Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

This small collection contains samples of the work that the Lake Torpedo Boat Company completed around 1922. This includes a patent for a hydroplane mechanism, made by William Kolvig, along with some sample data.

Willis McDonald served in Connecticut's 17th regiment during the American Civil War, and acted as the regimental historian. He recorded both his own accounts and that of other men in the regiment of major events such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. The scant correspondence offers light into his own personal experiences of the conflict.

The Scanzillo family represents one of the oldest Italian American families that settled in Bridgeport. Focusing on Americo (October 13, 1898- June 12, 1981), the son of Gabrielo Scanzillo and his wife, Americo himself was a lawyer and later member of the state senate. The clippings within the scrapbooks are especially useful in examining the integration of Italian American families into New England at the turn of the 20th century, when ethnic discrimination was common.

Barry Goodkin is a theater researcher who spent time focused on Bridgeport, Stratford, and Fairfield theaters. Within are original photographs, research, and newspaper articles on venues including the Palace, Majestic, and Bijou theaters along with the Downtown Cabaret Theater, Klein Memorial Auditorium, and others.

Very little information is recorded regarding Freida Mellitz Mendelsohn. Research is on-going.

Sidney Dowrkin (1933-June 13, 1984) was a major figure in the Republican party of Bridgeport for much of his life. He often served as a campaign manager or advisor, and was noted as a mediator among his fellow GOP members. He served as Judge of Probate from 1970-1974 and held other positions in Bridgeport as well. This collection primarily features campaign material, along with some pamphlets he created as Judge of Probate.

One of the key managers for the Barnum and Bailey Circus, the papers of Joseph McCaddon feature personal material from McCaddon's life. They primarily include his memoir, and a number of personal scrapbooks that document family trips and the birth of his son, Joseph McCaddon Junior.

This collection of sermons were found in the Bridgeport History Center. It features handwritten sermons of several unknown individuals, likely Congregtional ministers. Research is ongoing.

The Barnum Museum building has gone through various incarnations since it was first opened in 1893. In the 1950s and 1960s, the museum collections were managed by Elizabeth Seeley (a Barnum descendent). Elsie Beth Clark was a board member and helped create displays for the museum, as well as handouts.

Isabella Maude Winton-Cady Warner, most commonly known as Maude Cady Warner, was an active member of the Fairfield Garden Club and the wife of DeVer Warner. Maude married into the Warner Brothers Company fortune. How money was spent on house, grounds upkeep, and entertaining is reflected in this collection, as is her personal wealth.