Author: CT State Library

Planting for the Bees’ Needs – Providing Habitat for Honey Bees and Wild Bees Did you know that Connecticut has 349 species of bees – and honey bees are only one species? Bees are important to us for producing honey and wax and pollinating our crops, and they also are important to the health of our environment, pollinating our native wild plants. We get many of our ideas about...

Maisa Tisdale, President of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community gave a talk on the Historic Freeman Houses of Little Liberia. Little Liberia was a community of freed blacks born in Connecticut, West Indians, Cape Verdeans, runaway enslaved persons from southern states, and remnants of Indian tribes from Connecticut and New York State. This village came ...

Third Thursday Speaker for January 18th, Diana Ross McCain, author of the new historical novel Thy Children’s Children, gave a talk on the Lyman’s of Lyman Orchards. Between 1741 and 1871, Lyman men and women established and nurtured a farm and homestead that are owned by descendants to this day. They also took part, often at great personal peril, in political, moral, and econ...

Former Negro League Baseball Player Gilbert Hernandez Black was the Third Thursday guest speaker at the Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106. Mr. Black played baseball in Stamford, Connecticut at Stamford High school in 1955.  He later played for the West Palm Beach Indians, a Florida State League affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves in 1956, and also for...

In his book,  “Hartford in World War I”,  David Drury traces the extraordinary story of Hartford, Connecticut during the war.  When the United States Congress declared war in April 1917, Connecticut answered the call to arms.  As the capital, Hartford was the hub of the state’s war effort. The city hosted major rallies and recruitment drives, and leaders from Hartford directed ...

Following the Mexican Revolution of 1910, various factions vied for political and military control and there were many cross-border raids into Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.  On 9 March 1916, General Pancho Villa raided Columbus, NM, killing numerous civilians as well as U.S. soldiers stationed at Camp Furlong.  President Woodrow Wilson ordered Gen. John J. Pershing to pursu...

(Hartford, CT) In celebration of American Archives Month, Connecticut State Historian Walter Woodward lead a discussion on one of Connecticut’s most popular governors , Governor John Dempsey. Walter Woodward’s talk is based on his research at the State Library, in preparation for the centenary commemoration celebration of Governor Dempsey’s birth in Cahir, Ireland. The Cahir So...

Author Deborah Child led a discussion based on her book “Soldier, Engraver, Forger: Richard Brunton’s Life on the Fringe in America’s New Republic”, on May 19, from 12:00 pm-12: 45 pm, at the Connecticut State Library. This biography retraces Richard Brunton’s steps from the time of his arrival with the British Army in Boston in 1774, through the various battles he fought, unti...

Author and Photographer Anthony Riccio lead a Discussion on his book titled “Farms, Factories and Families: Italian American Women of Connecticut” (Hartford)  Anthony Riccio has collected stories and photographs of Connecticut’s first and second generation Italian immigrants for nearly a decade.  On Thursday March 17th 2016 , he led  a discussion about his book titled “Farms...