The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-25
DERBY IN THE FIFTIES
An Interesting Map Showing Growth
of the Associated Towns.

of the Associated Towns.
There now hangs in the office of At
toney A. G. Baldwin a map that Is OF
great value and interest. 1t is of the
town of Derby in 1852 and many old
residents, in whose memory the condi-
ton of the town in that time is still
clear, have had "reminiscences of the
past strongly recalled by inspecting it.
The map is the property Of William F.
Elmes and is the only one known of in
the city. 1t is in an excellent state of
preservation and clearly shows the To-
cation and relative sizes of all build
ings then existing. 1t is very compre-
hensive, being about three by six feet in
size.
There is one sketch of the entire town,
which then included Ansonia, and there
are separate sketches of Ansonia, which
was not even a borough then, "Birm-
ingham'' and Derby Narrows," now
East Derby About the top, sides and
bottom are views of prominent residen-
ces, the churches and the larger fac
tories
The streets now in the center of the
city are shown to have been the same
then, but there We're few where now
there are many. Main, Elizabeth,
Olivia Minerva, and Caroline and Cot
tage streets were then the same as at
present, but by the sketches of build
ings it is apparent that there was then
only the natural grade
On the East Side or the fNarroWs,"
none of the streets that are now on the
side of the Derby hill are shown.
Among the most prominent residences
was the home of DR.. Ambrose Beardsley
The building, very much altered, is still
standing and is now owned by John t.
Holian, who conducts in it his popular
hostelry, Holian's Inn. Nelson a.
Downs house was prominent enough to
be illustrated. 1t is now Mrs Gard
ners residence on Minerva street. The
cut shows it to be on the grade of the
streets with paths leading through
grass to the roadway. The same house
now has basement, the floors of
which is on the grade of the street,
which shows how much the Minerva
street hill has already been cut.
Peter Phelps residence is shown
but that is now gone. Sharon Bassetts
house is portrayed as it stood and is
now standing at Third and Minerva
streets. The house now occupied by
Mrs. r. w Gerard on Caroline street is
also pictured as one of the prominent
dwellings, 1t was surrounded by trees
and bushes and was the home Of Will
liam N. Narramore, father of Joseph
Narramore, of Ansonia.
The residence of Henry AtWater,
father of ex-Mayor William C. Atwater,
was prominent and is shown situated
on knoll just back of where Hull's
block is now located, on Main street.
The present First and Second Congre-
gational churches are shown. The First
has never been altered, but the Sec
ond has been remodelled. The M E.
church, since torn down to make room
for the present handsome brick struc-
trre, also forms an excellent view, as
does the old wooden Catholic church.
The latter stood very nearly on the site
of the present large and imposing brick
edifice. Nothing remains of the old
one except some windows which were
secured by Judge George B. Clark and
are now in use in his chicken coop.
The old wooden Congregational
church, in Ansonia, which was burned
down in the sixties, is also shown. In
line of factories there are the old iron
and steel works on Main street, torn
down several years since, and Charles
Atwood's factory, rolling and brass
wire MILL" pump and jack chains
shop and "patent tip and hook and eye
mandatory" as they are designated
on the map They are located near
where now are situated the extensive
works of the Sterling Co. The At.
wood factories have long since been
things of the past, having been des-
troyed by fire in 1866
The great growth of the associated
cities is plainly discernabe On the
north side of Main street, between
Elizabeth and Minerva, there was but
one store, that now occupied by Charles
H. Coe, the druggist. Most of the
stores were east of Minerva street
There was nothing between Elizabeth
street and the bridge. In the block
where now the fine buildings of the
Derby Gas Co., A. H. & c. B. Alling an6
those on Elizabeth street, are located
there was but one building, the resi-
dence of William Judson now occupied
by Mrs. Remer
In the block bounded by Minerva
Fifth and Cottage streets there was but
one building, the barn of DR.. Johr
Howe, the inventor of the solid headed
pin and founder of the Howe Pin Co
The barn was situated where Flynn:
stables now are. A fine row of tree:
are shown growing on each side of thu
Causeway, or tCrossway," as it wa
then called.
A count of the building showed tina
there were 12S in Birmingham 121 il
Derby Narrows'' and 102 in Ansonia, ;
total of 351 in the entire town. Their
was no West Ansonia then and only
few scattered farms houses were locates
in that erritory.-Ansonia Sentinel.