Oyster River, separating West Haven from Milford, took its name from the bountiful mollusks which long populated the waters around the Long Island Sound. Oysters were so popular in the region that overfishing in the 18th century nearly depleted the species from local waters. When word spread about oyster bed cultivation in the 1820s, the industry boomed. By the end of the century, Connecticut was nationally renowned for its robust, salty oysters.
