Connecticut Icons: Classic Symbols of the Nutmeg State

by Charles Monagan

Charles Monagan knows Connecticut. As editor of Connecticut Magazine he has spent years discovering and describing the people, places, and things that comprise the character of his home state.
With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes, and little-known facts, Monagan presents fifty of his favorite icons—from the hot lobster roll to the Yale Bowl, the U.S.S. Nautilus to the Merritt Parkway—and shows native and newcomer alike the independent spirit and local pride at the heart of this great state of Connecticut.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

"First They Kill You," a medical memoir, is Charles Monagan's latest book (2025). In highly readable form, it recounts his extended battle with two blood cancers and the drama of the eventual cure through stem-cell replacement. His novels include "The Easter Confession," called "a superior whodunit" in a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and "Carrie Welton," which won across-the-board praise as a historical novel set in 1860s Connecticut, New York City, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Boston.
Monagan was born in Connecticut himself and has spent all of his working life there, first as a newspaper reporter and then for many years as Editor of Connecticut Magazine. Along the way, he published several humor books as well as two editions of the nonfiction "Connecticut Icons."

Reviews

[Dawn McNary · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many symbols and icons in CT but many I had no idea how they came to be..this book has all the answers! Read enjoy..visit enjoy again!

[Howard Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few people know Connecticut, its people and its places, the way Charles Monagan does.

Connecticut Magazine itself is a state icon. Monagan, its longtime editor, spent years sharing with readers the Nutmegger nuggets he discovered.

This revised and updated collection of those back-of-the-book backstories is light-hearted and appreciative. The short essays are colorfully illustrated. The overall package is part day trip inspiration, part fun facts, part show-and-tell.

Some reviewers have said they use it as a going-away present for visiting friends. For others, it's for browsing and display. At seven-by-seven inches and 125 pages, it's probably better suited to the first use. It fits better in the suitcase or on the night table than on a coffee table.

The photos are good but the real joy of this book is in the storytelling. That means the small format is suitable. Each icon, be it a place, a product, a food, a landmark, gets a two-page illustrated spread with tips so the reader can visit or learn more.

This is not the sort of book that the reader feels compelled to read cover-to-cover, although you could. It's the sort that you pick up and open at random and say "hey, I know that place" or "I didn't know that" or "let's check this out!"

The best, though, are the "hey, Martha" moments -- the stories behind Mounds candies, or Silly Putty, or the Sunfish sailboat. Those are the stories that are not found in guidebooks. They risk being lost to time unless someone like Monagan tracks them down and tells them.

Monagan, a novelist ("Carrie Welton") and humorist ("How to Get a Monkey into Harvard," "The Complete Neurotic" and "The Reluctant Naturalist"), does just that in this bright little volume.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun facts and stories about a very interesting state! Good accompanying photographs.

[Beverley Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Connecticut native. I enjoyed learning about places I have seen but didn't know about. Great pictures and stories in a succinct way. I think this book should be included in history courses.

[Karen Harsche]

Tells you about different landmarks throughout CT.

[MaryAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and helpful for anyone interested in learning about or exploring Connecticut. Recommend checking the internet given that some of the information is outdated.