This two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background, is located just to the side of the town's Post Office on Main Street. The marker dates to 1972 and is starting to show some clear signs of wear, in the form of faded blue paint and washed out white lettering. The history includes a bizarre accounting of the town's name - as South Windsor split off from East Windsor which in turn split off from Windsor ! Other historical references include a nod to the Podunk Indians, John Bissell's Ferry which ran for over 270 years, Reverend Timothy Edwards and his famous son Jonathan Edwards, and its ship-building heritage. Here's a cool piece of South Windsor trivia - a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Oliver Wolcott, was born here. Other famous native sons include clock-maker Eli Terry, steamboat pioneer John Fitch (ever hear of South Windsor's John Fitch Highway?), and the ancestors of President Grant. All in all, a pretty cool history.

This is a very spiffy Town Marker unlike anything I have seen before. It has a white background…read morewith blue, black, and brown artwork in the form of an inscription and a drawing of a stagecoach. It's located near the center of town in a small campsite/park area roughly where Main Street (Route 20) crosses School Street. The sign is in very good shape and the lettering and artwork are easily visible. The sign reads: -- Riverton -- Northeastern Gateway to the Litchfield Hills Old Hartford - Albany Stage Route Home of Hitchcock Chairs One Mile to Peoples Forest 1 1/2 Miles to Site of Barkhamsted Lighthouse Home Of L.A. Cooke War Governor Col. Justin Hodge Mexican & Civil War Hero

This historic landmark still stands after all these years. Currently, one of the buildings is a…read moreretail building called Antiques on the Farmington. It's strategically placed on the Farmington River so that dams could be built to create a power source. Eventually, the railroad was built near it so goods could be sent out to be sold. The large bridge nearby was part of the railroad and is now a beautiful walking path for residents near and far. Collinsville became a village because of this famous axe company. The Collins Company opened in 1826 and was known to create the first ready to use axes in America. They also produced and sold machetes and other tools. The building that the axe company was in used to be a gristmill. The company started off with only 8 men and once it got popular, they employed workers from all over the state and nearby states. Housing was built for these workers and their families as well as other town/village necessities; those buildings were a church, bank, shops, etc. As the company expanded, they sold machetes and other tools all over the world. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. The Collins brothers died and eventually the floods of 1955 destroyed the railroad, which halted their sales. Due to competition, the deaths of the owners, a natural disaster, the company closed in 1966. It was a good 140 year run though; the Collins left their legacy and we can surely feel their spirit by just walking around downtown and in the old axe factory. The remnants of this factory still stands strong. I really enjoyed walking on the path and looking at the building. There's so much history and definitely some ghostly feels.

The Harwinton marker is located on a small green on a ridiculous curve on Route 4, across from the…read moreCongregational church. Do not turn left to get out; yes it may be the direction you want to go in, but by the time you get a gap you could have found a better way by turning right or using a back road. The marker itself is well painted, with a cutesy mile direction sign for other towns nearby. A quick hit on the town signs of Connecticut tour!

Located on a teeny-tiny parcel of a green on Route 4, the Harwinton Historical Marker stands at the…read moreintersection of Litchfield Road and South Road. It's a 2-sided marker with the same text on both sides describing the origin and early history of the town. The text reads: Harwinton The town was settled in 1731, named in 1732 from Harry(tford) and Win(dsor), and became incorporated in October, 1737. Located on the Hartford-Litchfield Turnpike, Harwinton was primarily an agricultural community with many part-time industries carried on in conjunction with farming. Items produced included bricks, tinware, pitchforks, hats, cutlery, whetstones, barrels, and clocks by Hopkins and Alfred, Orson Barber, and Sheldon Osborne. Lead Mine Brook and its tributaries provided water power for many of the early industries. Construction of the first church began in 1740 and the first school was established in 1741. In the 1800's the town boasted two academies and two boarding schools. For many years there were twelve school districts throughout the town. One-room schoolhouses were in use until 1948. Erected by the Town of Harwinton and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976 The marker is in pretty good shape, with crisp white lettering and good color on the blue background.

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.]

It can trace its history to a 1661 saloon…read more It's nickname was "Silver City of the World". Over 30 of it's sons rushed to Boston to fight the British during the infancy of the Revolution It's Meriden, CT- more or less half way between Hartford and New Haven where I-91 and I-691 and the Merritt Parkway all conveniently collide in the center of the state. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It can be found on a grassy area between both halves of Broad Street in downtown Meriden. It has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1976 and is in pretty good shape. The front side lists a time line of important dates in Meriden history. The back side describes how Captain John Couch of the Meriden militia led a squadron of three dozen patriots to Boston when hostilities broke out with the British at Lexington in 1775. The full two-sided inscription reads: 1661 - Meriden area first settled when Jonathan Gilbert is granted land by Connecticut Colony and employs Edward Higbee to operate an inn. 1670 - Greater part of present-day Meriden lands placed under jurisdiction of Wallingford. 1728 - Separate church parish, named after Gilbert's farm Merridan, is established by the General Assembly. 1806 - Meriden separated from Wallingford and organized as a town. 1867 - Meriden incorporated as a city. 1922 - Town and City of Meriden consolidated. Since the 19th Century Meriden has demonstrated itself to be a versatile manufacturing community. Its silver industry has grown to such proportions that Meriden is nicknamed the "Silver City of the World." (Side two) Lexington Alarm *Captain John Couch, responding to hostilities with British at Lexington, left this area April 23, 1775, commanding the Meriden militia: John Allen Christopher Atwater Moses Baldwin *Divan Berry Samuel Briggs John Butler Samuel Collins Asael Deming Israel Hall, Jr. Joel Hall *Moses Hall Rufus Hall Samuel Hall *Benjamin Hart *Insign Hough John Hough Phineas Hough Aaron Hull David Ives Elnathan Ives Enos Ives Samuel Johnson Epaphras Knott Isaac Livingston *Phineas Lyman Daniel McMullen *Ephraim Merriam John Merriam John Pearce *Benjamin Rice *Ezekiel Rice Gideon Rice Samuel Rice Joseph Shaylor Seth Smith Bela Warner *Jonathan Yale *Nathaniel Yale *Buried in Broad Street Cemetery Erected 1976 by American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, City of Meriden, Connecticut Historical Commission

Many of these blue markers that dot the state courtesy of the CT Historical Commission are 2-sided…read morewith different texts on each side. I've seen and reviewed these sort of 2-sided markers recently in Windsor and Granby. The one I saw today, although 2-sided, curiously had the same text on both sides !! This marker can be found on a small green in front of Bloomfield's Town Hall. It memorializes the history of Bloomfield and describes how in 1736, a total of 51 local citizens petitioned to leave their respective towns and join a new town that they named Wintonbury (from the names of Windsor, Farmington, and Simsbury). The name stuck for 100 years, when it was renamed Bloomfield in 1835. The plaque mentions that the town was named an All American City in 1970 because of its school integration policy. It also honors Bloomfield's oldest building, the Old Farm School (1796). The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It seems a little odd to me that the same text appeared on both sides of the plaque. Wouldn't you think there has to be enough town history to merit a distinct second side??

It's a lovely sign, but if you're coming from Harwinton and continuing towards Unionville, you may…read moremiss it hiding behind the bush! Now if you've turned right at the green, you can notice, turn around quickly, and park in the quiet lot across the street. It's a process, although not an effectient one. It is a little picturesque across from a stereotypical New England church, and appears to be in good condition.

At the heart of the sleepy town of Burlington is a dusty pink tavern. Or what used to be a tavern…read more Now the Burlington historic society building! A beautiful federalist structure that you can tour! Directly across from the town green, walk inside up original stone steps and marvel at high ceilings, hit cvs cock furniture and a barrel vaulted 2nd floor ballroom. Really a great spot for a weekend visit.