Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

When Hungarian Soldiers Came to Rural Connecticut for the Winter

Rochambeau’s French Army helped the Americans win the fight for independence against Britain in 1781. Yet, they had to overcome multiple cultural and economic hurdles to do so. Among the issues: Hussar Soldiers wore colorful and distinctive uniforms and were brave fighters, but they only spoke German and occasionally pillaged livestock and crops from the citizens of rural, English-speaking Lebanon, CT where they spent the winter of 1780. Yet, the locals were happy to have the money they spent on supplies. Revolutionary War expert Dr. Robert Selig explains this oft-forgotten aspect of the Revolutionary War and Connecticut’s role in it.

The Making of Candlewood Lake - CT’s Disneyland

Connecticut’s largest lake is actually a major hydroelectric generating facility. Candlewood Lake, bordering five towns in western CT, is nearing 100 years old. It’s been generating green electricity since long before the term came into vogue. The story behind its creation – the clearing of 4,500 acres of land, the building of a massive earthen dam to hold 46 billion gallons of water, and the flooding of two former villages – is not well known. Hear the details from two officials with the lake’s owner, First Light Power: External Affairs VP Leonard Greene and the company’s Senior Manager of Land Management, Brian Wood.

Thanks CT for Cleaning Up U.S. Rivers

Connecticut’s rivers – like so many around colonial America – were the waste receptacles of their time. Sewage and industrial waste, bulky garbage and many other items clogged and polluted the waterways people depended on for drinking water and transportation. The rivers smelled horrible and were unhealthy. What turned them around were pivotal court cases involving New Britain’s use of Piper Brook, towns using the Naugatuck River, and Danbury’s pollution of the Still River. Local historian Bill Devlin explains how the courts helped Connecticut lead the way in improving stream quality, which paved the way for the federal Clean Water Act.

Connecticut Radio Turns 100

Radio has been a part of Connecticut for 100 years. Some of radio’s pioneers came from Connecticut and played a key role in making both AM and FM come to life. And, the famous “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast impacted listeners in the state as well as the rest of the country. Hear from an expert, Brandon Kampe, who has compiled the definitive history of the state’s earliest radio stations.

Bell Town USA is in CT

The bells that are (1) on all Good Humor trucks, (2) marked the rounds between Mohammed Ali’s iconic boxing matches, (3) gave Clarence his wings at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, and (4) open and close trading on the New York Stock Exchange each day all have one thing in common – they were made by Bevin Bells in East Hampton, CT. East Hampton – or “Bell Town” as they call themselves – has been the center of U.S. bell manufacturing for the past two centuries. Bevin Bells is the last bell manufacturer left. Hear their history – and literally hear the difference in tone that shape, material, and size make – in this unique episode, featuring company Chief Operating Officer Cici Bevin.

Whaling in CT

Whaling was a critical part of the Connecticut economy for 200 years, ending only in the 1920s. Of the 2,700 wooden whaling ships built over that time, only one remains – the Charles W. Morgan, anchored at Mystic Seaport in CT. Voyages lasted for several years, with 60 whales caught on each trip for blubber, oil and bone. The oil literally made the Industrial Age possible by lubricating machine parts. It’s an amazing story, as told by the woman who has led demonstrations aboard the Morgan at the Seaport for decades, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards.

When Cleveland Used to Belong to Connecticut

In the 1600s and 1700s, Connecticut owned a wide swath of land all the way across the country, ending at the Pacific Ocean. They gave all of it to the federal government – except for 3 million acres in Ohio (the so-called Western Reserve). Today, many town names in northeast Ohio are based on Connecticut namesakes – including Cleveland. This very early “wild, wild west” story includes land speculators, wagon train settlers, and distasteful tactics to push Native Americans off the land, to make way for European settlers. Hear the story from expert Alex Dubois, Curator of the Litchfield Historical Society.

Driving the Oldest Ferry Boat in the U.S.

It’s the longest-running ferry service in the United States, having started back in 1655. It only lasts 4 minutes and covers about a quarter mile, but nautically, the ever-changing currents, tides, rain, wind, and fog make it quite challenging. While its capacity is just three cars, the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is a crucial service for thousands of commuters and other riders each year who need to cross the Connecticut River. Hear Master Ferry Captain Blaise Clemente explain the history and operations and why his is the best job in Connecticut.

Why Nathan Hale is Connecticut’s State Hero

Nathan Hale is Connecticut’s official State Hero, so designated by the Legislature. Yet, there remain some aspects of his famous capture and execution by the British as America’s first spy that are subject to different accounts. There is even some uncertainty as to whether he actually said the famous final words attributed to him: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” We’ll separate the fascinating fact from fiction with Anne Marie Charland, Site Administrator at the Nathan Hale Homestead Museum.

How Connecticut Thumbed its Nose at Prohibition

Through the late 1800s, the temperance movement built up political strength and by 1919, Congress passed a Constitutional Amendment ushering in the Era of Prohibition. The making and sale of alcohol was prohibited. Just two states refused to ratify it – and Connecticut was one of them. There were 1,500 speakeasies in the state, rum-runners operating on Long Island Sound, and only a dozen federal agents assigned to enforce the ban statewide. Liquor flowed through Connecticut almost as if the ban wasn’t in effect. Take a step back in time with Danbury Museum Executive Director Brigid Guertin.