Amazing Tales About History

Four trains collided with each other within 10 minutes in 1891, setting a record in U.S. history. Aside from the death, injuries and property damage, a railroad engineer's premonition of tragedy saved his life when he declined to work that day.

Imagine that you're renovating the dirt floor in your basement. You're trying to make it level. Instead, you uncover a skeleton. And then another. In all, four skeletons. And now, the state archeologist is knocking on your door because you've found the remains of Revolutionary War soldiers.

They could have gone undiscovered. Thousands of dinosaur tracks. Hidden beneath layers of compacted dirt. Uncovered by an alert backhoe operator. He saw three-toed prints and stopped his machine. The find was one of the largest in the eastern U.S.

It used to be a copper mine. Then, Newgate Prison in East Granby, CT. Revolutionary War captives were held there. Inmates were lowered 40 feet into damp, dark caverns. Many escaped through rear tunnels. Some climbed back out at night. And you can still experience those conditions today.

When you drop a pickle on the floor, it should bounce a little bit, right? If it doesn't, is it illegal? In Connecticut, this became an issue. In 1948, two men were arrested when their pickles didn’t bounce. It's not the only unusual law.

The British primarily attacked coastal towns in the Revolutionary War. Their superior navy overwhelmed communities. The one time they came inland in CT, they faced stiff opposition. Benedict Arnold took part in the Battle of Ridgefield. This forgotten encounter was significant in the war's development.

Sherlock Holmes. "Elementary my dear Watson." His trademark hat and pipe. These trademarks were created by CT stage actor William Gillette. He built a castle on a hill, which you can visit. One of the most iconic and mysterious homes you'll ever see.

They say some of Captain Kidd’s loot is buried there. But, watch out for the curse. At low tide, a magical sandbar appears allowing you to walk to Charles Island from shore. When the tide returns though, you're trapped. Did the curse burn the island's resort? Or kill a number of swimmers near the sandbar?

The Civil War wasn't just fought in the south. People in the north disagreed about the sense of fighting our countrymen in the south. Why not let them have slaves and maintain the Union? The other side: because slavery is wrong. When one argument got out of control, the Battle of Charcoal Run occurred.

It’s considered southern New England's worst natural disaster. Three storms - hurricanes and tropical storms; two in one week and the third two months later. Some communities were flooded twice. Mind-boggling flood waters. 80 deaths, thousands injured, billions in damage (in 1955 dollars) in CT, MA, and RI.