Collections : [Connecticut State Library, State Archives]

Records of the General Assembly form one of the premier collections in the State Archives. For years, the acquisition of historical legislative records has been a priority. General Assembly records rank in research and legal value with records of the Office of the Governor and the Judicial Branch of state government. Since the Library received the first transfer of files and papers, General Assembly records have enjoyed high demand. Even today, researchers continue to "unearth" the rich historical data contained within these records. The materials described in this finding aid on African Americans and Native Americans come from two series of General Assembly Records; General Assembly Papers, 1821-1870 and Rejected Bills, 1808-1870. RG 002:004, General Assembly Papers African Americans and Native Americans, 1808-1870, to see the complete finding aid and container list (pdf).

Genealogical chart and book of corresponding family sheets.

Correspondence, photographs, autographs, pressed flowers and other materials pertaining to Connecticut history, prominent American and European political and literary figures, the Connecticut Indian Association, etc. Click here to see the scanned paper finding aid and container list (pdf).

Consists of one item, a chart showing school statistics for Old Lyme, Connecticut, 1855-1930.

The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut was organized in 1893 to "perpetuate the memory of the events of American Colonial History, and of the men who assisted in the establishment, defense and preservation of the American Colonies." Membership is composed of male descendants of men who rendered military or civil service to the colonies from the settlement of Jamestown, May 13, 1607 to the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775. The collection consists of supplemental and original applications for membership in the state organization. Click here to see the scanned paper finding aid and container list (pdf).

Descendants of Aaron Stark, founder of the family in America.

Genealogy notes on the descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Conn.

The Thompson Raceway was the first private road racing course built and operated in the United States. Prior to its construction, all sports car road races had been conducted either on public highways or on airport runways. The Thompson Raceway was opened in 1952, just prior to the ban of racing on public roads, and was used for road racing until 1967. Now called the Thompson International Speedway, it has been rebuilt as an oval and is used for occasional NASCAR events. The collection includes administrative files, publicity materials, entry lists, race information, financial records, scrapbooks and photographs. Click here to see the scanned paper finding aid and container list (pdf).

The Tolland County Bank was established August 4, 1826, at a meeting of leading citizens. They obtained a charter and the bank opened for business on March 18, 1829. In 1865, the bank obtained a charter as the Tolland County National Bank. It went out of business in 1885. The premises, furniture and fixtures were sold in 1886 to the Savings Bank of Tolland, which had been chartered in 1841, and had operated since that date in the same building and often with the same officers as the commercial bank. These records were among the contents of ten to fifteen burlap bags received by the State Library from an unknown source in 1935. Subsequent examination revealed the collection also contains Tolland town records, Tolland county records, and a few Farmington town papers. Also discovered were personal files of Frank T. Newcomb, who served as a cashier and treasurer of both banks, town clerk, town treasurer, and county treasurer. The collection includes bills and receipts, promissory notes, quarterly bank statements, correspondence, deeds and mortgages, and lists of subscribers. Click here to see the scanned paper finding aid and container list (pdf).

Following the Revolutionary War, there was a need for a census of the entire Nation. The first census was taken in 1790. Over the years, the Nation's needs and interests became more complex and the content of the decennial census changed accordingly. The 1810 census included the first inquiry on manufacturers, quantity and value of products was conducted. In 1840, questions on fisheries were added. In 1850, the census included inquires on social issues, such as taxation, churches, pauperism, and crime. The sole purpose of the censuses and surveys is to secure general statistical information. Personal census information is closed for seventy-two years after the date of the census. The collection contains official manuscript copies, photostats, and microfilm copies of the United States census schedules for Connecticut, with a few schedules for neighboring states.Click here to see the scanned paper finding aid and container list (pdf).