On the Town Green across from North Haven's Memorial Town Hall you'll find this marker with an…read moreinteresting narrative of the town's settlement and history. It's Indian origins, settlement by three pioneering families, early patriarchs and benefactors, and development of agriculture and manufacturing are all described nicely. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides.. The marker dates to 1978 and is in pretty good shape except for some chipping, and peeling on the blue paint at the top of the sign. I took these photos on a snowy day. The shot of the sign against the background of Town Hall and all that snow came out very nicely. The full inscription reads: A part of Indian land bought in 1638 for New Haven, North Haven was incorporated in 1786. The center area was settled in 1670 by the Humiston, Thorpe, and Blakeslee families. A separate parish or church society was formed in 1716. The Reverend James Pierpont gave the Green for a meetinghouse, burial ground, and drill field. In the old cemetery lie veterans of the Revolutionary War, including Sergeant Jacob Thorpe, killed at East Haven in 1779. The Reverend Benjamin Trumbull, patriot and historian, lived here from 1760 to 1820. Here were born Ezra Stiles, President of Yale 1778 - 1795, and Hobart B. Bigelow, Governor of Connecticut 1881 - 1883. Theophilus Eaton, a founder of New Haven, opened a brickyard here in 1640. Bog iron also was mined near Pool Road after 1656.Where first was a humble farming village, small manufacturing enterprises soon sprang up, heralding present-day North Haven as a thriving industrial and residential town. Erected by the Town of North Haven and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1978

In the final 79 words of this plaque's inscription, the words "art" or "artist" are mentioned five…read moretimes. Artists began congregating in Old Lyme in the early 1800's, and the town continues to be a popular artists' colony to this day. The marker is located on the front lawn of the Old Lyme Town Hall. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on each side. The marker is in pretty good shape with minor fading on the blue background on both sides. 164 CT towns down, 6 to go The full inscription reads: As early as the 1640's settlers from Saybrook cleared and planted land on the east side of the Connecticut River in what is now Old Lyme. The first recorded grant of land, in 1649, was to Matthew Griswold in the Black Hall quarter. By 1665 the inhabitants on the east bank, "... desiring to be a plantation by themselves: do declare that they have a competency of Lands to entertain thirty families", and agreed with those on the west bank upon a "loving parting" by which a separate community was established. Two years later the General Court of Connecticut ordered that "... ye Plantation on ye East side ye River over agt Say-brooke for ye future be named Lyme." The settlement, some eighty square miles, included the present towns of Old Lyme, East Lyme, Lyme and part of Salem. The General Court gave consent to Lyme in 1678 to found a church society, which was not formally organized for fifteen years. Meeting House Hill, east of Duck River, was the site of two 17th century meetinghouses and one of the 18th. Samuel Belcher designed a fourth, built in 1817, to face the green at the south end of Lyme Street. After it burned in 1907, a replica became as favored a subject for artists as was the original. Seaborne trade began in 1650 with exportation of barrel staves on the ship TRYALL, starting a lucrative commerce with the West Indies. In the 19th century Lyme was divided four towns. This comminute in 1855 was named South Lyme, renamed Old Lyme two years later. From a summer colony of artists at the turn of the century evolved the Lyme School of Art, the Lyme Art Association, and the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. Nearby on Lyme Street stands the Florence Griswold House of 1817, which lodged the artists and is now the headquarters of the Lyme Historical Society, where many of their works may be seen. Erected by the Town of Old Lyme the Lyme Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979

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

I just love how old some parts of Connecticut are. Take the Town of Lyme for example. The…read morehistorical marker for Lyme relates a ton of history involving the town's settlements, divisions, expansion and growth - all between the years 1663 and 1669. The marker is located on the front lawn of the Lyme Town Hall. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker only has text on one side and a blank space on the reverse. The marker is in pretty good shape -the blue background and white lettering are fairly bright and unfaded. I did see some evidence of chipping and peeling at the top left corner. 165 CT towns down, 5 to go

I went to the New Haven Green to advocate for childcare. Childcare is in a crisis and there needs…read moreto be an increase in federally funded money to support childcare. Early childhood educators are not even paid minimum wage and struggling to pay their bills. Additionally, many families are not able to afford high-quality childcare. The Connecticut Childcare Organization is advocating for families for equitable, affordable access to high-quality care, and for early childhood educators to have a stable workforce. Moreover, they raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education, change of policies for early childhood education, partnering with business and private companies to fund early childhood, and persuading the public about the awareness of childhood education. Early childhood is in a national crisis that is affecting parents, especially mothers, struggling to find suitable and affordable childcare options. Also, a lack of federally funded investment is failing to relieve parents and families from childcare's high and inaccessible cost. The federal government must act quickly to preserve and increase funding for child care for children to experience a high-quality education. Policy makers must provide longterm investments to ensure that families can afford care, children receive the critical developmental support, and workers receive a living wage. As child care becomes more expensive and insufficiently funded, caregivers are struggling to pay for child care because child care is more expensive than ever. It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to pay for childcare and to be able to work. Some caregivers are working two jobs just to pay for daycare and must sacrifice their bills to pay for childcare. Families spend an average of over $8,000 per year per child for full-time child care, a cost that has increased by 26 percent in the last decade which is more than 200 percent over the past 30 years, and is not nearly in line with minimum wages.,Childcare is $10,600 annually, which is more than public college tuition in 34 states and families are unable to pay for high quality childcare because of high cost.

This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a…read moreblue background. It highlights the history of New Haven and is located on the Church Street side of the New Haven Green, near City Hall. This marker needs both sides to describe the rich history and importance of New Haven. It traces its history way back to settlers from England and Boston in 1638. It was the first planned community in the US. It was invaded and looted by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was the site of the famous trial that cleared the slaves aboard the Amistad, and it became an American icon for higher education with the founding of Yale University in 1701. The plaque is located very close to Church Street on the beautiful Village Green. It's a worthy setting for a plaque honoring one of America's oldest cities. The plaque's full text reads: Settlement of Quinnipiac, afterward named New Haven, began on April 25, 1638 with the arrival of a large group from London by way of Boston, under the leadership of merchant Theophilus Eaton and the Reverend John Davenport. Later that year, the present downtown area was laid out and mapped in nine squares with a central common, now called the New Haven Green. This is the first example of a planned community in the United States. The town was invaded by the British in 1779 during the Revolutionary War, but escaped serious damage, despite extensive plundering. The City of New Haven was incorporated in 1784 and its first mayor was Roger Sherman, the only person who signed all four of the Nation's founding documents: the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. (Continued on other side) New Haven Harbor, the largest port on Long Island Sound, was the scene of an active fishing and sailing trade in the 19th century New Haven in 1840 was the setting for the AMISTAD trial, in which fifty-two black slaves, who had mutinied aboard a Spanish slave ship of that name after being kidnapped in Africa in defiance of law, were cleared of all civil charges brought against them. The city later became noted for manufacturing. New Haven is the site of a number of schools of higher learning, including Yale University, founded in 1701, South Central Community, Southern Connecticut State, and Albertus Magnus colleges, and Berkeley Divinity School. The homes and many institutional buildings of New Haven reflect the work of noted architects from the 18th century to the present. Since the 1950's, New Haven has received national acclaim for its efforts to renew and preserve the downtown and distinctive neighborhoods. Erected by the City of New Haven the New Haven Colony Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979

My first historical marker on Long Island and only my second in New York (after…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/rockland-brinks-robbery-nyack?hrid=WiAuPeFUNpcWJ81PA-8vog in Nyack), this red one is located in the staging lot for the Cross Sound Ferry. It is in very good condition with only a little bit of peeling paint around the edges. The marker reads, "According to local legend, Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin set milestones in 1755 that park the Post Road from here to Riverhead." And yes, Riverhead is 30 miles from here. The Pomeroy Foundation has more information. "The legend has its origins in a journal entry from a 19th century local historian named Augustus Griffin. A resident of Orient, NY in the 1850s, he recorded a local story that Benjamin Franklin visited North Fork in 1755 to take a ferry to New London for the purpose of visiting his mother. Supposedly, on the way he used a special odometer to measure the road to Southold where he stayed at the inn of Augustus Griffin's grandfather before travelling on towards New London. Interestingly, no mention of road markers or Benjamin Franklin's role as joint postmaster for the British Crown were mentioned. This became the basis of the idea that Benjamin Franklin himself not only measured the road but installed the mile markers." The website does a fact check that basically prove that there's no way Ben Franklin did it but does provide the actual origin of "the only complete set of mile stones in the northeast, making them historic in their own right." [Review 15304 overall, 806 of 2021, number 193 in New York.]

Impressions of the East Haven marker?…read more First of all, East Haven is really old, with a history tracing back to 1638. But paradoxically, it didn't become a "city" until the 1970s. Secondly, check out some of the awesome names on the marker. Theophilus Momaugin Lonotononket Jacob Heminway. Who's he? In 1701, he became the first student at Yale. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located near town hall at the intersection of Main Street and Chidsey Avenue. Dedicated in 1976, the marker is in a deteriorating condition with many signs of peeling and chipping. The full inscription reads: This area, purchased by the Reverend John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton in 1638, was later known as East Farms. It was obtained from Indian sachems Momaugin and Mantowese. In 1639 Thomas Gregson, the first landowner, purchased Solitary Cove, later called Morris Cove. The first Connecticut ironworks was located in 1655 by Lake Saltonstall, formerly named Lonotononket, then Furnace Pond. East Farms became known as Iron Works Village, the third iron industry in the New England colonies. Jacob Heminway, the original Yale student, served as the first pastor (1704-1754) of the Congregational Church. In 1774 the Old Stone Church was erected; its first minister was Nicholas Street. This area was invaded in 1779 by British General William Tryon. During the Revolutionary War, Lafayette encamped on the green, revisiting it in 1824. In 1881 Fair Haven, Granniss Corners, and Morris Cove were ceded to New Haven. The Roosevelt Turkey Oak, a gift from President Theodore Roosevelt, was planted on the green in 1908. The initial town meeting (1785) named Isaac Chidsey First Selectman. The town became a city during the 1970's under Mayor Francis W. Messina Erected by the East Haven Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976

What do Henry Ford's use of assembly line production, Samuel Colt's popularization of…read moreinterchangeable parts, and Philadelphia's Betsy Ross Bridge have in common? The answer is Hamden, CT. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides, and is located in the heart of Hamden in a small grassy area at the busy intersection of Dixwell Avenue and Whitney Avenue. It's in excellent condition with a bright blue background and crisp white lettering. The marker is dated 1973, so I wonder if it was replaced somewhere along the way? The inscription reads: Hamden Incorporated in 1786, this town was originally part of New Haven and was named for John Hampden, noted English statesman. In 1798, at the foot of Lake Whitney, Eli Whitney pioneered in the use of interchangeable parts in the manufacture of arms for the United States Government and created the American concept of assembly line production. The first truss bridge in the United States, constructed after the patented design of Ithiel Town, eminent architect, was erected in Whitneyville in 1823. The Farmington Canal, 1825 - 1848, traversed the entire length of Hamden and evidence of it still exists in the Mount Carmel area. Erected by The Hamden Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1973