DERBY — Derby was named and officially designated as a township on May 13, 1675, making May 13, 2025 the community’s 350th anniversary.
To celebrate, a team of volunteers on the Derby 350 Anniversary Celebration Committee organized a year’s worth of events, which kicked off May 13.
The Valley Indy opted to do a very special “This Week In History” focusing on how The Evening Sentinel covered Derby’s 300 anniversary in 1975.
The excerpts below are all from the May 14 and May 15 1975 editions of the Sentinel, concentrating specifically on Derby’s 300th.
Derby Kicks Off Tercentennial Celebration
BY SHARON BUCKHEIT
DERBY — Lt. Gov. Robert K. Killian spoke of the optimism reflected in the hard work and big plans for Derby’s Tercentennial Celebration at a kickoff dinner last night at Irving School.
Killian spoke before more than 250 persons, most of whom were dressed in Colonial or old-fashioned attire on the occasion of Derby’s birthday.
It was exactly 300 years ago yesterday that the city was named Derby. On May 13, 1675, a section in East Derby called Paugassett, which consisted of 12 families, was named Derby.
The lieutenant governor brought greetings the state and Gov. Ella T. Grasso.
Killian said that he never knew that the captain of “Old Ironsides” during the ship’s greatest years was a native of Derby.
“Commodore Isaac Hull is held in great esteem in our country,” he said.
He said that reading and hearing about the histories of towns celebrating birthdays tended to bring the future into focus.
“At occasions like these, we speculate about what the future holds for us,” he said. “What will Derby be 300 years from now?”
“A degree of pessimism sometimes permeates our society when we find ourselves in periods of difficulty. We cannot imagine or dream of the thoughts that plagued the minds of the men who left Derby to join the Colonial army to fight for independence,” said Killian.
“I hope that together through perseverance we can overcome our problems and not give up hope. In the unity that can be seen in this happy event lies the hope for the future of Derby and America,” he said.
Mayor Eugene D. Micci, appropriately dressed in a black colonial suit with white lace cuffs, was master of ceremonies. He read a telegram from the New York Yankee Manager William Virdon naming Aug. 1 as Derby Day at Shea Stadium.
He said that 1,000 tickets would be sold and a brief ceremony would be held before the game.
David Condon, assistant to general tercentennial chairman Frank Ogle, outlined activities planned during tercentennial week May 30 to June 8.
Derby To Bury Time Capsule On June 8 (1975)
DERBY — Time capsule envelopes containing souvenirs and information about Derby’s 300th celebration will be buried at 10 a.m. June 8 on the Derby Green in a special ceremony.
The public may send “messages of the future” by purchasing Derby 300th Time capsule envelopes at Derby Tercentennial Headquarters and at various Derby stores.
Small envelopes may be purchased for 50 cents and large envelopes cost $2.
Envelopes can contain any message the owner wants to convey to descendants, including letters, photos and taped messages. Information may be obtained by calling Tercentennial Headquarters.
