Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

When a New Outdoor Weather Climate was Created

Growing cigar wrappers requires excellent soil and the right climate. Connecticut tobacco farmers had the soil, but not the climate. So, they created a new climate. It covered 1% of the state's land and made the region international market leaders in the 1800s.

An Extremely Unique Gated Community

In the 1950s, Jewish firefighters in Queens, NY wanted to get their children into the countryside during a polio outbreak. The large summer camp they built by hand evolved into a year-round gated community. One of the country's most famous singers spent her summers at Lake Waubeeka.

An Enclave Like No Other - The Russian Village

When Stalin overthrew the Russian czars in 1917, many famous Russian artists and writers fled to the U.S.. Ilya Tolstoy, son of War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy, started The Russian Village, a shrouded town where intellectuals settled to write and socialize with other famous Russians.

Electric Cars Were Market Leaders - 130 Years Ago

The first mass-produced electric vehicle in the U.S. was made in 1897. The Columbia Motor Carriage used a new invention (rubber) to insulate electric wires making them safe. 50% of the cars on the road were EVs back then, compared to just 5% today.

A Real-Life ”Field of Dreams” Baseball Story

Standout Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass was one of four Pirates pitchers from the same extended family in the 1960s. Blass remains the last National League pitcher to throw a complete 9 innings in the 7^th game of a World Series. Only one other human has done that.

The Longest Running Newspaper in the U.S.

The longest-running newspaper in the United States has been around longer than the country itself. The Hartford Courant started publishing in 1764 - 12 years before the Declaration of Independence. Putting out a paper continuously for 260 years is no small feat.

George Washington Slept Here - Or Did He?

Many claims have been made about where George Washington slept. He was so beloved that exaggerated claims often occurred. In Connecticut, there are 10 houses still standing where he definitely stayed during his 10 trips through the state.

He Founded Antarctica

Nathaniel Palmer was just 21 years old when he founded Antarctica. Sailing further south in search of new pods of whales for hunting in a 47-foot boat, he happened across a huge ice-covered mass that was not on any maps in 1820. Now, the main U.S. research lab there is named after him.

Benedict Arnold - Was He Misunderstood?

Sometimes, you learn something new about a person that changes your impression of them. Benedict Arnold had a very difficult upbringing, leaving him with deep-seated emotional scars. His name remains synonymous with the word traitor, but his life's backstory is worth revisiting.

The First Nuclear Submarine - The USS Nautilus

It changed naval warfare forever. The first nuclear-powered submarine, the U.S.S. Nautilus, was launched in the 1950s. It could travel nearly indefinitely under water, undetected for long periods. It was the first sea vessel to travel beneath the Arctic ice cap and was critical during the Cuban Missile Crisis.