Dance has been just one of a variety of important ways in which Windsor has experienced music since the town’s earliest days. Sometimes controversial, but always expressive, dance, like all the other forms of musical expression, has enriched Windsor’s past.
For the colonists of the 1600s and 1700s much of daily life was filled by tiring drudgery, but throughout the long hours of the work day, intoxicating beverages provided a dependable source of comfort. Drinking accompanied a diverse range of occasions that often took place in taverns, or during meals, work breaks, business meetings, weddings, funerals, trials, and legislative sessions.
It can be tough getting through winters in Connecticut, but alongside the hard work, there are ample opportunities for outdoor merriment. Here are a few images from our collections showing all of the above. [...]
The Hartford Courant's Fresh-Air Excursions were one of the many programs, clubs, and organizations that made Rainbow Park an annual destination during the late 1890s. Rainbow businessmen Henry Snow and Samuel Vernon opened the park in 1895, the year the Hartford Street Railway Company completed the trolley line to Rainbow.
A large, grassy lot now sits adjacent to Windsor Avenue across from Allen and E. Wolcott Streets in Windsor. But at one time, it was one of the most popular areas in the Wilson [...]
The Shad Derby is not Windsor's only town festival. In fact, Windsor started hosting agricultural fairs over a century ago, and the tradition continues with the Northwest Park Country Fair.
No, it’s not just about a hat; no, it’s not about a soap box derby. It’s about a fish! It all started in 1955 when the director of the Windsor Rod and Gun Club became concerned with the polluting of the Connecticut River. To draw attention to the river’s condition and the resources it had to offer, the club organized a one-day fishing tournament.
Seventy-six trombones led the big parade. Well, perhaps not quite seventy-six, but Windsor’s first band, formed in 1859, boasted of at least two. One hundred years of Windsor band tradition began on August 13, 1859, at the home of Timothy Phelps.
An exploration of some of the leisure activities of Windsor residents in the 19th and 20th centuries.
A home brewer whipped up a batch of "extemporaneous small beer" from an 18th-century recipe transcribed by Windsor resident John Gaylord Jr. The following are excerpts from the brewer's summary of his experience.