Nero, Nicholas (interview) Creator: Nero, Nicholas; Interviewer(s): Chris Patterson John Edwards Interview location: Nero's car touring Danbury, CT; Running time: 58 min.

Coverage: 1955-1995 Topics discussed : (side A): Night of Flood; "Ed's Cigar Box" has photos of the flood; he had gone on a date that night and went to the Avalon (now where La Fortuna is today); his date was a student at DSTC; around 11 PM, she got notice that she should go back because White St. was flooding quickly; Tour of House and Still River; (the interviewees got a tour of Danbury area and sights where flood was); Damage to his Property; both the shed and chicken coup were washed away by the Still River; river came w/in foot of their foundation; lived near the Mallory Hat Factory; Warnings; Civil Defense warned people that night who lived near Still River that things could get bad; Damage to Danbury and Main St.; Downtown was effected quite a bit; getting around was horrendous; Main St. devastated; Still River; Other areas; some places hit harder than Danbury; Homes; didn't see many homes that got destroyed; Social life at time of flood; he was a student at DSTC at time of flood; DSTC; was taking a few classes; came in under the GI Bill; no Westside; gym in Old Main (" it was a matchbox"); Quonset hut; students were there for education or music; Change in Danbury; White St. was different (many places no longer there); White St. Plaza went up after redevelopment; city under construction during 1960s; Hatting; the industry control everything in town prior to WW II; after WW II, some foresaw change in business; Construction; lasted for several years after the flood and redevelopment; a lot of work to do during 1960s; Job; worked for Reynolds Furnature at time of flood; wroks for the city of Danbury today (side B): Business and Economic results; Town leaders role in attracting industry; location was pivitol in attracting businesses to the area; close to NYC and not far from Boston; LeRoy Hopkins; Abraham Ribicoff; very active individual; Danbury Fair; John Leahy; "Governor's Day" where the governor came and received a hat; "Danbury Day" where students got out of school; races; celebrities would come and many people came all over the country; Hotel Green; it was on Main St.; had conventions and other activities; Ives Manor is there now; Drive; In theater; came after the floods; located on Federal Road (no longer there); Various businesses; population increased; Closing of the Danbury Fair; after he died and later wife, his nephew took control of it; the bank was running it at the time and decided to sell property to make profit off of it; John Leahy had offers in past, but always refused; everybody loved the fair (cont. the driving tour of Danbury); Government of Danbury; two separate forms (inner; city and out skirts)