This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background, It's located in the Pine Meadow Historic District of town, on a small green where Main Street (Route 44) hits Church Street. The marker tells the history of the general area and the specific history of the Town of New Hartford. Way back in 1732, the CT General Assembly gave the largest towns in the area, Hartford and Windsor, permission to set up towns in the "Western Lands". That was the origin of New Hartford, as 182 Hartford taxpayers became the new town's owners and had the area surveyed for homes and roads in 1734. The history of New Hartford soon came to include farming, grist and saw mills, and industry. Leading manufacturing companies grew - The Greenwoods Company, the D. B. Smith Company, and the Chapin Stevens Company. Key products developed here included diverse things like cotton for the military, sails for America's Cup boats, planes, hand tools. But by 1900, the economy for manufacturing had changed, as mills went South, and manufacturing collapsed at the time of the Great Depression. Several floods also treated the area harshly. New Hartford is a tough little town with some beautiful scenery and a host of newer business partners - Waring, Ovation Instruments, and Hitchcock Chair Company. The marker was erected by the Town of New Hartford, the New Hartford Historical Society Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Society in 1977. It's in pretty good shape.

I recently participated in the 2012 edition of the ING Hartford Marathon. I traveled from Honolulu,…read moreHI for this one and have doubled up with the Amica Rhode Island Marathon the next day. I did enjoy the race up to a point, where the course support was great and the aid stations were adequate. I do love the urban races so much, that I probably will favor more of them versus trail marathons and ultras. The ING Hartford Marathon & Half marathon is the biggest marathon event in Connecticut. Period. There is another marathon in Roxbury, but it does not compare to ING Hartford. Seriously. The only problem I have with this race was that they started to take down the course mile markers after 5 hours. I was on mile 17 with friends when they started to do that. Obviously, I got lost when I got to mile 21 and veered off course. So much so, that I ended up on the shoulder on the I-84. When I realized that I was on the wrong path, I got back on track, but lost a significant amount of time. Thankfully that I did find the course bike marshals and they directed me back to downtown Hartford and the founder's bridge. After crossing the bridge at mile 25, I could not find where I was going. Everything seemed to be gone till a friend of mine who ran the half helped guide me to the Hartford arch and the finish line. If it weren't for her, I most likely would have been lost in downtown Hartford and posted a DNF for this race. The ING Hartford Marathon is good, regardless of my own personal experience. They have a potential growth here and I am happy that I was able to travel here and run this one for my own well being and to sacrifice a little bit of my sanity in the process. Love the crowd support in the early goiing and the residential support along the middle the course (mile 10+). Thankful also for the official gear check people who taken in my two bags, when I didn't have the gear tag with me, bout they had blank tags there and filled my race number on two tags and tied them to my bags for identification later after the race. I did like the finish at the Hartford Arch though. The finisher's medals were hot. Hope to be back sometime! B #Yelp Marathons

This past October marked the 3rd ING Hartford Half Marathon I have participated in. It is my Fall…read more"A" race. I love this race, not only because it is so close by but it is one of the most well run races I have had the pleasure of participating in. I have never run the full marathon course so my review is for the half marathon. Here are my thoughts on the race: *Expo - I had no problem picking up my number. I always go and pick up my number during my lunch break and have never had to wait that long. It's very organized. Volunteers check you in, you pick up your number and then head over to grab your shirt. I love the fact that you get a long sleeve tech shirt ( I am a sucker for those) and because they were not busy I was able to try it on to make sure I got the right size. There are a good quantity of vendors but you are not going to see (at least yet) any of the big running companies. However, there was definitely a good mix of vendors for me to geek out to. *The Start - No problem finding that - the race for both the full and the half start at the same time in front of the state capitol. This race does not have a wave start - once the "gun" goes off it's every man and woman for themselves. I hope that as the race continues to grow that they implement this system. Makes it for a less congested start and would help runners get into their "groove" easier. *Course - The half and the full separate less then a mile from the start. Signage and the well placed volunteers make it very difficult to "accidentally" run the wrong race. The half marathon makes its way through the Park section of Hartford up through and around West Hartford near St. Joseph's college before bringing the runners back down Farmington Avenue to finish under the arch at Bushnell Park. This is not a flat course by any stretch of the imagination - it's relatively hilly with the last "gentle rise" coming as you run down Farmington Avenue thinking to your self - "Self - why isn't the arch getting any closer are you sure we are running toward it." OK maybe you don't but I have said that to myself each of the three times I have run this race. Another thing I love about this race is the fans on the course - which runs through several residential areas - because it is their cheers and noise which at times has kept moving me forward when my legs did not want to go as fast. *Fuel - *Hydration (water and Gatorade) stations were well stocked and there were plenty of them throughout the entire course Although I carried my own fuel - it was good to see that they have one fuel station along the course with volunteers passing out GU. *Finish Line- Heat blankets are given to runners as soon as they cross the finish and they have sure come in handy. In an effort to be more "green" the organizers have implemented water fountains for the finishers to drink from AND THEN after you are handed your medal - you are presented with a full and reusable water bottle. Great idea and a great way to eliminate waste. I also loved the fact that this year, in addition to the water bottle, each runner was handed a reusable bag with several snacks in it. I cannot tell you how many races I have had many things to juggle (water, i pod, medal, heat sheet) and I don't have any room to carry the food. *This is a great and very well run event. I look forward to it every fall and am glad that more and more runners are discovering this great fall race

Picturesque New England village green. Historical homes, churches, inn. Location for farmers…read moremarkets, Christmas tree lighting, pancake breakfasts, art shows, marathons, holiday parades. Small town charm epitomized here.

Definitely follow Riverfront Recapture on Facebook for tons of great free events. Jerk festivals,…read moreAsian Dragon Boat Races, Free concerts, Food trucks, Fireworks, etc. It's always a well organized, safe good time.

I finally visited the Hartford waterfront today thanks to the Dragon Boat and Asian Festival. I…read morecan't say enough about how impressed I was! It was as scenic and as pleasant as can be. It was jam packed with couples and families and folks of all ages enjoying the sun, the scenery, and a perfect summer day. Hartford has really come a long way since I moved here in 1987. The Science Center, the Convention Center, a re-invigorated downtown, the Lincoln Sculpture Art Walk, and the beautiful Riverfront. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Very cute little piece of history. I'm not sure about hours, but when they're open they have a…read morelittle "gift shop" table with shirts, bags, and water bottles! All good quality. The museum has a little parking in front, and for the middle of nowhere has a fair amount of houses. A golf cart drove by. Unexpected. The inside is small, but not bad for its size. They have chairs from three eras of students, water bucket, photos and historical documents. Plus admission is free.

What a wonderful organization. Very helpful and understanding. Arrived on time and were very…read moreprofessional and thoughtful!

"You wear sandals in the snow And a smile that won't wash…read moreaway 'Cause you're working Building a mystery" (Sarah McLachlan) Ever hear of Rebuilding Together? It's a national organization of volunteers that mobilize to repair, modify, and improve homes for low-income homeowners. Founded in Texas in 1988, over the years, 3.4 million volunteers have worked to rehab over 100,000 homes. With 200+ chapters across the country, on the last Saturday in April, volunteers gather across the country to repair and revitalize homes. We participated in the Hartford's chapter Volunteer Day on Saturday. Our day kicked off with an early 7:30 check-in, orientation, breakfast, and T-shirt distribution at the Sarah J. Rawson Elementary School. At 8:30, we headed off to our assigned house on nearby East Burnham Street. We joined hundreds of volunteers to restore and refurbish thirteen homes across the Blue Hills neighborhood of Hartford. The home we were assigned to included 20 volunteers from Travelers Insurance. It was a long, tiring day that ran from 730 to 4. We painted, dug up and relocated rose bushes, planted bushes, moved mulch, rebuilt a closet, installed a front porch railing, replaced a large back yard clothesline, and were links in a bucket brigade chain to empty basement clutter and move it to a dumpster. There were 41 tasks on our house's punch list, and we got to them all. Shout out to Capital Ice Cream for the welcome delivery of their ice cream for an afternoon break. Shout out to the many leaders who organized the moving parts of today's massive endeavor. House Captain: Denis Walter Volunteer Coordinator: Mary Ann Lefemine Program Manager: Ray da Rosa Area Director: Ted Brown

Wow! What an inspiring place! The Community Services Director Janet Mellon gave me a tour. They…read moreprovide services for Southington residents, and there are some programs for anyone at all, for example, if anyone needs a coat, hat, and gloves. Such an organized place! They have a huge food pantry, there is an amazing well-stocked Community Closet, and you will see the many volunteers there helping the community! Please donate food and gently used or new clothing and other products here. They will take anything. It's easy to donate, they have plenty of parking in the back, there's an area to donate in the front with huge bins and food carts. I really enjoyed learning about their many programs, like making Easter baskets for kids, back to school packages, and so much more. They also provide financial assistance. The Community Closet smelled good, the items were clean. I highly recommend you visit this place for services or to help their cause. They have fundraisers. Check out the website. You can stop by weekdays from 8:30-4:30 to drop off clothes or food and other items. They provide services during these hours, but as the director said, she's even there working on the weekends to care for the community.