Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

169 Noteworthy Signs

A town's history is its legacy. Connecticut had all 169 towns erect signs in their main square containing a brief history of the town's past highlights. One man was visited all of them, photographed them, and published a book for others to reference.

Escaping Execution by Hiding in Judge’s Cave

Few people remember that the British monarchy was actually toppled for 10 years back in the 1600s. 60 jurors condemned King Charles I to death. Two of them fled to America and hid in MA and CT while agents for King Charles II pursued them in a wild cat and mouse episode.

What Remains of the Earliest Dirt Turnpikes

Colonial settlers eventually advanced from traveling on horse paths to building dirt turnpikes. Most have been at least partially abandoned. During COVID, John Schwemmer compared old and new maps to find and drive all 100 of CT's earliest roadways.

Hidden Revolutionary War Treasure

Vast sums of money passed through CT during the Revolutionary War to pay soldiers. Two shipments were supposedly stolen and buried, but never recovered. Millions in gold coins, banknotes, and possibly other relics continue to draw fortune hunters.

The Mystique of The Old Connecticut Path

There’s a nearly forgotten, 100-mile-long trail that brought settlers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to Hartford, CT nearly 400 years ago. Much of the gorgeous, rustic Old CT Path is still in its natural state. Some think it should be preserved before it’s too late.

The Ice Man Cometh

Refrigeration is 100 years old. Before then, people chilled food in insulated ice boxes. You needed large ice blocks to keep food from spoiling. For 150 years, harvesting pond ice, storing it, and transporting it was a big business.

Putting the Spotlight on Lighthouses

There are 780 lighthouses in the U.S. Nearly two dozen are on Long Island Sound. Each lighthouse “blinks” in a unique rhythm, so sea captains know which one it is. The last human lighthouse keeper has retired, but they used to have to deal with storms - and ghosts.

From a Whale Hunt to the Oval Office

The White House's Oval Office hosts the Resolute Desk. It's a stunning, wood carved gift from England. But, its history started with an American whale hunt that stumbled across a valuable, missing British asset - with many twists and turns along the way.

Timing is Everything: Clock-Making Comes to America

America brought the art of clock-making from Europe. Eli Terry and Seth Thomas propelled timepieces in America, in part through Terry's introduction of the concept of mass production. He used interchangeable wooden pieces in mass production, with others rapidly copying the idea.

What Do We Really Know About UFOs?

It's no longer considered taboo or crazy to speak about UFOs. With government admissions of unidentified crafts in our skies, the topic is out of the closet. Famous UFO sightings occurred in eastern NY / western CT in the 1980s. What do we really know?