Browse Items (48 total)

The barometer dipped to 28.02 on September 21, 1938 about 3 P.M. and the citizens of this beautiful yachting center on the Connecticut River watched helplessly as their yachts disappeared one by one. Three men died that afternoon, among them Nils Ek…

A fund-raising endeavor begun in June, 1960, the Shad Bake has continued every year with increasing success.

Originally, it was held on the lawn of the Dauntless Club - "All the shad you can eat for $2.00”; the shad prepared with a secret recipe…

Image of the Bicentennial Quilt at Essex Library Association

Image of the red scrapbook album and visual quilt square identification card

Comstock, Cheney and Company exemplifies the industry and ingenuity of the Yankees of the 1800’s. Samuel Merritt Comstock, born in 1809, was ambitious and inquisitive. When he finished his schooling in the one room school in Centerbrook, he went to…

The house on the property on the corner of North Main Street and Maple Avenue, known as Doane’s Farm, was built around 1810. It was originally a slaughter house.

Mr. Charles N. Doane bought the farm around 1911 and lived there until his death in…

Witch hazel has been long known for its soothing and healing qualities. Its story begins long before settlers arrived, when the hamamelis virginiana bush was noticed by the Indians. Legend has it that the yellow blossoms appearing in the fall…

The present Essex Art Association building on North Main Street was built in 1837 as a Baptist Church Conference Room. The street at that time was known as North Street.

It was used as a Conference Room until 1845, when it was purchased for $500…

The Essex Boat Works fire started at about 6:15 P.M. on Saturday, January 20th, 1968. Mr. Stuart Ingersoll, owner of the Works, had just left the premises, at 6, and later reported that he had not noticed anything amiss. However, in about 15…

On the first day of May, 1833, the Connecticut General Assembly passed an act authorizing Ebenezer Hayden, Ezra Mather and Elias Readfield, Esq., "all of the Borough of Essex in the Town of Saybrook" to meet at the home of John Hayden in Essex on…