Hard as Steel... to Write First Steel Mill in US, Simsbury This is the oddest thing. Every now and again, I'd be talking Simsbury history to someone. Y'know, like we all do at parties and such. And I'd hear, "the first steel mill in the country was in Simsbury," and I'd be like, "oh yeah? cool" and file it away for … [Read more...]
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Eaton/Dix Intersection
Don't Blow It Eaton/Dix Intersection, West Haven November 2024 ***Warning!*** Not the usual CTMQ content. You can guess from the title of the page where it's going. You've been warned. My wife and I used to always take at least one day off from work together to "go do stuff" on or near one of our fall … [Read more...]
Saville Dam, Barkhamsted Center & Hollow
Damn! No, really... Damn! Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Center, Barkhamsted September 2024 The Saville Dam is surely a top 10 Connecticut beauty spot. If it didn't require a walk in order to get the perfect shot, I'm sure it would be top 3. As it is, you still have to wait in line on weekend days in October in order … [Read more...]
Adjutant William Campbell Memorial
Bloody Hell Adjutant William Campbell Memorial, West Haven November 2024 I've had this memorial on my radar for a while. I always had it in my head as the only memorial in the US honoring an enemy combatant. Which, if true, is both weird and fascinating. But now that I've been to the Adjutant William Campbell … [Read more...]
First Emergency Phone Call in US
"De Train, De Train!" First Emergency Phone Call in US, Simsbury & Hartford Beyond the dubious nature of this claim, it bothers me that Simsbury claims it at all. There's a very good chance this happened in what is now Bloomfield (but was Simsbury back then) and more importantly, the phone call in question actually … [Read more...]
East & West West Hill Roads
What the Hill? Barkhamsted & New Hartford "Hey. Where are you headed?" "Some new place in Hartford." "Oh yeah? What's that?" "Camp Workcoeman." "That's not new and that's not in Hartford." "Huh?" "That's in New Hartford and it's been there for many years. It's a Boy Scout Camp." "Oh. How do … [Read more...]
Dividend Pond Falls
Pays Dividends Dividend Pond Falls, Rocky Hill December 2023 Everyone loves a nice waterfall that doesn't require effort to enjoy, right? We have several in Connecticut, and some are near interstate highways in the center of the state. Dividend Pond Falls in Rocky Hill checks all those boxes. You just park, … [Read more...]
Pleasant Valley Drive-In (Closed)
Pleasant Valley Drive Right On By Pleasant Valley Drive-In, Barkhamsted October 2024 The drive-in closed in 2022. I listed Connecticut's few drive-ins years ago. This was the one that most interested me simply because it's nowhere near any sort of population center. It's in Pleasant Valley. Where's Pleasant … [Read more...]
Pleasant Valley Post Office
So Pleasant (Valley) Pleasant Valley Post Office, Barkhamsted Of all the place names in Connecticut, Pleasant Valley may be one of my favorites. It's just so... so accurate. The southern section of Barkhamsted along the Farmington River is not only a valley, it is very pleasant. It's sylvan and quaint. A large … [Read more...]
Riverton Field Baby Green Monster
Baby Green Monster Riverton Little League Field, Barkhamsted I can find nothing online about this, but I thought it was just the cutest thing. I'm not a Red Sox fan - heck, I've never even watched a full baseball game in my life - but I can appreciate what some fan/dad has done here in the beautiful Riverton … [Read more...]