The Flood of 1955 was one of the worst floods in Connecticut's history . Two back-to-back hurricanes saturated the land and several river valleys in the state, causing severe flooding in August 1955. The rivers most affected were the Mad River and Still River in Winsted , the Naugatuck River , the Farmington River , and the Quinebaug River . The towns that suffered the most loss include Farmington , Putnam , Naugatuck , Waterbury , and Winsted . 87 people died during the flooding, and property damage across the state was estimated at more than $ 200 million, in 1955 figures. The floods prompted changes in safety measures, river monitoring, and zoning laws.
31-580: Winsted may refer to a location in the United States: Winsted, Connecticut Winsted (Aberdeen, Maryland) , a home on the National Register of Historic Places Winsted, Minnesota See also [ edit ] Winstead (disambiguation) Winstedt , a surname Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
62-750: A cemetery in Seymour . The state shipped in 300 temporary housing units from Groton, to help provide shelter for the newly homeless. The floods prompted the United States Army Corps of Engineers to build $ 70 million worth of dams and flood walls along several Connecticut rivers. In 1960, the Army Corps built the Thomaston Dam. The Thomaston Dam on the Naugatuck River is one of the largest flood control measures erected by
93-481: A household in the CDP was $ 45,597, and the median income for a family was $ 58,962. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 41,842 versus $ 45,208 for females. About 20.1% of families and 23.5% of the population were living below the poverty line , including 31.8% of people under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over. The closest major airport is Bradley International Airport (BDL), 24 miles (39 km) to
124-531: A large decrease in enrollment, the school dropped from serving around 200 students, to just 90. When in operation, it was the oldest school continually operated by the archdiocese. Northwestern Connecticut Community College is also located in Winsted. Beardsley Library and the Memorial Library is the local public library. Mrs. Eliot Beardsley donated $ 10,000 to establish the library. The buying of
155-548: A stone tower of over 40 feet erected in 1890. The city is crossed by U.S. Route 44 , Connecticut Route 8 , Connecticut Route 183 and Connecticut Route 263 . US 44 leads southeast 25 miles (40 km) to Hartford , the state capital, and northwest 17 miles (27 km) to North Canaan . Route 8 leads south 9 miles (14 km) to Torrington and 28 miles (45 km) to Waterbury , and north 26 miles (42 km) to U.S. Route 20 in West Becket, Massachusetts . As of
186-555: Is a census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut , United States. It is part of the town of Winchester . The population of Winsted was 7,192 at the 2020 census , a decrease from 7,712 at the 2010 census . It comprises the majority of the town of Winchester's 10,224 population. Winsted is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region . Settled in 1750,
217-689: Is also in Connecticut. The Still River continues north as a tributary of the Farmington River and is part of the Connecticut River watershed. The city is laid out in a horseshoe-shaped valley ringed by seven hills; two other hills stand amid this, comprising a total of nine named hills. There are five stone churches in a crescent from east to west. In their exact center is the Castle Tower Civil War monument,
248-483: Is home to a growing number of arts and cultural organizations, including the arts and education center the American Mural Project , which holds the record for the largest indoor, collaborative mural in the world. Known in the 1800s as Winsted Hosiery, the largest hosiery manufacturer in the state, Whiting Mills is now home to 56 artisans, small businesses, and retail shops. Since its renovation in 2004,
279-644: Is where the major damage occurred. The Housatonic River in Western Connecticut reached 24.50 feet—its highest levels until October 1955, when it again reached 24.50 feet. On noon of August 20, 1955, President Eisenhower declared Connecticut a "major disaster area". Police forces, volunteer firefighters, Connecticut National Guard members, the Coast Guard, and average citizens worked together to rescue people from their homes and other buildings where they became stranded. At 1:00 AM on August 19, as
310-612: The Gilbert School serves as the public school for grades 7-12. Prior to 2011, middle school students went to schools operated by the Winchester district. Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 maintains Northwestern Regional High School , which is partly in Winsted. However, the school does not act as the public school for Winsted. Students who live in Winchester can attend Northwestern Regional High School through their Agricultural Education Program. Also located in
341-602: The United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km ), of which 4.6 square miles (12.0 km ) are land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km ), or 3.73%, are water. Winsted sits in the eastern part of the town of Winchester at the confluence of the Still and Mad Rivers . This Mad River is one of seven rivers with the same name in New England, one other of which
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#1732780652134372-617: The East Coast—missing Connecticut, but bringing about 4 to 6 inches of rainfall to the state on August 13. Hurricane Diane came through the following week. The path of Hurricane Diane came closer to Connecticut, after soaking up waters from the Atlantic Ocean. Once the hurricane reached the coast of Long Island, it dumped an additional 13 to 20 inches of rain on Connecticut over a two-day period. The heavy rains on already-saturated ground made several rivers in
403-533: The Mad River and Still River through downtown. The Mad River, which parallels Main Street, caused flooding up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep through the center of town. This damaged the buildings between Main Street and the river such that all buildings on that side of Main Street through the center of town were subsequently removed and Main Street widened to four lanes. The buildings on the north side of Main Street for
434-668: The United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture , later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department . The Gilbert School , originally endowed with more than $ 600,000 by William L. Gilbert, is a private secondary school that serves as the public high school for the town of Winchester. In 1955, Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane passed over Connecticut within one week, flooding
465-466: The census of 2010, there were 7,712 people, 3,346 households, and 1,920 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,668 inhabitants per square mile (644/km ). There were 3,828 housing units, of which 482, or 12.6%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.6% White , 2.2% African American , 0.3% Native American , 1.3% Asian , 2.7% some other race , and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.5% of
496-512: The city of Winsted was formed at the junction of the Mad River and Still River and was one of the first mill towns in Connecticut. Manufactured products started with scythes at the Winsted Manufacturing Company in 1792. The city is within the town of Winchester, and its name derives from the fact that it is the business center for the towns of Winchester and Barkhamsted . Winsted, along with New Haven, Connecticut ,
527-493: The day Thursday, August 18, starting at about 3:00 AM. By 11:00 PM, the Shepaug River and brooks in the western portion of the state had begun to overflow their banks. In Waterbury, the water reached an estimated 35 feet in places, and was reported to have moved at rates up to 50 miles per hour. While major rivers, such as the Connecticut River , had flood control measures in place, smaller rivers and brooks did not. That
558-562: The east in Windsor Locks, Connecticut . Amtrak stations within a 30-mile radius include Windsor (WND ), Hartford (HFD ), Berlin (BER ), and Springfield, Massachusetts (SPG ). Greyhound Lines also has a bus station. Public transportation service is provided by the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District , which operates a weekday bus service and a dial-a-ride service. Winsted
589-421: The land was funded by Jenison Whiting, who submitted a bequest in 1898, with the first building built the following year. 41°55′16″N 73°03′36″W / 41.92111°N 73.06000°W / 41.92111; -73.06000 1955 Connecticut floods The flooding was caused by the rains from two hurricanes, Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane . On August 11, Hurricane Connie swept through
620-562: The mill received recognition from New England's Yankee Magazine as the "2016 Best Artists' Community in Connecticut,”"establishing the former factory building as a vibrant platform for the area's most creative artisans. Also here are the Ralph Nader 's nonprofit American Museum of Tort Law , and the Winchester Historical Society. Winchester Public Schools is the public school district for grades K-6, while
651-567: The most part survived and were repaired. Further downstream, the Still River flowed between the buildings of the Gilbert Clock Company. The flooding caused extensive damage to their buildings, and this was the final blow to a company which was already in poor financial condition. Northwestern Connecticut Community College was founded in 1965 by Winsted residents, including Ralph Nader 's older brother, Shafeek . It occupies
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#1732780652134682-565: The original Gilbert School building. NCCC was one of the first four community colleges in Connecticut, and is accredited by both the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Northwestern Community College Foundation was incorporated in 1981 to support the mission of Northwestern Connecticut Community College. NCCF generates private funds for
713-406: The population. Of the 3,346 households in the community, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were headed by married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
744-466: The purpose of benefiting the students attending NCCC and the community of Winsted. In 2013, Henry Centrella, the former city finance director, was served a complaint which stated that over $ 2.2 million was misappropriated during his 30-year tenure. Ralph Nader opened the American Museum of Tort Law in 2015, inside the former Winsted Savings Bank building at 654 Main Street. According to
775-524: The region begin to overflow. Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island experienced flooding, but Connecticut was hardest hit in New England. New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania were also hit by flooding caused by the two hurricanes. Two months later, another storm brought an additional 12 to 14 inches of rain to New England—hitting some communities that had been affected by the August floods, and others that had escaped. The rains poured down for much of
806-411: The region the day after the floods, described the area as "a staggering toll of death in a shroud of mud". The death toll was 87 people—including people who suffered heart attacks while being rescued. The following damage figures were outlined in the state report three months after the flood: In New England, more than 200 dams suffered partial or total failure. More than 50 coffins floated away from
837-462: The title Winsted . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winsted&oldid=1034045139 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Winsted, Connecticut Winsted
868-502: The town is Explorations Charter School. Created to serve a diverse body of students, the school was designed to accommodate the unique educational, social, and emotional needs of its students. Prior to closing in 2020, the town also had a parochial Catholic school called St. Anthony School, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hartford . The school opened in 1865, and maintained a class of around 200 students. Experiencing
899-642: The water began rising over the banks of several rivers, Gov. Abraham Ribicoff mobilized the National Guard. More than 25 helicopters—from the U.S. Navy and local companies like Sikorsky —were used to rescue hundreds of people from rooftops and tree branches where they clung to life. The flood hit the Naugatuck river with such fury that as many as 500 people in the Waterbury area had to be rescued by helicopter. A Sunday-Herald reporter, who flew over
930-429: Was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.95. 21.5% of the CDP population were under the age of 18, 8.7% were from 18 to 24, 24.6% were from 25 to 44, 30.1% were from 45 to 64, and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. For the period 2013–2017, the estimated median annual income for
961-612: Was a center for the production of mechanical clocks in the 1900s. The Gilbert Clock Company , located along the Still River north of town, was founded in 1871 by William L. Gilbert (1806–1890) and became one of the largest clock companies in the world around the start of the 20th century. The Winsted post office contains an oil on canvas mural , Lincoln's Arbiter Settles the Winsted Post Office Controversy , painted by muralist Amy Jones in 1938. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in