Hervey Brooks's pottery wheel

Hervey Brooks’s pottery wheel. The wheel belonged to and was used by Hervey Brooks for making pottery in his shop in Goshen. Photograph by David Stansbury – Litchfield Historical Society

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 17th and 18th centuries, Connecticut brought diverse commodities, such as furs, produce, timber, and iron, to international markets. This skill for supplying and moving goods earned Connecticut the nickname “The Provision State” for its aid to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The 19th century brought mills and factories, manufacturing everything from textiles to edge tools and cars. Now, aerospace, bioscience, and other technological ventures add to an economic base that still includes farms and businesses more than a century old.

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20th-century photograph of shad nets

A Tale of Shad, the State Fish

The aquatic inhabitant, shad, has a long history of influencing foodways, income, and culture in the region. …[more]

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