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Thank you Dan for your wonderful work.

!My favorite was WT Grants wheniwas a yougsterbuttheyallhad different things toofer,

Thanks Dan So informative Love watching your videos!!

We love your stories ofOld Hartfordl!Thanks Dan!!

Excellent video with lot of information. I knew JPolice Morgan was born and laid to rest in Hartford. I had a friend with relatives buried not to far from the Morgan graves. But it was nice to learn bout his father and grandfather and their ties to Holyoke MA. Fascinating as I too was born in Holyoke. Great stuff Dan. Thank you!

I have visited the tomb at Cedar Hill cemetery at the end of Fairfield Avenue in Hartford several times as part of a school assignment back in the day. Just curious about the Goodwin legacy, is that how Goodwin Park came to be named?

I have a copy of a print. It is of a building that once stood on the corner of Wooster Street and Pavilion Street in Hartford. While serving on the Board of trustees for the Connecticut historic Society, I was told that that was once the school that JP Morgan attended. Is that true Dan?

The building next to the Wadsworth where the Travelers Tower is… was what?

they tore down a lot of homes

Thanks Dan…

Quality stuff!

Excellent! Many thanks!

O.K. Here we go! Thanks for a great video. I have a lot to say but will abbreviate. Especially enjoyed the last photo as it shows 2 buildings that I (a 94 year old Architect) have emotional ties to. #1 The Hotel America. I got out of the Army in 1958 and friends in NY said don't come here as there is a building depression and no work. 2 days later I was hired by C.D. the Architect of The Plaza and in a small office that ensued Ted Cox was assigned the Tall Bank Bldg. and someone named Dallarn, I think, the stubby commercial tower. I was a graduate Architect but as yet unlisenced and C.D. assigned me the Hotel. It was overwhelming as a I had to do it all alone as C.D. was either playing cards or involved in some political manoever and under other circumstances such responsibility would have never been given to one so young. But I had gone to a a French school that C.D. had gone to. So what did I do in the 52 weeks I worked there. I "copied" / used/ pasted up works of the great French Architects of the '30's who I admired. If you're over your head and your boss is no help, you better find someone good to copy which I did. As it stands today it is the only "timeless", human-scale building on the site. Well worn (65 years old) it still looks great. There was more than just visuals, I had to learn about "rooms" and establish patterns, bathrooms, mechanical systems. In the midst of mundane work, the old building still "sings". #2 Years later as an assistant to Wallace Harrison I worked on the Phoneix Bldg. in his office in Rockefeller Center. Harrison designed it. I carried the water bucket.

When mom said she was going to Lord & Taylor “to look for something to wear” I knew it was for a special event!!!

If I had anything insured by Aetna, I would be canceling the policy in the morning!

I remember this house because as a boy in the 30's (I am 94) I rode my bike past it many times. The fine architecture of Hartford whisperedi to me to become an Architect which I wanted more than anything else. It seemed so far out of reach since we came from Warehouse Point and lived in a far more modest section of Hartford. In Hartford only because Mom, from a large immigrant family, HAD TO live near them. So we commuted for 40 years to my Dadf's small countrified grocery store. While other kids played baseball and other games, I roamed the streets in my (wonderful) second hand Blue Ivor Johnson Bike (It had wood rims!), looking at buildings and making cardboard models on my old oak desk at home. This house was "scary" to me, abandoned and unfriendly and much unlike the buiildings that I grew to love such as ALL of State Street from Main down to the River which included Ernest Flagg's best building, at least one Classic Bank, two tawdry but fun Theatres, the Wonderful Hartford Courant Building by the Architect______________and furthur down a mix of 18th and 19th masterpieces, if some what worn and torn. The entire history of 18th and 19th century urban Architecture was on disp[lay to say nothing of the main block of Main St. across from the State House. What a loss. I was later able---working as an apprentice architect to observe the greed and ignorance that destoyed a real cityscape. In which people of so-called culture cooperated with bad architects, viscious developers, and dumb politicians to wreck all this. Gone forever .Later, when I did work in Cleveland for a large NYC Company, I saw a similar downtown which for a vartiety of reasons was never ruined.

Society for savings was spectacular. The whole street was alive with beautiful shops. Many bridal gown shops that everybody came to hartford for. My 1970s recollections.

Newberry's had an entrance on Asylum Street, incorporating part of neighboring building. As a stamp collector, I spent some of my paper route earnings in that part of the store. Stamp collecting was popular then. G. Fox had a huge department just for stamps, with plenty of stuff on display.

Used to see Mr. Savitt all the time walking down Main Street. Mom bought my birth stone ring for my 15th birthday at Savitts. The store had a least 2 dozen sales people they were always so busy.

Yup that’s my store…

It's really a shame America chose automobiles over their own cities, and a tax system to help speed their end. I only go into the Hartford area for New Britain and it's Polish neighbourhood

My 3x granfather wrote in his memoirs that he could see the Charter Oak from his Bedroom window . He was born in 1787 and died in 1889 .

Thank you , Hannah Bunce Watson was a Aunt on my Bunce line , her nephew Moved to Michigan in 1817 at the age of 30 and did very well for himself in the fur and lumber industry. He lived to be 101 years old . And my family owes so much to him as we to this day profit from his sacrifices. His name was Zephaniah Bunce .

A Wonderful documentary. Towards the end you show a two story brick bldg on the RIGHT which is where the Sudarsky family (my mom's) landed in 1906 all 10 of them Lena and Edel and kids"Sadie(one son a Metalurgist at White Sands), Chana (abandoned at Ellis Island and whose son Sam Berman became a well known artist in NYC). Isadore (a Dentist...$2 a filling) Pearl (my Mom) , Matilda with 1 leg got 2 years of college and became Bookeeper at The Courant for 45 years, Beatrice, Reuben (an attoreney) who did I forget?. Mom hated cats because in that filthy slum everyone had a big male "ratter" who earned his keep.....not for petting. My Zedie (Edel---an honorific) ran a tailor shop on Sheldon Street which later became Lanza's Pizza (the best) where I spent most oif my high school dating........and one of my brothers became a Photographer (Alvin). another a big time NYC litigator (Bobby) and I, an Architect. Before I hit the big time in NYC I designed the Hotel America whichj you will note is the ONLY distinguished building on the Plaza. In NYC I worked for Wallace Harrison on the Phoenix Building, for Eggers on the new Cathedral and for Victor Lundy on the Unitarian Meeting House. My Mom married David Sisitzsky from Kovno and we were all born and brought up in Warehouise Point until Mom couldn't stand it anymore. We all grew up in a little grocery store there and in Windsor Locks and were the delivery boys. From Dad, I learned hard work and compassion for other people since most of our customers lived from payday-to-payday. He told me once that he one week had $5 left in his pocket after he paid his 2 employees. The old days!

Used to go to the coin section on the mezzanine floor to buy dimes for my coin collection. If I remember correctly, they also had a section on the mezzanine floor for bowling equipment. Bought my first bowling ball and shoes their circa 1966. I moved two times I believe I still have the bowling ball.

Mom would drop me off upstairs alone and let me watch the Christmas train on the toy floor while she shopped downstairs. I was 7 or 8 afterwards we would get a hot dog at Grants counter. Boy I wish I could have taken my children.

I went to the Webster many times with my sisters! Best popcorn ever made. Mom would just drop us off and pick us back up in a few hours. Never a problem.

I was born in Hartford in 52 and lived there until 78. Went to all these places growing up. Who remembers Mr. Peanut man walking down Peal Street or Mr. Savit from Savit jewelers walking down Main Street?

I visited these stores, when I was young with my grandmother. We would take the bus to downtown Hartford. Great memories. Thank you, your channel is awesome

The old east side was a slum. It was flooded many times especially in the 1930s. White flight along with bad ideas went along way to ruin the better parts of the city. It’s not the worst city in America. It has plenty of competition as most small and midsize cities are horrible.

I remember the store Jupiter being similar to Newberry's in Hartford in the late 70's.

I have a 1920s record sleeve from the record store on this street.

I remember hartford from the later 60s on. Did kreske turn into korvettes? I love your videos. 🫶

America was destroyed in the 60s and 70s... what a tragedy...

Dan, you have no idea of how much of my life experience is present in your videos. As I will be turning 75 this year, viewing these is such a blessing, one that evokes family and friends from the past. The memories here are priceless.

The Woolworth store to the left of G, Fox later became the children's clothing store Youth Centre.

I also was born in Hartford in 1962 and lived in milford and new haven up till I was about 4 then moved to ST LOUIS. I will always remember Connecticut. Love these videos.. Mike

Thanks for making this video. It brings back many memories. I was born in Hartford in 1948 and lived on Winthrop St, just north of this shopping area. We moved out of Hartford when I was 5, but I can remember when I was between 2 and 4 years old my mother taking me with her every Friday to do the weekly shopping at these stores. It seemed that all these stores had lunch counters and we would always have lunch at one of them.

Downtown was a bustling place in the mid 1960's I used to shop at Mary Jane's shoe store W.T.Grants department store, my sister worked there and we bought baby turtles and small gold fishes. The Federal Bakery shop to buy a birthday cake and E.J. Korvette's to buy my 45's and who can forget Peter Stone with his red wagon selling chewing gum...that was the highlight of my weekends..

I was born in Hartford in the 1960s on park Street when frog hollow was all French people. My parents moved to Hartford in the early 60s from Canada. I remember going downtown with my mother as a child shopping and having lunch in the basement at sage Allen's. My sister used to work at newberry's and I would sometime go with her to work. I miss those days. It's sad to see what Hartford has become. I can't stand to drive down Park Street and see the street that was so beautiful so friendly so safe be nothing but a total disaster. it just breaks my heart😢💔💔💔

Loved it!

Loved the Marble Pillar!

does anyone know where to find bakery receipes

I’d really love to hear more about the Indian fort

Even as far back as 1774 Hartford was already over 125 years old.

At 51:10, you walked paat one of my ancestor's homes - Samuel Boardman

Love this!

Thank you for doing this Dan.

Wow- I can't believe I came across this today. For a goof I googled this. Honestly, I came here to see if I could find info out about a place called DeNino's restaurant which was next door to the State Theater. It was not mentioned in this video, so I will research it more now. Legend has it that my grandfather Frank DeNino who had a parking lot next to the restaurant used to patronize a small smoke filled bar seating about 15-20 people. They would play poker ( all of the paisano's) and in a strange hand the original owner of the bar, bet the bar and my grandfather won the bar. He would spend time there managing his new business, while he also owned the parking lot next door. Well, my grandmother Irma DeNino went in one day and saw my grandfather and his buddies playing cards and smoking cigarettes galore. She was so upset that she threw everyone out that day. She then proceeded to clean it up and tried to establish a nice tavern. She was a wonderful cook and eventually succeeded. It became such a busy place and her cooking was so well renowned, that she took empty space from surrounding exited businesses and turned it into 450 seat behemoth called "Denino's Restaurant". They advertised in the Hartford Courant with a cute little 2" square saying " Meet me at DeNino's"! Well the place flourished and they did very well. They met dozens and dozens of famous people that I had pictures of years ago, with Desi Arnaz, Sammie Davis, Inkspots and many others, but sadly have misplaced. My father was a travelling musician from Boston and met my mother there. I was told stories from Shy Gallo...a cousin who worked as a bartender there, that Frank and Irma supplied patrons with Ballentine Beer. They bought an average 85 barrels of beer a week. Ballentine was so appreciative they would give DeNino's 10 barrels a week FREE! They had a 20 ounce glass of beer, a few of which I still have now, and it was 0.5 cents a glass full. A nickel!! And she offered a "guinea grinder" ALSO for a nickel! They did well. They were generous and loving people who helped a lot of friends and immigrants as they came to Hartford over the years. Frank sold the restaurant i Think around 1948 or 1949 - I am not sure of this date, because it was overwhelming to operate and Frank and Irma retired to Ridge Rd. in Wethersfield where I was born. He sold Ridge Road house - to guess Kelly D'Aprile...the owner of the D&D Market! True story. I am so glad to have found this video and tell this little story .

Excellent and fascinating. Thank you.