Connecticut Books

In 1777, John Keeler, would start his day as a miller at dawn in the gristmill. Colonial millers signed a mill covenant (a promise) to grind the grain for other citizens two days per week in exchange for a percentage of that meal.

Using photographs and drawings, the workings of the mill are described in enough detail to understand the miller's work, tools and terminology.

During the American Revolution, Isaac Keeler was a Patriot who hid supplies for the militia in his gristmill. He joined the militia, himself, but found that the British had burned his gristmill. John Keeler's efforts earned him a place in history. His story proves that everyday people can be heroes when contributing to a great cause.

Like many, I've lived in / around NYC for a long time, but other than activities in the city, knew only a couple of places to go outside the city as a beautiful drive / day trip / overnight trip.

This books fills that gap. Gives you distances, places to see, how to get there, and helps you decide where to go with brief reviews of places. Will be using it this summer to make a trip along the Hudson valley, which previously wouldn't have known how to plan.

This book is easy to read, unlike many family histories and genealogies. Mr Cummings has researched every nook & cranny of the Comins Family, even to having DNA tests done with willing male descendants.
It is more than worth the money you will pay for it!!
As one of the Family, I appluad Abbott L Cummings skill and diligence in putting together an excellent history from a mish-mash of previous (most with errors) researchers.
I'll be buying other books by this author, as will many other relatives!
ks

This book is excilent reading and is very informitive. It also is a helpful tool in family research this book has all the answers and more, I know that if you choose to read this book you will not only enjoy it you will have a great knowlage of your family history.

By Joseph R. Snopek + Robert LaMay

This is a truely wonderful book greatly covering all aspects of the FL9 story. It gives a history of the RR for which they were concieved and Built the once mighty, New York, New Haven, & Hartford popularly known as the "New Haven." It covers the trials, tribulations and false starts that lead to the enduring FL-9 Diesel Electric-Electric Locomotive. It gives us a look at how they were operated and used in a very clear context to the RR and later RR's and Successors that operated them (Penn Central, Penn Central/MTA, Conrail/MTA, Amtrak, Metro North Commuter Railroad/Metro North Railroad, Long Island RR, Connecticut DOT). The book delves into the changes in the Northeast RR climate in the last 50 years and how they affected the locomotives. Another thing is how richly illustrated the book is with many many Color and Black and White Photos. Another thing going for this book is its thorough coverage including proposed paint schemes, the FL-9 as seen in advertising, and a small photo montage entitled "Not FL-9's!" of other EMD (non FL-9)F-Units in NH or Metro North Paint (operated by CDOT and MN) especially in FL-9 Stomping grounds!!!!

A really awesome book!!!!! Well recommended to any Northeast Railfan, Locomotive afficianato, New Haven or Penn Central Fan!!!!

Mr. LaMay and the (late) Mr. Snopek are to be commended for this great work dedicated to great chapter in RR history!

"Domesticating the Street" tells the story of the city of Hartford as it developed in the 19th century from a Yankee, homogenous place to a bustling, highly diverse, challenging salad bowl of immigrants working hard to survive and come to terms with their new world. The book reveals the story of the prostitutes who had claimed an area not far from the Old State House; and the "newsies," immigrant children who sold newspapers in flagrant disregard for Yankee strictures about domesticity, care of children, family structure, or mingling with strangers. It's a great book, one of the few about Hartford that is in print. It was thoroughly researched, nicely cited, and is a mainstay for classes and individuals studying the history of one of America's oldest towns.

This book, though now somewhat dated, provides a good summary of the murder of tens of thousands of Polish POW officers by the Soviet secret police (NKVD) in April 1940. These Poles, the flower of Polish society, had been captured by the Soviets after the joint Soviet-German conquest of Poland (September-October 1939). After Nazi Germany unexpectedly attacked its erstwhile Soviet ally in June 1941, the Soviets ostensibly had switched to the Polish side. Some, but by no means all, of Polish prisoners and exiles were released from Soviet prisons and gulags. The conspicuous absence of the previously captured Polish officers became obvious. The Polish government-in-exile at London never got a straight answer about their fate. In fact, Stalin made absurd lies about their whereabouts ("They must have all escaped to China"). The west never called Stalin for his transparent mendacity.

When the invading Germans brought the atrocity to light in 1943, the Polish-government-in-exile requested the Red Cross to investigate. At once, Stalin blamed the Germans and accused the Poles of having fallen for German propaganda. He then conveniently used this unexpected turn of events as an excuse for severing ties with the rightful Polish government-embodied in the government-in-exile-in favor of a puppet Communist government that Stalin had previously hand picked. All this time, Churchill and especially Roosevelt were not particularly interested in the truth about Katyn. To the contrary, blame was placed on the victims (Poles) for being too emotional, too unwise, too chauvinistic, etc., for pressing their case.

In the end, Poland was betrayed, and the truth about Katyn was suppressed in Communist-ruled Poland. Not until the fall of Communism did the truth finally come out. In 1990, the Soviet Union finally admitted its guilt for the crime of Katyn. Of course, Katyn is symbolic of Soviet conduct towards Poland. While there were tens of thousands of victims at Katyn and related sites of murder, the total number of Polish victims of Soviet aggression exceed one million. Unfortunately, very few westerners know about this, or of the two million Polish gentiles who fell victim to the Germans.

I found this book to be very well organized and most informative. Sources for the references were well documented. My FINCH family relatives were mentioned in many places, as were many other original Stamford families. The history of Stamford was described in good detail. In the back of the book are genealogies of selected families. A great source for details of your ancestors.

I first encountered this small book when I worked in a library while in college. I started reading it and began laughing on the first page. Every page has a belly laugh for the reader. In my opinion, this collection is some of Twain's best work. It chronicles some of Twain's early experiences in the world of journalism and the stories are told as only Twain could tell them.

I've read it over and over throughout the years and it never ceases to make me laugh.

I read this in the KINDLE edition and the formatting and layout were perfect. I highly recommend it to other Kindle owners.

Ellington (CT) (Images of America)

I purchased three (3) copies of this book (to share with my family).

My sister and I grew up in Ellington, CT, for a good share of our childhood.

This book brought back memories of our time there in the 1960's and early 1970's.

We grew up with most of the grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of the people mentioned in the book, and it gave added interest to our lives back then.

In the section where it told of the grade school children from Center School walking over with their teachers to the Ellington Library, and Nellie McKnight would be there telling stories...I remember doing that in the 1960's with my class!

Our class always looked forward to such a treat. Plus we also had her grandson, John McKnight, in our class.

It's a journey in time, it gives you a feeling of belonging somewhere. You are able to see through their eyes with recollection of memories, and how things have progressed from the past to the present.

You'll enjoy this book tremendously!