NOAH WEBSTER, West Hartford, Conn.
Webster is best known for writing the first U.S. dictionary-one that still bears his name today. He helped to Americanize spellings, changing colour to color and musick to music. He also added uniquely American entries to his dictionary, such as the words skunk and squash. Inside the Noah Webster House is a collection of his writings, letters, and books, including a copy of his Grammatical Institute of the English Language, also known as the Blue-backed Speller. One of the most popular American spelling books, it was used by generations of schoolchildren. 227 S. Main St., 860/521-5362, noah websterhouse.org, $6.