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Welcome to your free bi-weekly newsletter from Connecticut Explored with the latest stories, the newest Grating the Nutmeg podcast, programs and exhibitions from our partners to see/watch this month, and more!
Toast the start of conservation work with the team working to stabilize the Réveillon wallpaper adorning the Phelps-Hatheway House. Enjoy exclusive access to the expertise of conservators from Studio TKM Associates, who will explain and demonstrate their work caring for the papers. Attendees of this intimate gathering are invited to learn about the house and its residents while imagining the turbulence of the 1790s as two nations attempted to assert their independence—and their identities. Proceeds from this event benefit the wallpaper conservation project at the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden. Click here to get tickets.
Unearthing Connecticut’s Vampire Lore
In the middle of the 19th Century, consumption, a disease later known as tuberculosis, was endemic in parts of America. New England was entering the Industrial Revolution and the mills and factories allowed the disease to spread rapidly. Vampire folklore had also made its way from Europe to New England and was becoming more and more popular around the same time. Due to unfortunate false scientific cures for consumption failing, the public turned to superstition to explain the rapid spread of the sickness. William Mann notes “As witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, people become particularly susceptible to myths and false information during public health emergencies.” It wasn’t rare for whole families to die of consumption, so there was a belief that one of the deceased family members was possessed by a vampire. To get rid of the vampire they had to be exhumed and the heart, expected to have “fresh” blood in it, needed to be burned. There was only one recorded vampire hunting ritual in Connecticut and one additional instance in the same town, which was discovered over a century later. There are a handful of recorded exhumations of assumed vampires in the neighboring states of New York and Rhode Island. Mann goes into detail about some of these stories - the families involved and for some, what may have led to the decision to rely on superstition.
Read the entire story with your Connecticut Explored subscription.
Pedaling and Paddling Connecticut’s Path to Independence
Few residents truly know the depth of Connecticut’s role in the Revolutionary War. From earning the title the Provisions State to espionage, Connecticut played a major role in the war. Connecticut supplied food, clothing, livestock, wagons, munitions, and tents for the Continental Army. George Washington plotted his decisive attack on Yorktown, Virginia in the Webb House. “Footprints of American Revolution history still mark Connecticut’s landscape” and Sal Lilienthal and Mary Collins encourage readers to see it for themselves. Next year will be the 250 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and to celebrate, readers are invited to join the Connecticut Revolutionary War Spy Trail—Culper Ring Bike and Kayak Tour planned for August 2025. This article, as well as the tour, touch on the story of Nathan Hale -America’s first spy-, the traitor Benedict Arnold, and locations in Connecticut that still bear the marks of war.
Read the entire story with your Connecticut Explored subscription.
The Latest From Grating the Nutmeg
Title of Podcast
Most people know something about Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens. After all, he wrote his most famous books while living in Hartford, Connecticut. Raised as a child in Missouri, he became world famous for his wit and humor both in print and on stage. But what if the man who served as Twain’s butler for 17 years had a story that was just as powerful and gripping as Twain’s? In today’s episode we are going to meet that man, George Griffin.
Twain scholar and collector Kevin MacDonnell's biographical sketch George Griffin: Meeting Mark Twain's Butler which provides the most comprehensive look into Griffin’s life to date, and brings us face to face with the man who is said to have inspired Jim in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. George Griffin came to wash the windows in Mark Twain’s new house in 1874 and stayed for seventeen years, taking on the position of butler, the highest-ranking employee in the household.
The guests in this episode are Dr. Camesha Scruggs, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University and Twain scholar Kevin MacDonnell.
Listen: 195. George Griffin: Revealing the Life and Likeness of Mark Twain’s Butler
Programs and Exhibitions to Enjoy This Month
Spirited Social
Oct 17, 2024 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Wadsworth Atheneum
Get ready for a night of thrills and chills at our annual Halloween bash, if you dare to attend! Dress in your most creative costume and join us for an evening of dancing, games, and creepy surprises around every corner. No costumes with props or oversized items, please. There will be a showing of The Conjuring. Themed snacks and wicked drinks available for purchase. 21+ to attend. Tickets $45; $35 members.
More information and tickets here
The Great Wilton Pumpkin Fest
October 19, 2024 | 1:00PM - 3:00PM | Wilton Historical Society
Enjoy a festive autumn atmosphere while joining knowledgeable docents in cooking pumpkin pancakes over an open hearth and blacksmithing in the forge, try out a handful of fall-themed lawn games, or explore the museum campus to complete the pumpkin scavenger hunt, all with complimentary cider and donuts! Browse the pumpkin patch of the Wilton Kiwanis club on the Society’s front lawn and purchase the perfect one. Then head over to the pumpkin decorating station and put your creativity on display.
Start the season with a day of Fall fun for all ages! Pumpkin Fest is free admission, a $5 suggested donation per person is greatly appreciated.
Visit the website for more information
Lecture Series: Monsters of Myth
October 30, 2024| 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Slater Memorial Museum
Join us on Mischief Night for Monsters of Myth, a bewitching lecture about mythological monsters, otherworldly creatures, and the creepy crawlers of the Ancient World. After the lecture, stroll through the Casts of the Ancient World exhibition and discover how these monsters were depicted in art. Halloween treats will be provided. Attendance is free.
Check out the website for more
Editor’s Picks
Want to explore the topics featured in this edition of the e-Newsletter? Check out these stories and podcasts from the archives.
“Wethersfield’s Witch Trials” Connecticut Explored, Winter 2007/2008.
“Cedar Hill Cemetery: More than just a Resting Place for the Dead” Connecticut Explored, Summer 2005.
“Can We See The Kitchen?” Connecticut Explored, Spring 2006.
“Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London” Connecticut Explored, Fall 2006.
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