In the native American language spoken in the area, the original word,"Naukotunk," is said to have meant "one large tree," and designated the preferred, shaded fishing spot used by the area's first inhabitants.
Like most names in this part of Connecticut, the borough of Naugatuck has roots in the Indian heritage.
Read on, and follow the tour through the early days of this community.
Naugatuck was part of Waterbury for more than 170 years before residents petitioned to be recognized as a separate town. For many years, Naugatuck's first. unofficial name was Judd's Meadows, After Deacon William Judd was given the first division of the meadows downstream of what was then Mattatuck ( later changed to Waterbury ). Years later, the region around Judd's land included the land of many other men, who were the first landowners.
Religion played a major part in the second name change. By 1765, there were enough residents of Judd's Meadows to hold religious services during the winter close to their own homes, instead of traveling to Waterbury each Sunday. This "winter privilege" would allow them to have service in their own community, from the first of December to the end of March. In 1773, a new ecclesiastical society was created and named the Salem Society. Later, the region became known as Salem Bridge.
Finally, some time during the early 1840's when there were 1,730 residents of the region, a petition was submitted to the General Assembly to form a separate town. A post office had opened in 1834, and the name Naugatuck was used, in deference to the river and to avoid confusion with Salem, Connecticut., in Middlesex County. In the spring of 1844, the General Assembly agreed that the region should be incorporated as a distinct town, by the name of Naugatuck.
Now as to the meaning of " Naugatuck " Dr. Joseph Anderson
offers this explanation: " It appears in the Paugasuck deed as the most widely known of all the aboriginal names in the valley."
This was offered in Dr. Bronson's " History of Waterbury."
"Naukotunk," the original form of the word, is said to mean " one large tree" and to have been the original name of Humphreysville ( now Seymour), which was so named after a large tree, formerly standing near Rock Rimmon at Seymour.
The same derivation also is given in a letter Stiles French, of Northampton, Mass. Formerly of Seymour, whose authority was Eunice Mauwee. Mr. French says, "she said that the name Naugatuck meant 'one big tree' and was pronounced 'Naw-ka-tunk,' This 'old big tree' stood about where the copper works in Seymour now are and afforded the Indians some shade when they came to the Rimmon Falls to fish."
For those living in Naugatuck today, or for it's visitors, the sight of
" One Large Tree " is a reminder enough of the borough's
humble beginnings..
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