DERBY — The following information was taken from Jack Walsh’s Electronic Valley website:
The 19th anniversary class for the Derby Hall of Fame chosen by the Hall of Fame Committee brings the number of Hall members to 69. The official announcement was made on May 13, 2025 – Derby’s 350th birthday. Each of the members is memorialized with a brick on the plaza at the entrance to the Derby Greenway.
The three members of the Class of 2025 include two men who excelled in many areas, but are best known for their military ventures. The third member of the class wrote a collection of stories about his life growing up in Derby that showcased life in Derby in the late 19th century. Col. Charles Russell was the first regimental commander from Connecticut to fall in battle in the Civil War and the first casualty from Derby. Read about him here.
Ebenezer Johnson was not only one of the first selectman of the town, but a military hero long before there was a United States. You can find his story here.
Albert Sherwood was a farmer, postmaster and a chronicler of life on 19th century Derby. Read more about him here.
In 2015 the Derby High School Athletic Hall of Fame was started, and you can learn more about that here. Two members of the City Hall of Fame were also in the inaugural class of the High School Athletic Hall.