Derby History Quiz

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Monument to the "New Fort"

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Monuments to Indian Forts proved to be much more elusive than long gone schools for most of our contestants. Long before Europeans arrived in Derby, the Paugassett (Paugasuck) Indians roamed the entire Naugatuck Valley and had a vibrant society. The monument pictured above is located on the river side of Route 34 next to the Recreation Camp. Most people drive by it without giving it a thought or even recognizing it. It was erected in 1916 by the Sarah Riggs Humphrey Chapeter, D.A.R.

Though there is no convenient parking place and the road can be quite dangerous in the area, the monument is worth a visit just to spark a vision of what once stood there prior to 1654. As the monument indicates, the Paugasuck Indians once had a fort in the area that gave them a commanding view of the free flowing Housatonic River below. The view of Lake Ousatonic and the Ousatonic Dam below is still quite impressive, but the fort is long gone as are the Indians who once made a home here.

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We want to add a special thanks to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The monument had been covered with brush, but they removed it in time for the monument to be visible again for our contestants - and for the thousands of people who pass by each day!

This quiz proved a bit tougher than some recent ones. Correct answers were received from: Mary Lou Boroski,  Tom Carey,  John Kowarik,  Ray Allen, Clarence Douglass, and Randy Ritter. Several others mistook the monument for one commemorating the "Old" Indian Fort!

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Monument to the Old Fort at the corner of Seymour Avenue and Division Street!

To see our other earlier quizzes and learn more about Derby's unique history, click here.