Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut‘s Beaten Path

The ABCs of EVs in CT 130 YearsAgo

Step aside Elon Musk … the first mass-produced electric vehicle wasn’t a TESLA made in California … it was a Columbia Motor Carriage, made in Hartford. And, a critical invention involving rubber developed in Seymour (but not for tires) made it all possible. CT was the nationwide leader in car manufacturing in 1897, when 50% of the cars on the road were powered by electricity (rather than the less than 5% today). How the industries of EVs and rubber came together 130 years ago is told by Joe Iamartino, Chief Technology Officer of the Marmon Electrical Group, owner of the Seymour firm that contributed its technology.

CT’s Own ”Field of Dreams” Baseball Story

He was a standout pitcher for the Pittsburg Pirates – one of four Pirates pitchers from the same extended family in northwestern Connecticut in the 1960s. Steve Blass, who had the longest and most successful career of the four graduates of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, played his earliest baseball on the Town of Canaan’s Segalla Field – a Field of Dreams style setting. He remains the last National League pitcher to throw a complete 9 innings in the 7^th game of a World Series – the 1971 series, in which he pitched two complete games. Only one other human has done that. Hear his incredible story, from Connecticut to Pittsburgh.

The Longest Running Newspaper in the Whole U.S.

There are many newspapers in the U.S. that have a legitimate claim to an impressive publishing legacy. None, however, matches the record of the Hartford Courant. The paper has been publishing continuously for nearly 260 years, making it the longest running newspaper in the entire United States. There’s a lot that goes into putting out a newspaper, and the fact that this streak remains uninterrupted is impressive beyond words. Join in for a discussion about life at the Courant, and its remarkable history, with the paper’s longtime Capitol Bureau Chief Chris Keating.

George Washington Slept Here - Or Did He?

George Washington made 10 trips through Connecticut during his life – from his younger years to his time commanding the Continental Army, and finally as the first U.S. President. While he traveled through numerous CT communities, there are only about 10 houses still standing where he actually spent at least one night, although there are many more claims about where he stayed. Listen to this episode to separate the fact from fiction and for stories about Washington’s travels through CT – several of them critical to the outcome of the Revolutionary War – from an expert on that period, Dr. Robert Selig.

Founding Antarctica at Age 21, with no Map, in a 47-foot Boat

The first American to discover Antarctica was just 21 years old when he made his momentous find. Compare that to Richard Byrd, who was 38 when he flew over the North Pole and Edmond Hillary who was 33 when he climbed Mt. Everest. Stonington’s Nathaniel Palmer also braved remarkably dangerous conditions during his multi-month voyage in a small ship with only a few colleagues and no map of that part of the ocean. Hear the remarkable tale from the Lead Docent of the National Palmer House in Stonington, June Froh. 

Benedict Arnold - CT’s Misunderstood Traitor

Sometimes, you find out something new about a person that causes you to perceive them in a different light. Such may be the case after you listen to this episode on Benedict Arnold. His name is literally synonymous with being a traitor, for his attempts to hand over West Point to the British during the Revolutionary War. Yet, when one hears the full backstory of his upbringing in Connecticut it certainly gives greater clarity into some the deep-seated emotional scars that he carried with him through his life and likely played a role in his later behavior, even though it will never excuse what he did. The backstory comes courtesy of Regan Miner, Executive Director of the Norwich Historical Society.

The First Nuclear Submarine - The USS Nautilus

In the 1950s, Connecticut’s latest entry into nautical history was the first nuclear-powered submarine, the U.S.S. Nautilus. The 7.5-million-pound underwater vessel completely changed military strategies globally, because it could stay under water undetected for a long time. The Nautilus was the first sea vessel to travel beneath the Arctic ice cap and it played an important role in the dangerous Cuban Missile Crisis nuclear weapon standoff between the U.S. and Russia. Hear the story of the Nautilus from the Director of the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, where the Nautilus is berthed in retirement, Lt. Commander Derek Sutton.

Rochambeau’s Direct Descendant Remenisces About His Famous Ancestor

For Americans, the name Rochambeau is synonymous with the French helping the young United States win its battle for independence against the British. The French general and his 5,000 soldiers worked with George Washington to win the final battle at Yorktown in 1781. And yet, for the French, the American revolution is not as meaningful as their own revolution, which was brewing simultaneously. Plus, the American’s support of France during World War II holds even more significance to many of them. In this 100^th episode of Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut’s Beaten Path, hear from a direct descendant of Rochambeau – Raphael de Gouberville.

CT Put the ”Law” in Lawyers

Not only was the very first law school in the United States in Connecticut, but it trained and set forth dozens of legal scholars who would go on to populate multiple positions in the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and governor mansions around the young country. They were the children of the founding fathers who drafted such documents as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The story behind the Litchfield Law School, which helped shape our early days of democracy, is truly remarkable, and it’s told by the outgoing Director of the Litchfield Historical Society, Cathy Fields.

Where are Western CT’s Native Americans Now?

Native Americans in western and eastern Connecticut had decidedly different experiences when white European settlers arrived. This episode focuses on the Native Americans of western Connecticut, who avoided direct involvement in the brutal Indian Wars #1 and #2 (Pequot War and King Phillip’s War). Two reservations exist in western CT, and they are quite small, when compared to those found elsewhere throughout the U.S. Learn about the history and the myths of past Native American activities along the Housatonic and Still Rivers from Western Connecticut State University Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Dr. Laurie Weinstein.