Hidden Hartford History

I’ve had the pleasure of attending, designing and leading several tours of alternative Hartford history over the years.  The best source of this kind of wonderful info is Steve Thornton.  His day job is with SEIU 1199, but by night he’s an amateur (only in that he doesn’t get paid) progressive/radical/labor historian of Hartford.  Steve’s website, Hartford Homefront, features current activism, but also his Shoeleather History of Hartford.   On June 21, Steve led a tour of the Charter Oak Avenue area of Hartford as a benefit for the CT Center for a New Economy, and while the distance was small, the amount of amazing history he uncovered was tremendous.  What follows are some of the highlights:

Chapman’s Hartford and Mine

I was struck reading Chapman’s book by many things.  First, her geographic progression down Main Street and Asylum Avenue was exciting to read, as I know many of the streets and intersections well.  I felt some vicarious pride toward my city.  On the other hand, I also recognized the privileged lens through which she reminisced.