Amazing Tales About History

The British primarily attacked coastal towns in the Revolutionary War. Their superior navy overwhelmed communities. The one time they came inland in CT, they faced stiff opposition. Benedict Arnold took part in the Battle of Ridgefield. This forgotten encounter was significant in the war's development.

Sherlock Holmes. "Elementary my dear Watson." His trademark hat and pipe. These trademarks were created by CT stage actor William Gillette. He built a castle on a hill, which you can visit. One of the most iconic and mysterious homes you'll ever see.

Marissa D'Angelo, a Milford native and author of four books on Charles Island, delves into the island's intriguing lore. She shares spine-tingling tales of ancient curses, including the mysterious fire that consumed a summer resort linked to the Indigenous Pagusset tribe. The legend of Captain Kidd's buried pirate treasure adds a layer of adventure, while ghostly encounters from the cursed inn weave in eerie history. Marissa's passion for the island's secrets shines through as she blends personal discovery with captivating storytelling.

The Civil War wasn't just fought in the south. People in the north disagreed about the sense of fighting our countrymen in the south. Why not let them have slaves and maintain the Union? The other side: because slavery is wrong. When one argument got out of control, the Battle of Charcoal Run occurred.

It’s considered southern New England's worst natural disaster. Three storms - hurricanes and tropical storms; two in one week and the third two months later. Some communities were flooded twice. Mind-boggling flood waters. 80 deaths, thousands injured, billions in damage (in 1955 dollars) in CT, MA, and RI.

The Moravian sect is the oldest Protestant religion. They sent missionaries in the 1700s to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Over 15 years, they converted several dozen. In fact, their main preacher was so revered that Native Americans buried him on their land, an honor.

Minerals and gemstones. Highly profitable rock formations have been unearthed across CT. It's where the first gold strike occurred east of the Mississippi River. Iron deposits led to the first cannon balls. One mine supplied the granite for the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Grave robbing is rare today. It was common in the 1800s. Stealing valuables buried with the dead occurred. So did the removal of recently-buried corpses - used by medical institutions to learn more about the human body. One notorious case involved Yale University. Finally, the practice had to be outlawed.

Mass murders are common today. In the 1700s, they were unheard of in Colonial America. Until the case of Barnett Davenport. He brutally murdered 5 people in a farmhouse. As grisly as the murders were, so was the manner in which capital punishment was carried out in those days.

When the Hubble space telescope first sent back photos, NASA called it the single most important contribution to outer space knowledge since Galileo. It was the first telescope sent beyond the “waviness” of Earth’s atmosphere, giving crystal clear views. Building it was a monumental challenge.