A look at the past, present, and future of the Spokebender’s, Connecticut’s championship wheelchair basketball team.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXYhtkkTkAo&feature=BFa&list=PL2E04E69A0D6C67D2&lf=plpp_video[/youtube]
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An inside look at Middletown’s gem of a children’s museum, Kidcity.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NVCa-FrLhs&list=PL2E04E69A0D6C67D2&index=2&feature=plpp_video[/youtube]
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An examination of relations between the Wangunk Indians and white settlers in Middletown, Connecticut during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is not an extensive account of life for either group nor is it the story of Middletown during this time period. The report focuses on certain instances and events from the 1630’s to the 1760’s that exemplify how these two groups interacted. What emerges from these examples is not a story of amiable relations but rather the clash of two civilizations.
The mid-19th century marked the beginning of organized agricultural societies, experiment stations, agricultural schools and extension centers. During this time period, farms around Middletown, Connecticut experienced many of the same changes in agriculture as the rest of New England. However, Middletown stands out as being home to the first agriculture experiment station in the country and to two prominent Wesleyan University affiliates: Orange Judd, an alumnus of the school, and Professor Wilbur O. Atwater.
Countless farms have been unable to keep up with the relentless transformations agriculture has undergone over the past few centuries. Lymans Orchard, located right over the Middletown-Middlefield border, is a rare and impressive example of a farm that has weathered innumerable changes in agriculture over the past 264 years. Started as a small family farm, the Lymans specialized during the 19th century, a wise tactic that allowed for the continued success of the farm.
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From 1978 until 1991, Wesleyan University students protested vigorously against the school’s investment in businesses operating in South Africa. This campaign, known as “divestment”, was part of a nation-wide university campaign to stop universities from investing in the racist Apartheid regime of South Africa. This paper focuses on two years of heated protests, from when William Chace was selected as Wesleyan university’s 14th President in 1988 until the school divested their direct holdings in South Africa two years later in 1990. During those two years, students relentlessly protested against an uncompromising administration until tension on campus precipitated and there was violent action taken against the university and students alike.
The turn of the 20th century marked an important period for both the Middletown police force and the city itself. As immigrants came to Middletown, the city increased both in size and ethnic diversity. During this period the police force had to make changes to accommodate this increasingly heterogeneous population.
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A look at the 1918 influenza epidemic that first struck China and Spain in February and swept throughout Europe, reaching the shores of North America in the early spring. The epidemic was extremely massive, killing an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide. Focus on Middletown, Connecticut, where 1400 people were struck and 400 died. Also highlighted will be three individuals- Wesley Rich- a Wesleyan University professor, Cushman Sears- a retired physician, and Frances Sheehan- a student nurse. Their life stories offer unique viewpoints of the epidemic and bring to life the events and emotions that the rest of the country was experiencing.
A look at the upsurge of residential developments in Middletown in the past quarter-century, and the methods employed to conserve open spaces and work against the spread of exurban sprawl. The aim is to untangle exactly how the landscape of Middletown has changed in the recent past, what the local government’s view and practice is on the matter, how and why land is conserved in the area, and ultimately why all of this is of immediate importance as the city of Middletown looks towards its future.
An endeavor to recreate the Middletown Colonization Society with the scant resources available. There is some evidence for a vigorous colonization group—or rather several groups—in Middletown. This should not be surprising, considering the general character of Middletown, CT – a typical New England town, with a small free black population.
Charles Anderson – labor leader, mediator between labor and business, reformer of the police department, prominent public figure, and enforcer of the law (even against strikers for whom he had once been an advocate). A biography of Charles Anderson and the story of his changing role in Middletown’s labor history.
