Co nnecticut Explored
Connecticut history, one good story after another. VOLUME 16/NUMBER 1/WINTER 2017-2018 $6.25 IN THIS ISSUE: Love, Hate & Rivalry 2 Benedict Arnold by Nathaniel Philbrick 2 Valentines from Litchfield 2 Innovating in Lingerie 2 Weddings Through the Ages 2 Municipal Rose Gardens to Love
15 years! Min e & You rs. e c O
n o a v r e s e r P
c i r o t s i H
e t a Archit ect ural Rema ins t S
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Old N ew-Gate P rison & C opp er M ine, E ast G ranby t o h
Re- Open ing in May 2018 P An i so lated place where p risoners r an u nchecked in an abandoned c opper mi ne, t he s tory of Old New-Gate ma kes it one of the state’s mos t compelling cul tur al si tes. The propert y, wh ich is d esig nated as a Na onal His toric Lan dmar k an dState A rchae ologic al Preserve, is one of four public m use ums operated by t he S tate Hi storic P rese rva o n O ce ( SHPO). For m ore informa o n o n u pcoming events at Ol d New-Gate, o r S HPO’s th ree o ther h istoric s ites, p lease v isi t www.cul tureandtou ris m.or g an d f ollow u s on F aceb ook. HHOLIDAYOLIDAY EE XPRESSXPRESS TT RRAAININ SSHHOO WW P On View thr oug h Janua ry 7 , 2 018 Spo nsored b y P eople ’s U nited B ank
Broadw ay C ostume s from the Goodspeed Win ter Wond er la nd Musica ls Co lle ctio n On Vi ew thr ou gh Exh ibi tio n on View at Hill-St ea d Mu se um February 18, 2018 Se pt emb er 21 , 2017 – Janu ary 1, 2018
In pa rtn er shi p wit h
Pres ent ed by On V iew t hr ough ELIZAB ETH FERRY SPE ER FOUN DATION Ja nu ary 21, 2018
From G oodsp eed’s Kiss Me, Kat e. Design b y M artin P akle dinaz. Phot ograph b y Diane S obolewski. Fa ir e ld Mu se um E the past, I the future 37 0 Beac h Roa d, Fai rfi eld, CT | 203-259-1598 35 Mo un ta in Road, Farmington | hillstea d.org Op en Daily 10a m - 4pm | Fairfieldhistory.org
Weddings, Parties & Corporate Events!
Hoþ your next event at a Conneüicut Landmarks ’Properÿ . From 18 th -century elegance to ruþic barns, each exquisýe sýe cr eates the perfeü backdrop for your unforgetable event!
www .ülandmarks.org Thr ee Centuries of Christmas Cele brate t he h oli day s at the at t he H otch kiss -Fyler House Museu m Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Me ticulou sly r esto red h istor ic h ou ses demon str ate i n c har mi ng d etai l how th e h ol iday e vol ve d i n C on necti cut Previ ew Part y: F ri., Dec. 8, 5-8 p m Ch ri st mas Candlelight Tours : Fri. an d S at, D ec. 15 an d 16, 5-8 p m Dayl ight Ho liday Tours: Dec. 9 - Jan . 7, 2018 Our sh op is wel lstockedwith holid ay gifts! De cember 9th-30th ursday t hru S unday 1 2-4pm Tor rington Histor ical Society 192 M ain S treet, T orrington, C T 21 1 Main Stree t, Wet he rs el d CT (86 0)482-8260 . tor ringto nhistor icalsociety.or g 860. 52 9. 0612 ww w.web b- deane-stev en s.or g
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“Th e Founders of K ent” Our 2017 history exhibit w ill b ri ng t o l ife th e Fir st Famili es who settled Kent in the 1730s, an d examin e th eir traces stil l exis tin g to day . God frey ’s lib ra ry of gen ea logy res ou rces and ex pert res ea rch Vis it our web site for details : staff wi ll he lp yo u fi nd out. www.kent historica lsociet y.org Find us on Facebook at Godf rey Mem orial Library Kent Historica l S ociet y 134 Newfield St. ,Mid dleto wn ,CT860- 346- 4375 • www .Godfrey .org
T\ he Paston T reasure \ microcosm of the known world
February 15– May 27, 2018
Free a nd o pen t o t he p ublic
C hapel S treet, N ew H aven br itishart.yale.edu
@y alebr itish art Past onTreasure
Unknown artist (Dutch Sc hool), The Past on Treasur e ( detail), ca. , oil on canvas, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, No rw ic h, UK , courtesy of Norf ol k Mus eum s Ser vi ce VOLUME 16/NUMBER 1/WINTER 2017-2018 2 Connecticut Explored Contents pg 9 Hog River Journal
14 pg 10 Letters, etc. “First Comes Love, pg 13 From the State Historian: Then Comes Marriage” From Afar, They Still Loved Connecticut Wedding portraits and By Walter W. Woodward the custom of marriage. By Christina Keyser Vida pg 14 “First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage” By Christina Keyser Vida pg 20 Benedict Arnold and the Battle of Ridgefield By Nathaniel Philbrick pg 26 Connecticut Shapes the Intimate-Apparel Industry 20 By Elizabeth Pratt Fox Benedict Arnold and pg 32 Divorce, Connecticut Style the Battle of Ridgefield By Henry S. Cohn Frustrated in love and war. By Nathaniel Philbrick pg 38 Sam & Livy Clemens’s Love Story By Mallory Howard pg 40 Site Lines: Love/Hate for Connecticut’s Brutalist Buildings By Christopher Wigren pg 42 We’re Coming Up Roses 26 By Lea Anne Moran Connecticut Shapes pg 46 Say It With a Card the Intimate-Apparel By Linda Hocking Industry Union suits, corsets, and pg 48 The Ridiculous and Pernicious Custom of Bundling brassieres made right here. By Elizabeth J. Normen By Elizabeth Pratt Fox pg 50 “Then Comes Baby in a Baby Carriage” By Elizabeth J. Normen pg 51 Spotlight: Events & News from Partner Organizations
32 pg 58 Afterword Divorce, Connecticut Style On the Cover: Keeping things civil Trade card, scrapbook of when a marriage fails. Warner Brothers material, By Henry S. Cohn 1888. Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library See story, page 26.
CT Explored / 7 2 “remarkable old photos and Connecticut Explored ctexplored.org vivid, thoughtful writing….” 2017 Bruce Fraser Friend of the Social Studies Award, Connecticut Council for the Social Studies The Hartford Courant 2014 Connecticut League of History Organizations Award of Merit for African American Connecticut Explored Connecticut history, one good story after another. 2010 Award of Merit, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation 2005 Wilbur Cross Award, Humanities Program of the Year, Connecticut Humanities 2003 Jeffery S. Czopor Award, Hartford Preservation Alliance JOIN Today! and Preservation Week Committee AND NEVER MISS A GOOD STOR Y PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Connecticut Explored Inc. 4 issues per year: 1 year 2 years IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS: Connecticut State Library Mystic Seaport Regular ...... $ 25 $ 45 State Historic Preservation New Haven Museum [ Office, DECD Slater Memorial Museum Discounted & Seniors (60+)...... $ 20 $ 38 Connecticut Landmarks Wadsworth Atheneum Educator’s Discount ...... $ 15 $ 28 Hartford Public Library Museum of Art Yale Center for British Art Wilton Historical Society Friend of Connecticut Explored ...... $100 Central Connecticut State Association for the Study of (Includes $80 tax-deductible gift) University History Department Connecticut History The Florence Griswold Museum Connecticut River Museum [ Discounted rate for Connecticut Explored organizational partner members/donors: The Amistad Center for Connecticut Society of Art & Culture Genealogists If taking the discount, please check the appropriate box: Connecticut Historical Society Godfrey Memorial Library Connecticut Trust for Hill-Stead Museum o Amistad Center for Art & Culture o Lyman Allyn Art Museum Historic Preservation Kent Historical Society o Association for the Study of o Mark Twain House & Museum Fairfield Museum & New Britain Industrial Museum Connecticut History Mattatuck Museum History Center Noah Webster House o Greenwich Historical Society Roseland Cottage, o CCSU (alumni, students, staff) o Mystic Seaport Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Historic New England o Connecticut Historical Society o New Britain Industrial Museum Lebanon Historical Society Stonington Historical Society Connecticut Landmarks New Haven Museum Litchfield Historical Society Torrington Historical Society o o The Mark Twain House & Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum o Connecticut River Museum o Noah Webster House Museum Wesleyan University Press o Connecticut Society of Genealogists o Roseland Cottage, Mattatuck Museum o Connecticut Trust for Historic New England Historic Preservation o Slater Memorial Museum Elizabeth Normen, PUBLISHER o Fairfield Museum & History Center o Stonington Historical Society Jennifer LaRue, EDITOR Florence Griswold Museum Torrington Historical Society Mary Donohue, ASSISTANT PUBLISHER o o John Alves, ART DIRECTOR o Godfrey Memorial Library o Trinity College (alumni, o Greenwich Historical Society students, staff) EDITORIAL BOARD: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Wadsworth Atheneum Dawn C. Adiletta, independent scholar o o Stacey Close, Eastern Connecticut State University o Hartford Public Library (cardholders) Museum of Art Catherine Fields, Litchfield Historical Society o Hill-Stead Museum o Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum Briann Greenfield o Kent Historical Society o Wilton Historical Society Sheryl Hack, Connecticut Landmarks Lebanon Historical Society Yale Center for British Art Joan Jacobs o o Katherine Kane, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center o Litchfield Historical Society Eugene Leach, Trinity College Matthew Warshauer, Central Connecticut State University ______Sally Whipple, Old State House Walter Woodward, State Historian, University of Connecticut Name ______SUPPORTED IN PART BY Address ______Connecticut Explored (ISSN: 1553-3689) is published quarterly by Connecticut City/State/ZIP Explored Inc. ©2017 and mailed to members. Connecticut Explored is ______protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent. Memberships are $25 per year for four issues. To join or note E-mail Telephone a change of address, go to www.ctexplored.org or write to Connecticut Explored , P. O. Box 271561, West Hartford, CT 06127-1561. Articles and essays published in Connecticut Explored are works of journalism and not the official o VISA o MC o AMEX # ______policy of Connecticut Explored and its organizational partners. Connecticut Explored and its organizational partners assume no responsibility for the con - tent of advertisements. Amount $ ______Exp. Date ______Security Code ______ADVERTISING: Call Mary Donohue at 860-523-5158 or e-mail [email protected]. Signature ______Date ______POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Connecticut Explored , P. O. Box 271561, West Hartford, CT 06127-1561.
Make check payable to: Connecticut Explored Call for articles If you would like to propose a topic or are interested in and mail to: P. O. Box 271561 writing for Connecticut Explored please submit queries and one or two published West Hartford, CT 06127-1561 samples to [email protected]. Visit ctexplored.org for more information about upcoming themes and submission information. CT Explored / 8 HOG RIVER JOURNAL Happy Valentine’s Day! Gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com. All you have to do is click on the player button. Or you can subscribe via iTunes or Google What better theme is there as we celebrate our 15th Play for free. Listen while you cook, exercise, garden , clean the anniversary than one inspired by the upcoming Valentine’s house, or drive somewhere. If you haven’t done so already, Day holiday and our passion for Connecticut history? In this check it out —and recommend it to a friend! issue you’ll read stories about love, hate, and rivalry in We’re also thinking about the next generation of Connecticans Connecticut’s past. We’re incredibly honored to feature and how to ensure they grow up to be informed citizen- best-selling historian Nathaniel Philbrick with an excerpt voters. That moved us to create Where I Live: Connecticut , a from his 2016 Valiant Ambition (Viking) about Benedict social-studies resource about Connecticut for third graders Arnold—with whom Connecticut had a mutual love/hate available as a free website and e-book and, for a modest relationship. We feature the love/hero side of the story; charge, in print. Working with educators, students, the read “Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London” (Fall Connecticut Council for the Social Studies, and the history 2006) for the hate/villain side of the story. community on this new publication has been rewarding. An anniversary is a good time to take stock and reflect Teachers are loving this new way to incorporate Connecticut’s on where we’ve been—but not for long. The fact is that history, geography, economy, and civics into the curriculum. we’re always thinking about the future. William Faulkner This is our Valentine to you. All of this—15 years worth— famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even wouldn’t have been possible without the buy-in of our past.” Recent events related to the removal of Confederate readers and listeners. Your memberships, your contributions statues underscores what he’s talking about. But I also take to the Friends of Connecticut Explored (please give before his quote as a reminder that history is not behind us—it’s December 31, 2017 in honor of our anniversary) , your very much with us today. That motivates me to keep purchase of back issues, your purchase of gift subscriptions for exploring our past to better understand our present. family and friends, keep us going. Thank you for your passion But the world is a rapidly changing place, too. We need for Connecticut history and for your support of Connecticut to be thinking about where Connecticut Explored is going. Explored, Grating the Nutmeg, Where I Live: Connecticut and We’re always asking ourselves if we can use new technolo - all of the organizations that make what we do possible as we gies to tell Connecticut’s stories. That’s how Grating the look ahead to the next 15 years of great stories about Nutmeg , our podcast of Connecticut history produced with Connecticut history. state historian Walt Woodward, was born two years ago. Nearly 40 episodes, and a growing audience of an average Elizabeth Normen, Publisher of 300 – 500 listeners per episode later, Grating the Nutmeg [email protected] has enabled us to offer something different from what we 860-233-5421 offer in the magazine. We’ve visited craft brewers, hopyards, WWI reenactments, food shacks, a drive-in movie theater, a beach colony, an archaeological dig, a replica of Adriaen Block’s Onrust , and museums and historic sites 15 across the state. Episodes come in a variety in formats, years! including lectures, conversations, on-the-spot interviews, and dramatic storytelling. Episodes range from about 25 to Connecticut Explored uncovers the state’s cultural heritage with the 45 minutes, and a new one comes out every couple of aim of revealing connections between our past, present, and future. weeks. Find all of the episodes at ctexplored.org/listen or For stories from our back issues visit ctexplored.org.
CT Explored / 9 Letters, etc. 2 To submit letters to the editor e-mail [email protected] or write to Editor, Connecticut Explored , P.O. Box 271561, West Hartford, CT 06127-1561. ‘Tis the Season! We are so thankful to our Friends , who helped us through a difficult funding Recent Episodes Not 15 year, and ask you to Be Missed years! to support us Episode 21: A Connecticut Christmas Story. with a special GIFTS: LIMITED-TIME First released December 1, 2016, Connecticut gift in our 15th- SPECIAL OFFER Explored’s holiday reading of Harriet Beecher anniversary year. Give a gift subscription or subscribe Stowe’s classic Christmas story excerpted from 15 years, 60 issues, 3,800 pages, hundreds of for the first time and we’ll add two issues Poganuc People , and a visit to the Mark Twain “Aha!” moments—and more to come! to the subscription at no additional cost. House for the holidays, featuring music from Friends of Connecticut Explored make a The offer expires December 31, 2017. Gift Duke Ellington's Suite from the Nutcracker tax-deductible contribution above and beyond subscriptions are a great way to support the Ballet performed by the New England Jazz their member-subscription, many at the magazine and to introduce a student, Ensemble. $100 level or above, to ensure we can keep neighbor, friend, or relative—including those Episode 38: Talkin’ About the 9/11 Generation. publishing and to help us reach out in who have moved out of state—to Connecticut CCSU history professor Matthew Warshauer important ways. Explored . (This offer excludes discounted talks about his theory that children who were We’re asking you to make a educator subscriptions.) Use the subscription between 10 and 20 years old on September 11, card in this issue or subscribe online at 2011 have been affected in a very particular $150 gift in honor of our ctexplored.org/shop and use the coupon way—and wonders how we will remember 15th anniversary. code Holiday17. Orders received by December 9/11 generations from now. Connecticut Explored would not be where 18 will be shipped before Christmas. Episode 37: A 400-Year Old Boat, a Sea it is today—celebrating our 15th anniversary— Serpent, & a Murmuration of Swallows without the contributions of our Friends . Want to Receive Information Join state historian Walt Woodward on a Please make a gift of $100, $150, or more Between Issues? Connecticut River Museum sunset excursion (add your subscription renewal to receive full Provide us with your e-mail address to receive onboard Onrust , a replica of Adriaen Block’s tax-deduction to the gift portion) to the notices about programs, the latest Grating the ship, the first European boat to enter the 15 th Anniversary Friends of Connecticut Nutmeg episode, and a complimentary edition Connecticut River, with a teller of tall tales, Explored. Gifts of $100 or more received by of e- Connecticut Explored to read on your iPad and some very talented young artists— December 31, 2017 will be acknowledged or tablet in addition to your print copy. in search of a few million swallows. in the Spring 2018 issue. Send your preferred e-mail address to Find episodes at ctexplored.org/listen or Give online at ctexplored.org/shop or send [email protected]. a check to Connecticut Explored , P.O. Box Gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com, or subscribe to Grating the Nutmeg (it’s free) on iTunes or 271561, West Hartford, CT 06127-1561. Correction: Our confusion between two now available on Google Play. images resulted in our publishing an incorrect Contact us: caption for the image on page 32-33, “200 Subscriptions and advertising: Mary at Years of Deaf Education” (Fall 2017). It should Need a Replacement? If your issue of Connecticut Explored arrives 860-523-5158, [email protected] have read: “A student in speech class feels the damaged or the USPS fails to deliver it, please Editorial or other questions: Elizabeth at vibrations of the teacher’s throat and feels the contact us for a replacement—on us. Extra 860-233-5421, [email protected] ‘blowing’ on his finger to learn how words are copies may be ordered for $8 each, including formed, c. 1945.” The image does not show a shipping and sales tax. Back issues are available student learning sign language. Our apologies under the Issues tab on ctexplored.org. for this error.
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