Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

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.

CT’s Game-Changing Contribution to Telephone Communications

Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone was made phenomenally more valuable when the telephone switchboard was invented. George Willard Coy doesn’t get nearly the same name recognition as Bell, but his invention catapulted phone usage globally. It all started with humble, home-made components in a building in New Haven and grew to become the Southern New England Telephone Company and also brought about the first telephone directory and telephone poles. Hear the story from the Photo Archives Director of the New Haven Museum, Jason Bischoff-Wurstle.

One Town - Two Very Different American Flags

Civil War protests in northern states were generally limited to the flying of a white, so-called “peace flag,” with most being lowered after the first year. In Brookfield, a very different American flag was created and flown in protest throughout the entirety of the war – and it looked very similar to the true American flag but was very different in one key aspect. It caused division throughout town for several years – because of its location, making it visible everywhere. Find out what happened to that flag from the President of the Brookfield Museum and Historical Society, Bob Brown.

The Greatest Rock Concert That Wasn’t

It’s been called “The greatest rock concert that wasn’t” – “sex, drugs, and NO rock & roll.” Hear the amazing story of how tens of thousands of would-be concertgoers converged on the tiny CT town of Middlefield – home of the Powder Ridge ski area – despite the fact that a court injunction had cancelled the show. The story is told by Waterbury native and international renowned filmmaker Gorman Bechard, who’s producing a film on the concert.

169 Noteworthy Signs

They’re everywhere – in all 169 towns and cities in Connecticut. Those blue and white history signs that summarize each town’s history. Have you ever taken the time to stop and read the one in your town? Or, when you travel around the state? Hear Tom Fatone tell about going to every CT municipality, reading the sign, taking a picture of it, writing some comments about it, and then publishing the information for all to see.