Edward N. Shelton


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EDWARD N. SHELTON
VISIONARY
BUSINESSMAN
DRIVING FORCE 
BEHIND THE 
OUSATONIC DAM

Edward Nelson Shelton pictured above was born in Huntington in 1812. In 1836, he located to the Birmingham section of Derby and worked with his brother-in-law in producing tacks. He became involved in may enterprises in town including the Birmingham National Bank, the Derby Savings Bank and the Shelton Company which made boxes.  He was also the president of the Ousatonic Water Company, and that was the springboard for the endeavor that was to put his name on the borough of Shelton and then on the all of the former Huntington when it became a city in 1919.

He is generally credited as being the leader of the group that pushed for a state charter to dam the Housatonic River and raised the capital to make it a reality When the Ousatonic Dam was officially opened on October 10, 1870 and cheap water power created a thriving manufacturing industry on the other side of the Housatonic River, that area of town came to be known as Shelton!

Shelton lived in a famous mansion in Derby, Graystone which once stood where Irving School is today, and was known and respected in the area not only for his business accomplishments, but also for his charity and community involvement which included a stint in the state senate.

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