Site History:

Naugatuck, a word derived from the American Indian; the original Naugatuck was most likely an Indian phrase that is thought to possibly mean either a tree or a place of fishing at the falls. The original phrase most likely was pronounced quite differently than the single word we use today, as it was difficult to translate the local Indian language into English without losing something in the process. Another source states that the name Naugatuck comes from the Paugussett Indians and means "the river which comes from Nawcatock" - present-day Seymour

Prior to the start of the industrial development in early 1700's in the Naugatuck River Valley, there was clean water which supported anadromous fish and riparian lands that were home to many species of wildlife. The first dam was completed in 1706 in Beacon Falls; by 1880 there was a score of dams in the mainstem and tributaries. Dams stopped fish migrations, and pollution killed most life in the river. By the 1950's, few living organisms were present in the Naugatuck's highly polluted water or lived along its banks. Many people called the river an open sewer.

The Naugatuck River has a long history of industry that used its waters for many processes from washing to power generation during the last century. Before the industrial revolution the river was an important part of local American Indian culture for it fed the masses. Because of the industrial revolution much of its banks were bought up by early industrialists and the river was dammed in many places. From the river valley many infamous products were born; the process of vulcanized rubber was developed in Naugatuck by Goodyear, Naugahide the furnishing upholstery came out of Naugatuck, metal clock parts were first developed in Thomaston and the booming brass factory made Waterbury. Without the river and the railroad, that allowed for shipment and receiving of products and raw materials, the river valley may have looked like any other pristine untouched area.

Today the Naugatuck River is still rich in its industrial background, but it has begun to change back into a pristine area. With the Department of Environmental Protection, local chapters of Trout Unlimited, the Naugatuck River Watershed Association and advocacy by the greater community for the revitalization of this nautral resource, progress has been made in the rivers restoration. DEP's initiative to restore the river for anadromous fish, that had previously been blocked from upstream passage by the numerous dams, began with the plans to remove all dams from Seymour up to the Thomaston Dam. Today only two dams remain along this stretch of river Tingue in Seymour, which is slated for removal in the near future with a price tag of approximately 3 million dollars and the Plume and Atwood Dam in Thomaston.

Along with removal of the dams, the poor water quality was addressed by upgrading all waste water treatment facilities, the largest in Waterbury, and going after large industries that were still using the river for a dumping grounds for their left over wastes. Today the river has rebounded, fish are plentiful and once happy visitors, like Bald Eagles, osprey and herons are returning to fish along its banks.