CHS has tools for researching your family tree

From the May newsletter of the Connecticut Historical Society:

"Developed under the direction of Charles Hale as a WPA project during the Great Depression, the Hale Headstone Index is immensely useful even today - more than 70 years later! This index, available in the Research Center on microfilm, consists of headstone transcriptions from all cemeteries in Connecticut. It can be used to find birth and death dates, to help determine familial relationships, and in some cases provide information concerning military service. Using microfilm for the first time can be daunting so stop by the Research Center and let our staff show you how to make use of this great resource!"

Love Google. Hate Google. Love Google. Hate Google...

Google Book Search has generated lots of controversy, but it's hard not to be impressed so far. Just do a search for "hartford, connecticut," and you'll turn up lots of diaries, family histories, and other historic documents. Many belong to Harvard University.

Tip of the cap to the New Britain Rock Cats

I cannot vouch for their authenticity, but Hartford Chiefs caps are available for $10 each at the merchandise store of the New Britain Rock Cats, at New Britain Stadium. I could not find them in the Rock Cats' online shop, so you'll just have to go to a game -- which will be fun, trust me. The hats are one-size-fits-all.

By the way, why doesn't the City of Hartford sell merchandise like this online? Doesn't it have a slight revenue problem?

The Chiefs were the Boston Braves affiliate in the Eastern League from 1947 to 1952, playing in Bulkeley Stadium. Before that, they were the Hartford Bees. Come to think of it, maybe this is a Bees cap. If anyone knows for sure, drop me a line.

Just cleaning out my in-box

Among the items:

1. A copy of the Hartford News, a free weekly that fans of Hartford history should love because the front page of each edition features a vintage photo of the city, under the headline, "Hartford ... Once Upon a Time." The most recent photos are courtesy of the Hartford Public Library's Hartford History Center. The April 9 issue has a great shot -- probably taken from the Capitol dome -- of Bushnell Park being torn up in the early 1940s in order to put the Park River in an underground conduit. As far as I can tell, the Hartford News has no online presence yet, though you can find copies in lot of local businesses. It's published by Southside Media on Franklin Avenue.

2. Speaking the library's Hartford History Center, you've got till Tuesday (great band, but never mind that) to view the "Rain of Parks" collection of vintage photographs taken at city parks.

3. Anyone who's serious about researching anything having to do with Hartford needs to bookmark iconn.org, a state-funded and -operated search engine (or "RE-search engine" as it's advertised.") All you need to use it is your local public library card. This site is absolutely indispensable for tracking down newspaper articles, demographic data -- you name it.

'Antiques Roadshow: Hartford' airs Monday, May 11

When public television's "Antiques Roadshow" stopped at the Hartford Convention Center on August 23, thousands turned out to have their stuff appraised. Now the episode is set to air at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 11, according to Connecticut Public Television.

The highlights will include appraisals of "a signed watercolor painting by Katherine Hepburn, a set of 200-year-old Wedgewood pottery buttons, and a Chippendale rocco table valued at a quarter of a million dollars or more," CPTV says.