CT Explored/Inbox
SUMMER 2025: Celebrations! Celebrating Puerto Rican Service in the Civil War and preserving Connecticut’s 1662 royal charter. Learn about CT’s first State Archaeological Preserve. Plus August events!
Celebrating Puerto Rican Service in the Civil War
During the Industrial Revolution, many citizens from Puerto Rico left the island and travelled to North Haven. The Second Lieutenant Augusto Rodriguez of the 15th Connecticut Infantry Regiment, recognized as the first Puerto Rican U.S. military veteran, originally came to Connecticut to work as a merchant before enlisting.
Schenkman writes, “After Union losses at the Seven Days’ Battles in Virginia in June 1862, President Lincoln called on the Northern states to provide 300,000 volunteers for three-year enlistments. In his proclamation, Lincoln stated, “I suggest and recommend that the troops should be chiefly of infantry.” He hoped that increasing the number of troops would “bring this unnecessary and injurious war to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion.” A few days later, a recruiting station opened in New Haven, and on July 14, 1862, a public call for volunteers was issued. Rodriguez signed up for three years with Company I of the 15th Connecticut. His rank was first sergeant.”
Each issue we highlight one story to read free of charge. For the Summer 2025 issue we selected “Celebrating Puerto Rican Service in the Civil War” by A. J. Schenkman.
A.J. Schenkman is an award-winning author, a former municipal historian, and a history teacher in the Hudson Valley. His latest publication is a children’s book about Franklin Roosevelt. He currently writes for Dutchess Magazine, Litchfield Magazine, and Shawangunk Journal…
Enjoy the full story for free here.
Does our newsletter inspire you to want to dive deeper into Connecticut's fascinating history? Connecticut Explored has options for everyone to enjoy.
Subscribe to our quarterly print magazine, delivered straight to your door. You'll also have access to a digital PDF library of our magazines, right at your fingertips!
Click below to view our print and digital magazine subscription options!
Our biweekly premium e-newsletter subscription ensures you never miss out on the latest stories! A great option for a slice of history: one to two full stories from our current issue, places to visit, plus the latest Grating the Nutmeg episode dropped directly into your email inbox. (If you subscribe to the magazine, you do not need the premium e-newsletter.)
Out and About: CT Explored at the Bobolink and Wildlife Festival!
This July we had the pleasure of tabling at the Connecticut Bobolink and Wildlife Festival in Durham. Our Publisher, Kathy Hermes, presented "The Wangunk People Living Near the Connecticut River in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Their Food, Medicine, and Political Importance." The festival was held in the Durham Community Center. Durham was the Wangunk village of Coginchaug before settlement.
Mark your calendars and check out more upcoming events below. We would love to see you this August!
Making History with Lizette Pelletier
Each issue, State Historian Andy Horowitz interviews people who are bringing the past into the present.
For the Summer 2025 issue, Horowitz talks with Connecticut State Archivist, Lizette Pelletier on the eve of her retirement, about what makes recordkeeping so special and her extensive efforts to preserve Connecticut’s 1662 royal charter.
Read the full interview here.
The Latest From Grating the Nutmeg
When the Continental Army Camped in Connecticut
The Redding Encampment, Connecticut’s first State Archaeological Preserve, is located in Putnam Memorial State Park. Understanding of the Revolutionary War has emphasized the battles, maneuvers, and war meetings; but far more time was expended during the long periods of winter encampment. The winter months were a brutal test of individual fortitude, unifying command, and local support. In the journal Joseph Plumb Martin kept at the time, he wrote, “We arrived at Redding about Christmas or a little before and prepared to build huts for our winter quarters. And now came on the time again between grass and hay, that is, the winter campaign of starving.” Compared to Valley Forge or Morristown, the archaeological evidence supports the poor conditions described by Martin. The site remains intact and is a relatively unknown archaeological gem, administered by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Our publisher Dr. Kathy Hermes chats with Ellery Leary, the official park historian of Putnam Memorial State Park and a member of the Friends & Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, Connecticut.
Listen: When the Continental Army Camped in Connecticut
Programs and Exhibitions to Enjoy This Month
Annual Green Corn Festival
Corn is an integral part of the annual life cycle of Native American people. When the first tender ears are ripe for picking it is cause for celebration. Save the date to welcome the first corn of the season with exciting activities including drumming, dancing, children’s activities, flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe), vendors, stories and more! We are excited to welcome the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Lamb Meeches (Schaghticoke). While enjoying the dancing and activities, get some refreshments from one of our various food vendors, including Jason Cogswell Lamb, Schaghticoke, of Mashquanon’s Wetu. Join the fun at our Twentieth Annual Green Corn Festival.
Bonus: CT Explored will be attending. Come check out our merch table and ask questions about our publication. Upcoming tabling events can be found here.
August 10, 2025, Noon- 4 PM Hollow Park, Woodbury. More info here.
18th Annual Old-fashioned Flea Market
Join us this September at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion's old fashioned flea market in Norwalk. Flea Market enthusiasts will find the park brimming with vendors selling a treasure trove of unique items including antiques, repurposed furniture, upcycled collectibles, jewelry, crafts, household items, clothing, toys, specialty farm-to-table foods and more. Tasty treats and refreshments will be available at several food trucks. This event will be free to the general public.
The Mansion’s Volunteers will manage a White Elephant Table, selling items generously donated by supporters. The Gift Shop will be opened and feature museum-centric accessories and an eclectic mix of gift items including logo embroidered totes, vintage and designer jewelry, elegant scarves, and books relating to history and preservation. Mini-tours will be offered to the public for $5 on the first floor from 12–4 PM. All proceeds will benefit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s educational and cultural programs.
September 14, 2025, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Ave, Norwalk. lockwoodmathewsmansion.com; 203-838-9799
Celebrate Hartford History
Learn about Hartford’s history and its connections to events around the world through the stories of the people buried and honored in the Ancient Burying Ground, established in 1640. Weekday guided tours explore fascinating topics and stories about Puritan art and attitudes, the witch panic, African and Native lives, women’s history, the American Revolution, and more.
The Ancient Burying Ground, 679 Main Street, Hartford. theancientburyingground.org; 860-337-1640
Cultural Resource Management
Apply to Central Connecticut State University’s public history program to gain access to the skills and connections that will prepare you for a rewarding career during this important time for public education and reflection on our shared history. We are now offering a certificate in Cultural Resource Management. For questions, contact glaserles@ccsu.edu or visit our website.
History Department, Central Connecticut State University; ccsu.edu/history/
Editor’s Picks:
Dean E. Nelson, “Civil War: Connecticut Arms the Union” Connecticut Explored, Spring 2011.
Charles (Ben) Hawley, “Connecticut’s Black Civil War Regiment” Connecticut Explored, Spring 2011.
Edward Baker, “Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London” Connecticut Explored, Fall 2006.