In 1681, just twenty-eight humble log cabins built around a marshy green made up what is today Waterbury, Connecticut. The town flourished, and by 1850, its brass- and button-making industries welcomed the Industrial Revolution. When the call came for the Civil War and World Wars I and II, Waterbury gave generously: buttons, to adorn United States military uniforms; and young soldiers, to fight for freedom and become heroes. A Brief History of Waterbury details the ebb and flow of this Connecticut town, the climb to its height, the struggles through adversity and scandal and the glory of modern-day triumphs. In this endlessly intriguing account, authors Edith Reynolds and John Murray uncover the true reaches of Waterbury's dynamic spirit.

In its early days, Waterbury was a muddy swamp, a breeding ground for pestilence and mosquitoes. Yet the town's early settlers rarely strayed from the path of Puritan righteousness. By the turn of the twentieth century, however, this rigorously policed, morally upright community had become what one politician called a "crossroads of slime and evil." Headlines boasted tales of corrupt politicians and love scandals, union strife and industrial sabotage. For sixteen years, Waterbury was the hideout for "Mad Bomber" George Metesky, and in 1974 the town witnessed the double homicide that provoked the longest-running trial in Connecticut's history. From the controversial opening of a birth control clinic to the corruption of Mayor T. Frank Hayes, authors Edith Reynolds and John Murray document the major episodes that gave Waterbury the nickname "Sin City."

The hard work of nineteenth-century Irish immigrants in Waterbury helped place the city on the map as the Brass Capital of the World. In the early years of immigration, the Irish still had a hard road before them, filled with prejudice and social exclusion. Irish Catholics would hold Mass in secret, but eventually beautiful churches were built, attracting the most revered clergy in Connecticut. Soon Irish and Irish Americans established themselves as city leaders and professionals in the community. Dr. Charles A. Monagan was a founding member of St. Mary's Hospital, while his son John later became mayor. Some achieved fame through their excellence in sports, such as Roger Connor, whose long-standing record for career home runs was unbeatable until finally broken by the one and only Babe Ruth. Detailed research and oral histories from living descendants bring to light the remarkable Waterbury Irish legacy.

The city of Waterbury boasts a rich history in high school boys basketball - ranging from Crosby High's achievements in national tournaments in the early 1920s, through a storied period centered at the City Armory, and a growth into more modern times culminating with Sacred Heart's recent dominance before the school closed in 2021. The 1970s marked a period of transition in the city's hoops history, with Holy Cross beginning its basketball program and the public high schools moving into new buildings and new gymnasiums. The developments helped to spark a half-century of achievement highlighted by 13 state championships for Waterbury schools, with various coaches and players adding their accomplishments to a well-established legacy in the city. In this first of two volumes, author Michael Griffin begins an in-depth look at 50 years of Waterbury high school basketball by presenting a recap of each season from 1970-71 through 1994-95 and integrating stories and experiences shared by former players and coaches. Also including year-by-year listings of team and individual honors as well as looks back even further in time - to the opening of Kennedy's gym in 1965, to the first radio broadcast of a game by WATR, and to the first CIAC title won by a Waterbury school nearly a century ago - this book will inform and delight even the most avid followers of scholastic sports in the city.

For too many years American workers have been cut off from their own roots. When children go to school, they learn little about the people who work in factories and offices, their movements and their efforts for a better life. What is hidden from them is their own legacy, the heritage of culture and struggle handed on from other generations of working people. This book represents a new approach to history. It attempts to pass on that history from one group of workers to other workers, especially as workers and unions are at a crossroads, facing deteriorating conditions and even the permanent loss of jobs. But workers have faced these problems before, and surmounted them. This book can help all understand that our collective history helps us to face the challenges of the present and ones yet unknown of tomorrow. -- Publisher description.

A fierce debut novel about mothers and daughters, haves and have-nots, and the stark realities behind the American Dream. A waitress at the Betsy Ross Diner, Elsie hopes her nickel-and-dime tips will add up to a new life. Then she meets Bashkim, who is at once both worldly and naive, a married man who left Albania to chase his dreams--and wound up working as a line cook in Waterbury, Connecticut. Back when the brass mills were still open, this bustling factory town drew one wave of immigrants after another. Now it's the place they can't seem to leave. Elsie, herself the granddaughter of Lithuanian immigrants, falls in love quickly, but when she learns that she's pregnant, Elsie can't help wondering where Bashkim's heart really lies, and what he'll do about the wife he left behind. Seventeen years later, headstrong and independent Luljeta receives a rejection letter from NYU and her first-ever suspension from school on the same day. Instead of striking out on her own in Manhattan, she's stuck in Connecticut with her mother, Elsie--a fate she refuses to accept. Wondering if the key to her future is unlocking the secrets of the past, Lulu decides to find out what exactly her mother has been hiding about the father she never knew. As she soon discovers, the truth is closer than she ever imagined. Told in equally gripping parallel narratives with biting wit and grace, Brass announces a fearless new voice with a timely, tender, and quintessentially American story. Advance praise for Brass The unforgettable mother and daughter at the center of Brass are as bright and tough as the metal itself, and Xhenet Aliu depicts their parallel journeys with equal parts grit and tenderness. Brass is a fierce, big-hearted, unflinching debut. --Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You Xhenet Aliu is ferociously talented. She's written a story so scathingly honest with characters so perfectly real, it left me breathless with admiration. There is no false sentiment here, no misplaced word, just a novel that pulses with a restless energy, a novel that pulses with life. --Cristina Henriquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans.