Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

VERNON, CT — The latest Hidden Gem in the Nutmeg State can be found inside a previously featured Hidden Gem (see the list below).

It's an old powder keg from the War Between the States that's part of a revised exhibit at the New England Civil War Museum and Research Center. The museum is located in the second floor of Vernon's town hall in a fully preserved former Grand Army of the Republic Hall.

The powder keg was from the Hazard Powder Company in Enfield, a major contributor the the Union victory.

The museum staff tells us that, founded in 1835, the black powder mills on the Scantic River adopted their name in 1843, when Augustus G. Hazard assumed controlling interest. Under "the Colonel," the company established itself as one of the most prominent in Connecticut with black powder being shipped all over the country. At the time of the Civil War, Hazard's production was second in the nation to the DuPont Mills in Delaware.

The Enfield mills sprawl over 100 acres and used both water and steam power to turn the grinding wheels. With the Union Army demanding as much powder as it could get, the mills were operating 24 hours a day with 300 workers.

By 1864, the company was producing about 12,000 pounds of powder a day — about 40 percent of the Union Army's usage.

Following Hazard's death in 1868, DuPont assumed majority control of the company and continued to operate until Jan. 14, 1913, when a series of explosions heard as far as 10 miles away killed two employees and destroyed most of the mill. The site was permanently closed and the equipment moved to Valley Falls, NY.

Enfield resident Peter Floyd Sorenson recently published a book entitled, "Hazard Powder: the Powder Hollow Explosion of 1913." See more about the book here.

To see the powder keg and other Civil War artifacts with Connecticut connections, visit the museum. See the hours of operation here.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner