The Trail of Inventiveness

Many people seem to forget that Connecticut is a proud member of New England. Just like every other New England state, they’re filled with history at every corner you turn. The Trail of Inventiveness runs through Connecticut at the places where creativity blossomed and became a part of our history. The following places, if taken in order, begin at the New Haven area, and continue northward toward Hartford and then west into Litchfield. Start at the New Haven Green, where, in 1920, Yale students tossed empty pie plates from Mrs. Frisbie Pie, and invented the Frisbee. At Louis’ Lunch, in New Haven, enjoy a burger at the place where the hamburger was first made. Moving on, in the town of Hamden, visit the Eli Whitney Museum, honoring the inventor of the cotton gin. In the town of Cheshire, visit Lock 12, one of Farmington Canal’s original locks. The site includes a museum of the history of the waterway. In the town of Terryville, stop at the Lock Museum, devoted to locks that come on doors and safes. In nearby Bristol, visit the American Clock and Watch Museum. You’ll learn the history of Connecticut clockmaking and see 1,400 clocks and watches. In Hartford, stop at the Museum of Connecticut History to see the Colt Firearms Collection. Finish your tour in Manchester at the Cheney Homestead (1785), the birthplace of the brothers who founded the silk industry.

The Trail of Inventiveness

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