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1835-1852
The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad was chartered May 1835 as the Fairfield County Railroad. The objective of the railroad was to build from Danbury to somewhereon Long Island Sound. The backers wanted to end Danburies isolation. Professor Alexander C. Twining of Yale was hired to conduct a survey. Several options were researched, and Professor Twining recommended the route following the Norwalk River. This route would come through Norwalk and South Norwalk, and terminate on the shores of the Long Island Sound at Belden's Point. It was longer than other options, but the total travel time to New York was shorter, because less travel over water was needed. The railroad was initially planned as an horsedrawn railroad. As financing the project was a problem, attention was paid to the area north of Danbury, along the Housanotic River. If these places would be connected, more options would come available to financing the railroad. A survey was performed By Mr. E H. Broadhead. This route would connect Danbury by a 70 mile route with the Western Railroad at West Stockbridge. Then in 1836 the Housatonic Railroad Company is chartered in Bridgeport. Danbury is offered to subscribe in the extent of $100,000 and to secure a railroad connection in this way. Danbury declines. The Housatonic Railroad starts building its railroad, by passing Danbury, and going north along the route that was surveyed for the Fairfield County Railroad. On May 29, 1850 the charter of the Fairfield County Railroad was again renewed, but the name was changed to Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. On June 7, 1850 the company was organized with Eli T. Hoyt as president. The surveyed route to Norwalk from Danbury was build, but not the extension to Belden's Neck. The railroad would connect to the New York & New Haven in South Norwalk. On February 25, 1852 the railroad opened to regular service. A simple schedule of two trains in each direction was run each day. One mixed and one passenger train. The initial dividend at the end of the first year was 5.25%.
1853-1872
An additional passenger round trip was added to the schedule. The railroad was making a good profit. The railroad did not have any competitors along its road. These resulted in slow speeds and high profits. In 1862 the Norwalk Horse Railway Company was formed with Edwin Lockwood as president. This company would connect South Norwalk with Norwalk. This would take revenue away from the railroad. The response of the D&N was to compete. To make its track suitable for horse drawn carriages, boards were placed between tracks. In April 1862 operation between Norwalk (Wall Street) and South Norwalk started with little tiny cars. The next year 9 steam or horse drawn trains would run between these two stations. But in 1863 the horse railway got operational and was a major success. Higher frequencies, lower fares and more stops were pleasing the public. The D&N withdrew its service very soon. In 1864 Edwin Lockwood became president of the D&N. The Lockwoods were major stockholders in this railroad, and natives of Norwalk. A line from Danbury to Brookfield was considered. This would give the D&N an important connection. But another railroad was already organised to build along the right of way needed by the D&N. The New York, Housatonic & Northern was opened between Danbury and Brookfield in 1868. During construction there was a connection between the D&N and the NYH&N, but it was torn up after construction finished. In 1869 construction of the branch from Branchville (formerly Ridgefield) to Ridgefield started. This 4 mile branch was very difficult to construct, due the steep climb needed to reach Ridgefield. On June 25th, 1870 the first trains started running, the official opening was on July 1st, 1870.
In Spring 1872 a branch between Bethel and Hawleyville was started. This would give a connection with the Shepaug Valley Railroad, Housatonic Railroad and eventually the Boston, Hartford & Erie Railroad once it would be completed through Hawleyville. There were plans in which the D&N would be a link in a railroad connecting New York and Boston, but these died with LeGrande Lockwood in 1872. LeGrande Lockwood was the nephew of Edwin Lockwood, and his financial backer.
A short branch from Branchville on the main line west to Ridgefield opened July 1, 1870. In July 1882 an extension was built in Norwalk to docks at Wilson Point. The Housatonic Railroad leased the D&N on July 21, 1887, and on July 1, 1892 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the Housatonic.