Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

How an American Industry Grew but Then Left Big Problems

The former Gilbert and Bennett Company in Georgetown, Connecticut is the epitome of the story of the early American industrial development cycle – starting with home-based operations, followed by the opening of a large manufacturing complex, broader international markets, fierce competition, and (after nearly 200 years) bankruptcy and site abandonment. Today, its vacant site is an industrial wasteland in the middle of leafy mid-Fairfield County. You won’t believe which product the company invented during the Civil War years that we still use to this very day. Join Georgetown historical expert Brent Colley for the fascinating story behind this iconic operation.

Did JFK Single-Handedly Kill the Hatting Industry?

There was a time when a man did not venture out of the house without a hat on his head. He wouldn’t have been considered completely dressed otherwise. When did that change? What killed the hatting industry? And, why? A story that many people have heard is that it was President John F. Kennedy and his lack of wearing a top hat to his presidential inauguration in 1961. Hatting industry expert Bill Devlin sorts the facts from the fiction in this episode that is both historically poignant as well as a fascinating story of presidential intrigue.

The Day the Clowns Cried at the Worst Circus Fire in U.S. History

The deadliest fire at a circus in U.S. history occurred in Hartford, CT in 1944. The fire killed 186 patrons, mostly women and children. The most unbelievable part of the story, though, is how it may have started. The official cause, nearly 80 years afterwards, is still listed as “undetermined,” but the potential case to be made for arson – as told by feature writer Erik Ofgang – will literally leave you incredulous.

Charles Ives - So Much More than ”Just” a Musical Giant

When you hear the name Charles Ives, one tends to think of the word cacophony – as in discordant music. The Danbury, CT native created sounds and symphonies that were so ahead of their time that they took the general public several decades to truly appreciate his genius. Now, Ives is considered one of the finest U.S. composers to have ever lived. But the truly amazing part of the Ives story is actually all of the other incredible achievements that he accomplished during his lifetime, well beyond music. The unbelievable story of his exploits is told by Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Brigid Guertin and the Executive Editor of the Charles Ives Society, Jim Sinclair.

Part 2: The Greatest Showman on Earth - PT Barnum

In this final episode on the life of PT Barnum, more seldom heard stories about his incredible exploits – including his American Museum in New York City and his Barnum & Bailey Circus – are shared by Bethel Town Historian Pat Wild (where Barnum was born) and Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Brigid Guertin (where Barnum spent much of his early years). You’ll hear about the way devastating fires impacted him time and time again, the rare story behind his major attraction Jumbo the elephant, and the touching final visit this iconic showman paid from his later hometown of Bridgeport to his native birthplace of Bethel, not long before his death.

Part 1: The Greatest Showman on Earth - PT Barnum

There’s been a lot written about the great showman, PT Barnum. However, not much of it focuses on his upbringing in his hometown of Bethel, CT. In this first part of a two-part series, Bethel Town Historian Pat Wild and Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Brigid Guertin share some great stories that help us understand the particular influences that affected Barnum the most growing up. They’ll even talk about the time he spent in jail. A must listen for any fan of PT Barnum.

Part 2: Redding’s Favorite Son - Mark Twain

Considering that Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) only spent the final two years of his life in Redding, CT, there were an inordinate number of incredible stories that filled those years to the brim, culminating in his death in his mansion. Redding historian Brent Colley recounts both the wonderful and painfully sad moments he spent with his two remaining daughters, the legendary fallout with his business manager and personal secretary, and the final months leading up to the day when Clemens passed away in his fabled Stormfield home.

Part 1: Redding’s Favorite Son - Mark Twain

Mark Twain died exactly 112 years ago, to the very day, of the publication of this podcast episode (April 21, 1910). This first in a two-part series takes a look at Samuel Clemens’ last two years of life, spent in Redding, Connecticut, in his famed mansion Stormfield. Redding historian Brent Colley (who is also the First Selectman of Sharon, CT) shares rarely heard and incredibly insightful stories about Clemens and some of his closest friends (including Helen Keller, Hartford Congregational Minister Joseph Twitchell and his biographer Art Bigelow Paine). Also, you’ll learn fascinating details about the Stormfield house itself.

The Deadliest Fire in Federal Prison History: 7-7-77

It was anything buy “lucky 7’s” at Danbury’s Federal Prison on July 7, 1977. In fact, it marked the day of the deadliest fire at a federal prison in U.S. history. The inmates inside Dormitory G were trapped for a time inside the housing unit during a middle-of-the-night blaze that spewed toxic smoke into the confined area, causing nearly 100 casualties. Hear the harrowing story and the heroic actions that were taken that night from two persons who were on the scene, Medical Unit Physician Assistant Bob Young and former Danbury Police Lieutenant Bob Lovell, the first person on the scene.

PART 2: There Was Never Anything Quite Like the Great Danbury State Fair

It was the longest running state fair in U.S. history (112 years) when it finally closed in the 1980s – to make way for a shopping mall. The Great Danbury State Fair was legendary. Jack Stetson is the grandson of the its longtime owner, John W. Leahy. He was also the last person to “turn out the lights” at the fair. In part two of this two-part series, we’ll focus on the fair’s rapid growth in the 1900s and then the backroom dealings that led to the property being purchased by a mall developer. Also sharing his insights is noted Danbury historian Bill Devlin.