One of the benefits of doing public history is the opportunity to research things that I never would have thought to look into on my own. For example, last year I was asked to research the history of a school. In addition to finding information about the building itself, my remit also included the educational … Continue reading Tact and the primary school teacher (1881)
Connecticut
What do you need to form a fire company (in 1837)?
Today was lovely, featuring a romp through several boxes of nineteenth-century Connecticut legislative records and lunch with colleagues (only one of whom was the one I'm married to). The answer to the question posed in the title has several parts. First, you needed permission from the General Assembly to establish a fire company. I suppose … Continue reading What do you need to form a fire company (in 1837)?
Article in Connecticut Explored
And here's something new: my spouse and I have an article in the current issue of Connecticut Explored! "Exploring Early Connecticut Mapmaking" is - okay, a bit obviously - about historic maps of Connecticut, an area we know quite a bit about. The magazine is a well-put-together popular history publication focusing on our home state. … Continue reading Article in Connecticut Explored
War of 1812: Politicians keep in touch
I'm now working on transcribing some miscellaneous correspondence from the papers of Connecticut Governor John Cotton Smith. Most of this is letters to the governor, including this one from Congressional Representative John Tallmadge, dated December 24, 1812: Since I came to the House this morning, I have rec’d your Letter of the 16th instant. When … Continue reading War of 1812: Politicians keep in touch
Connecticut & the governor of New York
Sir Edmund Andros is best known to Connecticut residents for being appointed governor of the short-lived "Dominion of New England" in the 1680s, and seizing (or attempting to seize) the royal charter that allowed Connecticut to operate its own government. The document indices from the King Philip's War period (the 1670s) indicate, however, that he … Continue reading Connecticut & the governor of New York
Small towns in Connecticut
Recently I had occasion to research the history of the town of Hartland, Connecticut, and discovered that in 1930, its population was 296 - which made it only the second smallest town in the state (Union had 196 residents). That inspired me to take a look at which towns are currently the smallest. The most … Continue reading Small towns in Connecticut
Kristen Noble Keegan, Historical Geographer 