A Connecticut man had a distinguished career in World War I as a member of the prestigious, 10-member motorcycle courier squad carrying top-secret documents on behalf of General John Pershing, head of U.S. forces in Europe. As the only non-prof

The #1 Word Puzzle Creator in the U.S.

12 days ago 20m 41s

The man who is the #1 syndicated creator of word puzzles in the U.S. is a CT native. David L. Hoyt is the author behind Jumble, as well as two for USA Today: “Word Round-up” and “Up and Down Words.” His story of getting involved in the puzzle w

Secrets of the Oldest Town Green

19 days ago 20m 39s

It’s the oldest town green in North America – one laid out in grid format and continuously maintained since colonial days. The New Haven Green has acquired many secrets in its nearly 400-year existence, including hidden cemeteries, historic chu

The Inside Story Behind New England's Stonewalls

26 days ago 24m 44s

You might look at stonewalls as so many people do – beautiful rows of rocks piled in lines along fields or through the woods. Yet, the history of stonewalls, and their New England charm, hide a more scientific purpose – namely, classifying them

This CT Harbor Attack is in the Same Record Book as Pearl Harbor

May 30th, 2024 23m 36s

It’s one of the largest, single-day losses of boats by the United States in a military campaign – and it held that record for 200 years, until Pearl Harbor. The British raid on Essex during the War of 1812 saw more than two dozen ships destroye

Connecticut's Hanging of Witches in the 1600s

May 23rd, 2024 20m 13s

The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1690s. It was decades earlier that CT’s witchcraft frenzy occurred. Nearly a dozen women and men were hanged for witchcraft, until young CT Colony Governor John Winthrop used his political expertise to get

How One Ancient Dirt Path Paved the Future for Western CT

May 16th, 2024 22m 26s

The successful development of western Connecticut, following the arrival of European settlers, can largely be attributed to a single dirt path, that was nearly lost to history. The 350-year-old Old Woodbury Path ran from the 1600s settlement of

Who Put the Ivory in Ivoryton?

May 9th, 2024 20m 35s

From piano keys to combs, buttons, and other various other items, the smooth, glassy touch and feel of ivory was a highly regarded commodity in high demand. And 90% of the ivory products made throughout the world were made in two communities in

A CT Man's Top-Secret Project: "PO Box 1142"

May 2nd, 2024 22m 50s

During WW II, there was a top-secret project known as “Post Office Box 1142.” A Connecticut man played a major role in the operation, which focused on prisoners of war – both Americans held overseas as well as influential German and Italian pri

Who Really Killed Seymour's First Selectman?

Apr 25th, 2024 23m 39s

It was nearly 100 years ago when the shooting death of Seymour First Selectman Ray Gilliard occurred in his Town Hall office. He called the telephone operator, said he had been shot, described his assailants, and asked for police and a doctor t

CT Gave Birth to the Very First Robot

Apr 18th, 2024 21m 18s

Connecticut is the home of many inventions. One that's of particular interest is the first robot. The first industrial robot ever placed on a production line was built in Danbury and spearheaded by the holder of the patent (George Devol, of Wil

One of CT's Biggest Disasters - the L'Ambiance Building Collapse

Apr 11th, 2024 21m 9s

Today, we often hear of building collapses, with workers or members of the public trapped underneath debris. One of the first such incidents to capture the public’s attention was the collapse of the L’Ambiance apartment building while it was un

CT had its own Alamo - and it had a Gruesome Ending

Apr 4th, 2024 20m 20s

Some call it, Connecticut’s Alamo. The Battle of Groton Heights was a massacre by any measure, with 1,600 British soldiers greatly outnumbering 165 Patriot soldiers in one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War. The British were led by Be

He Murdered for Love - and Hate

Mar 28th, 2024 21m 21s

This 100-year-old western CT murder case was a difficult one to solve. There was no body in home where murder victim George Hultz lived that had burned to the ground. The motive was elusive. And the perpetrator who was eventually identified was

Civil War Draft Dodging, with the Doctor's Help

Mar 21st, 2024 20m 21s

When we speak about draft dodgers, we normally mean the potential recruits, who are trying to stay out of the military. In the case of Dr. Josiah Beckwith, he was a CT doctor examining recruits for the Civil War, and more than 90% of them got m

Will CT Have Enough Open Space in the Future?

Mar 14th, 2024 24m 32s

We live in a state with a lot of open space, correct? Well, while 60% of our land is forested, much of it is privately-owned and potentially subject to development. The state legislature established a goal of setting aside 21% of the state’s la

Noah Webster - Our Forgotten Founding Father

Mar 7th, 2024 20m 50s

Connecticut native Noah Webster not only created the first American dictionary, but he made numerous contributions to the field of education, establishing teaching approaches that exist as the norm to this day. His writings on establishing a ne

It's Connecticut's Only Zoo - And What a History it Has

Feb 29th, 2024 25m 31s

Connecticut once had five zoos. Now, it just has one accredited facility – Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. Not only is the history of how the facility began quite interesting, but so it its mission of keeping highly endangered species alive and mu

Did a CT Man Survive the Titanic by Wearing a Dress?

Feb 22nd, 2024 21m 47s

A CT man survived the sinking of the Titanic 110 years ago, but he was accused of getting into a “women and children only” lifeboat by wearing a dress. The problem is, it was a completely fabricated story. Yet, the lie followed William Sloper f

When Your Small Plane Pilot Dies in Mid-Flight

Feb 15th, 2024 35m 2s

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pilot of a small plane you were riding in died in mid-flight? On Easter Sunday, 2009, the pilot of a twin-engine plane out of Florida suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving a father, his wife, and

Which of CT's 169 Towns Came First?

Feb 8th, 2024 20m 17s

There are 169 towns in Connecticut, and it would seem like a simple question: which town was the first to be settled? Well, there is still some controversy – nearly 400 years after the fact – as to whether it was Windsor or Wethersfield. The de

20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound: PART TWO

Feb 1st, 2024 23m 30s

In this second of a two-part series on the sinking of the S-48 submarine 100 years ago in Long Island Sound, we’ll have the exciting conclusion about the survival efforts made by the 41 crew members trapped 60 feet below the surface of The Soun

PART 1: 20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound

Jan 25th, 2024 22m 30s

Many people have no idea that the S-48 submarine sank in Long Island Sound off the coast of Fairfield back in 1921, with 41 crewmen onboard. This first of a two-part series takes us through a detailed accounting of the first hours of what the c

This CT Ghost Story has Plenty of Credible Witnesses

Jan 18th, 2024 29m

It’s one of the most documented cases of supernatural activity in world history – the so-called “Lindley Street Poltergeist.” In a house in Bridgeport in the 1970s, the three residents were tormented by floating refrigerators, knives and crucif

The U.N. was Supposed to be in Greenwich

Jan 11th, 2024 17m 38s

The United Nations headquarters was originally supposed to be in Greenwich, CT. The search committee decision to build a Vatican-like city was announced in 1946. It would have consumed the entire northern half of the town and displaced a thousa