Fun Fact about The Gris

The Griswold Inn served as the Collinsport Inn in the popular gothic soap opera

Dark Shadows (1966–1971), starting with the first episode on June 27, 1966.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebellious Runner

In 1961, 19-year-old Julia Chase ran the Manchester Road Race . . . unofficially. Race organizers refused to let her enter the race, citing Amateur Athletic Union regulations, which prohibited women from competing in races longer than 1.25 miles. As the starting gun went off, Chase darted through the crowd of spectators and onto the course; 33 minutes and 40 seconds later, she crossed the finish line. Chase told The Manchester Evening Herald on November 24, 1961, “I was a little scared before the race but once I got over the hill, I knew I’d finish.” As anyone who has run the 4.75-mile course knows, taking on the Highland Street hill is an act of bravery in and of itself!

Chase’s run received national coverage, as the Manchester Road Race was then one of the most famous running events in the country, second only to the Boston Marathon, according to Amby Burfoot’s First Ladies of Running (Rodale, 2016). The first woman to run in the Boston Marathon (also unofficially) came later, in 1966. The Manchester Road Race allowed women to officially compete beginning in 1974.

 

Author Amanda McCracken interviewed Julia Chase-Brand for an episode of the podcast Starting Line 1928. Listen at startingline1928.com/pioneerstories/julia-chase-brand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Into the Past

Lace up your hiking boots—these nature walks double as history lessons.

Gay City State Park, Hebron

Between 1796 and 1879, the Gay City community existed in isolation. Residents built a woolen mill and, later, a paper mill to sustain themselves economically. Both mills succumbed to fires on separate occasions, leading residents to move into neighboring communities. There are multiple trails through the 1,500-acre Gay City State Park, and visitors are welcome to explore the ruins of the burned-down factories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Line State Park Trail, Multiple Towns, Portland to Thompson

The Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad allowed passengers to travel between Boston and New York from 1885 to 1902. The route was advertised as the most direct path, resembling a straight line drawn through the air between the two cities. The abandoned railroad has since been converted into a scenic trail for pedestrians. As visitors stroll along the path, they take in vistas that would have been seen by passengers on these trains, traversing through cut rock and over viaducts.

 

Historical markers dot the trail. One marker tells the story of the railroad company’s rollout of new trains with white exteriors. New York and New England Railroad marketed a ride on the “White Train” as a luxurious experience. According to UConn archivist Laura Smith, the train became known as the “Ghost Train” because onlookers believed it looked like an apparition flying through the night.

To learn more about the Ghost Train and other railroad stories, visit blogs.lib.uconn.edu/archives and search “Railroad.”

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