A number of New Haven inventions have changed the course of history—the cotton gin, vulcanized rubber, the telephone exchange. Less impactful, but more joyful, is the Lolly Pop (more…)
Brothers’ Keepers
If you asked me to name the most eccentric Connecticuters in history, the Boothe brothers of Stratford—David (1867-1949) and Stephen (1869-1948)—would get my nod. One story of many recounted in the 2015 history Red, White and Boothe is that these wealthy, philanthropic bon vivants would follow their frequent community fundraising dinners with a rousing game […]
Horror Movie
Almost 100 years to the day after its Hollywood premiere on October 30, 1921, The Sheik got a centenary Blu-ray. Cinephiles in general may remember the movie for (more…)
Ship Sailed
The season of crisp air, changing leaves, apple orchards and pumpkin patches is also the season of ghosts and their stories. Interestingly, New Haven’s most famous ghost story features an apparition that brought closure, not terror. The early days of the New Haven Colony were difficult, to put it mildly. The Puritan settlers had dreamed […]
Something in the Water
New Haven: the birthplace of the hamburger and, arguably, home to the finest pizza in America. But for centuries it was Crassotrea Virginica—the eastern oyster, a.k.a. the Atlantic oyster—that was the pride of New Haven’s food culture. (more…)
Made to Measure
“There is a lure about milestoning, similar to that of fishing,” wrote Henry P. Sage in his essay “Ye Mylestones of Connecticut,” published by the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1951. “One never knows just what he will find. (more…)
Heating Up
“It is hot,” began a story on the front page of the New Haven Evening Register on August 5, 1896. That simple statement marked the beginning of one of New Haven’s worst recorded heat waves. (more…)
Road Rage
In July of 1636, John Oldham’s boat was discovered off the coast of Block Island. There was only one passenger: Oldham’s naked corpse, with a hatchet lodged in his skull. (more…)
Informal Recognition
By the decree of somebody somewhere, on the authority of nothing and no one, today, August 10, is Herbert Hoover Day, National Biodiesel Day, Duran Duran Appreciation Day, National Shapewear Day, Update Your Bio Day and National Spoil Your Dog Day. It’s also National Connecticut Day, and somehow I find this funniest of all. Who […]