Groton - Historical Bits and Pieces is a compilation of many of the historical articles about Groton, Connecticut written by the author and published in the Groton Times newspaper over the past five years. Various subject matters, containing little known or interesting historical facts about Groton's people, places and things, are discussed in the articles. Many are accompanied by rarely viewed photographs which are part of the author's personal collection. Unusual and interesting subjects relating to Groton, including a three part series on police corruption during the years of prohibition, the presidential desk, old businesses, hometown heroes, and many other unique stories appear in this book. Most of the articles cover the time frame between the late 1800's and the mid-1960's. Although many may not believe that the subjects are historical in nature, the author considers them to be "modern history" and in his words "one hundred years from now they will be valued as relevant history". This book will play an important role, both now and in the future, in the documentation of the history of Groton, Connecticut.

When Groton was first settled in 1655, clashes with Native Americans were frequent and brutal. When most buildings were burned during a March 1676 assault, Groton was abandoned for safer ground. With true determination, settlers returned two years later to rebuild their village. From that day forward, Groton continued to grow in population, industry, and community engagement. In 1869, resident George S. Boutwell served as secretary of the treasury under Pres. Ulysses S. Grant and hosted a reception for the president when he visited Groton. During the town's industrial development in the last half of the 19th century, the Groton Leatherboard Company was established along the banks of the Squannacook River in West Groton. Lawrence Academy and Groton School have educated students since the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively. Continuing Groton's tradition of offering quality education, the Lowthorpe School was founded in 1901 as the first landscape architecture school devoted to training only women. Despite all the changes that invariably altered the landscape and the infrastructure, Groton remains, in a sense, the same as it began: a town striving for self-sufficiency and success but also dedicated to shaping the world around it.

The town history of Groton, Connecticut 1600-1965.

Established in 1705, the town of Groton is geographically located between the Thames and Mystic Rivers in the southeastern corner of Connecticut. The town is comprised of eight separate subdivision communities that are referred to as fire districts. Groton is also the home to a large naval submarine base, a small general aviation airport, and several major industrial facilities, including the Electric Boat Corporation and Pfizer, Inc. The Mystic fire district is recognized for its historical maritime museums and facilities and plays host to thousands of tourists each year. At the present time, Groton and Mystic are provided emergency services by 13 fire departments, three police departments, two ambulance associations, one paramedic response unit, and one central dispatch operation.