Shelton, CT
In the Beginning:
Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639. On May 15, 1656, the Court of the Colony of Connecticut in Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the territory 12 miles inland from Long Island Sound, between the Housatonic River and the Fairfield town line. In 1662, Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, Captain Joseph Hawley and John Minor had secured all the written deeds of transfer from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for this vast territory that comprises the present-day towns of Trumbull, Shelton and Monroe. Shelton was split off from Stratford in 1789, as Huntington (named for Samuel Huntington. The current name originated in a manufacturing village started in the 1860s named for the Shelton Company founded by Edward N. Shelton — also founder of Ousatonic Water Power Company. The rapidly growing borough of Shelton incorporated as a city in 1915 and was consolidated with the town of Huntington in 1919 establishing the present city of Shelton.
The explosion that destroyed the Sponge Rubber Plant on Canal Street in 1975 marked the start of the decline of Shelton's industries. During the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s several firms that operated factories along the banks of the Housatonic River either went out of business or relocated to areas where labor and operating costs were cheaper.
Shelton Today:
With the completion of Route 8, new office spaces and businesses were attracted to the town, due to its Fairfield County location coupled with low costs of doing business as opposed to places such as Stamford or Greenwich. Major firms occupy Shelton such as Tetley Tea, TIE Communication, I.T.T., Black and Decker, Sikorsky Aircraft, Chesebrough-Pond's, Tetra-Pak, General Electric, Bic and others. Most famously, Shelton is home to the Original Wiffle Ball Company . Over 2,000,000 square feet of corporate office space spread across 12 buildings was constructed by the R.D. Scinto corporation alone.
Sections of Shelton:
Downtown
White Hills (Leavenworth Road)
Soundview Avenue
Booth Hill Road
Bridgeport Avenue
Huntington Center
Pine Rock Park
Today, there are many stores, specialty shops and restaurants that line the streets of Bridgeport Avenue, River Rd, and Huntington Street (to name a few). The consistent low taxes provide a base for public and private businesses alike to open shop here. As in many towns of Faifield County, the beauty of the 4 seasons as well as the area residents provide a spectacular backdrop for both visitors and more importantly new occupants.
Welcome Home.
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