Tired of cold and snow? Read about two remarkable New England winters.

Daniel Chadwick (1795–1855), Lyme’s most celebrated sea captain, was known as the “admiral of the fleet.” When he relinquished command of the Sir Robert Peel in 1853, he had served with distinction as a trans-Atlantic packet ship commander for almost thirty years. Today his stately home with its rooftop captain’s walk recalls his illustrious maritime career. The shocking circumstances of his death are long forgotten.

A letter from Woodrow Wilson to Robert Vonnoh reveals the Wilson family’s close ties to the Lyme Art Colony.

In winters past when rivers froze and heavy snowfalls made roads impassable for carriages and wagons, sleighs provided transportation for Lyme’s wealthier residents. Local families used sleighs for travel to church on Sundays, for business and farm work, and for winter outings and journeys. But not everyone had access to sleigh rides. Less affluent townfolk had to walk through the bitter cold when they ventured outside.

The War of 1812, whose 200th anniversary is being commemorated this year, brought the threat of attack to Lyme’s shores. Letters to Phebe Griffin Lord (1768-1841) from her brother in New York reveal how wartime conditions affected a local family.