Page 22 - River Drive Brochure

THE STORY OF NORWALK

Hats, pottery, corsets and dozens of other products are included in the rich

history of manufacturing in Norwalk. Dating back to the 18th century, the
seaside location has long been regarded as a prime location for industry, which
has thrived for generations of employees.

"Norwalk was a hub of activity," said Historian and Norwalk Library volunteer Ralph
Bloom. "The city has been in the manufacturing business for hundreds of years.
The oldest industry to be documented is pottery, it may even have been made here
before the Revolutionary War," Bloom said.
Aside from pottery, one of the largest industries in Norwalk was hatting. "It was the

biggest industry we ever had," Bloom said. "There were hat shops here from the 18th
century to 1960 that employed about 4,000 people in Norwalk.
Norwalk's seaside location was a contributing factor to the success of businesses in
the city, Bloom said.

With the waterfront, the onset of the railroad, and trolleys or "street railroads" as they
were formerly called in the city by the 1860s, Bloom said businesses (both small

and large in size) were situated in the perfect location.
"Norwalk wasn't a commuter town back then, it was a manufacturing city,"
Bloom said. "Now it's the opposite.”

Oystering, or aquatic farming was and still is one of the largest industries
in Norwalk. "One of the great things about oystering in Norwalk is that
there are hundreds of acres of islands in the harbor, which shelters
them," Bloom said.

Of all of the oystering companies, only a few remain.
Other notable Norwalk industries include the Burndy
Corporation, which had a major part in the
manufacturing of the Hubbell telescope, E.
Lockwood & Sons, which started out as
a shipping and general store and
switched to a real estate company

that was located on the
current grounds of Fat
Cat Pie on Wall
Street.