Historic view of Derby, CT, in 1920. The following statement "boosting" the town and its opportunities appears below the map:
"Derby is a thriving and progressive city at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers, at the foot of the Berkshire Hills.
Seventy miles from New York, 9 from New Haven, 10 from Long Island Sound, 12 from Bridgeport, 18 from Waterbury, and 166 from Boston.
Population about 10,000; 30,000 within a radius of two miles. Compares well with best of New England Cities in Business Enterprise and Advancement, with its Excellent High and Grammar Schools, Churches of many denominations, Public Libraries, National and Savings Banks, Trust Companies, Modern Hotel, Opera House, Hospital, City Water Works, Gas and Electric Light and Power, Efficient Fire and Police Departments, Complete System of Sewers and Paved Streets, Public Parks, Golf Links and Country Club.
One of the Largest Water Powers in New England, Direct or Electrically applied, from the Ousatonic Dam. Also the Great New Water Power Plant at Stevenson is but nine miles distant.
Derby and its Sister City Shelton have a large number of Diversified Manufacturing Industries, including Rubber Mill Machinery, Iron and Brass Castings, Pianos and Piano Players, Tractors, Dairy Machinery, Corsets and Corset Accessories, Pins, Machinery and Tools, Hosiery, Brass and Copper Goods, Webbing, Brass and Steel Wire Goods, Table Cutlery, Cotton Goods, Bolts and Rivets, Tacks, Buttons, Crucibles, Brass and Iron Bedsteads, Silk Plush and Velvets, and a variety of other products.
The many Natural Advantages of Location, the Cheapness of Power, Varied Industries, Skilled Labor, Facilities for Transportation, Proximity to other Large Manufacturing Communities combine to make Derby Exceptionally Attractive to the Manufacturer and Home Seeker as a Commercial and an Industrial Center."