Third Thursday Presentation Allison Horrocks
(Hartford)- Dr. Allison Horrocks gave a presentation on Connecticut’s history of youth and recreation in the Progressive Era, at the Connecticut State Library, in the Museum of Connecticut History. Dr. Horrocks discussed the development of recreations and parks in Connecticut during the Progressive Era.
During the Progressive Era, Connecticut was highly regarded by many experts as a pioneering state for its expansive network of parks, playgrounds, and other spaces for recreation. Hartford was lauded as a striking example of a planned urban landscape and Bridgeport was known as “Park City.” Though many in Connecticut had an especially keen interest in shaping the built environment and “natural” spaces in the state to better suit the peoples’ need for recreation, these efforts were also part of a larger national and international trend. As cities grew, many urban reformers took to the streets, bringing children out of dangerous areas to make way for trolleys and eventually, cars. Dr. Horrock’s talk is part of the State Library and Museum of Connecticut History’s Third Thursday Brownbag Lunchtime Speaker series. The National Digital Newspaper Program is a joint partnership of the Library of Congress and the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities. All attendees should feel free to bring their lunch. Dr. Horrocks contributed a study guide on this topic to the Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project, http://ctdigitalnewspaperproject.org/ which is sponsored by the National Digital Newspaper Program.
Dr. Allison Horrocks is a public historian. Her primary research interest is the history of home economics. In addition to teaching at the University of Connecticut, Allison has been employed at a range of house museums and historic sites, including the Preservation Society of Newport County and Mystic Seaport. Allison now works for the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, a bi-state unit of the National Park Service.