Eliza Ward Barnum

Some Distinguished Naugatuck Women
by D. J. Blackwell
Today, and for some years now, “women’s rights” have been getting considerable attention. Because they have won many rights the call for such now is less strident than in the past. Many groups of both sexes have talked much about rights, sometimes forgetting that there are no rights without duties or obligations. This seems to be better understood now than in the past. It used to be said, “A woman’s place is in the home”, but today, many women are effective in the professions, business and other fields. Gradually women have taken a more active role in community and civic affairs. This was true in Naugatuck and it might be worthwhile to consider some of these people and their contributions to life in town.

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One well known and civic-minded citizen in Naugatuck, Eliza Ward Barnum, wife of Eli Barnum who built the brick blocks on Church Street in 1887 and 1894 still serving this community, was an active person with many interests who many years ago presented a paper at the Women’s Study Club called Joys of Remembrance in which she described her childhood growing up in Naugatuck where she had lived all her life. It is a remarkable picture of life in the early days of the town and contributes much to understanding how life in this community developed.

Reference - Naugatuck Historical Society News, September/October 1998