Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut‘s Beaten Path

PT Barnum – the world’s greatest showman. His legacy lives on. The 75-year-old Barnum Festival keeps the showman alive. It gives residents a chance to celebrate the man annually. Barnum was a major benefactor of Bridgeport. He served as Mayor and donated his estate to create beautiful Seaside Park. And, it will surprise you just how many important businesses and civic enterprises he established. We’ll hear about Barnum from this ye...

An island of miracles. Retreats at Enders Island re-instill virtue and provide hope. A Catholic ministry has a remarkable record with 12-step programs held on the island. But, it almost wasn’t so. The island was nearly closed 30 years ago due to financial struggles. Now, it’s flourishing. It’s beautiful. It’s serene. Its dahlia gardens are internationally renowned. Delicious jelly is made from local fruit trees. Its sacred art prog...

The Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village has an exceptionally unusual backstory. The village of around 100 residents was occupied for about 100 years in the 1700s and 1800s in a very remote section of CT’s northwest hills. It was abandoned and virtually forgotten until an archeological team stumbled across it and put the pieces together. The story includes a Romeo and Juliet type of love story, coupled with a fascinating twist explaining...

During the War of 1812, the superior British Navy blockaded Long Island Sound, causing huge financial losses for Connecticut merchants. Sailors and civilian boaters alike were trying to win government rewards for blowing up British ships in The Sound with underwater bombs. The British responded by devastating the village of Essex on the Connecticut River, destroying its 27 ships. Four months later, they attacked the tiny village of...

 Celebrities love to live in Roxbury, CT because town residents take it in stride when famous people live among them. So it was for Marilyn Monroe for five years when she lived with her famous playwright husband Arthur Miller. Registering to vote, shopping at the only general store, and having her grass cut are all activities you’ll learn about. We’ll also share the story of the fatal car crash when speeding paparazzi reporters cha...

One of the most accomplished military leaders in U.S. history was Israel Putnam. He doesn’t hold the same name recognition as George Washington, Ulysses Grant, or George Patton but he had multiple remarkable military successes. He organized the effort at Bunker Hill, was Washington’s military “go-to fixer” during the Revolutionary War, and defended the Hudson River by having heavy chains stretched across the river to successfully k...

The venerable Associated Press – the source of the most major news stories every day – was created by Wallingford native Moses Yale Beach. He routinely beat his competition to big stories by 24 hours, and finally shared his news gathering tricks with others - for a shared fee. Beach also was the entrepreneur who made the New York Sun the first newspaper affordable for the common person, at a penny a copy. Beach was also a secret go...

It ranks as among the deadliest train crashes in Connecticut history. It also marked the first time in the U.S. that a telephone was used to summon help after a disaster, essentially the first 9-1-1 call in the country’s history. The Tariffville Train Wreck occurred when railroads were at their peak. On the icy cold night of January 15, 1878, a train full of passengers were heading home from a religious revival in Hartford. As they...

Many of Connecticut’s worst weather disasters occurred in years that ended in the number 8. The worst blizzard, tornado, hurricane, and ice storm are included. The years in question are 1878, 1888, 1898, 1938, 1978, and 2018. There were the infamous floods of 1955 that buck the trend, and other major storms occurred outside the pattern, but the very worst are among those years. We’ll hear about it from Connecticut meteorologist Jac...

A 16-year-old Dutchess County, NY girl rode a horse in pouring rain for 40 miles to rally area militia to come to the aid of Danbury, CT which was under siege by the British during the Revolutionary War. At least, that’s the legend of Sybil Ludington. But, not all professional historians sign-off on the tale, due to scant written evidence. Now, a retired teacher says he has found proof that shows that Sybil made the ride. Hear the ...

In the very northeast corner of Connecticut, the sport of racecar driving took shape in several meaningful ways at Thompson Speedway. Thompson’s two separate racetracks set “firsts” for the U.S.: the oval track was the first to be asphalt paved and the separate looped racetrack was the first one not using public roads. It’s also where NASCAR was born. Many famous drivers have paid a visit over the decades. And wait until you hear h...

How did a titan of Wall Street manage to attain his success coming from a rural dairy farm in the eastern Connecticut town of Sterling? Charles Dow’s only education was in a one-room schoolhouse, and yet managed to start the Dow-Jones Company, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Wall Street Journal. The improbable journey makes for a great story, told by the Sterling Town Historian and the President of the Sterling Historical...

The oldest volunteer fire department in the nation is in Wethersfield. They’ve fought fires with leather bucket brigades and hand-drawn pumpers. Chiefs used to bark orders through “speaking trumpets” before 2-way radios were available. Responders wouldn’t even try to extinguish your fire if you didn’t have a certain plaque on your house. Towns used to obtain protection for just $1/night. Hear how the technology and approaches for f...

Back in 1939, a ferocious creature (nicknamed Glawackus) terrorized the mid-Connecticut town of Glastonbury for several months. Pets were mauled. Livestock went missing. Quite a few residents saw the mysterious creature, but the descriptions didn’t match that of a mountain lion, bobcat, lynx, or any other animal known to inhabit the extensive woodlands in the rural community. Fabled hunting parties, reported on by multiple newspape...

There simply aren’t enough superlatives to explain the remarkable life of Helen Keller. She lost her sight and hearing when she was just 19 months old, but went on to become an internationally celebrated author, lecturer, and advocate for those with her disabilities. Her last 30 years were spent living in Easton, CT and we hear stories about her time with Redding resident Mark Twain, and many others, from the co-Town Historian of R...

A mutiny aboard a Spanish ship, La Amistad, occurred in 1839 resulting in four deaths. The ship would make its way to Long Island Sound where it was captured by a U.S. naval vessel. Onboard were 50 kidnapped Africans, who had been sold into slavery and who would have to undergo nearly two years of court cases to try to earn their freedom. This case drew international attention due to legal action in New Haven, Hartford, and the Sup...

This is the story of the unusual “Battle of Windham, CT” – a battle in the middle of a dark night when the residents couldn’t see what they were facing – they could only hear them. It happened during the French & Indian War and townspeople had been on edge. The exceptionally loud and ongoing noise that woke up the whole town was like nothing they had ever heard before. Was it war drums – or even Judgement Day? The Interim Direc...