While driving down busy Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, or trying to find a coveted…read moreparking space on a Friday night, it's difficult to imagine that West Hartford really does go way back to the 1670's. This one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission has the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the busy corner of Main Street and Farmington Avenue in the heart of West Hartford. The marker relates the origins of West Hartford, how it was carved out of an area of Hartford and bounded by the neighboring towns of Bloomfield and Newington in the 1670's. West Hartford's first settler was believed to be Stephen Hosmer, and he built a mill on Trout Brook Drive in 1679. It was officially named as West Hartford in 1806 and was the birthplace of Noah Webster, the father of American scholarship and compiler of the first American dictionary. The marker was dedicated in 1970 and still looks great.

I have loved this beautiful town of Old Wethersfield, since I moved to CT 13 years ago. To me, it's…read morelike a smaller scale version of Salem, MA, and when I can't get there in October, I like to come here and check out the Halloween decorations and local businesses. I love that it's a dog friendly neighborhood, and there's always some kind of walking tour happening! My favorite businesses to check out are Main Street Creamery and Heirloom Market.

If you're a history buff and love the New England vibe, you don't want to miss checking this part…read moreof town out. We had to go to the DMV which is in town and we decided to make a day out of it by exploring the area. I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't know what to expect and I'm new to the state. We also stopped by Mikey's playground. Then, on Main St. there are shops, restaurants, museums, and historic houses. There are sidewalks so it is a pedestrian friendly area. I loved looking at the old homes and the plaques stating who lived there and what year it was built. We stopped by the Old Wethersfield Country store and Heirloom Market. It was a chilly and cloudy day, so we didn't explore as long as we wanted to. I can't wait to go back soon especially with the WEATHER getting nicer in WETHERSfield, see what I did there lol.

This is a one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background. It's located on the front exterior wall of a stately three-story brick building that serves as the Stafford Springs Town Hall. The marker is in very good condition, and describes the apparently controversial history of the town. The full inscription reads: This is the house of the famous mineral springs where the Indians met to drink the iron and sulphur waters to make them "lively" and to which the future President John Adams came for his health in 1771. Later the elite of the Nations gathered here for pleasure. The region, originally Mohegan Indian land, was bought in a questionable transaction by Major James Fitch of Canterbury, who had acquired large tracts of eastern Connecticut land. His claim was not completely accepted by the General Assembly, which orders in 1718 that a town be laid out "...of seven mile square...eastward of Enfield". This was beginning of the legal settlement. Bog iron was discovered and furnaces were built to smelt the ore for iron castings and tools. Endowed with abundant water power, the various early mills gave way to a thriving textile industry, of which a portion has continued to the present day. Erected by the Town of Stafford The Stafford Historical Society, Inc. And the CT Historical Commission 1978

This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background. Its situated on a small green right in front of the town municipal complex that houses the police and fire stations. The marker gives a brief history of Rocky Hill, how the area was originally a part of Wethersfield and was first settled in 1650. It was named after a geographic ridge, was renamed Stepney Parish in 1722 and reverted back to Rocky Hill in 1843. Rocky Hill's development as a busy port was linked to its location on the CT River, and its ferry service to Glastonbury. Shipping and rail service helped move Rocky Hill's farming products to markets all over the East. , The marker was dedicated in 1974, and it definitely has some condition issues. I saw evidence of fading, streaking and peeling damage to the blue paint and white lettering.

Nice library located in downtown Norwich. Seems very diverse and appealing. Lots of books to choose…read morefrom. Book sales held twice a year. Nice staff as well.

Books genealogy and…read moreOtis The first Norwich library was built in 1849 with money donated by Deacon (Joseph) Otis; Like most of the libraries back then it was a subscription library and only became a free library in 1891. The old Greek Revival building was pretty cool but it was just to small to accommodate the growing community and so a new, larger but more ordinary building was built in the 1960s. Over the years the new building also proved to be inadequate so the library managed to receive a 4.5 million dollar grant in 2004 for renovations and improvements. This was the largest library grant in state's history and certain turned the library into a wonderful place to research and visit. Unfortunately over the last few years money has been scarce and the library has been losing funding, resulting in loss of hours and programs. Hopefully this will change in the near future. Lot of open space, cool places to sit and a extremely useful local history and genealogy room. A lovely area for kids and even a pleasant little courtyard outside. Not a historical or stunning building like lots of the many of the old libraries in the area but one that has a charming and friendly atmosphere and is a library that is a very pleasant place to work, learn or just look around.

This rusty marker could use a sandblasting. It sits on a corner opposite a liquor store and a mini…read moremart near a bus station. It points out one of the early businesses in Windsor and is my first historical marker in Connecticut. The marker reads, "The Warham Mill was established by Mr. John Warham, first minister to the Windsor Church, in 1840. The Mill has been in continuous use as a grist mill to the present day. Tradition says it was the first grist mill in Connecticut." Online, there is more information. At the corner of Poquonock Avenue and East Street, this is where residents of Windsor and the surrounding area brought their grain, logs, and tools for grinding, sawing, and sharpening for over 300 years. The historic marker at this site credits Rev. John Warham with establishing what may have been the first grist mill in Connecticut. Due to his status as the fledgling town's first minister, by 1640 he had been accorded grants of prime land that included property on both sides of Mill Brook and the right to a toll or payment of one sixteenth of the grain and corn ground at the mill. The miller was also entitled to a toll. Various millers operated "Warham's Mill" including Robert Howard in the 1650s, Peter Brown in 1658, and a long succession of proprietors during the next century and a half. The Windsor Historical Society has put together an excellent and detailed history of the mill. Worth a read. https://windsorhistoricalsociety.org/warhams-mill/ [Review 15160 overall, 662 of 2021, number 16 in Connecticut.]

Fun little spot for a quick stop if you're already in the area. It's a FREE museum of sorts that…read moretouches on Wethersfield history, and had two main exhibits when we were there. First one delves into the broad history of the area, second is a related to the Connecticut State Prison that used to be on the Wethersfield Cove (and is now a park, though most of the buildings are gone). If you're in downtown Wethersfield for a visit or happen to live there and want a brief history lesson, it's worth a stop. Then you can go to one of the great local businesses afterwards! Good quick "Day Activity" bundle deal...? Combo this with a trip to the Cove/CT River so you can see the real thing and compare to the photos here!

My wife and I wanted a simple but historic place to have our wedding and reception....we got both…read moreat the Keeney Center...Jill Fletcher was outstanding in her role as manager of the centers ballroom area. She was very flexible in allowing us access to the hall to get everything set up for the big day. Everyone at our wedding marveled at how beautiful and historic the center was. There was plenty of parking behind the center and its location in Old Wethersfield provided the perfect backdrop. The sound system was excellent and allow us to plug right in and play music. There's a small area to set up a bar and plenty of rooms to get ready in. Jill and her team were outstanding hosts and I highly recommend renting from them for any event you have planned.

Another example of the seemingly inexhaustible supply of interesting memorials that seem to pop up…read moreunexpectedly in every corner of our state. This one can be found at the intersection of Route 159 (Windsor Avenue) and Deerfield Road. It's on your left as you proceed South on 159. This is an interesting one, because it's dedicated to the veterans of a specific neighborhood of a specific town -namely the Deerfield neighborhood of Windsor, CT. The memorial consists of a plastic globe mounted inside a green metal frame. The frame sits on a concrete base. On the base is an 8 column plaque with approximately 125 names. The plaque's inscription reads "Built by the Residents of the Deerfield section of Windsor to Honor those from the Neighborhood Who Served During World War Two." Behind the memorial is a flagpole, and behind the flagpole there is a series of painted white stones that spell out the letters in "Deerfield", giving it a home-made look. It's a very cool monument.