Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

Featuring a snapshot of women's suffrage in the late 1950s through the 1970s, the Records of the League of Women Votes of Bridgeport reflects local and national concerns on key topics of the day.

The Locomobile Company of America was founded in 1898 in Watertown, Massachusetts, and moved to Bridgeport in 1900. From 1900 to 1929 the company produced steam cars, and then luxury internal combustion engine cars, with custom body work for the wealthiest of Americans and international customers. Locomobile was a key player and employer in Bridgeport's economy, and speaks to the city's manufacturing power at the start of the 20th century. Within the records of the Locomobile Company of America are advertisements, catalogues, correspondence, legal documentation, and a wealth of images that document the history of the company from its start in 1898 to its close in 1929.

Following the purchase of the Bridgeport based Locomobile Company of America by Durant Motors in 1922, Locomobile continued to produce autos and automotive parts. The blueprints within this collection document what was produced from 1924 to 1926.

Reflecting the extensive nature of Bridgeport industry during the Second World War and into the 1950s, the Records of the Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers International Union, Locals 623, 320, 601, and 719 provides a snapshot of union activity at various Bridgeport employers.

The Republican Action League was founded by Bridgeport Republicans in 1969. As per their leadership guide, they cite the charter revision committee's mostly Democratic composition, as well as a sense of one-party domination in the city. This collection contains a brief overview of their activities through clippings and some documents they created for the public.

Founded in 1919, Bridgeport Rotary has provided public service for 100 years. As a part of Rotary International, the club's mandate to provide public good and promote business among members is well documented in the collection. In addition to providing day-to-day administrative information from the club's history, a large portion of the records focus on the 1970s to 1990s. Viewed in conjunction with other like organizations from that time - such as the records of the United Way and the YWCA - these materials offer an insight into the societal problems of Bridgeport during a time of sharp economic downtown in the city.

Starting in 1891 and continuing into 1892, poor weather began to impact the area along the Volga River which produced a large amount of food in Russia at that time. A combination of bad weather, outdated farming technology, and ineffective distribution methods resulted in a massive famine. An international response sought to raise funds and provide help to the Russian people. In the United States, the Russian Famine Relief Committee of the United States formed. This included localized efforts for collecting funds, as represented in this collection.

Running from Greenwich to Milford, Connecticut, the Merritt Parkway is one of Connecticut's most unique places and one of the few highways to be placed on the National Historic Register. In 1973, a proposal was brought up that would extend the Merritt an additional twolanes on either side, making it an eight sided highway. This caused outrage, and the Save the Merritt Association was founded on June 20, 1973. It was successful in its attempts to prevent this from happening, and dissolved in 1976 with the creation of the Merritt Parkway Commission

One of the very first organizations of its kind in the United States, the School Volunteers Association of Bridgeport can trace its history back to 1964. Originally called Y.O.U. – Youth Opportunities Unlimited – the organization was born out of a pilot program of the local Junior League to respond to a lack of pre-kindergarten programs, library, guidance counselor, and social worker in Bridgeport's Waltersville School. Well over a thousand volunteers cycled through the programs that SVA became known for, including Read Aloud Day, mentoring, library support, tutoring, the creation of business, school, and community partnerships which helped to add more volunteers to the organization, and other forms of support and enrichment for students in Bridgeport. The records reflect the organization's early days, as well as activities from the 1990s until 2021 when SVA was forced to dissolve.

Taking its name from Fairfield general Gold Selleck Silliman, this collection represents the activities and interests of the late eastern Fairfield county branch of the Sons of the American Revolution.