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Windham, Connecticut: Thread City and the Frog Fight

Windham, Connecticut

Pictures from Windham

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Thread City Crossing frog ornament Jillson House Air Line State Park Trail, Willimantic

Windham was incorporated in 1692; the original town was far larger than today's, taking in what are now Mansfield and Scotland plus parts of Chaplin and Hampton, reaching its present shape only in 1857. Its name comes from Wyndham, England. Willimantic, the borough within Windham, became known as "Thread City" for the mills that made it a national leader in thread manufacturing: the Willimantic Linen Company, founded in 1854, had grown by the 1880s into four granite mills employing about a thousand workers, later sold to British and Scottish interests as the American Thread Company. Willimantic's city government dissolved in 1983 and consolidated with Windham. In June 1754, drought-concentrated bullfrogs fought so loudly in the town's last pond that terrified residents fired muskets into the dark — the "Windham Frog Fight," now commemorated on the Thread City Crossing bridge.

  1. An 1824 stone house museum run by the Windham Historical Society.

  2. Community theater with about 40 years of productions.

  3. A 50-mile rail-trail running through Willimantic.

  4. Four giant frog sculptures atop a Willimantic bridge.

  5. Brewpub inside a converted 1909 post office building.

  6. Chef-driven neighborhood eatery with seasonal menus.

  7. Member-owned natural foods grocery with a deli.

  8. Factory retail store for a soda bottler since 1912.

Thread City and the Frog Fight

Windham was incorporated in 1692, its original territory taking in what are now Mansfield and Scotland plus parts of Chaplin and Hampton; it took its present shape in 1857, when the last of those areas split off. Willimantic, the borough within Windham, became "Thread City": the Willimantic Linen Company, founded in 1854, had grown by the 1880s into four granite mills employing about a thousand workers. In 1899 British and Scottish interests took control as the American Thread Company, and a 1912 strike organized by Industrial Workers of the World members preceded a 1914 federal antitrust action that separated it from Scottish ownership; the granite mill still stands. Willimantic's city government dissolved in 1983 and consolidated with Windham. One night in June 1754, a severe drought had concentrated bullfrogs into the area's last pond, and townspeople terrified by their nighttime battle fired muskets into the dark — the "Windham Frog Fight," now commemorated by four frog sculptures by Leo Jensen atop the Thread City Crossing bridge, opened in 2000.

Getting there

Windham/Willimantic is reached on state highways rather than an interstate: most visitors come off I-84 from the Hartford/Tolland side or I-395 from the Norwich/Plainfield side, finishing on US Route 6 (the Willimantic Bypass), Route 32, Route 66 or Route 195. No interstate directly serves Windham — a 1960s plan to extend I-84 through Willimantic toward Providence was abandoned. Willimantic station has had no active passenger service since Amtrak's Montrealer ended in 1995; the CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East both run well west and south of Windham County, so the closest rail boarding points are Hartford or New London. Windham Region Transit District buses cover Willimantic and connect to Storrs/UConn, Norwich and Danielson.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Windham?
By car — most visitors come off I-84 from Hartford/Tolland or I-395 from Norwich/Plainfield, finishing on US Route 6, Route 32, Route 66 or Route 195. No interstate directly serves Windham.
Is there a train to Windham?
No. Willimantic station has had no active passenger service since Amtrak's Montrealer ended in 1995. The closest rail boarding points are Hartford or New London; Windham Region Transit District buses connect Willimantic to Storrs, Norwich and Danielson.
What is the Windham Frog Fight?
A June 1754 incident when drought concentrated bullfrogs into the area's last remaining pond; their nighttime battle terrified townspeople, who fired muskets into the dark. Hundreds of frog corpses were found the next day. The legend is now commemorated by four frog sculptures by Leo Jensen on the Thread City Crossing bridge.
What is the Jillson House Museum?
A circa-1824 house of gneiss granite quarried from the Willimantic River, home to the Windham Historical Society. Open Saturdays 1-4 p.m., with exhibits on the town's history and the Frog Bridge.
Is there a hotel in Windham?
No hotel, inn, motel or B&B inside the Town of Windham could be verified. The nearest confirmed option is Graduate by Hilton Storrs, on the UConn campus in neighboring Mansfield, reached north on Route 195.

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