Some 200 years ago, Elisha Root joined the Collins Co., one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of axes.
He studied the practices at the Collinsville plant and came up with a better way. His disruptive technology die casting would change the face of manufacturing forever.
By mid-century, he moved to Hartford and turned his attention to mass-producing the Colt revolver. But that’s a story for another day.
Iconic Connecticut gun maker Colt sold to Czech company
Alexander Soule
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FILE - In this March 27, 2008, file photo, M4 Colt rifles are produced at the Colt Defense Plant in Hartford, Conn. The 179-year-old gun maker filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, June 14, 2015, estimating it owes up to $500 million. Analysts cite several reasons behind Colt s bankruptcy filing, including struggles to recover from the loss of military business and failure to capitalize on consumer interest in guns.Richard Lardner / Associated PressShow MoreShow Less
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In this Dec. 17, 2014 photo, a blue onion-shaped dome sits atop Samuel Colt s 19th century gun factory in Hartford, Conn., and is perhaps the best known symbol of a bygone era. As the decade-long push to make a national park out of the now-closed gun factory won approval in Washington, elected officials hailed the project as a way to boost one of Hartford s poorest neighborhoods and honor the revolver as a ma