Max and Sarah Kruzansky (interview); Creator: Kruzansky, Max; and Sarah Kruzansky; Interviewer(s): Martin Moore and Jennifer Fisher; Interview location: The Kruzansky's home in Danbury, CT; Running time: 40 min., Apr 28, 1995

Coverage: 1930s-1995
Topics discussed : (side A): Paper company business; distributor of paper goods; located on White Street; August flood; his experience comes from this flood; a lot of mess from this flood was left after water resided; they had a lot of clean; up to do; salvage as much as they could and had to restock the rest; Response to the flood; moved to new location prior to October flood; left that business after, which had little to do w/ flood; October flood; was much worse than August; White Street had various spots were feet of water was seen; old location was heavily flooded; New location; was on Main Street; no flood damage at this location; Recovery of the business; it was painful; financially it was catastrophic; Reactions of other business owners; all had similar experiences; Experience for Mrs. Kruzansky; was in the hospital giving birth to first child; knew nothing about the flood until later; Troubles from October flood; problems occurred at home; lived at Kohanza Street; they had no electricity and had a new baby; had to go to a friend's house on Franklin Street; Main Street; was completely inaccessible; water was too high; Core of Engineers; had discussions about what to do; the redevelopment of the bad stream bed; changes were made and excavations done to Still River; most done where Crosby and Bridge Street met; Bridge Street; no longer exists; across from Ives Street and intersected w/ Crosby; Effect of redevelopment; many businesses were forced to move; some never went back into business following the redevelopment; Local government; handled the situation very well; Danbury and personal lives during this time; they were busy w/ new baby and business; Roles they had in their new business; Danbury experience; Max was born and lived in Danbury; Sarah came here in 1953 when she married Max; have different feeling on Danbury; Community; worked together during and after the flood; Sarah's experience of Danbury; Danbury was a small town at the time; she had come from a big city; enjoyed the atmosphere; Jewish community; Prior residence; lived at Library Place prior to moving to Kohanza Street; Development of Danbury; Growing up in Danbury; for Max, he was born and raised here; graduated from high school in 1934; small town and knew many people and they knew him; Diversification of Danbury; less hatting; Hatting Industry; decline of the hatting industry; new kind of people came to Danbury; the small town became larger; Sarah's impression of Danbury; hatting was about dead when she arrived; feels change was best for the town; Businesses in flooded area; all merchants on White Street were friends of theirs; lists the various business on Main Street and White Street (and other streets in area) that were effected by the flood; some never went back into business, others remained; Experience of seeing October Flood; merchants cleaning up their places; Other sources of information; Joe Fabiano of Fabiano's Shoe Repair Shop; Fabiano's father is 98 and would remember the flood; Osmond Ladd of Ladd's Jewelry on White Street; Ben Doto, who owned the workman's store; Al Stark, who lives on Terrywilde; Brandice Meeker of Meecker's Hardware; Joe Moffa, who runs Moffa's Hot Dog Stand on Mill Plain Road; Anthony Gallo, his father ran Gallo's Tailor Shop on White Street