Today in 1918, a division of new Connecticut recruits encountered their first taste of modern warfare in a small village in northeastern France. In that battle, they repelled a regiment of elite German troops and held the front lines against overwhelming odds. The US 26th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Yankee Division because its regiments…
Tag: hamden
March 14: Eli Whitney Patents the Machine That Would Lead to Civil War
Today in 1794, Eli Whitney, one of Connecticut’s most influential inventors, received a patent for the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized cotton production by optimizing the laborious task of cleaning seeds from raw cotton bolls. Born in Massachusetts in 1765, Eli had exhibited both interest in, and talent at, manufacturing early in life,…
January 8: Eli Whitney’s Best Idea Comes Home
Eli Whitney, who died today in 1825, is best known for his invention of the cotton gin. But Whitney also left a lasting legacy on American manufacturing and society through his creation of the first “manufacturing community” in America, the factory village in southeast Hamden still known as Whitneyville. Whitney’s manufactory was designed not…
July 10: The Worst Tornado Outbreak in Connecticut History
Today in 1989, the worst recorded tornado outbreak in state history tore through the state, as multiple twisters devastated a historic forest, left behind numerous swaths of destruction, killed two people, and injured hundreds more. Local meteorologists had warned residents about the high potential for severe weather on July 10, 1989, but no one…
July 4: A Waterway to Prosperity
On July 4, 1825, thousands of Connecticans, surrounding a canal-boat-on-wheels specially created for the occasion, gathered at Salmon Brook Village in Granby for ground-breaking on what was then the largest transportation project in Connecticut history – the Farmington Canal. Governor Oliver Wolcott spoke briefly before digging the ceremonial first shovel of dirt, officially kicking off…
April 20: Green Connecticut Troops Fight Germany’s Best at WWI Battle of Seicheprey
Today in 1918, a division of new Connecticut recruits encountered their first taste of modern warfare in a small village in northeastern France. In that battle, they repelled a regiment of elite German troops and held the front lines against overwhelming odds. The US 26th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Yankee Division because its regiments…
March 14: Eli Whitney Patents the Machine He Thought Would Help End Slavery.
Today in 1794, Eli Whitney, one of Connecticut’s most influential inventors, received a patent for the Cotton Gin, a machine that revolutionized cotton production by optimizing the laborious task of cleaning seeds from raw cotton bolls. Born in Massachusetts in 1765, Eli had exhibited both interest in, and talent at, manufacturing early in life,…
July 10: Connecticut’s Worst Tornado Outbreak
Today in Connecticut history, the worst recorded tornado outbreak in state history tore through the state, as multiple twisters devastated a historic forest, left behind numerous swathes of destruction, killed two people, and injured hundreds more. While local meteorologists had warned residents about the high potential for severe weather on July 10, 1989, no…
July 4: A Canal for Connecticut
On July 4, 1825, surrounding a canal-boat-on-wheels specially created for the occasion, thousands of Connecticans gathered at Salmon Brook Village in Granby for ground-breaking on what was then the largest transportation project in Connecticut history – the Farmington Canal. Governor Oliver Wolcott spoke briefly before digging the ceremonial first shovel of dirt, officially kicking…
April 20: Green Connecticut Troops Fight Germany’s Best at WWI Battle of Seicheprey
On this day in 1918, a division full of new Connecticut recruits encountered their first taste of modern warfare in a small village in northeastern France, repelling a regiment of elite German troops and holding the front lines against all odds. The US 26th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Yankee Division because all of its…
March 14: Eli Whitney Patents the Cotton Gin
Today in 1794, Eli Whitney, one of Connecticut’s most influential inventors, received a patent for the Cotton Gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by optimizing the time-intensive task of cleaning seeds from raw cotton bolls. Born in Massachusetts in 1765, Eli exhibited both interest in talent in manufacturing at an early…