Influenza in Connecticut, 1918
Lester H. Thompson, a Connecticut soldier from New Haven, lost his life shortly after arriving in France in 1918. His parents thought “he caught a cold on the transport” and that it later...
Author: Gail Hurley
Influenza Pandemic of 1918
2018 is the 100-year commemoration of the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. Matthew L. Cartter, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist & Director of Infectious Diseases at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, presented a version of...
St. Patrick’s Day in 19th Century New Haven
By Gail Hurley This past Saturday, I was in New Haven and had a chance to finally visit both an old and newer institution with friends and family. We had the best pizza at...
Historic CT Newspapers Read Aloud
Audio recordings of articles from the Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project’s digitized World War I-era newspapers have been read aloud by volunteers at CRIS Radio as part of a project called Voices of World War...
Back to School Shopping, Then and Now
By Gail Hurley This is tax free week in Connecticut, just in time to help families with the back to school shopping. It is the time to buy clothing, shoes, and school supplies...
The Dangers and Fashion of Bathing Suits 100 Years Ago
By Gail Hurley It’s midsummer and beach season is in full swing with a myriad of swimsuit styles. Much has changed since the early 1900s, and, thank goodness, as it seems that a...
The Fishing Season’s On
By Jane Cullinane This ad from more than a century ago in the New Haven Daily Morning Journal and Courier reminds me of my grandfather, who LOVED to go fishing. At the time of...
March Madness 100 years ago
By Gail Hurley Growing up outside Springfield, MA, the site of the invention of the basketball by the physical education instructor Dr. James Naismith, we were taught at a young age about the history...
And, Yes, the Cherry Tree
By Jane Cullinane In February 1913, in “That Cherry Tree,” the wit Edgar Allen Forbes took great delight in poking fun at the George Washington biographer who had crafted this morality tale more...
1914 World Series (featuring Norwich Bulletin, Oct. 14, 1914)
On Oct. 13, 1914, the Boston Braves beat the Philadelphia Athletics in Fenway Park to win the World Series. This achievement set a record as the first time the World Series was won in...