2021 A Year in Review
By Rit Carter and Jack Krampitz With any year in review, there is much to pick over. However, when historians place Bristol of 2021 under the microscope, there will be…
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Councilman Panioto Confident Wheeler Can Be Salvaged in Some Capacity
Last week, the new Bristol City Council, in a decision that left many City Hall observers dumbfounded, voted down the Purchase and Sale Agreement between the City of Bristol and…
Walking Bristol in 2021
By Rit Carter As I watch a light fog wash over the lagoon at Rockwell Park, my walk across Bristol begins. It is 7 a.m., and my destination is Camp…
Upcoming events at the Bristol Historical Society
By Rit Carter 1971 was an exciting year. Walt Disney World opened in Florida. The 26th amendment lowering the voting age to 18 was ratified. And as part of the…
Bristol’s inaugurals and where they have been held
By Rit Carter Mayoral inaugurals speak to where we have been, where we are, and where we may be headed. In Bristol, the first ceremony took place on Oct. 3, 1904,…
Jeff Caggiano sworn in as mayor of Bristol
By Rit Carter Last night, Republican Jeff Caggiano became Bristol’s 21st mayor. Liberty Baptist Church, where the ceremony took place, was filled to capacity with supporters and well-wishers alike, sitting…
Evening on the Hill at the Bristol Historical Society
Bristol Historical Society The Bristol Historical Society will be abuzz tomorrow night because they are holding their annual Evening on the Hill Auction. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with…
Tonight the Coloring Craze Party returns to the Bristol Historical Society
Following the return of the Coloring Craze Party in September to the Bristol Historical Society (BHS), coloring enthusiasts can rejoice. Tonight, the Coloring Craze Party is back at BHS from…
100 Years of Fashion at the Bristol Historical Society
Grab your pantaloons, hop in your horse and buggy or Model T (tin Lizzie), and head on down to the Bristol Historical Society (BHS) tonight at 7 p.m. for 100…
Bristol Historical Society Launching Local History Scavenger Hunt
The Bristol Historical Society will have two scavenger hunts with one taking place in the Federal Hill area As part of their 50th anniversary, the Bristol Historical Society is hosting two…
Bristol from 1,500 ft.
By Rit Carter It is Wednesday night, 7:31 p.m., and near the main terminal at Robertson Airport, I just unlatched the handle to Gate 2 and began a routine walk…
Welcome to Camp St.
By Rit Carter Saturday, regular travelers of Camp St. were surprised to see an influx of motor vehicles added to the usual proceedings. For those not familiar with this 1.4…
![$150 reward [cut of runaway slave] Ranaway from the subscriber, on the night of the 2d instant, a negro man, who calls himself Henry May, ... William Burke, Bardstown, Ky., September 3d, 1838.](https://i0.wp.com/www.bristoledition.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/runaway-slave-reward-poster.jpg?resize=260%2C146&quality=89&ssl=1)
Bristol’s Runaway Slaves: Part 1 — Harry Jackson
Harry Jackson was a runaway slave who became Bristol, Connecticut’s oldest resident, passing away in 1904. His life, a blend of hardship and resilience, unfolded from Paterson, New Jersey, to Bristol, where he integrated into the community. Researching his story revealed limited records, underscoring the importance of preserving his legacy.
1918 pandemic and Bristol: the how and the who? — Part IV
By Rit Carter As the sun rose Monday, Oct. 7, 1918, at 6:53 a.m., Bristol Police Detective Edward Cullem rose his stocky 5’10″ frame and readied himself for work. Despite…
Quick Hits
Staff The bridge on Louisiana Ave., which was closed in June 2020 so it could be removed and replaced, is now open. Louisiana Avenue Drivers beware! A pot hole near…
Bristol and the 1918 Pandemic–Part III
By Rit Carter On Saturday, Sept. 21, 1918, New Departure Manufacturing held its third annual company Sheep Barbeque at Rockwell Park. At 11:45 a.m., the fire whistle’s shrill boomed throughout the…
Bristol Little Leagues announce they will merge
The boards of directors for Bristol three little leagues–Edgewood, Forestville and McCabe-Waters–announced in an email to families of their respective leagues that they are merging into one league beginning with…
Sacrifice, Inconvenience, or an Infringement on Personal Liberties and Constitutional Rights?
By Rit Carter In January, before the gravity of the coronavirus virus was known, the public was only asked to wash their hands, stay six feet apart, and avoid large…
A Snapshot in Time, Bristol June 1920
By Rit Carter The Bristol Edition takes a look back 100 years to June of 1920 with a snapshot of the following Bristol stories that were making news: SOLD!…
Where there is girls softball, there is hope
By Rit Carter Bristol’s 2020 Little League baseball spring season was canceled in May, but Bristol Girl’s Little League Softball (BGLLS) are on the verge of committing to a 2020…