April 2026 Bus Tour: Way Back When ~ Witnesses to the Revolution
Relive the Farmington Valley’s Experience in the American Revolution on a bus tour visiting West Granby, East Granby, and Simsbury
Saturday, April 25, 2026
9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Meet at Iron Horse Boulevard Commuter Parking Lot behind Drake Hill Mall in Simsbury, at 9:15 am. Bus departs at 9:30 am.
Visit Wilcox House in West Granby, Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine in East Granby, and Simsbury Historical Society, where presentations, tours, and reenactments will offer a penetrating view of life in the Farmington Valley during the American Revolution. A furnished box lunch (choices available) will be served in East Granby between stops. Admission is $50 per person and includes the bus tour, a “goody bag” for the bus (with water, snacks, and brochures), lunch, and a pre-tour lecture (see below) on Thursday, April 23 at 7:00 pm. Reservations are required for the bus. Contact Wayne Hayes at bnanews@aol.com or (978) 758-8499 by April 17th to reserve your spot, choose a payment option, and submit your wrap choice (tuna, turkey, or veggie).
Pre-Tour Lecture:
“The Traitor’s Homecoming”
Thursday, April 23, 2026 / 7:00 PM / Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road, Avon. Questions: Contact Terri Wilson at president@avonhistoricalsociety.org or (860) 678-7621.
Matthew Reardon, historian and author of The Traitor’s Homecoming: Benedict Arnold’s Raid on New London, Connecticut, September 4-13, 1781, will present his reexamination, using dozens of newly discovered British and American primary sources, of Arnold’s engagement in New London during the Revolutionary War’s 7th year. The talk sets the stage for the April 25 bus tour, “Way Back When: Witnesses to the Revolution.” The lecture is open to the public; admission is $5 per person for those not joining the April 25 bus tour, payable at the door. More information about the bus tour is included above.
Upcoming Selected Member Events
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Avon Historical Society's TABLESCAPES
Fri., March 13, 2026 / 10am-6pm; Sat., March 14, 2026 / 10am-4pm
This fundraiser showcases 30 creative table settings, and includes a tableware tag sale. Tickets: $20
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Musick of CT's Revolution at Stanley-Whitman House
Sat., March 29, 2026 / 2-3:30pm
A live concert-lecture exploring Revolutionary-era music published in Connecticut, performed with historical commentary and period interpretation.
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Impressionist Gourmet at Hill-Stead Museum
Thurs., April 9, 2026, 6-7:30pm
Dr. Allison Deutsch discusses Impressionism and the culture of food. Hors d’oeuvres included. Tickets: $20/$25. Sponsored by Northwest Community Bank Foundation.
Previous Tours & Lectures
Painting Patriotism, Healing Wounds:
The Art of Col. John Trumbull
On Sunday, November 9, 2025, FVHN presented a richly illustrated talk with CT State Historian emeritus Walter Woodward. Dr. Woodward discussed the lifelong struggle of American artist John Trumbull (1756-1843) to earn respect for his art by creating a series of American history paintings, many of the Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. The presentation combined Trumbull’s personal struggles with the struggles of our burgeoning nation in the Revolutionary War era. Admission $5, payable at the door.
The History of Myrtle Mills Factory Store
This popular program in November 2024 took attendees through the fascinating journey of Myrtle Mills Factory Store, from its early beginnings and wartime contributions to its post-war retail innovations and eventual closure in the mid-1970s. Through archival photos, advertisements, and anecdotes, the presentation brought to life the story of a knitting mill that helped shape Unionville’s history and left an indelible mark on the American retail landscape. Audience members also had the opportunity to share their memories.
Watch a video of the session HERE!
Why They Came: Stories of Immigration to the Farmington Valley
Sponsored by CT Humanities, the Farmington Valley CT Heritage Network's "Why They Came" program in November 2023 offered a personal perspective on the people who shaped our towns. The program took place in two parts. Enjoy the wonderful videos taken of both sessions!
Part One features stories from the Avon Historical Society ("Prince Thomas of Savoy"), the Farmington Historical Society (Asian immigrants), Stanley-Whitman House ("The Legacy of Mrs. Julia Roper"), and the Unionville Museum ("The Irish in Unionville"). Click on the image to watch the video.
Part Two of two features stories from the Barkhamsted Historical Society ("A German Immigrant Family Takes Over One of Barkhamsted’s Biggest Farms"), the Canton Historical Museum (“Farmington Valley Immigration 1830-1920”), the Salmon Brook Historical Society ("Granby to the White House"), and the Simsbury Historical Society ("Frank Zablocki, Polish Immigration, and the Industrialization of Simsbury"). Click on the image to watch the video.
Additional Past Programs
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![A Granby Haunting]()
Lively Lore & Legends: Fact or Fiction?
APRIL 2022: Part one of a three-part bus tour series exploring the legends of the Farmington Valley.
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![Hill-Stead farm staff with some of the bones excavated, 1913. Allen B. Cook Collection, Archives, Hill-Stead Museum]()
The Pope-Farmington Mastodon
NOVEMBER 2022: Dr. Nicholas F. Bellatoni offers a dramatic look into Post-Glacial times and CT’s first inhabitants in this fascinating lecture.
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![Unionville Depot and Train]()
Lively Lore & Legends: Fact or Fiction?
APRIL 2023: Part two of a three-part bus tour series exploring the legends of the Farmington Valley.
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![Theodate Pope Riddle (Hill-Stead Museum Archives)]()
Lively Lore & Legends: Fact or Fiction?
APRIL 2024: Part three of a three-part bus tour series exploring the legends of the Farmington Valley.
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![A postcard of Main Street, Collinsville, CT in the early 1900s]()
Way Back When: A Witness to History
APRIL 2025: Part 1 of a 4-part bus tour series offering a fascinating peek, from diaries and interviews, into everyday life in the 1870s to 1920s.
