Dear Friend,

Imagine climbing inside a wooden submarine barely big enough for one person. There is no engine. No sophisticated navigation system. No guarantee you’ll make it back to shore. Just hand cranks, pedals, a small space to sit—and one audacious idea.

That was the Turtle.

In 1776, Connecticut inventor David Bushnell designed this remarkable vessel during the American Revolution. Piloted by Ezra Lee, the Turtle attempted to maneuver beneath a British warship in New York Harbor.

The mission didn’t go as planned, but the idea was extraordinary. And nearly 250 years later, the Turtle still has the power to make us stop, look, and wonder.

You can find a working replica of the Turtle right here at the Connecticut River Museum, built by Fred Fresé and Joe Leary and launched in 1977. Created to commemorate our nation’s Bicentennial, the Turtle now helps us celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and sparked conversations about invention, experimentation, and courage during our special summer exhibition, The Famous Water Machine of Connecticut. It’s a wonderful example of how Connecticut River Museum preserves the past as we look to the future.

The Turtle is one of thousands of objects in our collection that invite us to discover the people, ideas, and stories behind the River’s history. From paintings and prints to ship models, maritime objects, documents, and photographs, these collections are essential to fulfilling our mission—to deepen appreciation of the River’s history and to inspire its stewardship by providing unique educational and recreational experiences to diverse audiences. Together, they enable the Museum to engage the public in telling the story of the Connecticut River, a vital yet vulnerable resource that has shaped our ecosystem and way of life.

Your support ensures that the stories held by the objects in our collection are preserved, protected, and shared so visitors can experience them firsthand, discover the histories they reveal, and find their own meaning in them.

Consider another object in our collection: a scenic painting by famed artist Guy C. Wiggins, depicting several boats along the Connecticut River, donated by one of the Museum’s founders. Last April, the painting was the focus of remarks at our annual Milkofsky Curatorial Dinner, which explored the Wiggins family’s artistic heritage in Connecticut, from Old Lyme to Essex.

Like the Turtle, the Wiggins painting captures a story that extends beyond the object itself. It invites us to consider the River as people have experienced it through time. We are reminded that caring for it future requires learning from the choices and consequences of the past.

But the painting tells another story, too: one of generosity. Its place in the Museum’s collection reflects the vision of an early steward of our institution who understood the importance of preserving these stories for future generations. By entrusting the painting to the Museum, she helped strengthen our collection and ensure that these stories can continue to be discovered, studied, and shared by those who come after us.

This is what collections do.

A photograph can show a riverfront community as it looked decades ago. A shipbuilding tool can tell us about the people who built vessels along the Connecticut. And a child’s keepsake can reveal tender moments of everyday life that might otherwise be forgotten.

These objects may be small. Their stories are not.

Today, the Connecticut River Museum cares for thousands of objects that, together, illuminate the enduring bond between the River and the people who have lived, worked, and found inspiration along its shores. These objects connect us to generations past—and remind us of what is at stake for the future.

A collection is never finished.

This spring, we welcomed Jane Bowers as our new Collections Curator and Exhibition Manager, bringing fresh energy and expertise to the work of caring for, researching, and interpreting the Museum’s collection. Jane will help us uncover stories that have yet to be told and find new ways to share them with our community.

Her work reminds us of something important: there are always new questions to ask, connections to discover, objects to research, and stories waiting to be told.

That is why your support matters.

Your gift helps the Museum protect irreplaceable treasures, uncover their stories, and share them with our community. With your support, the Museum can help a child imagine what’s possible, a family discover a connection to the River, and a future researcher find answers in an object we cared enough to save.

Most importantly, your gift helps keep the stories of this beloved River alive—and inspires the next generation of River stewards.

Will you join us in preserving this shared legacy with a gift to the Annual Fund?

Together, we can ensure that the River’s stories do more than survive. They can inspire, connect, and shape our understanding of this remarkable place.

Thank you for helping the Museum bring these stories to life today and into the future.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth D. Kaeser
Executive Director

P.S. Your gift today helps keep the Turtle, the Wiggins painting, and thousands of other River treasures in the hands of those who will discover them next.

Special Information about Retirement Assets:

Donors aged 70 ½ or older may contribute up to $111,000 to charity from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Such contributions may also qualify as required minimum distributions. Consider if the Connecticut River Museum should be included in your end-of-year retirement planning.

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If you would like to donate by mail, please send your check to:

Connecticut River Museum

67 Main Street

Essex, CT 06426

Please include in the memo: Fall Annual Appeal 2026