Doing right by Eugene Bradley—and history

Sure, it's not in Hartford, but Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks is vital to the city, so the airport's history should matter to anyone interested in Hartford's history—especially when a mystery is involved.

In the summer of 1941, when the airport was just an Army Air Corps landing strip recently carved out of the tobacco fields north of Hartford, Lt. Eugene M. Bradley lost control of his P-40 Warhawk fighter during dogfight training—perhaps blacking out—and plunged 5,000 feet into the ground. Bradley's death, coming a few months before the Pearl Harbor attack but amid growing anticipation that the U.S. would be dragged into World War II, led to the new airfield being named after him. The exact site of his crash was forgotten, however; the Army quickly bulldozed the site after removing Bradley's body, and no marker was erected.

Now, thanks to the dogged efforts of historian Thomas Palshaw and state Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni, the crash site may have been discovered. Bellantoni says ground-penetrating radar indicates that fragments from the plane are under what's now Runway 33, in a corner of airport property that juts into East Granby. The team's next step is take a core of soil from the site and analyze it.

Bellantoni made a great observation for WNPR: "Seven million people a year go through that airport, and probably not seven know the story of Eugene Bradley. We forget sometimes how many people gave their lives preparing for combat, and Bradley's one of them."

Hear the WNPR report and see a photo of Eugene Bradley here. The discovery was first reported in this Hartford Courant article. And don't forget to visit the New England Air Museum, adjacent to the airport.

It's not too late to enjoy the river walk...

Indeed, Riverfront Recapture will be holding the Pipes in the Valley Celtic Festival this weekend at Riverfront Plaza. From there you can walk the beautiful new path that leads a short distance north to Riverside Park. On the way, you'll find an important piece of Hartford history: a highway overpass pillar that hosts plaques showing the high-water marks for the three biggest floods of the Connecticut River over the past century. I've highlighted them in the photo below,
part of a bunch taken on the riverfront last month.

Busy Saturdays at the Old State House

The Old State House, now operated by the Connecticut General Assembly, offers the following events and activities over the next five Saturdays:

September 12: Joseph Steward, proprietor of Steward's Hartford Museum, returns to the Old State House at 1 p.m. to celebrate his 18th-century museum with an unveiling of two magnificent new curiosities. Afterward, young people can take part in hands-on history activities in the Holcombe Education Center. Steward will continue to lead tours of his museum until 4 p.m.

September 19: The Old State House will celebrate Constitution Day with activities, quizzes, and tours related to our country's guiding document.

September 26: Connecticut suffragette Francis Ellen Burr will debate an opponent on whether women should get the vote. You get to participate in this program, which begins at 1 p.m. on the floor of the House of Representatives. Miss Burr will visit informally with guests until 4 p.m.

October 3: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Franken, and Ronald Reagan have all crossed the line from entertainment to politics, but circus man P.T. Barnum did it many years before them, when he traveled to the Old State House to serve as Fairfield's state representative. He'll speak at 1 p.m. on the floor of the House and visit informally with guests until 4 p.m. You'll hear a life story that not only included bringing us the Greatest Show on Earth but also working for African-American emancipation and suffrage.

October 10: Years ago, one of the most popular exhibits at the Old State House was a replica made of Lego bricks. That replica will return with a celebration featuring hands-on activities and a chance for visitors to craft their own Lego creations. The "unveiling" will take place at 1 p.m., but there'll be activities throughout the day.