Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

169 Towns - Which One was First?

Is a "trading post" a "settlement?" This seemingly straightforward question is at the heart of a 400-year-old argument as to whether Windsor or Wethersfield was the first town settled by the English in Connecticut.

PART 2: 20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound

In part two of this two-part series, we learn the fate of the 41-member submarine crew, trapped under Long Island Sound with flooded compartments, no radio onboard, deadly chlorine gas filling the vessel, and freezing water temperatures.

PART 1: 20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound

In 1921, a submarine set sail in Long Island Sound for the New London Naval Base. In part one of this two-part series, we hear how the 41-member crew faced multiple, spellbinding challenges when the vessel sank, with no radio onboard.

This Ghost Story has Dozens of Witnesses

This ghost story has dozens of witnesses. The well publicized "Lindley Street Poltergeist" saw thousands of people gathering nightly outside the house to witness supernatural activities seen by police and firefighters - floating refrigerators, knives flying through the air, and even a talking cat.

The First Site Proposed for the U.N. Ran Into a Buzz Saw

Instead of New York City, imagine the United Nations in Greenwich, CT. It was the search committee's first choice. The ensuing community battle gave rise to the slogan "NIMBY": not in my backyard. The Rockefeller and Bush political dynasties also got involved.

A Founding Father’s Son Jailed

William Franklin was the son of famous founding father Ben Franklin. He was also the Governor of New Jersey, representing the British Crown. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Patriot forces captured William and imprisoned him. How did Ben respond?

The Mystery Behind the Eerie Moodus Noises

The sounds have been described as eerie, dreadful, and fearful, and they've been heard for centuries. The so-called "Moodus noises" have come to define the small village where the sounds come from, and intriguing legends have grown around them.

The Strongest Man in the World

Farmer Elmer Bitgood drank 10 gallons of milk at lunchtime to wash down several pounds of hamburger. His biceps were 20 inches around. Newspapers nationwide in the 1920s dubbed him the strongest man in the world, for lifting 2,000 pounds.

The Logistics of Moving a Foreign-Speaking, 5,000-Man Army

In the Revolutionary War, the French helped the Patriots beat the English. When the French army came to America, there were enormous logistical issues for finding food for 5,000 men, hundreds of horses and wagons for their 700-mile march to the battle, and translating.

The Real Story of the Mayflower Voyage

The real purpose of The Mayflower voyage is not what's often taught in schools. Most travelers were looking to make money in new enterprises for financial backers in England. What they encountered and overcame was nothing short of amazing.