Smiths Creek Depot

As America was taking its first steps towards industrialization, the Hanks family of Mansfield, Connecticut, made early attempts to mechanize the production of silk thread. Rodney Hanks and his nephew Horatio Hanks built this mill in 1810. It was the first silk mill in America, producing some of the first silk with machines that were powered by a waterwheel.

This 1858 Rogers steam locomotive is typical of those used in the United States in the second half of the 19th century. Its flexible wheel arrangement, high power output, and light weight were well suited to the tight curves, steep grades, and hastily constructed track that characterized American railroads. This locomotive struck an agreeable balance between practicality, safety, and economy.

The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" was the U.S. Army's primary training aircraft in the World War I era. After the war, surplus Jennys formed the core of America's barnstorming fleet. The JN-4D variation employed a control stick rather than the wheel used in the standard version. The JN-4D originally was built for the Canadian market, explaining its "Canuck" nickname.