Finding Family: A Continuation of a Journey to Discover My Ancestors and Share Their Stories
Connecticut Freedom Trail, Hosted by the Connecticut Old State House
Hartford
June 24, 2025
Tuesday was the hottest day of the year yet, but fortunately the Connecticut Old State House and the Connecticut Freedom Trail had us covered with a virtual event that steered attendees through more than a century of family history, all while allowing us to stay cool in our homes.
Finding Family is a project of Jesse M. Harris, a former editor who worked at the Boston Globe for over thirty years. Harris started his genealogy journey thanks to his uncle, who worked tirelessly in the 1970s to compile names, birthdates and any other information he could gather about their family history. With his own personal Rosetta Stone in hand, Harris set out to fill in as much more as he could.
Harris’ presentation was a fascinating look not just at the unpredictable ways that a family tree can spread its roots, but also at how history is lived by everyday people. Historical forces like slavery, Jim Crow, World War II and other events that we read about today shaped the lives of the people of the past. Harris is a wonderfully likable chronicler of how his family navigated those life-altering events. His talent for storytelling is clear, and his enthusiasm was infectious.
There were so many great revelations and interesting characters in the hour-long presentation (really, you should give it a watch), but my favorite person to learn about was also, perhaps not coincidentally, Harris’ favorite person to talk about: Rebecca Primus. She was born and raised in Hartford, and eventually opened her own private school in her home before being selected to head south after the Civil War to teach for the Freedmen’s Bureau. There’s more to her story, but I don’t want to ruin the gift of Harris’ storytelling.
Watching Harris share his family history made me think about my own. I don’t know that much about my own family history. Apparently my ancestry is Nigerian, thanks to a DNA test that my son took (so much for committing any crimes). According to my late grandfather, my family’s American surname comes from a boy who was kidnapped from Wales in the 19th century, transported across the Atlantic and forced into indentured servitude in Virginia. His name was Ragland, and after he finished the term of his servitude, he married the daughter of the plantation owner and inherited the farm and all of the enslaved people on it.
When I heard the story, I was just a kid and thought of it as an interesting bit of family history. It wasn’t until I was older that I developed an interest in understanding my family’s background more deeply. Time does not wait for wisdom, though; my grandfather passed away in the intervening years, and I lost a key connection to my family’s past.
“I’m doing this project to make sure that my kids know their family history,” Harris said. “They may not show much interest now, but hopefully at some point they will.”
As one of those kids who grew up to regret not listening more closely, I can assure Mr. Harris that he’s right on the money.
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The Connecticut Old State House hosts the Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band as part of its Summer Music Series on June 27.
Jamil goes to Manchester to check out a new exhibit.
