Connecticut
Small Histories and Small Towns
History is made of great events and larger-than-life characters. That’s how the past is presented in high school and college, anyway. But there are smaller histories and more down-to-earth players who may warrant more local attention than they receive.
Case in point, when I was doing research for a historical novel, I came across Carolyn Wakeman’s book about Old Lyme, The Charm of the Place. In it, I discovered the town’s early 20th-century pharmacy on Lyme Street. Fritz Morris James managed it, likely the only African American in town then. Mr. James led me back across the river to his sister in Old Saybrook, Anna Louise James, who was the first African American woman to be licensed as a pharmacist in Connecticut. Her pharmacy still stands on Pennywise Lane.
From “Miss James,” I discovered her niece Ann Lane (later, Ann Petry). She graduated from Old Saybrook High School (OSHS) in 1929, and following family tradition, got a pharmacy degree. But her real fame was as a fiction writer. Her debut novel, The Street, was published in 1946 and went on to sell 1.5 million copies. She published other novels and short stories and lectured at several universities. Ann Petry died in Old Saybrook in 1997 at the age of eighty-eight.
I must have passed her house on Old Boston Post Road hundreds of times without a clue of her existence. I graduated from OSHS in 1974, when Petry was only sixty-six. I took a creative writing class in high school, but no one mentioned the famous writer half a mile from the school. As far as I know, no one invited her to the school to give a lecture or to talk about the craft of writing. She reportedly disliked fame and perhaps memories of small-town racism fed her seclusion. Whatever the reasons, I remained ignorant of her, her books, and her family’s history in Saybrook and Old Lyme until I was sixty-six.
There has been some recent effort to correct this omission. Last Fall, the Old Saybrook Historical Society featured an exhibit about Anna James the pharmacist, and Ann Petry the author. The Acton Library now has a permanent Ann Petry Reading Room and a display of her books and books about her. Still, it seems too little, too late. Maybe the town or the high school should have an annual Petry Writing Prize for local writers or students. Maybe the high school should devote a week or so to local history, to the people and places in town that warrant remembrance. Maybe every town high school should devote a week to looking back at the people and events that made their town.
Old Lyme and Old Saybrook are admittedly target-rich in history and famous people. Yet, many of Connecticut’s towns have hosted enough history and residents to write their own local Atlas Obscura of the forgotten. Maybe one of them will find another Ann Petry.
Edward McSweegan is the author of the forthcoming historical novel about Old Lyme, The Cottage Industry.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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