It’s one of the largest, single-day losses of boats by the United States in a military campaign – and it held that record for 200 years, until Pearl Harbor. The British raid on Essex during the War of 1812 saw more than two dozen ships destroyed. Also ruined were the local economy and the fortunes of those who made their living both in ship building and high seas merchant trading. It was a daring raid, told in great fashion by the foremost expert on the raid, Jerry Roberts, who’s researched and written on this major event.

The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1690s. It was decades earlier that CT’s witchcraft frenzy occurred. Nearly a dozen women and men were hanged for witchcraft, until young CT Colony Governor John Winthrop used his political expertise to get the state to end executions entirely. This dark chapter in CT history is told by the State Historian Emeritus, Walt Woodward.

The successful development of western Connecticut, following the arrival of European settlers, can largely be attributed to a single dirt path, that was nearly lost to history. The 350-year-old Old Woodbury Path ran from the 1600s settlement of Woodbury to the bustling port of Derby, known at that time as the “new Boston” due to its importance as a trading hub. As development expanded around Woodbury and into Litchfield, farmers brought their crops to Woodbury for transport down the 21-mile cart path to Derby for export. A Seymour man has spent the past 10 years painstakingly poring over ancient maps and walking through the woods to piece together the route and backstory of this path. Pete Rzasa shares his findings in this episode.

From piano keys to combs, buttons, and other various other items, the smooth, glassy touch and feel of ivory was a highly regarded commodity in high demand. And 90% of the ivory products made throughout the world were made in two communities in the lower Connecticut River Valley for many decades. The Village of Ivoryton owes its name to the industry. Opposition to harvesting endangered elephant’s tusks coupled with unforeseen other challenges brought the industry eventually to an end. The fascinating story is told by Melissa Josefiak, Director of the Essex Historical Society.

During WW II, there was a top-secret project known as “Post Office Box 1142.” A Connecticut man played a major role in the operation, which focused on prisoners of war – both Americans held overseas as well as influential German and Italian prisoners who were kept at Fort Hunt in Virginia. A number of James Bond-like gadgets were made at Fort Hunt and shipped clandestinely to the Americans overseas, with corresponding coded messages advising them what was hidden inside. It’s a tale told Peter Bedini, son of the man who led the coded correspondence effort and which just became public knowledge recently.

It was nearly 100 years ago when the shooting death of Seymour First Selectman Ray Gilliard occurred in his Town Hall office. He called the telephone operator, said he had been shot, described his assailants, and asked for police and a doctor to be dispatched. Then, the line went dead. The outcome of the investigation shocked virtually everybody in town. Telling the story is Naugatuck Valley historian Robert Novak.

Connecticut is the home of many inventions. One that's of particular interest is the first robot. The first industrial robot ever placed on a production line was built in Danbury and spearheaded by the holder of the patent (George Devol, of Wilton) and the marketing mastermind who found the markets and promoted the invention (Joseph Engelberger, of Newtown). Engelberger, known as “the father of robotics,” also spearheaded the first use of robots in hospitals. Hear the story behind the development of robots with Newtown Historical Society President Ben Cruson.

Today, we often hear of building collapses, with workers or members of the public trapped underneath debris. One of the first such incidents to capture the public’s attention was the collapse of the L’Ambiance apartment building while it was under construction in Bridgeport in 1987. Tons of concrete slab floors were being hoisted into place, while workers tended to their tasks beneath them. The concrete floors fell, pancake style, landing on top of 28 workers. None survived. It was the worst disaster in the city’s history, and one of the worst in state history. The 37-year-old incident is remembered by the man who was Mayor of Bridgeport at that time, the Honorable Thomas Bucci.