Milford in South Central Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Hannah Bunce
America 250 | Connecticut
Publisher Hannah Bunce Watson used the Connecticut Courant to spread news about the American Revolution.
Hannah Bunce was born in Lebanon, CT, in 1749. She married Ebenezer Watson, the Courant's publisher; when he died of smallpox in 1777, she took over the paper, which had been established in 1764. Early in her tenure, the papermill Watson owned burned and she announced that the paper would cease printing. Instead, the Connecticut General Assembly quickly authorized a state-wide lottery to subsidize the construction of a new mill — which Watson announced in this February 10, 1778 issue — and the Connecticut Courant continued printing.
Watson determined what the Courant printed. She featured articles on temperance and cleanliness alongside news of military battles from across the colonies and English parliamentary proceedings. She also published editorials supporting independence. In doing so, Watson, one of America's first woman publishers, made the Courant an essential source of news and support for the Patriot cause.
Now called the Hartford Courant, the newspaper is the longest continuously-published news source in the United States.
Erected by Design
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • War, US Revolutionary • Women. In addition, it is included in the America 250 series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 10, 1778.
Location. 41° 14.745′ N, 73° 0.531′ W. Marker is in Milford in South Central Region, Connecticut. It is on Connecticut Turnpike (Interstate 95) south of Marsh Hill Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Connecticut Tpke, Milford CT 06460, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Connecticut River Valley, on the Connecticut Shoreline, and in Greater New Haven. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Haven County and also one of the
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Battle of Ridgefield (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Orange Veterans Monument (approx. 2.4 miles away); Orange (approx. 2˝ miles away); Peter Pond (approx. 2.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.6 miles away); George W. Baird (approx. 2.6 miles away); West Haven Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.6 miles away); A Connecticut Minuteman’s Homestead (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milford.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
