There is a lot of text on this marker that stands at the south end of East End Park. It is visible…read morefrom the road that goes past but I stopped to read the marker and appreciate the monuments in this park. On the front, "In 1686 the General Court of the Connecticut Colony granted to the town of Hartford and Windsor "... lands on the north of Woodbury ... and on the west of ... Simsbury ... to make a plantation or villages theron." Later (1732) the Hartford proprietors, named in a patent of 1729, executed a deed which provided for division of the Hartford share, including the part which became Winchester. The General Assembly in May, 1786 authorized an ecclesiastical society in Winchester township. The meetinghouse was located near, and a later one on, the present Winchester Center Green. Following petition by the society, the General Assembly incorporated the Town of Winchester in May, 1771. "In 1778 the Assembly established the Ecclesiastical Society of Winsted (from Winchester and Barkhamsted townships) on Old North Road, but the opening of the Greenwoods Turnpike in 1799 from New Hartford to Sheffield brought a great volume of traffic to the valleys." And on the reverse, "Settlers along the Still River erected a second meetinghouse near the present Winsted Green. The village of Winsted became an incorporated borough in 1858, a city in 1917. Since the late 1700's the community of Winchester / Winsted has thrived on a core of industry: scythes, thread, clocks, electrical items, ball bearings, and one of the few pin factories of the 1800's in the United States. The first grist mill was built in 1771 by David Austin at the foot of Highland Lake. Benjamin Jenkins and James Boyd built one of the State's first scythe factories at Lake and Meadow Streets in 1792. The Hoadleys and Whitings founded a clock industry here in 1897, which became the Gilbert Clock Company in 1871. Ribbon candy was invented in the 1880's in a local candy store. The Gilbert School (1895) became the home of the Northwestern Connecticut Community College in 1965." "Erected by the Town of Winchester, The Winchester Historical Society And the Connecticut Historical Commission. 1979" Plenty of street parking around the park. [Review 1693 of 2024 - 97 in Connecticut - 22716 overall]

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 town green where Main Street (Route 44) intersects with Park Place (Route 8). The green is a busy place, with all sorts of other markers, monuments, and memorials everywhere. The marker was dedicated by the Town of Winchester, The Winchester Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission in 1979. The marker tells the history of the area now known as Winchester and Winsted (Winsted is a part of Winchester) Way back in 1686, the General Court of the Connecticut Colony gave the established towns of Hartford and Windsor additional lands to the West for settlement. It took close to 100 more years for everything to fall into place, but in 1771 the Town of Winchester was incorporated. The name "Winsted" came about as a nod to its early settlers from both Winchester and Barkhamsted, It was incorporated in 1858 and became a city in 1917. Winchester's industries over the years have included agricultural tools, thread, clocks, electrical items, ball bearings, and pins. Ever have ribbon candy as a kid? It was invented here in Winsted in the 1880's. The marker is not in terrific condition, as some of it's blue paint is starting to peel away,

This historical marker is located in front of the Simsbury Town Hall and Police Department…read morebuilding. In the green space, adjacent to the parking lot, there is a bench and a clock. The road this property is located on is called, Hopmeadow Road; it's the main road in Simsbury with tons of restaurants and shops. This historical marker gives a brief history of the land the building is currently on. It used to be called Massaco Plantation and established in 1642. Many products were manufactured there such as tar, pitch, turpentine, and steel. Other production included, copper mining and smelting, copper coinage, safety fuse, & silver plating of spoons and forks. In 1647, it was destroyed by Native Americans and again in 1676. This marker is navy blue and in good shape. I like these markers because it is informational and I love reading the history of the area.

Located on the front lawn at Town Hall. This 2-sided marker (same text on both sides) gives a…read morebrief history of the Town of Simsbury. The text reads: Simsbury (Massaco Plantation) Manufactory for tar, pitch and turpentine established here in 1642. Destroyed by fire of Indian origin in 1647. Local tribal lands were deeded in reparation. Named Simsbury in 1670 and granted town privileges by the General Court of the Colonie of Connecticut. Burned by hostile Indians March 26, 1676. Reconstruction commenced in the Spring of 1677. Here Began Copper Mining and Smelting 1705 Manufacture of Steel 1727 Copper Coinage 1737 Safety Fuse 1836 Silver Plating of spoons and forks 1845 Connecticut Historical Commission 1970 The marker is very visible from Hopmeadow Street (the main drag in town) and sits in a prominent position in a nice landscaped area in front of Town Hall. The blue paint and white lettering are in pretty good condition.

A lovely marker located in front of Litchfield Town Hall. There is a separate entrance and exit so…read moreyou can drive around, or park on the Green and carefully make your way over to study it. Parking in the back is signed as being for Town Hall business only, and since the town trooper apparently keeps his office there, you may want to follow that guidance.

"Location, location, location", right?…read more Because it was located on the stagecoach route between New York and the New England towns, the village known as Litchfield thrived and became a strategic post during the American Revolution. So not only did George Washington sleep there, but so did Alexander Hamilton and Lafayette! Even way back then, Litchfield seemed to attract the beautiful people. Located on the front lawn of Litchfield Town Hall, this is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It dates to 1977 and is in very good condition. The full inscription reads: Litchfield The "Greenwoods" or "Western Lands" of Connecticut were explored in 1715 by John Marsh of Hartford, purchased for fifteen pounds from the Potatuck Indians, who called the area "Bantam", and first settled in 1720. In 1751 this village was designated the seat of the newly organized county of Litchfield. A location on the inland stage routes between New York and the towns of New England promoted a healthy commerce, and during the American Revolution the town served as a supply depot for the Continental Army as well as an occasional holding place for Loyalist prisoners. In September 1780 General George Washington, attended by his aides Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, lodged in this town en route from an historic conference with French allies at Hartford. Here Judge Tapping Reeve had established the first law school in America by 1784, and in 1792 a pioneering school for the education of females was opened by Miss Sarah Pierce. (reverse) By 1810 Litchfield was the fourth largest town in Connecticut, but then, overlooked by railroads and large scale water-powered industry, the town declined in population for almost a century, fortunately preserving a large portion of the architecture of her golden age. Here can be seen the houses where Ethan Allen, Aaron Burr, John C. Calhoun, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Benjamin Tallmadge, and Oliver Wolcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived or studied. The village green and the areas of North Street and South Street within the Borough have been designated a National Historic Landmark. Points of interest open to the public include the Oliver Wolcott Library, the Tapping Reeve House and Law School, and the Litchfield Historical Society Museum and Research Library. At the western edge of town are Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, and the Litchfield nature center and Museum, on the grounds of the White memorial Foundation. Erected by the Town of Litchfield and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1977

The more I look around the Farmington Valley, the more semi-hidden and overlooked evidence I…read morestumble upon that shows how old this area is, and how it was chest deep in the Revolutionary War. Memorials are everywhere signifying events in colonial America. I've lived in Simsbury since 1987, and have visited the Simsbury Post Office at 932 Hopmeadow Street conservatively 200 times. I never noticed this plaque until today, and I only saw it because my car battery was dead and I was standing outside waiting for the AAA truck. At the front of the Post Office, in a strip of grass near the drive-up mail boxes, is a stone monument with an old weathered plaque. The inscription reads: Entrance to Pent Road 1668-1787 THIS ROAD LEADING TO THE RIVER CROSSING WAS A DIRECT ROUTE TO WINDSOR IT WAS USED BY THE MILITIA ON THEIR WAY TO BOSTON IN MAY 1775 PLACED BY ABIGAIL PHELPS CHAPTER D.A.R. 1935 So in other words, Colonial American soldiers walked here about 238 years ago. The shootings at Lexington and Concord happened in April 1775 a month earlier than the date on the plaque. Who knows what fate awaited these men. Did they fight the Redcoats in New York? Or New Jersey? Or Quebec? Did they end up living through the brutal winter at Valley Forge? Did they fight in North Carolina or South Carolina? Were they at the decisive Battle of Yorktown? If they did, their rendezvous with destiny and history may have had a stop in Simsbury........

This plaque on the lawn in front of the Simsbury Library marks the birthplace of Simsbury native…read moreGifford Pinchot. Who was he? He dedicated his life to American conservation and forestry, and in 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him as the first Chief of the United States Forest Service. He also served two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania. The plaque's lengthy inscription reads: Gifford Pinchot Birthplace Gifford Pinchot (1865 - 1946) was for more than 50 years a staunch advocate of forestry and conservation in the United States. He was born on this site on August 11, 1865 to James Wallace Pinchot and Mary Jane Eno; his maternal grandparents were natives of Simsbury. Gifford Pinchot was founder and first president of the Society of American Foresters, served President Theodore Roosevelt as the first Chief of the USDA Forest Service, with his family helped establish the Yale School of Forestry, became Pennsylvania's Commissioner of Forestry, was a principal in creating the National association of State Foresters, and was a two-term Governor of Pennsylvania. Dedication August 11, 2000 In the centennial year of the founding of the society of American Foresters, and on the one-hundred and thirty-fifth anniversary of his birth, this monument is dedicated to the memory and legacy of this pioneering forester. This monument was made possible by the Society of American Foresters and its New England Society, Divisions and Chapters, National Association of State Foresters Foundation, Pinchot Institute for Conservation, Connecticut Urban Forest Council, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, USDA Forest Service-Grey Towers Historical Site, Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the Pinchot and Eno families

This landmark is a callback to a time where Goshen once had enough people to support a church NOT…read morelocated in the center of town. People actually gathered in what is now rather isolated for worship. The inscription on the rock reads: This Doorstep Erected In Memory Of The Original Subscribers Of North Goshen M.E. Church Which Stood Here 1840 --- 1923 It is a pretty drive to see this landmark, particularly in the fall. The grass can get pretty long so any other time of year be mindful of ticks!

On the Litchfield Town Green stand four stone monuments honoring its citizens who served in…read moreAmerica's 20th century wars. There are single sided monuments for the vets of World War One, Korea, and Vietnam. The World War Two monument is two-sided. The respective inscriptions on each plaque precede the honor roll of names. Names with an asterisk were killed in the war The simple inscriptions read: In Honor Of The Men Of Litchfield Who Rendered Service In The World War 1917 - 1919 In Honor Of Those From Litchfield Who Served In World War II 1941 - 1947 In Honor Of Those From Litchfield Who Served In Korean War 1950 - 1955 In Honor Of Those From Litchfield Who Served In Vietnam War 1964 - 1975 There are about 900 names on these plaques -all Litchfield citizens who served their country across the decades of the 20th century. On the other side of the green is a monument that goes even further back in history -back to the Civil War The monuments are in excellent shape with small American flags around their bases. There is a large flagpole and cannon on the green overlooking the monuments. It's a lovely and understated tribute to the patriots of this small New England town.

The Canton historical marker is located on a small green space between Dowd Ave. And Albany…read moreTurnpike in Canton. There's a beautiful gazebo with lovely landscaping around it and a picnic table. There's a handful of parking spots; during business hours, it is always full. I drive by this spot daily and finally stopped by. The historical marker is in good condition; it looks like it was painted within the last couple of years. There is a bench, flag pole, and a Welcome to Canton sign. Overall, a cute little spot; albeit, a random spot.

This is a lovely marker. It may have been retouched since it's last review, paint looks pretty…read morereasonable. It's located on a little triangle of land off route 202, and I would recommend looking for a way to access the back roads to get there. I'm unclear on the parking situation - the triangular patch has a gazebo, where one can.... Sit, and admire the sign (to each their own), but all the surrounding parking seems to be attached to shops. I parked on the side of the road on the grass to see the Canton sign, but I'm not sure that's a solution for a prolonged engagement. So ultimately, as a result of my trip, nice sign, but I'm really curious about the gazebo, why it was built, and how anyone may use it.