Bolton Connecticut
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, October 2003) Our goal since 2000 has been the creation of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R) National Historic Trail. It puts Bolton on a historic road connecting with Newport, Boston, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, where the American army and the combined French army … Read more
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, February & June, 2003) A few years ago I was telling a Hartford Courant writer about a Bolton Quarryville ghost story. I told her we had left out stories about the ghosts of Bolton for fear they could affect the Bolton real estate market. … Read more
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, December 2002) I recently submitted a seven-page report to the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) asking them to recommend to the National Park Service that Bolton’s abandoned Bailey Road be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. SHPO met October 31 and voted … Read more
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, August 2002) Jonathan Birge married Pricilla Hammond on March 24, 1763 and lived on Hebron Road in Bolton. On March 15, 1775, Jonathan Birge was commissioned a Captain in the Crown’s Army. All Americans were then subjects of the Crown. Governor Jonathan Trumbull was … Read more
edited by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, April 2002) The following is a page in the life of Ruth Johnson Converse, who as a child spent many happy summers on Bolton Lake. Ruth, who is the grandmother of Tax Collector Lori Converse, gave me a folder a few weeks ago … Read more
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, February 2002) Bolton’s effort to stem the tide of urban sprawl is perhaps the result of caring more than some towns think is wise, dreaming more than some towns think practical, and expecting more than other towns think possible. The preservation of Bolton’s quality … Read more
(Published in the Bolton Community News, December 2001) 1782? Cresswell Cabinet d’Estampes Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris Szyk, 1930-31 For the 1931 French Exposition in Paris Illustration from book “Real America in Romance” copyright 1909, Artist Unknown Illustration from book “The Boys of ’76: A History of the Battles of the Revolution” copyright 1876, Artist Unknown
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, December 2001) Last year, in a meeting at our Bolton Senior Center, Congressman John Larson accepted the role of champion for a national historic trail that would honor Washington, Rochambeau, and other patriots. Most significantly, the trail was used to move the 5,000-man French … Read more
Men of Great Learning in Bolton -or- The Mystery of the Missing Portrait by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, August 2001) Recently, I found a copy of the Hartford Courant from June 22, 1908. In it I discovered a small treasure of Bolton history: stories about the early Bolton ministers; … Read more
by Hans DePold, town historian (Published in the Bolton Community News, April 2001) There is a legend about 19th century European colonists who went to Africa and tried to farm the tropical coastline. Poverty and the jungles eventually consumed them. The only thing that was easy for them was finding the minerals that littered their … Read more