Just ten years after the Civil War ended, this solemn 16' tall granite monument was dedicated in…read moreSept 1875 to those from Colchester who lost their lives in the American Civil War. It's a wonderful likeness of an austere looking Union soldier wearing a long unbuttoned overcoat and cape. He holds his hat in his hand and is looking down as though he is in deep thought. Look at the amazing detail on the statue - the soldier's sad eyes and flowing beard and mustache, his rifle, bayonet, and cartridge box, the "U.S" on his belt, the folds of cloth on his cape, and the cavalry bugle on the top of his hat. There are a lot of engravings on every side of the monument. You can see a slogan reading "NOT OURS BUT / THE NATION'S". You'll see emblems of the Shield of the United States, a field of stars, and the Connecticut Seal. You'll see a "Roll of Honor" with 44 names. The main engravings read: COLCHESTER HONORS ITS DEAD WHO FELL IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION, 1861 - 5. ERECTED / SEPT. 17, / 1875.

Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock),…read moreHis life's seconds numbering, (tick, tock, tick, tock), He was born into an abolitionist family in Middletown in 1832. As a toddler, his family moved to Illinois where his father (Alanson Work) helped 3,000 slaves escape to Canada through the Underground Railroad. Alanson was arrested and jailed for this, and after his sentence was over, he moved his family back to Middletown, CT. Henry Clay Work developed an interest in music and was soon having his songs published. He is best known for two songs; "Marching through Georgia" (1865) about General Sherman's sacking of Atlanta, and "Grandfather's Clock" (1875). You absolutely know that song - about a clock that "stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died." That song sold close to a million copies. More amazing than that, is that the phrase "grandfather clock" was born out of that song!! The monument consists of a bust of Work's head and shoulders on a granite slab. There is a plaque on the granite, and a history marker in front of the monument.

This is a really neat and very historic old burying ground in the middle of the town. There really…read moreisn't a sign identifying it, but you cannot miss it. I have never in my life seen grave stones for the War of 1812 or the French Indian War.

This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background, The lettering is the same on both sides. I love the location of the marker- right in front of Town Hall between two sidewalks, mailboxes and a bicycle rack. I love the idea that so many people walk by it every day to learn something about their town. Some of the markers I see are way off the beaten path, on a random street (example? Stonington). The marker is in good condition with easy to read lettering. It summarizes the history of the town from it's 1646 settlement and Massachusetts Puritan roots, its spin-off from New London 60 years later, and a great piece of trivia- that Groton was the site of one of the final battles of the American Revolution. On a more contemporary note, it talks about Groton's importance to the submarine industry. The marker reads: As a part of New London Plantation, Groton was settled in 1646 by John Winthrop, the younger, and a band of Puritans from Massachusetts. The town separated from New London in 1705, and was named for the Winthrop manor in England. One of the last battles of the American Revolution was fought on Groton Heights at Fort Griswold, September 6, 1781. The Groton Monument commemorates the battle. A state park now preserves the fort area. Groton is the site of the Submarine Base of the United States Navy, and home of the builder of much of the Navy's undersea fleet. It is the birthplace of the nuclear submarine. Erected by the Town of Groton, the Groton American Revolution Bicenntennial Committee and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976

Fact- during my childhood in the Bronx, the local high school was named DeWitt Clinton High School…read more I played a lot of stickball and basketball there. Later I learned that DeWitt was quite a public servant, serving as a Senator from NY (1802-03), Mayor of NYC (1803-1815), and later as Governor of NY (1817-1822). That's quite a Triple Crown. Today, while reading the Clinton CT Historical marker, I learned about one more of his accomplishments - the honor that Clinton, CT was named for him. The marker is located on the lawn just to the right of Clinton's Town Hall. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker has the same text on both sides. The 1977 marker is in an uneven condition. One side is in pretty good shape, with a fairly bright and unfaded blue background and white lettering. The other side was not as fortunate, because I saw various of points of failure in the form of fading in both the blue background and white lettering. The full text reads: Settled in 1663 and then known as Homonoscitt Plantation, this shoreline and rural community soon thereafter was given the name Kenilworth and later Killingworth. In 1735 the First and Second Ecclesiastical Societies were established being the southern and northern portions of the Town respectively. In May 1838, the southern portion was incorporated as a separate town with the name of Clinton after DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York. Early classes of the Collegiate School, later Yale University, were held here. Citizens prominent in Clinton history: Abraham Pierson - a founder and first rector of the Collegiate School. Jared Eliot - church pastor and noted doctor friend of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Gale - pupil of Eliot, gifted physician and agriculturist. Charles Morgan - benefactor of public schools. Horatio G. Wright - Civil War general, chief of army engineers. Erected by the Town of Clinton the Clinton Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1971 166 CT towns down, 4 to go

On a traffic island at the intersection of Main Road, Youngs Road and Village Lane, this stone…read moreobelisk is tribute to the men from this area who fought for the Union during the Civil War. On one side, it reads "To the memory of the soldiers from this village who gave their lives to their country in the war of the rebellion." with "1870" on the base. The other sides list the names and deaths of these men. [Review 15307 overall, 809 of 2021, number 196 in New York.]

The marker tells us that Middlefield was settled "around" 1700 by two Samuels and a Benjamin. When…read morewas the town chartered? How about two-hundred and seventy years later, in 1971! It also tells us via a gigantic list what was manufactured here over the years. How about lumber, snuff, black powder, knives, pistols, cotton products, grist, buttons, nails, iron wire, paper, and clothes wringers. That's quite an eclectic list! Now be honest, did you know what grist is? I didn't so I looked it up. It's a processed grain that is ground into meal or flour. This is a one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It is fastened to an exterior wall near the main entrance of Middlefield Town Hall at 393 Jackson Hill Road. The marker was dedicated in 1981 and is in excellent condition

Things I learned from the Guilford marker:…read more 1) Guilford dates to 1639, but that's only good for seventh place on the list of oldest Connecticut towns. 2) Guilford's settlers bought the land from a Squaw named Shaumpishuh. 3) During the American Revolution, British troops landed in Guilford and burned down two houses. Located on the huge Guilford Town Green is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. The marker was dedicated in 1980 and although the blue background and white lettering are crisp with no signs of fading or peeling, unfortunately I did see some vandalism and graffiti on both sides. The full inscription reads: Guilford This town, the seventh oldest in Connecticut, was founded in 1639 by an oppressed but optimistic band of English Puritans. Henry Whitfield, a minister in Ockley, near London, was the moving spirit behind their emigration. About forty of his friends and sympathizers formed a joint stock company to sail across the Atlantic. They were mostly young and energetic men, farmers, well-educated, and all of them persons of high standing in their community. In a deed of sale dated September 29, 1639, the Whitfield Company purchased the lands between Stony Creek and East River from the Squaw Shaumpishuh, Sachem of the local Menunkatuck Indian tribe. Whitfield's stone house at first served as a fortress and meeting place. Guilford Green was inspired by the typical 17th century English common. In the fall of 1641 the settlers purchased from the Indians land beyond East River that included most of what became East Guilford. East Guilford, now Madison, was set off as a distinct church society in 1703, North Guilford in 1720, and North Bristol (North Madison) in 1753. Two good harbors and two tidal rivers assured success to Guilford in Connecticut - New York coastwise shipping and the West India trade during the 18th century. In the American Revolution British troops landed several times and burned two houses. The famous Sachem's Head Hotel (1832-1865) and Guilford Point House (1797-1897) made this town the center of society for many years. John Beattie's granite quarries at Leete's Island employed as many as three hundred workmen and supplied stone for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Famous sons of Guilford include William Leete, an early Governor of Connecticut; Fitz-Greene Halleck, one of the noted Knickerbocker Poets; and Abraham Baldwin, a signer of the United States Constitution and a Senator from Georgia. Erected by the Town of Guilford The Guilford Foundation The Guilford Keeping Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1980 158 CT towns done, 12 to go