How Innovation Shaped Connecticut’s History

Joseph H. Reed and James F. Clemenger, The Progress of Aviation in Connecticut, sponsored by the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce (New Haven: Reed Film Corporation, 1929–1931), 2nd reel, MP4 video, from the Graphics Collection, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, 2014.89.6b.

Time stamps with descriptions:

0:00–3:37: “The second reel of ‘Progress of Aviation in Connecticut,’ a short black and white narrated film. It opens with then-governor John H. Trumbull piloting a plane. It then depicts Pratt & Whitney executives flying to a meeting in Bridgeport, Connecticut, including aerial footage. The narrator describes the landmarks visible on the ground: the Chance Vought and Pratt & Whitney plants, Bulkeley Bridge, the Travelers Insurance Company tower, the State Capitol, the Connecticut River, Brainard Field, and shade tobacco fields in the Hartford area. Then, in New Haven, the narrator points out the green, Yale University, the Yale Bowl, and a squadron of navy airplanes. As the plane approaches the airport in Bridgeport, the narrator points out the Sikorsky plant.”

3:37–6:32: “The rest of the film shows the interior of the Sikorsky factory as the narrator explains how an amphibious airplane is built, then shows the S-41 taking off from water.”

6:32-8:01: “The S-41 flies to Hartford, where it lands at Brainard Field.”

8:01–end: “Shortly thereafter, the Question Mark arrives, bearing French aviators Dieudonn Costes and Maurine Bellonte as they began their tour of the United States after being the first to fly a fixed-wing aircraft from Paris to New York. Costes and Bellonte are greeted by Governor Trumbull, Mayor Batterson, and other local dignitaries. After an unseen lunch reception, the aviators depart in their plane.”

Igor Sikorsky flying the Vought Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter, photograph, Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library, Bridgeport, CT, bgp-000178.

Igor Sikorsky was a pioneering Russian-American aviation engineer and inventor best known for his groundbreaking work in the development of helicopters. Born in what is now Kiev, Ukraine, in 1889, Sikorsky immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. His most notable achievement was the successful creation of the world’s first practical helicopter, the Sikorsky R-4, which revolutionized aviation and laid the foundation for modern rotorcraft technology.

Sewing machine owned by M. Lavinia Warren, physical object, Barnum Museum, Bridgeport, CT.

Elias Howe was a pioneering American inventor best known for his groundbreaking contributions to the sewing machine industry. In 1846, Howe patented a revolutionary sewing machine design featuring an eye-pointed needle and shuttle mechanism, which introduced the concept of a lockstitch and significantly improved sewing efficiency, ultimately revolutionizing the textile and garment industries.

Telephone, manufactured by Gray Telephone Pay Station Company. Connecticut Museum of Culture and History. The Newman S. Hungerford Museum Fund, 2005.135.0a-b.

George A. Long was an American inventor and telecommunications entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the development of pay phones and public telecommunication infrastructure in the late 19th century. He is best known for founding the Southern New England Telephone Company, headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, which helped introduce and popularize coin-operated telephones, a precursor to the modern pay phone. Long’s contributions to the field of public telecommunication had a lasting impact on how people accessed and utilized telephone services in public spaces.

General View, Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut, postcard, Groton Public Library, Connecticut History Illustrated.

Connecticut has a rich history of submarine manufacturing and operations, with Groton being home to the renowned General Dynamics Electric Boat corporation, an important manufacturer of submarines for the U.S. Navy. Submarine manufacturing has been a crucial part of Connecticut’s economy and identity, providing thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the state’s defense industry. Notable submarines, such as the USS Nautilus (the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine), were built in Connecticut and have left a legacy in the state’s maritime heritage.

Royal Typewriter Co., Typewriter, 1901–1907, physical object, metal with black paint, tin-encased keys with plastic covers typewriter, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Hartford, CT, Gift of Judd Caplovich, 1984.3.10.

Connecticut-based typewriter manufacturers played a pivotal role in the development and production of typewriters during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their innovation and mass production helped make typewriters essential office equipment and contributed to the widespread adoption of typewriters in various industries, including journalism, business, and administration.

“Ezra Lee operating the first submarine dubbed the ‘Turtle,’” artistic rendering, Connecticut River Museum.

David Bushnell’s Turtle was an early submarine developed during the American Revolutionary War. Built in 1775, the Turtle was a one-man submersible vessel designed for covert underwater operations. Although it made an unsuccessful attempt to attach an explosive charge to a British ship in New York Harbor in 1776, the Turtle is considered one of the earliest examples of a combat submarine and a precursor to modern naval technology.

Document Analysis Worksheets from the National Archives

View all of the worksheets available from the National Archives, including versions in Spanish, here.