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CTMQ > Firsts Onlies and Oldests

Oil City Dam

March 5, 2020 by Steve Leave a Comment

Snake Oil Oil City at Rainbow Reservoir, Windsor There is a lot going on at Northwest Park in Windsor. Today, you can find all sorts of stuff from a little nature museum to a tobacco history museum to a dozen miles of trails and more. And stuff has been happening here for a long time. I don’t typically … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Superlatives, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Canals and Dams, Dubious Claims, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Northwest Park, Windsor

Vanilla Bean Cafe

February 4, 2020 by Steve Leave a Comment

Bean There, Done That Vanilla Bean Café, Pomfret June 2013 Everyone loves “The Bean,” as The Vanilla Bean Café is affectionally called in the Quiet Corner. It’s a good little restaurant and is deeply ingrained in the community. The food is good, the service is top notch, and the fact that they feature local … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Best, Unique, & Historic Restaurants & Foods, Everything Else, Food & Drink, New Post, Superlatives Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Pomfret, restaurants

The Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford

January 28, 2020 by Steve 1 Comment

Impressive J-Date Oldest Orthodox Jewish Day School in the United States Bloomfield/West Hartford I was initially drawn to this school because of its fairly surprising architecture. Surprising because it’s in Bloomfield and also because it’s an orthodox Jewish school. I mean, look at this building: It’s … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses, Religion, Cemeteries, Monuments, Statuary, Greens, & Outdoor Sculpture & Art, Superlatives Tagged With: Bloomfield, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Jewish, Private Schools, West Hartford

Handsome Dan

October 21, 2019 by Steve 1 Comment

Dead Dan First College Mascot in the United States New Haven I toured some buildings on the Yale campus once, including the incredible Payne Whitney Gym. It's such an incredible gym, I called it a museum and wrote about it. And notably, no one called me an idiot for doing so. In the lobby of the massive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Sports, Thrills, Tours, & Events, Superlatives Tagged With: Colleges & Universities, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, New Haven, Yale

ASME: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine

August 28, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

ASME Landmark # 260 (1925) Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford May 2019 Everything I read online tells me that there’s an original 1925 Wasp engine up at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks. And I’m 100% sure there is. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers National Landmark plaque is probably up there … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, National "Stuff", New Post Tagged With: ASME Landmarks, Aviation, East Hartford, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, new england air museum, Windsor Locks

Prudence Crandall Museum

August 22, 2019 by Steve 3 Comments

Prudent and P.C. Canterbury (Google Maps location) June 2019 Yes, I've finally visited the Prudence Crandall Museum. On the face of it, it's "just another" large Georgian historic House museum on a quiet back road in Connecticut. One of a hundred. Heck, travel routes 69 and 14 starting at the Prudence Crandall … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Museums, New Post Tagged With: Canterbury, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, historic house museums, Prudence Crandall: State Heroine, Women's Heritage Trail

Climax Road

June 8, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Almost There... Climax Road, Avon/Simsbury Every state has certain roads that elicit chuckles from the kids in the backseat. I grew up snickering at place names like Blue Ball and Intercourse in Pennsylvania. We don't have too many here in Connecticut, but Climax Road in Avon and Simsbury is certainly one. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Superlatives, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Avon, CTMQ After DArk, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Industrial History, Roads and Tunnels, Simsbury

New England Air Museum

April 28, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

This Place is Fly New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks (Google Maps location) April 2012 The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is a monster. Easily one of Connecticut’s largest museums, writing up a visit is daunting. Writing up a visit with a tired and difficult Damian is impossible. So, dear readers, I’m sorry. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Museums, New Post Tagged With: Aviation, Damian, Dubious Claims, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Military History, new england air museum, Windsor Locks

The Legacy of the Dexters

January 2, 2019 by Steve 8 Comments

There’s A Lot Going on Here Dexter Coffin and the Dexter Company Windsor Locks & East Windsor I drive over the Dexter D. Coffin, Sr. Bridge every day. Many of you probably do as well, whether you know it or not. It is the I-91 bridge that connects Windsor Locks to East Windsor across the Connecticut River. I’ve … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses, New Post, Superlatives, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Canals and Dams, Cool Bridges, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Windsor Locks

314. Naugatuck Historical Society Museum

November 11, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

Where "Giving Nauga a Noogie" Isn't Weird Naugatuck April 2, 2016 I rarely revisit museums. With so many hundreds of them around the state, it just isn't feasible. I often get emails informing me of a new exhibit at some long-ago visited museum, but what can I do? However, I will be revisiting the Naugatuck … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Museums, New Post Tagged With: Damian, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Free Museums, Industrial History, naugatuck, Tiny Museums, Town History

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