The Blizzard of 1888 – Today in History: March 11

On Sunday, March 11, 1888, a blizzard came unexpectedly to the northeastern United States. A cloudy and rainy day toward the end of winter took a turn for the worse…

Bradley International Airport Transforms Windsor Locks into Regional Gateway

By Richard DeLuca The history of Bradley airfield begins in 1941. With war underway in Europe and the federal government looking to locate a military air base in Connecticut, the…

East Haddam Swing Bridge – Today in History: June 14

On June 14, 1913, the East Haddam Swing Bridge officially opened on Flag Day. The pin-connected drawbridge designed by Alfred P. Boller, an authority on deep bridge foundations, was fabricated…

New Britain’s Yankee Peddlers Boost 18th-century Economy

Around the year 1740, brothers William and Edward Patterson (or Pattison) arrived in New Britain from Scotland in search of a new life. Unable to find suitable land for farming,…

The Blake Rock Crusher – Today in History: June 15

On June 15, 1858, Eli Whitney Blake of New Haven was granted US patent No. 20,542 for a “machine for crushing stone.” The nephew of cotton-gin inventor Eli Whitney, Blake…

New Britain Plays Part in the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad, developed in the early 19th century, was a system of safe havens designed to help fugitive slaves escape to freedom. Traveling on foot, by wagon, on horseback,…

Christopher Leffingwell Born – Today in History: June 11

On June 11, 1734, businessman and civic leader Christopher Leffingwell was born in Norwich. Leffingwell’s ancestors founded Norwich in the 1660s, and he continued and expanded the family business with…

The Portable Typewriting Machine – Today in History: April 12

On April 12, 1892, the first US patent for a truly portable typewriter was issued. The patent, No. 472,692, was issued to George C. Blickensderfer of Stamford for a “type…

The Life of Chauncey Jerome: An Insider’s Look at What Made Early Bristol Tick

By Clarissa J. Ceglio “I am no author, but claim a title which I consider nobler, that of a ‘Mechanic,’” wrote clock-maker Chauncey Jerome in the opening pages of his…

Native Americans

Long before European colonization and American rebellion created the state of Connecticut, diverse Indigenous communities called the land home. They worked its soil, traveled its reaches to trade, and established…

Belief

Diverse communities of belief have shaped the state’s politics, civic life and even the formation of its earliest towns. Iconic white-steepled meeting houses, many from the 1800s or earlier, speak…

Arts

The creative arts in Connecticut range from indigenous peoples’ early ceramic vessels and Puritan gravestones to the works of celebrated figures in later centuries. The latter include poetess Lydia Sigourney,…

Hartford’s Nook Farm

By Jenifer Frank In the early 1850s, brothers-in-law John Hooker and Francis Gillette purchased 140 wooded acres just west of Hartford’s last trolley stop on a bend, or nook, of…

Raise a Glass to Winemaking in Connecticut

By Amy Gagnon The state’s early English colonists were avid wine drinkers and encouraged its use, believing it to be healthful. Drinking wine, as well as other liquors, was an…

A Bird’s-eye View of Broad Brook

By Kate Steinway In the late 1800s, panoramic illustrations, known as bird’s-eye views, became a popular means of portraying towns throughout Connecticut as the industrial age transformed them from agrarian…

Harriet Beecher Stowe Born – Today in History: June 14

On June 14, 1811, author Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield. The daughter of Reverend Lyman Beecher, Harriet was educated at the Litchfield Female Academy and the Hartford Female…

Bird’s-eye Views Offer Idealized Portraits of Progress

By Kate Steinway Americans of the late 1800s took pride in the burgeoning cities that had sprung up across the nation as a result of innovations in transportation, wide-spread industrialization,…

A Bird’s-eye View of New Britain

By Kate Steinway The industrial revolution transformed Connecticut’s landscape during the Victorian-era as factories multiplied across the state. As business thrived, the factories attracted immigrant laborers, stimulated investment in civic…

An Experiment in Evangelization: Cornwall’s Foreign Mission School

The story of the Foreign Mission School connects the town of Cornwall, Connecticut, to a larger, national religious fervor that preoccupied the United States during the Second Great Awakening. This…

Sylvester Poli, Negotiating Cultural Politics in an Age of Immigration

By Rafaele Fierro On a beautiful late-August night in 1910, a crowd gathered at 10 Howe Street in New Haven to celebrate. Mayor Frank Rice and his wife were in…

The Old Leatherman Alive in Our Memories

By Michael Hoberman Legends frequently take shape as communal responses to and reinterpretations of actual historical phenomena. Among the more long-lived legends in Connecticut lore is the story of the…

Jared Eliot Calls on Colonists to Change their Agricultural Practices

By Holly V. Izard In 1760, the Reverend Jared Eliot of Killingworth, Connecticut, published the first agricultural advice book in the British American colonies. Published in Boston, Essays Upon Field-Husbandry…

Built on Innovation, Saved by Nostalgia: Hitchcock Chair Company

By Patrick Skahill Lambert Hitchcock struck gold with the Hitchcock Chair Company in the 1820s by capitalizing on a then-novel idea—mass production. Inspired by the clockmakers of his era, Hitchcock…

David Humphreys, Soldier, Statesman, and Agricultural Innovator

By Holly V. Izard David Humphreys was a Yale-educated soldier, politician, foreign minister, and entrepreneur. Though noted by literary historians for his poetry and writings as a member of the…

Charles Goodyear and the Vulcanization of Rubber

By Ann Marie Somma Charles Goodyear’s discovery of the vulcanization of rubber—a process that allows rubber to withstand heat and cold—revolutionized the rubber industry in the mid-1800s. Automotive tires, pencil…

Hilda Crosby Standish, Early Proponent of Women’s Reproductive Health

By Sarah Hill Born in 1902 to Julia and Albert Hutchings Crosby of Hartford, Hilda Crosby Standish received her early education in the capital city’s public schools before attending Wellesley…

Katharine Houghton Hepburn, A Woman Before Her Time

By Jessica Jenkins Committed to the suffrage movement, Katharine Houghton Hepburn, known as “Kit,” not only campaigned for women’s right to vote she also advocated for access to birth control…

Disaster

From natural to manmade, disasters in our state’s history help define who we are as a community. In Connecticut’s early centuries, fires were among the most frequently occurring manmade disaster….

The Colt Memorial, Cedar Hill Cemetery

Sam Colt Memorial, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford – Smithsonian American Art Museum, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture Commissioned by Samuel Colt’s wife, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, and designed and constructed…

Benedict Arnold died in London, England – Today in History: June 14

On June 14, 1801, Revolutionary War general and traitor Benedict Arnold died in London. Arnold became involved in local politics while a New Haven merchant-sea captain trading in horses and…

Helen Keller Dies – Today in History: June 1

On June 1, 1968, American author, political activist, and lecturer Helen Keller died at the age of 87. Keller contracted an illness at 19 months old that left her blind…

Airborne Pioneers: Connecticut Takes Flight

By Richard DeLuca Mankind’s dream of flying is ancient, but the reality of manned flight is quite recent. Experiments in lifting men above the Earth’s surface did not begin in…

Historic Preservation

John Warner Barber’s Connecticut Historical Collections (1836) marks the first effort to document Connecticut’s historic places, but it would not be until the late 19th century that residents became interested…

Sports and Recreation

Connecticut has traditionally offered a diverse array of sports and recreational opportunities to visitors and residents alike. Attractions like Bristol’s Lake Compounce and West Haven’s Savin Rock Amusement Park provided…

Social Movements

Throughout state history everyday people have banded together on local and national issues to defy the status quo and call for change. The causes have been diverse, from anti-slavery, temperance,…

Vietnam War

Vietnam War (1956 to 1975) The Vietnam era was as divisive in Connecticut as it was in the rest of the United States. Over 600 Connecticut servicemen lost their lives…

Weather

From headline-making events, such as blizzards, tornados, and droughts, to the prevailing climactic conditions that helped make the Connecticut River Valley suitable for growing a specialty crop like shade tobacco,…

World War II

World War II (1941-1945) In 1939, as war dawned in Europe, Connecticut debated. Those dubbed isolationists urged US detachment while internationalists favored a united response to the Axis. As pro-war…

World War I

World War I (1917-1918) When the United States entered Europe’s Great War in 1917, Connecticut manufacturers provided the military with munitions, clothing, and other goods. From Manchester silk and Waterbury…

Work

The story of work in Connecticut mirrors that of much of the nation. From colony to early statehood, Connecticut’s labor force consisted primarily of agricultural laborers, skilled craftsman, and local…

Everyday Life

How did the people of Connecticut’s past live their daily lives? What did they cook and eat, wear and own, gossip about, celebrate, and mourn? Such details are the concerns…

Folklore

Stories are one of the most memorable ways people communicate with one another, and they are used to interpret information, make meaning, and share understanding. First used in the mid-19th…

Environment

Connecticut’s natural environment—from its flora and fauna to its waterways, soil, and geological formations—has played a vital, if not always appreciated, role in state history. Shad migrations, for example, not…

Agriculture

Connecticut’s agricultural roots date back to the crop gardens planted by indigenous peoples who cultivated such staples as the Three Sisters (maize, beans, and squash), sunflowers, and Jerusalem artichokes. European…

People

Health and Medicine

Connecticut issued its first medical license in 1652 and, by 1792, chartered a state medical society. Public health threats through the centuries included small pox, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases….

Parking Authority Created in New Haven – Today in History: June 2

On June 2, 1953, the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, known today as the Connecticut Supreme Court, ruled that creating a parking authority in the city of New Haven was…

Education

Since the Code of 1650, which required children be taught English, catechism, and knowledge of the law, Connecticut has sought to educate residents and so equip them for productive citizenship….

USS George Washington Launched – Today in History: June 9

On June 9, 1959, the first nuclear-powered, ballistic-missile submarine, the USS George Washington (SSBN 598), was launched at Groton. The George Washington was originally scheduled to become the USS Scorpion,…

Hamilton Breaks Air Records – Today in History: June 13

On June 13, 1910, Charles Keeney Hamilton of New Britain shattered aviation records. Flying from New York to Philadelphia and back, Hamilton completed the first round-trip journey ever made between…

Academy Graduates First African American Student – Today in History: June 8

On June 8, 1966, the US Coast Guard Academy in New London graduated the first African American student, Ensign Merle James Smith, Jr. Smith received a Bachelor of Science degree…

Naugatuck’s Early Chemical Industry

Naugatuck, and much of its surrounding area, has traditionally been associated with heavy industry. The naturally poor, rocky soil limited early agriculture, but abundant waterways led to the development of…

Sarah Bernhardt Performs in Hartford – Today in History: June 8

On June 8, 1906, French stage and film actress Sarah Bernhardt appeared at Foot Guard Hall in Hartford. She performed the part of Marguerite Gautier in the play La Dame…

Griswold v. Connecticut – Today in History: June 7

On June 7, 1965, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Griswold v. Connecticut. The case came before the court when the executive director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut,…

Child Labor vs. Schooling in 19th-century Naugatuck

The Naugatuck school system today consists of 11 public schools that provide a thorough contemporary education to over 4,000 students—but this was not always the case. The pride Connecticut residents…

Thomas Hall’s Electric Block Railroad Signal – Today in History: June 7

On June 7, 1870, Thomas Hall patented the electromagnetic signal apparatus for railroads–better known as the automatic electric block. This handy device prevented trains from colliding. Hall, who was from…

American Painter John Trumbull Born – Today in History: June 6

On June 6, 1756, John Trumbull, painter, architect, and author, was born in Lebanon. The son of Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Trumbull served in the Continental Army as an aide to…

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Begins Serialization – Today in History: June 5

On June 5, 1851, the first chapter of what would become the landmark novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin appeared in the National Era, an anti-slavery newspaper published in Washington, DC. This…

Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Jarvis Marry – Today in History: June 5

On June 5, 1856, Samuel Colt married Elizabeth Hart Jarvis, the daughter of Reverend William Jarvis and Elizabeth Hart of Middletown. Colt chartered the steamboat Washington Irving to transport him…

The State Cantata – Today in History: June 3

On June 3, 2003, the Connecticut General Assembly designated The Nutmeg, Homeland of Liberty by Dr. Stanley L. Ralph as the State Cantata. The nine-minute cantata was first performed at…

Boston Post Road Carved out Three Travel Routes through State

By Richard DeLuca From its beginnings—as Dutch traders came up from New Amsterdam and English colonists came down from Massachusetts Bay—Connecticut’s position between New York and Boston has played an…

Music Vale Seminary in Salem Credited as Being First in US

In the mid-19th century, Orramel Whittlesey founded a music conservatory in Salem, Connecticut. The conservatory served as a boarding school attended primarily by young women who came from all over…

Literature

From poetry and prose to orature, a term for the rich traditions of oral expression in Native American and other cultures, Connecticut boasts numerous literary talents. The works of some,…

New Haven Coliseum Imploded – Today in History: January 20

On January 20, 2007, the 35-year-old New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum—better known as the New Haven Coliseum—met its end at approximately 8 o’clock in the morning as crews imploded the…

Rex Brasher Dies – Today in History: February 29

On February 29, 1960, noted wildlife illustrator Rex Brasher died. A prolific painter, based in Kent, Brasher produced 875 watercolors depicting 1,200 species and sub-species of North American birds. In…

Franklin

Originally called West Farms, the town of Franklin in the New London County hills of east-central Connecticut separated from Norwich and incorporated in 1786. It took its new name in…

Oldest Cavalry Unit – Who Knew?

….that the First Company Governor’s Horse Guards is the oldest, continuously active, mounted cavalry unit in the United States. Chartered in 1788 as the Governor’s Independent Volunteer Troop of Horse…

Elizabeth Bentley Born – Today in History: January 1

On January 1, 1908, Elizabeth Terrill Bentley was born in New Milford. Bentley is best known for her role as an American spy for the Soviet Union in the 1930s…

Town Patents the Lattice Truss Bridge – Today in History: January 28

On January 28, 1820, architect Ithiel Town was granted a patent for a wooden truss bridge, also known as Town’s Lattice Truss. An architect and civil engineer, Town had already…

Reel Lawn Mower Patent – Today in History: January 28

On January 28, 1868, Amariah Hills of Hockanum, Connecticut, received the first US patent for a reel-type lawn mower. In 1830, Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Gloucestershire, England, had…

First General Copyright Law – Today in History: January 29

On January 29, 1783, Connecticut became the first state to pass a general colonial copyright law, entitled “An Act for the Encouragement of Literature and Genius.” Printing books in the…

The Tariffville Disaster – Today in History: January 15

On January 15, 1878, at about 10:00 in the evening, a span of the Tariffville Bridge gave way, plunging a Connecticut Western Railroad train into the Farmington River 20 feet…

Notorious New-Gate Prison

By Gregg Mangan The story of New-Gate Prison in East Granby includes more than three centuries of history. Once a copper mine and notorious prison, it is now a famed…

Business and Industry

From Connecticut’s earliest agricultural commerce through the might of the industrial age to today’s leading companies, our state’s natural and human resources have shaped local and national history. In the…

Ethan Allen Born – Today in History: January 10

On January 10, 1738, future hero of the Revolutionary War Ethan Allen was believed to have been born to a farming family in the frontier village of Litchfield, Connecticut. By…

Invention and Technology

Nutmeg ingenuity ranges from seemingly humble innovations that have changed the way we live to first-of-a-kind inventions. In the 19th century, for example, Elisha Root’s die casting techniques helped usher…

Frozen Reservoir Destroys Danbury – Today in History: January 31

On January 31, 1869, Danbury’s Kohanza Reservoir froze. At around 7 o’clock in the evening the icy surface broke, causing the upper Kohanza dam to burst, which in turn caused…

Tavern Signs Mark Changes in Travel, Innkeeping, and Artistic Practice

By Susan P. Schoelwer What is a tavern sign? The term designates a popular category of early American folk art, typically consisting of a wooden signboard painted on both sides…

1938 Hurricane Fuels Charcoal Business – Who Knew?

…that the hurricane of 1938 which devastated the Quinebaug Forest ended up driving the development of the charcoal industry in Union. The Quinebaug Forest Company began in the early 1900s…

Towns

Topics

The Decorative Arts of Connecticut

By Ann Y. Smith The decorative arts are the useful objects of everyday life: furniture, textiles, tableware, lighting, and other furnishings. Crafted of materials such as wood, horn, fiber, ceramics,…

Pratt & Whitney Debuts Wasp Engine – Today in History: December 24

On December 24, 1925, aviation engineer and head of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company Frederick B. Rentschler debuted its first product: the Wasp engine. It featured a radial design,…

Civil War

Civil War (1861-1865) Some 55,000 Connecticut men served during the Civil War and, of those, roughly 10 percent lost their lives. On the home front, state industries gave the Union…

The League of American Wheelmen and Hartford’s Albert Pope Champion the Good Roads Movement

By Richard DeLuca During the last decades of the 19th century, as the railroad established itself as the dominant form of overland transportation in Connecticut, events were in motion that…

Landscape Architecture Helps in Healing – Who Knew?

…Hartford-born landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted re-designed the grounds on the campus of the Hartford Retreat for the Insane to help induce healing and serenity. Described as the founder of…

Shakers Revolutionize Garden Seed Business – Who Knew?

…that the Shakers of Enfield first packaged seeds in small packets, a method still used today. The term “Shaker” is short for “Shaking Quaker,” a phrase that referred to the…

Elisha Root Changes Industry – Who Knew?

…that Elisha Root invented die casting that revolutionized the mechanization of factory operations. Elisha Root was 24 years old when he accepted a position from Samuel W. Collins at the…

Charles Ethan Porter, Portrait of a 19th-Century African American Painter

Charles Ethan Porter was a prolific still life painter in the 19th and early 20th century. Little is known about Porter’s early life; however, it is known that he moved…

Colonel Augustus G. Hazard, Gunpowder Manufacturer – Who Knew?

…that Connecticut resident, Augustus G. Hazard owned and operated over 100 gunpowder mills in the Hazardville section of Enfield. Born in Kingston, Rhode Island, at the turn of the 19th…

Samuel L. Clemens Receives Scrap-book Patent – Who Knew?

…that writer and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, invented more than tall tales and novels. In 1871, Clemens moved his family to Hartford,…

Hartford Retreat for the Insane Advanced Improved Standards of Care

By Michael Sturges In the early national period, following the Revolutionary War’s end in 1783, dependant adults, such as the elderly, disabled, or unemployed, would be cared for by their…

Early Anti-slavery Advocates in 18th-century Connecticut

By Peter P. Hinks Advertisement for a runaway slave, 1753 – Connecticut Historical Society and Connecticut History Illustrated The American Revolution espoused great democratic ideals: liberty, equality, freedom for self,…

Hiram Bingham IV: A Humanitarian Honored for Saving Lives during WWII

Hiram Bingham Jr.’s Diplomatic ID card – Robert Kim Bingham, Sr Career diplomat Hiram Bingham IV, whose family has lived in Salem, Connecticut, for generations, was born in 1903. His…

Women

From their unsung labors to society-changing accomplishments, Connecticut’s women have contributed to diversified fields of endeavor. During colonial times, they kept farms, homes, and businesses running—despite restrictions that then, and…

Hiram Bingham III: Machu Picchu Explorer and Politician

Hiram Bingham III was a distinguished scholar and public servant attached to a line of the Bingham family that has lived in Salem, Connecticut, for generations. Born on November 19,…

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Hartford

By Amanda P. Roy The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, dedicated on September 17, 1886, stands as unique for the period in which it was built. It is very likely…

Tradition and Transformation Define Hartford’s Jewish Community

by Betty N. Hoffman, PhD In its earliest years, Connecticut did not welcome Jews or, indeed, most Christians other than members of the Congregational Church. For nearly two centuries the…

UConn and the Evolution of a Public University

By Bruce M. Stave, PhD The University of Connecticut, located in Mansfield, was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School with the purpose of teaching the practical, real-world skills…

James Mars’ Words Illuminate the Cruelty of Slavery in New England

By Peter P. Hinks James Mars was born into slavery in Canaan, Connecticut, in 1790. Reverend Thompson, the town’s Congregational minister, owned Mars’ parents and siblings. James, however, was born…

Blizzard of 1888 Devastates State

By Jeannine Henderson-Shifflett Sunday, March 11, began as an unseasonably warm day but, as the day turned to evening, the weather turned colder. As the snow started to fall, optimistic…

Levi Pease, Stage Route and Transportation Innovator

Somers, Connecticut, a small town near the state’s border with Massachusetts, was the site of a revolution in 18th-century transportation. At the close of the Revolutionary War, Levi Pease, a…

Somers School of the Prophets

Informal institutions of theological training, called schools of the prophets, proliferated in New England in the late 1700s. These schools not only allowed for the growth and spread of the…

Osborn Correctional Institution

When the Connecticut Correctional Institution opened in Somers in 1963, it represented yet another chapter in the state’s history of housing those convicted of crimes. This new facility, now known…

Little Sorrel, Connecticut’s Confederate War Horse

A foal born on a farm owned by Noah C. Collins on Pink Street (now Springfield Road) became one of the most famous residents of Somers, Connecticut, and a legendary…

Science

Since the state’s earliest days, ingenious minds have advanced the boundaries of medicine, manufacturing, transportation, and other fields with their scientific and technological innovations. For example, David Bushnell developed the…

Colt Armory Burns – Today in History: February 4

On February 4, 1864, most of Colt’s East Armory burned to the ground. Located in Hartford on the Connecticut River, the Armory complex covered 260 acres and consisted of forge…

St. Patrick’s Day – Today in History: March 17

On March 17, 1842, the New Haven Hibernian Provident Society, founded in 1841, sponsored the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade held in New Haven. A small event, the parade featured…

Arthur Miller dies – Today in History: February 10

On February 10, 2005, the award-winning American playwright Arthur Asher Miller died at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, of congestive heart failure. The next night the lights of New York’s…

Paleontologist Othniel Marsh dies – Today in History: March 18

On March 18, 1899, America’s first professor of paleontology, Othniel Charles Marsh, died at his home in New Haven. Marsh is credited with discovering extinct birds with teeth, tracing the…

Rockwell Hardness Tester – Today in History: February 11

On February 11, 1919, Hugh Rockwell and Stanley Rockwell received a patent for the Rockwell hardness tester, a device for measuring the resistance of metallic materials to force. Though they…

Samuel Colt

Samuel Colt (1814-1862) Hartford native Samuel Colt was an inventor and industrialist who made his fortune in the gun business. Founder of the Colt Manufacturing Company, he revolutionized manufacturing by…

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) Once lauded for heroism, Norwich-born Benedict Arnold earned infamy as a traitor during the American Revolutionary War by leaving liberty’s cause to side with the British. As…

“U.S. Troops in Viet Nam, but none in Selma” – Today in History: March 9

On March 9, 1965, protesters held an all-night vigil in front of Connecticut Governor John Dempsey’s residence. Representatives of Hartford’s civil rights movement, led by members of the North End…

Government Orders Horse Pistols – Today in History: March 9

On March 9, 1799, the government issued its first contract for pistols to Simeon North of Berlin. The contract specified 500 horse pistols be made at a cost of $6.50…

Connecticut 29th Mustered into Service – Today in History: March 8

Ambrotype of unnamed soldier from the 29th Regiment – Stamford Historical Society On March 8, 1864, the state’s first African American regiment, the Connecticut Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, C.V. Infantry, mustered…

Meriden Town Hall Burns Down – Today in History: February 14

On February 14, 1904, Meriden’s town hall burned to the ground. In total, the fire caused $130,000 in damages and injured 6 firefighters. Started by what authorities think were crossed…

West Cornwall Covered Bridge: An Icon of New England Craftsmanship

The community of West Cornwall is home to one of the last covered bridges in Connecticut. Measuring 172 feet long and 15 feet wide, the West Cornwall Covered Bridge (which…

Two Cornwall Firms Part of Famed Salisbury Iron District

The serenity found in Cornwall’s wooded hillsides and remote location belies the fact that this Litchfield County town once contributed to the most important iron-producing region in the country. As…

Ivory Cutting: The Rise and Decline of a Connecticut Industry

By Donald L. Malcarne and Brenda Milkofsky A mid-nineteenth-century catalog cover from the ivory business of Julius Pratt – Deep River Historical Society, Ivoryton Library Association and the Treasures of…

The Cheney Brothers’ Rise in the Silk Industry

By Patrick Skahill To be properly cultivated, silk depends on one thing: the silkworm. And silkworms depend on one food source: mulberry trees. Since the 1770s, New England farmers had…

Architecture

Connecticut’s built environment is an eclectic mix of buildings, structures, and landscapes. From the remains of Native American pit houses some 9,000 years old to the humblest saltbox houses of…

Law

From the 1600s on, Connecticut laws have shaped the daily lives of its residents. Early mandates include the Code of 1650, the first compilation of the colony’s laws, and Sabbath-related…

Politics and Government

The Fundamental Orders of 1639, the first written constitution in the American colonies, and the Charter of 1662 represent Connecticut’s earliest efforts to establish a representative form of government. Over…

The Coaster Brake – Today in History: April 9

On April 9, 1907, Harry Pond Townsend patented the driving and braking mechanism for cycles. The coaster brake, as it was known, was not a radically new invention, but it…

Reading, Writing, and the Great Outdoors: Frederick Gunn’s School Transforms Victorian-era Education

By Paula Gibson Krimsky Frederick Gunn is recognized today not only as an abolitionist and educator but also as the “father of recreational camping” in the United States. In fact,…

Map – Bird’s-eye View of Ansonia, 1875

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries panoramic or perspective maps, also known as bird’s-eye views and aero views, were used to depict many of Connecticut’s town and cities….

Video – Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures: Mattatuck Museum

YouTube – CPTV – Created by the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and the Department of Economic and Community Development with additional funding provided by Connecticut Humanities….

Video – Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures: Lebanon Green

YouTube – CPTV – Created by the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and the Department of Economic and Community Development with additional funding provided by Connecticut Humanities….

Video – Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures: Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum

YouTube – CPTV – Created by the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and the Department of Economic and Community Development….

Past Hallowe’en Pranks Bemused Some and Frustrated Others

Jack o’ lanterns, cider, masquerades, witches, and ghosts—many of the holiday staples that we still associate with Halloween were familiar to Connecticut residents in the early 1900s. Likewise, the tricks…

Video – Haunted History: Harriet Beecher Stowe House

YouTube CTnow.com Hidden History is a video series highlighting stories from Connecticut’s past. Content is produced by and used with the permission of CTnow.com. Presentation of external content from for-profit…

Video – Hidden History: Keney Tower

YouTube – CTnow.com Hidden History is a video series highlighting stories from Connecticut’s past. Content is produced by and used with the permission of CTnow.com. Presentation of external content from…

The Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper – Today in History: October 29

On October 29, 1764, New Haven printer Thomas Green established a weekly newspaper, the Connecticut Courant, in Hartford. Only the third newspaper to be published in the colony—and now known…

Maria Sánchez, State Representative and Community Advocate

A tireless supporter of Puerto Rican culture and education, Maria Colón Sánchez became a leading community organizer in Hartford and was known as la madrina (the godmother) of the capital…

The Derby Silver Company

The Derby Silver Company was founded in 1872 and began operations on Shelton’s Canal Street one year later. The company soon outgrew its quarters and in 1877 constructed a larger…

Hartford Publishes the First Literary Work by an African American – Who Knew?

…that Jupiter Hammon, who endured life-long enslavement became the first African American writer to be published in America when his 88-line poem, “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential…

Video – Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures: New Britian Museum of American Art

YouTube – CPTV – Created by the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and the Department of Economic and Community Development….

Fame and Infamy for the Hulls of Derby

By Carolyn Ivanoff for Connecticut Explored Men fought the War of 1812 over an enormous area, from Canada and the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi and along…

The Industrial Revolution Comes to Jewett City

With its abundant waterways, Connecticut, like the rest of New England, had the necessary power source to fuel a revolution in manufacturing that, together with other innovations of the late…

Connecticut Lawyer Prosecutes Nazi War Criminals at Nuremberg

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Thomas Joseph Dodd, a Norwich-born lawyer from Connecticut, served on the United States’ prosecutorial team as Executive Trial Counsel at the International…

The Stonington Battle Flag

By Susan J. Jerome for Connecticut Explored On the morning of August 10, 1814, during a lull in the attack by the British on Stonington, Dean Gallup stood upon the…

Reporting News of Pearl Harbor – Today in History: December 7

Andre Schenker – Andre Schenker Papers, Archives & Special Collections, University of Connecticut Libraries On December 7, 1941, Andre Schenker, a Mansfield resident and a professor of history at the…

Oxford: From Paths to Pikes

When colonists first settled around Oxford, Connecticut, roads consisted of little more than footpaths, but as agricultural production increased to the point of exceeding the needs of the local population,…

Textile Mills in Oxford Dominated Early Industry

Domestic wool production is one of the oldest industries in the United States. The first mill in Connecticut arrived in Hartford in 1788. Early domestic sheep were small and slow…

Establishing Roots in Oxford

From its earliest colonial days the area in and around modern-day Oxford was primarily agricultural in nature. The arrival of sawmills, gristmills, and wool manufacturing enterprises prospered in the newly…

When Old Saybrook Was a College Town

Yale University traces its origins back to the Connecticut Colony’s passing of “An Act for the Liberty to Erect a Collegiate School” in 1701. Through this act, the General Court…

The War Connecticut Hated

By Walter W. Woodward for Connecticut Explored For most Connecticans, the War of 1812 was as much a war mounted by the federal government against New England as it was…

The Lebanon Grange Followed a Different Tune than National Movement

By Donna K. Baron Founded in 1884, the Lebanon Grange provided social and educational opportunities for local farm families. Lebanon Grange members took advantage of the national organization’s membership structure…

Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Bethel, Fairfield County

Developed in Europe in the late 1700s, fire insurance maps were originally created for underwriters so that they could assess the fire liability of properties that their companies insured. In…

The British Raid on Essex

By Jerry Roberts for Connecticut Explored On a cold April night in 1814 a British raiding force rowed six miles up the Connecticut River to burn the privateers of Essex,…

Anna Louise James Makes History with Medicine

Anna Louise James was born on January 19, 1886, in Hartford. The daughter of a Virginia plantation slave who escaped to Connecticut, she grew up in Old Saybrook. Dedicating her…

An Old Saybrook Borough has a Stately History

The Borough of Fenwick, a well-known summer community in Old Saybrook, is named for George Fenwick and his family. Fenwick was an English lawyer who helped settle the Saybrook colony…

The Public Library Movement: Caroline Hewins Makes Room for Young Readers

By Susan Aller In 1904 Caroline Hewins implemented an innovation that would transform public libraries across the United States. She established one of the first rooms in a public library…

First US Detachable Electric Plug – Today in History: November 8

On November 8, 1904, Harvey Hubbell II patented the first detachable electric plug in the United States. The Separable Attachment-Plug, US patent number 774,250, followed Hubbell’s electric switch design in…

Lion Gardiner Helps to Fortify Early Old Saybrook

In 1635, the governor of the Saybrook colony hired engineer and soldier Lion Gardiner to build a critically needed fort for protection from both the Dutch colonists and local Native…

Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney (1765-1825) Eli Whitney was a scholar, inventor, and entrepreneur who helped revolutionize American production methods. After graduating from Yale in 1792, Whitney moved to Savannah, Georgia, to tutor…

Andover Looks Good on Paper

In 1889, Fred Case built a paper mill on the Hop River in Andover. In doing so, Case not only created a family business that prospered in town for generations…

Andover Lake: A Lesson in Social Change

Constructed in the early 20th century, Andover Lake is a man-made recreation area. While residents of Andover and other nearby towns enjoy swimming and boating on the property’s 159 acres,…

Andover’s Award-Winning Creamery

Started in 1886 by town residents, the Andover Creamery Corporation typified cooperative agricultural enterprises of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In contrast to the usual system where local…

Rochambeau Returns Over and Over to Andover

Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, was a French nobleman and army general who contributed significantly to the Colonial army’s victory in the war for American independence. Rochambeau’s French troops…

Where Mr. Twain and Mrs. Stowe Built Their Dream Houses

By Elizabeth J. Normen for Connecticut Explored When Mark Twain built his dream house in Hartford’s Nook Farm neighborhood in 1874, his next-door neighbor was Harriet Beecher Stowe, the most…

John Winthrop Jr.

John Winthrop Jr. (1606-1676) On November 4, 1631, English-born John Winthrop Jr. arrived on the shores of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where his father was governor. Four years later, Winthrop…

First Recorded Fall of Meteorites in the United States – Today in History: December 14

At the break of dawn on December 14, 1807, a meteoroid exploded over Fairfield County. Shards of rock were witnessed to have fallen from the sky in Weston and a…

Breaking the Myth of the Unmanaged Landscape

By Tobias Glaza, with Paul Grant-Costa for Connecticut Explored Descending from the highest point on the Eastern Pequot’s Lantern Hill reservation in North Stonington, past the powwow and burial grounds,…

The Hartford Convention or Leap no Leap

The Hartford Convention or Leap no Leap is a political cartoon by the artist William Charles poking fun at the secret meetings held by New England Federalists in Hartford during…

The Ebenezer Avery House – Who Knew?

…that the Ebenezer Avery House on the grounds of Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton once served as a hospital and refuge for the wounded after the Revolutionary War’s…

Connecticut Arms the Union

By Dean E. Nelson for Connecticut Explored A year into the Civil War, the US War Department’s “Commission on Ordnance and Ordnance Stores” reported to Congress on the state of…

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) Jonathan Edwards was one of America’s most accomplished intellectuals and theologians. Born in what is today South Windsor, Edwards became a leader of New England’s first Great…

The Slaters Go Round the World

By Vivian Zoë for Connecticut Explored The Grand Tour, a tradition under which young men of means had since the 17th century extended their education by touring Europe, became popular…

Miss James, First Woman Pharmacist in CT Right in Old Saybrook

By Tedd Levy for the Shoreline Times Miss Anna Louise James was the first woman pharmacist in the state of Connecticut. She was small woman with a soft voice, pulled…

The Connecticut Town Green

By Amy Gagnon for Connecticut Explored The town green remains a quintessential and unique part of the New England landscape, and for those towns lucky enough to have one still,…

Samson Occom

Samson Occom (1723-1792) Samson Occom was a Native American minister, missionary, and writer whose influence helped promote more intimate ties between Native American and European culture. Born on a Mohegan…

Pequot War

Pequot War (1636-1637) Though the major engagements of the Pequot War took place within a two-year span, the conflict had much earlier roots. After years of confrontations over land, trade,…

Give Thanks for American Cooking

Widely accepted as the first cookbook written by an American, Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery was published by Hudson & Goodwin of Hartford in 1796. Prior to its publication, the cookbooks…

The Father of Gastric Physiology Born – Today in History: November 21

On November 21, 1785, physician and physiologist William Beaumont, who became the first person to observe and describe the process of digestion in a still-living human, was born in Lebanon….

Governor Griswold’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

This broadside (a large piece of paper printed on only one side) issued by Thomas and Samuel Green of New Haven announced the Proclamation of Governor Matthew Griswold naming Thursday…

Map – Bird’s-eye View of Jewett City, 1889

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries panoramic or perspective maps, also known as bird’s-eye views and aero views, were used to depict many of Connecticut’s town and cities….

The Aqua Velva State – Today in History: November 17

On November 17, 1917, the J.B. Williams Company of Glastonbury filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the Word Mark “Aqua Velva.” The application stated…

Collections: Battle Flags

By Gerry Caughman for Connecticut Explored Flags have always been a visible symbol of patriotism that we instinctively protect. Our forefathers recognized the need to “follow the colors” when in…

A Godmother to Ravensbrück Survivors

By Kristin Peterson Havill for Connecticut Explored Letters in the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden archives are addressed to “Ma Chere Marainne” (My Dear Godmother). They were written to Caroline Ferriday…

Connecticut’s Black Civil War Regiment

By Charles (Ben) Hawley for Connecticut Explored For the first two bloody years of the American Civil War, men heavily debated the subject of allowing black people to enlist. Opponents…

The Child’s Picture Defining and Reading Book by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet pioneered education for the deaf in the United States by helping to establish the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1817. He authored The…

Ella Grasso

Ella Tambussi Grasso (1919-1981) Born in Windsor Locks in 1919 to Italian immigrants, Ella Tambussi Grasso attended local schools while growing up and later received her BA and MA from…

Causes of the Pequot War

The outbreak of the Pequot War (1636-37) is best understood through an examination of the cultural, political, and economic changes that occurred after the arrival of the Dutch in 1611…

Old Saybrook Faces Down Threats to Its Water Supply

The town of Old Saybrook lies at the mouth of the Connecticut River. A seemingly ideal location for commercial development, shallow waterways and shifting sandbars made water navigation hazardous and…

Popular Culture

A catchall term for fads, popular amusements, mass-marketed goods, and almost anything else that captured the public’s fancy, popular culture reveals much about the lifestyles and aspirations of Connecticut residents…

Bridge Ornaments Help Tell the Legend of the Windham Frog Fight

By Michael Hoberman Visitors to Willimantic, a former city now consolidated with the town of Windham, may wonder why the bridge that spans the Willimantic River is so festively decorated…

Artist Roger Tory Peterson, a Champion for the Natural World

By Steve Grant Artist, author, and influential conservationist Roger Tory Peterson pioneered the modern age of bird watching with his breakthrough 1934 book, A Field Guide to the Birds. Until…

Salisbury Iron Forged Early Industry

By Ed Kirby Touring today in Connecticut’s bucolic northwest corner, with its Taconic Range, Berkshire Hills, and pastoral valleys, one would never guess that the region once harbored a major…

Gallaudet’s Vision Advances Deaf Education

By Emily E. Gifford Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a Congregationalist minister, is acclaimed today for his role in pioneering education for the deaf in the United States and establishing the American…

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy covers the Connecticut Humanities website located at www.ConnecticutHistory.org. Connecticut Humanities respects and protects the privacy of our website visitors and does not collect personally identifiable information about…

World War I Flying Ace Raoul Lufbery

By David Drury Major Gervais Raoul Lufbery spent only two years of his brief, nomadic life in Connecticut and today his name is largely forgotten, but during his lifetime, Lufbery…

Stamford’s Three-Gun Armada

During the Revolutionary War, American privateers utilized armed whaling boats to keep the British from the colonies’ shores and prevent illicit trade in British goods. In 1778, 1779, and 1780,…

New London’s Sound Defense

The use of privateers to supplement naval forces and wage war on an enemy was established European practice—and one the rebellious North American colonies readily adopted as they faced Britain,…

The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918

By David Drury The greatest epidemic in human history, the so-called Spanish flu of 1918, killed tens of millions of people worldwide. Some recent estimates have placed the death toll…

The Smith Sisters, Their Cows, and Women’s Rights in Glastonbury

By Molly May Abolitionists and suffragists Abigail (Abby) and Julia Smith of Glastonbury were best known for their fight against the town tax collector, George C. Andrews, in the 1870s….

Horace Wells Discovers Pain-free Dentistry

By Emily E. Gifford In the early 19th century Hartford dentists Horace Wells and William Morton played instrumental roles in the development of anesthesia for dental and other medical applications….

Henry Ward Beecher, a Preacher with Political Clout

By Gregg Mangan Henry Ward Beecher was a renowned clergyman, author, anti-slavery activist, and reformer in the 19th century. At a time when ministers played a prominent role in American…

Gideon Welles, US Secretary of the Navy and Lincoln’s “Neptune”

By Michael Marinaro Gideon Welles was the Secretary of the United States Navy from 1861 to 1869 and a cabinet member during the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson….

Sarah Kemble Knight’s Journey through Colonial Connecticut

By Richard DeLuca One of the duties of the colonial post rider was to act as a guide for travelers he might encounter along his route. At the start of…

Thomas Knowlton: A Small Town’s National Hero

Thomas Knowlton is arguably Ashford’s most widely recognized war hero. His service during the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution are memorialized in a statue on the grounds of…

Ferry Boats a Way of Life in Early Connecticut

By Richard DeLuca Ferries have existed in Connecticut from the earliest days of the colony because of its many rivers and streams too wide to cross by any other means….

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910) Missouri-born Samuel Clemens is best known by his pen name Mark Twain. The author, lecturer, humorist, and sometime inventor moved to Hartford in 1871, shortly after…

Re-creating Our National Pastime

By Gregg Mangan In an era before the Internet, television, or even live radio broadcasts, fans of professional baseball watched re-creations of games around the country thanks to the Baseball…

Norwich’s “Volcanic” Past

With its year-round availability of water power, its location at the confluence of the Shetucket and Yantic Rivers, and proximity to major port cities like New York and Boston, Norwich…

Steaming Across the Atlantic

New London‘s advantageous location on Long Island Sound made it a center for innovation in the transportation of goods and services by sea. As ocean transportation’s age of sail evolved…

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Best remembered as the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe was born into a talented Litchfield family headed by noted preacher…

Meriden’s Silver Lining

Like many towns in central Connecticut that found sustaining an agricultural economy difficult, Meriden had become a manufacturing town by the mid-19th century. Despite large numbers of local industries going…

Barn Design in Connecticut

By Holly V. Izard Farms of the past were agricultural complexes: a house, a barn or two, perhaps an outbuilding such as a corn crib or detached woodshed, and maybe…

Stagecoach Sustained Commerce and Communication in 1800s

By Richard DeLuca The first stagecoaches appeared briefly in Connecticut in the years immediately preceding the American Revolution. They operated on the Upper Post Road from New York to Boston…

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

By Amy Gagnon Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a noted writer, lecturer, economist, and theorist who fought for women’s domestic rights and women’s suffrage in the early 1900s. Born in Hartford…

David Bushnell and his Revolutionary Submarine

By Brenda Milkofsky At the time of the American Revolution, British military power surpassed that of any western nation. Yet, the son of a Connecticut farmer, David Bushnell, hoped to…

Slavery and Abolition

Slavery in Connecticut dates as far back as the mid-1600s. Connecticut’s growing agricultural industry fostered slavery’s expansion, and by the time of the American Revolution, Connecticut had the largest number…

Immigration

A mixture of agriculture and heavy industry in Connecticut has routinely provided employment opportunities for immigrants throughout the state’s history. Waves of primarily northern European immigrants arrived on Connecticut shores…

Discovered Dinosaur Tracks Re-Route Highway and Lead to State Park

By Owen Rogers On August 23, 1966, bulldozer operator Edward McCarthy uncovered a fossilized Triassic lake bed in Rocky Hill. While excavating a path for the new Interstate 91 highway,…

Ashford’s Glass from the Past

In 1857, 13 stockholders invested $18,000 to form the Westford Glass Company—Ashford’s largest and most famous business enterprise. Located on Waterfall Road, the company made some of the most recognizable…

The Whitney Armory Helps Progress in Hamden

Eli Whitney is famous for the cotton gin. His invention revolutionized the cotton industry through its efficient processing of green-seed cotton. It also left behind a legacy of massive slave-based…

Video – Mark Twain at Stormfield

YouTube – Mark Twain at Stormfield, 1909 (Edison film) In 1906 Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) purchased 195 acres of land in Redding, Connecticut. Then, after his story Captain Stormfield’s Visit…

A Volcanic Giant Sleeps in Hamden

The town of Hamden lies between two trap rock formations that constitute its northern and southern borders. While East Rock is well-known to local residents as the towering hills viewable…

Fort Griswold Attacked – Today in History: September 6

On September 6, 1781, British forces overtook Fort Griswold and, in an infamous move that would be recalled throughout the American Revolutionary War and long after, they killed many of…

Map – Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Baltic, New London County

Developed in Europe in the late 1700s, fire insurance maps were originally created for underwriters so that they could assess the fire liability of properties that their companies insured. In…

Hamden’s Literary Legend

One of the most distinguished authors and playwrights of the 20th century called Hamden home. Thornton Wilder, author of such renowned works as Our Town, The Matchmaker, and The Bridge…

Painter, Muralist, Sculptor Sol LeWitt born – Today in History: September 9

On September 9, 1928, the American artist Sol LeWitt was born in Hartford. A long-time Chester resident, LeWitt, whose work includes drawings and sculptures, is identified with the late 20th…

Labor Day at the Turn of the 20th Century

In February of 1889, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a bill making the first Monday of each September a legal holiday. Labor Day, an initiative of the labor movement, had…

Connecticut Draws the Curtain on Public Executions

Brooklyn’s status as county seat in 1831 resulted in the town hosting what is widely accepted as the last public hanging in Connecticut. A jury convicted Oliver Watkins, a local…

Scrabble Copyrighted – Today in History: December 1

On December 1, 1948, James Brunot of Newtown copyrighted the famous spelling game Scrabble. Designed in 1931 by architect Alfred Mosher Butts under the name Lexico, the original game was…

The Windsor Economy: A River Ran Through It

Windsor’s location on the Connecticut River shaped the area’s development dating back to its earliest recorded years. Native Americans utilized the river to facilitate trade and develop seasonal agriculture. In…

The Fight Over Slavery Reaches Torrington

In the years prior to the Civil War, Torrington, like many towns in New England and the rest of the country, found itself divided by the issue of slavery. Abolitionist…

Connecticut’s Oldest English Settlement

In 1633, Windsor became Connecticut’s first English settlement. This was due to its desirable location at the juncture of the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers, its rich and fertile soil, and,…

Torrington Recovers after the Flood of ‘55

In August of 1955, two hurricanes that moved through Connecticut caused a devastating flood of the Naugatuck River. The town of Torrington was the first to be hit by the…

The Atheneum Joins War Effort – Who Knew?

…that the Wadsworth Atheneum contributed to home front morale and fundraisers during World War II. In December 1940, The Wadsworth Atheneum News Bulletin reported that a two-day British Relief Sale…

Homer D. Babbidge, Leader in Education

By Bruce M. Stave, PhD Homer Daniels Babbidge Jr. made his mark as president of the University of Connecticut from 1962 through 1972 and transformed the once quiet university into…

About

Connecticut Origins Shape New Light Luminary Jonathan Edwards

By Kenneth Minkema Jonathan Edwards, arguably one of the most significant religious figures in US history, was a theologian, philosopher, pastor, revivalist, educator, and missionary. An adherent of Reformed Puritan…

The Rise and Fall of Silas Deane, American Patriot

By David Drury Silas Deane was an American patriot and prominent member of the Continental Congress at the dawn of the American Revolution. On a diplomatic mission to France, Deane…

Crime and Punishment

English colonists who settled in the Connecticut Colony employed a patriarchal system of justice with town leaders creating early laws. Colonial crimes included blasphemy, idleness, adultery, and stealing, and the…

Exploration and Discovery

The Age of Discovery that began in 15th-century Europe sparked extensive world exploration and brought European travelers to what would become known as North America. The Dutch first explored the…

Video – Hidden History: Connecticut Historical Society

YouTube CTnow.com Hidden History is a video series highlighting stories from Connecticut’s past. Content is produced by and used with the permission of CTnow.com. Presentation of external content from for-profit…

John Ledyard, Connecticut’s Most Famous Traveler

By David Drury John Ledyard, one of the most adventurous figures in Connecticut’s long history, would have made a great fictional character had he not been real. Born a ship…

Beatrice Fox Auerbach

Beatrice Fox Auerbach (1887-1968) Born in Hartford, Beatrice Fox Auerbach grew up in a family made wealthy by her grandfather Gerson Fox’s success in the dry goods business. After marrying…

George Washington Slept Here (Just Perhaps Not Well)

Within the heritage tourism industry, it is not uncommon to find attractions that make claims to having played host to one famous historical figure or another. Dubious claims that “George…

Combined Rail-and-Water System Makes Norwich a Key Travel Hub in Mid-1800s

For waterfront towns like Norwich (located on the Thames River), early steamships offered opportunities for travel and commerce previously unthinkable to generations of local residents. In addition to providing reliable…

Weaving the Cultural Fabric of Beacon Falls

The textile mills of the Naugatuck Valley brought tremendous change to towns like Beacon Falls. The mills not only brought railroads and factories but also the thousands of German, English,…

Noah Webster and the Dream of a Common Language

By Christopher Dobbs Noah Webster Jr. is best remembered as the author of the dictionary most often called, simply, “Webster’s,” but whose original 1828 title was An American Dictionary of…

Dedication

ConnecticutHistory.org, a program of Connecticut Humanities, is dedicated to Dr. Bruce Fraser, who saw the Internet as a powerful means to connect the story of Connecticut to its residents, especially…

Home

BF Clyde and the Steam-powered Cider Mill – Who Knew?

…that the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the US still operates in Mystic. Apple cider, traditionally a mildly alcoholic drink, and its production date back to the earliest days of…

Cleopatra’s Needle and Groton’s Captain Davis – Who Knew?

…that Cleopatra’s Needle, the Egyptian obelisk erected in Central Park across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, arrived safely from Egypt due to the ingenuity of Noank’s Henry E. Davis….

The Launch of the USS Nautilus – Today in History: January 21

On January 21, 1954, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower launched the world’s first nuclear submarine at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Shipyard in Groton. Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower was…

Weir Farm the Result of a Trade – Who Knew?

…that Weir Farm located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut resulted from the trade of a painting and ten dollars. Erwin Davis, New York collector and friend to impressionist painter, printmaker,…

Brooklyn

The town of Brooklyn, in Windham County, is located in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. It is named for the Quinebaug River, or Brook Line, which forms its…

Branford

The town of Branford, located in New Haven County, lies next to the Long Island Sound and includes the Thimble Islands. The first settlers of New Haven bought land from…

Bolton

Bolton, in Tolland County, is located in the northeastern portion of Connecticut. Originally part of the town of Hartford, the area was referred to as Hartford Mountains or Hanover, until…

Bloomfield

Bloomfield, in Hartford County, is located in the northern portion of central Connecticut. Its border is formed on the north by the Farmington River and on the west by Talcott…

Beacon Falls

Beacon Falls, in New Haven County, is located in the southwestern portion of Connecticut. Among the state’s smallest towns in population and area, it is bisected by the Naugatuck River…

Ashford

Ashford, a part of Windham County, is located in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. Formerly New Scituate, Ashford was settled in 1710 and incorporated as a town in…

Ansonia

The city of Ansonia, located in New Haven County on the Naugatuck River, is in the lower Naugatuck Valley region. Though its development as a village center started in the…

Andover

The town of Andover is in the central region of the state and in the southern portion of Tolland County. Settled in the early 18th century, it was incorporated in…

Derby

The city of Derby, located in New Haven County, is in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. Settled as a Native American trading post in…

Parachutist Snagged in Midair – Today in History: September 13

On September 13, 1966, Charles (Chuck) Alexander became the first human to be captured by an aircraft in flight. A test parachutist for the Pioneer Parachute Company of Manchester, Connecticut,…

Joshua Hempsted Born – Today in History: September 1

On September 1, 1678, Joshua Hempsted was born in New London, Connecticut. Farmer, surveyor, carpenter, gravestone cutter, and famous New England diarist, Hempsted began keeping a diary on September 8,…

Fitch Soldiers’ Home Closes – Today in History: August 28

On August 28, 1940, Fitch’s Home for Soldiers and their Orphans, also known as Fitch’s Home for Soldiers, in Darien, closed its doors and relocated hundreds of Connecticut veterans to…

Dinosaur Tracks Found – Today in History: August 23

On August 23, 1966, hundreds of dinosaur tracks were uncovered in Rocky Hill. The first few tracks were discovered by a bulldozer operator who was excavating the site for a…

Chester

Chester, in Middlesex County, is located in the lower Connecticut River Valley in southeastern Connecticut. Large portions of Cockaponset State Forest cover its northern and western boundaries. The Wangunks, a…

Roosevelt Rides in an Electric Car – Today in History: August 22

On August 22, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt rode through the streets of Hartford in an electric automobile. Automobile production was in its early stages of development at the turn of…

The Charter Oak Fell – Today in History: August 21

On August 21, 1856, the Charter Oak, a noted landmark and symbol of Hartford and Connecticut, fell during a severe wind and rain storm. The name “Charter Oak” came from…

Governor Jonathan Trumbull Dies – Today in History: August 17

On August 17, 1785, Connecticut’s first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, died. A merchant, judge, and politician, Trumbull held the distinction of serving as the colony’s 28th governor prior to the American…

Get Out Your Paper Dress, Gal! – Who Knew?

…that in 1966 the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford was featured on the popular TV show I’ve Got a Secret. Actress Arlene Dahl appeared on the show in a dress made…

The Longest Highway Drawbridge – Who Knew?

… that in 1896, when the Middletown and Portland Bridge over the Connecticut River opened it was the longest highway drawbridge in the world. Built by the Berlin Iron Bridge…

The Hardware City Could’ve Been the Motor City – Who Knew?

…that New Britain could add automobile manufacturing to its long list of industrial production. Corbin Motor Car logo In 1903 the Russell & Erwin Company and the American Hardware Corporation…

Danbury Prison Protest – Today in History: August 11

On August 11, 1943, conscientious objectors and other prisoners staged a 135-day hunger strike to protest racial segregation in the Danbury prison’s dining hall. Built in 1932 and opened in…

The Great Wallingford Tornado – Today in History: August 9

On August 9, 1878, a tornado swept from west to east across the northern part of Wallingford. The most destructive tornado to ever have struck the state, it cut a…

Home Missionary Society’s First Missionary – Today in History: August 7

On August 7, 1800, David Bacon, a native of Woodstock and a minister with the Home Missionary Society of Connecticut, set out on foot for the then far lands of…

Hartford’s Fuller Brush Company Goes Door-to-Door Across US

Founded in 1906 by Alfred C. Fuller, the Fuller Brush Company was one of Connecticut’s most notable corporations. Fuller developed both its original products and its iconic door-to-door sales force….

USS Nautilus Passes Under North Pole – Today in History: August 3

On August 3, 1958, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) made history by becoming the first ship to pass underneath the North Pole. The 1,830-mile journey was launched from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,…

Poet Wallace Stevens Dies – Today in History: August 2

On August 2, 1955, the great American poet Wallace Stevens died at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. He was 75 and had stomach cancer. He had won the Pulitzer Prize…

Miss Huntley’s School Opens – Today in History: August 1

On August 1, 1814, a young teacher named Lydia Huntley opened a school for young women in Hartford. Daniel Wadsworth, the art collector and later founder of the Wadsworth Atheneum,…

Chaplin

Chaplin, in Windham County, is located in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. Originally part of Joshua’s Tract (land deeded by Mohegan Chief Uncas’s son to English colonists), the…

Clinton

Clinton, in Middlesex County, is located in southern Connecticut. The town lies on the Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Hammonasset River. Established as a separate town in…

Connecticut Valley Railroad’s First Train – Today in History: July 29

Fenwick Hall, Fenwick, Old Saybrook – Connecticut Historical Society and Connecticut History Illustrated On July 29, 1871, a ceremonial train ran along the new 44-mile single-line track built by the…

Haddam

Haddam, in Middlesex County, is located in south-central Connecticut in the lower Connecticut River Valley. It is also home to Cockaponset State Forest. Incorporated in October of 1668, Haddam is…

Naugatuck

The town of Naugatuck, located in New Haven County, spans both sides of the Naugatuck River and lies just south of Waterbury. Incorporated as a town in 1844, it became,…

Middletown

The city of Middletown, located in Middlesex County, lies along the west side of the Connecticut River in the central part of the state. Incorporated as a town in 1650…

Meriden

Meriden, in New Haven County, is located in south-central Connecticut, with the Quinnipiac River cutting through its southwestern portion. Formerly known as North Farms, the area was incorporated as a…

Manchester

Manchester, in Hartford County, is located in north-central Connecticut. First known as Five Mile Track, and later as Orford, or Charlotte, it was settled in 1672 and incorporated from part…

Madison

Madison, a part of New Haven County, lies in south-central Connecticut adjacent to the Long Island Sound and between the East and Hammonasset Rivers. Formerly East Guilford, it was settled…

Lyme

Lyme, in New London County, is located in southeastern Connecticut on the Connecticut River and adjacent to the Long Island Sound. Formerly East Saybrook, the town separated from Saybrook in…

Ledyard

The town of Ledyard, located New London County, sits along the Thames River in the southeastern corner of the state. Incorporated in 1836, the town of Ledyard was named after…

Lebanon

The town of Lebanon, located in New London County, is one of the state’s largest towns at 55.4 square miles. Incorporated in 1700, Lebanon was the first settlement in the…

Killingworth

Killingworth, in Middlesex County, is located in south-central Connecticut and includes Chatfield Hollow State Park. Europeans established a plantation here in 1663, naming it Homonoscitt after the Hammonasset people who…

Hartford

The city of Hartford, located in Hartford County and a part of central Connecticut, is the state’s capital and often goes by the nickname the Insurance Capital of the World….

Hampton

Hampton, in Windham County, is located in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. Territory of the Nipmucks (a local Native American tribe), the area was settled in 1712, largely…

Hamden

Hamden, in New Haven County, is located in southern Connecticut. Originally settled by the Puritans as part of New Haven Colony, it was incorporated as its own town in May…

Guilford

Guilford, in New Haven County, is located in southern Connecticut on the Long Island Sound. Originally called Menunkatucket, the Quinnipiac sold it, along with land stretching from present day Niantic…

Cornwall

Cornwall, in Litchfield County, is located on the Housatonic River in northwestern Connecticut and contains a portion of Mohawk State Forest. Formerly a part of Lebanon, the town was incorporated…

Greenwich

The town of Greenwich, located in Fairfield County, is at the southernmost and westernmost tip of Connecticut—between Stamford and New York City. In 1640, founding families purchased the land in…

Granby

Granby, in Hartford County, is located in northern Connecticut and shares a border with Massachusetts. The town was settled in 1660 and incorporated in 1786 from a section of Simsbury….

Glastonbury

The town of Glastonbury, located in Hartford County, is in central Connecticut on the eastern banks of the Connecticut River. Founded in 1636 as part of Wethersfield and called Pyaug,…

Fairfield

The town of Fairfield, located in Fairfield County, is in southwestern Connecticut on the Long Island Sound and is considered a part of Connecticut’s “Gold Coast.” One of the four…

Essex

Essex, in Middlesex County, is located in southern Connecticut and lies on the Connecticut River. Originally part of Saybrook and called the Potapaug Quarter, it separated and became a town…

Enfield

Enfield, in Hartford County, is located in north-central Connecticut and borders on Massachusetts, which named and incorporated the town in 1683. Following a boundary dispute settlement, Enfield became part of…

East Lyme

East Lyme, in New London County, is located in the southeastern part of the state on Long Island Sound. Formed from parts of Lyme and Waterford and incorporated as a…

East Haven

The town of East Haven, located in New Haven County, is on the east side of New Haven Harbor in the Long Island Sound. First called East Farms, in 1638…

Durham

Durham, a part of Middlesex County, is located just south of Middletown on the Coginchaug River—centering it in the southern portion of Connecticut. Settled in 1699, Durham was named in…

Deep River

Deep River, in Middlesex County, is located in the lower Connecticut River Valley. It lies in southern Connecticut on the Connecticut River. Formerly called Eight Mile Meadow or Potapaug Quarter,…

Danbury

Danbury, in Fairfield County, is located in southwest Connecticut, on the Still River. It was named in 1687, incorporated in 1702, and chartered as a city in 1889. During the…

Cromwell

The town of Cromwell, located in Middlesex County, lies on the Connecticut River just north of Middletown. Originally part of the Mattabesset settlement, in 1651, the area became known as…

Coventry

The town of Coventry, located in Tolland County, is the home of Lake Wangumbaug, also known as Coventry Lake, the largest lake in northeastern Connecticut. Incorporated in 1712, the land…

Connecticut’s “Woodstock” Canceled – Today in History: July 30

On July 30, 1970, Louis Zemel, the owner of Powder Ridge Ski Area in Middlefield had to tell a crowd of thousands that the scheduled three-day rock festival they had…

An American Heritage River – Today in History: July 27

On July 27, 1998, Vice President Al Gore designated the Connecticut River one of 14 American Heritage Rivers. The American Heritage River program was designed to restore the historic, economic,…

New London

The city of New London, located in—and the city seat of—New London County, sits along the Long Island Sound. Incorporated in 1784 as one of the first five Connecticut cities,…

Horace Bushnell Born – Today in History: April 14

On April 14, 1802, Horace Bushnell was born in Bantam. Bushnell, who became a Congregational minister, author and theologian, is recognized for his influence on American Protestant thought and is…

New-Gate Prison Breakout – Today in History: May 18

On May 18, 1781, the largest mass breakout in the history of New-Gate Prison took place. At the time, the prison population included British Loyalists who joined the other prisoners…

Largest Earthquake in Connecticut – Today in History: May 16

Moodus, Town of East Haddam – County Atlas of Middlesex, from actual surveys by and under the direction of F.W. Beers On May 16, 1791, the largest earthquake to shake…

Katharine Hepburn Born – Today in History: May 12

On May 12, 1907, stage and screen legend Katharine Hepburn was born to Hartford physician Thomas Norval Hepburn and women’s right activist Katharine Houghton Hepburn. In her six-decade-long career as…

John Brown Born – Today in History: May 9

On May 9, 1800, the man who became a catalyst for the Civil War was born in an 18th-century saltbox house in West Torringford. John Brown, who would spend most…

First Woman to Receive US Patent – Today in History: May 5

On May 5, 1809, Mrs. Mary Kies of South Killingly became the first woman in the United States to receive a patent. Her patent was for a new way to…

Artist Frederic Church Born – Today in History: May 4

On May 4, 1826, the great American landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church was born to a wealthy Hartford family. The Church family’s success in industry and insurance allowed Frederic to…

USS Tullibee – Today in History: April 27

On April 27, 1960, the USS Tullibee, the first atomic submarine to use turbo-electric propulsion, was launched. The Tullibee was also the first in a new class of hunter-killer submarines…

Battle at Ridgefield – Today in History: April 27

On April 27, 1777, American forces under the command of Major General David Wooster attacked the retreating British troops under Major General William Tryon in Ridgefield. In anticipation of Tryon’s…

Frederick Law Olmsted Born – Today in History: April 26

On April 26, 1822, Frederick Law Olmsted was born in Hartford. Often described as the founder of landscape architecture in America, Olmsted was also a journalist, author and social critic,…

The British Attack Danbury – Today in History: April 26

On April 25, 1777, British forces land at the mouth of the Saugatuck River with plans to attack Danbury. General William Howe had ordered Major General William Tryon, royal governor…

Benedict Arnold Demands the Key – Today in History: April 22

On April 22, 1775, Benedict Arnold demanded the key to New Haven’s powder house. After hearing the news of the fighting at Lexington, Massachusetts, Arnold, as the commander of the…

Ironclad Commissioned – Today in History: April 21

On April 21, 1862, the USS Galena was commissioned. New Haven businessman Cornelius Bushnell submitted the design for the Galena by naval architect Samuel H. Pook to the United States…

Freighter Worcester Launched – Today in History: April 5

Fred. J. Hoertz, Your work means victory: Build another one, 1917, United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation On April 5, 1919, the steel-hulled freighter Worcester was launched in Groton….

The Lemon Law – Today in History: June 4

On June 4, 1982, Connecticut made legislative history by pioneering the country’s first Lemon Law. The Lemon Law is actually the nickname for Connecticut General Statute Chapter 743b “Automotive Warranties,”…

Fuller Brush Tower Collapses – Today in History: March 31

Fuller Brush building following collapse of tower, 1080 Windsor Avenue, Hartford – Connecticut Historical Society On March 31, 1923, a 56,000-gallon water tank dropped through 4 concrete floors of the…

Steamboat Accident – Today in History: March 29

On March 29, 1876, the steamboat City of Hartford, of the New York and Hartford steamboat line, hit the Air Line Railroad Bridge on the Connecticut River at Middletown carrying…

Bursting of the Staffordville Reservoir – Today in History: March 27

On March 27, 1877, the Staffordville Reservoir Company’s dam burst, flooding the valley for a distance of five miles and causing the loss of two lives. The dam, on the…

William Redfield Born – Today in History: March 26

On March 26, 1789, William C. Redfield, the noted American meteorologist, was born in Middletown. Redfield had observed after a hurricane that trees in central Connecticut had toppled toward the…

Connecticut’s First Female Telephone Operator – Today in History: March 24

On March 24, 1879, Marjorie Gray became Connecticut’s first female telephone operator. Working for the Telephone Dispatch Company of Bridgeport (which was taken over by the Southern New England Telephone…

The Beadle Family Murders – Today in History: December 11

Following the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed a law that closed the Port of Boston to all ships, preventing supplies from reaching the citizens of Massachusetts. William Beadle,…

Elihu Burritt Dies – Today in History: March 6

Elihu Burritt On March 6, 1879, Elihu Burritt “the learned blacksmith” died in New Britain. A self-educated man who studied European and Oriental languages and taught himself to read more…

Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Rally – Today in History: March 5

On March 5, 1860, Abraham Lincoln addressed the Republicans of Hartford at City Hall. He spoke to the danger of an indifferent attitude on the topic of slavery, a follow-up…

The Revolving Gun – Today in History: February 25

On February 25, 1836, Samuel Colt received a patent for a “revolving gun” US patent number 138, later known as 9430X. His improvement in fire-arm design allowed a gun to…

Park Central Hotel Boiler Explosion – Today in History: February 18

This photograph was taken by R.S. DeLamater, local Hartford photographer – Connecticut Historical Society In the pre-dawn hours of February 18, 1889, the Park Central Hotel in Hartford was ripped…

Charles Stratton and Lavinia Warren Wed – Today in History: February 10

By Anne Farrow He was rich, handsome and famous, she was considered a great beauty and their wedding was front page news around the nation. On February 10, 1863, at…

Marian Anderson’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 By Anne Farrow Considered one of the great singers of the 20th century–and her life spanned nearly the entire century–Marian Anderson was an artist who…

First Commercial Telephone Exchange – Today in History: January 28

On January 28, 1878, the Boardman Building in New Haven became the site of the world’s first commercial telephone exchange, the District Telephone Company of New Haven. The exchange was…

Video – The Hindenburg Flies Over Hartford

YouTube – Hindenburg over Hartford, Connecticut 1936 LZ 129 Hindenburg, a large German commercial passenger-carrying airship designed and built by the Zeppelin Company, flew from March 1936 until it was…

First Human Test of a Nylon Parachute – Today in History: June 6

On June 6, 1942, Adeline Gray made the first jump by a human with a nylon parachute at Brainard Field in Hartford. Her jump, performed before a group of Army…

Hartford Wide-Awakes – Today in History: July 26

On July 26, 1860, the Hartford Wide-Awakes welcomed the Newark, New Jersey, Wide-Awakes to a banquet and ratification meeting at Hartford’s City Hall. The Wide-Awakes in Hartford were a political…

The Hartford Circus Fire – Today in History: July 6

In the summer of 1944 the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus set up its show in Hartford’s North End. On July 6, during an afternoon performance attended by…

Sanitary Fair – Today in History: July 25

On July 25, 1864, the Stamford Ladies Soldiers’ Aid Society held a Sanitary Fair. Sanitary Fairs were established in response to the needs of Civil War soldiers beyond what the…

Jacob Schick Invents the Electric Razor – Today in History: May 13

On May 13, 1930, Colonel Jacob Schick obtained patent No. 1,757,978 for his dry electric shaver. The idea of creating an electric razor came to him while he recuperated from…

Medical Pioneer Eli Todd born – Today in History: July 22

On July 22, 1769, Eli Todd was born in New Haven. A Yale graduate, Todd was a pioneer in the treatment of the mentally ill and believed that humane care…

The Phoenix Building, Hartford

The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Building, also known locally as the “Boat Building,” is home to the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company at One American Row in Hartford’s downtown. The…

The Connecticut Compromise – Today in History: July 16

On July 16, 1787, a plan proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, Connecticut’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention, established a two-house legislature. The Great Compromise, or Connecticut Compromise as…

Creating Candlewood Lake – Today in History: July 15

On July 15, 1926, Connecticut Light & Power Company’s board of directors approved a plan to build a man-made reservoir in order to produce electric power. What would become Candlewood…

Oldest Rose Garden – Who Knew?

…that the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in Hartford is the oldest municipally operated rose garden in the country. Established in 1904, the park was once the residence—and grounds—of industrialist Charles…

Albert Pope Pioneered Bicycles for Women

Hartford-based inventor Albert Pope saw his first bicycle at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and was so impressed that he went to Europe to study how bicycles were made….

The Park City – Who Knew?

…that Bridgeport’s nickname is the “Park City” due to its public parks. These parks include Seaside Park and Beardsley Park, both designed by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Seaside…

Jonathan Edwards’ Famous Sermon – Today in History: July 8

On July 8, 1741, theologian Jonathan Edwards spoke the words of the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” at a Congregational church in Enfield. He could not…

Erector Set Patented – Today in History: July 8

Erector Set On July 8, 1913, the United States Patent Office issued a patent to Alfred C. Gilbert of New Haven for his “Toy Construction-Blocks.” What started as the “Mysto…

British Burn Fairfield – Today in History: July 7

On July 7, 1779, during the Revolutionary War, the British anchored a fleet of warships off the coast of Fairfield, Connecticut. The British soldiers waited for the fog to lift…

Pepperidge Farm Opens Bakery – Today in History: July 4

On July 4, 1947, Margaret Rudkin of Fairfield opened a modern commercial bakery in Norwalk and gave it the name of her small bakery, Pepperidge Farm. Rudkin had begun baking…

Hooker’s Journey to Hartford

In early June of 1636, prominent Puritan religious leader Reverend Thomas Hooker left the Boston area with one hundred men, women, and children and set out for the Connecticut valley….

Charlotte Perkins Gilman Born – Today in History: July 3

On July 3, 1860, Charlotte Anna Perkins (Charlotte Perkins Gilman) was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Gilman became a prolific writer whose subject matter ranged from the differences between women and…

Buffalo Bill Cody Visits the Monument of Uncas – Today in History: July 2

On July 2, 1907, American adventurer and showman “Buffalo Bill” Cody visited the Mohegan Royal Burial Grounds in Norwich. Colonel William F. Cody, who had begun his popular “Wild West”…

Educator Sarah Pierce Born – Today in History: June 26

On June 26, 1767, pioneering educator Sarah Pierce was born in Litchfield, and during her long life Pierce would open one of the nation’s first schools for young women, advance…

Henry Ward Beecher Born – Today in History: June 24

On June 24, 1813, Henry Ward Beecher was born in Litchfield. The Beechers were already well-known because Lyman Beecher, Henry’s father, was a nationally renowned clergyman, and Henry, too, became…

Private vs. Public Property – Today in History: June 23

On June 23, 2005, in the eminent domain case Kelo et al vs. New London, the US Supreme Court ruled that a city may take private property under the “takings”…

John Howe Makes a Better Pin – Today in History: June 22

On June 22, 1832, John Ireland Howe invented the first practical machine for manufacturing pins. Howe was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 1793 and trained as a doctor, working at…

Horseshoe Nail Capital of the World – Who Knew?

…that Hartford, famous as the Insurance Capital of the World, was also once known as the Horseshoe Nail Capital of the World. In the late 19th century, George Capewell formed…

The Automatic Gallows – Today in History: June 18

On June 18, 1895, Jabez L. Woodbridge of Wethersfield patented an automated gallows. The object of Patent No. 541,409 was “to provide an apparatus or machine by means of which…

Ivoryton Playhouse Opens – Today in History: June 17

On June 17, 1930, the Ivoryton Playhouse opened with a production of the play Broken Dishes, which had just closed in New York. The 19-year-old shingled structure had been opened…

The Bazooka Changes War – Today in History: June 14

On June 14, 1942, the General Electric Company in Bridgeport finished production on the “Launcher, Rocket AT, M-1,” better known as the bazooka. With a range of approximately 300 yards,…

Oliver Cromwell Launched – Today in History: June 13

On June 13, 1776, the ship Oliver Cromwell, built by Uriah Hayden, was launched in Essex. The ship was one of the largest full-rigged ships built for the state after…

Flying High with Early Dirigible

By Anne Farrow The cover of Harper’s Weekly on July 13, 1878, shows a distinctly Edward Gorey-like illustration of a man seated on slim metal frame, suspended from what looks…

Papier-Mache Clocks – Who Knew?

…that the William L. Gilbert Clock Corporation of Winsted was one of the few clock-making firms in Connecticut allowed to continue the manufacture of clocks during World War II. Why?…

New Britain

The city of New Britain is located in central Connecticut and is a part of Hartford County. Once known as the “Great Swamp” in the Berlin section of Farmington, in…

Newington

The town of Newington, located in Hartford County, is in central Connecticut and borders the capital city of Hartford. A part of Wethersfield until 1871, early names for Newington included…

The Pest House Completed – Today in History: December 4

On December 4, 1760, the town of Durham announced the completion of their hospital house. An outbreak of disease the year prior had prompted its construction. In November of 1759,…

East Haddam

The town of East Haddam is located in eastern Middlesex County on the Connecticut River and was once called Machimoodus or the place of noises by the native peoples. In…

New Hartford

The town of New Hartford is located in eastern Litchfield County, in the northwest corner of the state. Settled in 1733 and incorporated in 1738, the town was part of…

New Fairfield

This Fairfield County town shares its western border with New York State while Candlewood Lake, Connecticut’s largest body of water, lies along its eastern edge. Incorporated in 1740, New Fairfield’s…

Morris

The town of Morris is located in Litchfield County in the northwest portion of the state. Settled around 1723, it was organized as the South Farms parish in 1676, but…

Montville

The town of Montville is located in the southeastern portion of the state in New London County. Originally part of New London, the town incorporated in 1786. The rocky, forested…

Monroe

The town of Monroe is located in the eastern region of Fairfield County in southern Connecticut. Originally part of Stratford, it was included in the “White Hills Purchase” that transferred…

Milford

The city of Milford, located in New Haven County, is in the southernmost part of the state on the Long Island Sound. The land, purchased by English settlers in 1639,…

Middlebury

Incorporated in 1807 from former Southbury, Waterbury, and Woodbury lands, the town of Middlebury located in New Haven County town took its name from its location in the midst, or…

Griswold

The Pachaug and Quinebaug rivers flow through the town of Griswold, which is located at the northeastern edge of New London County. Long a fishing ground for the Mohegan people,…

Eastford

Located in the northern portion of Windham County, the town of Eastford encompasses a significant portion of Natchaug State Forest. Settled in the early 1700s, this eastern portion of Ashford…

East Windsor

The Connecticut River forms the western border of this town, which is located in northeastern Hartford County. Incorporated from Windsor in 1768, East Windsor attracted settlers with its fertile soil…

East Hartford

The Hartford County town of East Hartford is located on the Connecticut River’s eastern bank across from the capital city and was part of Hartford until its incorporation in 1783….

East Hampton

The Middlesex County town of East Hampton sits on the Connecticut River’s eastern bank and includes one of the state’s largest inland bodies of water, Lake Pocotopaug. First called Chatham,…

East Granby

Bisected by the Metacomet Ridge with the Farmington River along its southern border, East Granby lies in the northern portion of central Connecticut’s Hartford County. Settled in the 1660s as…

Norfolk

The town of Norfolk, located in Litchfield County, is in the northwest corner of the state and borders Massachusetts to the north. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshires, Norfolk…

Darien

Located in lower Fairfield County on Long Island Sound, Darien, which incorporated in 1820, was originally the Middlesex Parish area of Stamford. Coastal trading and agriculture supported the early community;…

Columbia

The Tolland County town of Columbia is located in east-central Connecticut and bounded by the Hop River along its northern border. Called Lebanon Crank by its European settlers, the town…

Canaan

The town of Canaan is located in Litchfield County in the northwest corner of the state, close to both New York’s and Massachusetts’s borders. In 1738 the area now known…

Burlington

Defined by its natural environment, the town of Burlington is on the western edge of central Connecticut’s Hartford County borders the Farmington River, and is home to Sessions Woods Wildlife…

Bridgewater

The Housatonic and Shepaug rivers meet at the southern tip of this town in lower Litchfield County. Originally the Shepaug Neck section of New Milford, Bridgewater incorporated in 1856. Long…

Bridgeport

The city of Bridgeport is located in Fairfield County in the southern part of the state on the Long Island Sound. It is Connecticut’s most populous city. Settled in the…

Bethlehem

The town of Bethlehem, located in Litchfield County, is in the north central part of the state and contains Bethlehem Village, the town’s historic district. Settled in 1734 and incorporated…

Bethel

Set in hilly terrain, the town of Bethel in Fairfield County lies near Connecticut’s border with New York. Settled as part of Danbury in 1685, the parish of Bethel, which…

Avon

The Hartford County town of Avon is located in the Farmington Valley with the Talcott Mountain range on its northeastern border. Europeans settled the area, known first as Nod and…

Brookfield

The town of Brookfield is located in the Housatonic Valley region of Fairfield County near the New York border. Incorporated in 1788, the town was formed from parts of New…

North Haven

The town of North Haven, located in the south central region of the state in New Haven County, lies on either side of the Quinnipiac River and is approximately 10…

Bethany

The town of Bethany is located in the south central region of the state in New Haven County. First settled in 1717 as part of Woodbridge, Bethany was incorporated as…

Goshen

The town of Goshen, located in Litchfield County, is in the northwestern part of Connecticut and contains a large portion of the Mohawk State Forest. First settled in 1738, the…

New Haven

The city of New Haven is located in New Haven County in the southern part of the state along the Long Island Sound. The English Puritans who founded New Haven…

North Branford

Bordering on the Lake Gaillard reservoir, North Branford is a town in southeastern New Haven County. This early mill and farming community incorporated from Branford in 1831. The year prior,…

Thread Your Needle – Today in History: March 2

On March 2, 1866, the Excelsior Needle Company of Wolcottville was organized. The company produced machine-made sewing needles by a new method called swaging, a process of cold-forming metal by…

Jim Morrison Arrested – Today in History: December 9

On December 9, 1967, police arrested Doors’ front man Jim Morrison as he performed onstage at the New Haven Arena. An incident that took place between Morrison and a police…

Colonial Revival Movement Sought Stability during Time of Change

By Briann Greenfield A cultural movement as well as an architectural and decorating style, the Colonial Revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was inspired by a romantic…

Merritt Parkway Creates Scenic Gateway to New England

By Doe Boyle The first multi-lane, limited-access roadway in Connecticut, the Merritt Parkway, was also one of the first scenic parkways in the nation. Characterized by its landscape design as…

Sophie Tucker, The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas

By Jeannine Henderson-Shifflett Brash, bold and her own woman, Hartford’s Sophie Tucker enjoyed a long and successful career as an entertainer, performing for almost 60 years. Nicknamed “the Last of…

The Complicated Realities of Connecticut and the Civil War

By Matthew Warshauer Connecticut has a remarkable Civil War history, and although it is a small state, it was in many ways instrumental to the Union’s survival. The history of…

New England’s Grand Ambition: The Farmington Canal

By Richard DeLuca The rise of the industrial age in the early 19th century helped create a national economy in the new American republic, and transportation improvements were essential to…

Transportation

Many of Connecticut’s achievements in transportation have also contributed to far-reaching societal changes. For example, Columbia bicycles produced in Hartford not only brought greater personal mobility to the masses they…

General Joseph R. Hawley Helps Commemorate Connecticut’s Civil War Soldiers

By Todd Jones More than 5,500 Connecticut soldiers died in the Civil War—about 10% of those who went off to war—and they left behind countless family members and friends. An…

Connecticut and the West Indies: Sugar Spurs Trans-Atlantic Trade

By Brenda Milkofsky In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed west from Spain seeking a water route to the spice markets of India. Instead, after weeks of sailing, he encountered a sea…

Mystic-built USS Galena Part of Plan to Strengthen Union Navy

By Diana Moraco On February 14, 1862, the first seagoing ironclad warship of the United States Navy was launched in Mystic, Connecticut. The debut of the USS Galena in the…

29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers Fought More than One War

By Todd Jones Midway through the Civil War, Connecticut created the state’s first African American regiment, the 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. Fighting bravely for the final year of the war,…

First New-Gate Prisoner – Today in History: December 22

A view of the guard house and mines, East Granby, 1781 – Connecticut Historical Society On December 22, 1773, John Hinson, the state’s first inmate, arrived at New-Gate Prison. Ironically…

Oliver Wolcott Dies – Today in History: December 1

On December 1, 1797, signer of the Declaration of Independence Oliver Wolcott died while serving his term as Connecticut’s governor. Born in 1726 to a prominent political family, Wolcott grew…

Elihu Burritt Born – Today in History: December 8

Elihu Burritt from life by J.W. Allderige – New York Public Library Digital Collections, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs On December 8, 1810,…

North Canaan

The town of North Canaan is located in the northwest corner of the state in Litchfield County and shares its northern border with Massachusetts. Locals call their community Canaan and…

Simsbury

The Farmington River and Talcott Mountain run along the eastern edge of Simsbury, a town situated in northern Hartford County near the state’s border with Massachusetts. This area, known to…

Sherman

The northernmost town in Fairfield County, Sherman shares its western border with New York State. Incorporated in 1802, the town took its name from founding father Roger Sherman. Early industry…

Sharon

The Litchfield County town of Sharon is located in Connecticut’s northwestern corner and its western border abuts New York State. The General Assembly incorporated the town in 1739 and named…

Salisbury

The town of Salisbury, located in Litchfield County, is the state’s northernmost town and shares its western border with New York and its northern border with Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1741,…

Salem

Located in New London County in the southeastern part of the state, the town of Salem incorporated in 1819 from parts of Colchester, Lyme, and Montville. Early on, farming made…

Roxbury

The town of Roxbury is located in the state’s northwest corner in the Litchfield Hills. Once known as Shepaug, which means “rocky water,” the town was settled in 1713 as…

Putnam

The Windham County town of Putnam is located in the northeast corner of the state and borders on Rhode Island. Its name honors one of Connecticut’s revolutionary war heroes, General…

Pomfret

The rural town of Pomfret is located in Windham County in the state’s northeast corner. Formally recognized as English property in 1686 and incorporated in 1713, Pomfret was named for…

Plymouth

The town of Plymouth is located in the eastern corner of Litchfield County in the central part of the state. Incorporated in 1795, the town includes the villages of Terryville…

Plainville

Located in southwestern Hartford County, Plainville lies between the Metacomet Ridge’s Bradley Mountain and Pinnacle Rock. A flatland, known in its early settlement as the Great Plain of Farmington, Plainville…

Orange

The town of Orange, located in New Haven County, is in the state’s southern region near the Long Island Sound. Settled in the early 18th century and known as Bryan’s…

Norwalk

The city of Norwalk, located in Fairfield County, is in the southernmost part of the state on the Long Island Sound. Settlers from Massachusetts purchased the land in two separate…

North Stonington

The New London County town of North Stonington is in southeastern Connecticut and shares a border with Rhode Island. The first white settlers arrived in the mid-1600s and established homesteads…

Canterbury

The town of Canterbury, located in Windham County, is in the northeastern part of the state and straddles the Quinebaug River. First settled as a part of Plainfield in the…

Kent

The town of Kent is located in Connecticut’s northwestern county, Litchfield, and shares its western border with New York State. Incorporated in 1739, Kent was once a thriving iron ore…

Norwich

The city of Norwich in New London County is located on the Thames River in the southeastern portion of Connecticut. Founded in 1658 by 69 families from Saybrook, the area…

Torrington

Torrington, in Litchfield County, is located in northwest Connecticut on the Naugatuck River. Originally called Mast Swamp for the pines harvested for use as ship masts, Torrington was settled in…

Barkhamsted

The town of Barkhamsted, located in Litchfield County, is in the northwest corner of Connecticut on the Farmington River. Allocated to Windsor in 1732, proprietors used the land for farming…

World-renowned Maker of Axes: The Collins Company of Canton

By Ann Marie Somma The first ready-to-use axes produced in the United States came from the Connecticut-based Collins Company, which was founded in the early 1800s. Prior to the firm’s…

World’s First Helicopter – Today in History: September 14

On September 14, 1939, the VS-300, the world’s first practical helicopter, took flight at Stratford, Connecticut. Designed by Igor Sikorsky and built by the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division of the United…

Woodstock

The town of Woodstock is located in Windham County in the northeast corner of the state. Originally settled as part of Massachusetts, in 1749 Woodstock incorporated and became part of…

Woodbury

Woodbury, in Litchfield County, is located in west-central Connecticut along the Pomeraug River. Formerly Pomperaug Plantation, the area was settled in 1659 and Woodbury was split off and named as…

Windham

The town of Windham, located in northeastern Connecticut, is in the southwestern corner of Windham County along the Natchaug River. Incorporated in 1692, Windham originally included the current towns of…

Westbrook

Westbrook, in Middlesex County, is located in southern Connecticut on the Long Island Sound. Originally part of Saybrook Colony, it was known as Pochaug until 1810 and incorporated as a…

West Haven

The city of West Haven, located in New Haven County, is in the southern portion of the state and forms part of New Haven Harbor on the Long Island Sound….

West Hartford

West Hartford, located in Hartford County, is in central Connecticut and borders the city of Hartford. A former parish of Hartford, area delegates petitioned the General Assembly to form their…

Waterbury

Waterbury, in New Haven County, is located in west-central Connecticut on the Naugatuck River. It was settled in 1674 as a part of Farmington (in what is now known as…

Wallingford

The town of Wallingford, located in New Haven County, is in the south-central region of the state—positioned half-way between New Haven and Hartford. Planters and freemen established the village in…

Union

Union, in Tolland County, is located in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. First inhabited by Nipmucks (a local Native American tribe), and later, in 1727, settled by Presbyterians…

Tolland

Tolland, in Tolland County, is located in north-central Connecticut and utilizes the Willimantic River to make up much of its eastern border. Originally part of the town of Windsor, it…

Somers

The town of Somers, located in Tolland County, is in north-central Connecticut and borders Massachusetts. Once a part of Massachusetts, men from Enfield moved to the area permanently and formalized…

Suffield

Suffield, in Hartford County, is located on the west bank of the Connecticut River and borders Massachusetts. West Suffield Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, runs through the center of…

Stamford

The city of Stamford, located in Fairfield County at the southwestern tip of the state, is the fourth-largest city in Connecticut and is considered a part of the Greater New…

Shelton

Shelton, in Fairfield County, is located in western Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. Settled in 1639 as part of the town of Stratford, the area…

Seymour

The town of Seymour, located in western New Haven County, lies in the Naugatuck Valley region of Connecticut at the confluence of the Naugatuck and Housatonic Rivers. First known as…

Scotland

Scotland, located in Windham County, is in the northeast, or Quiet Corner, of Connecticut. Settled in the early 1700s, the town was originally part of Windham before being incorporated in…

Rocky Hill

Rocky Hill, in Hartford County, is located in central Connecticut—lying west of the Connecticut River. Originally land of the Wangunks (a tribe of Native Americans), Europeans began to settle the…

Ridgefield

The town of Ridgefield, located in Fairfield County, is in the southwestern portion of Connecticut and borders the state of New York to its west. Founded in 1708 by colonists…

Redding

Redding, in Fairfield County, is located in southwestern Connecticut. Incorporated from Fairfield in 1767, the original name of the town was Reading, after John Read. The name was officially changed…

Prospect

Prospect, in New Haven County, is located in southwestern Connecticut near Waterbury. Formerly Columbia Parrish, Prospect was incorporated in 1827 and was formed from the neighboring towns of Waterbury and…

Portland

Portland, in Middlesex County, is located in south-central Connecticut on the east bank of the Connecticut River. Originally named East Middletown or Conway, then Chatham, it was incorporated as a…

Oxford

The town of Oxford is in New Haven County, located in southwestern Connecticut. The Pootatuck and Paugussett (the first peoples to inhabit the area), were followed by English settlers around…

Old Saybrook

Old Saybrook, in Middlesex County, is located in southern Connecticut on the Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Connecticut River. The town includes the borough of Fenwick. Originally…

Old Lyme

Old Lyme, in New London County, is located in southeast Connecticut on the mouth of the Connecticut River where it meets the Long Island Sound. Formerly known as Black Hall,…

Ellington

The Tolland County town of Ellington lies in the northern portion of the Connecticut River Valley. Once part of East Windsor, Ellington incorporated in 1786. Although known primarily as an…

Farmington Canal’s Ground-Breaking – Today in History: July 4

On July 4, 1825, the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Farmington Canal took place at Salmon Brook village in Granby. Governor Oliver Wolcott gave the day’s address to the 2,000 to…

Steam Railroads Transform Connecticut Travel and Commerce

By Richard DeLuca As the potential of the steam engine became apparent in the late 18th century, men looked for ways to apply steam power to overland transportation. In Connecticut,…

Accidental Shooting Leads to Witchcraft Conviction – Today in History: October 3

On October 3, 1651, Henry Stiles of Windsor was killed when the gun of Thomas Allyn, also of Windsor, accidentally discharged during a militia exercise. Mr. Stiles was a boarder…

The Beckley Blast Furnace, East Canaan

The Beckley Blast Furnace, also known as East Canaan #2, is located in northwest corner of Connecticut on the Blackberry River. Built in 1847 by John Adam Beckley, the Beckley…

Charles Ritchel and the Dirigible

By Richard DeLuca Though early aeronauts considered the transportation possibilities of ballooning, the balloon was essentially an uncontrollable craft, with a trajectory as unpredictable as the breeze on which it…

The Early Years of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company

By Richard DeLuca In the spring of 1925, aircraft engine designer and aviation engineer Frederick B. Rentschler came to Connecticut to pursue an idea that became one of the most…

Enfield’s Shaker Legacy

Sister Emma Strobridge, 1890s – Connecticut Historical Society By Mike Miller for Connecticut Explored Who were the Shakers? Some consider Shakerism a religious movement, while others see the Shakers as…

The Education of Ella Grasso

By Jon E. Purmont for Connecticut Explored When Giacomo (James) Tambussi, of Perleto, Italy and Maria Oliva of Voghera, Italy, the parents of Ella Tambussi Grasso, Connecticut’s first woman governor,…

Calder’s Stegosaurus Dedicated – Today in History: October 10

On October 10, 1973, Alexander Calder’s sculpture, Stegosaurus, was dedicated in Hartford. Constructed of 45 thin steel plates bolted together in an abstract form representing a dinosaur from the Jurassic…

Goodspeed Opera House Opens – Today in History: October 24

On October 24, 1877, the Goodspeed Opera House on the Connecticut River in East Haddam officially opened to the public with the productions of Charles II, Box and Cox, and…

Igor Sikorsky Dies – Today in History: October 26

On October 26, 1972, aviation pioneer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky died at his home in Easton. Founder of the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation, Sikorsky moved the company to Stratford in 1929, and…

Elizabeth Jarvis Colt Born – Today in History: October 5

On October 5, 1826, Elizabeth Jarvis was born in Hartford. When she was 30, she married industrialist Samuel Colt and 6 years later, upon his death in 1862, Elizabeth Jarvis…

American Architect Ithiel Town Born – Today in History: October 3

On October 3, 1784, prominent American architect and engineer Ithiel Town was born in Thompson. One of the first professional architects in the United States, Town initially trained with Asher…

An Overview of Connecticut’s Outdoor Sculpture

by Ann Y. Smith Since the early 19th century, Connecticut towns have been intentionally embellished with public sculptures, many by prominent American designers. At least 500 of these publicly accessible,…

Connecticut’s Mulberry Craze

By Bob Wyss for Connecticut Explored Spreading its leafy limbs before the former Mansfield Town Hall is a tree of a non-native species that once covered many of the hills…

The Industrial Might of Connecticut Pegmatite

by John A. Pawlowski, Sr. for Connecticut Explored When we think of Connecticut’s abundant natural resources, our state’s lakes, rivers, forests, and shorelines come readily to mind. But Connecticut also…

Middlefield

The town of Middlefield, located in Middlesex County in south-central Connecticut, was once a part of Middletown. In 1744, the General Assembly recognized Middlefield as a separate religious society from…

Roger Tory Peterson Dies – Today in History: July 28

On July 28, 1996, ornithologist and artist Roger Tory Peterson died in Old Lyme. From age 11, growing up in New York, Peterson was active in the Junior Audubon Club…

Plainfield

The town of Plainfield, located in Windham County, is in the northeastern part of the state and close to the Rhode Island border. Incorporated in 1699 as Quinebaug, Governor Fitz-John…

The Temperance Movement in Connecticut – Today in History: October 27

Wo to Drunkards – Increase Mather On October 27, 1841, the steamboat Greenfield traveled a short ways down the Connecticut River with the purpose of transporting people to the Temperance…

Luna Park – Who Knew?

… that Luna Park in West Hartford, a popular attraction at the turn of the 20th century, was demolished in the 1930s to make way for a Pratt & Whitney…

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch – Today in History: September 17

On September 17, 1886, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch was dedicated in Hartford to honor the 4,000 Hartford residents who served, and the nearly 400 who died, in the…

Powder Hollow in Hazardville – Who Knew?

…that 40% of all the gunpowder consumed in the Civil War came from Powder Hollow in Hazardville (a part of Enfield, Connecticut). Not only that, but during the attack on…

Dark Day – Today in History: May 19

On May 19, 1780, a strange darkness fell over much of New England. It was so dark by noon that it was impossible to read or write even sitting by…

Bristol

The city of Bristol, located in Hartford County, is in central Connecticut and has several distinct sections within its boundaries, including Forestville and Edgewood. Originally an agricultural village called New…

Early Turnpikes Provided Solution to Lack of Reliable Roads

By Richard DeLuca At a crucial time in the young nation’s history, when neither national nor state governments could provide funds for construction of roads, state charters allowed groups of…

Berlin

The town of Berlin, located in Hartford County, has the distinction of having the geographic center of the state located in its town. First known as the Great Swamp Society,…

Connecticut’s Youngest City – Who Knew?

… that the city of West Haven, incorporated in 1961, is Connecticut’s youngest city but one of the state’s oldest settlements. Settled in 1648, West Farms (now West Haven) was…

Nathan Hale Hanged in New York – Today in History: September 22

On September 22, 1776, the British hanged Revolutionary War soldier Nathan Hale for spying. Born in Coventry in 1755, Hale attended Yale College and later became a schoolteacher. After hostilities…

Mystic River Bridge Opens – Today in History: July 19

On July 19, 1922, the Mystic River Bridge spanning the Mystic River in Groton opened to the public. The bridge replaced the 1904 bridge and was fabricated by the American…

Kensington Soldiers Monument Dedicated – Today in History: July 28

On July 28, 1863, the Soldiers Monument in the Kensington section of Berlin was dedicated. One of the state’s–and the country’s–earliest monuments commemorating the Civil War, the dedication was held…

The Hartford Convention – Today in History: December 15

On December 15, 1814, delegates to the Hartford Convention met in secret at the Old State House in Hartford. The Massachusetts legislature had requested the conference in October and delegates…