Archived Topics

Great Northeast Blackout of 1965

Posted By: William Brainard <p020188b@pb.seflin.org>
Date: Sunday, 28 January 2001, at 11:53 p.m.

Does anyone have any Willimantic memories of the great power blackout which occured in 1965? I was a youngster at the time and just after dusk the spotlight on our garage went off as I was walking into the house. As everything was out we got the battery radio and only later did we find that 13 states were involved. I think the lights came on around midnight; we had shredded wheat and did hotdogs in our fireplace. This being the 15th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, I was thinking back on "where we were" when it happened. One thinks of Challenger and if ones old enough, the Kennedy assasination in 1963.

Willimantic images and events

Posted By: CHAS
Date: Wednesday, 31 January 2001, at 2:45 a.m.

I have been enjoying the material posted on this Forum. Some of you folks have such marvelous memories -- and even manage to get most of it correct no less!!.

One day soon I will have to tell you about my time as the Hartford Times news bureau chief for Willimantic/Windham (1964-66). My office was upstairs at 824 Main St.(a real estate office is there now).

I recall the Blackout quite vividly....that is another story to come soon.