This Connecticut Town Was Flooded and Forgotten

Did You Know New Canaan Has Its Own Lost City?

According to NewCanaanite.com, if you drive along Ponus Ridge you can still catch a glimpse of what’s left of Dantown, a once-thriving community now buried beneath the Laurel Reservoir. Stone walls still snake through the woods, only to vanish into the water.

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Dantown was founded in the 1600s by Francis Dan, who settled near the Rippowam River along the New York border. As NewCanaanite.com reports, the village became famous in the 19th century for its oak-spun baskets, prized by oyster farmers and clammers across Long Island Sound. At its height, nearly 80 families made baskets, and the Stamford Historical Society says the baskets were even accepted as legal tender within 50 square miles. Those are some impressive baskets, passing as money.

The town built its own school, and in 1797 it became home to New England’s first Methodist Society church. But tragedy and progress ended Dantown’s run. A typhoid outbreak in 1902, tied to infected oysters, decimated demand for the baskets. Then, in 1923, Stamford flooded the valley to create the Laurel Reservoir, submerging most of the community forever.

Even today, traces remain. Dantown Cemetery still overlooks Lower Trinity Pass Road, and road names like Dan’s Highway and Lost District Drive keep the memory alive.

Typhoid man, the silent killer.

Just when I think I’ve heard, read, or written about every bizarre story Connecticut has to offer, another fascinating Nutmeg State tale drops in my lap. This time, it came courtesy of our I-95 Morning Show pal Chip Pennoyer, who sent me the video below. Thanks, Chip!

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If you’ve got an odd Connecticut story that deserves to be told, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m not hard to find. You can probably track down my email, but if not, just hit me up on the I-95 Instagram @i95rock.

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