Snippets from Norwich History Every month, Otis Library highlights a snippet from the history of Norwich, CT. Come back every month to learn more about the different corners of our town’s history. Recent Posts Devastation of 1936: The Historic Floods That Ravaged New England February 10, 2025 Lydia Sigourney: Pioneering Poet and Advocate for Women’s Education January 10, 2025 Powering Progress: The Rise of Norwich’s Industrial Water System December 6, 2024 Ebenezer Punderson: The Story of a Loyalist Merchant in Revolutionary Connecticut November 26, 2024 Babcock Printing Press Company: Revolutionizing the Printing Industry in the 19th Century October 17, 2024 Danny Murphy: From Norwich to the Major Leagues, a Baseball Legend September 19, 2024 Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A Trailblazer for Women’s Rights and Intellectual Freedom August 14, 2024 Prudence Crandall: A Pioneer in Education and Racial Equality July 9, 2024 Daniel Coit Gilman: Transforming Higher Education in America June 1, 2024 J. H. Cranston: Innovator in Printing Press Manufacturing May 3, 2024 Edwin Land: Pioneering Photographer and Innovator Behind the U-2 Spy Plane April 8, 2024 Eugene O’Neill: The Master of American Drama March 1, 2024 Aaron Dwight Stevens: Abolitionist Soldier and Hero of Harper’s Ferry February 2, 2024 Daniel Dunglas Home: The Spiritual Medium of the 19th Century January 4, 2024 Norwich Post Office: A Cornerstone of Communication and Growth in Eastern Connecticut December 1, 2023 The Evolution of the Norwich Post Office: From Revolutionary Roots to Regional Hub December 1, 2023 Albert W. Hicks: The Life and Crimes of America’s Most Notorious Pirate November 1, 2023 Exploring the Broadway Theatre: A Monument to Victorian Elegance and Norwich’s Cultural Legacy October 1, 2023 The Ancient Burial Grounds of New London: A Glimpse into the Early History and Stonecarving Traditions September 1, 2023 Washington Wentworth Sheffield: Pioneering Dental Care and the Invention of Toothpaste in Eastern Connecticut August 1, 2023 The Rise and Fall of the Norwich & Westerly Railway: Eastern Connecticut’s Early Public Transit July 1, 2023 Orramel Whittlesey and Music Vale Seminary: Pioneering Music Education in 19th Century America June 1, 2023 Donald Grant Mitchell: From Yale Valedictorian to Advocate of Rural and Urban Harmony May 1, 2023 John Winthrop Jr.: Visionary Leader and Architect of Connecticut’s Royal Charter April 1, 2023 Senator Lafayette Foster and the Lecompton Constitution March 1, 2023 Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 Visit to Norwich: A Key Moment in His Anti-Slavery Campaign February 1, 2023 Edwin Land: The Visionary Behind Polaroid and Instant Photography January 1, 2023 Bela Lyon Pratt: Sculptor, Educator, and Innovator in American Coinage December 1, 2022 Norwich Arms Company: Civil War Weaponry Production and Its Rapid Decline November 1, 2022 The Log-Book of Timothy Boardman (1778) October 1, 2022 David Ruggles: Abolitionist, Activist, and Underground Railroad Conductor September 1, 2022 Benedict Arnold: From American Hero to Infamous Traitor August 1, 2022 Jail Hill: A Historic Hub for Norwich’s African American Community and Abolitionist Movement July 1, 2022 John Trumbull: Revolutionary War Soldier Turned Renowned History Painter June 1, 2022 Joseph Burnett: The Pioneer of Flavor Extracts and Early Pharmaceutical Innovation May 1, 2022 Norwich State Hospital: A History of Growth, Challenges, and Transformation April 1, 2022 Daniel Wadsworth Coit: Entrepreneur, Artist, and Gold Rush Sketcher March 1, 2022 Slavery in Colonial Connecticut: From Indigenous Captivity to Gradual Emancipation February 1, 2022 Norwich’s Industrial Rise: The Growth of Manufacturing and Commerce in the 19th Century January 1, 2022 Connecticut’s Pivotal Role in the Abolition of Slavery and the Civil War Effort December 1, 2021 Sanborn Maps: A Historic Resource for Understanding America’s Urban Growth November 1, 2021 Hiram Bingham III: Explorer, Statesman, and Rediscoverer of Machu Picchu October 1, 2021 The Great Hurricane of 1938: Devastation and Resilience in Norwich September 1, 2021 The Rise and Fall of the Norwich Reds: A Baseball Legacy August 1, 2021 William H. Page: Pioneer of Chromatic Wood Type and Innovation in Typography July 1, 2021 Steamboat Travel and the Rise of Norwich’s Transportation Industry April 1, 2021 Ned Hanlon: From Connecticut Baseball Fields to Hall of Fame Manager January 1, 2021 Wauregan Hotel: A Historic Landmark of Luxury and Legacy December 1, 2020 Jack Delano’s 1940 Norwich: A Snapshot of the Great Depression November 1, 2020