Norwalk, Connecticut
The town of Norwalk is a coastal town bounded on the north by New Canaan and Wilton, on the east by Long Island Sound and on the west by New Canaan and Darien. Roger Ludlowe purchased land in what is now the present town of East Norwalk on February 26, 1640, embracing the area of land lying between the Saugatuck and Norwalk Rivers. Not long after, Captain Daniel Patrick purchased an additional portion of land in what is known today as Norwalk.
In 1776, Nathan Hale, disguising himself as a teacher, was rowed to British-held Long Island and then to New York to give a report to the British. Later, General William Tryon raided Norwalk with a combined force of over 2,600 Hessian and British soldiers and burned the town down, leaving only six homes untouched. After the war, the citizens of Norwalk rebuilt the town, adding coastal trade, manufacturing and shipbuilding to their farm businesses. Norwalk citizens manufactured clocks, watches, paper, pottery, nails and hats. Oystering peaked between 1885 and 1910, going from public oyster beds to oyster farms. Today, the oyster business is booming in Connecticut. Currently, Norwalk is home to over 80,000 residents.
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