Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

Aerospace is Connecticut’s Middle Name

Connecticut has made quantum leap contributions to aerospace in the past 125 years. The first helicopter. Technology-leading jet engines. One of the nation’s first hot air balloonists. Possibly the person who achieved powered flight even before the Wright Brothers. Aerospace is also a critical component of the state’s economy. Hear the Curator of Windsor Lock’s New England Air Museum, Nick Hurley, talk about the fascinating back story of the state’s myriad contributions to aerospace.

When Stagecoaches Were How You Got Around

It’s hard to overstate the role that stagecoaches played in transforming the United States from 13 colonies, reliant on Great Britain for trade, into an independent economic powerhouse. Starting in the late 1700s, stagecoach routes stitched together Connecticut and brought it closer to the other new states, making the new country viable. For more than 50 years, before trains arrived, stagecoaches were the way to travel, even though they were cramped, bumpy, subject to breakdown and had no temperature control. Hear about life in the stagecoach era from experts Richard DeLuca, author of Post Roads and Iron Horses and Brigid Guertin, Executive Director of the Danbury Museum and Historical Society.

The Day 4 Trains Collided in 10 Minutes

One of the worst train crashes in U.S. history occurred in eastern CT in 1891 – 4 trains collided within a matter of less than 10 minutes. Asides from the death, injuries and property damage, this story includes an unbelievable premonition about the incident by a railroad worker that wound up saving his life, as well as a local legend surrounding the mystery of the third supposed death from the crash. Hear the story with the President of the Thompson, CT Historical Society, Joe Iamartino.

Identifying Four Unearthed 250-year-old Skeletons, Buried in a Mass Grave

Imagine digging in your dirt floor basement and uncovering four, 250-year-old skeletons buried in a mass grave. Who are they? How did they get there? Hear the latest on the investigation in Ridgefield from the Connecticut State Archeologist Emeritus Nick Bellantoni, who shares the incredible investigative techniques he and his team are using to help answer those questions.

When Dinosaurs Roamed Connecticut

These days, Connecticut residents have to contend with a lot of deer and black bear. Some 200 million years ago, it would have been dinosaurs – both meat-eating and vegetarian. Thankfully, they left behind thousands of tracks which have been found and preserved, allowing incredible insights into what life was like back then. Hear the story with Michael Ross, Environmental Education Coordinator for Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill.

The First State Prison Ever in the U.S. was in CT - and it was Like a Dungeon

Was it a copper mine, a dungeon or a prison? Actually, it was all three. Connecticut’s Newgate Prison was the first state prison ever built in the U.S. The East Granby facility, opened before the Revolutionary War, saw prisoners held in dungeon-like conditions 40-feet below ground in an abandoned copper mine. The incredible details are shared by Morgan Bengel, Site Administrator and Curator at the former prison.

Is a Pickle That Doesn’t Bounce Illegal in Connecticut?

It’s the age-old question in Connecticut: is a pickle that doesn’t bounce illegal? Precedent was set in 1948 when two men were arrested when their pickles didn’t bounce. This episode is dedicated to not only the Connecticut Pickle Law, but other oddities on the books in the Constitution State.

Benedict Arnold and the Revolutionary War Battle of Ridgefield

When the British attacked Danbury in 1777, they faced intense resistance afterwards at the Battle of Ridgefield. Benedict Arnold led the Patriot operation, while Connecticut militia commander General David Wooster was killed; yet, not very much has been written about this momentous encounter. Battle expert Keith Jones III, author of Farmers Against the Crown, recounts the highlights of the incident, in which two dozen soldiers lost their lives.

The Mystery of Sherlock Holmes and his Gillette Castle

The original Sherlock Holmes – the one who created all of the mannerisms that characterized the famous sleuth (his hat, pipe and “Elementary my dear Watson”) – was an actor from Connecticut. And, he built one of the most iconic homes still in existence in the state – Gillette Castle. Hear the fascinating background on the man and his castle from author Erik Ofgang.

Curses, Buried Treasure, Ghosts - Milford’s Charles Island Has it All

It’s rare that one location is the subject of ancient curses, claims of Captain Kidd’s buried pirate treasure and ghosts – but Charles Island, off the Milford, CT coastline, is such a place. Adding unique mystery to the island is that, twice each day, low tide reveals a sandbar that allows persons to walk the half-mile from the shore to the island. Did a curse lead to the burning down of the island’s resort? Others have died in the tricky waters around the island. The author of four books on the island, Marissa D’Angelo, shares the island’s many secrets.