Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut‘s Beaten Path Podcast
1) A Discussion with Paul Revere - Really
Being Paul Revere’s descendant is an important fact of life for Paul Revere III; however, he also looks for the humorous side of being related to his legendary ancestor. For instance, what happens aft...Show More
2) Two Horrible Plane Crashes You've Forgotten About
Two plane crash incidents from more than half-a-century ago killed 150 people in New York City, including (1) when a B-52 bomber rammed the Empire State Building and (2) when TWA and United jets colli...Show More
3) The First Time Somebody Steered a Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons are subject to the wind – where the wind blows, so goes the balloon. Charles Ritchel upset that paradigm in 1878 by creating a lighter-than-air craft that could be steered. His craft ...Show More
4) Trails the Spies Followed
Nathan Hale, Caleb Brewster, Benedict Arnold, John Andre – all part of spy rings or treasonous activities. One man, who has studied them all, retraced 200 miles of their paths during the Revolutionary...Show More
5) Disneyland of the East
Do you remember Freedomland – a theme park in The Bronx, NY that was surprisingly open for only five years? It was dubbed “Disneyland of the East” because it was created by the same person who designe...Show More
6) Did Gustave Whitehead Fly Before the Wright Brothers?
Did Gustave Whitehead beat the Wright Brothers as the first to fly? His supporters say he beat them by two years, but that an unfair agreement between the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Wrig...Show More
7) The Secret Behind the Old Farmer's Almanac Weather Forecasts
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the oldest continuously published periodical in the U.S. Started in the late 1700s, it’s been known for its highly accurate weather forecasts for more than 230 years as wel...Show More
8) The Day British Occupation Finally Ended
It used to be a major holiday. It’s been largely forgotten. But it’s trying to make a comeback. It’s Evacuation Day. It’s when the British left their military headquarters in New York City for the las...Show More
9) How ESPN Began
Starting an all-sports television network took guts, money, and talent. These miraculously came together to meet a September 7, 1989 deadline for ESPN to go live. The first employee was Peter Fox – ES...Show More
10) The Colonial Hero You Never Knew
There’s a Colonial Era hero who many people have never heard of – John Durkee. Ten years before the Declaration of Independence, Durkee stopped the highly unpopular British Stamp Act from taking effec...Show More