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Ruth Hovey: Heroic Battlefield Nurse
A 28-year-old nurse from Hartford, Ruth Hovey served on the battlefields of World War I.
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Monumental Bronze Company
The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport was the only producer of a unique type of grave marker in the United States between 1874 and 1914.
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New London’s Ferries: A Transportation Tradition
For more than three centuries, ferry service has provided vital transportation to residents and businesses around New London.
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The Hartford Convention or Leap no Leap
A political cartoon lampoons radical members of New England’s Federalist party by poking fun at their motivations for gathering in Hartford to end the War of 1812.
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First Recorded Fall of Meteorites in the United States – Today in History: December 14
On December 14, 1807, a meteoroid exploded over Fairfield County and a 30-pound specimen was put on exhibit at a Weston town meeting.
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Ending the Danbury Shakes: A Story of Workers’ Rights and Corporate Responsibility
Despite the known dangers of prolonged exposure to mercury, the hat-making industry was slow to safeguard workers against its toxic effects.
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Leroy Anderson Composed Iconic Music in Woodbury
Leroy Anderson, a long-time resident of Woodbury, was one of the most popular composers of light concert music in the 20th century.
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The Beadle Family Murders – Today in History: December 11
Following his drop in status as one of the town’s wealthiest men, William Beadle murdered his entire family.
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Bevin Brothers Helps Transform East Hampton into Belltown, USA
Home to 30 different bell manufacturers, the town of East Hampton is informally known as “Belltown, USA.”
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USS Confederacy: The Life and Service of Connecticut’s Continental Frigate
Nearly 20 years before the launching of the USS Constitution, a modest shipyard in Norwich, CT launched the Confederacy.
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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.
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The Atheneum Joins War Effort – Who Knew?
The Wadsworth Atheneum contributed to home front morale and fundraisers during World War II.
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Hamden’s Literary Legend
Thornton Wilder, author of such renowned works as Our Town, The Matchmaker, and The Bridge of San Luis Rey, lived in Hamden for much of his life.
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Father of Architects Born – Today in History: December 4
On December 4, 1804, “Father of Architects” Henry Austin was born in the Mt. Carmel section of Hamden, Connecticut.
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Mr. & Mrs. Rockwell’s Park
In 1914, bell and ball bearing manufacturer Albert Rockwell donated 80 acres of land to the city of Bristol for the creation of a public park.
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The Sandemanians
The Sandemanians of Danbury were a semi-communal sect whose local influence outweighed its tiny numbers.
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Women and Defense: World War II on the Connecticut Home Front
Women who stepped into civil defense positions managed and implemented programs that educated the public, promoted war bond sales, and aided emergency preparedness.
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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.
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A Life Lived in a Rapidly Changing World: Samuel L. Clemens
Samuel Clemens experienced America’s rapid change—from westward expansion to industrialization‚ the end of slavery‚ advancements in technology‚ and foreign wars.
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Slavery and the Pequot War
Diaries, letters, and other sources from the early colonial era document cases of Native enslavement, including during the Pequot War.
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Amelia Simmons Adds a Uniquely American Flavor to Cooking
In 1796, Amelia Simmons authored American Cookery—believed to be the first cookbook authored by an American published in the United States.
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Beatrice Fox Auerbach: Retail Pioneer Led Iconic Family Department Store
Beatrice Fox Auerbach was pioneering retail executive who ran the G. Fox & Co. department store and numerous philanthropic benefiting people in Hartford and around the world.
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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 American tribes.
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The Connecticut Valley Authority That Never Was
In the early 20th century, supporters of the New Deal tried to recreate the Tennessee Valley Authority in the Connecticut River Valley.
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What’s a Puritan, and Why Didn’t They Stay in Massachusetts?
Mean-spirited, repressed souls or persecuted refugees and rugged egalitarians? Connecticut’s state historian sets the record straight.
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The Father of Gastric Physiology Born – Today in History: November 21
On November 21, 1785, physician and physiologist William Beaumont was born in Lebanon.
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Pierre Lallement and the Modern-Day Pedal Bicycle – Today in History: November 20
On November 20, 1866, mechanic Pierre Lallement, a temporary resident of New Haven, Connecticut, received a patent for an improvement in velocipedes.
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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.
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A Connecticut Nazi Spy Has a Change of Heart
A Connecticut-born Nazi spy, William Colepaugh, had a change of heart and turned himself in to the FBI on December 26, 1944.
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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 US Patent and Trademark Office for the Word Mark “Aqua Velva.”
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Kate Moore: Lighthouse Keeper and Coast Guard Heroine
In the 1800s, Kate Moore was pioneering lighthouse keeper in Bridgeport, assuming her responsibilities at age twelve.
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The Battle for Cockenoe Island
In 1967, the United Illuminating Company proposed to build a nuclear power plant on Cockenoe Island off the coast of Westport, but grassroots activism ultimately scuttled that plan.
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Seth Pease Surveys New Lands
This Suffield native’s work in “New Connecticut” and other Western territories reveals how the new nation took stock of its expanding borders.
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Helicopters, Guitars, and Guide Dogs: The Revolutionary Mind of Charles Kaman
Charles Kaman, an inventor and aviation pioneer, managed to combine all of his passions in life into successful business ventures.
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Any Month with an “R” in It: Eating Oysters in Connecticut
Lack of refrigeration and higher bacteria counts in tidal waters once made summer months a dangerous time to eat oysters.
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Calder in Connecticut: World-Famous Artist Called Roxbury Home
His mobiles, stabiles, and constellations are featured in museum collections around the world.
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Eleazar Wheelock: Preacher, Dartmouth College Founder
Eleazar Wheelock was a notable eighteenth-century farmer, Congregational minister, revivalist, educator, and founder of Dartmouth College.
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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.
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Connecticut Lawyer Prosecutes Nazi War Criminals at Nuremberg
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Thomas Joseph Dodd served on the United States’ prosecutorial team as Executive Trial Counsel at the International Military Tribunal (IMT).
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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.
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Connecticut’s “Yankee Watch” Squadron Protects the Skies Here and Abroad
Based in Orange, Connecticut, the 103rd Air Control Squadron of the Air National Guard is one of the oldest of its kind.
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A Separate Place: The New Haven Colony, 1638-1665
In 1638, Puritan leader John Davenport led a group of settlers out of Boston, ultimately founding what became the New Haven Colony.
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Hiding the Charter: Images of Joseph Wadsworth’s Legendary Action
Overshadowed by the famed oak, Joseph Wadsworth, “the hero of the Charter,” has become the Rodney Dangerfield of Connecticut history—he doesn’t get any respect—or much recognition.
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Witchcraft in Connecticut
Well before the Salem trials, Connecticut residents were executing “witches.” Connecticut is home to what was most likely the first execution of its kind in colonial America.
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Seth Thomas Works Around the Clock in Wolcott
Seth Thomas was a Connecticut native who became a pioneer in the mass production of high-quality wooden clocks.
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The Temperance Movement in Connecticut – Today in History: October 27
On October 27, 1841, the steamboat Greenfield traveled down the Connecticut River, transporting people to the Temperance Convention in Middletown.
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American Actor Changes 19th-Century Theater – Who Knew?
Hartford-born William Gillette, known best for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in film and theater, was also a successful playwright.
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Igor Sikorsky Dies – Today in History: October 26
On October 26, 1972, aviation pioneer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, founder of the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation, died at his home in Easton.
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Roger Griswold: A Governor Not Afraid To Challenge Authority
Born in Lyme, Roger Griswold was a lawyer, judge, and politician who spent the better part of his life in service to Connecticut.
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Hartford and New Haven: A Tale of Two Capitals
Before the expense of having two capital cities became too great, both Hartford and New Haven served that function. Hartford became the sole capital in 1875.
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