Connecticut Facts
Did You Know...
|
|
1. The word Connecticut comes from a Native American word Quinnetucket
that means "long tidal river". Both the Connecticut River
and our state got their name from this word.
2. The first European settlers to live in the area now called Hartford
bought the land from a Native American tribe known as the Pequots.
The Pequot sachem Woopogwooit sold a small piece of land along the
Connecticut River for, among other items, 6 axes, 6 kettles, 18
knives and 1 sword blade. The Dutch built a small fort here and
named it House of Good Hope.
3. Connecticut has some places that have really funny and strange
names. Have you ever been to Sagumumpsketuck, Devils Footprint,
Pigtail Corners, Huzzle Guzzle Brook or Slapjack? These are real
places located right here in Connecticut!
4. Connecticut has been the birthplace of many famous inventions
and firsts. The first American bicycle was made here in Connecticut.
The first elected woman Governor was from our state. The first college
football and basketball games were played here. The Frisbee and
the Wiffleball are Connecticut inventions, and a Connecticut man
invented the first submarine. These are just a few of many contributions
that Connecticut has made to the world we live in!
5. It is not just the kind of submarines that sail under water
come from Connecticut! The first submarine sandwich was served in
New London Connecticut in 1926. Whatever you call it in your part
of the country, grinder, hoagie, hero, it has its origins here in
Connecticut. The sandwich became hugely popular during World War
II when soldiers from the nearby submarine base in Groton ate them
by the thousands. These sandwiches soon became known as "submarines"
or "subs".
6. Connecticut's State Hero is Nathan Hale from Coventry. He was
a young school teacher in New London during the American Revolution.
He joined General George Washington's Continental Army and agreed
to spy on the British army that was camped on Long Island, New York.
The British captured Nathan Hale and he was hanged for treason.
Nathan Hale is famous for his final words from the gallows: "I
only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."
7. Connecticut's State Heroine is Prudence Crandall from Canterbury.
She was a Quaker school teacher who was against slavery before the
American Civil War. In 1833 she tried to open a school for "young
misses of color" in Canterbury. The townspeople did not want
an African American school in their town, so they persuaded the
State of Connecticut to pass a law that would close down Prudence's
school. She refused to obey the law and she was arrested and sent
to jail. Finally, the Connecticut Supreme Court set Prudence free.
The townspeople of Canterbury continued to damage her school and
threatened her students, so Prudence was forced to close her school.
8. People living in Connecticut are sometimes referred to as being
Nutmeggers or Connecticuter's, or Connecticocian's or even Connecticutensian's.
Talk about a mouthful! There are several stories about how people
from Connecticut came to be called Nutmeggers. Many of these stories
have to do with the fact that for a long time Connecticut merchants
owned ships that traded with the West Indies in the Carribean. The
merchants brought spices back to Connecticut from the Indies, including
nutmegs.
9. Connecticut is a big farming state. According to the most recent
figures there are: 3,687 farms that produce 5,460 acres of corn,
9,408 hogs and pigs, 65,645 cattle and calves and 3,992,919 chickens.
10. Connecticut has some wild weather! The average snowfall in
the Northwest part of the state is 50 inches. The lowest temperature
ever recorded was -37 F in Norfolk. The highest ever recorded was
106 F in Danbury. And did you know Connecticut averages 1-2 earthquakes
a year?
11. Connecticut is the 48th sized state in our country. That we
have 3,405,565 and counting people living here in 1,385,975 homes,
condos and apartments. (That works out to about 1 chicken for every
person in Connecticut if you read the above fact about Connecticut
agriculture!)
|
