Putnam Park CT |
Connecticut State has had many nicknames - The Nutmeg State, The Constitution State, ...The Provision State. The latter name is applied with respect to the fact that Connecticut, a state since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, supplied more food and cannons to The Continental Army than any other in The Revolutionary War.
While CT does not boast of decisive battlegrounds, its supply lines and warehouses were necessary to defend. William Tryon The Tyrant led an invasion of Connecticut in Fairfield County that resulted in the successful destruction of the Danbury army supply depot. The following year General Putnam established an encampment in Redding along Black Rock Turnpike - the route Tryon had previously used.
This camp was partially to meant to deter any additional raids on the rebuilt supply depot. Today, Putnam Memorial State Park preserves the site of this encampment. It is the oldest state park in Connecticut by virtue of the fact that it was named as a State Memorial and preserved before the existence of the CT State Park System.