Amazing Tales About History

In the Revolutionary War, the French helped the Patriots beat the English. When the French army came to America, there were enormous logistical issues for finding food for 5,000 men, hundreds of horses and wagons for their 700-mile march to the battle, and translating.

The real purpose of The Mayflower voyage is not what's often taught in schools. Most travelers were looking to make money in new enterprises for financial backers in England. What they encountered and overcame was nothing short of amazing.

Nobody has won as many best acting Oscars as Katharine Hepburn. She won 4, despite having her career nearly derailed by the “poison box office letter” affair. And, she narrowly escaped death during the devastating hurricane of 1938.

One of Connecticut's earliest governors managed to convince the King of England to grant a Royal Charter that gave the state autonomy above all others. John Winthrop, Jr.'s negotiation prowess was masterful and CT was the envy of the first 13 colonies.

After the candles went out, and before they could be lit again, a critically important document was gone. The British had come to Colonial Connecticut to recapture the Royal Charter that had given the colony rare autonomy. But now, it was missing.

It was unusual for Patriot soldiers to be executed during the Revolutionary War by their own commanders. During the winter of 1778-79, under-funded troops suffered without shoes and desertion rates rose. An example was set. And now, we know where.

The first school exclusively for Black females opened in the 1830s. Not all townsfolk approved. A number taunted Prudence Crandall's students and arsonists even set fire to it. Opponents brought legal actions that ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the past, if you couldn’t pay your bills you were sent to the poor house. Alms houses and town farms were part of society's safety net for the poor, disabled, and mentally handicapped. Although largely unregulated, they provided food and work opportunities and most towns had one.

Connecticut’s industrial manufacturers contributed significant parts of the overall military machine that helped win WW II. Half of the aircraft engines, submarines, a large percentage of the billions of bullets, and much, much more were made in CT.

Two boys playing in a sand and gravel pit came across two human skulls. That led to the unearthing of a suspected vampire grave. State officials worked with folklorists to tentatively identify the remains of the individual whose initials – J.B. – were at first all they had to go on.

It was a miracle. In 1942, a female patient was barely alive. She had run a 106 fever for 4 weeks. Doctors were out of options. A new treatment – never tried in the U.S. – cured her in less than 24 hours. Just getting the medicine to her was the biggest obstacle of all.

Growing cigar wrappers requires excellent soil and the right climate. Connecticut tobacco farmers had the soil, but not the climate. So, they created a new climate. It covered 1% of the state's land and made the region international market leaders in the 1800s.

In the 1950s, Jewish firefighters in Queens, NY wanted to get their children into the countryside during a polio outbreak. The large summer camp they built by hand evolved into a year-round gated community. One of the country's most famous singers spent her summers at Lake Waubeeka.

When Stalin overthrew the Russian czars in 1917, many famous Russian artists and writers fled to the U.S.. Ilya Tolstoy, son of War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy, started The Russian Village, a shrouded town where intellectuals settled to write and socialize with other famous Russians.

The first mass-produced electric vehicle in the U.S. was made in 1897. The Columbia Motor Carriage used a new invention (rubber) to insulate electric wires making them safe. 50% of the cars on the road were EVs back then, compared to just 5% today.

Standout Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass was one of four Pirates pitchers from the same extended family in the 1960s. Blass remains the last National League pitcher to throw a complete 9 innings in the 7th game of a World Series. Only one other human has done that.

The longest-running newspaper in the United States has been around longer than the country itself. The Hartford Courant started publishing in 1764 - 12 years before the Declaration of Independence. Putting out a paper continuously for 260 years is no small feat.

Many claims have been made about where George Washington slept. He was so beloved that exaggerated claims often occurred. In Connecticut, there are 10 houses still standing where he definitely stayed during his 10 trips through the state.

Nathaniel Palmer was just 21 years old when he founded Antarctica. Sailing further south in search of new pods of whales for hunting in a 47-foot boat, he happened across a huge ice-covered mass that was not on any maps in 1820. Now, the main U.S. research lab there is named after him.

Sometimes, you learn something new about a person that changes your impression of them. Benedict Arnold had a very difficult upbringing, leaving him with deep-seated emotional scars. His name remains synonymous with the word traitor, but his life's backstory is worth revisiting.

It changed naval warfare forever. The first nuclear-powered submarine, the U.S.S. Nautilus, was launched in the 1950s. It could travel nearly indefinitely under water, undetected for long periods. It was the first sea vessel to travel beneath the Arctic ice cap and was critical during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Revolutionary War. French commander Rochambeau supported the Americans. He strategized with George Washington. He marched his 5,000 soldiers 700 miles to Virginia to win the final battle. For the French, our battle was not as important as their own revolution.

America's first law school trained the children of our founding fathers. Dozens of legal scholars went on to become President, Congressmen, and Supreme Court Justices. But the school wasn't Harvard or Yale; rather, an obscure one you've probably never heard of.

Early Native American history in eastern CT and MA was tumultuous, with the Pequot and King Phillip's Wars. Native Americans living in western CT largely avoided those wars. Today, 2 small reservations remain and tribal members live generally among the broader population.

Alexander Graham Bell's introduction of the telephone was quite limited until the telephone switchboard connected users. George Willard Coy doesn’t get the same recognition, but his switchboard invention led to the first telephone directory and telephone poles.

Most people forget the Civil War protests between residents in northern states. In one town, the argument over whether to fight the south over slavery led to two sets of neighbors creating and flying two very different types of American flags.

It’s been called the greatest rock concert that wasn't – sex and drugs, but no rock & roll. Tens of thousands of would-be concertgoers converged on the Powder Ridge ski area despite a court injunction cancelling the show. The show may have been called off, but the fun was not.

A town's history is its legacy. Connecticut had all 169 towns erect signs in their main square containing a brief history of the town's past highlights. One man was visited all of them, photographed them, and published a book for others to reference.

Few people remember that the British monarchy was actually toppled for 10 years back in the 1600s. 60 jurors condemned King Charles I to death. Two of them fled to America and hid in MA and CT while agents for King Charles II pursued them in a wild cat and mouse episode.

Colonial settlers eventually advanced from traveling on horse paths to building dirt turnpikes. Most have been at least partially abandoned. During COVID, John Schwemmer compared old and new maps to find and drive all 100 of CT's earliest roadways.

Vast sums of money passed through CT during the Revolutionary War to pay soldiers. Two shipments were supposedly stolen and buried, but never recovered. Millions in gold coins, banknotes, and possibly other relics continue to draw fortune hunters.

There’s a nearly forgotten, 100-mile-long trail that brought settlers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to Hartford, CT nearly 400 years ago. Much of the gorgeous, rustic Old CT Path is still in its natural state. Some think it should be preserved before it’s too late.

Refrigeration is 100 years old. Before then, people chilled food in insulated ice boxes. You needed large ice blocks to keep food from spoiling. For 150 years, harvesting pond ice, storing it, and transporting it was a big business.

There are 780 lighthouses in the U.S. Nearly two dozen are on Long Island Sound. Each lighthouse “blinks” in a unique rhythm, so sea captains know which one it is. The last human lighthouse keeper has retired, but they used to have to deal with storms - and ghosts.

The White House's Oval Office hosts the Resolute Desk. It's a stunning, wood carved gift from England. But, its history started with an American whale hunt that stumbled across a valuable, missing British asset - with many twists and turns along the way.

America brought the art of clock-making from Europe. Eli Terry and Seth Thomas propelled timepieces in America, in part through Terry's introduction of the concept of mass production. He used interchangeable wooden pieces in mass production, with others rapidly copying the idea.

It's no longer considered taboo or crazy to speak about UFOs. With government admissions of unidentified crafts in our skies, the topic is out of the closet. Famous UFO sightings occurred in eastern NY / western CT in the 1980s. What do we really know?

Trains have been around for 200 years. They can be enjoyable and show you views available only by rail. On occasion, they can also kill you. Since 1853, there have been 7 crashes in CT that killed a total of 85 people and injured scores more, many quite seriously.

Rochambeau’s French army, which helped America win its revolution, included some soldiers from Hungary. They spoke only German and wore very distinctive, colorful uniforms. But, during their final winter encampment in New England, they pillaged livestock and crops from local farms, leaving mixed reviews.

This water body is 11 miles long, covers 5,000 acres, and holds 46 billion gallons of water. Yes, Candlewood Lake provides remarkable recreation to the five CT towns on its shores. But, it's really just a gigantic, 100-year-old hydroelectric power plant.

In Colonial times, unwanted items were often thrown into rivers, which took them out of sight and mind. Raw sewage would be discharged too. This led to horrible pollution. Rivers even smelled bad. Several pivotal court cases finally turned the tide and led to the Clean Water Act.

Some of radio's biggest stars started in Connecticut, with major advances in both AM and FM occurring over the past 100 years. H.G. Wells' famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast also had a strong impact on the state's population.

They're on all Good Humor trucks, marked the rounds between Mohammed Ali’s boxing matches, and gave Clarence his wings at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. Bells made in Bell Town USA also open and close trading on the NY Stock Exchange. Bevin Bells is the last manufacturer remaining.

Whaling was an economic mainstay in New England for 200 years. 2,700 wooden ships were built but only one remains afloat. Voyages lasted years, with 60 whales caught per trip for blubber, oil and bone. Whale oil facilitated the Industrial Age as a machine lubricant.

Cleveland, OH was once the wild west - home to Native Americans and vast farmland. Through British law, CT was granted the so-called Western Reserve. Cleveland was part of it. CT lawyer Moses Cleaveland led the team that founded Cleveland - but they dropped the "a" in his name on final maps.

The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry dates back to 1655. It’s the longest-running continuous ferry service in the U.S. The ride across the CT River lasts just 4 minutes and covers a quarter mile, but nautically, the ever-changing currents, tides, rain, wind, and fog make the ride quite challenging.

There's little doubt that Nathan Hale is one of the Colonial era's major heroes. Yet, some aspects of his capture and execution by the British as America’s first spy are disputed. Were his final words really: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?”

The outlawing of alcohol in the U.S. 100 years ago saw different state responses. RI and CT didn't approve the Constitutional Amendment, but were still bound by the law. That didn't stop the rum runners from using Long Island Sound as a base of operations.

It's the only time in U.S. history that a murder defendant pleaded not guilty by reason of demonic possession. The Devil-Made-Me-Do-It murder case in 1981 continues to draw attention internationally. Amazing Tales host MIke Allen covered the case as a journalist.

Some trivia: where was Nathan Hale hanged, what landmark did the last glacier leave behind, and who was Sarah Jane Campbell Pishon? These are just some of the Trivia Tidbits featured in this episode.