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Grating the Nutmeg offers stories about Connecticut history that you can listen to on your phone, tablet, or computer whenever you want.

To hear more episodes of Grating the Nutmeg subscribe on iTunes, IHeartRadio, GooglePlay, Spotify or at gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com.

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MAKE A DONATION to Friends of Connecticut Explored and use coupon code Gratingthenutmeg to support the podcast. All gifts with this coupon code will be shared with the Office of the State Historian to support its outreach efforts. 

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Episode 79: Governor Ned Lamont on “100 Years of Fake News & Real and Fake Wars”
42 Minutes. Release date: September 23, 2019

Every governor of our state makes history, but there have been very few who know their history as well as Connecticut’s current governor Edward M. “Ned” Lamont. In this very special episode, GTN co-hosts Mary Donohue of CT Explored and State Historian Walt Woodward talk with Governor Lamont about a topic he’s passionate about. In an era when Americans are challenged to separate fact from fiction in a myriad of different media, the governor’s message is a kind of cautionary tale for all of us. And, as you’ll see, it reflects some keen and insightful thinking from a governor who takes his history seriously.

With special thanks to Governor Ned Lamont, Rob Blanchard, and Elizabeth Normen. This episode was recorded and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan.

Episode 78: Uncovering African and Native American Lives in 17th – 18th Century Hartford
30 Minutes. Release date: September 1, 2019

Four hundred years ago, in August 1619, more than 20 kidnapped enslaved African people were sold to the Virginia colonists. Slavery was well established in the early Connecticut Colony too. Traded, sold, given as gifts, and subjected to beatings, as documents attest, the enslaved people of Hartford suffered no less than enslaved people anywhere. In today’s episode, Connecticut Explored’s Mary Donohue finds out about an innovative, model project that uses fine-grained scholarship to uncover the lives of almost 500 African, African American, and Native Americans buried between 1640 and 1815 in Hartford’s oldest historic site, the Ancient Burying Ground.  She talks with Dr. Kathy Hermes, professor at Central Connecticut State University, about the project, sponsored by the Ancient Burying Ground Association and about the new website that makes all this research available with a click of a mouse. 

For more information, visit www.africannativeburialsct.org. Join us on Sept 12, 2019 at 6 p.m. at the Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford for a free lecture by Dr. Hermes, “Uncovering Their History: African, African American and Native Americans Buried in Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground, 1640-1815” that will launch the website. To learn more about how to research Hartford’s early black community, join Dr. Hermes for a workshop at the Hartford History Center on October 5, 2019 at 11 a.m., which is also free to the public. And come view the exhibition at the Hartford History Center Uncovering the Ancient Burying Ground an exhibition featuring historic photos, maps, drawings, and postcards.

This episode was produced by Mary Donohue, Assistant Publisher of Connecticut Explored, and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan. Visual art by coramarshall.com.

Read More!
Fall 2019 issue: “Unburying Hartford’s Native and African Family Histories” by Katherine A. Hermes

 

Episode 77: The Delicious History of Pizza in New Haven
52 Minutes. Release date: August 15, 2019

Food historian and author of Pizza in New Haven Colin M. Caplin tells State Historian Walt Woodward and co-host Betsy Golden Kellem the fascinating story of the creation and rise to world-class celebrity of New Haven Pizza. Join them at Modern Apizza in New Haven for a lunch-time food and information feast you won’t want to miss.

And at the end, you’ll hear about a special offer that might have you joining Walt, Betsy, and Colin for another podcast lunch and another slice of New Haven Pizza.

Read More!
“New Haven’s Pizza Ingenuity” by Colin Caplin, Summer 2017

Episode 76: The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan in Connecticut in the 1920s
19 Minutes. Release date: August 1, 2019

Natalie Belanger of the Connecticut Historical Society takes a walk through the museum’s archival collection of documents related to the Ku Klux Klan. You’ll learn about the Klan’s sudden rise, and rapid fall, in 1920s Connecticut, a dark time when Connecticut was torn by disagreements over immigration policy and the changing demographics of United States.

To learn more, visit CHS’s current exhibition, Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, on view through September 14, 2019 and join Natalie at the Connecticut Historical Society on September 14, 2019 for a gallery program related to this topic, or visit the CHS’s Research Center anytime to view the Ku Klux Klan documents yourself.

This episode was produced by Natalie Belanger and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan.

Episode 75: For Whom the Tolls Toll–The History of Toll Roads in Connecticut
72 Minutes. Release date: July 15, 2019

State historian Walt Woodward talks with transportation historian Richard DeLuca who takes us on an expert’s tour of Connecticut’s long history of charging people to get from here to there. From turnpikes to bicycle roads, the state highway system to the parkways and toll roads Connecticut got rid of in the 1980s, DeLuca provides the background you need to make good decisions about The Toll Question in Connecticut.DeLuca is the author of POST ROADS AND IRON HORSES and PAVED ROADS AND PUBLIC MONEY, forthcoming from Wesleyan University Press.

Read More!

SPRING 2008 From racetracks to bridges to nowhere, read this issue’s story about Connecticut’s transportation history, including the Meritt Parkway, rollercoasters, ballooning, canals, and more!
Traveling Hartford’s Turnpikes–Then, Now, or Never? A short history of the highway in Connecticut
A Hip Road Trip

Episode 74: 1949 Travel Diary of Beatrice Auerbach with Congresswoman Chase Woodhouse
41 Minutes. Release date: July 1, 2019

Two of Connecticut’s most influential women in the mid-20th century, Beatrice Fox Auerbach, owner of G. Fox, the then-largest privately-owned department store in the United States, and U.S. Congresswoman (second district) Chase Going Woodhouse, a Connecticut College economy professor and the second woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress from Connecticut, spent seven weeks traveling through 10 countries in the Middle East and Europe in 1949. Just four years after the end of WWII and one year after the founding of the new nation of Israel, Auerbach and Woodhouse saw battlefields, refugee camps, and the ruins of German cities. Auerbach’s diary entries reveal what she saw and experienced–civil war in Greece, Arab refugee camps in Transjordan, the value of using Hebrew in Israel, and the fear of rising anti-Semitism and communism in Germany. In this episode, edited from a lecture at the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, Dr. Tracey Wilson, town historian for West Hartford, comments on Auerbach and Woodhouse’s contribution to the development of women in leadership roles in Connecticut and reads from Auerbach’s travel diaries. Both women are in the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.

Auerbach’s diaries are in the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society, and the papers of Chase Going Woodhouse are in the collection of the Dodd Center, University of Connecticut at Storrs. To hear more about G. Fox Dept Store, listen to Episode 73 of Grating the Nutmeg, “Department Stores, G. Fox and the Black Freedom Movement.”

This episode was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan.

Episode 73: Department Stores, G. Fox, and the Black Freedom Movement
36 minutes. Release Date: June 15, 2019

The Connecticut Historical Society’s summer 2019 exhibition Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, organized by the New-York Historical Society, explores the struggle for full citizenship and racial equality after the Civil War. Even though northern states like Connecticut did not institute Jim Crow segregation by law, discrimination and segregation were the norm in many public spaces including elegant department stores like New York City’s Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Hartford’s G. Fox. In this episode UMass professor Dr. Traci Parker, author of Department Stores and the Black Freedom Movement: Workers, Consumers, and Civil Rights from the 1930s to the 1980s (University of North Carolina Press), and host Natalie Belanger talk about what department stores like G. Fox meant to consumers and retail workers alike, and how those stores become sites of struggle in the civil rights movement.

This episode was produced by Natalie Belanger and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan.

Episode 72: Samson Occom–the Man
58 minutes. Release Date: June 1, 2019

In part two of our commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of Dartmouth College and its roots in the town of Columbia, Mohegan Elder Beth Regan tells the story of Samson Occom. Occom, a Mohegan who converted to Christianity, was educated by Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, became a teacher and minister, raised much of the money used to establish Dartmouth College, and went on to found the utopian native Christian community of Brothertown, New York. Occom’s story as told by Mohegan elder Regan provides an important perspective on Dartmouth’s founding.

This episode is dedicated to Mohegan Nonner Faith Damon Davison with whom Regan was to give her talk. She was prevented by the onset of an illness that led to her passing a few weeks later. A wise and wonderful person, Davison will be missed by all of us who knew her. –Walter Woodward

Episode 71: Eleazar Wheelock, The Great Awakening, Samson Occom, and the Indian School
1 Hour 12 Minutes. Release Date: May 15, 2019

Recently, alumni of Dartmouth College, members of the Mohegan Nation, the Columbia Historical Society, and state and local officials gathered in the quiet corner town of Columbia to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of that Ivy League institution. Why Columbia? That is where the Great Awakening minister Eleazar Wheelock, inspired by the educational achievements of Mohegan student Samson Occom, founded Moor’s Indian Charity School, the training school for indigenous missionaries that led directly to Wheelock’s founding of Dartmouth College in 1769.

In this episode, following Elder Beth Regan’s Mohegan-language conference invocation, state historian Walt Woodward describes Eleazar Wheelock’s life as a local minister and Great Awakening evangelist, his relationship with Samson Occom, and life at Moor’s Indian Charity School.

Read More!
“A Little Town Begets a Small College,” Summer 2016

Episode 70: Anni and Josef Albers in Connecticut
34 Minutes. Release Date: May 1, 2019

This episode celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the most influential design school of the 20th century, the Bauhaus, and Connecticut’s connection to it. Connecticut Explored’s Assistant Publisher Mary Donohue and conceptual artist, photographer and frequent Connecticut Explored contributor Bob Gregson talk about pioneering Modern artists Anni and Josef Albers, who escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s and made New Haven their home in 1950. It’s a remarkable story. Josef was associated with the Bauhaus for longer than any other artist and Anni was the last surviving teacher from the Bauhaus. Both had independent careers as world  famous, influential teachers and artists. Read Bob’s story from the Winter 2017-2019 issue.

We wish to thank Bob Gregson. This episode was hosted and produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan. 

SPECIAL OFFER FOR GTN LISTENERS! Through May 31, 2019, for just $20, you’ll receive 6 issues for the price of 4 with coupon code GTNSpring19. That’s 2 free issues added to a one-year subscription with coupon code GTNSpring19 when you subscribe by May 31, 2019 at ctexplored.org/shop.

Read More!
“Josef & Anni Albers in Connecticut,” by Robert Gregson, Winter 2018-2019

 

Episode 69: The Breach: Voices Haunting a New England Mill Town
45 Minutes. Release Date: April 15, 2019

It’s not very often that a historian interviews a poet for a history podcast, but in this episode state historian Walt Woodward interviews award-winning poet, novelist, essayist, environmentalist, and former Deputy Commission of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection David K. Leff about his new verse novel, The Breach: Voices Haunting a New England Mill Town (Homebound Books, 2019). The Breach is a fascinating study of decline in  a New England factory village caught in the throes of both an economic and an environmental crisis. And – plus, plus, plus – it’s a story told mostly by historical objects. Leff talks about his book, the reasons he lets objects tell the story, and reads some of the entries, too. Warning: Leff’s readings contain a bit of profanity, one violent episode, and a hint of sex.

Episode 68: Fort Trumbull’s Three Lives
22 Minutes. Release Date: March 29, 2019

In this podcast cross-over episode,  Johnna Kaplan, author of Connecticut Explored’s spring 2019 story about Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut is joined by her Going/Steady podcast co-host Kerri Provost. Listen as they dive into the history of Fort Trumbull, a Connecticut state park that’s seen a devastating Revolutionary War battle, witnessed Prohibition-era high-speed boat chases, and housed a top-secret military research facility. Today Fort Trumbull is one of New London’s must-visit attractions, part of the new Thames River Heritage Park. 

Thanks to the co-hosts of Going/Steady, Kerri Provost of Real Hartford and Johnna Kaplan of The Size of Connecticut. Listen to Going/Steady podcast at goingsteadyct.com and on iTunes. For more information about the fort, visit ct.gov/deep and fortfriends.org.  For more about the summer water taxi and historic attractions go to thamesriverheritagepark.org. This episode was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR GTN LISTENERS! Through May 31, 2019, for just $20, you’ll receive 6 issues for the price of 4 with coupon code GTNSpring19. That’s 2 free issues added to a one-year subscription with coupon code GTNSpring19 when you subscribe by May 31, 2019 at ctexplored.org/shop.

Episode 67: Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London
38 Minutes. Release Date: March 1, 2019

The story behind this episode started with the high-profile heist in 1991 of a stained-glass window from the 19th century mausoleum of a New London industrialist. The window was designed by world-famous artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.  But the thieves hadn’t counted on a persistent detective. Tiffany, best known for his brilliant innovations in glass, had deep Connecticut roots. A new permanent exhibition about his work, including 100 fine- and decorative-arts objects, is now on view at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London. Join host Mary Donohue and curator Tanya Pohrt and museum director Sam Quigley to discover more about Tiffany’s career, his family ties to New London, and his life-long pursuit of beauty.

Read our story about Louis Comfort Tiffany in the Winter 2018-2019 issue online at ctexplored.org. For more information about the Lyman Allyn’s exhibition “Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London” and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum visit lymanallyn.org. To see a fantastic interior designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his firm Associated Artists, visit the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford.

This episode was hosted and produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan with music by Miles Elliot.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR GTN LISTENERS! Through May 31, 2019, for just $20, you’ll receive 6 issues for the price of 4 with coupon code GTNSpring19. That’s 2 free issues added to a one-year subscription with coupon code GTNSpring19 when you subscribe by May 31, 2019 at ctexplored.org/shop.

Episode 66: Sharon Cures–One Small Town of Medical Marvels
38 Minutes. Release Date: February 15, 2019

Recently U.S. News and World report ranked Connecticut 4th best among the 50 states in the quality of our healthcare. We have great research universities and teaching hospitals, and pharma, biotech, and medical engineering companies most states envy. That’s what makes this podcast so surprising. This is the story of how the little Litchfield County hill town of Sharon – with a population of 2,700 people – has produced some of our state’s leading medical innovators. And it’s been doing so for centuries.  

Join State Historian Walt Woodward on a visit to the Sharon Historical Society where co-curators Susan Shepard and Marge Smith tell us about the breakthroughs in innoculation, immunotherapy, and gender equity in the medical field pioneered by Sharon residents. It’s part of their exhibition “Sharon Cures: Centuries of Medicine in One Small Town,” on view through April 28, 2019. For more information visit http://sharonhist.org and view images from the exhibition on the Connecticut State Historian’s Facebook Page.

Read More!
More stories about Connecticut’s medical history in
Spring 2004: “An Apple a Day”
Spring 2007 “Bite the Bullet”

Episode 65: Norwalk’s Village Creek, Ahead of its Time
30 Minutes. Release Date: February 1, 2019

After World War II, one Connecticut community made a conscious effort to reject racial segregation. The founders of Village Creek in Norwalk created a cooperative neighborhood which promised not to discriminate based on “race, color, creed or politics.” Over the next decades, the Villagers faced criticism from many quarters, but the community survived and thrives today. In this episode, Natalie Belanger and Melica Bloom of the Connecticut Historical Society take a look at the founding of Village Creek, and some of the challenges it faced over the decades.

If you’d like to learn more about the Village Creek Association, visit the Connecticut Historical Society’s Research Center. And visit their special exhibition, “Patios, Pools and the Invention of the American Backyard,” a travelling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution, on view through February 23, 2019. Find out more at chs.org.

And for more great Connecticut stories, subscribe to Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history. The current issue is about our creative history and the upcoming spring issue explores in a surprising variety of stories how important water is to Connecticut’s story. Find out more at ctexplored.org.

We wish to thank Natalie Belanger, CHS Adult Programs Manager, and CHS Exhibit Developer Melica Bloom. This episode was produced by Natalie Belanger and Patrick O’Sullivan. Music on this episode by Miles Elliot @miles_aheadmusic.

Episode 64: Best Winter History Reads
58 Minutes. Release Date: January 13, 2019

State Historian Walt Woodward asked five of Connecticut’s leading voices from the history community what their favorite winter history reads are this year. Briann Greenfield of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, State Librarian Ken Wiggin, Sally Whipple of the Old State House, Jason Mancini of CTHumanities, and Christina Volpe of the Connecticut League of History Organizations shared the books that are providing them a fascinating escape from bleak midwinter, the 2019 edition.  

Episode 63: Why the Constitution of 1818 Matters Today
30 Minutes. Release Date: December 18, 2018

This is the fifth in our series of talks presented by Connecticut’s Old State House commemorating the 200th anniversary of Connecticut’s first state constitution.

In this episode judges Henry Cohn and Jon Blue wrap up our discussion of the state’s first constitution in “Why the Constitution of 1818 Matters Today.”

This has been a great series pairing historians and legal scholars. In the first in the series, episode 45, state historian Walt Woodward provides the historian’s view of the broader cultural context that brought us to a state constitutional convention. In this episode, Judge Blue gives us the legal perspective. And in episode 55, Wesleyan University professor emeritus Richard Buel does a deep dive into the political history that led to the constitution.

Also in this episode, Judge Cohn gives a judge’s perspective on the constitution’s Declaration of Rights– in particular what it has to say about our right to a jury trial, freedom of religion, and right to an education. For the historian’s perspective on religion and the constitution, listen to Professor Robert Imholt in episode 59. Finally, legal scholar Wesley Horton describes the constitutional debates in episode 56.

For the whole series, listen to episodes 45, 55, 56, 59, and 63 (see descriptions below).

This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.This episode is sponsored by Attorney Peter Bowman. Find out more at bowman.legal.

Read More
Fall 2018 Special Issue: The 200th Anniversary of the Constitution of 1818
Find a list of other related articles HERE

Episode 62: Three Centuries of Christmas at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
30 Minutes. Release Date: December 3, 2019

Charles Lyle, executive director of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, whets your appetite for a visit to the Webb, Stevens, and Deane houses to see how the holidays were celebrated in three eras: c. 1770, c. 1830, and c. 1930. Find out how, in the 1800s, Clement C. Moore and Thomas Nast created Santa Claus, and the origin of the New Year’s resolution–all in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg! 

This episode is sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. Find out more at bowman.legal

For more great holiday listening, listen to episode 21 “A Connecticut Christmas Story by Harriet Beecher Stowe,” and episode 11 to learn more about the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen, and Patrick O’Sullivan.

Read more!
“Christmas in Connecticut“, Winter 2010-2011

Episode 61:Feasts, Facts, & Fictions: Cooking REAL New England Holiday Foods
47 Minutes. Release Date: November 17, 2019

Food historians Keith Staveley and Kathleen Fitzgerald join state historian Walt Woodward at his dinner table in Columbia for a talk about traditional New England holiday foods–authentic and not-so-authentic–and the stories behind them. PLUS, Keith and Kathy brought along 9 truly historic and delicious New England food recipes, translated into modern cooking instructions kitchen–tested for authentic flavor. Whether you want to wow your holiday dinner guests with some astonishing food facts, or cook up a dish or two they’ll be talking about all year, this is your podcast.  

DOWNLOAD THE RECIPES HERE

AND listen to the special bonus add-on: a live reading of Gov. Samuel Huntington’s 1786 Thanksgiving meditation, recorded at the special Thanksgiving dinner at the Samuel Huntington homestead in Scotland, Connecticut on November 10, 2018. This episode was produced by Walter Woodward.

 

Episode 60: Special CPTV Audio Documentary: The P T Barnum You Never Knew
46 Minutes. Release Date: November 2, 2018

In this special Connecticut Public Television audio documentary, we tell the story almost no one knows about the other side of PT Barnum. Almost everyone is familiar with Barnum’s extraordinary career as a showman, entrepreneur, and creator of The Greatest Show on Earth, but “Barnum’s Connecticut”, which host Walt Woodward wrote and produced as a companion to CPTV’s broadcast of the American Experience documentary “The Circus”  CPTV.org/thecircus shows a side of this world-changing impresario that will challenge anything you think about him right now. Featuring Kathy Maher of Bridgeport’s Barnum Museum and Sally Whipple of Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 

And to hear the companion episode “Barnum’s Circus” visit the Connecticut Public Television “The Circus” webpage. This episode was produced by Walter Woodward.

 

Episode 59: Constitution of 1818 Part 4: Milestone in Church State Relations?
40 Minutes. Release Date: October 15, 2018

This episode, the fourth in our 6-part series commemorating the Constitution of 1818, explores one of the main accomplishments of the state’s first constitution: the separation of church and state. Professor Robert Imholt challenges that assertion, though, arguing that the process to disentangle religion from the state began much earlier. Still, find out how deep our Puritan roots were as the state finally convened to write a state constitution in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg.

This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen. Thanks to Robert Imholt and Connecticut’s Old State House. This episode is sponsored by Attorney Peter Bowman. Find out more at bowman.legal.

Listen to episodes 45, 55, and 56 for parts 1, 2, and 3 in our 6-part series about the Constitution of 1818.

Episode 58: Keeping it Clean in World War I
31 Minutes. Release Date: October 1, 2018

In the 1910s a group of Connecticut reformers formed a society aimed at solving a growing crisis – the spread of venereal diseases. The United States’s entry into WWI provided this so-called “social hygienist” movement with an unprecedented opportunity to influence the sexual mores of Americans. In this episode produced by Connecticut Historical Society’s Natalie Belanger, Natalie tells us how that worked out for these well-intentioned reformers—especially one George P. Thayer, a crusader for clean living that saw a little more in France than he’d bargained for.

This episode is sponsored by Attorney Peter Bowman. Find out more at bowman.legal.

Read more!
Connecticut in World War I at ctexplored.org in the Spring 2017 and Winter 2014/2015 issues. 

Listen to these other episodes about World War I
Episode 33: World War I Reenactors Tell All
Episode 28: Connecticut in World War I: Letters from the Front

Episode 57: Breaking Golf’s Color Line in Hartford
34 Minutes. Release Date: September 15, 2018

Hartford native Gerry Peterson played golf with President Barack Obama and was inducted into the Black Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Golf has always been a huge part of his life from his start as a kid caddie during the Depression to playing as a young executive at Aetna Life and Casualty. But what did it take for Peterson to become a member of the whites-only Keney Park Golf Club in 1963? Gerry Peterson will tell us, and historian Jeffrey Mainville, author of this summer 2018 issue’s story “The Midway Golf Club,” will reveal Hartford’s part in the national struggle to end racial discrimination at municipal golf courses in America.

This episode was produced by Mary Donohue, Asst. Publisher of Connecticut Explored, and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan, PDO Films. Subscribe at ctexplored.org.

For more stories of struggle and triumph by Connecticut’s African American community, order your copy of our book African American Connecticut Explored, now in paperback, on Amazon.

This episode was sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured and holding distracted drivers accountable for their action. More at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history. Visit cthumanities.org

 

Episode 56: Constitution of 1818 Part 3: The Constitution of 1818 Debates
34 Minutes. Release Date: September 1, 2018

Attorney Wesley Horton, president of the Connecticut Supreme Court Historical Society, outlines the main issues of debate as state delegates finally gather to draft a state constitution. What happened inside the convention? How do we know? Find out in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg. This episode was recorded at Connecticut’s Old State House and produced by Elizabeth Normen. 

This episode is sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. Find out more at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored. 

See Episode 45 for Constitution of 1818 Part I: Trouble in the Land of Steady Habits
See Episode 55 for Constitution of 1818 Part 2: The Collapse of Federalist Dominance

Read More!
Buy the special 200th Anniversary of the Constitution of 1818 Fall 2018 issue of Connecticut Explored at ctexplored.org.
Fall 2018: The 200th Anniversary of the Constitution fo 1818
Commemorating the Constitution of 1818: a compendium of resources for exploring this fascinating time in Connecticut history

Episode 55: Constitution of 1818 Part 2: The Collapse of the Federalist Dominance
44 Minutes. Release Date: August 29, 2018

Dr. Richard Buel Jr., Professor Emeritus, Wesleyan University, describes the political climate that led to the Constitution of 1818 and how we must look to what was happening in France, and the ongoing conflict between England and France, to understand what was happening here. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen.

This episode is sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. Find out more at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored. 

See Episode 45 for Constitution of 1818 Part I

Read More!
Fall 2018: The 200th Anniversary of the Constitution fo 1818
Commemorating the Constitution of 1818: a compendium of resources for exploring this fascinating time in Connecticut history

Episode 54 Part I: The Long Journeys Home–Henry ‘Opukaha’ia
35 Minutes
Part II: The Long Journeys Home–Albert Afraid-of-Hawk
38 Minutes. Release Date: August 1, 2018

Two young native men: Henry Opukaha’ia, a native of Hawaii, who died in Cornwall, Connecticut in 1818, and Albert Afraid of Hawk, a Lakota Sioux native who died in Danbury in 1900. 

Nick Bellantoni was the archaeologist tasked with helping return the remains of each of these men to their homes and families, more than a century after they had died. 

Hear him tell their strangely connected and deeply moving stories in this special two part Grating the Nutmeg episode based on Bellantoni’s new Wesleyan University Press book The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry ‘Opukaha’ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk.

Read More!
“Rediscovering Albert Afraid-of-Hawk,” Summer 2014

This episode is sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. Find out more at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, copublisher of Connecticut Explored.

Episode 53: Hopes & Expectations: Creation of a Black Middle Class in Hartford
1 Hour 5 Minutes. Release Date: July 16, 2018

In an unforgettable interview, historian Dr. Barbara Beeching describes the creation of a black middle class in Hartford – not in the 20th century, but in the 1800s. The story features the Primus family and their letters and other prominent black families. It’s a tale full of insights and surprises – not the least of which is Beeching herself. Beeching’s book, Hopes and Expectations: The Origins of the Black Middle Class in Hartford was published by SUNY Press, 2017. 

This episode is sponsored by Attorney Peter Bowman—find out more at bowman.legal, and Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored, visit cthumanities.org.

Episode 52: Mark Twain’s Native American Problem
40 Minutes. Release Date: July 1, 2018

In this episode recorded at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Twain scholar and University of St. Joseph Professor of English Emerita Kerry Driscoll explores one of the last unexamined aspects of American author and humorist Mark Twain. Twain, a resident of Hartford from 1871 to 1891, wrote some of his most beloved works while living in Hartford and was generally known for championing the underdog. But Driscoll unflinchingly reveals here and in her book, Mark Twain Among the Indians and Other Indigenous Peoples, Twain’s blind spot when it came to America’s first peoples.

This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen. It is sponsored by Attorney Peter Bowman—find out more at bowman.legal, and Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored, visit cthumanities.org.

Episode 51: Greater Hartford’s West Indian Diaspora
63 Minutes. Release Date: June 16, 2018

In 2010, Jamaicans became the largest foreign born population in Connecticut.  Jamaicans also have the highest percentage of property ownership in Hartford County of any foreign-born group. How did so many West Indians come to call Connecticut home? 

University of Connecticut Associate Professor Fiona Vernal documents this 70-year transformation in her traveling exhibition “Home Away From Home: Greater Hartford’s West Indian Diaspora,” currently on view at Hartford Public Library. HPL’s Jasmin Agusto and I asked Fiona to share this fascinating story. Its a great story told by a natural-born story-teller. 

This episode presented by Attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal.

And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine. The episode was produced by Walter Woodward.

Episode 50: A Seaside Village in the Big City: New Haven’s Morris Cove
27 Minutes. Release Date: June 1, 2018

What do you think of when you hear “New Haven?” Yale University’s campus, the New Haven Green, IKEA? In this episode, we’ll take you on a trip to the beach in New Haven! Morris Cove, on the east shore of New Haven Harbor, is a world apart from the rest of New Haven. A sandy beach, an armed attack by the British, a vanished amusement park, and the summer home of the New Haven Museum all come to light in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg.

We’ll hear from Jason Bischoff-Wurstle, director of photo archives and Ed Surato, librarian for the New Haven Museum. They’ll tell you why Morris Cove was called the “Newport of Connecticut.” Learn about one of the most interesting summer day trips in Connecticut, and plan to attend Morris Cove Day on June 9, 2018. Find out more about Morris Cove Day at morriscoveday.wordpress.com For more information about the Pardee-Morris House, visit newhavenmuseum.org.

This episode was hosted and produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan. The episode was sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine. Visit cthumanities.org.

Episode 49: The Professor’s Secret Life
48 Minutes. Release Date: May 15, 2018

All the time Joel Kupperman was a soft spoken, distinguished philosophy professor at the University of Connecticut, he carried a secret he discussed with no one – not even his family. That secret? That he had once been America’s greatest child radio and tv star. He was so popular J. D. Salinger, Philip Roth, Nora Ephron, and the poet William Friedman wrote about him. Now, as he slips into dementia, his son, the award-winning graphic novelist Michael Kupperman, has created a graphic memoir about his father’s hidden past. All the Answers uncovers Joel Kupperman’s life as a Quiz Kid, and the cost that being the most popular child celebrity in America inflicted, not just on Joel, but on his whole family. At the end, we’ll tell you how to enter to win a free copy of the book.

This episode presented by Attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal. And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine. Visit cthumanities.org.

Episode 48: Mid-Century Modern in Connecticut
38 Minutes. Release Date: May 1, 2018

A group of architects known as the Harvard Five made their mark on New Canaan, Connecticut—a suburb within commuting distance of New York City—designing and building there some of the most influential and significant examples of Mid-century Modern architecture in the country. Today you can visit Philip Johnson’s Glass House, now a museum operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

But stellar Modern architecture can be found in other Connecticut towns, too, commissioned by sophisticated clients including homeowners, mayors, and factory owners. Long-time architecture fans Robert Gregson and Peter Swanson take listeners to Hartford, New Haven, and Litchfield to discover some of the state’s other Modernist landmarks.

Every wonder what that big concrete building in front of Ikea in New Haven was? Find out in this episode. If you thought all there was to Connecticut was Colonial homes, this will change your mind!

See photos that go with the podcast HERE.

This episode presented by Attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal.

And Connecticut Humanities, co-publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine. Episode produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan. Visit ctexplored.org

Read More!

See Connecticut Explored, Winter 2009-2010
     including Bob Gregson’s “Modernism in Connecticut”
    “Philip Johnson in His Own Words”
    “Jens Risom: The Answer is Risom!” by Mary Dunne
     “Modern in Manchester,” by Mary Dunne

“Discovering LaGardo Tackett” By Peter Swanson, Winter 2010-2011
“Destination: Ingalls Rink and the Yale Bowl” By Patrick Pinnell, Fall 2009

Subscribe or buy these back issues at ctexplored.org/shop

Episode 47: A Field Trip to the Litchfield Historical Society
38 Minutes. Release Date: April 15, 2018

It was home to America’s first law school and to one of the first schools in which a woman could get a real education. Litchfield today is one of Connecticut’s prettiest towns. Join state historian Walt Woodward on a field trip to the Litchfield Historical Society, where Executive Director Cathy Fields talks about her amazing institution and it’s two brand new exhibits – one about Sarah Pierce’s Litchfield Female Academy and another about expressions of sorrow and mourning in the early 1800s. 

This episode was sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured, and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal.

Listen:
Hear more about Litchfield and the law school in Episode 15

Read:
“The Influence of the Litchfield Law School,” Fall 2016
“Litchfield’s Fortunes Hitched to the Stage Coach,” Spring 2008
“Flying the Banner for Temperance,” Winter 2008

Episode 46: Staying on the Land: Five Generations of Connecticut Pioneers 
31 Minutes. Release Date: April 2, 2018 

Political unrest, religious dissension, women’s rights, and mental health–stories from today’s news? All this happens in Thy Children’s Children by historian and first-time novelist Diana McCain. It’s the story of a real family, the Lymans of Middlefield, in the thick of Connecticut and American history for more than a century. Hear how McCain wove decades of research into a compelling historical novel.

Music on this episode by Henrik Andersson.  Hosted by Mary Donohue and produced by PDO Media. 

This episode was sponsored by attorney Peter Bowman, helping the seriously injured, and holding distracted drivers accountable for their actions. More at bowman.legal.

Win a copy of the book! Share the podcast on Facebook (facebook.com/CTExplored), Twitter (twitter.com/CTExplored), and Instagram (@ct_explored) and tag us to be entered in the drawing. Expires 5/1/2018

Listen to Episode 9 for more about the story of the Lyman family: “Lyman Orchards Turns 275” 

Episode 45:Trouble in the Land of Steady Habits 
49 Minutes. Release Date: March 15, 2018 

On the 200th anniversary of the creation of the state Constitution of 1818, we remember one of Connecticut’s least well known but most important events. Hear State Historian Walter Woodward’s Old State House talk about what led to the state’s first constitutional convention, and all that the resulting document did and didn’t do.

Read More!
Buy the special 200th Anniversary of the Constitution of 1818 Fall 2018 issue of Connecticut Explored at ctexplored.org.
Fall 2018: The 200th Anniversary of the Constitution fo 1818
Commemorating the Constitution of 1818: a compendium of resources for exploring this fascinating time in Connecticut history
Read stories from our Fall 2012 “Is this the Land of Steady Habits?” issue
The “Notorious Hartford” Convention of late 1814/early 1815
Reflections on the1965 Constitution Convention 

Episode 44: The Amazing Story Behind America’s First Cookbook
57 Minutes. Release Date: February 20, 2018 

When Hartford History Center’s Brenda Miller suggested Walt Woodward co-host a podcast with the authors of a new book about America’s first cookbook–published in Hartford in 1796, Woodward thought a culinary episode might be a nice change of pace. What they found, though, was that authors Keith Staveley and Kathleen Fitzgerald have not only written an extraordinary history of Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery, they’ve also written one of the best books about Connecticut history in a generation. 

Read more:
America’s First Cookbook, Spring 2006. Read more stories about Connecticut food history in the issue and in
Summer 2017: “We Are What We Eat” with stories about oystering, hops growing, New Haven pizza, and more!

 

Episode 43:The Challenge of Fair Housing in Connecticut’s Suburbs
39 Minutes. Release Date: January 21, 2018 

After World War II Americans moved out of the cities and into the suburbs in droves looking for single-family homes. In this episode, we talk with the experts about Connecticut’s history of steering certain people to certain neighborhoods through restrictive covenants, racial and religious discrimination, and federal housing policies—all of which helped determine where African American and Jewish homebuyers could purchase homes.

Using West Hartford as an example, learn what some common real estate terms really mean—“redlining,” steering, and exclusionary zoning—and how they affected West Hartford’s neighborhoods. Please note that this episode contains outdated language used in historical context.

View Trinity College’s Dr. Jack Dougherty’s accompanying presentation at http://bit.ly/2017-11-02 and also visit his online book On The Line: How Schooling, Housing, and Civil Rights Shaped Hartford and its Suburbs at OnTheLine.trincoll.edu.

Get all the historic preservation and architecture stories that matter to you! Get all five historic preservation back issues in a Collection at a special value price! Great reading on a snowy day or on a sunny beach. You can even put together your own collection by choosing the back issues you want to read!

Episode 42: Treasures of the Watkinson
50 Minutes: Release Date: January 2, 2018

It’s a brand new year, and what better way to start 2018 than with a treasure hunt? Join Brenda Miller, Executive Director of the History Center at Hartford Public Library, and State Historian Walt Woodward as they explore the treasures of the Watkinson Library at Trinity College with curator Rick Ring. It’s mission is to be open to all, so listen and then visit!

Episode 41: Have Archaeologists Found Connecticut’s Jamestown?
55 Minutes. Release Date: November 23, 2017

Archaeologists working at Wethersfield’s Webb-Dean-Stevens Museum recently found something completely unexpected: signs of a 17th century palisade adjacent to the historic house where General George Washington met with French Count Rochambeau to plan the campaign that won the American Revolution. Along with evidence of a defensive wall, they also found artifacts dating to the 1637 Pequot War which Connecticut declared after a Wangunk-Pequot attack on Wethersfield left 9 people dead. Is this fort–as archeologist Ross Harper posits–possibly Connecticut’s Jamestown?

Join state historian Walt Woodward and Wethersfield residents at the Webb-Deane Stevens museum as the archaeologists provide a surface-to-paydirt–20th to 17th century–description of what they’ve found so far.

 

Episode 40: Wicked Hartford
47 Minutes. Release Date: November 10, 2017

Conniving bosses, predatory slumlords, greedy industrialists and political intrigue abound in Steve Thornton’s latest history book, Wicked Hartford—but his take on this universal topic is not quite what you’d expect. Hear Steve tell us about the fascinating stories in “wicked” Hartford history.  

Music by Hartford jazz artist Orice Jenkins from the album ‘SOAR’ available on iTunes now.

Connecticut Explored is celebrating its 15th anniversary—and we’ve got a special offer for new subscribers. Subscribe before December 31, 2017 and receive 6 issues for the price of 4. Use coupon code “Nutmeg” when you subscribe at ctexplored.org/shop.

Episode 39 Parts I, II, III: Connecticut–New England’s Other Witch Hunt
Release Date: October 26, 2017
Part I 40 min; Part II 42 min; Part III 1 hr. 40 min

Few people know that long before Salem’s witch trials in 1692, Connecticut had its own witch trials. In this special 3-part series, we investigate the surprising story of witchcraft in colonial Connecticut. Why did Connecticut execute New England’s first witch? Why was it early New England’s fiercest prosecutor of witches (Who knew?) And how did European witch-hunting affect the same practice in New England?

Part I: Walt Woodward  talks about the European witchcraft tradition from witch Connecticut’s witch hunts were derived.
Part II: Woodward tells the sobering tale of Connecticut’s roll in New England witch-hunting, from executing the first witch, to the Hartford Witch hunts of the 1660s, to the trial of Katherine Harrison, arguably the most important witchcraft trial to take place before Salem.
Part III: Brenda Miller, Executive Director of the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library, and Walt Woodward interview historian Richard Ross about his new book, Before Salem: Witch- the Connecticut River Valley 1647-1663. Ross’s historical spadework provides many new insights into one of Connecticut’s most important, and least well known, events.

Read more:
Accused! Fairfield’s Witchcraft Trial–a graphic novel excerpt
Wethersfield’s Witch Trials

 

Episode 38: Talkin’ About the 9/11 Generation
28 Minutes. Release Date: October 4, 2017

Are you a member of the 9/11 generation? Do you wonder how 9/11 and its aftermath affected kids who witnessed the terrorist attack on the U.S. 16 years ago? In this episode CCSU history professor Matt Warshauer explores the 9/11 generation and wonders about the next generation who will have no emotional connection to it—in 2017 half of high school students were born after 9/11. As Warshauer notes, this is history still in the making.

We thank Matt Warshauer, Diane Smith, Bilal Sekou, Avery Eddy, Patrick O’Sullivan, Avon Public Library, and The Old State house with audio courtesy of CT-N, the Connecticut Network. Episode produced by Elizabeth Normen.

Read More:
Stories about how Connecticut has responded to disasters, including 9/11, published on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Fall 2011

Watch the Connecticut Old State House’s Conversations at Noon featuring Matt Warshauer, Bilal Sekou, and Christine Pittsley. 

Episode 37: A 400-Year Old Boat, A Sea Serpent, & A Murmuration of Swallows
41 Minutes. Release Date: September 18, 2017

Come along with state historian Walt Woodward on a Connecticut River Museum sunset excursion about the Onrust, a replica of Adriaen Block’s ship, the first European boat to enter the Connecticut River, with a teller of tall tales, and some very talented young artists–in search of a few million swallows. 

Thanks to the Connecticut River Museum. Sail on the Onrust through October 14 2017 and again in the spring, visit ctrivermuseum.org for more information. 

Read related story:
“Why Connecticut Didn’t Go Dutch,” Summer 2014

Episode 36: Fidelia Bridges’s Connection to Old Lyme & A Ride on the Air Line Trail
33 Minutes. Release Date: August 30, 2017

Two stories from eastern Connecticut: a Ride on the Air Line State Park Trail, a rail trail with history, and the story of artist Fidelia Bridges and her newly discovered connection to Old Lyme. Featuring Carolyn Wakeman and Jenny Parsons of the Florence Griswold Museum and its summer 2017 exhibition, Flora/Fauna: The Naturalist Impulse in American Art, on view through September 17, 2017.

Read related stories and see images:
“Desination: The Lyman Viaduct,” Summer 2008
Florence Griswold Museum’s History Blog

Thanks to Carolyn Wakeman, Jenny Parsons, and the Florence Griswold Museum.

Episode 35: Bagel Beach and Jewish Vacationers at the Connecticut Shore
31 Minutes. Release Date: August 16, 2017

Listen to a recent book talk by author Elizabeth Poliner whose novel As Close to Us as Breathing (Little, Brown, 2016) takes us to the 1940s when Connecticut’s beach colonies were segregated by ethnicity and religion. Poliner masterfully weaves the story of a multi-generational Jewish family and a fatal accident in 1948, all set in “Bagel Beach,” a real Jewish beach colony in Milford, Connecticut. We also visit the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont–the state’s only synagogue built as a summer synagogue. You’ll be inspired to read this evocative novel and take a drive along CT’s shoreline to catch a glimpse of its early beach colonies in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg.

Thanks to author Elizabeth Poliner, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, the Bagel Beach Historical Association and the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont. This episode was produced by Mary Donohue and Patrick O’Sullivan.

PLUS Watch INSIDE THE EPISODE Video:
Visit Bagel Beach

Episode 34: Caroline Ferriday Inspires a Bestseller
27 Minutes. Release Date: July 28, 2017

Listen to the compelling story of Caroline Ferriday–and how she inspired a New York Times bestselling historical novel. Ferriday’s summer home, the Bellamy-Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Connecticut, recently hosted hundred of fans who came out to hear Martha Hall Kelly tell how she was inspired by a visit there to write her novel.

You’ll be inspired to put a visit to Connecticut Landmarks’s Bellamy Ferriday House on your bucket list of things to do this summer–in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg.

Thanks to Connecticut Landmarks, Martha Hall Kelly, and Stacey Fitzgerald. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.

READ MORE:
Caroline Ferriday: A Godmother to Ravensbruck Survivors

Episode 33: World War I Reenactors Tell All
45 Minutes. Release Date: July 11, 2017

Hear three extraordinary World War I reenactors talk about what they do, why they do it, and what it all means. You’ll go for a ride in a WWI ambulance, too. And, you’ll meet Gayle Hall, who brought photos of her grandfather and his World War I medals to share with the State Library’s NEH funded World War I digitization project.

View some great images, too, many courtesy of historian/photographer Donald Rogers, from the recent World War I weekend at the historic Waldo House in Scotland, CT (where we recorded these interviews) on the Connecticut State Historian Facebook Page.

READ MORE:
Spring 2017: 100th Anniversary of World War I, Part II
Winter 2014-2015: Connecticut in the Great War, Part I

LISTEN–More Episodes about World War I:
Episode 28: Connecticut in World War I: Letters from the Front
Episode 25: On to Mexico: The Connecticut National Guard
Episode 24: “The Conquest of America,” A WWI Cautionary Tale

Episode 32: Hops, Beer, and Hartford’s 1902 Brewery Strike
54 Minutes. Release Date: June 27, 2017

Beer–that great cold drink! In 1902, Hartford’s brewers went on strike. Find out what happened, explore the resurgence of hops growing in Connecticut, and visit the Hog River Brewery, one of the state’s newest craft breweries.

We wish to thank Steve Thornton, Dr. James LaMondia, Dr. Katja Mauer, Ben Braddock, and the CT Agricultural Experiment Station. Music courtesy of Klokwize and Angela Luna, on iTunes now. This episode was produced by Mary Donohue and Patrick O’Sullivan.

READ MORE: Summer 2017

PLUS Watch INSIDE THE EPISODE Videos
What Does a Hopyard Look Like?
A Visit to the Hog River Brewery

Episode 31: The NEW Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
27 Minutes. Release Date: June 7, 2017

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center—one of our nation’s most important historic sites—has a fresh take on the house tour and a freshly renovated interior. Find out why you should visit this summer—plus a stroll through their historic garden and the award-winning plants you’ll find there, including a national champion Paw Paw tree!

We wish to thank Katherine Kane, Judith Lohman, Beth Burgess, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Sarajane Cedrone.

Read more at ctexplored.org where you’ll find several stories on Stowe including “The Most Famous American,”  “Lincoln and the Key to ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’,” and 

READ MORE:
Harriet Beecher Stowe: The Most Famous American by Katherine Kane
Hartford’s Nook Farm: Where Mr. Twain and Mrs. Stowe Built Their Dream Houses by Elizabeth Normen
Lincoln and the Key to ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ by Katherine Kane
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Must Read Book’ is 160 Years Old by Walt Woodward

 

Episode 30: Part I: P. T. Barnum and The Art of Money Getting

30 Minutes. Release Date: May 9, 2017
Part II: P. T. Barnum and The Art of Money Getting–the First 10 (of 20) Rules
43 Minutes. Release Date: May 12, 2017
Part III: P. T. Barnum and the Art of Money Getting–Rules 11 – 20
34 Minutes. Release Date: May 27, 2017
This month, the “Greatest Show on Earth” folds its tent after a run of 146 years. To commemorate, we’re honoring “The Greatest Showman on Earth,” P T Barnum, with a look back at his life, and a full reading of his still so useful book, THE ART OF MONEY GETTING. His 20 rules for achieving success and attaining wealth are still as sound as when he first wrote them back in 1858. And no wonder, because as Kathy Maher, Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport says, Barnum was not only America’s first entertainment mega-mogul, he was the nation’s second millionaire. Consider it a get rich quick theme in three parts, yours for free on Grating the Nutmeg. 

Episode 29: Art, Agency, Legacy: 30 Years of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture
31 Minutes. Release Date: April 24, 2017

The Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, which documents the history and art of people of African descent in America, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Connecticut Explored’s Elizabeth Normen talks with executive director Frank Mitchell about the center’s history and takes you on a tour of its special exhibition “30 for 30: Art, Agency, Legacy” on view at The Amistad Center through the Fall 2017.

The episode features music by Connecticut-based Self Suffice, the RapOet. Find Self Suffice’s music on iTunes and on Facebook.

Episode 28: Connecticut in World War I: Letters from the Front
34 Minutes. Release Date: April 5, 2017

With equal doses of wit and bravado, hear the stories of New Britain’s Stanley Works employees serving in France with World War I-era music recorded from the original records in the collection of Henry Arneth.

We wish to thank Karen Hudkins and Andrea Kulak from the New Britain Industrial Museum, Henry Arneth, and CCSU students Jacob Carey, Joe Guerrera, and Ryan Paolino. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan. 

For more Connecticut in World War I:
Episode 25: On to Mexico: The Connecticut National Guard
Episode 24: “The Conquest of America,” A WWI Cautionary Tale

READ MORE:
Connecticut in World War I, Part II, Spring 2017
Connecticut in the Great War, Winter 2014/2015

Episode 27: Sam Colt Mines the West
38 Minutes. Release Date: March 21, 2017

Central Connecticut State University history professor Leah Glaser retells the story of Sam Colt’s investment in the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company in the 1850s, a company that was incorporated in Cincinnati, Ohio to exploit silver mines in the new Arizona Territory. Colt never set foot in Arizona but that didn’t mean he didn’t pour energy, money, and firearms into making the venture a success. Unfortunately, the Apache, the Civil War, and myriad other challenges came into play.

Recorded February 28, 2017 at the University of Hartford as part of the Presidents’ College and Connecticut Explored’s “Connecticans in the American West” lecture series. Produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.

Read the Story: Sam Colt Mines the Arizona Territory

Episode 26: Catharine Beecher Educates the West
44 Minutes. Release Date: March 8, 2017

What was it like when a young schoolteacher from Connecticut arrived to teach in a rough frontier school in 1850? Find out in this podcast by Eastern Connecticut State University English professor Allison Speicher. Speicher tells us about why the famous Catharine Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was so driven to send New England school teachers to the west—and what those teachers found when they arrived.

This talk was recorded February 21, 2017 at the University of Hartford as part of the Presidents’ College and Connecticut Explored’s “Connecticans in the American West” lecture series. The episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.

Read the Story: Catharine Beecher Educates the West

Episode 25: On to Mexico: The Connecticut National Guard
35 Minutes. Release Date: February 24, 2017

Museum of Connecticut History curator Dave Corrigan tells the forgotten story of the Connecticut National Guard’s service on the Mexican border in 1916—the first test of these young soldiers in a hostile environment before they shipped out to France six months later.

Part of our Commemorating World War I coverage. Recorded February 14, 2017 at the University of Hartford, part of the three-part Presidents’ College Lecture Series “Connecticans in the American West,” organized in collaboration with Connecticut Explored’s Winter 2016-2017 issue on that theme. Produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.

Watch for the other two lectures in that series in future episodes of Grating the Nutmeg.

READ MORE: Spring 2017

 

Episode 24: “The Conquest of America,” A WWI Cautionary Tale
40 Minutes. Release Date: February 2, 2017

This spring, Americans will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States entry into World War I–including with CT Explored’s Spring 2017 issue. To whet your appetite for some of the surprising stories ahead, state historian Walt Woodward retells war correspondent Cleveland Moffett’s cautionary tale from 1915 of an imagined “German invasion of Connecticut.” It was serialized in the national magazine McClure’s, and released in book form as The Conquest of America in 1916. 

See illustrations from the book here, and download the entire book in .pdf form here.

 

Episode 23: The Great American Road Trip!
35 Minutes. Release Date: January 12, 2017

A celebration of the adventure, fun, and excitement of a road trip along the byways and back roads of America. Featuring the stories of the diners, motels, gas stations, and roadside amusements that are featured in Road Trip!, the New Haven Museum’s exhibition on view through June 15, 2017.

Visit ctexplored.org/shack-attack/ for photos and more information on Connecticut’s roadside eateries, and listen to episode 10, “Poets & Patriots in Stonington,” for our visit to the Sea Swirl in Mystic.

This historic preservation story is supported in part by Connecticut Humanities.

READ MORE:
A Hip Road Trip, Winter 2009/2010
Lunch Wagon to Space Age Diner: Connecticut’s First Fast Food Emporiums, Spring 2006

Episode 22: The Smithsonian’s Eric Hintz–Hartford as a Place of Invention
37 Minutes. Release Date: December 27, 2016

The Smithsonian’s Eric Hintz reveals why he featured Hartford as one of six places of invention in a special exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. Find out how Samuel Colt, Elisha Root, and Mark Twain figure into the story and the ingredients he’s discovered that mark Connecticut as a standout place of invention in the late-19th century. Thank you to Eric Hintz and the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, and Jody Blankenship and the Connecticut Historical Society. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Normen and Patrick O’Sullivan.

PLUS:  Episode 19’s interview with Connecticut Historical Society curator Ilene Frank about “Connecticut Innovates!,” on view through March 25, 2017.

READ MORE:
Sikorsky: Still Revolutionary, Spring 2014 
Pepperidge Farm, Winter 2015/2016
Peter Paul, Spring 2010
Bigelow Tea, Winter 2015/2016
Pratt & Whitney, Spring 2005
Kaman, Fall 2008
International Silver, Winter 2015/2016
“The Miracle on Capital Avenue” Spring 2004

Buy “The Connecticut Brand” Collection: 6 issues full of stories on Connecticut’s history of innovation, just $35. Makes a great gift!

 

Episode 21: Holiday Episode 2: A Connecticut Christmas Story
33 Minutes. Release Date: December 1, 2016
Celebrate Christmas in Connecticut with two stories: from Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Mark Twain House. Featuring music from Duke Ellington’s Suite from the Nutcracker Ballet performed by the New England Jazz Ensemble. 

Our preservation story about the restoration of the Mark Twain House’s Mahogany Suite is brought to you by Connecticut Humanities. Special thanks to Beth Burgess of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Tracy Brindle of the Mark Twain House, and the New England Jazz Ensemble. For more information on the New England Jazz Ensemble, visit neje.org.

READ MORE:
“Christmas in Connecticut,” Winter 2010/2011

Episode 20: Holiday Episode 1: Soup and Stories
52 Minutes. Release Date: November 26, 2016
What do the Shroud of Turin, a  beer-drinking donkey, a walking catfish, Farmall tractors, the Blizzard of 1888,  spooky houses, and the songs from the Wizard of Oz have to do with the little towns of Lebanon and Columbia? In this, the first of 2 special holiday episodes, we celebrate one of the best things about the holiday season–the stories people share with each other. We journey to Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, where residents of the towns of Columbia and Lebanon met together on an evening in early November to share soup, dessert, and stories.

Thanks to Donna Baron, Justin Holbrook, Rick Kane, Andrea Stannard, Alicia Lamb, Marge Nicholls, Ed Tillman, Belle Robinson, and ALL the amazing story tellers who made this night so fun and memorable.

Episode 19: Connecticut Innovates!
20 Minutes. Release Date: November 16, 2016
What does it take to be considered innovative? What is Connecticut’s history of innovation? Find out with this interview with Connecticut Historical Society curator Ilene Frank and exhibit designer Jordan Klein about their new exhibition “Connecticut Innovates!” on view November 11, 2016 to March 25, 2017.

READ MORE:
Sikorsky: Still Revolutionary, Spring 2014 
Pepperidge Farm, Winter 2015/2016
Peter Paul, Spring 2010
Bigelow Tea, Winter 2015/2016
Pratt & Whitney, Spring 2005
Kaman, Fall 2008
International Silver, Winter 2015/2016
“The Miracle on Capital Avenue” Spring 2004

Buy “The Connecticut Brand” Collection: 6 issues full of stories on Connecticut’s history of innovation, just $35. Makes a great gift!

Episode 18: Governor John Dempsey, Son of Cahir
43 Minutes. Release Date: November 2, 2016
John Dempsey, governor from 1961 to 1971, was one of the most popular–and effective–governors Connecticut ever had, according to state historian Walt Woodward. Born in Ireland in 1916, he was the first immigrant governor of Connecticut since the colonial era. During his administration Connecticut was completely transformed from one of the most tight-fisted American states to one of the most socially responsible. Based on a talk Woodward gave in Ireland in 2015, Dempsey’s remarkable achievements, and how both his character and his policies were shaped by his boyhood in Cahir, Ireland, are revealed.

A Grating the Nutmeg First:
Click here to watch on Youtube with slides

READ MORE:
Dempsey was executive secretary and lieutenant governor to Governor Abraham Ribicoff and then succeeded him in office. Read more about Ribicoff and Connecticut political history:
“Abraham Ribicoff Turns Connecticut Blue,” Spring 2016
Spring 2016 and Fall 2004: stories of Connecticut’s political history

Episode 17: A Pirate’s Tale and Visit to Old New-Gate Prison
47 Minutes. Release Date: October 14, 2016
Hear about Ruth Duncan’s shocking discovery of her great great grandfather’s connection to the notorious pirate William Gibbs and about who’s clamored to get into—and escape from—Old New-Gate Prison over the last 240 years. After six years of a stabilization project, the popular historic site is on the verge of reopening to the public with an open house on October 22, 2016.

Featuring: Ruth Duncan, Christopher Shields of the Greenwich Historical Society, Jack Shannahan, Rep. Tami Zawistowski, Sophie Huget.

READ MORE:
“The Pirate’s Pericardium?,” Fall 2016
“Escape from New-Gate Prison,” Summer 2006

Episode 16: Drinking in History at the Noah Webster House
21 Minutes. Release Date: October 4, 2016
Some people say that young people these days just aren’t that interested in history museums. Don’t tell that to the Noah Webster House in West Hartford, which has found a way to attract hundreds of twenty-and-thirty-somethings to drink in history at the birthplace of the man who helped define early America.

See also Episode 4: Winter 2015-2016–Connecticut Clocks and American Words (below)

Episode 15: What’s It All About: The Law and Order Edition!
34 Minutes. Release Date: September 15, 2016
Was the oldest person executed under Connecticut’s now-abolished capital punishment law given a fair trial? Where did an enterprising young man find the best law school in the early years of the new nation? (hint: it wasn’t New Haven) Find out about these and others stories about crime and punishment in Connecticut from the Fall 2016 issue of Connecticut Explored. 

Guests: Johnna Kaplan, author of “The Mysterious Case of Gershom Marx,” and Cathy Fields, executive director of the Litchfield Historical Society: Hosts: Elizabeth Normen and Jennifer LaRue

Get the issue! Fall 2016

Episode 14:  Before BDL: Bradley Field and Eugene Bradley
41 Minutes. Release Date: September 6, 2016
What’s the history of Bradley International Airport and why is it named for someone from Oklahoma? Is it time to change the name? On the 75th anniversary of Bradley Field (almost to the day) CT Explored’s Elizabeth Normen spoke with Jerry Roberts of the New England Air Museum about the past, present, and future of Connecticut’s international airport and air museum. The last of our episodes from the Summer 2016 issue “Small Towns, BIG Stories.”

READ MORE:
Windsor Locks: Bradley International Airport
Preserving Connecticut’s Aeronautical History
Sikorsky: Still Revolutionary
Frederick Rentschler: The Sky’s the Limit
The Rise and Fall of Balloonist Silas Brooks

Episode 13: Discovery: Connecticut’s Most Important Dig Ever
42 Minutes. Release Date: August 23, 2016
Take an earwitness journey to the 1659 John Hollister homesite on the Connecticut River in ancient Wethersfield, and join the archaeologists, graduate students, and volunteers from many walks of life as they uncover one of the richest early colonial sites ever found in Connecticut.

Accompany State historian Walter Woodward on the last day of the dig for a first-hand account of what they’re finding, and what it means for understanding our early history. Hear from State archeologist Brian Jones, Lori Kissel, Scot Brady, Glenda Rose, Dick Hughes, Fiona Jones, Mandy Ranslow (president of FOSA – Friends of the Office of State Archaeology)  and others about their epic archeological adventure.

SEE PHOTOS HERE
READ MORE:
Summer 2014: History Underground
“Waste Not, Want Not: What a Colonial Midden Can Tell Us” by Ross Harper, Fall 2012

Episode 12: Great Finds: Inside and Out
34 Minutes. Release Date: August 2, 2016
The Great Find!
A pair of 18th century portraits comes up for auction. Should the Connecticut Historical Society make a bid? This is a behind-the-scenes story in more ways than one! Host: Elizabeth Normen, CT Explored. Featuring: Ilene Frank, Connecticut Historical Society.
Pleasant Valley Drive In
Did you go to the drive-in movies when you were a kid? You still can! Join Jennifer LaRue for another segment inspired by the “Small Towns, BIG Stories” theme of the Summer 2016 issue of Connecticut Explored. Host: Jennifer LaRue, Connecticut Explored.
Growing Up in Connecticut
Are you a millennial, Gen Xer, Baby Boomer, or member of the Silent Generation? Relive your childhood with the Connecticut Historical Society’s special exhibition “Growing Up in Connecticut.” Host: Elizabeth Normen, Connecticut Explored. Featuring: Ben Gammell, Connecticut Historical Society

Read More:
“In Search of the Great Find: Nathan Liverant and Sons”
“Shack Attack: Connecticut’s Roadside Eateries”  and listen to Episode 10 “Shack Attack”
“A Hip Road Trip: The History of the Berlin Turnpike”
“Lunch Wagon to Spage-Age Diner: Connecticut’s First Fast Food Emporiums”

Episode 11: Wallace Nutting and the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
39 Minutes. Release Date: July 13, 2016
Most people know the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum as the place where George Washington and the comte de Rochambeau planned the campaign that won the American victory in the Revolutionary War. This year, a special exhibition commemorates another important event, one that happened there 100 years ago. In 1916, minister, photographer, antiques expert, and marketing entrepreneur Wallace Nutting made Webb-Deane-Stevens one of the very first historic house museums in America. Museum executive director Charles Lyle tells us the amazing story about an amazing man who was the Martha Stewart of his generation and more.

Related Stories:
“The Conference State: Washington and Rochambeau Plan for Victory”
Winter 2011/2012: “Site Line: Silas Deane”

Episode 10: Poets and Patriots in Stonington & Shack Attack! Summer Eats in Connecticut
29 minutes. Release Date: June 27, 2016
More stories from “Small Towns, BIG Stories,” the summer 2016 issue of Connecticut Explored.
Poetry and Patriots in Stonington: A visit to an unexpected listing on the National Register of Historic Places: poet James Merrill’s fourth-floor walk-up pied-a-terre in Stonington. Special guest poet-in-residence Noah Warren reads from Merrill’s work and reveals how this place inspired both his and Merrill’s poetry. And Beth Moore of the Stonington Historical Society gives us a highlights tour of historic sites in Stonington.
PLUS–Shack Attack: Summer Eats in Connecticut: Find out where to get great clams, hot dogs, and ice cream at Connecticut’s most iconic roadside food shacks.

Episode 9: Small Towns, BIG Stories–Lyman Orchards Turns 275 and What’s It All About
45 minutes. Release date: June 7, 2016
Lyman Orchards in Middlefield celebrates its 275th anniversary and so state historian Walt Woodward sat down with John Lyman III to talk about the history of the 12th oldest family business in America, which also happens to be one of New England’s most popular agri-tourism destinations. 30 minutes

Then, (at minute 30) listen to What’s It All About – Summer Edition, a lively discussion with Bill Hosley and Betsy Fox about their favorite small towns with BIG stories from the summer issue of Connecticut Explored.

Related stories:
“Top 10 Treasures from Small Museums”
“Even with History, Go Local”
Summer 2016 issue

Episode 8: Living History
20 minutes. Release date: May 22, 2016
What if you could tour writer Mark Twain’s house with the maid, getting the juicy inside story? Join Connecticut Explored editor Jennifer LaRue as she tags along on one of the Mark Twain House’s new living history tours. Plus learn about the living history tour offered at the Windsor Historical Society. Then publisher Elizabeth Normen smells the lilacs in the Florence Griswold Museum’s gardens and takes you through their current exhibition celebrating executive director Jeffrey Anderson’s 40th anniversary.

Related stories:
“Saving Mark Twain’s House,” by Steve Courtney, Spring 2013

Episode 7: A Communist’s Arrest in 1950s New Haven
28 minutes. Release date: April 19, 2016
In 1954, 32-year-old Al Marder was arrested in New Haven along with several others under the Smith Act for allegedly working to overthrow the US government. After a lengthy trial, during which he was defended by the celebrated civil rights lawyer Catherine Roraback, he was acquitted. With humor, grace, passion, and optimism, hear Al tell in his own words what he was fighting for and what it feels like when the full power of the state, federal, and local government is aimed at you. Recorded at New Haven Museum on April 14, 2016. An extended version including the entire 1-hour program is available as Episode 7E (Extended).

Read related stories in the Spring 2016 issue, including “A Life of Conviction: Al Marder” by Mary Donohue.

Episode 6: Irish in a Mill Town and Spring 2016–Voting and Protesting
45 minutes. Release date: March 13, 2016
Irish Eyes in a Connecticut Mill Town, 17 minutes. Jamie Eves of the Windham Textile & History Museum in Willimantic talks with state historian Walt Woodward about their new exhibition Irish Eyes: The Irish Experience in a Connecticut Mill Town.
What’s It All About, 13 min. The CT Explored editorial team talks about voting, protesting, and religious equality. Features Dave Corrigan on the 1991 income tax protest and Mary Donohue on the 1843 petition by Jews for religious parity in Connecticut.
Theodate’s Suffrage Journey, 12 min. Melanie Anderson Bourbeau, curator of Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, describes the suffrage journey of Hill-Stead’s architect and last resident Theodate Pope Riddle.

Read related stories in the Spring 2016 issue and
SAMPLE ARTICLE: The Anti-Income Tax Rally of 1991
Connecticut’s Irish Domestics

Episode 5: What Makes Connecticut Connecticut?
52 minutes. Release date: March 3, 2016
A musical lecture by state historian Walter Woodward featuring his Band of Steady Habits. This podcast was inspired by Connecticut Captured: A 21st Century Look at an American Classic, an exhibition of photographs by acclaimed visual documentarian Carol M. Highsmith on view at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford through March 12, 2016. This exhibition, based on Woodward  and Highsmith’s recently published book Connecticut (Chelsea Publishing, 2015), is an effort to capture in images the character of Connecticut in the 21st century. Read more at https://www.ctexplored.org/state-historian-the-picture-not-taken/

Episode 4: Winter 2015-2016–Connecticut Clocks and American Words
37 minutes. Release date: February 2016
They Keep On Ticking: A Visit to the American Clock & Watch Museum: Clock & Watch Museum executive director Patti Philippon tells us about the Mickey Mouse watch that saved the Timex Company during the Great Depression, and so much more.
Defining the American Language: A Visit to the Noah Webster House: Webster House executive director Jennifer Matos tells out why Webster’s dictionary was so revolutionary.

Read these related stories:
Everyman’s Time: The Rise and Fall of Connecticut Clockmaking
On Noah Webster:
Father of American Copyright Law
A Connecticut Yankee Doodle Dandy
Noah Webster Slept Here and So Did I
And stories from our Winter 2015-2016 issue

Episode 3: History That’s Music to Our Ears
35 minutes. Release date: January 2016
Speed-dating at a History Conference: State historian Walt Woodward takes listeners inside the Fall 2015 Association for the Study of Connecticut History conference.
125 Years of Music: Editor Jennifer LaRue lets us listen in on the music-making of the Musical Club of Hartford, the subject of her Fall 2015 story.

Read related story:
125 Years of Music: The Musical Club of Hartford

Episode 2: Winter 2015-2015–Connecticut’s Iconic Brands
36 minutes. Release date: December 2015
What’s It All About: Editor Jennifer LaRue, publisher Elizabeth Normen, assistant publisher Mary Donohue, and curator of the Museum of Connecticut History Dave Corrigan talk about the big ideas behind their favorite stories in the Winter 2015-2016 issue.
A Birdcall Moment: Historian Rich Malley takes listeners out into the field to demonstrate the subject of his story “The Simple Genius of the Audubon Bird Call.”
It Doesn’t Look Like a Toaster: Editorial assistant Sarajane Cedrone takes listeners on a tour of the New Britain Industrial Museum, the subject of her story “Site Lines: Making Places,” with the museum’s executive director Karen Hudkins.

Read related stories in our Winter 2015-2016 issue

Episode 1: Introducing Grating the Nutmeg
19 minutes. Release date: November 2015
What’s It All About: Editor Jennifer LaRue, publisher Elizabeth Normen, and state historian Walter Woodward explain what Grating the Nutmeg is about and how it got its spicy name.
Lebanon’s Quiet Benefactor: Walt Woodward visits Lebanon’s historic green to learn from Ed Tollman about that town’s amazing life-long benefactor Hugh Trumbull Adams.

Read related stories in our Fall 2015 issue

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Plus, these one-hour interviews by FieldstoneCommon.com

SPRING 2015

Eric Lehman, “Tom Thumb and the Age of Celebrity.” CLICK HERE

WINTER  2014/2015

Laura Macaluso, “New Haven’s Monuments Man”–Click Here

FALL 2014 Issue

Elisabeth Petry, “Just Like Georgia Except for the Climate”– Click Here

SUMMER 2012

Jerry Roberts, War of 1812: The British Raid on Essex  CLICK HERE

African American Connecticut Explored

Hear an interview with contributing author Katherine Harris on our new book African American Connecticut Explored (Wesleyan University Press, 2014).