Wick Griswold

America's oldest continuously operating ferry service began running between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury in 1655. More than one hundred have operated on the river since the seventeenth century. The stories of the captains, crews and passengers define the history and personality of the region. Learn how Captain Ham Sandwich got his name. Discover the bond between Katharine Hepburn and a real ferry queen, Cathey LaBonte. Authors Wick Griswold and Stephen Jones detail the history of these charming anachronisms and why they are still afloat today.

The waters, inlets and islands of Connecticut once swarmed with fabled corsairs like Captain Kidd and Blackbeard who may have buried their booty in Constitution State soil. In colonial times and through the nineteenth century, over one hundred privateers used the Connecticut River and waterways as a home port, influencing the geopolitics of the time. During the Revolutionary War, the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold attempted to destroy the state's privateer fleet. In 1779, Captain Elisha Hinman cleverly devised a system that allowed the large privateer ship Governor Trumbull to avoid enemy attack by becoming super-buoyant and passing over dangerous shoals. Wick Griswold uncovers the swashbuckling stories of Connecticut's pirates and privateers, brimming with historical facts and local myths.

At the mouth of the Connecticut River, Griswold Point boasts a rich history filled with remarkable individuals. In 1640, Colonel George Fenwick granted the land to Matthew Griswold I, who then turned a teeming wilderness into productive farming and fishing territory. Over the centuries, many prominent Americans called Old Lyme and the Point home. Nathaniel Lynde Griswold and George Griswold built ships that served as privateers in the War of 1812. Florence Griswold invited boarders into her grand house in 1899 and transformed her home into a vibrant artists' colony for the American Impressionist movement. Local author Wick Griswold introduces the community's colorful characters who left indelible marks on history, from colonial governors and judges to adventurers and sea captains.

Paddle from Enfield Rapids to Long Island Sound and travel down one of America's most famous waterways, the Connecticut River. Its calm waters conceal an unruly past, where native tribes lost ground to Dutch and English colonists who vied for the river's immense economic power. The skyline of Hartford looms on the western shore, with the gold dome of the capitol as a remnant of this robust economy centered on world trade. Many have found a deep inspiration along the river, including Lady Fenwick, a local legend; David Bushnell, creator of the first American submarine; and even Albert Einstein, who contemplated the cosmos while relaxing on the riverbanks. Author Wick Griswold takes readers on a provocative journey as he traces the history of the Connecticut River.

Paddle from Enfield Rapids to Long Island Sound and travel down one of America's most famous waterways, the Connecticut River. Its calm waters conceal an unruly past, where native tribes lost ground to Dutch and English colonists who vied for the river's immense economic power. The skyline of Hartford looms on the western shore, with the gold dome of the capitol as a remnant of this robust economy centered on world trade. Many have found a deep inspiration along the river, including Lady Fenwick, a local legend; David Bushnell, creator of the first American submarine; and even Albert Einstein, who contemplated the cosmos while relaxing on the riverbanks. Author Wick Griswold takes readers on a provocative journey as he traces the history of the Connecticut River.