Colt Patent Fire Arms Mfg Company
Throughout the history of American firearms development, no name is more recognizable than that of Samuel Colt (1814-1862). Colt’s genius in both inventing and marketing helped make Connecticut a major center of firearms manufacturing throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The Colt collection was given to the Museum in 1957 and is considered one of the finest assemblages of Colt-made weapons in the world.
Connecticut Collections
Connecticut’s vital role in American industry and manufacturing is a major focus of
the museum’s collections. Visitors will see Connecticut-made products ranging from canteens to carbines, stoneware to steam irons, teapots to typewriters, and just about everything else in between.
Freedom Trail Quilts
The Freedom Trail Quilt project and the display of the quilts in the
Connecticut State Library’s Museum of Connecticut History represent an
acknowledgement by public and private groups of the great significance
of the Freedom Trail story within the history of Connecticut and the
nation.
Governors Portraits
Lining the walls of Memorial Hall are the portraits of 72 Governors of Connecticut. Included are portraits of Connecticut’s first Governor, John Haynes; Revolutionary War Governor Jonathan Trumbull; Connecticut’s Civil War Governor William Buckingham; and Connecticut’s first woman Governor Ella Grasso.
Mitchelson Coin Collection
Among the best collection of American coins in the world, the Joseph C. Mitchelson coin collection includes choice examples of every minted coin in the U.S., including patterns and trial pieces. The sampling of American coins on display spans the period from the 17th-century to the present. Included are such rarities as Connecticut’s 18th-century Higley copper token and the ultra high relief 1907 $20 Gold Double Eagle.
World War One
The Museum and Connecticut State Archives have one of the largest collections of World War One material in the country. Most of this collection is focused on the activities of the state and it's people during the war. Included are uniform and other personal items used by service members, souvenirs brought home, WWI medals, and all manner of products manufactured in Connecticut for the war effort.
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