The HartfordHistory.net News Blog, Dedicated to the History of Hartford, Connecticut

New trivia question

2012-02-20T17:04:00.001-05:00

On February 24, 1961, the Federal Communications Commission granted a first-of-its-kind license to Hartford's WHCT-TV, Channel 18. What did the license allow?

You'll find the answer on the Trivia page of HartfordHistory.net.

Remembering G. Fox & Co.

2012-02-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

How did I miss this? The Connecticut Historical Society has an online exhibit entitled "Remembering G. Fox & Co." It's wonderful, with lots of information and lots of photos, all well-presented. There's also a page where people can share their memories of the downtown department store, which opened in 1847 and closed in 1993.

Yours truly worked at G. Fox as a shoe salesman during his college years, in the early 1980s. It was still a hub of downtown Hartford but clearly losing business to suburban malls and strip malls--which, maddeningly for downtown boosters, often included G. Fox satellite stores. For prior generations, the downtown store had been integral to their sense of what "Hartford" meant, right there with the insurance companies, the parks, or any other institution you could name.

Here's hoping someone will create a similar tribute someday to G. Fox's competitor and next-door neighbor, Sage-Allen & Co.

The Books page has been updated!

2012-01-08T15:48:00.003-05:00

Here are the books just added to the Books page of HartfordHistory.net:

"Connecticut in the American Civil War: Slavery, Sacrifice, and Survival," by Matt Warshauer, published in 2011 by the Wesleyan University Press;
"Hidden History of Connecticut," by Wilson Faude, published in 2010 by The History Press;
"William Gillette, America's Sherlock Holmes, by Henry Zecher, published in 2011 by Xlibris;
"Remembering the Old Neighborhood: Stories from Hartford's North End," edited by Joan Walden, published in 2009 by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford; and
"Puritan Parker: Historical Narrative of Sergeant William Parker, One of the Founders of Hartford, Connecticut and a Veteran of the Pequot Indian War of 1637," by Bernard S. Parker, published in 2011 by CreateSpace.

They join another work added earlier:

"Crowbar Governor: The Life and Times of Morgan Gardner Bulkeley," by Kevin Murphy, published in 2011 by Wesleyan University Press.

If you know of any other books concerning city history that came out in the past year but haven’t appeared on the Books page yet, let me know.

50th anniversary of the other Hartford fire

2011-12-13T15:41:00.005-05:00

If Americans associate Hartford with any historical event, it’s probably the circus fire of 1944. But last week marked the 50th anniversary of another deadly Hartford fire that had far-ranging effects on the rest of the country. On December 8, 1961, flames raced through a wing on the ninth floor of Hartford Hospital, leaving 16 dead. The anniversary provided the occasion for a ceremony at the hospital and look-backs by the local news media. Hartford Courant Staff Writer William Weir wrote an especially vivid article, with great quotes from hospital staff who were there that day.

Investigators later blamed the fire on a smoldering cigarette that had been tossed into a trash chute, which ran through all 13 floors of the hospital. When someone opened a door somewhere along the chute's pathway, it provided the oxygen for a fireball that blew through the chute's ninth-floor door. Weir explains why the fire changed hospital safety throughout the country:

As a result of the 1961 fire, the National Fire Protection Association made changes in its 1963 Life Safety Code for hospitals, including requiring sprinklers for trash chutes, requiring that all barriers be built for one-hour fire resistance and requiring that all draperies and curtains have fire-resistant coatings.

Television station WTIC-TV, Channel 3, shot some dramatic footage that day, as the fire raged and rescuers worked frantically. Its successor station, Eyewitness News 3 (WFSB), pulled some of it from the vaults. The station also posted this footage, without audio.

NBC Connecticut (WVIT) had nice video from the hospital's remembrance ceremony and interviews with rescuers and hospital staff.

Historic designation for Fairfield Avenue

2011-09-20T13:37:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to the Fairfield Avenue Neighbors Association for getting Fairfield Avenue designated a National Historic District. To celebrate, the Association will hold a ceremony and social gathering at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, at the Memorial Baptist Church, at 142 Fairfield Avenue. Mayor Pedro Segarra and state Senator John Fonfara are slated to give remarks.

The National Register of Historic Places offers this list of other places in Hartford County to win Historic District designation. (Sorry, the Register doesn't give a breakdown by town or city.)

Arch photos!

2011-09-20T13:31:00.052-04:00

If, like me, you missed the ceremonies last Saturday to mark the 125th anniversary of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in downtown Hartford, there's still a great consolation gift from the State Library: a collection of vintage photos. It's fascinating to see how much the scenery around the Arch has changed over the years, with the Arch itself remaining the same, seeming to stand aloof from time.

A great Connecticut history blog

2011-09-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

An absolute "must read" for anyone interested in our state's history is the Connecticut History blog published by the Connecticut Humanities Council. From the "today in history" posts to entries like a recent sampling of magazine ads run by Connecticut manufacturers during World War II, everything is interesting and well-written. There's nothing like day-in and day-out writing like this to help you appreciate the depth and variety of our history.

Irene brings back memories of Hartford's hurricane past

2011-08-27T23:12:00.001-04:00

The looming of Hurricane Irene is sending people back to the archives for information and pictures on similar events in Hartford history. The State Library, for instance, has kindly posted its photos of the 1938 hurricane. Meanwhile, WTNH-TV (News 8) state Capitol reporter Mark Davis has written about the 1936 floods. Hartford had always been prone to flooding, but it was these two events that finally led to construction of the current dikes along the Connecticut River and the underground piping of the Hog River, which flowed through downtown and out into the Connecticut. That work, by the way, was federally funded.

For some perspective on just how high the river rose in '36 and '38, here's a photo I took a couple of years ago at Riverside Park, where they have plaques indicating the high-water marks for major floods.

Hartford law firm marking 225th year

2011-08-21T11:58:00.000-04:00

The Hartford Courant reports that the law firm of Howard, Kohn, Sprague and FitzGerald is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year and claims it's the oldest continually practicing law firm in the U.S. Among the firm's long list of clients: Mark Twain.

The history of Howard, Kohn, located at 237 Buckingham Street, is detailed on its website. For perspective on how far back the firm traces its history, consider that 1786 was also the year that leading figures in the newly created United States met to discuss possible changes in the none-too-successful Articles of Confederation. Those talks led to the convention that produced the U.S. Constitution.

Peter Falk got his acting start in Hartford

2011-06-25T18:45:00.003-04:00

The New York Times notes in its obituary of actor Peter Falk, who died Thursday night at age 83, that the "Columbo" star got the acting bug while making a living as, of all things, an efficiency expert with the state budget office in Hartford. Falk had grown up in and around New York City, served a stint in the Merchant Marine as a cook, and eventually earned a degree in political science from the New School for Social Research in New York and a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University. Sometime during his Hartford stay, he joined the Mark Twain Masquers, a well-regarded troupe of amateur actors. That led to taking acting classes in Westport from Eva Le Gallienne, who convinced him to put away his brief case and act full-time. He left Hartford at age 29.

In a 2006 interview with the Hartford Courant to publicize his just-published memoir, Falk recalled his days here:

"They hired me as an efficiency expert. I wasn't very efficient. The first day on the job, I was looking for the Capitol building. This magnificent building, surrounded with a magnificent lawn and sitting up on a knoll high up above the rest of the city, and I can't find it. I wound up at the post office."

Yet, going to Hartford "turned out to be the luckiest thing that ever happened to me," Falk added. "I found this outstanding theater group" -- the Masquers, who disbanded in 2001, after 69 seasons.

Courant Staff Writer Susan Dunne noted in the 2006 article that her newspaper's first review of a Falk performance came with the Masquers' staging of Clifford Odets' "The Country Girl" on April 6, 1954. The unnamed critic didn't care much for Falk's performance--or get his name right:

"Folk turns in a capable performance. However, at times, one might get the impression that he at one time was a great admirer of James Cagney."

But over the next year or so, the reviews improved dramatically.

"If it wasn't for the Mark Twain Masquers, I don't know where my life would have gone," Falk said.

Looking for info on Hartford theaters?

2011-06-23T15:31:00.001-04:00

Start your search at Cinema Treasures, a newly redesigned website that has cataloged more than 30,000 "dream palaces" around the world, including those that are long gone. A search for "Hartford, CT" theaters brought 24 results. While the descriptions might be perfunctory, it's the recollections posted by visitors that make the site fascinating.

No more Saturday tours of the Capitol

2011-05-18T22:44:00.003-04:00

The word went out this week that Saturday tours of the state Capitol have been discontinued "due to budget constraints." The tours, conducted by the League of Women Voters, will continue as normal on weekdays, at 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15 and 1:15. If you've never taken this tour, find a way to get a morning off for it -- you won't be disappointed. The League is very dedicated to this work; the guides really know their stuff. Here's where you can learn more.

'Making Connecticut' exhibit to open at CHS

2011-05-18T22:27:00.001-04:00

The new exhibit at the Connecticut Historical Society, set to open May 25, sounds like it could be fun for the youngsters:

"Colorful, interactive, and filled with more than 500 historic objects, images, and documents, "Making Connecticut" is the story of all the people of Connecticut, from the 1500s through today. Themes of daily life, clothing, transportation, sports and leisure, work, and social change run throughout the exhibit. Hands-on activities for kids (and adults!) include working a World War II assembly line, hand stenciling designs for a 19th-century chair, sewing a Native American moccasin, replacing bobbins in a textile mill, and cooking a meal and setting the table in both a colonial and a 1980s kitchen. Come be surprised, inspired, and amused as you explore our state's past and your own place in 'Making Connecticut.'"

This is just too sad for words

2011-03-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

"When Newsweek recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar."

Read more, if you can stand it, at the Daily Beast.

Connecticut in the Civil War

2011-03-18T13:37:00.002-04:00

April brings the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, so the history magazine Connecticut Explored (formerly the Hog River Journal), has dedicated its latest issue to Connecticut's role in the conflict. Articles include: "Heroes of the Home Front" (how women’s deeds honored their country); "Connecticut’s Naval Contributions to the Civil War" (Glastonbury’s Gideon Welles brings order out of chaos); "Connecticut Arms the Union" (rifles, revolvers, and shells that sound “like the shriek of a demon"); "Memorials to a Nation Preserved" (the great sacrifice remembered in stone and bronze); and "Soldier’s Heart" (possible PTSD among Civil War veterans).

Hartford 375 essay contest winners announced

2011-02-27T20:07:00.050-05:00

As part of its celebration of Hartford's 375th anniversary, the city held an essay contest for public school students, asking them: What aspect of Hartford’s history is most significant to preserve for the next 375 years and why? At the February 14 City Council meeting, Mayor Pedro Segarra announced the winners. The mayor had served as one of the judges, along with Council President rJo Winch, Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski, Connecticut Science Center President and CEO Matt Fleury, and historian Wilson Faude.

The winners and their essays, in PDF format:

First prize: Mario Lopez Silva, a senior at Bulkeley High School. He wrote on the role of diversity in Hartford's history.
Second prize: Vidalys Traverzo, a junior at the Law and Government Academy at Hartford Public High School. She wrote on the importance of preserving Hartford's parks.
Third prize: Paul Pino, also junior at the Law and Government Academy at HPHS. He wrote on the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

Bill O'Reilly, Hartford reporter

2011-02-26T01:51:00.001-05:00

Dennis House has another O'Reilly photo on his blog.

Love him or hate him, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly has to be added to the long list of national media figures whose resumes include stops in Hartford. If you lived here in the fall of 1979 and tuned into WFSB-TV, Channel 3 for your news, there was Bill, in appropriate late-'70s blow-dried coif, reporting on stuff like the Windsor Locks tornado or the Harry Chapin concert at the Civic Center.

Channel 3's Dennis House announces in his Hartfordite blog that he's located videotapes of O'Reilly's reports and will air some of them this Sunday morning on his public-affairs show, “Face the State with Dennis House.” If that's not incentive enough to tune in at 11 a.m., Dennis has this teaser: "I also found videotape of O’Reilly in a sea of screaming girls waiting to meet the big teen idol of ’79. You’ll see who that was on Sunday."

New trivia question!

2011-02-25T16:41:00.001-05:00

Who was the first African-American elected to public office in Hartford? Find out here.

A Capitol idea for a website

2011-02-20T16:41:00.005-05:00

The State Capitol Preservation and Restoration Commission has been around since 1973, but it only recently launched a website, at www.cga.ct.gov/cprc. The site is a beauty, with a nice history of the state Capitol and grounds, great photos, and lots of information on current projects.

The Capitol underwent a massive restoration between 1978 and 1988, but preservation of a historic landmark is never finished, especially when it comes to such a prominent -- and still-heavily-used -- symbol of Connecticut history. The current projects include a "Green Capitols" effort to keep rainwater from running off into the already-overburdened city sewer system by installing rain gardens, rain harvesting systems, and new walkways that allow the water to filter into the ground. Then there's the effort to replace the 1878 bronze Genius figure, which sat atop the Capitol dome until it was damaged in the 1938 hurricane and finally was melted down for ammunition and machine parts in World War II. A new bronze casting, made with laser measurements of the original plaster model, is complete but can't be hoisted to the dome until $200,000 is found for the operation. For now, it's on display in the Capitol lobby, along with the plaster model.

Congratulations to the state legislature's Information Technology Services staff for building a site that's sure to raise the profile of a great landmark.

Get ready for the Connecticut Freedom Trail website

2011-02-03T22:12:00.003-05:00

Update: The site is live now, and you'll find a brochure here.

The public is invited to a reception at the state Capitol on Thursday, February 17, to mark the launch of www.ctfreedomtrail.org, a site to show off the Connecticut Freedom Trail. In case you're unfamiliar with the Trail, here's how the state Commission on Culture and Tourism describes it:

In recognizing the importance to Connecticut of numerous sites in the state that are associated with the heritage and movement towards freedom of its African American citizens, the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 authorized that these locations be developed into a Freedom Trail. Included on the trail are buildings reported to have been used on the Underground Railroad, sites associated with the Amistad case of 1839-1842, and grave sites, monuments, homes, and other structures that represent the concept of freedom so cherished in the American mind.

The reception is sponsored by the Commission, Governor Dannel P. Malloy, state Senator Toni N. Harp, the Amistad Committee Inc., the Connecticut Freedom Trail Committee. It begins at 1 p.m. in the Old Judiciary Room of the Capitol, at 210 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. Here's a flyer.

So Long, Hartford Conservatory

2010-10-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

After 120 years as one of the cultural and educational wellsprings of Hartford, the Hartford Conservatory will shut down next spring. This Hartford Courant editorial lists the reasons; so does this announcement from the Conservatory's trustees.

The editorial also gives a nice outline of the Conservatory's history:

"The conservatory was founded in 1890 by some of the city's leading families as the Hartford School of Music, and is now located in two historic Victorian buildings on Asylum Avenue. Generations of Hartford youngsters went to the conservatory for music lessons. Its concerts and recitals were among the city's leading entertainments for years; it even had its own orchestra, the Hartford Civic Orchestra."

History, art, and a wild bicycle ride

2010-09-08T11:43:00.001-04:00

Real Art Ways, the nerve center of contemporary art in Hartford, will hold "Real Ride hARTford" on Saturday, September 18, starting at 6 p.m. Here's how RAW describes it:

"Ride with us through 35 years of Real Art Ways history. From public art projects commissioned by Real Art Ways to our former locations, this fun tour will show you Hartford’s art scene like you’ve never seen in before."

Here's video from last year's ride:

Thirty-five years isn't long by the standards of Hartford institutions, but in the difficult world of contemporary and alternative art, that's an eternity. After occupying several spaces downtown in the '70s and '80s, RAW moved into the old Underwood typewriter factory on Arbor Street and eventually embarked on a renovation project that made it one of the most vibrant places in Hartford. (Check out the great movie theater sometime.) But just as importantly, RAW constantly seeks to build community with events like this one.

Two new trivia questions

2010-08-30T04:32:00.000-04:00

You'll find them here.

'Papermainia Plus' this weekend

2010-08-27T15:23:00.001-04:00

Enjoying the postcards on HartfordHistory.net? Want some of your own? Your big chance comes on Saturday and Sunday, when "Papermania Plus" comes to the XL Center. It's an antique paper show where vendors sell postcards, posters, magazines, prints, autographs, photographs, trading cards--anything that's a) old and b) made of paper. See you there!

Appreciating Elizabeth Park

2010-08-27T12:01:00.000-04:00

Colin McEnroe's mid-day talk show on WNPR (90.5 FM) was devoted Thursday to a really nice discussion of the value and beauty of Elizabeth Park, famous for its rose gardens. "A park is so much more than just a piece of land, and there are certain city parks that invite a rich mix of people bursting with creative, amorous and physical energies," Colin writes. "We think Elizabeth Park in Hartford and West Hartford is such a place." You can listen to the show here.

The park was created from land donated by industrialist Charles M. Pond. Show your love by donating to the nonprofit Friends of Elizabeth Park.