Connecticut’s House of Representatives is seeking to unseat North Carolina as the state with a claim to “First in Flight.” The House amended a bill Thursday with language to change Connecticut’s statutes to recognize Gustave Whitehead each year on “Powered Flight Day,” rather… Read more »
Posts Categorized: History
‘Danbury Ragtime Suite’ Debuts at the Museum May 25
The Danbury Museum & Historical Society is thrilled to host the debut performance of Barry Pirro’s ‘Danbury Ragtime Suite’ in the Marian Anderson Studio, at 2pm on Saturday, May 25. The Museum is located at 43 Main Street in Danbury, Connecticut. Pirro is… Read more »
#80: The Doors Played at Danbury High School
The Doors performed at Danbury High School before their big break on Wednesday, October 11, 1967. From YouTube user Rutazurra: “This show is primarily attended by nearby college students from Western Connecticut State College and locals of Danbury. Prior to the show,… Read more »
Historian Speaks on Cinematic Element of the American Presidency
John F. Kennedy often dyed the gray out of his hair and changed his shirt up to three times a day. In his newest book, Dr. Burton Peretti, author of The Leading Man: Hollywood and the Presidential Image, provides insight into the influence that image and… Read more »
Long-Awaited Danbury History Book to Benefit Friends of Danbury Musem & Historical Society Authority
The Danbury Museum & Historical Society Authority is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Danbury’s Third Century: From Urban Status to Tricentennial, produced by Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) and written by Dr. Herbert Janick, Emeritus Professor at WCSU and William Devlin, a… Read more »
Rachel Robinson Loves ‘42’—and with Good Reason
Rachel Robinson, the widow of baseball great Jackie Robinson, appeared Sunday on ‘Meet the Press’ as the new movie about her husband, 42, was wrapping up its opening weekend (“Jackie Robinson Day” is Monday all across baseball). She told host David Gregory she was… Read more »
The Silver Screen in the Oval Office
United States presidents have danced with Hollywood’s image-makers since the 1920s, a phenomenon Dr. Burton W. Peretti, professor of history at Western Connecticut State University, explores in a new book, The Leading Man. Peretti shows that George Washington set the stage for presidents… Read more »
Lunch with America’s First Female Lanscape Architect at the Danbury Museum
On Friday, March 22, the Danbury Museum & Historical Society will be hosting a a lovely lunch buffet with guest speaker Colleen Plimpton as she presents Beatrix Farrand, Rediscovered, a 45-minute, first-person presentation of the life, times, and work of this distinguished “landscape gardener.” Beatrix Farrand… Read more »
The Danbury Horse.
The Danbury horse has a reputation above all other animals of the field. The chief claim of the Danbury horse to public favor and notice is the facility with which he will run away. He is always ready to run awau . He will… Read more »
Mouths Agape at Cheshire’s Cartoon Museum
additional reporting by Carrie Johnson On a Saturday afternoon, Carrie, Jim Clegg of Pink Missile fame, and myself decided to take a little day trip up to Cheshire, Connecticut to visit the Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum. We didn’t really know what… Read more »
A Recipe for Poulterers.
“The Country Gentleman suggests a way to prevent hens from eating their eggs. It is to fill an egg with a solution of pepper, and put the egg back in the nest. A Danbury man has tried this and says it works like a… Read more »
Become a Friend of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society
At the November, 2012 meeting of The Friends of the the Danbury Museum & Historical Society, those in attendance elected board members, outlined goals for the organization and determined a meeting schedule for 2013. Newly-elected officers include; President, Joretta Kilcourse; Vice President, Ed… Read more »
“A Short History of the Connecticut Forest” Lecture at WestConn November 28
Forestry and horticulture expert Dr. Jeffrey S. Ward will visit Danbury’s Western Connecticut State University to discuss the history of the Connecticut forest and explain its evolution on Wednesday, November 28 at 4pm. Ward’s talk, “A Short History of the Connecticut Forest” will be… Read more »
The Complete Recordings of Charles Ives at the Piano, 1933-1943
“The invention of sound-recording devices late in the nineteenth century made possible the preservation of definitive performances played or led by some important composers of the first decades of the twentieth century. Elgar, Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss, and Stravinsky, among others, left a significant legacy… Read more »
‘The Unanswered Question’ to Highlight Charles Ives Day
The Danbury Music Centre presents Danbury, Connecticut’s annual celebration honoring the birth of composer Charles Edward Ives, born on Main Street in Danbury on October 20, 1874. The daylong series of events takes place on Sunday, October 21 beginning with a hike up… Read more »
Living History at the Sycamore Drive-in
photos by Louis David Newcomers do a double take when they pass by. Old timers get nostalgic. And just about everyone, young or old, is compelled to pull into the Sycamore parking lot sooner or later, if only to travel ever so briefly back in time…. Read more »
Old Domestic Tools Reworked to Reflect on Women’s History
The Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport, Connecticut is pleased to announce ‘Reimagining the Distaff Toolkit’, an exhibition that explores household tools as metaphor for the social and cultural histories of women embedded in them. ‘Reimagining the Distaff Toolkit’ will be on view in the… Read more »
Book Review: Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
In the early 1980s, NBC was a television network ranked dead last. They trailed behind CBS and ABC (Fox didn’t arrive until the late 80s) and considered themselves in the business of “event programming” in lieu of scripted dramas and comedies. The joke at… Read more »
Hopkins Vineyard Celebrates 225 Years In Colonial Style
On July 7 from noon to 5pm (rain date July 8), Hopkins Vineyard, a National Bicentennial Farm located at 25 Hopkins Rd in New Preston, Connecticut, will be celebrating 225 years of ownership by the same family. The Hopkins family has organized the… Read more »
First American Carillon Keeps the Bells Ringing in Danbury
Have you heard the sweet sound of the carillon? Traditional church hymns and other recognizable tunes flood the downtown Danbury area every Sunday after service at The St. James Episcopal Church on West Street. If the term carillon doesn’t ring a bell,… Read more »
A PEZ Dispenser Collector’s Paradise
I NEVER gave much thought to PEZ, but since Danielle and I were going on a road trip to the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut, I decided to learn all there is to know about those sweet little candies. As a kid, I… Read more »
Baseball Fundraiser this Thursday at the Danbury Museum
From the Danbury Museum & Historical Society On Thursday, April 26th, the Danbury Museum & Historical Society will host ‘Hats Off to Baseball’, a special fundraiser, from 5:30 to 7pm. The evening will feature a festive, ballpark atmosphere and include the auction and… Read more »
Danbury Museum Hosts Town Historian & His New Book on Bethel
from Danbury Museum & Historical Society On Saturday, February 25 from 1 to 3pm, Bethel Town Historian and author, Patrick Tierney Wild will be on hand at the Danbury Museum & Historical Society to tell us about his new book, Historic Tales of Bethel. Wild… Read more »
Beer Revival: The Fall & Rise of the American Brewery
“Over the last hundred or so years, the brewing industry in the United States has changed dramatically. From the saloon era through consolidation to today’s flourishing craft beer culture, it’s been quite a ride. Take a look at how the small brewer is making… Read more »

