You'll find the Danbury 9/11 Memorial in Elmwood Park on Main Street. It's a twelve foot tall…read morehollow rectangular glass tower built from shards of broken glass. The shape resembles one of the Twin Towers. The glass structure is mounted on a five sided base carved out of Connecticut granite. Connecticut lost 152 residents on 9/11 and all of their names are etched into one of the glass panels. It's in a very pretty setting with landscaping, benches and patio paver stones A nearby plaque reads: Dedicated in loving memory to Connecticut victims of the terrorist attack on the United States September 11, 2001 Mayor Mark D. Boughton Danbury 9-11 Memorial Committee September 11, 2004

I needed to be a steeplejack to photograph this one. After walking down a long handicapped ramp, I…read morehad to climb a pretty steep grassy embankment in front of the Brookfield Historical Society to access it. This is a one sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The inscription faces the street, with a blank blue reverse. It's in average condition with no bad flaws. The rather bland description reads as follows: Brookfield Parish of Newbury The land which comprises the geographical area of Brookfield belonged to the towns of Danbury, Newtown, and New Milford. In 1754 the Parish of Newbury was incorporated by decree of the General Assembly with boundaries and area similar to those of the town as it is today. In October, 1755 the Assembly approved as a site for the Newbury meeting house the location of the present Congregational Church. In 1788 the Parish of Newbury was incorporated as the Town of Brookfield, so named for the first pastor of the Congregational Church, the Reverend Thomas Brooks. Erected by the Town of Brookfield the Brookfield American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1975

Located in front of the Bridgewater Historical Society, the Historical Marker is easily accessible…read morewith parking available behind the building. The parking entrance is closer to the library. There is also a nearby sign for a Blue Star Memorial put up by the Roxbury-Bridgewater Garden Club. The actual historical marker reads: In 1722 Samuel Clark, an original proprietor of New Milford, had a portion of his share of land surveyed in the southerly part of that town known as Shepaug Neck. Although this later became known as Bridgewater, it was not incorporated as a separate town until 1856. Among the earliest settlers was Joseph Treat, grandson of Robert Treat, a colonial governor of Connecticut. Others included the four sons of Jeremiah Canfield, Sr. Descendents of these families played a prominent roll in the early history of the area. The first school district was established in 1758. By the latter part of the 18th century petitions were made to New Milford for a separate ecclesiastical society, a request granted in 1803. A meeting house, the present Congregational church, was erected in 1807. Most early settlers were Congregationalists, but other faiths were represented as well. Until about 1800 a Baptist church stood on what is now called Christian Street. Episcopal worship began in private homes around 1810, and a church was built in 1836. Present St. Mark's church was erected in 1859. Early Bridgewater was divided into several districts, each having its own store, school, mills, blacksmith and woodworking shops. Sheep were raised and tobacco grown. Dairy farming developed in the 19th century. Hat making flourished 1823 to 1870, when Glover Sanford & Sons had a factory on Hat Shop Hill. For some years Bridgewater was the boyhood home of Captain William B Burnham, founder of the American Hawaiian Steamship Company. His generous bequests made possible the library and school on Main Street that bear his name. The town was also the birthplace and place of business of Charles B. Thompson, a leading pioneer in mail-order selling. Bridgewater today is largely residential.

If you've ever seen the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., did you notice his hands? One hand is…read moreclenched in a fist, while the other is open and outstretched, resting leisurely on the arm of his chair. As a kid, I remember hearing that it showed Lincoln's tough and compassionate sides. This spectacular monument honors two subjects. The first is one of our country's most iconic figures, and the second was to the New Milford soldiers that served in the Civil War. The monument was dedicated in 1912 and was the gift of Captain Edward Marsh of the Second Connecticut Volunteers Heavy Artillery. The memorial consists of a four sided base decorated with two plaques and two sculpted panels. The base is topped with a bust of the President's head and shoulders. One of the featured plaques reads "In Loving Memory of the Soldiers and Sailors of the Union Army and Navy 1861 1865, and of Abraham Lincoln President of the United States. Besides being in many skirmishes the New Milford troops were engaged in the battles of Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Opeqvan. Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Sailors Creek". You'll also see two sculpted panels of a soldiers raising a flag and blowing a bugle, and a large oval plaque inscribed with the Gettysburg Address. That eloquent speech ends with this phrase "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

It took the persistent white settlers five years to finally buy the land that would become New…read moreFairfield, CT from the Schagticoke Indians. When all was said and done the purchase price was agreed at sixty-five pounds sterling. This marker tells the detailed history of New Fairfield, from that 1729 purchase, its 1740 incorporation, and through the ensuing decades of farming, industrial, power plant, residential and recreational use. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on each side. You'll find it on a small town green where Routes 37 and 39 cross in New Fairfield. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and overall is in very good condition with traces of minor chipping at the top of the marker sides. The full inscription reads: In the year 1724 twelve men from Fairfield, Connecticut , came to this area to purchase land from the Indians who then inhabited it. They negotiated with Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe, who lived near the pond in this town which still bears his name. Returning in the spring of 1725 with the necessary documents, they learned that Chief Squantz had died, but his four sons and heirs refused to sign any deeds. Four years later, on April 24, 1729 the Indians finally deeded the land to the white men. The purchase price was sixty-five pounds sterling. This tract of land, together with a prior grant known as "Mitchell's Purchase", became the Town of New Fairfield. The original town comprised what was commonly called the "Upper Seven Miles" - now the Town of Sherman, and the "Lower Seven Miles" - the area that forms the present Town of New Fairfield. The town was incorporated in 1740, and the twelve "Proprietors" carried on civil affairs. When the first meeting house was built in 1742 by the South Society of New Fairfield (later known as the Congregational Church) it also served as the seat of government. In 1759 the civil government was separated from the Church and a town hall was built. During the early part of the 19th century, New Fairfield, always an important farming community, also developed as a sizable industrial center. In the 1860's there were at least a dozen business and manufacturing enterprises, but by 1900 most of these firms had moved elsewhere or had been liquidated. After the creation of Candlewood Lake in the late 1920's by the Connecticut Light and Power company for hydro-electric generation, this rural town gradually became a desirable residential and resort area. Erected 1979 by Town of New Fairfield, New Fairfield Historical Society, Connecticut Historical Commission.

Lyman Beecher, the father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a Presbyterian minister in Litchfield…read moreConnecticut, in the long long ago. To commemorate this, in 1908 a plaque was placed on the Litchfield Green in presumably the location his church stood. In the modern era, this is right next to a road leading up to a traffic light, so observe with some caution for the cara behind you. It is located on the area of the Green across from the Litchfield historical museum. It is very pretty as plaques go, and being raised makes it easy to find.

When Lyman Beecher moved to Litchfield in 1810, he wouldn't have known that one of his descendants…read morewould alter the course of American history. The town green in Litchfield includes a very cool memorial plaque dedicated to Lyman Beecher and his children. The monument is on the site of the church where Beecher preached from 1810-1826. One of Reverend Beecher's children became a pivotal figure in American history and a catalyst in the abolition movement. Harriet Beecher (Stowe) was born in 1811, just a half mile away. In 1852, she published Uncle Tom's Cabin, an anti-slavery book that helped rocket America toward it's Civil War. The memorial was erected by the Litchfield County University Club in 1908. It's another great example of the incredibly rich history that seems to pop up in every corner of this small state.

The Kent Soldiers' Monument is one of the earliest, unveiled in 1886 (though dated 1885). It stands…read moreon a traffic island in the center of the road in Kent where Main Street (State Route 7) meets Bridge Street / Maple Street. The monument was originally in the center of the intersection but was moved a few feet when the road was widened and so it remains in the center. Facing to the northeast, the inscription reads "Erected by the People of Kent, 1885" and "A tribute of honor and gratitude to her citizens who fought for liberty and union, 1861-1865". It is a simple obelisk though rather tall at 30 feet (10 meters). As it's in the center of the intersection, I think it's at risk for a traffic collision but who am I to say? [Review 1698 of 2024 - 102 in Connecticut - 22721 overall]

A lovely marker located in front of Litchfield Town Hall. There is a separate entrance and exit so…read moreyou can drive around, or park on the Green and carefully make your way over to study it. Parking in the back is signed as being for Town Hall business only, and since the town trooper apparently keeps his office there, you may want to follow that guidance.

"Location, location, location", right?…read more Because it was located on the stagecoach route between New York and the New England towns, the village known as Litchfield thrived and became a strategic post during the American Revolution. So not only did George Washington sleep there, but so did Alexander Hamilton and Lafayette! Even way back then, Litchfield seemed to attract the beautiful people. Located on the front lawn of Litchfield Town Hall, this is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It dates to 1977 and is in very good condition. The full inscription reads: Litchfield The "Greenwoods" or "Western Lands" of Connecticut were explored in 1715 by John Marsh of Hartford, purchased for fifteen pounds from the Potatuck Indians, who called the area "Bantam", and first settled in 1720. In 1751 this village was designated the seat of the newly organized county of Litchfield. A location on the inland stage routes between New York and the towns of New England promoted a healthy commerce, and during the American Revolution the town served as a supply depot for the Continental Army as well as an occasional holding place for Loyalist prisoners. In September 1780 General George Washington, attended by his aides Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, lodged in this town en route from an historic conference with French allies at Hartford. Here Judge Tapping Reeve had established the first law school in America by 1784, and in 1792 a pioneering school for the education of females was opened by Miss Sarah Pierce. (reverse) By 1810 Litchfield was the fourth largest town in Connecticut, but then, overlooked by railroads and large scale water-powered industry, the town declined in population for almost a century, fortunately preserving a large portion of the architecture of her golden age. Here can be seen the houses where Ethan Allen, Aaron Burr, John C. Calhoun, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Benjamin Tallmadge, and Oliver Wolcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived or studied. The village green and the areas of North Street and South Street within the Borough have been designated a National Historic Landmark. Points of interest open to the public include the Oliver Wolcott Library, the Tapping Reeve House and Law School, and the Litchfield Historical Society Museum and Research Library. At the western edge of town are Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, and the Litchfield nature center and Museum, on the grounds of the White memorial Foundation. Erected by the Town of Litchfield and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1977