
Series:	Images of America Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	51 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Author Mary Ruth Shields has previously written Industry Clothing Construction Methods and numerous articles related to the textiles industry. The historical societies and citizens of the valley towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton also contributed generously to this book.

Editorial Reviews

Title: Book illustrates Valley's textile heritage
Author: Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
Publisher: New Haven Register
Date: 1/15/2011

Wool, buttons, rubber-soled shoes, hoop skirts and corsets were among the goods manufactured in the Naugatuck Valley for decades.

Author Mary Ruth Shields has chronicled that part of the Valley's history in her new book, "Naugatuck Valley Textile Industry," part of the Images of America series, which spotlights the history of communities across the country.

"I am interested in history in general, and I knew there was textile industry in the Valley," Shields said, when asked what prompted her to write the book. "I love investigating things and finding out about the history. I thought it is something people in the Valley should know about."

Shields, a Shelton resident since 2002, said she especially hopes the book will help area children learn more about the manufacturing in the region.

"The concept of Yankee ingenuity is something the entire Valley shares," she said.

The region didn't have a lot of crop land, but it did have rivers, so mills and factories along the rivers helped people support their families, she said.

If you have ancestors who lived in the Valley, there is a good chance they worked in the textile industry, according to Shields.

Shields is the chairwoman of the fashion merchandising and the marketing departments at Lincoln College of New England in Southington, where she teaches. She also is on the board of the Valley Arts Council.

She designs apparel and accessories for her own label at a studio at the Valley Center for the Arts in Derby.

The book highlights important local historic figures such as Gen. David Humphreys, who served during the Revolutionary War and "founded the first woolen mill in the United States on the Naugatuck River," in what is now Seymour, according to the book.

According to Shields, Humphreys originated the "mill village" concept, in which a mill would have a nearby store, school and housing for the mill workers and their families. The concept gained popularity elsewhere, she said.

The book includes rare vintage photographs from public and private collections, and includes images of the ancestors of many Valley residents still in the area, according to Arcadia Publishing, which published the book.

The book also has photographs of many buildings that no longer exist.

Shields said she will be happy to discuss history with interested residents who come to her upcoming book-signing events. Many photographs in the book were from local historical societies and libraries, and if residents have old photographs, she encourages them to bring them.

"I also want to generate interest in donating photographs and historical items to these groups," Shields said.

A book signing will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Written Words Bookstore, 194 Leavenworth Road, Shelton. Call the store at 203-944-0400 for more information. Another will be at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 at the John Bale Book Co., 158 Grand St., Waterbury. Call 203-757-2279 for more information.

A portion of the profits from the sale of the book will be donated to Valley history centers.

The book costs $21.99, and is on sale at local retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or 888-313-2665.

From the Publisher