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.

This historic landmark still stands after all these years. Currently, one of the buildings is a…read moreretail building called Antiques on the Farmington. It's strategically placed on the Farmington River so that dams could be built to create a power source. Eventually, the railroad was built near it so goods could be sent out to be sold. The large bridge nearby was part of the railroad and is now a beautiful walking path for residents near and far. Collinsville became a village because of this famous axe company. The Collins Company opened in 1826 and was known to create the first ready to use axes in America. They also produced and sold machetes and other tools. The building that the axe company was in used to be a gristmill. The company started off with only 8 men and once it got popular, they employed workers from all over the state and nearby states. Housing was built for these workers and their families as well as other town/village necessities; those buildings were a church, bank, shops, etc. As the company expanded, they sold machetes and other tools all over the world. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. The Collins brothers died and eventually the floods of 1955 destroyed the railroad, which halted their sales. Due to competition, the deaths of the owners, a natural disaster, the company closed in 1966. It was a good 140 year run though; the Collins left their legacy and we can surely feel their spirit by just walking around downtown and in the old axe factory. The remnants of this factory still stands strong. I really enjoyed walking on the path and looking at the building. There's so much history and definitely some ghostly feels.

I guess when you have a list of data, one thing has to be first and one thing has to be last. A…read morecool fact about Union is that it was the last town settled east of the Connecticut River, they can thank their rocky terrain and crummy soil for that. This two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background, is located just on the side of Route 190 (Buckley Highway) adjacent to a small town green. The inscription is the same on both sides. The marker dates to 1978 and is in very good condition. One amazing fact I learned was that when the marker was set in 1978, the town's population was just 500 -the same population it had in 1756. What's today's population? The Town of Union's website reports "the census of 2000 showed the population of Union at 694". The markers full inscription reads: This was the last town to be settled east of the Connecticut River, because of it's rough terrain and poor soil. In 1633 John Oldham, an adventurer from Massachusetts, obtained from the Indians here specimens of black lead or graphite. During the Revolutionary War this valuable resource was tapped by Governor. Trumbull for use at cannon foundries. Union, containing 12.500 acres, was sold by the General Assembly on July 1. 1720 to twelve proprietors for £307. The earliest actual settler, James McNall, came here in 1727. The first Connecticut census in 1756 showed the population of Union at five hundred, approximately the same as today. Lumbering was a leading industry during the 19th century. Shoes and axe handles were also made here. The only surviving industries are agriculture, forestry and the manufacture of charcoal. Union is now mainly a residential community.

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!!

There is a small plaque dedicated to the Greatest Generation in the heart of Bloomfield. The…read moreplaque is located on the Village Green, and it shares places with a Korean War monument, a Viet Nam War monument, the World War I Memorial, and the much larger Drummer Boy Statue. Its an amazing sight- seeing Bloomfield honor its war dead from the Revolutionary War through Viet Nam. The inscription on the plaque is written in two columns. The left column reads: "Dedicated to the 650 men and women of our community who fought in World War II 1941 - 1945. To these, the living and the dead, the citizens of Bloomfield erected this tablet in grateful remembrance." The inscription on the right column remembers the seventeen sons of Bloomfield that were lost in WW II. The inscription is in two parts. The first part reads " In loving memory of our war dead." Next, the 17 names are listed in alphabetical order, The last part of the inscription follows the names and reads: "May they rest in peace." Simple, understated, respectful, A lovely memorial.

This statue is located at the start of Rockwell Park, on its own island of grass. The top is a…read moregentleman (presumably a soldier) with his rifle at his side. The cross below reads, "Cuba, Porto Rico, U.S.A., Philippine Island", and inside the cross reads "Spanish War Veterans 1898-1902." There is an image of two soldiers and a woman in the center. Below that is a plaque that reads "To perpetuate the memory of the citizens of Bristol who served in the war with Spain, Philippine insurrection and China relief expedition.1898-1902. Dedicated September 14, 1929. G. A. Hadsell Camp No. 21". It's not a war you hear about often, although obviously it was a huge deal at the time. Definitely interesting to see!

As you head up Route 159 in Windsor, you see signs for it's "Historic District". Rightfully so,…read morebecause Windsor was the first English settlement in the state (1634) and is one of the oldest towns in America. I was walking around the Palisado Green today checking out the historical monuments, when I noticed that I was standing on two small engraved stones. One read "Time Capsule to be opened in the year 2076". The other one read "1999 Senior Time Capsule Open 9-26-33" I haven't been able to find out anything at all about these....

It's a very cohesive memorial on a small plot of greenery. Around an American flag, there are…read moremonuments to those who served and fell from Burlington from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. It seems most accessible parking at the historical society, or the church across the very busy route 4. There is also a gazebo on the green so you can observe them under a sheltered location. The ending of the Civil War memorial is a bit sad. At the conclusion of the list of names, it ends with, "and those known but to God".

I've seen quite a few veterans memorials, but until today I never saw one that honored vets of a…read moredifferent war on each side. This monument honors Burlington's Civil War vets on one side and World War One vets on the other side! Curiously, the Civil War plaque is in a lot better condition than the WW One plaque. The Civil War plaque bears the inscription: The Town Of Burlington Has Not Forgotten Her Beloved Brothers Who Offered Their Lives To Preserve The Union 1861 - 1865 A list of 88 names follows. Some of the names are preceded by an asterisk., The plaque is also dedicated to "and those known but to God". The World War One plaque bears the inscription: Let Us Hold In Honored Memory Those Who Served Their Country In The World War 1917 1919 A list of 43 names follows. The plaque is in poor condition and is very hard to read.