History

Schmid Overlook, is not just a beautiful property along the Willimantic River, it actually holds a little bit of family history for our former board member and stewardship chair, Ann Dunnack and her husband, Scott. The Dunnack family homestead, situated on Route 32 in Mansfield, was lovingly nicknamed “The Ridges.”

The family consisted of 11 children, three girls and eight boys. The boys loved to play outside and in particular they loved to play baseball, but being just one boy short of a team they recruited a neighbor whom they called “Dope” to join them. These boys played baseball wherever they could. Willimantic, Windham High School, and Twilight Leagues. Their team was of course called “The Ridges.” The boys grew up but kept playing baseball and after World War II, four of the brothers were drafted to play AAA ball. Eventually, all the brothers came back home to the area and started to play again but needed a field. The Coutu family lived across the street and owned what is now Schmid Overlook. They allowed the brothers to build themselves a baseball diamond, which the Dunnack brothers built with nothing but muscle and a desire to play ball.

Ann Dunnack’s husband, Scott, remembers sitting on the sand dunes with his cousins watching his dad and uncles play. Today, the field is gone, but the property will become a place of community activity once again. Joshua’s Trust has installed a loop trail around the property.