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

Completed in 1908, I learned that the Bulkeley Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Hartford area…read more(thanks Google!) The Riverside Park below and around the Bulkeley Bridge is the big draw for me. For the best parking go to the Riverfront Boathouse. With 9 stone archways, it's beautiful when the sun is highest. Stop by for great views of the CT River too!

Here are three historical nuggets you'll learn from this marker:…read more 1) The founder of the area named it after his native land. 2) The town's first minister had the epic name of Reverend Ebenezer Devotion 3) The town's Samuel Huntington was quite a big deal- he was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence It's a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. You'll see it on the town green where Route 97 (Devotion Road) hits Route 14 (Palmer Road). The green also features a gazebo, monuments, and a memorial bench. The sign dates to 1979, and its in very good condition, with just some minor peeling at the top of the front side. The full inscription reads: In 1700 Isaac Magune purchased several hundred acres of hilly terrain in the town of Windham and soon named it after his native land. By 1726 about eighty families of English Puritan, Scotch, and Huguenot descent had settled in the area. Society, or parish privileges were granted by the General Assembly in 1732. The first Society meeting was held at the home of Nathaniel Huntington. In the preceding year Samuel Huntington had been born. This native son devoted his entire life to our state and to the young and emerging nation. He was a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a judge, and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut and third Governor of the state. In 1733 the first meetinghouse was erected. The parish secured a minister, the Reverend Ebenezer Devotion of Suffield. In 1735, the Revolutionary era was well supported by the Scotland Parish. Nearly every able-bodies man from sixteen to sixty volunteered and went to war. Many became leaders in the struggle for freedom. After a thirty-seven year effort to free the parish from Windham, Scotland became incorporated and held its first town meeting on July 4th, 1857. Small industries once flourished along Merrick's Brook, which provided the necessary water power. Agriculture has always been the predominant occupation since early settlement. An attitude of rugged individualism, personal industry, and independence has pervaded the hills and valleys of Scotland from the time of Isaac Magune to the present day. Erected by the Town of Scotland The Scotland Historical Society And the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979

The Cove Warehouse is a maritime museum built in the 17th century. It's located in Wethersfield…read moreCove. It was used as shipping trade in the Wethersfield cove; products like lumber and red onions were stored there before shipping out to trade overseas. They would receive rum, sugar, and molasses in return, from the Caribbean. There were similar warehouses nearby but sadly, they were swept away due to a massive flood. The foundation it's on now has been raised to prevent damage from future floods and natural disasters. The structure looked old but strong. It had beautiful views of the lake which connects to the Connecticut River. There is a trail, boat ramp, and rocky beach nearby. The parking lot was large; I'm not sure if there's a fee to park there and/or to unload a boat. We walked there from Main St. There was a representative from the Wethersfield Historic Society working at the museum when we went. It's nice to see the inside of the warehouse, the old historic structure showed great craftsmanship. It is open seasonally; Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm, from late May to early October. If you're in the area and like history, I recommend a visit.

The Florence Griswold Museum is more than just a beautiful museum. To show even more support this…read moreyear, I decided to buy a family membership. For years my family has been visiting the museum in the fall for the Wee Faerie Village, an extraordinary outdoor display of faerie villages that are created by local businesses and individuals. There isn't enough room for me to gush about this event. The beauty, creativity, and the scavenger hunt keep us coming back. The museum offers a glimpse into history, beautiful art, extraordinary gardens, breathtaking views of the river. and more.

We ventured to Old Lyme, Connecticut on Sunday for the final day of Mystical Murmurs: An Enchanted…read moreEnvironment by Adrien Broom. The exhibit features a fairy ring of gigantic mushrooms. The artist was born and raised in Old Lyme. The installation is meant to encourages us ponder the magical mysteries of the forest. We also really enjoyed the Amanita sculptures outside the main building housing the museum's permanent collection. We were able to photograph these just before one of the museum staff sold them off to a local mushroom enthusiast (since Sunday was the last day of the mushroom exhibit). While we came specifically for the mushroom installation, we also really enjoyed our visit to the other galleries. The museum showcases the work of the artists of the Old Lyme Artist Colony, a nexus of American Impressionism and has some beautiful impressionist landscape painting, including many by female artists of the 19th and early 20th century. The grounds here are also beautiful with gorgeous views of the Lieutenant River. There was also an exhibit of small fairy houses when we visited. Beautiful spot with nice staff and docents. Would definitely return here!

Passing through and wanted to take a quick break. This location was a great little spot to have a…read morequick snack and relax next to the roaring water sounds from the falls!

Nice little waterfall. Part of it is still under construction and there was also a wedding going…read moreon when I was there so I couldn't fully explore but what I did offered some nice views and tranquility. Was tempted to follow the tracks to see where/what else I could see but didn't have it in me this day.

This terrific Civil War monument is inscribed with hundreds of names. Names of those who "died of…read morewounds" or "died in service" or "died In Military Prisons" or "Killed In Action" or "Died since muster out". The main inscription reads: Honor To The Brave Their Heroic Valor Ensures Our Lasting Peace Erected By The Town Of Middletown To The Memory Of Her Fallen Sons 1874 It's a great monument - a beautifully detailed mustachioed Union soldier wearing his long coat, a cap, and holding a rifle in his right hand. There is a sculpted panel of a family and an inscription that reads "Their heroic valor ensured our lasting peace". There is a circle of laurels around the words "Honor to the Brave". There are cannons around the base of the monument. It's located just off Main Street in Union Park.

They are open limited hours, but it's worth a visit to a guy who was annoyed by a bunch of…read moredifferent spellings all over the place. Or in other words, he saw value in unifying the country through singular coded spelling choices, including ditching some British spellings. This suggestion for "tung" never caught on though. It's not a big house, but they do provide a video background and an iPad introduction where in each room you can play audio on the family, the room, and other background information. Since we were the only ones there, playing the audio was great. If a bunch of people were there, individual audio could get annoying. But there was a lot of good information to play as much or as little as needed. There's a small gift shop, and the whole thing should take about an hour. It's a neat little historical site for someone of whom we have all read their work.

The Noah Webster House is a very cool museum where you'll learn all about "The Father of American…read moreScholarship and Education." Of course Noah Webster is most well-known for publishing his dictionary, but he also created the "Blue-Backed Speller," which taught generations of children how to spell and read, and played an integral role in advocating for copyright reform. Here's the scoop on this interesting little museum in West Hartford: The museum is open Monday-Sat, 1-4PM. Adult admission is $14. The museum is actually the location of Webster's childhood home. Parking is available on site. Once inside, you will receive an iPad, which will guide you through each room in the house. You can also use your smartphone to scan a QR code and download the tablet tour on your phone. There is a short 15-minute film about Webster's life that you can watch prior to starting the self-guided tour. You can then use the iPad to navigate your way from room-to-room, and the iPad includes an audio narration about the room, what it was used for, etc. Photography/video is allowed. After finishing the tour of the house, there is an educational/demonstration room that you can visit where staff give various presentations on different topics. The day I went, a staff member was demonstrating how the Webster family used to card and spin wool. It was pretty cool! These demonstrations are part of the museum's "Life on the Webster Farm: Work Days" educational series, and are generally the second or third Saturday of each month (visit their website for the full list of dates). Before leaving, you can check out the gift shop which has Noah Webster and West Hartford souvenirs and memorabilia. After I finished at the museum, I took the short drive to Blue Back Square, which I learned was named after Webster's "Blue-Backed Speller." There you'll find a statute of Webster in front of the West Hartford Public Library, as well as the "Webster Walk" with various murals and artwork. Overall, a very educational experience about one of our nation's Founding Fathers!