History
The location where Waterbury now lies was once the frontier between the
Mohican and Pennacook people. European settlement of the area dates from
1763, when King George III granted a charter for land in the Winooski River
Valley. James Marsh became the first permanent white settler in the region
in 1783. Many of the early settlers came from Waterbury, Connecticut and
named their new township in honor of the hometown.
Like many New England towns, Waterbury's economy was based around the local
river mill industry and the surrounding agricultural producers. The mills
produced products such as lumber and finished wood products, wicker products,
leather, starch, and alcohol. The agriculture was based on sheep through the
19th century but had switched over to dairy farming by the 20th century. The
Central Vermont Railroad came to Waterbury in 1849.
With a population of over 2000, the Village of Waterbury was incorporated in
1882.
In 1927, Waterbury, like many other Vermont communities, was devastated by
flooding. The village recovered and in 1938 the Little River Dam was built
by the Army Corps of Engineers to control future flooding.
Demographics
The 2000 population of the village of Waterbury was 1706. Population of the
town of Waterbury was 4915. The population is not ethnically diverse, with
the combined non-white population figures for the village and town being 46
and 108 respectively. Waterbury, like many New England communities, has seen
its population slowly declining.
