Connecticut History

Connecticut History

With our partner, The Connecticut Historical Society, WNPR News presents unique and eclectic view of life in Connecticut throughout its history.

The Connecticut Historical Society is a partner in Connecticut History Online (CHO) — a digital collection of over 18,000 digital primary sources, together with associated interpretive and educational material. The CHO partner and contributing organizations represent three major communities — libraries, museums, and historical societies — who preserve and make accessible historical collections within the state of Connecticut.

Any Month with an “R” in It: Eating Oysters in Connecticut

An old myth maintains that you should only eat oysters during those months with the letter “R” in their names. This was both because of the higher…
Yung Wing's Dream: The Chinese Educational Mission, 1872-1881

Yung Wing had a dream. He wanted Chinese youth to study American technology to improve China’s engineering and infrastructure. As a boy, he had attended…
Preserving Connecticut's Natural Beauty

Kent Falls State Park, Kent, Conn. Postcards, ca. 1920s. Credit: The Connecticut Historical SocietyEdit | Remove Mount Tom, Bantam, Conn. Postcard, ca.…
Disaster at Cold Harbor

Connecticut’s response to the firing on Fort Sumter and Lincoln’s call for three-month volunteer troops was immediate and significant. Throughout the…
Blood on the Hill

By 1781 it was becoming apparent to both sides that outright British victory in the American Revolution was unlikely, in part due to the commitment of…
Take Me to the Fair

Trivia Question: In which state, besides Connecticut, does a verified grandchild of the Charter Oak tree grow? Missouri. On May 3, 1904, during the…
From Fish Factory to Bathing Beach

It’s almost September and families are flocking to the beaches to get in their last days of summer sunshine. One of Connecticut’s most popular summer…
And They’re Off!

The day was cool and 10,000 spectators crowded the stands at Charter Oak Park to see the gray stallion Alcryon come from behind to beat the great trotting…
Horror on the Housatonic

Railroad mishaps have been in the news in 2013, from the Metro-North derailment and collision in May to the runaway oil train explosion in Canada and the…
Remembering Powder Ridge

July 31 marks the 43rd anniversary of the Powder Ridge Rock Festival—or would if the festival had gone off as planned. Instead, it marks the 43rd…