Connecticut is so old that it has eight towns incorporated before 1700. Colchester is one of them…read more Here's a cool Colchester nugget- the Chief Commissary (now is THAT a title, or is that a title?) of the Continental Army rushed beef from his own cattle to feed the starving troops at Valley Forge. I guess when George Washington made a personal plea, you obeyed. Also of interest is that Colchester was the site of Connecticut's first school for Blacks - established way back in 1805. 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 town green at the intersection of South Main Street and Broadway. It has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1975 and is in very good shape. It's a pretty interesting marker touching on the town's history, civic leaders, educational legacy, and it's early shoemaking and footwear industrial heritage.

My town marker. Just moved to Sprague and had to check out Main Street. Not the most beautiful…read moremarker I've seen but it appears to be maintained well enough by the town. You can access it from the sidewalk and sit behind the one sided marker on a nice shaded bench. It's a quiet town and that's just the way we like it.

FLOWAGE RIGHTS AND THE SACHEM…read more 1) This may be the only marker I've seen that talked about "flowage rights". 2) What is a sachem? I really didn't know so I just looked it up. It's a "great chief" of the Algonquin or other American Indian tribes of the Northeast. So the land on which this town stands can be traced to a sachem. This is a one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker dates to 1974 and is located on the front exterior wall of Town Hall. The blue paint and lettering are in excellent condition. The full marker reads: This area on the Shetucket River was part of the land deeded in 1659 by Uncas, the Mohegan Indian sachem, to form the town of Norwich. In 1786 it became parts of Franklin and Lisbon. Settlements were made at Hanover, established as an ecclesiastical society in 1761; at Elderskin's Bridge (Lords Bridge) and at Lovett's Bridge (Eagleville). In 1856 Governor William Sprague of Rhode Island purchased land and flowage rights on the river, laying the foundation of a large cotton mill which, completed after his death, become the center of a new town. In May, 1861 Hanover, Baltic, formerly Lord's Bridge and Eagleville, now Versailles, were incorporated to form the town Of Sprague Erected by the Town of Sprague and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1974

Things I learned from the Guilford marker:…read more 1) Guilford dates to 1639, but that's only good for seventh place on the list of oldest Connecticut towns. 2) Guilford's settlers bought the land from a Squaw named Shaumpishuh. 3) During the American Revolution, British troops landed in Guilford and burned down two houses. Located on the huge Guilford Town Green is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. The marker was dedicated in 1980 and although the blue background and white lettering are crisp with no signs of fading or peeling, unfortunately I did see some vandalism and graffiti on both sides. The full inscription reads: Guilford This town, the seventh oldest in Connecticut, was founded in 1639 by an oppressed but optimistic band of English Puritans. Henry Whitfield, a minister in Ockley, near London, was the moving spirit behind their emigration. About forty of his friends and sympathizers formed a joint stock company to sail across the Atlantic. They were mostly young and energetic men, farmers, well-educated, and all of them persons of high standing in their community. In a deed of sale dated September 29, 1639, the Whitfield Company purchased the lands between Stony Creek and East River from the Squaw Shaumpishuh, Sachem of the local Menunkatuck Indian tribe. Whitfield's stone house at first served as a fortress and meeting place. Guilford Green was inspired by the typical 17th century English common. In the fall of 1641 the settlers purchased from the Indians land beyond East River that included most of what became East Guilford. East Guilford, now Madison, was set off as a distinct church society in 1703, North Guilford in 1720, and North Bristol (North Madison) in 1753. Two good harbors and two tidal rivers assured success to Guilford in Connecticut - New York coastwise shipping and the West India trade during the 18th century. In the American Revolution British troops landed several times and burned two houses. The famous Sachem's Head Hotel (1832-1865) and Guilford Point House (1797-1897) made this town the center of society for many years. John Beattie's granite quarries at Leete's Island employed as many as three hundred workmen and supplied stone for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Famous sons of Guilford include William Leete, an early Governor of Connecticut; Fitz-Greene Halleck, one of the noted Knickerbocker Poets; and Abraham Baldwin, a signer of the United States Constitution and a Senator from Georgia. Erected by the Town of Guilford The Guilford Foundation The Guilford Keeping Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1980 158 CT towns done, 12 to go

I guess the very busy Berlin Turnpike of today used to be an Indian path…read more Welcome to Berlin, CT!! It's the geographic center of the state, and its historic heritage includes the manufacture of tin pots and pans and pistols. For centuries it has been a popular stopping place for weary travelers. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker dates to 1982 and is in pretty good shape. It's located on a grassy hilly green with benches known as Deming Park on the corner of Kensington Road and Main Street. The full inscription reads: This land, granted to settlers in 1661 and 1668 by the General Court of Connecticut, was also purchased from the local Mattabesett Indian tribe. Founders of the community include Sergeant Richard Beckley, who came north on the trail from New Haven before 1660 and built a home in the northeast section; Jonathan Gilbert, owner of a tract of land along the Hartford-New Haven path; and Captain Richard Seymour, who led a group of families from Farmington in 1686 to begin the settlement at Christian Lane. The area was named the Great Swamp Society in 1705, when it was granted a distinct ecclesiastical unit. Portions of Farmington, Wethersfield, and Middletown were included in the reorganization of 1722, when the name became Kensington. The Worthington Society was later separated from Kensington, but in 1785 all parts were incorporated as the Town of Berlin, including Worthington, Kensington, East Berlin and New Britain. Known as the "Town at the Crossroads" Berlin is the geographic center of Connecticut. (Reverse) Here in the birthplace of the Yankee Pedlar, the Pattison brothers started the tin industry in 1740, when they began manufacturing and selling tin pots and pans. Simeon North, official pistol maker for the United States Government, developed a system of standard interchangeable parts here in his shop c. 1800. Other citizens who brought fame to Berlin include: Emma Hart Willard, educator; Robert Brandegee, artist-poet; Elisha Cheney, clock maker; James Gates Percival, poet-geologist; and General Selah Hart, regimental and brigade commander in the American Revolutionary War. The period from 1850 to 1900 saw the New Britain section grow from a farming village to a thriving industrial center after its separation from Berlin in 1850. Some factories still operated in Berlin, however, and the brick industry flourished well into the 20th century because of the excellent quality of the local clay. The Berlin area has long been a major stop on the main routes of travel, from Indian paths, to superhighways. Erected by the Town of Berlin The Berlin Historical Society And the Connecticut Historical Commission 1982

This is a really neat and very historic old burying ground in the middle of the town. There really…read moreisn't a sign identifying it, but you cannot miss it. I have never in my life seen grave stones for the War of 1812 or the French Indian War.

The East Lyme Veterans Memorial shares Liberty Green with another memorial dedicated to vets of WW…read moreI, known as the East Lyme Honor Roll. The Veterans memorial has three granite blocks connected at an angle with bronze plaques that honor veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The World War II plaque is dedicated to all W W II vets and spotlights ten that were killed in action. The plaque reads "A lasting tribute to these men we loved and lost," above ten names. A second plaque inscription reads "to all our veterans who so bravely fought when our nation was in need." The Korea plaque's inscription reads" For Our Brave Men Who Could Not Come Home" . One name, Roscoe E. Perry is engraved, followed by an inscription that reads "We honor the gallant men of this town who answered the call of our great nation". The Vietnam plaque honors two local vets who were killed. The plaque's dedication reads: "God bless these men who could give no more. May we always remember -Never Forget- These courageous men from Our town who fought for Right when so much was not' The monument is in very good condition at a prominent high traffic corner in Niantic where Main Street (Route 156) and Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 161) intersect.

Just ten years after the Civil War ended, this solemn 16' tall granite monument was dedicated in…read moreSept 1875 to those from Colchester who lost their lives in the American Civil War. It's a wonderful likeness of an austere looking Union soldier wearing a long unbuttoned overcoat and cape. He holds his hat in his hand and is looking down as though he is in deep thought. Look at the amazing detail on the statue - the soldier's sad eyes and flowing beard and mustache, his rifle, bayonet, and cartridge box, the "U.S" on his belt, the folds of cloth on his cape, and the cavalry bugle on the top of his hat. There are a lot of engravings on every side of the monument. You can see a slogan reading "NOT OURS BUT / THE NATION'S". You'll see emblems of the Shield of the United States, a field of stars, and the Connecticut Seal. You'll see a "Roll of Honor" with 44 names. The main engravings read: COLCHESTER HONORS ITS DEAD WHO FELL IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION, 1861 - 5. ERECTED / SEPT. 17, / 1875.

This marker is right by the front door of the North Stonington Town Hall…read more It is jam packed with information about the commercial and industrial heritage of the town. I read about three kinds of mills (fullen mills for woolen cloth-making, grist mills for grinding grain into flour, and saw mills for cutting logs into lumber), plus tanneries, iron works, cabinetry, dye making, dry goods and grocery stores, textiles, and farming. It's a 1-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It is fastened to the front exterior wall of Town Hall. The marker was dedicated in 1983 and is showing signs of chipping at the top of the marker and fading on the blue background.