They are the red sandstone markers set on the sides of the roads with the letters H or H.C. chiseled into them. The letters indicate the number of miles to the Hartford Court House, today known as the Old State House. In 1787 the Connecticut legislature ordered that “towns shall set up milestones on mail routes, marking distances from the county towns."
Christopher Miner Spencer was an almost compulsive inventor and tinkerer from his childhood into his old age. The people who knew him best describe long hours of puzzling over problems he hoped to solve and designs he hoped to improve on inventions like his rifles, automatic screw machine, steam-powered boat, and automobiles. They also describe a man who was kind, generous, and friendly.
This map shows Windsor's various daughter, granddaughter, adopted daughter, and step-daughter towns. The shaded areas show the land originally within Windsor's boundaries (dotted lines separate slices of towns originally from Windsor). Map by Homer [...]
Canal transportation was no match for the speed and efficiency of the emerging railroads in the mid-19th century. But while the arrival of the railroad signaled the eventual demise of the Windsor Locks Canal, the decline in shipping on the canal was far more gradual than historians have previously supposed. One product in particular, gunpowder, was shipped through the canal for several decades after the railroad appeared.
One of our dear volunteers, Carlton Parkinson, passed away two weeks ago. We’ll miss him tremendously at Windsor Historical Society. He inspired hundreds of school children to understand and to care a little more about the place they live in. We're re-publishing an interview we conducted with Carl in 2010 in his memory.
The Farmington River winds its way through the entire width and much of the length of Windsor. It crosses major roads in two locations: Palisado Ave. and Poquonock Ave. Over the centuries, numerous bridges have spanned the Farmington in both locations, several of which are featured here.
In 1972 the Society received a donation of a day book from a Mrs. Arthur Golding. There was no indication inside the book as to owner of the business or its location, so for cataloging purposes, staff at the time had titled it "1826-1830 Account Book for General Store in Poquonock." Such a vague yet intriguing title has led more recent staff to wonder about its origins.
The Eddy Electric Mfg. Co. occupied the three-story brick building to the east of the railroad depot in Windsor center. Here they built electric motors and generators from 1885 through 1902. One particular type of product that the company made formed the backbone of some of the world's earliest electric cars.
The main idea behind the Society’s Strong-Howard House is to transport guests back to the year 1810, when the Howard family dwelt within the home. Families such as the Howards had to contend with shifting predicaments throughout the year, ranging from frigid indoor temperatures in the winter to swarms of pests in the summer.
Like most founders of Windsor, James Eno was born in England. Unlike most founders, he was of French Protestant, or Huguenot decent. James was baptized as Jacques Hennot (later anglicized to James Eno) on August 21, 1625 in the Threadneedle Street Church in London, a church for Huguenot congregants.