Name: The Northern Litchfield Hills
Brand: Betsy McDermott Fecto
SKU: 9780738589534
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

The Northern Litchfield Hills

9780738589534

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

This wonderful visual history weaves together more than two hundred images with intriguing and informative text to create an immensely enjoyable journey through the history of the northern Litchfield Hills.

The Litchfield Hills Region, situated in the northwestern corner of Connecticut, is known for its picture-perfect rolling hills, its traditional farms, and its charming villages. There is a sense of peacefulness and pride here, and yet this idyllic appearance belies a long and fascinating history dating back to the very first years of settlement in America. The Litchfield Hills Region has been home to such legendary figures as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ethan Allen, and Oliver Wolcott, and in this book the contributions of these historic figures are celebrated alongside those of the ordinary folk of Torrington, Winsted, Litchfield, Kent, Sharon, Lakeville, Salisbury, Cornwall, Canaan, Canton, Collinsville, New Hartford, Riverton-Barkhamsted, Colebrook, and Morris.

Middletown's High Street and Wesleyan University

9781467105460

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High Street and Wesleyan University (founded in 1831) share a fascinating, intertwined history. From this major inland port on the Connecticut River, Middletown's sea captains and merchants made fortunes in the 18th and early 19th centuries trading with the West Indies, South America, and China. Others enjoyed wealth amassed from the local manufacture of swords, firearms, and marine hardware. These prominent families built fashionable villas of the latest architectural designs on High Street. Many of their homes remain, and two have been designated national historic landmarks. With spectacular views of the river valley below, its avenue of arching elms, and the addition of Wesleyan's formidable "Brownstone Row," the street has attracted many to the hill. Dignitaries, including George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, William Howard Taft, and Martin Luther King Jr., came to High Street.

Middletown's High Street and Wesleyan University

Stafford

9781467103695

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Stafford, nestled in the hills of Northeastern Connecticut, was settled in 1719. Originally an agrarian community, the town has a diverse history. The discovery of iron ore led to a thriving iron industry that produced various items, including cannons and shot for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The mineral springs, long known to the Native Americans, became a destination location, attracting visitors such as John Adams, future president of the United States. Stafford hosted one of the earliest agricultural fairs in the state, which ran until 1969. The biggest influence on the town was the introduction of the textile industry in the early 19th century. As immigrants of many ethnicities came to town to work, Stafford experienced unprecedented growth and the population diversified. Stafford's mills became major contributors to the country's textile industry, particularly wool manufacturing.

Historic Tales of Manchester, Connecticut

9781467148115

$21.99

From the beginnings of a small town along the Hockanum River in the early 1700s, Manchester developed into a major manufacturing center with a unique history. Events, personalities and inventions have reached out from this central Connecticut city to touch homes across the nation. Common daily objects invented right here include shaving soap and the envelope. Industries essential to everyday life once dominated the town, including the Cheney Brothers Silk Company, Bon Ami Soap, a Pitkin family glass monopoly and many others. Local author and historian Robert Kanehl brings these forgotten treasures to light through the stories from his beloved newspaper column.

Historic Tales of Manchester, Connecticut

Windsor Locks

9780738513232

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Transportation has always played an important role in Windsor Locks, a Connecticut River town in the north central part of the state named for the canal locks built here in 1829. Expansion continued after the arrival of the railroad in the late 1860s; today, the town is an aviation center with an international airport and an important air museum. Windsor Locks explores the one-hundred-fifty-year-old town through vintage images and lively narrative, into which are woven stories of the past drawn from interviews with longtime residents. Interesting historical details include New England's first Christmas tree, created on a local farm when, in the German custom, a Hessian soldier decorated a tree; and the first female governor to be elected in her own right, Ella Grasso, born and raised here.

New Fairfield

9780738557106

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At one time, most of New Fairfield consisted of rich farmland providing milk, corn, hay, and tobacco to the town and neighboring markets. Many residents made their living in several sawmills, a lightning rod factory, or a carriage maker's barn, and visitors came to the quiet town to rent cottages on the shores of Ball Pond for the summer. Today the town includes beautiful Squantz Pond State Park and boasts the most shoreline frontage of all the towns surrounding Connecticut's largest manmade lake, Lake Candlewood. New Fairfield tells the story of a town rich with history. Drawn from various resources, including town archives and personal collections, these vintage photographs depict life in an earlier time in this charming New England town.

Coventry

9780738512310

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Coventry, lying some twenty miles east of Hartford, is the birthplace of Revolutionary War patriot Nathan Hale. On the National Register of Historic Places, Coventry Village is significant for its early industrial landscape and well-preserved houses that reflect a range of architectural styles including Colonial, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Ann. Among sites of particular interest are Brigham Tavern (where George Washington enjoyed breakfast), the Ripley House, and the Hale Homestead. An important manufacturing area in the 1800s, Coventry was the site of seventeen mills that produced necessities such as cartridges for the Civil War, hats, wagons, paper goods, woolens, silks, yarn, and cotton material. From 1813 to 1847, the glassmaking industry flourished; today, early Coventry glass is a collector's item. In the early 1900s, Lake Wamgumbaug (commonly called Coventry Lake), with its popular Lakeside Park and Pavilion, became a vacation retreat. During the 1930s, vaudevillians and actors discovered the lake and settled in an area that became known as Actors Colony. Coventry traces the history of this unique town from its incorporation in 1712 to the mid-1900s.

Newtown

9780738511382

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Newtown changed most dramatically in the period from 1900 to 1960, and Newtown: 1900-1960 captures these changes photographically to show how Newtown became the suburban town with a small-town atmosphere that it is today. The book includes an outstanding array of photographs from three recently discovered collections, including a series on the army maneuvers of 1912, which shows the state of the American army before World War I. Newtown: 1900-1960 begins with the village, which is truly the heart of the town. It focuses on institutions such as the Newtown Savings Bank, which was the business center for almost a century and a half. The book then examines the industrial section of town, Sandy Hook, with businesses that both sustained life and just made life more pleasant. In addition, the book looks at the outlying settlements of Stevenson, Hattertown, Hawleyville, and Riverside, a summer colony that became a year-round place.

US Coast Guard Academy

9781467105477

$24.99

The predecessor of the US Coast Guard (USCG) was the Revenue Marine, formed to enforce the customs laws. The officers for the service were drawn from the Merchant Marines, and occasionally the US Navy, and political connections were often more important than competency. To ensure consistent training, the original Revenue Cutter School of Instruction became the US Coast Guard Academy, moving to its present location in New London, Connecticut, in 1932. Prior to that, instruction had been afloat on four different vessels, known as cutters, and ashore in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Fort Trumbull in New London. The training has grown from a two-year program, providing primarily practical seamanship, to one of the highest ranked small engineering undergraduate schools in the nation, offering nine majors and graduating male and female officers with a liking for the sea and its lore.

Gillette Castle

9781467118521

$21.99

During his career as an actor, William Gillette portrayed world-renowned character Sherlock Holmes in more than 1,300 performances.

His career as a playwright and actor afforded him the opportunity to purchase a 184-acre estate, where he also built a twenty-four-room medieval-style castle. Overlooking the Connecticut River, Gillette's castle was complete with spy mirrors, sliding furniture, hidden rooms and a three-mile quarter-scale railroad. Since becoming a state park in 1943, it has evolved into one of Connecticut's most popular tourist attractions. Writer and award-winning journalist Erik Ofgang examines the history of an iconic structure and Gillette's life and role in the evolution of Sherlock Holmes.

Rocky Hill

9781467104227

$23.99 $16.79 Save 30%

Rocky Hill is a commercial center, and along with attractions like Dinosaur State Park and the nation's oldest ferry line, make it a popular New England tourist destination.

Any great civilization would say the secret to success is easy access to a river, and the town of Rocky Hill is no exception. East of the Connecticut River, the waterway made Rocky Hill an active maritime center during the age of sail. As steam replaced sail, Rocky Hill's role as a river port diminished. Farms grew, and the town became a thriving agricultural center. In recent years, Rocky Hill has become a residential community. Modern highways and a central location have contributed to the town's growth and made it a commercial center, along with attractions like Dinosaur State Park and the nation's oldest ferry line making it a popular New England tourist destination as well.

Connecticut Hurricanes Drum & Bugle Corps

9781467103886

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The Connecticut Hurricanes Drum & Bugle Corps was founded in Derby, Connecticut, in 1932 as the John H. Collins Post Fife, Drum, and Bugle Corps. Since its transformation to a competitive drum and bugle corps in 1955, the group has garnered notoriety throughout the region as well as national acclaim for its competitive success. Over the course of their 87-year history, the Hurricanes have become a highly regarded institution of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. They were first sponsored by the John H. Collins American Legion Post 24 and subsequently by the Sutter-Terlizzi American Legion Post 16 of Shelton, Connecticut. They are currently sponsored by the Emil Senger American Legion Post 10 of Seymour, Connecticut, and have continued to maintain strong community ties across the Naugatuck Valley region for nearly nine decades.

Stonington's Steamboat Hotel

9781467152952

$23.99

From 1837 to 1900 the tiny borough of Stonington, Connecticut was a major transportation hub on the route between New York and Boston. Steamboats leaving Manhattan followed Long Island Sound to Stonington Harbor where passengers boarded trains for the rest of the journey to Providence or Boston.

Stonington's Steamboat Hotel, built in 1838 near the piers and railroad yard, was home to saloons, restaurants, a pool hall, a cigar shop, a tailor and a barber shop. Merchants, hotel keepers and saloon workers passed through the building, each with their own unique story. Many of them were immigrants or first-generation Americans, and they are a window onto a late 19th-century class of merchants and service workers.

Join local author Stuart Vyse as he reveals a lively portrait of remarkable harmony in a small village that was far more diverse than it is today.

Hidden History of Old Lyme, Lyme and East Lyme

9781467143400

$21.99

Old Lyme, Lyme and East Lyme were once one town, founded in the 1600s. Known for early innovations in industry, government and education, these towns also share a wealth of overlooked history. Discover the taverns where Patriots met during the Revolution, the Diving Horses at the Golden Spur Amusement Park and the Spiritualist Camp that has held séances since 1882. Meet the smuggler captain who routinely escaped prison to visit his wife, the Revolutionary War veteran who trailblazed the West and the abolitionist who helped Frederick Douglass escape to freedom. Authors Jim Lampos and Michaelle Pearson weave a fascinating tapestry of local legends, history and lore.

Hidden History of Old Lyme, Lyme and East Lyme

Watertown

9780738510231

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Here, in stunning images and stirring narrative, is the history of Watertown, a community that lies near the center of western Connecticut. The town was once part of Mattatuck, a tract of land purchased from the Paugasett Indians in 1684. The fertile area first attracted Farmington residents, who settled down to farm the land. It was not until 1722, however, that the first sawmill was built. In time, new settlers joined the earlier families and, by 1739, they formed the parish of Westbury, which in turn was incorporated as Watertown in 1780. With more than two hundred unforgettable pictures, Watertown highlights the local men and women, buildings and churches, and neighborhoods and businesses that are the essential element of the town's lively history. It shows some of the nine one-room schoolhouses that children attended. It features the Taft School, a preparatory school for boys opened by Horace Taft in 1893; Mrs. Parke and her strange museum; and tavern keeper and farmer James Bishop. It proudly displays some of the firsts for Watertown: Merrit Heminway winding thread on spools, Wheeler-Wilson developing the lock-stitch sewing machine, and the Watertown Manufacturing Company designing and producing Lifetime Ware.

Unionville

9780738573335

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Originally known as the Union District or Langdon's Quarter, the village at the western end of Farmington was officially named Unionville by the U.S. Post Office in 1834. Settling along the banks of the Farmington River, Unionville's early residents were an industrious group, diverting water into canals to power numerous family-run mills and factories and producing a host of manufactured goods. Although smaller than the neighboring industrial cities of New Britain and Bristol, Unionville gained an extraordinary manufacturing prominence in the Farmington Valley. Through carefully preserved vintage photographs from the Unionville Museum's collections and from private sources, Unionville chronicles the village's resilient spirit throughout its many transformations.

Spies of Revolutionary Connecticut:

9781626194076

$21.99

Covert intelligence played a critical role in the American Revolution. Connecticut produced an extraordinary number of spies on both sides of the conflict, from the infamous traitor and Norwich-born Benedict Arnold to Patriot Nathan Hale, executed by the British for espionage. Spying during the Revolution entailed coded messages, early submarines with the first exploding torpedoes and the penalty of death for those caught in the act. Despite the risk, some spies even played both sides as double agents, such as Edward Bancroft, who was never caught. With stories of Silas Deane, Ethan Allen, Thomas Knowlton, the Culper Spy Ring and others, author Mark Allen Baker navigates the intrigues, dangers and double crosses of Connecticut's most legendary Revolutionary spies.

Westport

9781467104920

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Westport, Connecticut, started as a 17th-century colonial English settlement. Nestled on the shores of Long Island Sound and at the mouth of the Saugatuck River, the area was ideally placed for farming, fishing, and commerce. Westport was formally incorporated as a distinct municipality in 1835 and would evolve into a factory town, a bucolic retreat for both the wealthy and the common man, an enclave for artists and performers, and finally, a bedroom community for New York City. Notable townsfolk have included E.T. Bedford, a Standard Oil executive and philanthropist; inventor Benjamin Toquet; and William Phelps Eno, the "father of traffic safety." F. Scott Fitzgerald penned The Great Gatsby while summering in Westport in 1920. Silent film star W.S. Hart called the town home, as did Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Bette Davis, and many more. Artists George Hand Wright, Robert Lamdin, Tracy Sugarman, and others were part of a vibrant art community that spanned nearly 100 years. The town retains its cultural flair with several institutions, such as the Westport Country Playhouse and Museum of Contemporary Art.

Vanished Downtown Hartford

9781609498955

$21.99

Early nineteenth-century illustrations of Hartford, Connecticut, show church steeples towering over the Victorian homes and brownstone facades of businesses around them. The modern skyline of the town has lost many of these elegant steeples and their quaint and smaller neighbors. Banks have yielded to newer banks, and organizations like the YMCA are now parking lots. In the 1960s, Constitution Plaza replaced an entire neighborhood on Hartford's east side. The city has evolved in the name of progress, allowing treasured buildings to pass into history. Those buildings that survive have been repurposed--the Old State House, built in 1796, is one of the oldest and has found new life as a museum. Yet the memory of these bygone landmarks and scenes has not been lost. Historian Daniel Sterner recalls the lost face of downtown and preserves the historic landmarks that still remain with this nostalgic exploration of Hartford's structural evolution.

Revolutionary War Ghosts of Connecticut

9781467118804

$21.99

Bloody battlefields and raucous taverns in Connecticut served as the backdrop for pivotal figures and bold actions vital to the American Revolution. Nathan Hale is said to still conduct lessons in New London and East Haddam, and many suspect that George Washington occasionally visits the Shaw Mansion and Fairfield's Sun Tavern. The presence of notorious traitor Benedict Arnold is often felt in the Leffingwell Inn and at Ye Antientist Burial Ground in New London, where he commanded troops numbering 1,600 as a newly turned Loyalist. Picnickers claim to see apparitions of wounded soldiers seated among them at Fort Griswold in Groton. Step foot into a time when the Sons of Liberty, Tories and Patriots changed the course of history as author Courtney McInvale uncovers the Revolutionary haunts of Connecticut.

The Gilded Age on Connecticut's Gold Coast: Transforming Greenwich, Stamford and Darien

9781626193277

$21.99

When the railroad came through in 1848, it transformed Connecticut's Gold Coast, luring wealthy upper-crust New Yorkers to retreat from the urban crush. The cosmopolitan gentility built their magnificent mansions and suburban paradises in Greenwich, Stamford and Darien. Ornate hotels along the water welcomed American royalty, and resorts beckoned business tycoons for luxurious country weekends. Much of the Gilded Age opulence remains today in areas like Belle Haven, Wallacks Point, Shippan and Long Neck Point. Author Maggie Gordon leads a roaring romp through this most pivotal time and the gilding of lower Fairfield County. Discover the allure the virgin shorelines offered, the pilgrimage out to Connecticut, the architecture and the famous and infamous high-rollers--Rockefeller, Marion, Carnegie, Benedict, Tweed--who occupied the lands.

The Gilded Age on Connecticut's Gold Coast: Transforming Greenwich, Stamford and Darien

Old Lyme, Lyme and Hadlyme

9780738513157

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Old Lyme, Lyme, and Hadlyme is a compelling tribute to an area that is extraordinary in many ways.

Where the Connecticut River empties into Long Island Sound, a community that eventually became known as Lyme was settled in 1639. The community ran up the eastern riverbank to what is now East Haddam, along the Sound to Niantic, and into parts of Salem. In time, Lyme was divided into small towns and villages: Old Lyme, Lyme, Hadlyme, Hamburg, Sterling City, South Lyme, and the coastal communities. The area is notable due to its people, many of whom were attorneys, judges, legislators, and governors; for its commerce, which brought ships from up and down the East Coast and as far away as the West Indies; and for its beautiful homes, some of which survive today thanks to a strong preservation ethic.

Connecticut Yankees at Antietam

9781609499518

$21.99

Connecticut Yankees at Antietam honors the brave soldiers who fought in the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

September 17, 1862--The Battle of Antietam was the single bloodiest day of the Civil War. In the intense conflict and its aftermath across the farm fields and woodlots near the village of Sharpsburg, Maryland, more than two hundred men from Connecticut died. Their grave sites are scattered throughout the Nutmeg State, from Willington to Madison and Brooklyn to Bristol. Author John Banks chronicles their mostly forgotten stories using diaries, pension records and soldiers' letters. Learn of Henry Adams, a twenty-two-year-old private from East Windsor who lay incapacitated in the cornfield for nearly two days before he was found; Private Horace Lay of Hartford, who died with his wife by his side in a small church that served as a hospital after the battle; and Captain Frederick Barber of Manchester, who survived a field operation only to die days later. Discover the stories of these and many more brave Yankees who fought in the fields of Antietam.

Killingly Revisited

9780738550480

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In the first volume, Killingly revealed the initial manufacturing emphasis in the town's villages. Killingly Revisited illustrates how the town survived after losing most of the textile industry, as it moved South, by actively seeking diversified commercial businesses. Within these pages, the town's fascinating past is displayed as newly acquired vintage views are coupled with information recently uncovered from the Killingly Historical and Genealogical Society's newspaper archives and other reference materials. In celebration of 300 years as
an incorporated Connecticut town, the society is sharing photographs of Killingly's mills, businesses, buildings, churches, schools, and
cemeteries. There have been losses from devastating fires that changed the face of Main Street. New streets and roads were added as modes of transportation changed. There are also new views of citizens at work and play.

Bridgeport

9781596296169

$21.99

A charming collection of Bridgeport stories and historic images bring this eccentric, enchanting history to life.

In the late nineteenth century, P.T. Barnum was known worldwide for his traveling circus, but to the city of Bridgeport he meant much more. The city's mayor and benefactor, Barnum was also a mastermind at urban planning. Thus, amid Bridgeport's growing industrial factories, orchestras played from the bandstand at Seaside Park and bucolic hills surrounded Bunnell's Pond. In this collection of narratives, Eric D. Lehman captures the city's natural beauty and richly eccentric history. From the brave women of the Black Rock Lighthouse to war heroes of 'the nation's arsenal', from 'the tiniest general', Tom Thumb, to the tragic death of Jumbo the elephant, these are the best stories from Connecticut's 'Park City.'

Old Saybrook

9781467143417

$21.99

Here in this distinctive New England town, Main Street is the place to meet your neighbors, get a coffee, do your shopping, watch a parade, attend a concert, worship, vote or volunteer. And behind the familiar buildings is a colorful history. There's the humorist who organized his neighbors to buy land and build a town hall that later became the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. The story of how the Monkey Farm got its name. The nighttime parade that draws thousands. And the heartwarming account of the shopkeeper who sent penny candy to students with good grades. Author Tedd Levy reveals the unique buildings, events, people and heritage of this distinctive thoroughfare.

The Ghostly Tales of Connecticut

9781467198097

$12.99

Ghost stories from America’s Nutmeg State have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Connecticut’s haunted history and local legends come to life—even when the main players are dead. Discover the headless horseman of Canton, learn about the witches of Nineveh Falls, and come see about a pirate’s curse. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

Cover image for The Ghostly Tales of Connecticut, isbn: 9781467198097

Clinton

9781467103558

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Halfway between Boston and New York is a little town now called Clinton, located in Connecticut, whose history includes Dr. Seuss, Yale College and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The small shoreline town 25 miles east of New Haven was founded in 1663 when a committee appointed by the General Court at Hartford laid out a settlement called the Homonoscitt Plantation. In 1838, following multiple name changes during the intervening years, it came to be known as Clinton. Clinton was the birthplace of Yale College in 1701; the hometown of choice for a family and their performing bears, who, for years, headlined with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey; and the place where Dr. Seuss spent his summers.

Cover image for Clinton, isbn: 9781467103558

Hammonasset Beach State Park

9781467125369

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Major accomplishments are often completed by unknown, extraordinary people. The vision and determination of the founding members of the Special Commission on State Parks swayed the 1913 Connecticut General Assembly to create the Connecticut State Park Commission. Seven years later, Hammonasset Beach State Park finally opened. In the early 1920s, many enjoyed the beach fully clothed (the norm for the day), while some opted for rental bathing suits. With an emerging middle class in the late 1920s, the park started seeing campers using homemade and "modern" manufactured trailers throughout the 1930s. Despite budget constraints, local opposition, economic depression, the devastating 1938 hurricane, and conversion to a war training facility in 1942, the park commissioners and staff ensured that Hammonasset Beach State Park would be enjoyed by generations to come. Because of their efforts, millions of Hammonasset visitors and campers have treasured experiences and memories that transcend generations--made possible by crusaders for the people.

Lake Compounce

9780738557571

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Founded in October 1846 by two local families, Lake Compounce began its transformation from a rustic summer resort into a bustling amusement park. Gad Norton and Isaac Pierce teamed together to build a park that utilized the lake's natural appeal for
swimming, boating, and picnicking. Through vintage photographs, Lake Compounce highlights the park's long history of big bands, the Crocodile Club, the Wildcat roller coaster, and the William Gillette train. For generations, the park has been able to maintain its status as a local treasure while expanding and growing into what is today recognized as "America's pioneer playground."

Portland

9780738536422

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Portland is located in "the big bend" of the Connecticut River near the center of the state, where natural resources provided a prosperous livelihood for generations of residents. First settled as part of Middletown, the area was incorporated as Portland in 1841. The town is known for its brownstone quarries, the Gildersleeve shipyard, and shade-grown tobacco. Meshomasic, the first state forest in New England, is located here. In Portland, historic photographs drawn from the archives of the Portland Historical Society and from private collections take the reader on a journey through the rich history of this quiet small town, now known for its golf courses and marinas.

Mystic

9780738534985

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Despite the name, there is nothing mystical about the successes of the town of Mystic.

Mystic was one of the most active shipbuilding ports along New England's southern coast during the mid-19th century, renowned for building more than 600 ships a year. By the end of the age of sail, Mystic made a successful transition to a new economy based on textile and machine manufacturing, maritime engineer, and small craft building. These industries carried the village into the 20th century, and today, Mystic is a world-class tourist destination, a community that is both divided and unified by the Mystic River. The history of Mystic mirrors the history of many coastal New England towns, but the images here are unique to this southeastern Connecticut region, recognizable to both residents and visitors alike.

Columbia

9780738597959

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Nestled in the crossroads of Connecticut's eastern highlands, Columbia was home to Eleazar Wheelock's Moor's Indian Charity School, founded in 1754. This Puritan parish was transformed by the early-19th-century Industrial Revolution and was later changed into an exurb of Hartford by the 20th-century automobile. Beginning in 1720, Columbia residents harnessed waterpower for all manner of mills, including grist, cider, sorghum, carding, fulling, saw, shingle, and wood turning. Hop River Village was the site of the first large-scale industrial cotton mill in Connecticut in 1837. Today, the mills are long gone. The Ten Mile River, Hop River, dramatic Columbia Lake Ravine, Utley Hill Preserve, and pristine Columbia Lake hold clues to a once bustling commercial center. Post-World War II Columbia grew into a vital residential, recreational community with small industries and an agricultural heritage.

Naval Submarine Base New London

9780738538082

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In over 200 rare, historical images, the story of one outstanding naval submarine base comes to life.

The first U.S. naval submarine base traces its origin to 1868, when the state of Connecticut and the city of New London granted the navy one hundred twelve acres of land across the Thames River in Groton. Naval Submarine Base NewLondon shows how this land developed from a depot for dry-docked ships and a coaling stationfor navy warships to its present designation as a submarine base. Nearly two hundred images depict the sailors and civilian workers who together maintained, serviced, and staffed the submarines, shops, and offices in support of the growing submarine fleet.

Norwich and the Civil War

9781626199927

$21.99

When Lincoln issued a call for troops in 1861, Norwich sprang into action. In a meeting lasting two days, the town elected to offer cash awards for volunteers, as well as financial support for their families. The city's women immediately began sewing uniforms for the volunteer soldiers, while mill owners and other wealthy locals donated funds to the war effort. Norwich's Dan Tyler was named head of the Connecticut regiment and led his troops into battle at Bull Run. The town's senator, Lafayette Foster, became acting vice president of the United States after Lincoln's assassination. Author Tricia Staley uncovers stories of valor and sacrifice on the homefront and the battlefield.