Ansonia, New Haven County, Connecticut Genealogy

Description
Ansonia, Connecticut at Wikipedia

Ansonia is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The area comprising the present Elm Street section of Ansonia and Derby Avenue section of Derby was first settled in 1652 and was originally a part of the township of Derby. In 1844, merchant and philanthropist Anson Greene Phelps (1781–1853) wanted to expand the old Borough of Birmingham (the present down town of the City of Derby) up along the west side of the Naugatuck River. Unfortunately since he was not able to purchase the land required from its owner, Anson Phelps acquired land along the east side of the river, which today is the city's downtown section, in 1844. A canal was dug to power the factories and businesses in the new industrial village and named it Ansonia. The name came about when Mr. Phelps wanted to call his new industrial village "Phelpsville" but found out there was another village in the region by that name. Under the suggestion of a friend, Mr. Phelps Latinized his first name thus Ansonia came about. Soon Ansonia became the most populous area of Derby and boasted many factories. The state chartered Ansonia as a borough of Derby in 1864 and amended it once again in 1871 granting full municipal privileges. In 1888, a petition was circulated in the borough of Ansonia for the purpose of becoming a separate township from Derby. In 1889 the State General Assembly granted the separation thus constituting the Borough, Hilltop, West Ansonia, and Elm Street areas as a separate town known as Ansonia. This was the 168th township in the State of Connecticut. In 1893, Ansonia was incorporated as a city, consolidating with the coterminous town and the old borough.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Adjacent Towns

 * New Haven County: Derby | Orange | Seymour | Woodbridge

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office Ansonia Town Clerk 253 Main Street Ansonia, CT 06401 Phone: 203-922-3919 E-mail: [mailto:blynch@ansoniact.org blynch@ansoniact.org] Ansonia Town Clerk

Births

 * 1639-1941 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1640-1955 — index
 * 1889-1934 : at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

 * 1640-1955 — index
 * 1889-1934 : at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Deaths

 * 1640-1955 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1640-1955 — index
 * 1889-1934 : at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Divorce
For more resources see:

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Ansonia Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * New Haven County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

Church Records
At its founding, Congregationalism was the dominant religion in Connecticut and was even the state religion until 1818. Other common Christian denominations include the Methodist, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Baptist churches. To see the churches in Ansonia, visit FamilySearch Places. Many Connecticut churches have deposited their records at the Connecticut State Library. The following are church records available online for the town of Ansonia:

City Directories

 * 1881-1983 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry ($) - index and images, some years may be missing

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps

Military
Searchable by Town

Probate Records
In Connecticut, most probate records are kept at the town level. Derby Probate District covers Towns of Ansonia and Derby. The following are online probate records for the town of Ansonia:
 * 1858-1924 : at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Libraries
Ansonia Public Library 53 South Cliff Street Ansonia, CT 06401 Phone: 203-734-6275 E-mail: [mailto:ansonialibrary@biblio.org ansonialibrary@biblio.org] Facebook Website

Societies
Derby Historical Society 37 Elm Street Ansonia, CT 06401 Phone: 203-735-1908 E-mail:[mailto:info@derbyhistorical.org info@derbyhistorical.org] Facebook Website