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Sports and Recreation


Fairground

A Fair to Remember in Brooklyn

Sponsored by the Windham County Agricultural Society, the Brooklyn Fair is held annually in August to promote and preserve the area’s agricultural heritage.

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A photograph of a rowing shell with 8 rowers sitting at attention and one coxswain on the water

Derby Day on the Housatonic

A rowing event on Lake Housatonic, “Derby Day,” was so popular among Yale students that it drew upwards of thirty to fifty thousand spectators.

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Wooden sign in front of a tree reading "welcome to Banner Lodge"

Banner Lodge: A Vacation Playground for an Excluded Population

From the 1930s to the 1970s, Banner Lodge was one of the most popular vacation destinations in Connecticut and actively welcomed a Jewish clientele.

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Pachaug Trail, Wiclcabouet Marsh, Voluntown

The Story of Connecticut’s Largest State Forest

Pachaug State Forest is the largest state forest in Connecticut and covers approximately 24,000 acres and crossing the borders of numerous towns.

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The Connecticut History Sports Challenge

Can you pass the Connecticut History Sports Challenge?

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Two women sliding on a toboggan down a ramp. There is the remnants of snow on the ground.

Trumbull’s Parlor Rock Park: A Premier Amusement Center of the Late 19th Century

In Trumbull, the arrival of the Housatonic Railroad brought a lesser known but more entertaining development—one of the country’s first amusement parks.

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The Hermitage, Peter's Rock

Peter’s Rock: North Haven History with a View

Far from being a mere recreational hotspot, however, Peter’s Rock is a formation with an extensive history of service to the surrounding area.

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Lake Compounce entrance, Bristol

Lake Compounce: Bringing Amusements to the State’s Residents Since 1846

Bristol’s Lake Compounce is the oldest continually operating amusement park in the US and has been open every summer since 1846.

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Connecticut State Park Picture Plan

Preserving Connecticut’s Natural Beauty: Connecticut’s First State Parks

Sherwood Island, Mount Tom, Macedonia Brook, and Kent Falls are among the earliest lands set aside as the parks movement took hold in the state.

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1938 ad for Sperry Topsider

Boat Shoes Have Ties to Connecticut – Who Knew?

During the 1935 winter, Paul Sperry watched his dog run across ice and snow without slipping and got inspired to create a shoe that would help human traction.

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Robertson Field, also known as Robertson Airport, Plainville

Plainville Has Been Flying High for Over 100 Years

The town of Plainville claims a special relationship with aviation culture that dates back to the earliest days of flight in the state.

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Keney Park Meadow, ca. early 1900s

The Park Movement in Hartford

The Hartford City Parks Collection comprises a rich archive, documenting Hartford’s pioneering effort to establish and maintain a viable system of municipal parks and connecting parkways between them.

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A man hitting a pitched baseball. Two men stand behind the hitter, the catcher and the umpire.

Muzzy Field: A Historic Ball Park Survives in a Post-Industrial City

April 7, 2022 • Bristol, Sports and Recreation

After over one hundred years, Bristol’s Muzzy Field continues to welcome ball players and fans of sports history.

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Postcard of Luna Park, Hartford

Luna Park: A 20th-century Story of Amusement and Morality

The story of Luna Park in West Hartford provides insight into the battles between entertainment and ethics in Connecticut during the Progressive Era.

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Andrus Field 1831–1911: Athletics and the Environment

The building of Andrus Field on the campus of Wesleyan University demonstrates changes made to the built environment to meet the changing needs of a local community.

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Mohawk Ski Area

Mohawk Mountain Made Snow for Winter Sports Lovers – Who Knew?

In the 1930s, skiing became a popular pastime at Mohawk State Park in Cornwall and became famous for documenting the first artificial snow.

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Ice Skates, ca. 1965

Skating Through Winter

By the 1850s, better-designed skates and interest in healthful outdoor activities made ice skating an increasingly popular leisure activity.

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NFL Great, Andy Robustelli of Stamford

December 6, 2021 • Milford, Sports and Recreation, Stamford

Andy Robustelli played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants, winning several championships and awards during his career.

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Uniform of the first rugby team at Yale

Foot Ball Match: Harvard vs. Yale – Today in History: November 13

November 13, 2021 • New Haven, Sports and Recreation

On November 13, 1875, Yale and Harvard wore the first team uniforms in an American intercollegiate football game.

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Main Street, During Fair Week

The Great Danbury State Fair & Early 20th-Century Outdoor Advertising

In 1909, the Danbury Agricultural Society called attention to its upcoming fair in a most creative manner.

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When the NFL Played in Connecticut: The Hartford Blues

In 1926, the Hartford Blues became the first and only NFL team to call Connecticut home. After a disappointing season, the NFL voted them out of the league.

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Walt Dropo, Boston Red Sox

Walt Dropo Stars Throughout New England

Few major league baseball players had rookie seasons as good as Walt Dropo’s while playing for the Boston Red Sox in 1950.

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A Pie Tin’s Soaring Sales

Tins used to hold pies at William Frisbie’s pie company in Bridgeport in the late 1800s reportedly provided the inspiration for Wham-O’s most popular toy, the Frisbee.

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Lake Pocotopaug, East Hampton

Lake Pocotopaug Shapes the Growth of East Hampton

East Hampton is home to one of Connecticut’s largest inland bodies of water, Lake Pocotopaug.

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Entrance to Steeplechase Island, Bridgeport

A Unique Island Attraction in Bridgeport

When Bridgeport annexed the borough of West Stratford in 1889, the acquisition came with a a small 37-acre parcel of land on a barrier island at the mouth of Bridgeport Harbor.

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Testing the camping equipment on The Gunnery’s campus in Washington

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

In 1850, this educator, prominent abolitionist, and outdoorsman founded The Gunnery, a school in Washington, Connecticut.

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Bridgeport’s Catastrophic 1911 Train Wreck

In the early morning hours of July 11, 1911, a train derailed in Bridgeport, killing fourteen people. Among the first responders were members of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

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Postcard of the Parking Area, Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme

Abundant Wildlife Drives the History of Rocky Neck State Park

Consisting of 710 acres of camping and recreational areas, Rocky Neck State Park is located on Long Island Sound in East Lyme.

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Jimmy Piersall’s Public Struggle with Mental Illness

Professional baseball great Jimmy Piersall battled with mental illness all of his life.

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Mead Memorial Park, New Canaan

Summer Crowds Flocked to New Canaan and Stayed

Like many towns in Connecticut, New Canaan owes much of its modern character to the evolution of industry and transportation in the Northeast.

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Game ball patent filed Feb. 18, 1954

Wiffle Throws a Curve in American Leisure Time

When David N. Mullany created the concept for a lightweight ball, he didn’t know his invention would change the way children across the US played backyard baseball.

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Rose Arches, Elizabeth Park

Elizabeth Park’s Rose Garden: June is Busting Out All Over

Boasting 15,000 bushes and about 800 varieties of roses, it is the oldest municipally operated rose garden in the country.

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Re-creating Our National Pastime

The Baseball Playograph Company in Stamford brought live baseball to tens of thousands of Americans through the production of its “playograph” product.

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Cottages on Beach Road, Fenwick, ca. 1885

Paradise on the Sound: The Summer Colony at Fenwick

The history of this Old Saybrook community includes Stick-style architecture, Katherine Hepburn, and an iconic license plate image.

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Team Photo of the Danbury Alerts

Danbury Baseball History Covers All the Bases

April 20, 2021 • Danbury, Sports and Recreation

From the hometown teams to the 1903 World Series, Danbury has surprising connections to America’s favorite pastime.

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Hartford Whalers Logo

The Hartford Whalers: Connecticut’s Last Major League Sports Franchise

Major league hockey debuted in Hartford in 1975 and the Hartford Whalers remained a staple of the Connecticut landscape for twenty-three years.

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Battling Bat Battalino: One of Hartford’s Heroes

A tenacious and long-lasting boxer, Battalino went on to win the world professional featherweight championship.

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The “Father of American Football” is Born – Today in History: April 7

A native of New Britain, Walter Camp helped revolutionize the game of American football while a student and coach at Yale and for several years afterward.

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African American baseball team, Danbury

Swinging for the Fences: Connecticut’s Black Baseball Greats

In Connecticut, African Americans played organized baseball as early as 1868, some of the game’s biggest stars played for teams throughout the state.

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The Thimble Islands – Little Islands with a Big History

While initially uninhabited because of their rocky soil, the Thimble Islands in Branford evolved into both a popular tourist destination and an exclusive residential community.

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Rockwell Park Lagoon, Bristol

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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Amusement Park Rides, Danbury Fair

The Danbury Fair, 1869-1981

For almost a century the Danbury Fair thrilled people from near and far. First showcased for its agricultural achievements, it later hosted a number of popular attractions including rides, races, and entertainment.

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Horse race, Goshen Fair, 1911

Goshen Fairs Well with Agricultural Enthusiasts

In the mid-1980s, members of the Connecticut State Grange awarded Goshen the Connecticut Agricultural Fair.

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Horses crossing the finish line at Charter Oak Park

And They’re Off!: Harness Racing at Charter Oak Park

The day was cool and 10,000 spectators crowded the stands at Charter Oak Park to see a come-from-behind victory as Alcryon left the other trotters in the dust.

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Pier at Savin Rock, West Haven, 1905

Savin Rock Park: “Connecticut’s Coney Island”

Savin Rock Park was a seaside resort constructed in the late 19th century in the modern-day town of West Haven.

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The Entrance to Pope Park

Pope Park – Yesterday and Today

Once the proposed site of Albert Pope’s industrial village, Pope Park has served the recreation needs of the Hartford community for over one hundred years.

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Hammonasset Beach State Park

Hammonasset State Park Serves the State and its Residents

Located in Madison, Hammonasset State Park provides visitors with opportunities for swimming, sunbathing, or strolling along the park’s meandering boardwalk.

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Hartford Jai Alai players, 1976

“The Basque Game in Town”: The Heyday of Jai Alai in Connecticut

Organized jai alai came to Connecticut in the 1970s, but charges of corruption soon brought the sport to an end in the Nutmeg State.

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Oakdale Musical Theatre, Wallingford

The Story of the Oakdale Makes Great Theater

The legendary Oakdale Theater in Wallingford reflects over 60 years of evolution in American pop culture.

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Eolia, Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford

Harkness Memorial Park Offers a Glimpse into Early 20th Century Wealth

With gorgeous views of Long Island Sound, Harkness Memorial Park is a beautifully landscaped recreation area along the shoreline in Waterford, Connecticut.

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Daniel J. Hoffman, St. Louis Browns

A Real Connecticut Yankee’s Baseball Career Cut Short

An up-and-coming baseball star discovered playing on the lots of Collinsville, Danny Hoffman played in the majors before joining the New York Yankees.

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The Boston Braves playing during spring training

Spring Training Baseball Comes to Wallingford

During World War II, travel restrictions limited the distance baseball teams traveled to begin their training; the National League’s Boston Braves trained in Wallingford.

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Andover Lake: A Lesson in Social Change

While residents of Andover and other nearby towns enjoy the property’s 159 acres, Andover Lake played in challenging racial boundaries during the Civil Rights Era.

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Postcard of Charles Island, Milford, CT

A Good Spot and a Healthy Place: A Short History of Charles Island

Before becoming a part of Silver Sands State Park, Milford’s Charles Island served as everything from a luxury resort to the home of a fertilizer factory.

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View of the Hartford Civic Center roof, which collapsed on January 18, 1978

Almost a Tragedy: The Collapse of the Hartford Civic Center

In the early morning of January 18, 1978, the roof of the sports coliseum collapsed onto 10,000 empty stadium seats.

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Modified Action in 1969 coming out of turn 4, Waterford Speedbowl

Waterford’s Need for Speed

The Waterford Speedbowl is a 3/8-mile oval racetrack located along Route 85 in Waterford, Connecticut.

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Video – Free-for-all Race at Charter Oak Park

A crowd of some 25,000 to 30,000 people turned out to see John R. Gentry compete for a $6,000 purse.

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Photograph of the Hartford Dark Blues

Diamonds of the Past: Hartford’s Lost Ball Parks

Erected in 1874, Hartford’s earliest baseball stadium was the Base Ball Grounds in Colt Park, on the corner of Wyllys Street and Hendricxsen Avenue.

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Sharon Baseball Team

Semi-Pro Baseball in Sharon – Who Knew?

From the 1930s until about the early 1970s, Sharon fielded a team in the semi-pro Interstate Baseball League (IBL).

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Puerto Rican Festival, Hartford

Park Street Festival, Hartford 1978

The Park Street Festival is an annual Puerto Rican celebration held in the heart of Hartford’s Puerto Rican community on Park Street.

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Carousel

Quassy: One of the Last of the Old-Time Trolley Parks

One of the last old-time trolley parks, Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury has been a staple in Connecticut entertainment for over 100 years.

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The Hartford Wheel Club, Hartford

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

How the 19th-century cycling craze led to improved roads and paved the way for future federal highway construction.

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Clock tower and Sharon Inn, Sharon, ca. 1930s

The Rise of the “Second Home” Community in Sharon – Who Knew?

Sharon attracted a substantial vacation community and between 1880 and 1920, wealthy visitors refurbished older homes or built Colonial Revival-style mansions.

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