Kindergartens, domestic science, manual training and sewing departments have been es tablished in all of the schools. and the evening schools have been conducted since 1856. A con tinuation school for machine shop apprentices has been established. An open-air school was established in 1912. The first high-school build ing was destroyed by fire in 1870; the third was erected in 1895-1911 at a cost of $225,000. Two new high schools have been erected at a cost of about $1,000,000 each and a third has been begun to cost the same. Pupils enrolled in the public schools for 1918 number 14,748 and in schools other than public 6,184. These other schools include Saint Margaret's School for Girls (the diocesan school of the Episcopal Church), the Academy of the Convent of Notre Dame, five large parochial schools and various smaller schools. The Bronson Library, founded in 1868 by a bequest of $200,000 from a native of the town, contains more than 100,000 vol umes, and has a very wide circulation every month. The present building was erected in 1893-94, at a cost of $63,500.
There are three daily newspapers — the Waterbury American, established in 1844; the Waterbury Democrat and the Waterbury Re publican, both dating from 1881. The town has made a very respectable record in pictorial, art, sculpture, music and literature, Societies.— Various literary, musical and scientific societies and social clubs have been organized, the most active of which are the Waterbury Club, incorporated in 1881; the Women's Club, established in 1889; the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1893, the Naturalists' Club, 1897, the Mattatuck His torical Society, organized in 1877 and incor porated in 1902 and the Country Club, incor porated in 1908. The various Masonic bodies and mutual benefit fraternities number about 175. The Young Men's Christian Association, organized in 18.38, occupies a which cost $40,000. Other philanthropic organizations are the Industrial School (for girls), the Boys' Club, the Young Women's Friendly League, two day nurseries, a free kindergarten, Protestant and Roman Catholic temperance societies and the Southmayd Home (for aged persons). Waterbury has three large modern hospitals, the Waterbury Hospital and the Saint Mary's Hospital, costing considerably over one-half a million dollars. The present almshouse was built in 1893 at a cost of $80,000. Of the sev eral cemeteries of the town, Riverside (opened in 1853) is noteworthy for its picturesqueness and for its monuments. A memorial chapel stands at its main entrance.
Religion.— Waterbury contains 38 churches and three Union chapels. Probably two-thirds of the population are Roman Catholics and the Catholic churches number 10. Five of the
Protestant churches are Congregational, three Episcopalian, four Baptist, five Methodist, three Lutheran and one Adventist. There is also a corps of the Salvation Army, a society of Christian Scientists and two Jewish synal gogues.
In 1825 the population lying around the centre of the town was organized into a' borough. The incorporation of the city took place in 1853, with a population of about 4,000. A new charter, obtained in 1871, was su perseded by another in 18%, to which important amendments were made in 1899 and 1902. Under this third charter the city is divided into five wards and the government is conducted by a mayor and 15 aldermen, through a number of boards, each having charge of one of the follow ing departments : Of public works, of public safety, including the police and fire depart ments, of public health, of charities, of educa tion, of finance; also a board of assessors, a board of relief and a board of agents of the Bronson Library. There are also superintend ents of streets, of the waterworks and of sewers and a city engineer. Besides the police court, there is a district court, which has Juris diction beyond the limits of the city and ses sions of the Superior Court are held in Water bury.
successful conduct of man ufactures so extensive and varied in an inland Connecticut valley has involved a large and steadily increasing immigration. The growth of the city since 1850 has been greatly aug mented by the steady inflow of foreigners. The population in 1790 numbered 2,937; in 1850, 5,137; in 1860, 10,004; in 1880, 17,806; in 1890, 28,646; in 1900, 51,139. The United States census of 1910 reported the population at 73,141, the percentage of increase being 59.5. The offi cial estimate of 1915 was 87,745 and the local estimate of 1919 105,000. The percentage of residents of foreign birth or parentage is, with one exception, the largest of any Connecticut town and the number of nationalities
sented is remarkable. At the same time, the condition of the community, socially and morally, is exceptionally good. Waterbury is noted for the superior grade of the homes of its working people. Wealth is more uniformly distributed than in most cities, the question free que.ntly arising whether there are any
aires in the community. The valuation of property, real and personal, in 1918 was 4110, 000,