12 Tidbits About Connecticut’s History Many Nutmeggers Don’t Know

Conncticut has a pretty cool history

We all grew up learning about Charter Oak and Nathan Hale in school, but there’s way more to our state’s history that never made it into those textbooks. Here’s some local history that makes our tiny state special.

The Hamburger Was Born Here

It’s official, too.

Louis’ Lunch in New Haven was recognized by the Library of Congress as the Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich.

They’re doing it the same way they did in 1895. Their distinctive “Hamburger Sandwich” is still white toast with cheese, onion, and tomato, using freshly ground meat from five different cuts.

Connecticut-Born Classics

The Wiffle Ball wasn’t dreamed up in some big corporate office – it was invented right here in Fairfield by a dad watching his kid play baseball. Subway’s first restaurant opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut in August 1965.

The Original Witch Hunts

Connecticut’s witch trials preceded Salem’s by about 30 years, with Alse Young becoming one of the first victims of witch hunt executions in American history.

The trials took place in Hartford, and the Wethersfield witches were also part of this dark chapter in Connecticut’s history, predating the more famous Massachusetts witch hunts.

Stone Wall Capital of America

Once you notice those stone walls, you can’t unsee them. They’re literally everywhere in the woods along our roads. These walls marked old farm boundaries and were built by farmers clearing fields. Many of them were put up between 1775 and 1825.

We Have a Historical Claim to Ohio

There’s a reason you’ll find familiar town names scattered across Ohio. That land used to be ours. Until 1786, Connecticut’s territory stretched all the way out west.

We basically went around naming everything after our towns back home before finally letting it go. The “Western Reserve” was basically Connecticut’s backup plan.

We Had the First Public Telephone in the US

The first public telephone wasn’t in New York or Boston. It was right here in Hartford. Our capital city was leading the communication revolution before anyone else got started. Just another example of Connecticut being ahead of the curve on technology and innovation.

The Very First Dinosaur Fossil Were Discovered in CT

Some guy in East Windsor was just trying to dig a well in 1818 when he accidentally discovered the first dinosaur bones found in America.

He thought they were human at first, until he found a tail. It belonged to the Anchisaurus, which roamed the earth over 190 million years ago. Yale’s still got them in their collection.

The Lollipop Legacy

A local guy named George Smith came up with the lollipop idea and named it after his favorite racehorse at the fair. After initial patent challenges in 1908, he successfully registered “Lolly Pop” in 1931, cementing Connecticut’s place in candy history.

We Were the First to Try Vanilla Coke

The Vanilla Bean café in Pomfret holds the distinction of being the first location where Vanilla Coke made its debut, adding another “first” to Connecticut’s impressive list.