This is a two-sided historical marker on Route 10 North, on the property of the Salmon Brook…read moreHistorical Society. It was erected by the Town of Granby, the Salmon Brook Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission in 1980. The marker gives an overview of Granby's history in a very wide ranging narrative stretching from colonial times through the Viet Nam war. It has so much content on it, that it is engraved on both sides. It reads: "Side One Settled as the Salmon Brook section of Simsbury early in the 18th century, and established as a separate ecclesiastical society in 1736, Granby became a separate town in 1786. From the beginning, farming was the main endeavor of the populace: first subsistence farming, then raising fruits of the orchard, tobacco growing, and diary farming until agriculture waned in the 1950's. Industry, producing shoes, horse-drawn carriages, wool cards, and forest products, developed along streams where water tumbled over the rock ledges common to Granby terrain. On July 4, 1825, in Granby at the Connecticut-Massachusetts border, Connecticut's Governor Wolcott commenced construction of the Farmington Canal (1825-1849) by turning the first spadeful of earth. Settled by emigrants from Windsor, Granby, like Simsbury, was the 18th century frontier for the mother town against Indians and the French allies. Side Two One early citizen, Daniel Hayes, was kidnapped by local Indians and taken to Canada, whence he escaped to return home to live nearly a half century longer. Granby sons and daughters in the 20th century have gone on to become prominent attorneys, president of a major life insurance company, Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court and Librarian of the State of Connecticut. Ours sons have fought and some of them have died in each of the country's wars from the Indian conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries to Vietnam. In the Civil War, volunteers from Granby included free blacks fighting for the freedom of their southern brothers. Many of Granby's young men were among those in the Connecticut 16th Militia Regiment who suffered and died in the infamous Confederate prison stockade at Andersonville, Georgia. Granby citizens participated in the westward movement of the 19th century, founding the town of Worthington, Ohio, now a suburb of Columbus. The plaque is in great condition, with crisp sharp white lettering on a blue background.

"Light Into The Dungeon" is a unique Halloween experience that is hosted at the Old New-Gate Prison…read more& Copper Mine in East Granby, Connecticut. The historic property opened as a colonial copper mine in 1707. It is recognized as the oldest officially chartered copper mine in North America. The mine was largely unprofitable throughout its existence. It remained active until the 1750s when most colonial mining began to cease. The Colony of Connecticut purchased the property in 1773 and converted it into a prison. The prison had only one point of entry and exit: a forty-foot ladder down into the mine from the guardhouse. Prisoners were provided with musty straw to sleep on. More above-ground facilities were built in the early 1800s to keep up with the influx of new prisoners. While the prison was active, imprisoned individuals included local prisoners, counterfeiters, enslaved people, political prisoners of war, and even women. The number of inmates peaked at 127 in 1821. Old New-Gate was shut down in 1827 due to unprofitability, frequent escapes, and inhumane living conditions. Since 1968, the property has been under the ownership and direction of the State of Connecticut. From late September through Halloween, the old copper mine at Old New-Gate is illuminated by jack o'lanterns. Operating on Fridays through Sundays, visitors can descend 75 feet underground and explore a 100-yard loop that is adorned with 400 professionally carved jack o'lanterns. My family and I visited this past weekend and we had such a fun time seeing all of the cleverly carved pumpkins. We especially liked how calm it was compared to other New England jack o'lantern attractions that get to be quite crowded and expensive. We also recommend sticking around afterwards to explore the property and learn about its truly unique history. The remaining "Light Into The Dungeon" dates are sold out for the 2026 season, but we highly recommend planning a trip for a future Halloween season!

What a dark, damp, cool, and creepy place…read more In the 1700s, it started as a copper mine then transitioned to a prison; it closed in 1827. Kids 5 and under are free adults are $10 a person. This includes a 30 minute guided tour in the mine. There were ample parking; we went on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy. The grounds were interesting to walk around and look at the ruins. The mine was also intriguing. It was dark, damp, and 52 degrees. There were caverns throughout. The water was dripping on our heads and the floor was damp and some spots had puddles. I would recommend sneakers/boots not sandals since mine got a little damp. It was pretty cool seeing the green copper lines too. Overall, a historic spot worth a visit!

This is a gorgeous, ancient tree in Granby, CT. The Dewey family farmed this land for many…read moregenerations. Eventually the farmland was sold and the land developed. Except for the parcel where the tree lives. Estimated to be 450+ years old, it is believed to be one of the oldest trees in New England. Which is a pretty big deal as land was being cleared from the 1600's for farms and the wood used to build homes, furniture, tools and more. The Dewey-Granby oak has lived through a lot of history: formation of the colonies, witch trials, King Philip's War, invention of the telephone, creation of the hamburger (yes, this happened in CT), submarines, Mark Twain (who lived in CT), hurricanes, rock 'n roll, space shuttles and on and on. This tree has been alive through it all. In 1997, the property was acquired by the Granby Land trust who care for the tree to this day. In time, the tree will succumb to age. It has some hollow limbs, others have fallen during storms and many rest on the ground. Knowing the tree will one day be a memory, the land trust has planted an acorn from this tree at the Salmon Brook Historical Society. The tree will live on. If you love nature, magnificent trees, history or are looking for an odd bit of 'roadside' interest, this is definitely a stop for you.

The Viets family of East Granby operated a farm and livestock business on this site for many years…read more After the business closed, the land came into the possession of the Town of East Granby, who converted it into an almost 500 acre public park with a recreation center and hiking trails. In a beautiful nod to it's prior owners, the Town not only decided to leave the Viets Farm concrete silo standing, but also commissioned the painting of a mural on it to serve as a huge welcome sign to the park. It stands in the main parking lot entrance to the complex on Route 187. The gorgeous color mural covers every square inch of the silo with a lovely farm motif of animals, scenery and a blue sky. The original lettering was left undisturbed: L. H. VIETS & SONS CATTLE & HORSES It really is a gorgeous and very unexpected sight to see!!

This historic one room schoolhouse was built in 1872. It's located next door to the North Canton…read moreMethodist Church. It used to be at the fork of the road but was moved to the current location in the 1920s. Since other schools were built, it has not been used as a school since 1942. I love the historic architecture and was able to go inside it recently, at the church tag sale and strawberry festival. It's definitely old and needs work; they are using it as storage. I think it would be awesome if they turned it into a library, shop, etc. Overall, a cute building and worth a visit if you're in the area.

The Town of East Granby was not always known as the Town of East Granby. Years ago it was known as…read morethe idyllic sounding Town of Turkey Hills. Well whatever it's name, when the town celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008 a big part of the celebration was the five foot tall fiberglass turkeys that popped up all over town. Sponsors had the opportunity to paint and decorate their turkeys any which way they sought fit. This very cool turkey can be found in front of Town Hall. It differs from the other turkeys because the creative students at East Granby High School though out of the box and added a big rectangle into the turkey so the entire work of art suggest a postcard to represent East Granby tourism. You can see a corner of the postcard on the front with the words "Greetings from East Granby" along with a map of the town. The back of the statue has the text of the fictional postcard extolling the virtues of this little town. The body of the turkey is decorated with all kinds of local images and the back is decorated with the seal of the East Granby Chamber of Commerce.

A very small memorial located in a pretty landscaped section of the side lawn where the Tariffville…read moreFire Station stands. The memorial consists of a stone rectangle with 2 small plaques. The first plaque reads: Arthur J; Hayes Green, Dedicated May 23, 1953 The second plaque reads: In memory of veterans of all wars I did some research and found that Arthur J. Hayes was the Church Historian for the St. Bernard's Catholic Church. The plaques are showing signs of rust and fading.

Today we had another great visit to NEAM for the second time. We took my mom for Mother's Day…read moreweekend they were having an event where you could go inside the B-29 which was really cool. (Pictured below) Another difference in this visit was Dr. Flush! A navy vet and engineer who was a pioneer in space toilet technology... he had great stories to tell!

Impressive collection of unique historic aircraft and the well-told stories that accompany them…read more Plenty of hands-on cockpits alongside don't-touch artifacts, all fascinating pieces of America's airborne history. Excellent exhibit on pioneering female flyers, as well as a high volume of memorabilia and thoughtful narratives. It is hard to believe such a place exists in the New England region, with such a vast and restored collection of flying machines. Absolutely worth a visit. Educational, interesting, and beautiful works of aerial art.

This two sided marker has quite a lot of information on it about the town of East Granby which is…read morein north Connecticut against the Massachusetts border. The town is named for John Manners, the Marquess of Granby (1721-1770). East Granby was initially settled by Europeans in 16644 and includes the first incorporated copper mine in America which later became the Old Newgate Prison. On the front, "This area, first settled in 1664, was one of four Congregational parishes in Simsbury. The Turkey Hills Ecclesiastical Society in 1786 became a section of Granby, and in 1858 was incorporated as the Town of East Granby. An unusual geographical feature, a basalt ridge dividing the Town lengthwise, has had considerable influence upon its character. The first incorporated copper mine in America was on the western side of this Talcott Range. The mine subsequently became New Gate Prison, a Revolutionary War jail and the first prison in the United States (1790). Farming has always been the mainstay of the Town. The early twentieth century saw local farmers specializing in dairy products and tobacco. The number of operating farms diminished as the population of the Town increased from 838 in 1858 to 4600 in 1979 but the rural character of East Granby remains." And on the reverse... These local citizens were but a few of the many who have left their mark upon the history of this Nation: John Griffin (1605-1681) - First settler and first military officer in this area. Samuel Higley (1687-1737) - Doctor and artist, who minted the first copper coins in America and pioneered in the manufacture of steel. Captain John Viets (1712 1777) - First keeper of New Gate Prison. Whitfield Cowles (1764-1840) - Entrepreneur, minister, and farmer, who founded one of the first companies to silverplate spoons (1843). Eunice Griswold Pinney (1770 1849) - Well-known artist who worked with water colors. Walter Forward (1783-1852) - Lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury for President Tyler. Lemuel Cicero Holcomb (1795 1876) - Conducted a boys' school specializing in Greek and Latin. Albert Carlos Bates (1865-1954) - Farmer, librarian, author, and historian. The marker was erected by the Town of East Granby, the East Granby Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission in 1980. [Review 18411 overall - 77 in Connecticut - 1933 of 2022.]

It's the home of one of the country's oldest copper mines and oldest state prisons. The guy who…read moreminted America's very first copper coins is from here. Such are some of the claims to fame of this very old town -East Granby, CT. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. It's located on a grassy area near the East Granby Town Hall. The sign was dedicated in 1980 and remains in good condition. It has a brief history of the town on the front side, and some biographical sketches of some of it's famous citizens on the other side. Side One This area, first settled in 1664, was one of four Congregational parishes in Simsbury. The Turkey Hills Ecclesiastical Society in 1786 became a section of Granby, and in 1858 was incorporated as the Town of East Granby. An unusual geographical feature, a basalt ridge dividing the Town lengthwise, has had considerable influence upon its character. The first incorporated copper mine in America was on the western side of this Talcott Range. The mine subsequently became New Gate Prison, a Revolutionary War jail and the first state prison in the United States (1790). Farming has always been the mainstay of the Town. The early twentieth century saw local farmers specializing in dairy products and tobacco. The number of operating farms diminished as the population of the Town increased from 838 in 1858 to 4600 in 1979 but the rural character of East Granby remains. Side Two These local citizens were but a few of the many who have left their mark upon the history on this Nation: JOHN GRIFFIN (1605 - 1681) - First settler and first military officer in this area. SAMUEL HIGLEY (1687 - 1737) - Doctor and artist, who minted the first copper coins in America and pioneered in the manufacture of steel. CAPTAIN JOHN VIETS (1712 - 1777) - First keeper of New Gate Prison WHITFIELD COWLES (1764 - 1840) - Entrepreneur, minister, and farmer, who founded one of the first companies to silver-plate spoons (1843). EUNICE GRISWOLD PINNEY (1770 - 1849) - Well known artist who worked with water colors. WALTER FORWARD (1783 - 1852) - Lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury for President Tyler. LEMUEL CICERO HOLCOMB (1795 - 1876) - Conducted a boys school specializing in Greek and Latin. ALBERT CARLOS BATES (1865 - 1954) - Farmer, librarian, author, and historian. Erected by the Town of East Granby the East Granby Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1980