Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

STORRS, CT — Before we get to the latest Hidden gem, we must present a question.

Did you know that the first UConn Husky mascot — Jonathan — is buried on campus?

That's right, the final resting place for the original Jonathan is marked by a simple plaque near the corner of North Eagleville Road and Rte. 195.

The husky dog mascot was chosen in 1934 through a survey in the student newspaper, "The Connecticut Campus." Through a student contest, the husky is named Jonathan, for Jonathan Trumbull, Connecticut’s Revolutionary War-era governor.

A statue of Jonathan sits adjacent to UConn's Gampel Pavlion.

Here is the current mascot , Jonathan XIV:

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner

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