For a 31-year period in the 19th century, glass making was the heart of the economy in the small town of Stoddard.
Factories there made everything from whiskey flasks to ink wells and at their peak, each produced a million bottles a year.
Pieces of Stoddard Glass have since become highly collectible and highly valuable antiques.
As part of our ongoing series, NHPR’s Michael Brindley visits Stoddard and talks with historian Alan Rumrill about glassmaking in the town and how much the rarest of the Stoddard glass pieces are worth today.