A reminder to observe your world, no matter how close to home you are traveling: How many times do I walk into Rosy Tomorrow’s restaurant in Danbury, Conn. without noticing a sign posted outside? I have multiple opportunities to learn one more tidbit about the Revolutionary War, and I am oblivious. The British, coming from Compo Beach in what is now Westport (but was then known as Norwalk) and seeking to rid the rebels of their supplies, burned Danbury in 1777.
Danbury survived, although many buildings did not. Zadoc Benedict’s hat factory, founded in 1780, launched an industry that thrived until people began going out bareheaded. The last hat manufacturer in Danbury closed in 1981.
—Lori Tripoli