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 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028841844 
 
F 102L6'b6T""'™'*"^'-"'"^ 
 
 „„„ 3 1924 028 841 844 
 — Overs 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 THIS VOLUME CONTAINS BIOGRAPHICAL 
 SKETCHES OF 
 
 THE LEADING CITIZENS OF 
 LITCHFIELD COUNTY 
 
 CONNECTICUT 
 
 " Biography is the home aspect of history 
 
 BOSTON 
 Biographical Review Publishing Company 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ^^ OOD old Litchfield " in its first century as a county of Connecticut won for itself a 
 1 J name as the home of men and women of high intellectual and moral worth. Single- 
 minded patriots, poets, jurists, divines, philanthropists, citizens of national repute, 
 here had their birth in days long gone by. These pages have mainly to do with later genera- 
 tions, people now living or but recently departed from earthly scenes and labors. The present 
 age not only revives the memory of the past to learn its lessons, but is happily awake to the 
 duty of writing its own records, setting down what is best worth remembering in the lives of 
 the busy toilers of to-day. Here are briefly chronicled the life stories of some who are descend- 
 ants of Rev. Thomas Hooker's company, original proprietors of Hartford, far-sighted founders, 
 in 1639, of a " government of the people, by the people, for the people " ; some of " Mayflower " 
 lineage ; some representatives of later immigrants from the Old World ; and other useful, loyal 
 citizens of foreign birth. The accounts here rendered are not of buried talents, but of used 
 ability and opportunity. The conquests recited are of mind over matter, of cheerful labor 
 directed by thought, of honest, earnest endeavor which subdues the earth and commands its 
 resources in the divinely appointed way. 
 
 It has seemed worth while to write and publish these biographies because, to borrow the 
 words of an eloquent speaker, such men and women as are here comiflemorated " by their indus- 
 trious toil and faithful citizenship have kept sweet the heart of New England civilization." Re- 
 gard is also had to what Carlyle calls the "poetic interest" attaching to the common "struggle 
 of human free will against material necessity," and the instructiveness of biographical writings, 
 which he deduces from the fact that " every mortal has a problem of existence set before him, 
 which, were it only — what for the most it is — the problem of keeping soul and body together, 
 must be to a certain extent original, unlike every other, and yet, at the same time, like every 
 other." Wherefore, it is well said, "A noble life put fairly on record acts like an inspiration." 
 
 Biographical Review Publishing Company. 
 February i, 1896. 
 
^:4^L.^^^i^^^^^^ ^ /iy-^^^^^^^-^^^-TD 
 
BIOSRAPHIGAL 
 
 I TILLMAN LOTHROP WIL- 
 SON was born June 24, 1822, 
 in Warner, N.H. His father, 
 Ezekiel Wilson, was of Scotch- 
 Irish descent, born in Salem, 
 N.H., a few miles from Lon- 
 donderry, where his ancestors, 
 emigrating from Londonderry in 
 Ireland, settled in 17 19, naming 
 their location for their old home. He was 
 born in 1770, and died in Methuen, Mass., 
 in 1837. Mr. Wilson's mother, Kezia Lo- 
 throp Wilson, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., 
 in 1787, and died in Methuen, Mass., in 
 1866. Her mother^s name was Stillman. 
 The Lothrops and the Stillmans were of the 
 old Puritan stock, and numerous preachers of 
 both families have been in active work since 
 the earliest settlements in Massachusetts. 
 
 Stillman L. Wilson, when two years of age, 
 moved with his parents into Methuen, Mass. 
 In July, 1832, the family had the misfortune 
 to be burned out of house and home in the 
 night time. The parents and eight children 
 barely escaped from the flames with a scanty 
 wardrobe, homeless and almost penniless. 
 After looking over the situation, it was de- 
 cided to move to Fall River, Mass., where 
 they had just got started in building up a 
 manufacturing city. There the family re- 
 sided three years, and then returned to 
 Methuen, where the heads of the family con- 
 tinued to live and where they died. The 
 children scattered, all commencing business 
 
 on their own account; and they have all done 
 their full share of it, and have had their full 
 share of its profits. Mr. Wilson says that his 
 trip and residence in Fall River was an eye- 
 opener for him. He was then ten years old, 
 and for the first time learned that Methuen 
 was not the centre of the earth and that Priest 
 Kimball was not the only big man in exist- 
 ence. The journey of seventy-five miles to 
 Fall River was made with horses and an open 
 wagon, no railroads then. The story is best 
 continued in Mr. Wilson's own words: ^, 
 
 I saw Bunker Hill for the first time, the 
 ships and the long rows of buildings in Bos- 
 ton, as we drove from Charlestown Bridge the 
 whole length of Washington Street to and 
 through Roxbury. At Fall River I first saw 
 the beautiful Narragansett Bay, with the ves- 
 sels that were going and coming from different 
 parts of the coast, and occasionally a whale- 
 ship from the Pacific Ocean. Each one of them 
 had some new revelation to me, and then I 
 became inspired with the ideas that have had 
 much to do with the shaping of rather an 
 adventurous life. The sailors were all heroes 
 in my mind. I listened to and dreamed over 
 their tales. I read "Robinson Crusoe" and 
 " Sinbad the Sailor " ; and at the mature age of 
 twelve years I came to the conclusion that I 
 was wasting too much precious time on this 
 dull shore, and that it was best for me to 
 put out. So one pleasant morning, quite 
 early, I tied up a bundle of clothes in a ban- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 danna handkerchief, and carefully crept out of 
 the house to go — no one knew where. I took 
 the road to New Bedford, fourteen miles dis- 
 tant, which was well known to me to be a 
 great place for fitting out whale-ships; and I 
 thought I might be lucky enough to get off on 
 one of them. 
 
 I arrived about noon. After depositing 
 my worldly goods at a hotel I got a good din- 
 ner, then went down to the wharf to look for 
 conveyance to some other quarter of the 
 globe, not caring where, if it was only a good 
 way off. I saw a large, fine, tidy-looking 
 ship with her flag flying, as a notice that she 
 was getting ready to sail. I walked on board, 
 and called for the captain. He was a gen- 
 teel, nice-looking man; and I at once decided 
 that he was the very man I was looking for. 
 I offered my services as cabin boy. He 
 looked me over for a minute or two, and the 
 bargain was made, no terms for services men- 
 tioned. On inquiry I learned from him that 
 he was bound for New Orleans, to get a cargo 
 of cotton for Liverpool. At that port he ex- 
 pected to get a cargo for the East Indies, 
 and he thought he might get home in about 
 four years. He was to sail at 4 p.m. next 
 day. I spent the night at the hotel, too 
 happy to sleep much; but the visions of the 
 world that I was so soon to see made it a 
 night of pleasant dreams. I spent the next 
 forenoon on board the ship. 
 
 At near noontime I went up to the hotel 
 for one more good shore dinner, and to get 
 my precious bundle of clothes before sailing 
 at four o'clock. Just as I arrived in front of 
 the hotel a carriage stopped by my side; and 
 I heard some one call, "Stillman." I looked 
 up, and was dumfounded to see my mother. 
 She invited me to take a ride. I saw big 
 tears in her eyes, and I did not hesitate long 
 in going for my bundle and driving home. 
 
 We talked of everything except my running 
 away. That was never spoken of by her or 
 by any member of the family. And I do not 
 think that any one of them has had any idea 
 what my plans were. At that time I had no 
 knowledge of the real hardships of a sailor's 
 life, and now it looks to me that Providence 
 stepped in to save me from the peril. 
 
 Very soon after this escapade I was taken 
 into a dry-goods store as a boy of all work. 
 I served in Fall River, Methuen, Lowell, and 
 Boston until I was twenty-one years of age. 
 I always made it a point to be the first at the 
 store in the morning and the last at night, to 
 see everybody that came into the store, and 
 show a readiness to serve them, to keep stock 
 in perfect order, endeavor to make my sales as 
 large as possible, and make personal friend- 
 ships with the customers. In that way I was 
 always wanted, and did not have to look for 
 employment. In 1843 I was married to Miss 
 Cornelia A. Talbot, of Fall River, who died 
 of consumption at her mother's home in that 
 place in November, 1859. Three children 
 were born to us: Alice T. Wilson died in 
 infancy at Manchester, 1844; Baylies T. Wil- 
 son died at Manchester in 1846, one year old; 
 Minnie Burton Wilson died in San Francisco 
 of diphtheria in 1857, aged five years. 
 
 My last clerkship ended at Lowell in the 
 latter part of 1843. My employers, J. B. 
 Dinsmore & Co., unfortunately failed; and 
 by their influence I was appointed receiver to 
 close up their business. Benjamin F. But- 
 ler, who was at that time fitting for a lawyer, 
 was my competitor for the position. I be- 
 lieve that was the last time that he did not 
 come out at the head. Mr. James M. Beebe, 
 one of the most successful merchants of Bos- 
 ton, was one of the largest creditors, and rep- 
 resented the other creditors. That brought 
 me in close contact with him. The result of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 this made him my friend; and, in talking 
 with him of my future business prospects, he 
 offered me credit to a large amount, with lib- 
 erty to refer to him for credit from any house 
 in the city of Boston. This gave me an op- 
 portunity to start business, which I gladly 
 and gratefully accepted, with satisfactory re- 
 sults to him and myself. Any young man 
 reading this will see the result of faithfully 
 and earnestly serving the interest of my em- 
 ployers, and they will do well not to forget it. 
 In the spring of 1844 I commenced the 
 dry-goods and carpet business at Manchester, 
 N.H. — a manufacturing city juSt started 
 into prosperity, which has gone on constantly 
 from a population of some ten thousand to 
 near fifty thousand — with a large stock of 
 goods bought entirely on credit on my hands. 
 I made myself a slave to my business from 
 early morning until night. In 1847 I took 
 one of my clerks as a partner, Mr. Amos Wes- 
 ton, Jr., a brother of ex-Governor Weston, of 
 New Hampshire. The firm became Wilson & 
 Weston, which continued until January, 1849. 
 At that time I was about twenty-seven years 
 of age, weary and worn down almost to a skel- 
 eton by my years of close attention to busi- 
 ness, weighing one hundred and thirteen 
 pounds only. I was casting about to see what 
 was to follow. 
 
 One morning I took up a paper, and read 
 a letter written to the government by some 
 army officer, giving an account of the discov- 
 ery of gold in California. After reading it I 
 read it to my wife. Then I said to her that I 
 ought to go there. Her reply was to ask what 
 I could do with her. That settled the matter 
 in five minutes. I was decided to go. How 
 to get there I knew not, but I was going. 
 After a very few days I had sold my business 
 to my partner, and arranged to place my wife 
 with her mother in Fall River. Mr. John B. 
 
 Clark, a young lawyer who sat at the table 
 with us at the hotel where we boarded, an- 
 nounced that he was going to California; and 
 I believe that he and myself were the first two 
 persons that decided to leave New Hampshire 
 for the new gold fields. About the loth or 
 15th of January Mr. Clark went to Boston to 
 learn what conveyance could be had to take us 
 to the Isthmus of Panama. He learned that 
 the good ship "Corsair," Captain Choate, 
 would sail for that destination on February 
 I, provided a sufficient number of passengers 
 could be obtained to make it pay. He at once 
 gave notice of the situation, and in a few days 
 about forty persons in Manchester had agreed 
 to go. About as many more persons from the 
 State of Maine had engaged passage, and some 
 other persons, making nearly one hundred in 
 all, were on board, with queer outfits, on the 
 day set. 
 
 On Friday, February i, 1849, at 4 p.m. we 
 set sail for the Isthmus of Panama. A fearful 
 gale with snow was blowing when we left Bos- 
 ton Harbor. Some of the sailors got drunk; 
 and all of them were in ill humor because we 
 had to start on that unlucky day, Friday. All 
 of the sailors were needed to handle the ship 
 through that dreadful storm, which lasted all 
 that night and through Saturday. Everybody 
 else was glad to keep quiet as possible in his 
 berth. Sunday morning we were in the Gulf 
 Stream, with the weather clear and warm as 
 summer; but the waves ran to an enormous 
 height from the storm that we had passed 
 through. For the rest of the Atlantic passage 
 and through the Caribbean Sea all 'went well. 
 February 17 we arrived at Porto Bello, a 
 beautiful little harbor, nearly egg-shaped, 
 perhaps a mile wide and two miles long, with 
 high mountains on each side and the little 
 town at the extreme end. It was our first 
 view of the tropics, with their tall palms and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 many other strange-looking trees, many of 
 them covered with flowers and a regular tangle 
 of vines. The air was all alive with birds of 
 the most beautiful plumage. It seemed to me 
 that it was the realization of the dreams I 
 had in. Fall River at the time I did not be- 
 come a sailor. 
 
 This port was, in the days of Spain's great 
 adventui^es in South America, the Atlantic har- 
 bor through which all that trade passed. The 
 Pacific Coast was reached by a paved road, 
 some sixty miles in length, across the Isth- 
 mus to Panama. And that is all we knew of 
 that part of the world. We entered Porto 
 Bello with the idea of getting across the 
 Isthmus on the same road that the Spaniards 
 made hundreds of years ago. In a few hours 
 after reaching that port we learned that the 
 road had been buried out of sight from time 
 out of memory. It had become an impenetra- 
 ble jungle, so dense that no person could pen- 
 etrate its tangled growth for one yard without 
 cutting his way with an axe. We were much 
 disappointed. We could hardly realize that 
 such changes could have overcome that beau- 
 tiful spot of earth as the result of the pirati- 
 cal acts of a few hundred men, under the lead- 
 ership of the pirates Kidd, Morgan, and a few 
 more men of that class. Their ships were 
 waiting near Panama to catch everything ar- 
 riving from South America. Anything escap- 
 ing them was wanted on that paved road we 
 were so anxious to see. What reached the 
 Spanish galleons at Porto Bello the pirates 
 were waiting for in the Caribbean Sea, and 
 ready to receive a broadside or give one; or 
 what suited them better was a hand to hand 
 battle with axes and knives. They captured 
 many a fine galleon, some of which recruited 
 or enlarged the piratical navy. Many of the 
 sailors became expert pirates under the in- 
 struction of Kidd and Morgan. Millions of 
 
 dollars in gold, gems, and other valuables 
 were secured by the pirates, all of which had 
 really been taken from the Incas of Peru by 
 robbery. The Spanish merchants (as they 
 called themselves) were ruined. Their ships 
 were driven from the sea. What remained 
 of treasure in Porto Bello the pirates de- 
 manded. The people were persuaded by bat- 
 tle-axes and knives to prudently hand over 
 everything asked for. Thus ended all busi- 
 ness in that part of the world. The Spaniards 
 went home to Spain. There were a few of the 
 vagabond character, half-breeds and West Ind- 
 ian negroes, that remained. The}' natural!}' 
 mixed up with the native Indians, and pro- 
 duced the miserable population now found in 
 South and Central America. It resulted in 
 that part of the American continent becoming 
 so insignificant that no information could be 
 obtained in regard to it. And what was most 
 important to us was that we innocent Yankees 
 got deluded into Porto Bello by reading the 
 story of the pirates who existed some hun- 
 dreds of years ago. 
 
 The chief officer at Porto Bello informed 
 our Captain Choate that by going up the coast 
 to the mouth of the Chagres River we could 
 get canoes to take us up to near the river 
 head, twenty-eight miles from Panama, to 
 which place there was a very fair mule path. 
 Captain Choate objected to going to Chagres, 
 as there was no safe anchorage at that place. 
 We anchored at an inlet called Navy Bay, 
 some twelve miles from Chagres. Nothing 
 was there to indicate that anybody had ever 
 been there before us. It was afterward called 
 Aspinwall, and is now Colon, a nice little 
 harbor. It is the terminus of steamships, 
 connecting there with the Panama Railroad', 
 also the eastern terminus of the projected De 
 Lesseps great ship canal to the Pacific Ocean. 
 No time was lost in getting a boat off for 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 13 
 
 Chagres, whence plenty of good-sized dug- 
 out canoes came promptly, and transported all 
 the passengers and their luggage to Chagres. 
 This little town of five hundred inhabitants 
 had an old Spanish fort and about fifty hovels 
 built of reeds, mud, and grass. The people 
 all looked diseased and filthy. We estimated 
 that the entire population of five hundred 
 men, women, and children possessed about 
 five hundred yards of cotton cloth as clothing, 
 all the way from nothing up to three yards 
 each, most of them nothing, also a home-made 
 straw hat for each one. It is a deadly place 
 for Yankees. We were happy to get there 
 and a hundred times more happy to get away 
 on our journey to Panama. 
 
 All the passengers of the "Corsair" soon 
 arranged for transportation up the Chagres 
 River. Four other persons with myself se- 
 cured a large dug-out canoe, which took us 
 with about one ton of luggage, with four pole 
 men for a propelling power, to Gorgona in a 
 little less than three days, distance unknown. 
 As the river was so winding in its course it 
 would be unsafe to estimate it. We passed 
 en route some twenty little ranches, where a 
 few scrawny little cattle and a dozen or two 
 chickens comprised the total stock. Each 
 place had a few rods of ground cleared up, 
 where a very little corn and a few tropical 
 fruit trees supplied all the wants of a family. 
 They had nothing to sell. Fortunately we 
 had our provisions with us: and, as the beau- 
 tiful and strange scenery every rod of the way 
 up the river was free, we had a most delightful 
 trip, never to be forgotten. The trees, plants, 
 and vines, the parrots, monkeys, alligators, 
 and a thousand other things, all new to us, 
 made every minute pass pleasantly. Through 
 the night the roaring of tigers, or jaguars, 
 cougars, and other animals kept us in mind 
 we were in the tropics. 
 
 We found Gorgona located on a bluff some 
 sixty feet above the river, a good camping 
 ground and quite a healthful place. We de- 
 cided to remain there until we could get in- 
 formation from Panama in regard to the 
 chances of getting transportation to San Fran- 
 cisco. In a few days we learned that twenty 
 thousand people were there waiting passage, 
 and not a vessel of any description that could 
 be chartered or sold in that port. We also 
 learned that cholera and isthmus fever were 
 very prevalent there, and we thought it wise 
 to remain where we were until something 
 should turn up. After waiting there some ten 
 days Dr. William W. Brown, of Manchester, 
 N.H., my camping companion, and myself 
 decided to put out for Panama and avail our- 
 selves of the very first opportunity to go ahead. 
 We made a bargain with eight natives to go 
 in one gang to carry our "cargo," as they 
 call it, and we to go along with them on foot. 
 We were to get started the next morning, but 
 it had got to be about noon when we learned 
 that they were all that ti^e disputing about 
 who should carry a large packing trunk, 
 weighing two hundred and twenty pounds. I 
 soon adjusted that matter by giving a big 
 negro sixteen dollars to take it over, twenty- 
 eight miles. He adjusted a strap near one 
 end of the trunk, the two ends of the strap 
 passing over his shoulders and under his arms, 
 the trunk reaching far above his head, with 
 most of the weight bearing on his shoulders. 
 Near the top of the trunk was another strap 
 that passed over his forehead, by which he 
 could steady the load by pushing his head f9r- 
 \yard or holding it back. 
 
 At 4 P.M. we started. All of the other 
 packages they carried weighed from one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five to one hundred and sev- 
 enty-five pounds each, and were adjusted like 
 the large trunk. All the people in town were 
 
14 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 out to see us off. The dogs barked as the 
 men started off on a dog trot. Dr. Brown 
 and myself followed on at a lively walk, 
 knowing that our carriers could not keep up 
 that gait very long. After going about a mile 
 all the carriers backed up to rocks by the side 
 of the path, each setting the lower end of his 
 package on the rocks carefully, pushed the 
 strap back from their foreheads, and took a 
 good rest, having a jolly conversation. This 
 continued to be their method for the entire 
 trip. At sunset we arrived at a little clearing 
 and a tent, where a man was located, prepared 
 to furnish a meal to hungry travellers for one 
 dollar. We decided to invest. The coffee, 
 hard sea biscuit, and a meat stew that tasted 
 extra nice satisfied us perfectly. We lay 
 upon the warm ground that night with our 
 boots for a pillow. The wild animals and 
 birds were plenty enough and near enough to 
 be quite sociable; and kept us from being 
 lonesome. We had our toilets arranged quite 
 early in the morning; and, as breakfast was 
 not ready, we went on an exploring expedition 
 about the wayside inn. We saw the feathers 
 of many different kinds of birds, but mostly 
 from the parrot. We also saw several monkey 
 skins and one monkey with his hide being 
 taken off. On inquiry we learned that the 
 fine stew we ate the night before was monkey 
 and parrot. We did not feel very hungry for 
 meat that morning, and coffee and biscuit were 
 all that we required. 
 
 Before noon that day we had a good view of 
 the Pacific Ocean from the very point, as it is 
 said, whence Balboa got his first view of 
 that water and named it Pacific Ocean. At 
 4 P.M. we arrived at Panama. Its massive 
 stone walls, its large churches, its old monas- 
 teries and nunneries of enormous size, were 
 new scenes to us. More than one-half of the 
 city was in ruins. It must have been a hand- 
 
 some city when new; but, with time, in a hot 
 moist climate everything seems to rot and 
 crumble. There was much to look at of in- 
 terest that would furnish food for thoughtful 
 study for a lifetime. There was a little sign 
 of reviving life in the city, caused by the 
 advent of strangers from all along the Central 
 and South American states. News of gold 
 discoveries in California reached those locali- 
 ties in advance of any information we had in 
 the eastern part of the continent. The result 
 was a wild rush of people to Panama by any 
 means possible to get them there, rather of a 
 mixed lot, colors graded all along from white 
 to jet black, languages ranging all the way 
 from the melodious Spanish through the 
 Dutch to Digger Indian. "Swear language" 
 seemed to be the most prevalent. We found 
 comfortable lodgings with a private Spanish 
 family, opposite the plaza and the great cathe- 
 dral. We had wholesome meals at a hotel, 
 and it seemed as if we ought to enjoy a few 
 weeks in Panama; but the constant funeral 
 processions passing our door night and day 
 was a constant reminder that Panama was a 
 good place to get away from. Cholera and 
 isthmus fever were doing deadly work. 
 
 Sunday morning we followed along with the 
 funeral procession to see what kind of a place 
 Panama was to be buried in. The cemetery 
 was a short distance outside of the city walls, 
 perhaps ten acres in extent. The central part 
 was used for burying the uncared for and un- 
 known. The whole was enclosed with a thick 
 wall, in which were three rows of oven-like 
 openings, one above the other. Each one of 
 these places was for the reception of one per- 
 son, a private tomb, which for eight dollars 
 could be occupied until it was required for 
 another eight-dollar customer. We could see 
 no vacancies, but saw where they were raking 
 out the bones from several of these little 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IS 
 
 tombs. There must have been, more than one 
 shipload .of those bones lying round loose 
 under foot everywhere. Numerous large black 
 birds were tamely walking about the cemetery, 
 ready to pick up anything they wanted. 
 They are much prized there, as they serve as 
 scavengers of the city. We were not favora- 
 bly impressed with the cemetery, and decided 
 not to invest in it. In fact Dr. Brown said 
 he would not take one of those holes in the 
 wall for eight cents. I offered to buy one of 
 them for eight dollars if they would wait for 
 their pay until I returned from California 
 with the gold I was going to dig. The tomb 
 vender, who looked very dirty, in the garb of 
 a priest, seemed indignant at my offer, and 
 said, "Marlow, marlow, vamose" ("Bad, bad, 
 get out"). We got out, and have never been 
 anxious to return, even if we never got an 
 oven for a resting-place. The forenoon of 
 that day was devoted to mass and religious 
 processions. In the afternoon the most of the 
 population naturally went to the cock pit, to 
 enjoy the sport of cock fighting. The priests 
 were the most prominent people there, and 
 the most liberal, and seemed to enjoy it the 
 most. 
 
 That day's experience did not exhilarate 
 our spirits much, and we were more anxious 
 than ever to get off on our proposed journey; 
 but we could see no prospect of doing so for 
 months. It seemed as if we had taken a leap 
 in the dark, with but a faint idea where we 
 should land. An old whale-ship, "The Equa- 
 tor," of New Bedford, Captain Mathews, on its 
 voyage home had touched in at Callao. On 
 hearing of the situation at Panama, Captain 
 Mathews shipp2d his oil home on a vessel 
 bound to New Bedford, bought a cargo of flour 
 at five dollars a barrel, took it to Panama, and 
 sold it for twenty dollars a barrel. Before it 
 could be landed he sold one hundred and sixty 
 
 tickets for passengers to San Francisco, Cal. 
 It was a small ship of about three hundred 
 tons' measurement. This was done about the 
 time we arrived at Panama. No other vessel 
 was there, and we had no idea when there ever 
 would be another. The situation seemed des- 
 perate. We accidentally became acquainted 
 with two young men from Providence, R.I., 
 who had tickets for "The Equator." They 
 seemed down-spirited and homesick, and said, 
 if they had not got their tickets, they thought 
 they would turn round and go back home. 
 We very soon showed them that there would 
 be no loss, but a profit, on the tickets. We 
 all felt much better when those tickets were 
 in our pockets and the money was in theirs. 
 It was but a few days before we were on 
 board of our ship at the island of Toboga, 
 twelve miles down the bay from Panama. 
 This was about March 1 5, six weeks from Bos- 
 ton. This ship was built in 1812 for a pri- 
 vateer, was of a good model for sailing, when 
 she was fitted for a whale-ship. The space 
 between decks was made four and a half feet 
 high, just right to stow away oil in. That 
 was at Panama fenced off into pens, one board 
 high, each pen for ten passengers, seven by 
 twelve feet. Think of it, ten men to occupy 
 twelve feet! If they had all been of my size, 
 it would appear possible to make it do. As 
 it was, it was a very tight squeeze. As I 
 was not quite as thick as I was broad, I was 
 obliged to take my position on my side and 
 stay there. Being on the floor, there was no 
 fear of falling out of bed. We were within a 
 few degrees of the equator, the hottest place 
 on earth. There was not a chair, table, or 
 an earthen dish on the ship; and, to our 
 amazement, we found that there were no pro- 
 visions on the ship except what was left over 
 by the sailors on their three years' whaling 
 voyage, not even flour. The water was in 
 
i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 impure oil casks, and smelled very rank. The 
 meat, beef and pork, was fair, considering its 
 age. The sea biscuit was so hard that it 
 could not be eaten until it was broken up with 
 an iron maul, or soaked in water or tea, 
 either process revealing from each biscuit 
 dozens of weevils and small maggots. The 
 tea was the ten-cent kind, three pounds for a 
 quarter, cheapest molasses for sweetening, 
 and a very little China rice. That was our 
 full bill of fare on the ship. We found out 
 these facts when we were under sail, too late 
 to change anything. Captain Mathews was 
 the one responsible person in this case. His 
 sole idea of life was to save every cent that 
 ever came his way, no matter what suffering 
 and wrong were done to others. It took but a 
 few short hours to get the ill will and hatred 
 of every person on board the ship. It would 
 seem as if the curses that were heaped upon 
 him were enough to sink his craft to the 
 bottom of the ocean. 
 
 When a few days out, I was attacked with 
 isthmus fever, about forty cases in all on the 
 ship. It is easy to imagine that it was not 
 a very comfortable place for sick people. 
 Nevertheless, all but one recovered in two or 
 three weeks. Poor Brownell from Iowa died. 
 His body was sewed up in a piece of old sail 
 cloth, with a few chunks of iron at his feet, 
 placed on a plank at the side of the vessel, 
 and slid down into the water. That was a sad 
 day for all of us. When we left Panama it 
 was estimated that we should make San Fran- 
 cisco in from fifty to sixty days. When we 
 had been out six weeks, we had worked, or 
 drifted, down near the equator, and made a 
 little west; but we were as far from San 
 Francisco as the day we sailed. Most of the 
 time we were in a dead calm, with the sails 
 flapping every way. Occasionally we got a 
 little breeze that put us toward our destina- 
 
 tion. Perhaps the next day, on taking an ob- 
 servation and reckoning, we would find the 
 current had carried us back as many miles as 
 we gained by our nice breeze. 
 
 We were at length informed by Captain 
 Mathews that one-half of our provisions were 
 exhausted, and that we must at once be put on 
 short allowance. We put in at Cocus Island, 
 the only land we saw on our Pacific voyage. 
 It is a high rock, several miles in extent, un- 
 inhabited; but it has several times been ex- 
 plored since our visit by persons looking for 
 Kidd's treasures, as tradition says it was one 
 of his places for hiding his valuables. We 
 took on water from a waterfall near a narrow 
 beach. As provisions were so short, we could 
 not afford to waste one hour by unnecessary 
 delay; and there was no possibility of getting 
 a pound more of anything until we got to our 
 journey's end. Our rations were two biscuits 
 and a piece of beef or pork the size of my two 
 fingers each day, with a pint of water at 
 morning and night. As the case was getting 
 more and more desperate, the wind increased 
 to almost a gale, sending us over the sea at a 
 rapid rate. It appeared to me that Providence 
 had come to our aid to save us from our perils. 
 There were many solemn faces, a few 
 prayers, and many curses, all aimed at our 
 captain's head. Many an oath was made that, 
 if Captain Mathews should ever be caught on 
 shore, he would be shot at sight. After 
 forty-six years of deliberation I have a settled 
 conviction that he was the meanest man I have 
 ever met. I well remember while in our 
 perilous position that I had a strong convic- 
 tion that, if ever I got on shore alive, and had 
 a crust of wholesome bread and a cup of pal- 
 atable water, I would never complain for the 
 want of acceptable food; and I think no one 
 has, since I put foot on shore, ever heard me 
 complain of the food set before me. We had 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 17 
 
 a very lively sail to a point about fifteen hun- 
 dred miles south and west of San Francisco. 
 There we tacked ship, and headed directly for 
 our port in a wind current that almost always 
 blows fresh down that part of the Pacific. 
 We were happy then. 
 
 One morning the captain got a good obser- 
 vation of the sun, the first for several days. 
 We were all taking our scanty breakfast. 
 The meal was not taken under very favorable 
 circumstances, as at most of the meals when 
 the wind blew we could either sit down on the 
 deck, where we had found all the soft places 
 to rest, or put one arm round some ratline, 
 or take a turn of some rope round the body to 
 steady ourselves from pitching over, and still 
 retain in our hands our precious tin plate and 
 tin cup. While thus situated, the captain 
 gave word that, " if the wind holds as it is, 
 we will be in San Francisco at four o'clock in 
 the afternoon." Well, there was a time then. 
 Men yelled, screeched, and screamed, as if the 
 lower regions had broken loose. Most of the 
 tin cups and plates were thrown into the sea. 
 An old bass drum on board got a good beat- 
 ing. The fat man from Missouri got out his 
 fiddle, on which we had heard him play the 
 "Arkansaw Traveller" most of the time every 
 day for three months. Now it had to talk. 
 He determined that it should rise above the 
 howling of the storm, and surely it did. I 
 never saw so much happiness expressed in a 
 little crowd as at that time on that weather- 
 beaten little ship; but I did not hear any one 
 say, "Thank God." 
 
 We were sailing under reefed topsails, and 
 we Were plunging in big waves that made the 
 ship tremble. The captain seemed to be 
 looking aloft, then at sea, which seemed to be 
 getting rougher. Finally he said, "Boys, we 
 have either got to have an empty belly or a 
 wet jacket," then gave the sailors an order 
 
 to "shake out the main topsail." That was 
 quickly done. In less than a minute the ship 
 went down a big wave with more force than 
 ever; and, as her bow struck the next wave, 
 it was with such force that the main boom, a 
 timber two feet in diameter, snapped off like 
 a pipe stem near the bow of the ship. From 
 the boom there were several iron chains and 
 heavy ropes attached to the masts and yards. 
 The ship immediately swung round into the 
 troughs of the sea, rolling until it looked 
 as if we might go bottom side up. As she 
 would roll back and forth, with the chains and 
 ropes swinging across the deck with such force 
 that a person's life would not be safe for a min- 
 ute on the deck, everybody went between 
 decks in a hurry, and wondered what would 
 come next. The topmasts went one at a 
 time, yards came down with crash after crash. 
 The outlook at that time was that we should 
 all be at the bottom of the sea shortly. Every- 
 body looked and felt solemn, and it was a 
 dumb soul that did not at that time realize 
 that there was a God in the wind and on the 
 waves. Men prayed then who had never 
 prayed before. Gold was forgotten. The 
 homes and loved ones so many miles away 
 were brighter and dearer than ever before. 
 No one ever saw a greater change in the looks 
 and actions of men in a few minutes than at 
 this time. 
 
 When everything that the wind and waves 
 could move had gone over into the sea, and 
 there was nothing standing that could fall, 
 the captain and sailors ventured outside to in- 
 spect the situation. Fortunately there were 
 on board as passengers five or six old sea 
 captains and at least fifty old sailors. Soon 
 we saw them all busy, getting out from below 
 the decks somewhere extra spars, ropes, and 
 sails, carried by all ships to use in an emer- 
 gency. Men never worked with a better will 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 or with better judgment, and in about two 
 hoars they had got out something that served 
 as a jib boom with a sail set. We were soon 
 swung round, head on to the sea; and we 
 were again pointed for San Francisco. In a 
 few hours more we had on as much canvas as 
 the sea and wind would safely allow. Many 
 then said with reverence, "Thank God." 
 About midnight we came suddenly right up 
 in near view of Farallon Island, forty miles 
 south west of San F'rancisco — a dirty jumble 
 of rocks, which look as if they were made on 
 purpose to smash up ships. We were right 
 up to the breakers. As quick as possible we 
 whirled round, just in time to avoid the 
 rocks. It did then seem as if we were 
 doomed. No one wanted to talk any more 
 that night. It was a good time for reflection. 
 We could clearly see that we were helpless 
 creatures; that God only could temper the 
 winds and the waves, and guide our frail 
 ship. 
 
 At noon the ncNt day, ninety days from 
 Panama, June i6, 1849, we arrived in the har- 
 bor of San Francisco. We had left on board 
 of the ship only one more day's water and 
 provisions, a rather close call. There was 
 no wharf in San Francisco at that time. Row- 
 boats took the passengers and luggage to the 
 beach. Dr. Brown with myself located near 
 the beach, where there was a spring of nice 
 water, which we appreciated. I at once went 
 to gathering up sticks for a fire. In a very 
 short time the coffee-pot of water was boiling; 
 and Dr. Brown came from the street with a 
 beefsteak, a loaf of baker's bread, and a package 
 of ground coffee. Perhaps that meal was not 
 good, but in memory it was much the best 
 meal I have ever eaten. We ate and drank 
 moderately, then put up our tent, lay our 
 blankets on the soft sand, and we were ready 
 to receive callers and to call up anybody we 
 
 wanted to talk with that happened to be pass- 
 ing that way. Our locality was called Happy 
 Valley. I think the Palace Hotel now stands 
 on the ground we occupied. On one side of 
 the plaza there was an old Mexican adobe 
 (unburned brick) one-story building. I do 
 not think there was another building in the 
 city except Sherman & Ruckle's store. 
 There were several hundred tents, both small 
 and larger ones. They were used as dwellings, 
 hotels, stores, offices, etc. Much the larger 
 part of merchandise was piled up outdoors, 
 with a small tent by the side of it, to use as 
 office and sleeping quarters. Perhaps there 
 were a very few small houses that I did not 
 see, or that have escaped my memory. 
 
 Only a little more than a year before this 
 date the Mexican War had closed, and the 
 United States had received California in 
 settlement for the damage zuc had done Mexico. 
 There were at this date no officers from either 
 Mexico or the United States authorized to 
 speak or act for either government, and no or- 
 ganized government among the people at that 
 time in California. Everybody was for him- 
 self, but woe to the man who infringed upon 
 the rights of other people. There was no 
 quarrelling or fist-fighting there. The bullet, 
 the knife, or a slip-noose of hempen rope gen- 
 erally settled all serious wrongs in a very 
 short time — no courts or jails, but lots of 
 justice. Before the discovery of gold the 
 United States government had contracted for 
 several steamers to go out there by the way of 
 Cape Horn (seventeen thousand miles), to 
 serve as mail steamers and for all legitimate 
 business from the south and Central American 
 and Mexican coasts. Two of those steamers 
 had arrived at San F"rancisco before we got 
 there, and had gone down the coast to com- 
 mence regular trips to and from Panama, 
 touching at several Mexican ports. There 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 19 
 
 were also established steam lines from New 
 York and New Orleans to the Isthmus of Pan- 
 ama. These two return steamers to Panama 
 took the first reliable and intelligent account 
 of the situation on the Pacific side of the world 
 and of the way and means of getting there. 
 They also took lots of gold to show what it 
 was like. 
 
 For several days Dr. Brown and myself de- 
 voted our time to gathering up information in 
 regard to the gold discoveries and other mat- 
 ters that might decide us in our future ac- 
 tions. Anything a man wanted to buy was at 
 an enormous price: anything he wanted to sell 
 would bring nothing, as everybody was going 
 somewhere, and could not care for it. The 
 mistake of a lifetime was that we did not lo- 
 cate right where we were, buy everything that 
 was cheap, and sell to people who were hunt- 
 ing for the kinds of goods we had bought. I 
 will only mention one article that was much 
 wanted, and none for sale; but every vessel 
 that arrived had a few boards or planks for 
 their own convenience, which were fitted into 
 frames, to cover over with canvas and make 
 first-class houses. The price of all lumber, 
 ranging all the way from hemlock to mahog- 
 any, was three dollars a foot, board measure. 
 But we had come very far through much tribu- 
 lation to dig gold. We took passage on a 
 forty-ton schooner for Stockton, the head of 
 navigation on the San Joaquin (pronounced 
 San Warkeen) River, passage thirty dollars. 
 That trip occupied about four days, distance 
 near one hundred miles. There we engaged 
 for the carrying of our luggage by a mule 
 train that was bound for Woods Creek and 
 Jamestown, near Sonora and Morman Gulch, 
 where gold diggings were numerous. While 
 waiting over at Stockton for a day or two for 
 the mule train to get ready, we saw a man 
 seated on a wine keg in a lumber wagon being 
 
 driven to a large tree that stood in the princi- 
 pal street. As there was quite a crowd fol- 
 lowing the team, we followed on with them. 
 When the team halted under the tree, a rope 
 was thrown over a limb, a slip-noose adjusted 
 at the man's neck, and the team drove on — 
 all done in five minutes. We heard that 
 he had been caught stealing something. 
 
 We were finally off across San Joaquin val- 
 ley for Knight's Ferry on the Stanislaus 
 River. The first night we halted at Morman 
 Slough near sunset, near twelve miles out. 
 The eighty mules arrived ahead of us. They 
 all Went into the pool at once to drink and 
 flounder in the water, making it a very thin 
 mush, too thick to drink and too thin to chew. 
 The filth they left behind them made it about 
 half and half. We arrived soon on foot, hun- 
 gry and tired, but more thirsty; no water to 
 be had except from that pool. Well, from 
 our experience on "The Equator" we thought 
 we would not be too particular, and drank 
 enough of that beverage to quench our thirst. 
 Persons who had eaten monkey soup, drunk 
 " Equator " water and Morman Slough mix- 
 ture, ought to be tough enough to take al- 
 most anything without making a wry face. 
 The next day we were to travel to Stanislaus 
 River, twenty-five miles, with no water except 
 what we should carry from that pool. We 
 were up betimes, and ate breakfast, ready to 
 start at four o'clock, with the hope of reach- 
 ing the river before the hottest part of the 
 day. We took along one quart of the Morman 
 Slough mixture to use in case of necessity. 
 We took the well-travelled trail in a smooth 
 country. We started off at a good walking 
 gait; and by the time the sun was up we were 
 tired, and glad to taste of our bottle of nectar, 
 and before we had got half-way to the river 
 we had exhausted the last drop. 
 
 We knew there was no way to get another 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 drop, and the more we thought of that the 
 more anxious we were to have it. There was 
 no way for us but to push on — but to push on 
 in that blazing sun, the thermometer above 
 one hundred degrees, not a tree or a shrub or 
 a rock for all that twenty-five miles, no 
 chance for a minute's rest, unless we should 
 sit down on the hard hot ground. On making 
 the rise of a little higher land we saw, a 
 quarter of a mile away, what appeared to be 
 an abrupt bank, with a little shady spot that 
 might afford us a place for rest; and we were 
 eager to enter the underground shade. When 
 we were within a rod of that place, we dis- 
 covered tracks that showed us we were just 
 entering a grizzly bear's den. We very soon 
 came to the conclusion that we were not near 
 as tired as we had thought. We retired to 
 the old trail in good order, but at a better gait 
 than when we approached the place of rest. 
 We imagined that when we got to the top of 
 that elevation we should see some sign of the 
 river. It was about noon. We were suffer- 
 ing much from thirst, but the hope of soon 
 seeing pure water kept us in tolerable spirits. 
 When we got on top of that elevation we could 
 see another one a few miles ahead of us like 
 the one just passed. I think before we saw 
 the river that we passed over as many as six 
 or eight of those elevations a mile or two 
 apart (rolling prairie). Our tongues got as 
 dry as a piece of velvet and too large to keep 
 entirely in our mouths. Even our lungs felt- 
 as if every bit of moisture was gone from 
 them. • It seemed as if we must lie down and 
 die; but we staggered on and on, from the 
 conviction that the next elevation must reveal 
 to us that water which was life to us. 
 
 Finally, from the last of those elevations 
 a most heavenly view all of a sudden was be- 
 fore us. Right at our feet was a lovely val- 
 ley, full of live-oaks, and that beautiful river 
 
 right from the snow-tipped mountains rushing 
 through and down past them. We staggered 
 on as best we could to the first tree. There 
 some Mexicans with many mules were en- 
 camped. They had cooked and eaten their 
 dinner (3 p.m.); and the greasy kettle, in 
 which some remnants of a stew were left, had 
 been filled with water. It stood in the hot 
 sun, and was well covered with dust. When 
 we reached that pail it seemed as if we had 
 taken our last step. We at once were down 
 by the side of that pail, and from it were 
 drinking the most precious water man ever 
 saw. The horrors of the thirst we had 
 suffered for four or five hours before reaching 
 that sacred spot cannot be described or under- 
 stood unless one has had experience of that 
 kind. We would have given all we possessed 
 or ever expected to have for a few spoonfuls 
 of that lukewarm water that saved our lives. 
 We lay there upon the ground too exhausted 
 to move. Occasionally we took moderate 
 doses from that pail; and now I have no doubt 
 but Providence placed it there, in its luke- 
 warm condition, to preserve our lives. The 
 ice-cold water only a few rods from us would 
 surely have killed us if taken while we were 
 in the sad condition we found ourselves when 
 we arrived at that dinner pot. It was nearly 
 four hours that we lay there before we could 
 get up life enough to move on a few rods to 
 the river bank. Knight's Ferry was there. 
 A rope was stretched across the stream, per- 
 haps four rods wide, and made fast at both 
 ends. A few dry logs were made into a raft, 
 upon which we stood, and pulled our way over, 
 price one dollar a head. We found a tent on 
 the bluff near the river, where we were served 
 with a typical California meal of those days 
 — beef fried with salt pork, boiled beans, 
 fried flapjacks, dried-apple sauce, and coffee, 
 price everywhere one dollar. Our Mexican 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 muleteers arrived just before dark. Un- 
 doubtedly they took plenty of water. They 
 are used to that kind of a life, and know how 
 to get along with it. Twenty years later I 
 went across San Joaquin valley, near the route 
 travelled this day. It was then a continuous 
 grain field, with here and there fine orchards 
 and vineyards, and windmills raising plenty 
 of water from shallow wells. 
 
 We moved on in the morning over a good 
 trail. For the first time we were in the foot- 
 hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Pure 
 springs of water were plenty; and everything 
 was enjoyable except the lameness of our legs 
 and soreness of our feet, which made it un- 
 comfortable to walk. We started in advance 
 of the mule train, and kept ahead. We ar- 
 rived at Woods Creek, where we first saw the 
 gold diggings. We found a camp of about 
 one hundred miners, and we decided to locate 
 there until we could look over that place and 
 the numerous diggings in that vicinity. Our 
 whole outfit for the work consisted of picks, 
 shovels, and milk pans. Everybody that 
 worked got from five to twenty dollars' worth 
 of gold each day. We were told that a few 
 little pockets had been struck where larger 
 sums had been taken out. At Jamestown and 
 Sonora, also at Morman Gulch, were very 
 lively camps. Some rich strikes had been 
 made at each of these places, and the lucky 
 ones were at the gambling-tables, trying to 
 make money easier; but, of course, they all 
 got "broke" in a short time. Gambling and 
 the vices that go with it made almost every 
 miner poor. 
 
 The most of the people there were from 
 Mexico, Lower California, and Chile — Yankees 
 scarce. After two weeks' stay in that neigh- 
 borhood we heard of Murphy's diggings, some 
 twenty miles to the north, where, it was said, 
 pieces of gold were larger, and plenty of unoc- 
 
 cupied ground for the new-comer. We pulled 
 up stakes, and made the trip in a day and a 
 half with our own horses, swimming the 
 Stanislaus River, some twenty miles above 
 Knight's Ferry. We were soon encamped at a 
 beautiful spot at the lower end of the little 
 valley, and took up a good claim for gold 
 digging. About five feet down through a 
 gravelly soil we came to a clayey formation, 
 where gold was found, mostly from the size of 
 a kernel of wheat to the size and shape of a 
 bean or a pumpkin seed. We were obliged to 
 carry the dirt for washing either in pans or 
 sacks some fifty rods. It was with me a te- 
 dious business. Swinging a pickaxe or a shovel 
 and packing our precious dirt tired me beyond 
 endurance. Dr. Brown was much stronger 
 than I; but, as we divided equally all the gold 
 we obtained, I was ambitious to do my half of 
 the work. About one week's work was done 
 at this place with satisfactory results. It was 
 noon. The sun was pouring down into the 
 hot hole where we were at work. I put down 
 my shovel; and I said to the doctor: "This is 
 all very nice, but I shall never swing a shovel 
 or a pick again for gold. No more gold dig- 
 ging for me." The doctor was much sur- 
 prised, dropped his pickaxe, and raising his 
 hands inquired what I was going to do. 
 "Well, I am going' to build a shanty, then go 
 down to San Francisco, and buy a stock of 
 goods, and try merchandising right there 
 where our tent stands." In ten minutes it 
 was agreed that he and I were to share alike 
 in his gold digging and my trading business. 
 We went back into the pine woods near us, 
 and picked out the smallest trees we could 
 find, six to ten inches in diameter. Our only 
 tools were a hatchet and hand-saw, that we had 
 taken with us from New Hampshire. The 
 trees came down, were cut into proper lengths, 
 and some of them split in halves. We set up 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 these sticks firmly in the ground, above sur- 
 face six feet on sides and ends of the shanty, 
 put on plates put up a ridge pole and rafters, 
 all tied together with strips of rawhide fur- 
 nished us by the butcher, Ben Marshall, who 
 a few years later became a well-known poli- 
 tician. Our house frame was twenty feet 
 by thirty. We wove into the roof and sides 
 pine boughs to keep out the sun, and as a 
 "protection" against burglars we hung up two 
 sheets, to swing apart in the day-time for a 
 door. At night we closed up by fastening tliem 
 together ivitli a pin. A back door was never 
 made; but we had our little cloth tent at the 
 rear of the store, where we slept on the ground 
 in our blankets, and where we had beautiful 
 dreams of home. We had plenty of good 
 water. Fresh beef and mutton were only one 
 bit (twelve and one-half cents) a pound. 
 Salt, flour, beans, salt pork, old hams, rice, 
 and most of the other staples were only fifty 
 cents a pound. Our pioneering days seemed 
 to be over. We were happy, and why should 
 we not be'/ Beef, water or coffee, and slap- 
 jacks every day — that was enough. 
 
 It was near the ist of August that I started 
 for Stockton on horseback. Made the trip 
 (seventy-five miles) in three days. I crossed 
 the three branches of the Calaveras River, where 
 there was but little water at that time. There 
 was plenty of water for drinking as often as I 
 wanted it. Several tents had been put up on 
 the road, where refreshments could be obtained ; 
 and there were large trees all the way, and 
 clumps of manzanita and other shrubs were oc- 
 casionally seen. I carried my own provisions, 
 and made my own coffee. At night after I 
 had eaten supper I always led my horse to one 
 of those clumps of bushes, one-fourth or one- 
 half a mile from the road, where I slept com- 
 fortably, the horse being picketed as much out 
 of sight as possible. There were numerous 
 
 wild animals roaming about, but I considered 
 a man the most dangerous of all the aaimals. 
 I was satisfied to get into a place where a man 
 was not likely to find me. I made numerous 
 trips over this route in course of the season, 
 and always adopted this method of camping at 
 night. With my blankets for a wrap and my 
 saddle for a pillow, and plenty of elbow room 
 and fresh air, it was about right. At Stock- 
 ton I got passage on a small schooner to San 
 Francisco. I at once made for the post-ofifice, 
 hoping to get news from home. A steamer 
 had come up from Panama, and brought some 
 mail from somewhere; but I could get no let- 
 ter for myself or Dr. Brown or for anybody 
 else. The postmaster had only arrived a short 
 time before, and the shanty in which he had 
 fixed up for business was in great confusion. 
 It was a sad day to me, si.x months from home 
 and not one word to be learned. I was a lit- 
 tle homesick. I got together such merchan- 
 dise as I thought I wanted, and went back to 
 Stockton with it on a little freight schooner. 
 I soon had a Mexican pack train on the road 
 to Murphy's camp, freight fifteen cents a 
 pound. I arrived there with my horse some 
 days ahead of the train. In a few weeks I re- 
 peated the trip. I obtained a hatful of let- 
 ters. I took a seat on a barrel opposite the 
 plaza, and read them. There was no bad 
 news, and it was a great relief to find that I 
 was not entirely cut off from communication 
 with home. It took me but a few days to get 
 back to Stockton and get off my mule train 
 again. Dr. Brown's letters informed him of 
 the death of one of his children. It was sad 
 news to him, and there was sadness in our 
 tent, where we could but have deep sympathy. 
 I believe he then wished he had stayed at 
 home, and perhaps saved his child's life. 
 
 In September there arrived at our camp a 
 party of about twelve brainy men. They had 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 23 
 
 come through from Texas on large fine mules, 
 and pitched their tents near our store, where 
 they remained several weeks. They did not 
 want to dig, but they came on their legitimate 
 business — ■ politics. Among them were Major 
 Roman, Dr. Ashe, Judge Terry, and others 
 whose names at present are out of mind. 
 They soon became the leading men in the pol- 
 itics of the State. I never saw twelve men 
 together who were as handsome and accom- 
 plished as they. When they left our camp, 
 they went their several ways to different parts 
 of the State, and laid the wires that called a 
 Constitutional convention of their chosen 
 friends, had it submitted to Congress, where 
 it was approved, and in a few months Cali- 
 fornia was made a State. Of course the men 
 that led off kept the lead for themselves and 
 their Southern friends. They had done good 
 work; and the down-east Yankees, having 
 other business, did not want the offices. As 
 there were not a sufficient number of Southern 
 men in California to fill all the offices created 
 in the next year or two, these leaders ordered 
 from home all their poor relations, who were 
 soon provided for. Soon after a custom- 
 house was established. It was called the Vir- 
 ginia poor-house, and it was for many years 
 referred to by that appellation. This is quite 
 a digression from the purpose of this paper; 
 but it is important history of early California, 
 in which I had a small share of experience and 
 observation. 
 
 August and September worked a great 
 change in California. Some thousands of 
 bright energetic men arrived from the business 
 centres of the Eastern States, all moved by 
 that magic word, "gold." The ships that 
 started early were arriving rapidly, and mer- 
 chandise was piled up in great quantity over 
 the sandy acres. It was then that the real 
 business of establishing the great city of San 
 
 Francisco commenced. The lack of building 
 materials was the great drawback, but every- 
 body was busy providing some temporary shel- 
 ter. Common laborers received sixteen dol- 
 lars a day for their services. Everybody had 
 full pockets who tried to do anything, and 
 made good use of their money. House frames 
 were ordered from the East in great quantity, 
 with zinc or sheet iron for covering; but it 
 required about six months to get the order 
 to New York, delivered by way of Cape 
 Horn, seventeen thousand miles. In Novem- 
 ber and December the rush of emigrants was 
 wonderful. Most of them went back to the 
 mines. The roads were thronged with persons 
 going both ways. The rainy season had com- 
 menced. Mud was deep and very sticky. All 
 provisions at the mines were being exhausted 
 rapidly except fresh beef and mutton. These 
 two valuable articles were abundant and cheap. 
 Everything else in the provision line went up 
 to a dollar a pound; saleratus, eight dollars; 
 nails, four dollars; powder, five dollars; shot, 
 three dollars; good cowhide or kip boots, 
 one hundred dollars a pair; fine French calf 
 boots, ten dollars. 
 
 By the middle of December it was almost 
 impossible for loaded pack mules to get 
 through to the mines. Our last train arrived 
 January 2, 1850, having been on the road six 
 weeks. January i, I started to find them, 
 not having heard of them since they started. 
 We had almost concluded that our Mexican 
 muleteers had confiscated the valuable cargo. 
 All that New Year's Day it rained in tor- 
 rents. Near night I found them encamped 
 near twenty miles from Murphy's diggings. 
 That night I stayed in a tent about fifteen 
 by twenty feet in size, kept for general en- 
 tertainment. There were some fifteen or 
 twenty visitors from neighboring mines, who 
 were celebrating the day, singing, dancing, 
 
24 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and telling yarns, each one of these interest- 
 ing acts being followed by drinks all round of 
 "hot stuff." By ten o'clock one after an- 
 other got too "tired" to participate in the 
 festivities, and dropped quietly to the ground; 
 but it was midnight before I considered it 
 safe for me to lie down by the fire in my wet 
 clothes, wrapped in my wet blankets. The 
 next morning I started with the train, and 
 before dark we were within four miles of our 
 camp. The train was obliged to halt for the 
 night, but with the two head muleteers I 
 pushed on for my comfortable camp fire. 
 We could see no trail, it being very dark 
 and raining lightly, and soon we were lost 
 in the forest; but, knowing that the creek 
 was at my left and down the side of the 
 mountain, we made for the creek, a mile or 
 two distant. We were obliged to ford the 
 creek where the water was swift and the bed 
 quite rocky. My mule could scarcely keep 
 his feet; but, as it was only two rods wide, 
 we got through without accident. For a mile 
 or two to our camp it was over and around 
 rocks and water gullies; but before nine 
 o'clock we were under cover, by a good fire, 
 and enjoying a wholesome hot supper. 
 
 Our cargo arrived by ten o'clock next day. 
 Just before the rainy season commenced we 
 built on to the rear of our store a log cabin 
 sixteen feet square, which we covered with 
 rawhides, lapping them to shed the rain. 
 We put up bunks on three sides, with bottoms 
 made from the staves of flour barrels, covered 
 with pine boughs; and with our blankets we 
 thought we had luxurious quarters. We built 
 a stone fireplace, laid up in mud, with a bar- 
 rel for the top of the chimney. Our logs were 
 chinked up with mud, with one small opening 
 on the side, with a piece of white cloth to 
 keep out the wind and rain. It seemed to be 
 just right; but the sun came down very hot. 
 
 the rawhide began to curl, and away went our 
 four-dollar nails with snap after snap, until 
 half were gone. It began to rain. Then the 
 curl came out of the hides, and we stretched 
 them to their places again. We built a good 
 fire to warm and dry out the place; but, as 
 the heat ascended to our pretty roof, there 
 were odors developed that we had never 
 dreamed of. It was not like rose-water or 
 peppermint, and in fact we could not compare 
 it to anything else in existence; but we were 
 satisfied that it was too pungent for our taste 
 and for our health. , We were glad to get 
 back into the store, which we had got covered 
 in with canvas. We came across some West- 
 erners, who cut down a pine-tree, and split out 
 "shakes," as they called them, shingles three 
 feet long. They covered our cabin with them, 
 and made it tight. We paid five hundred 
 dollars, and got our money's worth. 
 
 A young vagabond Mexican in a gambling- 
 den one night got mad because he lost his 
 money at one of the games. He drew a long 
 knife, and threatened to use it, but finally 
 decided not to do so. The next morning a 
 little crowd of respectable people got together 
 to decide what should be done with him. 
 They thought he ought not to be hung, and 
 could not fine him because he had no money, 
 and there was no one to hold the money. 
 They could not imprison him, as there was 
 no prison. The conclusion was to give him 
 thirty-nine lashes on his bare back. He was 
 tied up to a large tree within twenty feet of 
 our cabin, and received the lashes without 
 one word of complaint. It was discovered 
 that his back bore the marks of having gone 
 through a similar experience before. Dr. 
 Some one, a nice gentleman from Virginia, 
 laid on the lashes. A year or two later these 
 two persons met on the highway, both on 
 horseback. The Mexican drew his pistol, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 25 
 
 shot the doctor dead. From that hour the 
 Mexican took to the highway as general rob- 
 ber and murderer. He was Joaquin Muriatta, 
 and for three years he was the terror of the 
 country. Three-fingered Jack and one or two 
 others became his partners. They would ride 
 into a mining town; and some of them would 
 ride into a store, with pistols drawn, and take 
 what they wanted. If no one gave them a 
 chance to kill, they felt rather slighted. 
 They, would write with chalk on the building, 
 "Joaquin,"' and ride off out of sight. It is 
 said that in three years they killed over three 
 hundred persons, five one morning before 
 breakfast. Finally, the governor offered a 
 reward of twenty thousand dollars for Joa- 
 quin's head. Harry Love, a lawyer, organ- 
 , ized a company of twenty men, who went out 
 determined to find the gang and bring back 
 that precious head. Through a treacherous 
 Mexican woman, who had lived with Joaquin, 
 his rendezvous was discovered, back in a wild, 
 secluded spot in the mountains. The Love 
 party arrived in the night, and surrounded the 
 cabin. Then, as they were at the front door, 
 Joaquin went out the back door, where he 
 jumped on to a horse, ready saddled and 
 bridled, and started for an escape. In an in- 
 stant he was shot dead. One of the Love 
 party, named Bill Burns, immediately cut off 
 his head. It was afterward preserved in alco- 
 hol, and placed on exhibition in San Fran- 
 cisco, at twenty-five cents admission. 
 
 Bill Burns was living at Murphy's camp, 
 where he was one of our customers in 1849 
 and the early part of 1850. I saw him twenty 
 years later in Sacramento, where he was an 
 inmate of the city hospital, the most used- 
 up victim of alcohol that I have ever met. 
 He gave me the entire story of Joaquin's ca- 
 reer and of his death. He also gave me an 
 account of the eleven comrades that came to 
 
 Murphy's camp with him in the fall of 1849. 
 They had all died with their boots on except 
 himself and a brother, who went to Oregon 
 five years before this conversation, and had 
 not been heard of since. I have other reasons 
 to remember Joaquin. In September, 1849, 
 he came into our store, and asked for credit. 
 I declined to give it to him. I think it is the 
 only case where I ever did so to any one while 
 I was there. Joaquin got into a perfect rage. 
 That suited me ; for I had taken a great preju- 
 dice against him, and wanted him to keep 
 away. When he left, he said he would 
 call and see me in the night. I told him 
 to come. I was always prepared to meet 
 fellows like him. I related the case to Dr. 
 Brown when he came in from the diggings. 
 We looked after our weapons of defence a 
 little more carefully than usual, and lay down, 
 and had a very good night's rest. The next 
 day Joaquin came round, and begged me to 
 forgive him, 'called me the best friend he had 
 in the world, and would do anything for me. 
 He fawned round like a whipped dog, but 
 I could plainly see that he had some design 
 in all this. In a few days he said he was 
 anxious to go to San Francisco, and the next 
 time I went he wanted to go with me. I could 
 not tell how soon I should go. When I did 
 start it was near midnight; and no one knew 
 I had gone, except my partner, until some 
 time the next day. I dodged him the same 
 way two or three times more in the course of 
 the season. After he developed into a high- 
 wayman I could plainly see that my conclu- 
 sions in regard to him had saved me from 
 being his first victim. 
 
 In January a Mexican named Robling ar- 
 rived at Murphy's camp with a cargo of mer- 
 chandise that he had brought from Stockton 
 on private speculation. As he did not find 
 many customers who wanted to buy for cash 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (gold was cash at sixteen dollars per ounce) 
 except in small lots, we bought him out. He 
 was to start back the next day ; and I made an 
 arrangement to go along with his train of ten 
 muleteers and on one of his mules. About 
 noon the train struck out from the regular 
 travelled route on to an Indian trail that led 
 to our left through the low mountains. I 
 protested, and told them in English that it 
 was not the road, and insisted that they 
 should switch over to the main road. They 
 argued loud and long in Spanish that in a 
 little while we should reach the main road. 
 I was particular not to understand a word they 
 said, and they were just as particular not to 
 understand one word of English. We kept 
 up firing language to each other for a long 
 time. I understood all they said, but con- 
 vinced them that I did not understand one 
 word. I got very suspicious of foul designs 
 on me; and I let every man keep ahead of me, 
 so I could not get hit in the back. We saw 
 no one on the trail except a few Indians, who 
 had a little camp by the side of the trail. It 
 was near sunset when we got out of the moun- 
 tain range, and I could see that wc were get- 
 ting near San Joaquin valley. I estimated 
 that five miles more would bring us out to the 
 main road; and I had high hopes of getting 
 there to spend the night at some wayside tent, 
 where I could have new company. But to my 
 dismay, just as we got to the foot of the moun- 
 tain, the train halted; and the pack saddles 
 were soon all on the ground for a night's rest. 
 I urged Robling to go on with me to the road; 
 but my words were of no avail, and, as I had 
 no mule of my own, I was obliged to submit 
 ti> circumstances. They soon had a good fire, 
 where they cooked their tortilla. Each man 
 took a pack saddle for a bed, with his feet to 
 the fire. I went to a large tree two rods dis- 
 tant, where I selected my resting-place, fac- 
 
 ing the fire and my travelling comrades. I 
 had no desire or expectation of sleeping. I 
 was particular to let them see me carefully 
 examine my weapons. Soon we were all 
 quiet. I had one eye open and both ears, 
 eager to see and hear what was going on. 
 Soon there was a lively conference going on 
 in whispers. I could catch many words. The 
 substance of the whole was that this Yankee 
 was loaded with gold, taken out of territory 
 that should belong to Mexico. Consequently 
 they should have it instead of the bad Yankee. 
 Robling did not dispute their arguments, but 
 said that Jie was known to have taken me in 
 his care, and that he alone would have to bear 
 all the responsibility, while the rest of them 
 could scatter as they pleased. I had heard 
 enough to think it best to break up the confer- 
 ence before it went any further. I sat up, and 
 in a loud voice gave them a regular Yankee 
 blowing up in English for keeping me awake. 
 In a minute everybody was very quiet. After 
 a time whispering began again, very low, so 
 I could distinguish but a few words. Again 
 I pitched in, rougher than before. I think I 
 said some bad words, just to show them how 
 mad I was at their keeping me awake. Sev- 
 eral times more before daylight I had to repeat 
 my method of keeping them from having a 
 conference whereby they could settle upon any 
 plan of action to murder and rob me. I felt 
 under obligation to Robling for his objecting 
 to their plans; but he was sharp enough to 
 realize that, if I was killed and robbed, the 
 next thing to happen would be to serve him in 
 the same way. His hundred mules and the 
 gold he got for his cargo would have enabled 
 these scoundrels to divide up a nice boodle. 
 By ten o'clock in the morning we were on our 
 main road, where we got refreshments, and 
 where people were always in sight, wallowing 
 through the mud, either pushing on to the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 27 
 
 gold diggings or working their way back. 
 On our arrival in Stockton these precious 
 muleteers wanted me to eat and drink with 
 them, and professed ever so much friendship 
 for me. I shook them off politely, but 
 quickly ; and I think they were much disap- 
 pointed when they found they could not have 
 just one more night with me. In February, 
 1850, the rains let up enough to favor mining 
 work. At Murphy's camp there were near 
 five hundred miners. Business was lively. 
 Several persons went to Stockton to buy 
 goods, to start trading business. We learned 
 that numerous mule trains were on the way to 
 our neighborhood, loaded with goods to be 
 sold by the muleteers. It was evident to us 
 that the business was to be overdone. In a 
 few weeks we should expect better roads and 
 very much cheaper freight ; and we decided to. 
 stand from under as quick as possible. We 
 sold at a discount from regular prices all we 
 could in larger lots. A stranger, a Mr. Will- 
 iams, came in one day, anxious to start busi- 
 ness. We gave him a price for the entire 
 property. It took only an hour or two to 
 close the trade. Then we were ready to leave 
 for home as soon as we could call in gold 
 for some debts outstanding. 
 
 One day I started on foot up the mountain 
 to see one of our customers three miles off. 
 I had gone two miles on an Indian trail when 
 I came face to face with a California lion, six 
 rods off. We looked savage at each other; 
 but I did not want to hurt him, and I hap- 
 pened to think I had business in camp that re- 
 quired my attention, of much more importance 
 than collecting debts or killing lions. So I 
 whirled about, and went back. I kept one eye 
 on the lion, who also kept an eye on me, as 
 he moved slowly up the side of the mountain. 
 I have always thought we showed discretion in 
 parting company, otherwise one of us might 
 
 have been hurt. Lions, cougars, wild-cats, 
 and coyotes were always howling round our 
 camp every night, but seldom seen by day- 
 light. In a few days after we sold out we 
 came to the conclusion that Williams was a 
 sharp gambler. He tried his best to interest 
 me in poker, whereby he expected to win back 
 the bag of gold we received from him. A 
 few weeks after we left I am told that he went 
 to a Mexican tent one night to play cards. 
 He won their money by cheating. One of 
 the Mexicans put a knife through him. Next 
 day three of the party were hung. 
 
 Near the isth of February we quit the camp 
 with a mule train bound for Stockton. We 
 forded the three branches of the Calaveras 
 River. The middle branch was deep and 
 swift, about six rods wide ; and in many places 
 there were trees overhanging the banks. We 
 had to enter the river ten rods above a safe 
 landing on the other side, as the current swept 
 the mules down stream as they swam across; 
 and below this safe landing were overhanging 
 trees and steep banks. All got over safe 
 before Dr. Brown would venture the trial. 
 From some cause his mule did not reach the 
 landing, but was close to the shore. The doc- 
 tor took in the situation, and caught hold of 
 the first branch of a tree that he could reach. 
 He hung hard to that until we hauled him 
 ashore. The mule was got ashore further 
 down the stream. It was a very narrow es- 
 cape from death for Dr. Brown. At Stockton 
 we found a small passenger steamer, that took 
 us to San Francisco in ten hours for thirty 
 dollars each. The full capacity of the 
 steamer was twenty passengers, ten on each 
 side. When a passenger passed across the 
 deck, some other must cross over to take his 
 place, to trim ship. 
 
 The harbor of San Francisco seemed to be 
 full of ships. It looked as if all the ships in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the world had arrived there. A good river 
 steamer had arrived, and was making regular 
 trips to Sacramento City. Buildings and 
 building materials had arrived in great quan- 
 tities, and were rapidly being utilized. The 
 crowd of people, the bustle of business, the 
 excitement, the reckless gambling, the free 
 and easy ways of everybody, made the town as 
 lively as a circus. No one had ever seen any- 
 thing like it, or ever will again. Money was 
 plenty. Everybody had some of it, and no 
 one seemed to care whether school kept or 
 not. I was made glad many times each 
 day by meeting old friends that I supposed 
 were in their quiet homes at the East. Every 
 steamer or sailing-ship that arrived in port, 
 from every part of the world, was crowded to 
 its utmost capacity. California tickets for 
 the steamers in New York were sold six 
 months in advance, and anything that could 
 be got for early sailing sold for hundreds of 
 dollar's premium. Even one thousand dollars 
 was sometimes paid for quick passage as pre- 
 mium. Dr. Brown and myself paid five hun- 
 dred dollars each for steamer passage home. 
 We had been from home fourteen months. 
 During that time we had not seen milk, eggs, 
 or a bed. Neither of us had spoken to a 
 white woman, or seen any of the comforts of 
 a civilized home. I now think I must have 
 been homesick ; but, when we sailed for home, 
 I had in mind that in three months I should 
 be back in California. 
 
 April I, 1850, we were on a steamship 
 bound for home by way of Panama. The 
 luxury of a clean bunk, with pillows and 
 sheets, clean towels, napkins, and table- 
 cloths, good tableware, and a tolerably good 
 bill of fare, was highly appreciated. Our 
 steamer touched at Monterey, San Diego, San 
 Bias, and Acapulco. At the two last-named 
 places we got plenty of tropical fruits, deli- 
 
 cious chocolate, chickens, eggs, etc. The 
 reader can well imagine that we enjoyed our 
 trip on the Pacific beyond any ability I have 
 to express it. In a little more than two weeks 
 we were inside the beautiful Bay of Panama, 
 ninety miles in length and from ten to thirty 
 miles wide, dotted with perhaps a hundred 
 islands, all of which seemed to be cultivated 
 to the top with pineapples, bananas, tama- 
 rinds, limes, oranges, cocoanuts, and many 
 other tropical fruits, all of which flourish 
 there to perfection. Our steamer anchored at 
 Tobago Island (twelve miles from Panama). 
 All the passengers were at once put ashore 
 by the use of the native dugouts, most of them 
 from thirty to sixty feet long. 
 
 The steamship company furnished us with 
 mules to take us to Gorgona with one hundred 
 pounds baggage. We spent one night at 
 Panama at the American Hotel. During the 
 evening some of our passengers and others 
 were in a drinking-saloon a few doors from the 
 hotel, where there was some trouble. Knives 
 were used, also several pistols. At first I 
 went to the place to see what was going on ; 
 but, as I heard several balls whiz by my head, 
 I concluded to withdraw to the hotel. It was 
 said that a few people were killed and others 
 wounded. As we were off for Gorgona early 
 the next morning, we never knew the particu- 
 lars of the result of that scrimmage; but we 
 did know that several of our passengers failed 
 to go over the Isthmus with us, and we could 
 only guess why they did not do so. Probably 
 somebody's mother, wife, or sister is still 
 wondering why that absent one never returned 
 home. Dr. Brown and myself kept together 
 with the muleteer who had our luggage in 
 charge. 
 
 When near the place where we partook of 
 monkey and parrot stew on our former trip 
 across the Isthmus, we met the man Robinson, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 29 
 
 who was dressed in white linen, on a fine 
 high-headed horse, decked with saddle and 
 bridle elaborately trimmed with silver. Rob- 
 inson spoke good English, was tall, with a prom- 
 inent scar on one cheek that might have been 
 made with a sword or some other ugly weapon. 
 Five minutes before we met him he met 
 Hiram Grimes, who was considered quite rich, 
 and who was just ahead of us with a relative, 
 both of Boston. Robinson halted them, and 
 drew a big knife. Grimes, who seldom ever 
 spoke except in a joking way, said, " Hello, 
 here comes a man to stick a fork in me," and 
 inquired of Robinson what he wanted. An- 
 swer came, "Your gold." "Is that all?" said 
 Grimes, while he ran his hand into his pocket, 
 and brought out a handful of bright golden 
 coin, some four hundred dollars, and trans- 
 ferred it to Robinson. "Good-by," and all 
 was done in two minutes. We arrived at Gor- 
 gona a few minutes behind Grimes, who was 
 anxious to know how we got along. We knew 
 nothing of the robbery until we got it from 
 Grimes. This man Robinson for a year or two 
 after that time was known to lead the life of 
 a highwayman, and it was supposed that he 
 had the protection of some government offi- 
 cials. He so much interfered with Isthmus 
 travel that they were obliged to arrest and 
 hang him. I well remember meeting him on 
 my first trip over the Isthmus. He came up 
 to me at a lively gait when I had got five 
 minutes behind my companions. He inquired 
 if there were other parties behind me. I told 
 him, "Yes, twenty men." "Are they armed 
 or unarmed, like me?" "Yes, all armed like 
 me," showing my pistols. He went on. 
 
 At Gorgona we found the town greatly im- 
 proved in a year. California emigrants were 
 all leaving a little money there. The railroad 
 route had been surveyed, and the natives with 
 many We?t India negroes were at work in con- 
 
 structing it. Very few people, even the na- 
 tives, can work in that climate without getting 
 sick; and they were dying off rapidly. In a 
 few hours, perhaps six, we went down the 
 Chagres River to the ocean. The boatmen 
 had nothing to do but to guide the craft in the 
 right channel, and we were delighted with 
 our trip. We were especially happy to think 
 that we had got back to the Atlantic side of 
 the continent. 
 
 At. Chagres we at once went on board the 
 new steamship "Georgia," about five thousand 
 tons register. At that time I think that was 
 the largest steamship afloat. We went to 
 Havana, Cuba, in about three days. We put 
 off passengers bound for New Orleans, and 
 were to wait at Havana until a New Or- 
 leans steamer arrived with passengers for New 
 York. We waited three days until they ar- 
 rived. That three days I remember as among 
 the pleasant days of my life. We had just 
 about time enough to visit everything in the 
 city and outside of the walls for a distance of 
 five miles. The memory of those days is 
 like a pleasant dream. We sailed for New 
 York in the afternoon. At supper time we 
 were not hungry, next morning the same. 
 Dr. Brown then said we both had yellow 
 fever. We at once engaged the colored stew- 
 ard who cared for our room to give us first- 
 class attention, but to keep his mouth shut 
 about our being sick. In four days we w-ere 
 off quarantine. New York, and the health officer 
 came on board the ship, giving inspection of the 
 rooms, and making out a clean record of health 
 for everybody on the ship. We had dressed, 
 and got out of our room, and were not noticed 
 among the passengers. At the dock in New 
 York City our colored man got a hack, and 
 with our luggage took us to the Fall River 
 steamer, got our tickets, state-room, baggage, 
 and checks, then took us one at a time to our 
 
30 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 state-room, and helped us into our berths. 
 It was several hours before the steamboat left, 
 but no one disturbed us until morning. When 
 we arrived at Fall River, where my wife was 
 staying with her mother, I at once went in a 
 hack to her residence. It was before any one 
 was up in the house. I was soon put to bed, 
 and put under the doctor's charge. For 
 about a week I was as crazy as a loon, when I 
 began to improve; but it was about a month 
 before I got out much. After that for sev- 
 eral months I had frequent attacks that laid me 
 up for some days at a time, and I think it 
 was full six months before I entirely recovered 
 from my Havana attack. Dr. Brown arrived 
 home in Manchester, N.H., in four hours 
 after I arrived in Fall River. I think he re- 
 covered from his fever earlier than I did. I 
 now think that it was a fortunate circumstance 
 that brought us together as friends and busi- 
 ness partners. We never differed in any way, 
 and I can say I always found him a Christian 
 gentleman. 
 
 Dr. Brown and myself, I think, were the 
 first two men that ever arrived in California 
 from New Hampshire and the first two men 
 that ever arrived in New Hampshire from 
 there. We found everybody half-crazy about 
 the gold in California. Many letters came in- 
 quiring all about the country; and several per- 
 sons came over a hundred miles, seeking 
 information. I told them all alike, unless 
 they had surplus money, and were willing to 
 work like slaves and endure hardships, they 
 had better keep away from the gold diggings. 
 
 For four years, from 1850 to 1854, I re- 
 mained in Manchester, where I built a fine 
 residence. Thinking I could see a great 
 future for Manchester, I bought several tracts 
 of farming lands, laid out and graded streets, 
 set some hundreds of shade trees, and cut the 
 lands up into house lots for sale. All of 
 
 these lands have steadily increased in value. 
 Many fine residences are now built upon them, 
 and would at this time sell for as much money 
 as would satisfy the wants of almost any one. 
 But time is short, and waiting for advances 
 in real estate was too slow to suit me. I 
 liked Manchester and its people, and so long 
 as I live shall hold in sacred memory the 
 friends there that made me think this world 
 was such a pleasant place to live in. It was 
 at St. Michael's Church (now St. Paul's) 
 that I was baptized and confirmed. Now I 
 can think of but three persons who are alive 
 that were members of that church when I was 
 received. 
 
 In the spring of 1854 I sold out my entire 
 possessions at Manchester, and removed to 
 California, leaving my wife with our little 
 daughter Minnie again with her mother at 
 Fall River. Steamships were plenty at that 
 time; and it was without any difificulty that I 
 got passage for San Francisco via "City of 
 Kingston," "Jamaica," and "Nicaragua." 
 Very fortunately for me, I was assigned to a 
 very nice state-room with Colonel Mansfield, 
 Inspector-general of the United States Army. 
 He had distinguished himself along with 
 General Taylor in all of his battles in Mex- 
 ico. Afterward he was killed at the battle of 
 Antietam, fighting for the old flag. Persons 
 who have seen the cyclorama of the battle of 
 the "Merrimac" and the "Monitor" will re- 
 member his lifelike tall figure, with his white 
 hair and beard, sitting on a large gray horse 
 on the shore at Newport News. This most 
 prominent and lifelike figure first strikes the 
 visitor's view. He was a noble specimen of 
 a high-bred American gentleman. His offi- 
 cial position gave him every comfort and 
 privilege that were on the ship, in which he 
 seemed to think I was equal with him. I 
 liked that. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 31 
 
 We spent a day at Jamaica taking on coal, 
 all of which was carried on board and dumped 
 down the hole from black women's heads. 
 They all went up one gangway and down the 
 other at a regular marching pace, never miss- 
 ing step even when diimping coal, all sing- 
 ing some freedom song, every verse ending 
 with "This is the jubilee." (This was nearly 
 twenty years after they were made free by 
 Great Britain.) They received ten cents an 
 hour and occasionally a slap on the bare back 
 by the men drivers employed to keep them 
 up close in the procession. They were a jolly 
 set. Colonel Mansfield took me with him to 
 call on United States Consul Harrison, cousin 
 of the first President Harrison. He was ap- 
 pointed to the position he held by General 
 Washington, and at that time was the oldest 
 appointee in the service of the government. 
 Our call lasted at least three hours. We 
 were served with an elaborate lunch, and left 
 the venerable old gentleman and his wife with 
 feelings of high reagrd. 
 
 We took a drive all over the city and the 
 suburbs. We could not form a very favorable 
 impression of the effect of negro emancipation 
 upon the welfare of the island. Hundreds of 
 fine mansions were tumbling to ruin. Planta- 
 tions and gardens, all of which had an elabo- 
 rate and expensive system of irrigation, were 
 growing up to weeds and brush. No one at 
 work, no enterprise, no money. But the freed- 
 men were lying round in the sun, pictures 
 of perfect contentment. We next anchored 
 some two miles off from Greytown, opposite 
 the mouth of the river San Juan del Norte. 
 We were taken to shore in good-sized boats 
 over a very rough sea. There we took a small 
 steamboat to Castillo Rapids. I think we 
 made the trip in one day, over the proposed 
 route of the great ship canal. We had a de- 
 lightful day of it. The river in some places 
 
 was less than half a mile wide. At other 
 places, and, in fact, most of the way, it 
 seemed to be from five to ten miles wide. It 
 was like a lake, all dotted with innumerable 
 islands, covered with beautiful tropical 
 growth. It did not seem like an uninhabited 
 jungle, but more like pleasure grounds of a 
 big estate. 
 
 At the head of Castillo Rapids we took a 
 good-sized, well-arranged steamer, including 
 sleeping-berths. The next morning we had 
 crossed the fine lake to Virgin Bay. The 
 steamship company provided us at this place 
 with saddle mules, to take us to San Juan 
 del Sud, some twelve miles distant, situated 
 on a small, nice little harbor, the western ter- 
 minus of the proposed ship canal. I thought 
 I would like a nice ride down to the Pacific. 
 So I gave the muleteer five dollars to bring 
 the nicest mule he had to take ijne there. I 
 got him. He was a mouse color, and his back 
 was as smooth as a mouse. I felt quite proud 
 as I trotted out of town, probably sixty rods. 
 It was a good smooth road, and everything was 
 lovely. All of a sudden my pretty mule made 
 a break for the thick chaparral. It looked 
 close enough to prevent a rabbit from entering 
 it. I hung to the mule the best I could, but 
 soon found myself sprawling in the tangled 
 wilds of the chaparral; and the mule went on. 
 I pulled myself together the best I could, but 
 I failed entirely to treat my clothes in that 
 way. I was scratched and bleeding, but not 
 seriously hurt. I worked my way back to the 
 corral, and got a tough-looking jDld mule, that 
 took me through on time. 
 
 Our hotel was a greasy, dirty place, located 
 in the sand, near the beach. At this place 
 there are lots of "land crabs," as large as a 
 man's hand. They go all over and through 
 the house as readily as a rat, and are a great 
 annoyance. I could not sleep. We had 
 
32 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tickets for the steamer " Brother Jonathan" for 
 San Francisco. She was capable of carrying 
 near two thousand passengers comfortably. 
 We found that she had been disabled on her 
 last up trip; and the steamship company had 
 nothing to use as a substitute except the small 
 steamship "Pacific," fitted to carry about four 
 hundred passengers. A few days ahead of us 
 a steamer from New Orleans had arrived at 
 Nicaragua with many passengers, also bound 
 for San Francisco, making all told full two 
 thousand passengers. The steamer's officers 
 gave out notice that no passengers could be 
 taken on board until all the women and chil- 
 dren were taken and their escorts. Well, I 
 went out to the steamer with Colonel Mans- 
 field, and we were received without any ques- 
 tions being' asked. At the purser's office we 
 found the best state-room on the ship was reg- 
 istered for us, and were handed the key to the 
 room. When we sailed there were seven- 
 teen hundred men, women, and children 
 on board. What was to be done with them 
 no one could imagine. At night they were 
 all over the floors, on and under the tables, and 
 anywhere where they could find a place to He 
 down. After a day or two out, small-pox 
 broke out in the steerage among the New Or- 
 leans passengers. During the voyage forty 
 died, and were buried in the sea, mostly in 
 the night. Strange to say, no case occurred 
 in any other part of the ship or to anybody 
 after we landed. The providing of food for so 
 many people on that little steamship is a mat- 
 ter that I cannot understand. All I know is 
 that there was one little table, where three 
 times a day there was an abundance of 
 luxuries and delicacies, to say nothing of the 
 substantial, and generally some little extras 
 were sent to our state-room twice a day. We 
 were near two weeks making our trip from 
 Nicaragua to San Francisco. That was forty 
 
 years ago; but Colonel' Mansfield's face, 
 voice, and conversation are fresh in memory as 
 if it were yesterday. For the three years that 
 his duties kept him on the Pacific Coast he 
 always called to see me when he came to San 
 Francisco; and he took especial pains to 
 bring round his army friends to introduce me 
 to them. In that way I made the acquaint- 
 ance of many army officers. He always 
 showed true friendship for me, and I am proud 
 to say he was one of the most esteemed 
 friends I ever had. 
 
 San Francisco in 1854 had become a large 
 city. Many miles of streets had been built 
 up, with comfortable living and business 
 quarters for the entire population, no two 
 buildings alike. Most of them were what 
 would now be called shanties. They had al- 
 most all been built before any street grades 
 had been established. In 1854 the streets 
 were in process of grading. Many buildings 
 were down in a hole. Others were perched 
 high in the air. There was a good deal of 
 getting up and down stairs, but business of 
 all kinds was booming. A picture of the city 
 as it was at that time would now be a curios- 
 ity. Hundreds of new, substantial buildings, 
 with some claim to good architecture, were 
 being constructed; but rents were very high. 
 A four-story building was going up on the 
 corner of Commercial and Sansom Streets, 
 about thirty by sixty feet. William Sherman 
 and myself, having formed a business copart- 
 nership, leased the lower floor and basement at 
 nine hundred and twenty-five dollars per month, 
 eleven thousand one hundred dollars per year. 
 It was a big rent, perhaps the largest in the city ; 
 but we thought it was worth that to us. It 
 was located near all the principal hotels and 
 theatres; and everybody coming into the city 
 had to face our big signs, sixty feet long, 
 "S. L. Wilson & Co.," "San Francisco Cloth- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 33, 
 
 ing Store." We found the location right for 
 our business. After the first year we got our 
 rent reduced nearly one-third. We bought 
 odd invoices of clothing that were shipped 
 from New York, Paris, and London, always 
 buying the best we could get. The better the 
 goods the quicker they sold and the larger the 
 profit. We arranged with James Wilde, Jr., 
 & Co., of New York, a leading manufacturer, 
 to send us by express by every steamer the 
 newest and choicest clothing to be made up, 
 strictly custom work. We also sent on to 
 them the measure of many of our customers 
 for special goods and make. We never got 
 any goods that were too costly to sell or to 
 be satisfactory to the buyer. Our business 
 brought me in contact with most of the lead- 
 ing men of the State, all the way from Sam 
 Brannan to Governor Stanford. 
 
 My partner, Mr. William Sherman, had 
 never had anything to do with mercantile 
 business, but was employed by his brother, 
 Richard M. Sherman, to look after a valuable 
 property owned by him on Montgomery Street, 
 San Francisco. The buying for our firm, and 
 getting orders off for New York to keep up 
 our stock, and looking after our sales, all de- 
 volved on me. Mr. Sherman acted as book- 
 keeper, and attended to the financial part of 
 our business. Mr. Sherman was one of the 
 leading men in establishing the public school 
 system in San Francisco. He held the posi- 
 tion of Chairman of the Board of Education 
 for many years. He was also for several years 
 Chairman of the State Committee of the Re- 
 publican party, and during General Grant's 
 administration as President he held the office 
 of United States Sub-treasurer under a bond 
 for near twenty millions of dollars. His long 
 connection with public affairs gave him an 
 intimate acquaintance with a large number of 
 the prominent men in the State, who natu- 
 
 rally came to his place of business to talk 
 politics, public business, and social affairs 
 as well as the fashions of clothes. 
 
 While in that business I sold the outfit 
 for General Walker's men on their way to 
 Lower California on a filibustering expedition, 
 whence they just escaped with their lives 
 by the arrival at Ensenada of a United States 
 government ship, on which our worthy citizen, 
 Starr Kinny, was employed. Soon Walker 
 went to Nicaragua to revolutionize that coun- 
 try, and lost his head in short order. San 
 Francisco for a long time has had the reputa- 
 tion of having the best-dressed population 
 on earth. It is a satisfaction to me to think 
 I contributed my full share to bring about that, 
 condition. 
 
 In the summer of 1856 my family came out 
 to California with some of my friends. We 
 commenced housekeeping at once, with the 
 idea that this was to be our home for several 
 years. A year and a half later our daughter, 
 then near five years old, was taken down sick 
 with diphtheria. Three days later she died. 
 Her remains were taken to Manchester, and 
 buried by the side of her little brother and 
 sister. This death was a circumstance that we 
 had never taken into account in all our plans 
 for the future. It was the greatest grief that 
 we had ever experienced. My wife, naturally 
 consumptive, broke down entirely. I changed 
 residence often, looking for better air, more 
 cheerful company, or anything that would im- 
 prove her health. A sea voyage home to her 
 mother was thought to be the only thing left 
 for us to do. We tried that, with but little 
 change. After we had lived there two months 
 it was decided that I should go to San Fran- 
 cisco, and either sell out my business or ar- 
 range for a residence East, and attend to the 
 shipment of goods for our business. I had 
 been back in San Francisco just two weeks 
 
34 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 when another steamer arrived, bringing the in- 
 telligence that my wife died quietly ten days 
 after I sailed, and that she was buried with all 
 our three children. My troubles almost un- 
 fitted me for business. In a month or two I 
 sold out my entire interest in the firm of 
 S. L. Wilson & Co. ; and I was prepared for 
 some new venture, as much as possible away 
 from all old scenes and associations, where 
 I had enjoyed so many pleasurable hours. 
 
 About this time some Mexicans were roam- 
 ing about in what is now Nevada, looking for 
 mines. They came across an old man named 
 Comstock, digging out fine silver ore, not 
 knowing what it was. The Mexicans knew 
 at sight that he had a valuable mine, and 
 they at once decided to give about all they 
 possessed to obtain it. Their possessions 
 consisted of an old gray mare and a little 
 grub. Comstock arrived at the locality on 
 foot, and rode away on horseback, thinking 
 he had got the best of the trade. That was 
 the great Comstock vein at Virginia City, 
 where so many millions of dollars have been 
 taken out, and where Mackay, Fair, Flood, 
 and O'Brien gained their millions. The 
 story of the discovery was soon known at San 
 Francisco, where a rawhide sack of the ore 
 had been exhibited. Locations of mining 
 claims were soon made that covered the vein 
 for several miles in length, and about every- 
 thing that has ever proved valuable in that 
 vicinity was covered by those locations. 
 Thousands of people wanted to go there; but 
 the Sierra Nevada Mountains stood in the 
 way, with very deep snows and no roads, only 
 the old emigrant trail, which in the summer 
 was very difficult to travel with any kind of a 
 team. But I decided to go, as some others 
 had done. 
 
 It was in February, i860, that I went over 
 the mountain by way of Placerville and Straw- 
 
 berry Valley to Carson City and Virginia 
 City, some of the way on horseback, but much 
 of it on foot. In some places it was very 
 deep mud, in others very deep snow, with 
 occasionally a tolerable trail over the rocks. 
 I think I was four days going from Placer- 
 ville (the foot of the mountain on the Cali- 
 fornia side) to Virginia City. There were 
 about twenty men in the gang I travelled 
 with and about as many horses ; and we had 
 rather of a jolly time — cabins to sleep in 
 nights with big log fires and plenty to eat 
 and drink, hot or cold. I think there were 
 near three hundred people at Virginia City 
 and vicinity when I arrived. There were 
 perhaps a half a dozen comfortable little 
 cabins built of stone and mud. The other 
 quarters were almost all cloth tents. They 
 have a horrible climate. The winter months 
 are quite cold, it frequently freezing hard, with 
 very high winds and sometimes several feet of 
 snow, and very little firewood to be obtained 
 within twenty miles. I was lucky enough to 
 get a bunk to sleep in at the "Hotel de Hay- 
 stack," a board shanty, twelve by twenty 
 feet, with small lean-to for kitchen, kept by 
 Nettleton, where some three hundred meals 
 were served in course of every twenty-four 
 hours. All provisions and general supplies 
 had to be transported over the mountains dur- 
 ing that winter on mules' backs, which made 
 everything costly. Gambling-dens were flour- 
 ishing. Numerous well-known murderers and 
 outlaws made themselves conspicuous on the 
 streets. We were in Utah, four hundred 
 miles from Salt Lake City; and there were 
 no courts or any recognized laws any nearer 
 than Salt Lake. It was a pretty tough place. 
 Almost everybody there was after silver mines. 
 I soon became interested in claims that were 
 located, also in several prospecting com- 
 panies. Everybody was busy at something. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 35 
 
 I bought house lots that had been located in 
 the business centre; and I located lots on the 
 outer circle, for all of which I found cus- 
 tomers. As the warmer weather came on in 
 March and April, there was large emigration 
 to Nevada, made up of all classes of people, 
 but especially of bright, brainy young men. 
 It was about as lively as Wall Street, New 
 York. A miners' stock exchange was formed 
 in San Francisco, and another at Virginia 
 City. I was a member of both, and bought 
 and sold according to my judgment. Large 
 sums of money changed hands in these ex- 
 changes daily. Fortunes were made and lost, 
 both in San Francisco and Virginia City. 
 There were very few people who did not have 
 some interest in some of these Nevada silver 
 mine locations. Even women and children 
 had certificates showing that they were in sil- 
 ver mining business. They put in their 
 money for development, but rarely ever got it 
 back. 
 
 In May, i860, the Piute Indians were mis- 
 treated by some vagabond whites. All at 
 once they disappeared from the white settle- 
 ments, and every day or two we heard of mas- 
 sacres of travellers in various sections. It was 
 decided that a hundred men well armed should 
 go out on horseback, clean out the tribe, and 
 teach them to behave themselves. Major 
 Ormsby, of Carson City, was chosen to lead 
 the forces. Just one hundred men were en- 
 rolled. With them there were five to twelve 
 camp followers. They went off full of fight 
 and fun. The second or third day out they 
 reached Pyramid Lake, where they followed 
 the Indian trail up the side of a high rough 
 hill. While in a narrow ravine they were 
 suddenly surrounded by two thousand Indians, 
 commanded by Chief Winnamucca and Son 
 Bill, who were on horseback and well armed 
 with rifles and other murderous weapons. 
 
 The result was, only three whites escaped with 
 their lives. One of these, McCloughlen, 
 came to the " Hotel de Haystack" three days 
 after the fight. He had a rifle ball near his 
 backbone, that had struck a rib on his side, 
 and followed the rib back to where we cut it 
 out with a penknife, just a little beneath the 
 skin. A green-looking, beardless boy from 
 Missouri in his retreat from the rear of the 
 fight on horseback had overtaken McClough- 
 len on foot. An appeal was made to him by 
 McCloughlen to help save his life. The 
 lad abandoned his horse, and with McClough- 
 len made his way into a thicket, where the 
 Indians were riding by them for hours. In 
 the night this lad crawled up to the Indian 
 camp, untied the lariat that held a horse, 
 and carefully crawled back to McCloughlen, 
 helped him mount, and led that horse back to 
 Virginia City. That was an act of bravery 
 and generous manhood seldom equalled. He 
 is one of the unrecorded heroes. I am sorry 
 that I cannot recall his name. The next day 
 almost everybody had business that called him 
 back to California immediately; and away 
 they went on horses and mules and on foot, 
 any way to get over the mountains. They 
 took with them their firearms. 
 
 After the stampede we looked over the situ- 
 ation, and found there were about three hun- 
 dred of us left there who had walked over the 
 mountain to get to Nevada, and did not like 
 the idea of going back on the run. Near 
 three thousand persons went over the moun- 
 tain within three days. We found about 
 thirty or forty old guns and pistols in our 
 crowd and ammunition enough to last an 
 hour or two. We sent an appeal over to the 
 governor of California to send us help. In 
 about ten days he sent over Jack Hays, the 
 Texan Indian fighter, with about two hundred 
 picked men. Those ten days were trouble- 
 
36 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 some times. Several Indian squaws who were 
 employed at Virginia City as servants claimed 
 to have secret information. Every day "the 
 Indians were to appear to us that night." 
 Of course everybody had to prepare for de- 
 fence. Some had crowbars, pickaxes, etc. 
 I had a big cheese knife. Signal fires were 
 burning from every mountain top, and to all 
 appearances we had got to fight. Pickets 
 were out night and day. There was a stone 
 building partly built up one story, which we 
 converted into a fort for the protection of 
 the women and children, where they were all 
 gathered in every night. Among them was 
 Alonzo Pixley's family, now of New Milford. 
 No person in Virginia City thought of sleep- 
 ing any one of those ten nights. All the 
 sleep any one had was in the daytime. Jack 
 Hays with some three hundred men went out, 
 and gave the Indians a fight. He killed fifty 
 Indians, and then asked them for a confer- 
 ence. They agreed to call it square and go 
 home to their usual peaceful lives. We were 
 then ready to sleep and pursue our usual busi- 
 ness; but no Indian came near Virginia City, 
 and no white man ventured near the Indians. 
 A few weeks before the Indian outbreak 
 Professor John Veatch and his son Andrew, 
 both of whom were experts as mining men 
 and mineralogists, came in from a prospecting 
 tour, bringing samples of fine silver ore from 
 claims they had located, in what they called the 
 Clan Alpine mining district. They described 
 it as being at the headquarters of the Piute Ind- 
 ian home. They showed me a map of the 
 route to the locality. I wanted an interest in 
 the property. They proposed to me that, if I 
 would go there and protect their interest in 
 one of their locations, they would surrender to 
 me all rights to all other property. I ac- 
 cepted at once. A Mr. Norton agreed to join 
 me in the enterprise. I bought a team of 
 
 four good horses and a regular emigrant 
 wagon, selected four men that I well knew, 
 put on a good supply of provisions, tools, etc. 
 After the team was ready to start, Mr. Norton 
 backed out. As my men were not of that 
 kind, we put out on our one-hundred-and- 
 thirty-mile trip across the desert for Clan 
 Alpine. As I look at it now, it was the most 
 reckless thing I ever did in my life. We 
 passed on to "Rag Town," between the sink 
 of the Humboldt and the sink of the Corsan 
 Rivers. The first, after running its course for 
 five hundred miles, and the latter, after one 
 hundred and fifty miles, disappear in the earth. 
 The location of Rag Town is where all the 
 emigrant teams that cross the Humboldt sink 
 first found fresh water after a sixty-mile drive. 
 Of course, they took a good rest at this place; 
 and the women washed up their clothes, and 
 hung them on the bushes to dry. In that way, 
 very appropriately, it got named "Rag Town." 
 Many a wagon has been abandoned on that 
 desert, and many cattle and horses have lain 
 down and died. Asa Kenyon kept a "dead 
 fall" there (Rag Town). It is said that he 
 used to go out on to the desert ten or fifteen 
 miles, and sell fresh water at a dollar a gallon. 
 He had a very bad reputation, especially as a 
 liar. He was told once that he had the repu- 
 tation of being the greatest liar in the Terri- 
 tory. His only reply was, "I guess they do 
 not know Honey Lake Smith." 
 
 We -passed mountain wells and Fort Church- 
 ill (where there were four or five soldiers). 
 There we saw on our left the mountain range 
 where we were to find Clan Alpine. We 
 had come over one hundred miles, and seen 
 no one on the road, no sign of Indians, 
 except that every night their signal fires were 
 burning. We did not sleep very well nights; 
 and we had plenty of time to think over 
 what the chances might be of an unwelcome 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 37 
 
 reception by Chief Winnamucca and Bill, 
 who was -the active man in all the tribe, 
 his father having got so old that he wanted 
 rest._ At 4 p.m. we arrived at the foot of 
 the canon that led up to the Indian encamp- 
 ment — or town, more properly speaking — 
 two miles distant. We drove our team right 
 up in front of a huge shelving rock, which 
 looked like a good shelter for ourselves, and 
 left the wagon close up in front, to serve as a 
 breastwork in case of trouble. As soon as we 
 got located, I got on to one of our horses, and 
 rode up the canon to find Bill. I had got 
 almost up to the village when I met three 
 Indians, the first I had seen since our little 
 war. I inquired for Bill. They pointed the 
 direction of his house, one-fourth of a mile 
 away. I passed many houses and Indians ; 
 and, when stopped by any of them, I asked the 
 same question, and got the same answer. 
 When I found him, I told my business in his 
 territory, and asked him to come down in the 
 morning and get our horses, and take care of 
 them until I wanted them, as I was afraid 
 some one^ would steal them. "All right." 
 "Come early in the morning," I said, as I 
 wanted him to "be there to breakfast." "All 
 right." I, for the first time since 1 left Vir- 
 ginia City, began to feel quite comfortable. 
 On my way back I took a look at the situa- 
 tion. It was a gem of a little valley, a mile 
 wide and several miles in length, with moun- 
 tains surrounding it, with only that canon I 
 travelled as an outlet. A beautiful brook 
 wound about the valley and out of the canon. 
 There was a beautiful growth of trees of nu- 
 merous kinds, giving the whole valley a pgrk- 
 like appearance. I can say truly I never 
 saw a more beautiful spot for a quiet village. 
 Soon I was back to camp. The pot was boil- 
 ing, and we were in good spirits. In ten min- 
 utes we heard a commotion up the canon; and 
 
 there appeared a dozen Indians on horseback, 
 coming for our camp as though the Old Nick 
 was after them. My hair began to rise, and 
 I began to ask myself how it would feel to 
 have my scalp taken off. Our weapons were 
 in order, and I thought we should have a fair 
 chance to get the best of that number of 
 Indians, anyway. As they got near us, I 
 could see they did not mean fight. They 
 greeted us as friends, and we received them 
 the same. Bill said he thought he would 
 rather come for the horses that night, and 
 rather have his breakfast that night than 
 wait until morning for it. I think by the 
 way they enjoyed their food they had been 
 waiting at least a month for breakfast. 
 
 They had undoubtedly exhausted all their 
 store of food (pine nuts and grass seed) during 
 their war with the whites; and with food I 
 furnished them and fair treatment I made 
 them my fast friends, and for the four years 
 I stayed there off and on I was treated with 
 the greatest kindness and consideration. We 
 located our abode near the brook, at the mouth 
 of that beautiful canon. I could see that, if 
 any settlement was ever required there by the 
 development of mines, it must be at the 
 mouth of that canon, as there was the only 
 place where wholesome water could be ob- 
 tained for many miles. I made a government 
 location of one hundred and sixty acres, and 
 bought of the Indians any rights they might 
 have to it. I got a deed signed by Chief 
 Winnamucca, his two sons, Buffalo Bill (no 
 connection of the show man), Buffalo Joe, 
 and Natchez. I bought out Professor 
 Veatch's reserved claim for twenty-five thou- 
 sand dollars. I paid the Indians four hundred 
 dollars in gold, and about as much more in 
 provisions. That made me monarch of the 
 Clan Alpine property. I built a good cabin 
 of stone and mud, which was also well 
 
38 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 adapted for use as a fort. We were comforta- 
 ble and the Indians rich. I was obliged to 
 go often to Virginia City and San Francisco 
 for supplies and to look after my mining 
 interests. 
 
 In 1 86 1 I spent considerable time in the 
 Humboldt mountains, east of the sink of the 
 Humboldt, prospecting for silver and looking 
 over the claims being worked there. There 
 were many mines rich in silver; but the veins 
 were small, and the ore was so impregnated 
 with copper, lead, bismuth, arsenic, and other 
 substances that it was too rebellious to be re- 
 duced at a profit. During that summer I 
 crossed the desert from Humboldt City to Rag 
 Town several times; but it was in the night, 
 with fresh horses, and with a supply of water 
 and feed, and I did not suffer, though this is 
 the place where overland emigrants suffered 
 the most. Until the summer of 1864 I spent 
 much of my time vibrating between San Fran- 
 cisco and Virginia City, or that place and Clan 
 Alpine. The roads over the Sierra Nevada 
 Mountains had been nicely graded. Wells & 
 Fargo's express and stage line, the overland 
 stage and pony express to the Missouri River, 
 the telegraph from Virginia City to San 
 Francisco, were all working well. Good 
 hotels and four churches and a theatre were 
 built in Virginia City. Some mines were 
 producing largely, and the excitement in re- 
 gard to them and other mines anticipated was 
 much like a craze. 
 
 The trip over the mountains on the fine Con- 
 cord coaches, with fine horses changed every 
 eight miles, with Hank Monk or Watson to 
 drive, was a pleasure that all could appreciate. 
 The trip was always made in the night, when 
 all teams were laid up. In the daytime there 
 was a constant procession of teams, some of 
 them with from twelve to twenty mules, draw- 
 ing one immense wagon with from two to six 
 
 smaller ones ("back actions"). In the course 
 of four years I crossed the mountains nearly 
 one hundred times. I always endeavored to 
 get an outside seat, and I always enjoyed the 
 scenery and the excitement beyond anything 
 I can write. In September, 1864, I had 
 taken Buffalo Bill to Virginia City, and intro- 
 duced him and his colored friends to the back 
 door of white society again, where they had 
 been strangers for four years. I took steamer 
 to New York via Panama. I returned the 
 next spring to California and Nevada. I 
 dropped most of my mining interests into the 
 hands of persons who were anxious to show 
 how much better they could do with them 
 than I could. 
 
 In August, 1865, I returned to New York, 
 where I took a nice office on Broadway, put 
 my name on the door, and was ready for any- 
 thing that turned up. I made several little 
 turns in business that were satisfactory. I 
 had been knocking about the world so much I 
 began to think it was time for me to establish 
 a home. In New York I became acquainted 
 with Mrs. Alzora Stone Hine, of New Mil- 
 ford, Conn. On April 14, 1866, we were 
 married. I bought a comfortable house in 
 Stamford, Conn., thirty-five miles from New 
 York, where we established a happy home. 
 I, like two or three hundred other citizens, 
 went into New York every morning, and re- 
 turned home in the afternoon or evening. 
 That summer was delightful. As cold 
 weather came on it was rather uncomfortable, 
 and I frequently longed for the California cli- 
 mate. One morning in February I started for 
 the city as usual. It was snowing hard, and 
 increased to such an extent that it took us 
 until near 3 p.m. to reach New York. I could 
 see that it was impossible to go down town 
 and back again in time to get home at a rea- 
 sonable hour, so I took the train back at once. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 39 
 
 I was more than ever disgusted with New 
 York and New England climate. I at once 
 proposed to Mrs. Wilson that we should quit 
 it and go to California, where it was always 
 comfortable. She assented without any hesi- 
 tation. By April I had wound up all busi- 
 ness and sold out our home, and we were ready 
 to leave many warm friends and a delightful 
 society for far-off California. We took 
 steamer via Isthmus of Panama. There was 
 much that was new for Mrs. Wilson to see 
 and enjoy, and we had a delightful trip. Two 
 days before our arrival at San Francisco I was 
 taken down with Panama fever for the fourth 
 time. I soon got better, but for several 
 weeks I was up and down. In a couple of 
 weeks we went to Sacramento City. We then 
 drove out to my eight -hundred -acre ranch, six 
 miles from the city, over a smooth level road 
 six rods wide, all the way in sight of the 
 capital and of the snow-capped Sierras. 
 There were an old adobe house and an orchard 
 on the premises. We decided to build a 
 house and improve the property, and make a 
 home. In a few months I had completed 
 a good-sized house of Gothic architecture, with 
 large wing and a hundred feet of piazza. It 
 was all we could wish for comfort and style. 
 In one year I got set one hundred acres of 
 vineyard, new fruit and ornamental trees, 
 shrubs, and flowering plants. The place was 
 made beautiful. We had quite an extended 
 acquaintance and pleasant society in Sacra- 
 mento City, which we visited almost daily. 
 We entertained considerable company, and it 
 was a pleasant home. In May, 1871, when 
 the Pacific railroads were completed, Mrs. 
 Wilson and myself came East on their second 
 through trip for a two months' visit. I spent 
 much of my time in New York City, where I 
 arranged for the receiving and sale of Cali- 
 fornia fruits, to be shipped regularly in car- 
 
 load lots. My vineyard had been set with the 
 special kinds considered to be the most desira- 
 ble for the New York markets; and I sent 
 three carloads of grapes, one at a time, with 
 three days intervening between shipments, 
 twelve hundred dollars' freight on each car in 
 advance. Those three shipments of grapes 
 were the first ever made from California to 
 New York. After the commission merchants 
 and their friends divided up what they wanted, 
 there was nothing left to pay cartage, which I 
 was asked to pay. That was the first and last 
 business I ever had with New York commis- 
 sion merchants. Soon after the arrival of 
 those grapes in New York I saw numerous peo- 
 ple who came to California, and I learned from 
 them that they were retailed out at fifty cents 
 to one dollar a pound. Draw your own con- 
 clusions. I cured many white muscat grapes 
 into raisins, packed them in any kind of 
 boxes that I could get handy, and sold them 
 to Sacramento City grocers at twelve cents a 
 pound. I believe they were among the first 
 California raisins ever sold in that market. 
 
 In September, 1872, Mrs. Wilson got a tel- 
 egram notifying her that her sister, Vesta 
 Stone, was dangerously sick with fever. The 
 next day Mrs. Wilson was on her way to 
 Merryall; but, when she arrived there, the 
 sister had passed away, and was in her grave. 
 Her father and mother were left alone in 
 their old age, both in health and spirits 
 broken down. Mrs. Wilson decided that she 
 could never leave them while they lived. 
 Consequently, I disposed of most of . my be- 
 longings in California, and came home to the 
 family, where I arrived in March, 1873. 
 Then I became a citizen of New Milford. 
 Six weeks after my arrival both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Stone died within a few hours of each other, 
 and were buried together; but they still live 
 in loving memory of many friends and rela- 
 
40 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tives. The care of the old homestead devolved 
 upon Mrs. Wilson and myself. Here we kept 
 an open house, with the door open for the old 
 friends and relatives of Mr. and Mrs. Stone, 
 who always availed themselves of paying us 
 summer visits, always too short to suit us. 
 
 The early part of the year 1876 the new oil 
 field at Bradford, Pa., was discovered; and a 
 few weeks after I went there out of curiosity. 
 I found it like a new mining town of the Far 
 West, felt at home, and decided to take a hand 
 with the boys again. I bought oil lands, and 
 leased others on a royalty. I also took an in- 
 terest in company with several of the old oil 
 producers, who had arrived there ahead of me, 
 and who had tied up territory that I coveted. 
 Among them was the great five-thousand-acre 
 tract of the Quintuple Company, in which I 
 secured a three-tenths interest. That tract of 
 land has proved to be one of the most valuable 
 ever discovered. The Hon. Lewis Emery, 
 Jr., was at the head of the company. He has 
 made himself famous by the large amount of 
 money he has made out of the oil business 
 and the liberality with which he has used his 
 money, especially in fighting the Standard 
 Oil Company. He is still at it, with a fair 
 prospect of having an independent pipe line to 
 tide water within a few months, when he will 
 be in a position to do a fair competitive busi- 
 ness, and do the oil producers a great benefit. 
 His name will live as long as oil flows from 
 the ground and after Rockefeller's millions 
 are scattered. Mr. Emery has fought almost 
 single-handed the Standard Oil Company in 
 the courts and in the Pennsylvania legis- 
 lature, where the Standard Oil Company gen- 
 erally came out ahead; and it is generally 
 believed that money was used to influence the 
 decision. I sold out my interest in the Quin- 
 tuple Oil Company to Mr. Emery and C. S. 
 Whitney, a Bradford banker. I made a satis- 
 
 factory trade, but I can see that I should have 
 made a million or two by holding on until 
 now. 
 
 I was a member of the firm of Wilson, 
 Germer & Co., composed of Otto Germer, a 
 wealthy manufacturer, of Erie, Pa., Dr. John 
 Wilson, a large capitalist, of Pleasantville, 
 Pa., and myself. We secured several valua- 
 ble tracts of oil lands, upon which we drilled 
 many wells. I also bought several producing 
 wells, and drilled numerous others on land 
 that I secured on my individual account. I 
 also drilled several wells in company with 
 my brother-in-law. Major E. M. Curtis, of 
 Tidioute, Pa. The cost of machinery and 
 drilling wells, with tankage to hold the oil, 
 was on an average five thousand dollars for 
 each well. Within one year after I went to 
 Bradford ten thousand people located there. 
 All were comfortably housed. It was a gay 
 town. The excitement, the extravagance, and 
 life were only equalled by San Francisco in 
 its early days. Mrs. Wilson and myself lived 
 in a first-class hptel. Our house at Merryall 
 was never closed, and we spent what time we 
 could there in the summer with our friends; 
 and I came there several times each year to 
 look after business for a few days at a time. 
 In the rush to Bradford came the brightest 
 and most active young men to be found in 
 the larger towns, middle-aged men with their 
 families from the older oil fields, laboring 
 men seeking employment at good wages, 
 drones with large families, seeking a home 
 where they hoped to pick up a living some 
 way. 
 
 Of course there was more or less sickness 
 and destitution. A relief association was 
 formed by a few worthy and well-known 
 ladies, who went from house to house, looking 
 up all cases where kind words of advice, pro- 
 visions, clothing, medicine, and sometimes 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 4' 
 
 cash were wanted. Mrs. Wilson was one of 
 the most active ladies in that most worthy 
 work. Ragged children were clothed. The 
 hungry were fed. Shanties were made more 
 secure from winter cold. Children and grown 
 people were induced into the churches and 
 schools, and were taught how to earn a com- 
 fortable living. A hospital was established. 
 Most of those ladies are still living and car- 
 rying on the good work then begun. Those 
 children are now young men and women; and 
 Mrs. Wilson's name is cherished by them, as 
 well as by hundreds of the older citizens of 
 Bradford, with loving remembrance. Any- 
 thing the ladies of the relief society asked 
 for was generously provided by the citizens of 
 all denominations and creeds. Bradford has 
 never gone backward. It now has a popula- 
 tion of fifteen thousand inhabitants, ten 
 churches, four theatres, paved streets, water 
 works, gas and electric lights. In refinement 
 its population is above the average. Its 
 musical taste and moral tone are something to 
 be proud of. I think Mrs. Wilson and myself 
 enjoyed our twelve years' residence in Brad- 
 ford better than any place we ever lived in, 
 and can now count up more warm personal 
 friends there than anywhere else. 
 
 In 1884, while on a short visit to New Mil- 
 ford with a friend from Western New York, 
 I visited for the first time a feldspar mine, 
 which had been worked in a small way twenty 
 years, located less than a mile from my resi- 
 dence. From what I saw on the surface I at 
 once decided that I ought to own the property, 
 and the next day with my friend had secured 
 it. Later work convinced me that I had se- 
 cured the most valuable mine I had ever had 
 anything to do with, right in sight of home, 
 what I had travelled thousands of miles to 
 find, and to which I had devoted the best part 
 of my long life. Most of the work so far at 
 
 the mine has been done to prove what I firmly 
 believed, that I had a true fissure vein, reach- 
 ing down to a very great depth in the earth, 
 the bottom of which no one could ever expect 
 to find and in the history of mining no one 
 ever has found. I have uncovered the foot 
 wall of the vein for near three hundred feet in 
 length and to a depth of fifty feet. In a drift 
 across the vein I have found the hanging wall, 
 in perfect order, near fifty feet from the foot 
 wall. They are both dipping at the same 
 angle, and each one has a clayey coat from 
 about a half an inch thick (sHckensides). 
 These developments, that cost me much 
 money, are a proof to experienced mining 
 men that we have an everlasting vein. (See 
 Dana's "Manual of Mineralogy and Lithol- 
 ogy," p. 413.") In doing this work we took 
 ■out gems, mica, and feldspar that have been 
 sold on the market for more money than I ever 
 knew to be taken from any mine in America 
 for the same amount of surface work done. 
 This was hand work,. without machinery. In 
 this statement I include the great Comstock 
 vein of Virginia City, with which I am famil- 
 iar. 
 
 In two years after we commenced work on 
 the mine I made a trade with an English syn- 
 dicate for a controlling interest in the mine. 
 After more than two years' waiting for the 
 money and much trouble, I kicked the trade 
 over; and I then bought out my partner's in- 
 terest in the property. Other parties agreed 
 to buy the property (or a controlling inter- 
 est in it). These contracts rather obstructed 
 further developments, and most of the time 
 for several years it has been closed down; but 
 there are more valuables in sight now than 
 ever before. The long sickness of my wife, 
 which occupied me day and night, her death, 
 and the complete breaking-down of my own 
 health have prevented my working of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mine; and I never expect to do much more 
 with it. I make this record that future gener- 
 ations may know what I know about it, and I 
 want to leave a record of what I think of the 
 value all the way down deep in the earth. 
 Should anybody ever be disappointed in not 
 finding great value there, they can say, "Wil- 
 son did not know as much as he thought he did." 
 Since the death of my wife, March 24, 
 1891, I have been alone in the world; but I 
 cannot say I have felt lonely. I feel sure 
 that my wife and children still live, and that 
 they are living a higher and happier life than 
 is ever known on earth. I have friends and 
 neighbors who are ready at any time to do 
 everything possible for me, either in sickness 
 or in health. With my reading and my living 
 over in memory my rather adventurous life I 
 cannot be lonesome. I like this world, and I 
 think my home is one of the pleasantest places 
 in it. My friends enjoy visiting me, and I 
 enjoy their visits. I am leading the kind of 
 life that I think will be most likely to 
 lengthen out my days, but I do not live in 
 dread of being called away. I realize that a 
 kind Providence has watched over me these 
 many years, and many a shaft of destruction that 
 threatened me has been gently turned away; 
 and I am confident that I shall not be called 
 away until my mission on earth is at an end. 
 
 The portrait of Mr. Wilson, which is pub- 
 lished in connection with his interesting auto- 
 biography, was engraved on steel from a 
 photograph recently taken, and represents him 
 as he now appears, at the age of seventy-three 
 years. 
 
 -OHN L. BUEL, M.D., proprietor and 
 manager of the Spring Hill Home for 
 Nervous Invalids at Litchfield, is a 
 native of this town, born November 6, 1861, 
 
 a son of the late Henry W. Buel, M.D.., a 
 sketch of whose life appears in " Representa- 
 tive Men of Connecticut." 
 
 Henry W. Buel, M.D., founder of the 
 Spring Hill Home for Nervous Invalids and 
 a former President of the First National Bank 
 of Litchfield, was born in this town, "which 
 has produced so many men of mark," April 7, 
 1820, and there died January 30, 1893. As 
 his father, Samuel Buel, and also his father's 
 brother, William Buel, were physicians of 
 prominence, it was not surprising that, after 
 graduating with high honors from Yale Col- 
 lege in 1844, the young man should enter at 
 once upon the study of medicine. He began 
 in the ofifice of his father, and later in suc- 
 cession with Dr. W. P. Buel and D. Gurdon 
 Buck, M.D., of New York City. In 1847 
 he was graduated from the New York College 
 of Physicians and Surgeons, and with such 
 honors that he was immediately appointed 
 House Surgeon at the New York Hospital, 
 where he remained two years. In 1850 he 
 accepted a similar position at Sanford Hall in 
 Flushing, N.Y., where, it may be said, com- 
 menced his career as an expert in mental dis- 
 eases. Resigning his position at Sanford 
 Hall after five years, the Doctor came in 1854 
 to Litchfield, where he assisted his father for 
 two years. With the view of enlarging his 
 knowledge of the maladies of the mind and 
 body, he then went to Europe, making a tour 
 of the larger cities. On his return in 1858 
 he founded the Spring Hill Home, where has 
 been accomplished the chief work of his life. 
 His energy and profound knowledge of the 
 specialty he has adopted, backed by his busi- 
 ness aptitude, have made the institution a 
 complete success. In 1872 he was elected 
 President of the State Medical Society, and re- 
 ceived a vote of thanks for his annual address 
 on "The Advancement of the Medical Profes- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 43 
 
 sion." Outside of his profession in his native 
 town and State he has filled several stations 
 of honor and trust. For twenty-two years he 
 was Vice-President of the First National Bank 
 and President from 1887 until the time of his 
 death. At one time he was also President of 
 the Shepaug Railway Company. Interested 
 in the history of his State, he was a member 
 of the Connecticut Historical Society, and 
 also belonged to the New York University 
 Club. In political life he was a zealous Re- 
 publican; and in religious faith he was a Con- 
 gregationalist, having served as a Deacon in 
 the church for thirty years. He was twice 
 married. His first marriage, performed March 
 24, 1859, was with Mary Ann C. Laidlaw, 
 who died December 31, 1864, after a married 
 life of less than six years. He afterward 
 married Catherine K. Laidlaw, a sister of his 
 former wife; and she died August 26, 1882. 
 Of his marriages three children are still liv- 
 ing; namely, Dr. John L., Minerva W., and 
 Katherine L. 
 
 Dr. J. L. Buel was a pupil of the schools of 
 this town until seventeen years of age, and 
 then spent two years at Phillips Academy in 
 Andover, Mass. After this he took a four 
 years' course at Yale College, going thence 
 to the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 
 New York City, trom which he received his 
 diploma in 1888. Following in the footsteps 
 of his honored father. Dr. Buel spent the suc- 
 ceeding two years in the New York Hospital. 
 Returning then to the place of his birth, he 
 entered upon his profession, acquiring in the 
 ensuing year a considerable practice:. At the 
 expiration of that time he engaged as an as- 
 sistant to his father at the Spring Hill Home, 
 remaining in that capacity until the father's 
 decease, since which time he has had full con- 
 trol of the institution, meeting with eminent 
 success. In addition to conducting the home 
 
 he also finds time to attend to a good general 
 practice outside the institution. 
 
 On May 28, 1895, Dr. Buel was united in 
 marriage with Miss Elizabeth C. Barney, 
 daughter of Newcomb C. Barney, a well- 
 known broker of New York City. She was 
 born at Irvington on the Hudson, where her 
 father and grandfather were prominent resi- 
 dents for many years. The Doctor is quite 
 popular in society. Among the organizations 
 he has connection with are the college society 
 of Psi Upsilon and the Wolfhead of New 
 Haven, the University Club of New York, 
 the Graduates' Club of New York and of New 
 Haven, the Litchfield Club, and the Litchfield 
 County Medical Society. He is also a mem- 
 ber of the Litchfield Mutual Insurance Com- 
 pany and a Director of the Echo Farm 
 Company. In politics Dr. Buel is an uncom- 
 promising Republican; but, owing to the high 
 esteem in which he is held by his fellow- 
 townsmen, who are mostly Democrats, .he was 
 elected a Burgess of the borough. He is very 
 liberal in his religious views, but attends and 
 supports the Episcopal church, of which Mrs. 
 Buel is a conscientious member. 
 
 EV. GEORGE FOSTER PREN- 
 
 TISS, pastor of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church in Winsted, was born 
 in Windham, Vt., September 20, 1858, son 
 of Asahel and Hannah (Johnson) Prentiss. 
 He is of the same family branch as Dr. 
 George Prentiss, of New York, and the late 
 Sargent S. Prentiss, of New Orleans. His 
 grandfather was Reuben Prentiss, a native of 
 New Hampshire and long a resident of West- 
 minster, Vt. In this town, while conducting 
 his farm, he also worked at the shoemaker's 
 bench, a common thing in the early days of 
 New England, when almost every farm-house 
 
44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 had a little shoe shop attached. The maiden 
 name of Grandmother Prentiss was Roxanna 
 Upham. She died at threescore and two, 
 and her husband lived to be seventy-seven. 
 They had six children, of whom two sons 
 and two daughters are yet living. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Reuben Prentiss are buried in the 
 Centre Cemetery at Windham. 
 
 Asahel Prentiss, father of the Rev. Mr. 
 Prentiss, who was born in Westminster, Vt., 
 in 1830, has a fine farm of three hundred 
 acres in Windham, and deals largely in prod- 
 uce. He is a prominent man, and has filled 
 several town offices, also working zealously 
 for the interests of the Congregational church, 
 of which he has been Deacon for twenty 
 years. His wife, to whom he was married 
 in Windham in March, 1857, was a native of 
 Lincoln, Me., and was reared in Jackson, Me. 
 Her father was Cyrus Johnson, a man of some 
 literary talent, the author of poems and other 
 writings of local interest. The greater part 
 of his time, however, was devoted to farming. 
 He died at the age of fifty-six, leaving thir- 
 teen children, twelve of whom are yet living, 
 scattered from Maine to the Pacific Coast. 
 One is a preacher in St. Louis, and one was 
 in the first State legislature of Washington. 
 The first to die was Henry Johnson, who 
 passed away at sixty-five. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Prentiss have had six children, of whom the 
 Rev. Mr. Prentiss is the eldest. His young- 
 est brother, Cyrus Holmes Prentiss, who was 
 preparing for the ministry in the University 
 of Vermont, was cut off from a promising ca- 
 reer in his twenty-second year, dying August 
 28, 1894, of spinal meningitis. Carrie 
 Keziah is the wife of Edgar M. Butler, of 
 Jamaica, Vt. ; Mary Hattie married Emery H. 
 Jones, and lives in Windham; Julia May is 
 the wife of George M. Butler, of New York 
 City; and Charles Reuben is inspector of 
 
 tuning in the Estey Organ Works at Brattje- 
 boro, Vt. 
 
 The Rev. George Foster Prentiss studied at 
 Oberlin and at Monson, graduating in 1880 
 as valedictorian of his class. He graduated 
 from Amherst in 1884 with the degree of 
 A.B. and at Yale in 1887 with the degree of 
 S.T.B. His first pastorate was that of the 
 West End Church at Bridgeport, Conn., 
 where he was stationed from 1887 to 1893, 
 coming in the latter year to his present 
 charge. Mr. Prentiss is an enthusiastic and 
 zealous worker in his chosen vocation, and an 
 ardent lover of music, giving time and study 
 con amore to the work of training choirs and 
 choruses. He is one of the Vice-Presidents 
 of the Connecticut State Music Teachers' 
 Association. 
 
 On June 28, 1887, he was married to Sarah 
 A., daughter of Lucius Gilbert, of Derby, 
 Conn. Mrs. Prentiss is a lady of scholarly at- 
 tainments, and was a teacher of Latin and 
 Greek before her marriage. Mr. Prentiss is a 
 member of the Beta Theta Pi, a society 
 founded in Miami in 1839,, which has grown 
 to large proportions in the South and West, 
 and now has some fifty chapters in the 
 United States. 
 
 T^OLONEL GEORGE B. SANFORD, 
 I J| a retired officer of the regular army, 
 
 V»^_^ formerly Colonel of the Sixth 
 United States Cavalry, and now an honored 
 and esteemed resident of Litchfield, was born 
 in the city of New Haven, June 28, 1842, 
 son of William E. and Margaret S. (Craney) 
 Sanford. Colonel Sanford is descended from 
 one of the oldest families of the State. His 
 ancestors for a period of two hundred and 
 fifty years, embracing nine generations, lived 
 and died in New Haven County, within a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 45 
 
 radius of fifteen miles from the city of that 
 name. 
 
 Harvey Sanford, paternal grandfather of the 
 Colonel, was born in Bethany, and was the 
 first of the family to abandon farming. Up 
 to then the Sanfords had been large land- 
 holders and thriving agriculturists, beginning 
 with their first progenitor in this country in 
 1639. Grandfather Sanford established a 
 banking business, in which he showed himself 
 a most successful financier. He was sub- 
 sequently President of the National New 
 Haven Bank for forty years, and was one of 
 the organizers, a stockholder, and an influen- 
 tial Director of the New Haven County 
 Bank. He retained the office of bank Presi- 
 dent until the time of his demise in 1869, at 
 the advanced age of eighty-five years. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Mary Lyman,, 
 was born in New Haven, daughter of an officer 
 in the Continental army. He was descended 
 from a prominent family of Northampton, 
 Mass., whither the emigrant progenitor of the 
 Lyman family located in 1651, and where 
 many of his descendants are still living. 
 The wife of Harvey Sanford also attained a 
 venerable age. She died at New Haven in the 
 same year as her husband, having lived four 
 score of years. She was the mother of eight 
 children, one of whom, James, is yet living. 
 William E. Sanford was educated in the 
 city of his birth, and began his life career as 
 clerk in a store in New York City. He 
 afterward established himself in business in 
 New Haven, and conducted it until 1855, 
 when he retired. Later he engaged in manu- 
 facturing, running factories in different local- 
 ities, and also undertook steam-fitting and 
 other work. In 1865 he retired from active 
 business, and thereafter spent much of his 
 time in travelling, both in this country and 
 Europe. He also changed his residence to 
 
 New York City, where his death occurred 
 May 25, 1895, aged eighty-one years. He 
 was a noble man, and always remained true to 
 the principles in which he was reared. Both 
 he and his wife were conscientious members 
 of the Protestant Episcopal church. He 
 married Margaret S. Craney, the daughter of 
 John and Susan Craney, of New York City, 
 where her father was a distiller, she being the 
 only one of the six children born to her par- 
 ents that is now living. She bore her hus- 
 band ten children, five of whom are deceased. 
 Those living are as follows: Keitty G., mar- 
 ried to Charles H. Woodruff; George B., the 
 subject of this sketch; Charlotte T., the wife 
 of Morris W. Seymour; Elizabeth S., the wife 
 of William B. Hornblower; and Frederick C, 
 a grape-grower in California. The mother is 
 a resident of New York, making her home 
 with her son, the Colonel. 
 
 Colonel Sanford spent the first seventeen 
 years of his life with his parents, receiving a 
 thorough preparation for college. He then 
 entered Yale, and was industriously prosecut- 
 ing his studies when the Civil War began. 
 Young and ardent in the cause of the Union, 
 he could not resist President Lincoln's call 
 to arms; and he offered himself for service. 
 His offer was accepted, and he was appointed 
 Second Lieutenant of the First Dragoons in 
 the regular army. By the close of the war, 
 in recognition of his gallant conduct, he had 
 been advanced to the rank of Captain. He 
 participated in many engagements, being with 
 the Army of the Potomac through its cam- 
 paign and a member of Sheridan's cavalry. 
 After the close of the Rebellion, Colonel San- 
 ford went with his regiment to the Pacific 
 Coast, where for eighteen years he was en- 
 gaged in warfare with the Indians, under 
 the command of General Crook and General 
 Miles. He participated in all of the Indian 
 
46 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 campaigns of that period, being at the fore- 
 front in the more important Indian fights 
 north of Texas and west of the Mississippi 
 River. The record of his promotions is as 
 follows: he was commissioned Second Lieu- 
 tenant of First Dragoons April 26, 1861, 
 First Lieutenant July 20, 1861, Captain Oc- 
 tober I, 1862, Major in March, 1876, Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel of the Ninth Cavalry August 
 20, 1889, Colonel of the Sixth Cavalry July 
 22, 1892. Having served his country faith- 
 fully for thirty-two years, the Colonel then 
 made application for a retirement, and it was 
 granted. 
 
 On September 15, 1874, Colonel Sanford 
 was married to Gertrude Minturn, of Bristol, 
 R.I. Mrs. Sanford is a daughter of Jons 
 Minturn, formerly a well-known importer of 
 goods from China, but later in life a resident 
 of California, where he departed this life in 
 1884. Colonel and Mrs. Sanford have two 
 children, Margaret and Gertrude M. The 
 Colonel is a member of the Sons of the Revo- 
 lution, of the Order of the Cincinnati, and 
 President of the society formed by the sur- 
 vivors of the War of 1812 and their descend- 
 ants. He is also a member of the Loyal 
 Legion, having been Vice-Commander of the 
 Kansas Commandery, and is President of the 
 Connecticut Society of the Order of Cincin- 
 nati. At the time of his entry into ser- 
 vice Colonel Sanford had not completed his 
 studies at his Alma Mater; but the faculty of 
 Yale College subsequently bestowed upon 
 him the degree of A. B., as a compliment to 
 his high standing in military and private life. 
 He is a man of great force of character, clear- 
 headed and firm in his convictions, thor- 
 oughly accomplished, and broad and liberal 
 minded. He is a true Christian in every sense 
 of the term, and with his family is a valued 
 member of the Protestant Episcopal church. 
 
 DWARD T. COE, Treasurer of the 
 Coe Brass Company, whose plant is at 
 Torrington, was born in Waterbury, 
 May I, 1848, son of Lyman W. and Eliza 
 Coe. His grandfather, Israel Coe, the 
 founder of the brass works in Torrington, was 
 born in Goshen, December 14, 1794, and was 
 the son of Abijah and Sybil (Baldwin) Coe. 
 When a boy of thirteen, the accidental dis- 
 charge of a gun caused him to lose his right 
 arm. So maimed for life, the fact in a meas- 
 ure set him apart from his playmates. Only 
 a boy can realize what his deprivation was 
 when he could no longer use the right hand, 
 always kept so busy in boyish sports and 
 pleasures. Israel Coe attended the common 
 schools and Winsted Academy, and in 181 3 
 entered the Torrington cotton factory as clerk, 
 remaining till the company failed. From 
 1 8 19 to 1820 he was Collector and Constable 
 in Goshen; and in 1821 he purchased a hotel 
 in Waterbury, which he conducted till 1826. 
 He was in the employ of Aaron Benedict as 
 agent for gilt buttons for some time, and later 
 was partner with Mr. Benedict, the firm name 
 being Benedict & Coe. In 1834 he sold his 
 interest, purchasing the Willson mill prop- 
 erty, and established the Wolcottville Brass 
 Company in Wolcottville (now Torrington). 
 Mr. Coe was at that time living in Waterbury, 
 but later he removed to Wolcottville. Asso- 
 ciated with him in the business were' Anson 
 G. Phelps, of New York City, and John Hun- 
 gerford, each owning one-third of the stock. 
 The first effort to manufacture brass kettles by 
 the battery process was made in their factory. 
 The work included rolling the brass. Some 
 difficulty having been experienced in mixing 
 the metal, Mr. Coe in 1842 went to England 
 in quest of further knowledge on the subject. 
 On this trip he visited the most reputable 
 brass works in that country, and at length 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 47 
 
 learned the right materials and proper propor- 
 tions of the compound. On May 19, 1841, the 
 original copartnership was dissolved; and a 
 joint stock company was formed under the 
 name of the Wolcottville Brass Company, 
 with a capital of fifty-six thousand dollars, 
 Israel Coe being President of the company 
 and Lyman W. Coe, his son, Secretary and 
 Treasurer. Israel Coe finally retired from 
 active business, spending his last years with a 
 daughter in Waterbury, and died at the age of 
 ninety-six. To his sagacity and energy the 
 State of Connecticut owes a most flourishing 
 industry, that is reckoned among the largest of 
 its kind in the world. 
 
 Lyman W. Coe, son of Israel, was born 
 June 20, 1820, at Torrington Hollow. He 
 worked as clerk in Terryville until 1834, 
 when he entered the store of Wadhams, Coe 
 & Co., remaining two years. Then he was 
 employed by Lewis McKee & Co. at Terry- 
 ville, merchants, and the builders of the first 
 lock manufactory in the country. He was 
 three years here, when in 1841 he was ap- 
 pointed Secretary of the Wolcottville Brass 
 Company. This position he resigned in 
 1845; and in the following year he received 
 charge of a brass wire mill at Cotton Hollow, 
 owned by the Waterbury Brass Company. He 
 was subsequently appointed Secretary and 
 Treasurer of the same company, and was its 
 general business manager until 1863, when 
 he resigned. He then bought up the stock of 
 the Wolcottville Brass Company, and formed 
 a new corporation under the name of the Coe 
 Brass Company, with a capital of one hundred 
 thousand dollars. In this way the father's 
 business passed into the hands of the son, and 
 under his efificient management prosperity 
 continued to smile upon the enterprise. A 
 good business man by inheritance, and with a 
 vision widened by experience, his methods of 
 
 management always bring the best results. 
 Lyman W. Coe was elected to the legislature 
 in 1845, to the lower house in 1858, to the 
 Senate from the Fifth District in 1862, from 
 the Fifteenth District in 1876, and re-elected 
 for two years in 1877. He was pre-eminently 
 the leading man of Torrington, both socially 
 and commercially, and was generally liked 
 and respected. At his death, which occurred 
 in 1893, when he was in his seventy-fourth 
 yeai", the entire force of men in his employ, 
 eight hundred or more, attended the funeral 
 in a body; and all Torrington mourned as for 
 an irreparable loss. Intelligently philan- 
 thropic, he was always ready to aid a worthy 
 cause, whether for private or public benefit. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Coe attended the Episcopal 
 church, in which he was Warden many years. 
 Mrs. Coe is still living, having reared three 
 children, namely: Adelaide, who married 
 W. H. K. Godfrey; Edward T. Coe; and 
 Ella. 
 
 Edward T. Coe, the subject of this sketch, 
 attended a private school in Waterbury, the 
 Gunnery School in Washington, and General 
 Russell's School in New Haven. When eigh- 
 teen years of age, he entered his father's man- 
 ufactory to learn the practical part of the 
 work, and after remaining some time in the 
 work-rooms entered the office as book-keeper. 
 He has now held the position of Treasurer 
 some fifteen years, giving adequate proof that 
 his father's mantle has not fallen on unworthy 
 shoulders. A thorough business man, Mr. 
 Coe is also a true gentleman; and his courtesy 
 and consideration for all with whom he is 
 brought in contact have won for him universal 
 esteem. In 1873 he married Lilly A. 
 Wheeler, daughter of Amos Wheeler, for- 
 merly a leading merchant of Avon. During 
 the last years of his life Mr. Wheeler was a 
 resident of Torrington, where he died. Mrs. 
 
48 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Coe was one of six children, the rest of whom 
 were: Frank M. Wheeler, a shipping clerk 
 Pearly A., station agent at Collinsville 
 Nelly W., who married Edward T. Holly 
 Homer C, a merchant; Leonard, in the 
 employ of the Coe Brass Company. Mrs. 
 Wheeler attends the Congregational church, 
 of which her husband was also a member. 
 Politically, Mr. Coe supports the Republican 
 platform. He was in the legislature in 1886. 
 He is prominent in Masonic circles, being a 
 member of Seneca Lodge of Torrington and 
 of Royal Arch Chapter; and he is also a 
 member of the association of Knights of 
 Honor. His religious belief is that of the 
 Episcopal church, and his wife is a Congrega- 
 tionalist. 
 
 CHILLE F. MIGEON, a prominent 
 manufacturer of Litchfield County, 
 President of the Union Hardware 
 Company of Torrington and a leader in other 
 industrial enterprises, was born in Millbury, 
 Mass., February 7, 1833, son of Henri and 
 Marie Louise (Baudelot) Migeon. Mr. 
 Migeon's father was born in Haraucourt, 
 France, September 11, 1799. He was en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of woollen goods, 
 and in 1828 came to the United States for the 
 purpose of introducing French machinery for 
 the woollen manufacturing industries of this 
 country. He was provided with a letter of in- 
 troduction from General Lafayette to Philip 
 Hone, the Mayor of New York City, by whom 
 he was courteously received; and, being fa- 
 vorably impressed with the outlook for future 
 prosperity, he decided to settle permanently 
 in America. 
 
 Henri Migeon returned to France, bearing 
 messages of grateful acknowledgment to Gen- 
 eral Lafayette from many leading citizens, 
 and in 1829 brought his family to this coun- 
 
 try. He was urged by Governor Wolcott to 
 settle in Wolcottville, Conn., now Torring- 
 ton; but, more favorable financial induce- 
 ments being offered him in Millbury, Mass., 
 he decided to locate there. In 1833, how- 
 ever, he moved to Torrington, where he was 
 employed in the woollen mills for a few 
 years, and then established his residence in 
 Litchfield, Conn., where he became the owner 
 of the Dr. Oliver Wolcott estate, the spacious 
 grounds of which enabled him to gratify his 
 taste for horticulture. In 1837 Mr. Henri 
 Migeon introduced an invention of his own, a 
 method of refinishing broadcloths, which com- 
 pletely revolutionized the trade. He estab- 
 lished his headquarters in New York City, and 
 was eminently successful in his new enter- 
 prise. He retired in 1854, and passed the 
 remainder of his days in Torrington. As a 
 citizen he was loyal and public-spirited. He 
 did much toward beautifying the streets of 
 the town by setting out shade trees. He was 
 deeply interested in the public schools, and 
 was accustomed to give annual gifts to the 
 pupils, in the Centennial year presenting each 
 with a bright new coin, bearing the date 1876. 
 Mr. Henri Migeon possessed intellectual 
 attainments of a high order, and was not only 
 well informed upon important political issues 
 of America and Europe, but was familiar with 
 the current literature of his day. He paid 
 many visits to his native country, and was 
 presented at the court of Napoleon HI. when 
 that emperor was in the height of his prosper- 
 ity. Henri Migeon died in 1876, aged sev- 
 enty-seven years. His wife, Marie Louise 
 Baudelot, who was a native of France, be- 
 came the mother of seven children, six of 
 whom are living, and are as follows: Pau- 
 line, wife of Hiram W. Hayden; Florentine 
 S., wife of Frederick Seymour (both dcr 
 ceased); Eliza, wife of G. B. Turrell; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 49 
 
 Achille F., the subject of this sketch; Ar- 
 cane, Mrs. Henry Munson; Adele, wife of 
 Francis V. Baudelot; and Louise, wife of Cap- 
 tain Brahy, who received the decoration of the 
 Legion of Honor. Mrs. Marie L. Migeon 
 died on board the steamship "Lafayette," 
 while returning from Europe. 
 
 Achille F. Migeon passed his boyhood in 
 Torrington, where he resided until 1843, 
 when his parents moved to Litchfield ; and 
 he commenced his education in the schools 
 of that town. He later attended school in 
 Tarrytown, N.Y., and after a course at the 
 Irvington Institute completed his studies at 
 the Hampden Institute. At the age of six- 
 teen he entered mercantile pursuits' as clerk 
 in a store in Waterbury, Conn., where he re- 
 mained for two years; and he then went to 
 the Middlesex Mills in Lowell, Mass., for 
 the purpose of acquiring a knowledge of the 
 woollen manufacture. 
 
 After eighteen months of practical observa- 
 tion in the woollen mills Mr. Migeon became 
 connected with his father's business in New 
 York City; and in 1854, when he was twenty- 
 one years of age, he, in company with his 
 brother-in-law, Mr. Turrell, purchased the 
 enterprise, which they conducted until 1864. 
 He then sold his interest in the business to 
 his partner, and devoted his entire attention 
 to the development of what is now the Union 
 Hardware Company of Torrington, in which 
 he had already become interested. He moved 
 the plant to its present location, adding to its 
 capacity by the erection of new buildings as 
 business increased; and at the present time 
 the company, of which. Mr. Migeon is Presi- 
 dent, employs three hundred and fifty work- 
 men. Under his energetic management the 
 Union Hardware Company has expanded into 
 large proportions; and their specialties, which 
 consist of roller and ice skates, dog collars. 
 
 gun implements, tackle blocks, police sup- 
 plies, such as belts, clubs, handcuffs, 
 shackles, etc., are used extensively throughout 
 the country. 
 
 Mr. Migeon is President of the Eagle Bi- 
 cycle Company, of which he was one of the 
 principal promoters, President of the New 
 Process Nail Company, and is actively inter- 
 ested in the Excelsior Needle Company, of 
 which he is also President, and which from a 
 small beginning has developed into the largest 
 industry of its kind in the world. Mr. 
 Migeon is a large stockholder and a Director 
 of the Parrot Silver and Copper Mining Com- 
 pany of Butte,. Mont. Of the Bridgeport 
 Copper Company of Connecticut he is Presi- 
 dent, and he is a Director of the brass works. 
 He is a stockholder in the Torrington Water 
 Works. He was made a Mason in the Charter 
 Oak Lodge of New York City in 1854, and is 
 now a member of the Seneca Lodge and of the 
 Chapter, the Council, and the Commandery. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Migeon was united in marriage 
 with Elizabeth Farrell, daughter of Almon 
 and Rtith E. (Warner) Farrell, of Waterbury, 
 Conn. Almon Farrell was the founder of a 
 large foundry and machine shop, and was ex- 
 tensively engaged as a millwright, many of 
 the most important mills Jn the Naugatuck 
 valley having been erected by him. He was 
 for many years prominently identified with 
 the industrial enterprises in the vicinity of 
 Waterbury. He died in 1857, aged fifty- 
 seven years. He and his wife were the parents 
 of seven children, four of whom are still liv- 
 ing, namely: Franklin; Juliet, wife of William 
 Knowles; Elizabeth; and Eleanor, wife of 
 Leverett Bowen. The mother died at the age 
 of seventy-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Migeon 
 have two children, as follows: Virginia 
 Baudelot, who married Dr. Edwin Swift, of 
 New York City, and has one child, named 
 
5° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Elizabeth; and Clara Louise (Cherie), who 
 resides at home. Virginia was educated at 
 the Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York 
 City; and Clara Louise (Cherie) attended Dr. 
 West's school in Brooklyn, N.Y. 
 
 Mr. Migeon is a Republican in politics, and 
 has served as Town Agent and Assessor. He 
 represented his district in the legislature in 
 1877 and again in 1879, ^.nd has held other 
 offices of public trust. Mr. Migeon and his 
 family occupy one of the finest residences in 
 Torrington, erected upon a desirable piece of 
 ground, which he purchased in 1867. They 
 attend the Episcopal church. 
 
 The foregoing sketch of Mr. Achille F. 
 Migeon will be highly appreciated by the 
 readers of the " Review, " both on account of the 
 character, ability, and enterprise of the Messrs. 
 Migeon, father and son, and also by reason of 
 the gratitude and reverence cherished by all 
 true Americans for the memory of the distin- 
 guished friend of the elder Migeons in 
 France, Lafayette — the noble "knight of 
 liberty." 
 
 «■*•** ■ 
 
 ' ^RS. ELIZA P. WETMORE, one 
 of the most respected residents of 
 Winsted, is the widow of John 
 Grinnell Wetmore, a wealthy manufacturer of 
 Winsted, who died in 1887. The name of 
 this family was originally Whitmore, then 
 Witmore, and finally Wetmore. ' Thomas 
 Whitmore came from the west of England to 
 Boston in 1635; and John Whitmore was in 
 Wethersfield, Conn., in 1640. The Wetmore 
 Genealogy states that Samuel was the great- 
 great-grandfather, John the great-grandfather, 
 Seth the grandfather, and John the father of 
 Mrs. Wetmore's husband. 
 
 John Wetmore was born in October, 1780. 
 He was a farmer in Winchester, this county, 
 and for a time was fairly well-to-do. But he 
 
 suffered severe losses; and at the time of his 
 death, which occurred in 1823, he had very 
 little to leave his children. His wife, also 
 born in October, 1780, whose maiden name 
 was Huldah Spencer, daughter of Captain 
 Thomas Spencer, was the mother of seven 
 children. She survived her husband, entered 
 the second time into the matrimonial bonds 
 with Jonathan Coe, a man in good circum- 
 stances, formerly husband of her deceased 
 sister, and died in 1845. 
 
 John Grinnell Wetmore had scant lesources 
 when he started in business, but he held the 
 secret of success. He prospered as a woollen 
 manufacturer and in the manufacture of pins, 
 an industry which he established in Winsted, 
 and which has largely increased the growth of 
 the town. The New England Pin Company, 
 which was started under his auspices, was for 
 over thirty years under his control, turning 
 out great quantities and fine grades of pins. 
 The prize medal " Extra New England Pins, 
 Ultra," are superior to all others, and took 
 the first prize at the World's Fair in Chicago. 
 Each paper contains three hundred and sixty 
 pins. In loose pins the New England Com- 
 pany turns out twelve sizes. Mr. Wetmore 
 was a bright and ingenious man, of indomi- 
 table energy. His early demise was partly due 
 to overwork. 
 
 Mrs. Wetmore's maiden name was Eliza 
 Phebe Lee. She was born in Springfield, 
 Mass., and was the daughter of Colonel Ros- 
 well and Phebe (Potter) Lee, the former of 
 New York State, the latter of Hamden, Conn. 
 Colonel Lee was a mechanic, and connected 
 with the Springfield Armory as superintendent 
 for twenty years. He was a Colonel in the 
 reserve forces in the last war with Great 
 Britain. His wife died in 1869, at the age of 
 eighty-six years, a very bright and active old 
 lady. They had twelve children, six sons and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 51 
 
 six daughters, eight of whom reached matu- 
 rity. Now Mrs. Wetmore is the only one liv- 
 ing. Her brother, Henry Washington Lee, 
 was rector of Christ Church, Springfield, for 
 nine years and of St. Luke's at Rochester, 
 N.Y., for seven years. When about forty 
 years of age, he was consecrated bishop of a 
 diocese in Iowa. Thereafter he resided in 
 Davenport, of that State, where he died in 
 1874, fifty-nine years old, leaving a widow, 
 two sons, and one daughter. 
 
 Mrs. Eliza P. Wetmore's early home was 
 on Armory Hill, at Liberty Square, where she 
 lived up to the time of her marriage. She 
 perfected her education at a young ladies' 
 seminary, and was married November i, 1848. 
 She then came to Winsted, where she has since 
 resided. She has no children; but a daugh- 
 ter's place is filled by Louise Wetmore 
 Spaulding, child of Jay E. and Eliza Rosset- 
 ter (Wetmore) Spaulding. Miss Spaulding's 
 father is General Manager of the Winsted Pin 
 Company, which was organized in 1851, with 
 the late Mr. Wetmore at its head. Mrs. 
 Wetmore resides at the home erected by her 
 husband in 1869, into which they moved in 
 1870. The estate comprises several acres of 
 beautiful lawn and grounds, with fine green- 
 house and barn, and is one of the most beauti- 
 ful in this section of the State. 
 
 rrSllTRAM PULVER, senior member of 
 the firm of H. Pulver & Son, car- 
 
 riage manufacturers of Torrington, 
 
 was born in Copake, Columbia County, N.Y., 
 December i, 1825, son of Cornelius M. and 
 Phoebe (Van Duser) Pulver. Both his par- 
 ents were natives of Copake. His grand- 
 father, Michael Pulver, was born in the same 
 town, where the family were early settlers, 
 and passed his life there, engaged in farming. 
 
 Cornelius Pulver, our subject's father, was a 
 shoemaker by trade, and spent his life on the 
 farm, dividing his time between the shoe- 
 rtiaker's bench and the fields that yielded their 
 harvests to his labor. He died at the age of 
 sixty. Cornelius Pulver married Phoebe Van 
 Duser, whose term on earth covered the same 
 number of years, she also passing away at 
 sixty. They reared eleven children, three of 
 whom are now living: Hiram, our special sub- 
 ject; Caroline, who married John Fellows; 
 and Mary Ann, who is now Mrs. Shattuck. 
 Mr. Pulver was a member of the' Universalist 
 church, and his wife was a Congregationalist. 
 
 Hiram Pulver worked at farming in his 
 youth. He went to Salisbury when about 
 nineteen years of age, and there learned the 
 trade of a carriage-maker, subsequently work- 
 ing as a journeyman in Salisbury and in 
 Dutchess County, New York. In the latter 
 place he conducted an independent business 
 for some time. In 1845 he came to Torrington 
 to take the position of foreman in a carriage 
 factory, and remained till 1852. In that year, 
 infected with the gold fever, he went to Cali- 
 fornia; but the cost of living was so great 
 and the comforts of life were so few that Mr. 
 Pulver, like many other Eastern men, made 
 but a short stay. He returned in 1854, and 
 started in the carriage business in a small way 
 in Torrington. Year by year his trade in- 
 creased, so that in 1878 he was enabled to 
 build and equip his present extensive factory. 
 He has a large business in carriage making 
 and repairing, and in fact is the leading car- 
 riage manufacturer in the vicinity. 
 
 In 1847 Mr. Pulver married Mary, daughter 
 of Herod Hubbard, of Salisbury. She died at 
 the age of twenty-four, leaving one child; and 
 Mr. Pulver subsequently married Jane Kim- 
 berly, a native of Torrington and daughter of 
 David Kimberly, formerly a well-known tan- 
 
52 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL JIEVIEW 
 
 ner and butcher of that town, but who is now 
 deceased. By his second wife Mr. Pulver had 
 four children, namely: Albert H., the junior 
 member of the firm and the business manager 
 of the factory; Hudson J., M.D., a full ac- 
 count of whose career will be found elsewhere 
 in this work; and Frank, now a student in 
 college. A daughter, Frances, died at eight 
 years of age. 
 
 Mr. Pulver votes the Republican ticket. 
 He and his wife are members of the First 
 Congregational Church. 
 
 tLBERT H. PULVER, the junior mem- 
 ber of the firm of H. Pulver & Son 
 y^ , and manager of the factory, was 
 
 born in Torrington, December 22, 1852, and 
 received his education in the common schools 
 of that town. He learned the trade of car- 
 riage-making with his father, and was ad- 
 mitted to partnership in the business in 1875, 
 the firm name then becoming H. Pulver & 
 Son. He is an efficient manager, and is- a 
 potent factor in the success of the enterprise. 
 
 On June 15, 1877, Albert H. Pulver mar- 
 ried Florence I. Neil, of Brooklyn, N.Y. 
 Her father is a skilled coppersmith, and is 
 now living at the home of his son-in-law and 
 working in the carriage shop. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Pulver have three children: Essie A., Hiram 
 N., and Albert H. 
 
 In political views Albert Pulver agrees with 
 his father, voting the Republican ticket. He 
 and his wife are members of the First Congre- 
 gational Church. 
 
 ERRITT McNEIL, senior member 
 of the McNeil Pharmacy Company 
 of Torrington, which has one of 
 the largest establishments of the kind in the 
 
 State, was born in Torrington, September 13, 
 1865, son of Charles and Emeline (Loveland) 
 McNeil. Charles McNeil was a native of 
 Litchfield. He attended school in Water- 
 town, and entering a drug store in that town 
 as clerk became familiar with the business. 
 In 1850 he opened an apothecary store in Tor- 
 rington, and was the pioneer in the drug busi- 
 ness in the Naugatuck valley, his establish- 
 ment being the only one of the kind in the 
 locality. Mr. McNeil also had a post-office 
 in the building, and was Postmaster for 
 twenty-five consecutive years. In 1858 he 
 purchased a small building on the site of the 
 present handsome establishment, and put in a 
 stock of drugs. His business prospered as 
 years went on, and he enlarged his building 
 and added to his stock in trade. He was 
 again appointed Postmaster under President 
 Cleveland in 1888, and served four years, his 
 term of service in all covering thirty years. 
 But his official duties did not interfere with 
 the prosperity of his drug business; for in 
 i8go, when he retired from active work, he 
 was still the leading druggist of the locality. 
 Mr. McNeil was a capable business man, far- 
 sighted and discreet in his ventures. He was 
 a stockholder in the Torrington Water Com- 
 pany and in the Electric Light Company, 
 being one of the early promoters of the latter 
 corporation. Politically, he was a stanch 
 Democrat, and represented his district in the 
 legislature three times. He was a Mason of 
 long standing, a veteran of Seneca Lodge of 
 Torrington. He was well-known and popular 
 throughout the district, and was universally 
 mourned when he passed away, February 14, 
 1893. Mr. McNeil was then in his sixty-fifth 
 year. His wife is a daughter of Ashbel Love- 
 land, a farmer of Watertown. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Loveland died on the family homestead, the 
 former at the age of eighty-four, the latter at 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S3 
 
 seventy. They were the parents of five chil- 
 dren, three of whom are living, na:mely: 
 Maria, wife of Henry DeForest; Elmira, wife 
 of Henry E. Judd ; and the mother of Merritt 
 McNeil, who was the youngest of the family. 
 She is still living, making her home with her 
 son Merritt. She is a member of the Episco- 
 pal church, in whose interest her late husband 
 was an active worker, organizing the society 
 in Torrington, and raising by subscription the 
 money to build the present fine church edifice. 
 He was clerk of the church for many years, 
 and was also active in the Sunday-school. 
 Mr. and Mrs. McNeil reared but one child be- 
 sides the subject of this sketch, a son Frank, 
 who also is a member of the Pharmacy Com- 
 pany. He was born July 13, 1852, and after 
 attending the schools in Torrington studied at 
 the Cheshire Military Academy for three 
 years, at the end of that time going to work 
 for his father, and acting in the capacity of 
 clerk until the business was given into the 
 control of his brother and himself. He was 
 married in 1876 to Addie Brooker, of Chester, 
 whose parents were among the early settlers of 
 Torrington, and died in that town. Frank Mc- 
 Neil has two daughters, Gertrude and Rowena. 
 Merritt McNeil attended the common and 
 high schools of Torrington. He also studied 
 at Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, and at the 
 Park Avenue Institute, at Bridgeport, prepar- 
 ing for a medical college. He, however, did 
 not enter college, but took an inductive 
 course in the practical use of drugs in his 
 father's store, and on the retirement of the 
 latter was fully qualified to superintend the 
 large and important business. Mr. McNeil 
 married Gertrude M. Hunter, only daughter 
 of A. J. Hunter, of Gardiner, Me., who 
 moved to Florida when Mrs. McNeil was only 
 a child. Her mother is still living, but her 
 father died some time since^ 
 
 In political questions Mr. McNeil is inde- 
 pendent. He is not an office-seeker, but has 
 served on the Board of Selectmen. He and 
 his wife are members of the Episcopal church, 
 as are also his brother and wife. The McNeil 
 Pharmacy Company have a very handsome es- 
 tablishment on Main Street, Torrington ; and 
 the brothers have proved by their successful 
 management of the business their right to a 
 place in the ranks of Torrington' s leading 
 business men. 
 
 M 
 
 R. JAMES E. BISHOP, an enter- 
 prising and successful business man 
 of Thomaston, was born in the town 
 of Madison, New Haven County, on the i6th 
 of April, 1826, son of Charles and Mary 
 (Bacon) Bishop and grandson of John and 
 Irena (Bartlett) Bishop. 
 
 John Bishop, who was of English parentage, 
 was a native of Madison, Conn., and passed 
 the major part of his life in that town. When 
 seventeen years of age, he entered the Ameri- 
 can army during the Revolutionary War as a 
 drummer boy. During the progress of the 
 battle of Saratoga, which" compelled the sur- 
 render of General Burgoyne, he seized a gun, 
 and did such valiant service that he was after- 
 ward promoted to the rank of Corporal. At 
 the close of the war he returned to Madison, 
 where he engaged in agriculture during the 
 remainder of his days. He lived to the ad- 
 vanced age. of ninety-six years. His wife, 
 Irena (Bartlett) Bishop, bore him a son and 
 three daughters. Charles Bishop, the son, 
 began at an early age to learn the trade of a 
 ship-carpenter, at which he worked for many 
 years in his native town. Subsequently, in 
 1840, he removed to Litchfield, where he died 
 in the eightieth year of his age. He and his 
 wife, Mary (Bacon) Bishop, who was a daugh- 
 ter of Josiah Bacon, reared three sons, of 
 
54 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 whom two are still living; namely, James E. 
 Bishop and Charles Bishop. The latter, who 
 is now sixty-three years of age, is a success- 
 ful merchant in Litchfield. Their mother 
 died in Litchfield when she was eighty-nine 
 years old. She was a communicant of the 
 Episcopal church, of which her husband was 
 an attendant. 
 
 James E. Bishop was fourteen years old at 
 the time his parents removed from Madison to 
 Litchfield. He remained with them until he 
 was twenty years of age, acquiring a good 
 practical common-school education and assist- 
 ing his father on the farm. He also worked 
 at the trade of a carpenter and joiner. On 
 leaving home he went to Thomaston, where 
 he secured a position with the Seth Thomas 
 Clock Company. Beginning there at the low- 
 est round of the ladder, he worked his way up 
 step by step until he became foreman in the 
 shops. He was employed by the company over 
 forty years, during seventeen of which he had 
 the entire supervision of the machinery. Nat- 
 ure had endowed him with mechanical in- 
 genuity. This, with the habits of industry 
 acquired during his home life on the farm and 
 a readiness to make the most of his opportuni- 
 ties, enabled him to win the success he has 
 attained. By working over time he has re- 
 ceived five or six days' extra pay during a 
 single month; and during an entire year he 
 has worked thirteen days over full time. He 
 has also engaged to some extent in carpentry, 
 erecting his present home and other houses in 
 the village, which had but thirty-six houses 
 when he first came. 
 
 He was married at twenty-four years of age 
 to Miss Eliza Scoville, ^vho was born in Had- 
 dam. Conn. Their union has been brightened 
 by the birth of one daughter, Julia, who mar- 
 ried Charles Norton, a successful machinist, 
 and has two children, Ida and Fanny, at- 
 
 tending school at Torrington, Conn. In po- 
 litical views Dr. Bishop is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. In 1882 he was appointed a Justice of 
 the Peace, and has served acceptably in other 
 offices, among which may be mentioned that 
 of Assessor and Collector for many years. 
 At the present time he is acting as chairman 
 of the cemetery committee. He was one of 
 the most active promoters of the Thomaston 
 Water Company and the one who was instru- 
 mental in obtaining the charter for the works 
 from the legislature. Dr. Bishop is an ac- 
 tive and influential member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 ON. GEORGE M. WOODRUFF, a 
 prominent lawyer, a railway commis- 
 sioner, and a Judge of the Probate 
 Court since 1868, is a well-known resident of 
 Litchfield, Conn. He was born in this town 
 on March 3, 1836, and comes of ancient and 
 distinguished ancestry. Litchfield was the 
 birthplace of his father, George C. Woodruff, 
 of his grandfather, Morris Woodruff, and of 
 his great-grandfather, James Woodruff, the 
 latter having been ushered into this world 
 August 21, 1749. 
 
 The immigrant ancestor was Matthew 
 Woodruff, who first located in Hartford, mov- 
 ing from there to Farmington in 1672, being 
 one of the eighty-four proprietors of that town- 
 ship, afterward spending his life there. His 
 son Nathaniel became one of the original set- 
 tlers of the town of Litchfield, buying one- 
 sixtieth right to the land August 8, 1721, and 
 moving his family here very soon. His son, 
 Jacob Woodruff, was reared on the old home- 
 stead until becoming of age, when he bought 
 a tract of land in that part of the town now 
 called Morris, and there improved and cleared 
 a farm from the forest, living there until his 
 death in 1790, aged seventy-three years. A 
 
GEORGE M. WOODRUFF. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 57 
 
 man of ability and prominence, he repre- 
 sented the town in the General Court in the 
 years 1759 and 1768, was one of five men 
 chosen as a Committee of Inspection, and 
 from 1759 until 1763 was the only magistrate 
 at South Farms. He was also a volunteer 
 soldier in the war of the Revolution. 
 
 James Woodruff, the youngest son of Jacob, 
 was born, as above mentioned, in 1749, and 
 became one of the well-to-do and substantial 
 farmers of this locality. Like his father, he 
 also served in the Revolutionary army, first 
 in New York City and afterward in the bat- 
 tles along the. Hudson River. He was a life- 
 long resident of Litchfield, dying here in 
 1813. He was twice married, rearing four 
 children by his first wife and two by his 
 second, Morris being the eldest child of the 
 second marriage. 
 
 Morris Woodruff was brought up to farm 
 labor, but early abandoned agriculture in 
 favor of a mercantile career, becoming a clerk 
 in the village of Morris, in the employ of 
 Simeon Harrison, with whom he subsequently 
 formed a partnership in connection with David 
 Levitt, who afterward moved to New York, 
 and became very wealthy. After the dissolu- 
 tion of this partnership Grandfather Woodruff 
 purchased the business, which he conducted 
 successfully for several years. In 1836 he 
 came to the village of Litchfield, living here 
 retired until his demise, May 19, 1840, at 
 the age of threescore and three years. He 
 was a man of great intelligence and influence, 
 active in the management of public affairs, 
 and in 18 14 was appointed Magistrate by the 
 General Assembly, an office which he held 
 during life, and was also Associate Judge of 
 the County Court for eleven years. For sev- 
 eral years he represented the town in the Gen- 
 eral Assembly. He was likewise prominent 
 in military circles, being appointed Captain 
 
 in the Thirteenth Regiment of the Connecti- 
 cut Volunteer Militia in 1809 by Governor 
 Jonathan Trumbull, and in the next few years 
 passing through all the ranks, receiving his 
 commission as Major-general in 1824 from 
 General Wolcott, then Governor of the State. 
 He married Candace Cotton, who bore him 
 six children, two dying in infancy, George C. 
 being the eldest. 
 
 George C. Woodruff passed the first years of 
 his life at the home of his parents in South 
 Farms, attending first the district school and 
 afterward the village academy, which was con- 
 ducted by one of his ancestors. He subse- 
 quently continued his studies at a private 
 school in Bethlehem, under the tutorage of 
 the Rev. John Langdon, being there fitted for 
 college, and was graduated from Yale College 
 in 1825. He entered the Litchfield Law 
 School the same year, under Judge Gould, and 
 in 1827 received his diploma, and was ad- 
 mitted to the bar. The following summer he 
 began the practice of his profession, which he 
 continued for fifty-seven years, being one of 
 the most active and best-known practitioners 
 of the county. His death in 1885, at the 
 advanced age of eighty years, was felt as a 
 loss to the community and to the bar. He 
 was considered one of the leading lawyers of 
 this county, and in some specialties he had no 
 superior in the entire State. For several 
 years he served as County Judge. In the mi- 
 litia he was Major of Division Two, and sub- 
 sequently was made Division Inspector, with 
 the rank of Colonel, serving in this capacity 
 from 1829 until 1833. 
 
 Following in the political footsteps of his 
 ancestors, Colonel Woodruff was a stanch 
 member of the Democratic party; and in 1861 
 he represented his party in Congress. When 
 a young man, he acted as Assistant Postmaster 
 of Litchfield; and from 1829 until his resigna- 
 
58 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion in favor of a younger brother he held the 
 office of Postmaster. The maiden name of 
 his wife was Henrietta S. Seymour. She was 
 a sister of the late Chief Justice of Connecti- 
 cut, and was born in the town of Litchfield, 
 where her father was engaged in merchandis- 
 ing, and also carried on farming as a pastime. 
 He was one of the foremost men of the place, 
 being High Sheriff for many years, besides 
 holding various other offices of trust. He was 
 a native-born citizen, being a son of Major 
 Moses Seymour, who was an officer of the 
 Revolution and a lifelong resident of Litch- 
 field. Colonel Woodruff and his wife were 
 very active workers in the Congregational 
 church and among its most valued members. 
 She survived her husband, attaining the ripe 
 old age of fourscore and six years. 
 
 George M. Woodruff was the only child 
 reared by his parents, and on him was lavished 
 the attention due the only son. Much care 
 was given to his moral as well as his intellect- 
 ual development, he being well trained at the 
 home fireside, while he acquired the rudi- 
 ments of his education in the district schools. 
 At the age of fifteen years he was sent to 
 Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass., and 
 . after finishing his course at that institution 
 entered Yale College, from which he was 
 graduated in 1857. Having studied law one 
 year in his father's office, Mr. Woodruff at- 
 tended the Cambridge Law School, and in 
 1859 was admitted to the bar in Litchfield 
 County. Continuing in active practice until 
 his appointment as railway commissioner in 
 1874, he won a reputation as one of the 
 strongest and most able lawyers in this sec- 
 tion of the State, his record being unsur- 
 passed. In 1868 he was appointed Judge of 
 Probate, and with the exception of one term 
 has served in this office since that time. 
 
 On June 13, i860, Judge Woodruff was 
 
 united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth F. Par- 
 sons, a native of Flushing, L. I., a daughter 
 of James B. Parsons, a retired merchant, for- 
 merly carrying on a large dry-goods business 
 in New York City. In 1880 Mr. Parsons 
 came to Litchfield, and here spent his declin- 
 ing years, dying at the venerable age of 
 eighty-five. He married Eliza T. Cock, who 
 survives him. Both were true believers in 
 the Quaker faith. Four of their six children 
 are still living, the mother making her home 
 with the youngest daughter in Denver, Col. 
 The union of Judge and Mrs. Woodruff has 
 been hallowed by the birth of three children: 
 George Catten, Eliza Parsons, and James Par- 
 sons. George C, the eldest, is editor and 
 proprietor of the Litchfield Enquirer. He is 
 finely educated, being a graduate of Amherst 
 College, having also been a student at Yale, 
 and is well fitted for the profession of journal- 
 ism. He married Lucy E. Crawford, of Balti- 
 more, Md. Eliza P. is the wife of Alexander 
 McNeill, a broker in New York City. She 
 is quite accomplished, having completed her 
 studies at Miss Porter's School in Farmington. 
 James P., a lawyer in the office with his 
 father, is a graduate of Amherst College and 
 Yale Law School, and a man of good mental 
 ability and attainments. He married Miss 
 Lillian C. Bell, of New York. 
 
 Judge Woodruff has been indefatigable in 
 advancing the prosperity of his native town 
 and county, serving with fidelity in its various 
 offices, having been Town Treasurer since 
 i860. For three terms, in 1863, 1865, and 
 1872, he represented the town in the State 
 legislature. He is President of the Litch- 
 field Savings Society and Treasurer of the 
 Litchfield Fire Insurance Company. In poli- 
 tics he is one of the most prominent members 
 of the Democratic party. He has been Dea- 
 con of the Congregational church since 1859, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S9 
 
 and Avas superintendent of the Sunday-school 
 for twenty-nine years. His wife and children 
 are also active in the work of that church, 
 being among its most faithful members. 
 
 A portrait of Judge Woodruff is appropri- 
 ately placed in this gallery of Litchfield 
 County worthies. 
 
 LMON C. RANDALL, President of 
 the Iron Bank of Falls Village, was 
 born in Greenwich, Conn., Septem- 
 ber 21, 1817, son of John and Laura (Beach) 
 Randall. Mr. Randall's grandfather, Tim- 
 othy Randall, resided in Bridgewater, Conn., 
 was a weaver by trade, and died at the age of 
 eighty-nine. His children were : Polly, Sally, 
 John, Betsey, Allen, Smith, and Epinetus. 
 John Randall, Mr. Randall's father, was a 
 native of Greenwich. He adopted agriculture 
 as an occupation, becoming a prosperous 
 farmer, and also engaged in the manufacture 
 of brick. He died in Bridgewater, at the age 
 of seventy-six. His wife, Laura Beach, who 
 was a daughter of Caleb Beach, of Bridge- 
 water, Conn., bore him five children; namely, 
 Caroline, Almon C. (the subject of this 
 sketch). Aim Ira, Flora, and Emeline. She 
 died at the age of eighty-six. 
 
 Almon C. Randall attended the schools of 
 his native town. At the age of fifteen he 
 worked as a farm laborer for five dollars per 
 month. He continued in that occupation for 
 two years, at the expiration of which time he 
 entered mercantile business as a clerk. After 
 serving in that capacity for four years he 
 became a partner with his employer. Two 
 years later he was forced to withdraw from the 
 firm, after losing all he possessed, and he 
 again resumed clerking. He had been so en- 
 gaged for two years more when hard work 
 resulted in ill health, and he was obliged to 
 
 relinquish active employment for some time. 
 Upon the restoration of his health he secured 
 a position in the Bridgeport Bank. Later he 
 became Cashier of the Iron Bank in Falls Vil- 
 lage, a position which he had very acceptably 
 filled for four years, when he resigned in order 
 to accept a similar position in the Meriden 
 Bank. After remaining in that town for an 
 equal length of time, he returned to the Iron 
 Bank in Falls Village. In 1880 he was 
 elected President of the bank, and he has held 
 that ofiHce since. Thorough knowledge, care- 
 ful judgment, and exceptional business abil- 
 ity have characterized his administration, 
 which must be largely credited with the pros- 
 perity of the bank. 
 
 In 1845 Mr. Randall was united in mar- 
 riage to Minerva Northrop, daughter of Waite 
 S. Northrop, of Brookfield, Conn. He has 
 three children by the union, namely: Caro- 
 line, wife of George W. Hall ; Lucy C. ; and 
 George A. Mr. Randall has served as a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Selectmen and as an 
 Assessor. He is a member of Montgomery 
 Lodge, No. 31, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 ENJAMIN PLATT, of Thomaston, 
 where for nearly forty years he was 
 in the employ of the Seth Thomas 
 Clock Company, was born in the town of 
 Prospect, then Waterbury, Conn., on the anni- 
 versary of Washington's Birthday, in 1806. 
 His parents were Benjamin and Nancy (Bris- 
 tol) Piatt, the former of whom was born in 
 Old Milford, in 1782. 
 
 His grandfather, who also bore the name of 
 Benjamin Piatt, was a farmer. He fought on 
 the side of his country in the Revolutionary 
 War, and died fifty years of age. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Abigail Green, bore 
 him eight children. His son, Benjamin Piatt, 
 
6o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was reared on the farm, and thereafter success- 
 fully engaged in farming as an occupation. 
 He died on his farm in Prospect on August 3, 
 1870, eighty-eight years of age. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Nancy Bristol, was 
 born in Milford in April, 1785, and reared 
 him a family of twelve children. Of these, 
 five are still living, namely: Benjamin Piatt; 
 Delia, the widow of Luther Morse; Jane E. 
 Piatt; John R. Piatt; and Mrs. Augusta Hall, 
 a widow. Their mother spent her last days in 
 Prospect, where she died at the age of eighty- 
 two years. Both parents were consistent mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 Benjamin Piatt lived with his parents until 
 he was twenty-two years of age, receiving a 
 good practical education in the common 
 schools of his native town. He then went to 
 work in Waterbury, and for six years was en- 
 gaged in driving a team from that place to 
 New Haven. In the winter of 1831, while so 
 employed, the harbor being frozen over, he 
 made a tfip to New York, driving four horses, 
 and upon his arrival in New York putting up 
 at the Bull's Head Hotel, then the only public 
 stopping-place in that part of the city. In 
 1834 he removed to Thomaston, where he was 
 engaged by the Seth Thomas Clock Company 
 in a similar capacity, making trips for them 
 to New Haven and Hartford, both of which 
 places were about thirty miles distant. He 
 did this for about twenty years, or until the 
 construction of the railroad, after which he 
 took a position in the packing-room of the 
 company. He worked here until 1873, when 
 he resigned, and has since for the most part 
 lived a retired life. Although now eighty- 
 nine years of age, for a man who has done so 
 much hard work all his life he is remarkably 
 well preserved, both physically and intel- 
 lectually. 
 
 He was married in 1838 to Miss Agnes 
 
 Welton, of Hamilton, N.Y. , who was a daugh- 
 ter of Willard Welton, a successful lawyer of 
 that State. Toward the close of his life her 
 father retired to a farm and still later removed 
 to the village of Hamilton, where he died. 
 He had nine children, of whom four are still 
 living. Mr. and Mrs. Piatt have a son and 
 daughter, namely: William B. , who, born in 
 1 841, received a common-school education, en- 
 tered the Fourteenth Regiment of the regular 
 army, and afterward fell sick, and died in 
 1863, twenty-two years of age; and Helen, who 
 married Jonathan M. Peck, of Bristol, Conn., 
 and has three children — Mary C. , Arthur B. 
 (a civil engineer), and William Tracy. Her 
 husband is a successful agriculturist. 
 
 Mr. Piatt is a Republican in politics and 
 has been prominent in town affairs. He 
 served as a Representative to the legislature in 
 1876 and in 1880, and was elected to the office 
 of Selectman, but declined to serve. He has, 
 however, acted as a member of the Board of 
 Relief for many years. Mr. Piatt and his wife 
 afe active and influential members of the Con- 
 gregational church, and earnest workers in the 
 Sunday-school, in which his wife has served as 
 a teacher for several years. 
 
 ENRV J. ALLEN, of Torrington, 
 Sheriff of Litchfield County and a 
 - V._^ leading man in his district, was 
 born in Manchester, Conn., May 26, 1831, son 
 of William and Hannah (Johnson) Allen, re- 
 spectively natives of Hebron and New London. 
 His grandfather, Hiram Allen, was engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits in Hebron during 
 the greater part of his life. He also taught 
 school, winning the prominence and respect 
 accorded to a capable instructor of youth. He 
 lived to be sixty-two years of age, dying in 
 Torrington. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 William Allen, father of Sheriff Allen, was 
 a blacksmith by trade, and worked at the anvil 
 in Hebron, Granby, Manchester, and New 
 Britain, conducting a smithy in the latter 
 town for thirty years. Late in life, retiring 
 from active business, he moved to Torrington; 
 and his last days were spent in East Haddam, 
 where he died in 1890, at the age of eighty- 
 eight. He was twice . married. His first 
 wife, in maidenhood Hannah Johnson, was a 
 daughter of David Johnson, a prominent farmer, 
 who was well known in New London, Hebron, 
 and Stamford. Mrs. Allen died in New Brit- 
 ain at the age of fifty-eight, having been the 
 mother of eight children, of whom the subject 
 of this sketch is the only survivor. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Allen were originally members of the 
 Methodist church, but were converted to the 
 doctrines of the Second Adventists. 
 
 Henry J. Allen received his education in 
 the common schools and the academy of New 
 Britain. At .seventeen he opened a confec- 
 tionery store in that town, and later was 
 engaged in the confectionery business in 
 Hartford and on North Main Street, Torring- 
 ton. In 1851 he engaged as clerk in the hotel 
 at New Britain; and in 1856, when it passed 
 into the hands of a stock company, he was 
 made superintendent. The following year he 
 rented the house, but relinquished it the next 
 year and engaged as clerk in the Massa.soit 
 House in Chicago. He subsequently rented 
 the Merchants' Hotel in New Haven, and in 
 March, 1859, he purchased the hotel in Tor- 
 rington now known as the Allen House. 
 Among the improvements he has made in the 
 building is the addition, in 1868, of two sto- 
 ries, thereby enlarging it to four stories. His 
 experience in the hotel business in different 
 places had given him a broad knowledge of the 
 requisites for success in catering to the public; 
 and for the next twenty-five years the Allen 
 
 House, under its genial and capable host, had 
 a large patronage. In 1880, finding that other 
 claims on his time interfered with his duties 
 as manager of the hotel, he disposed of the 
 business by letting the house, which is now 
 conducted by Mr. Moulthrop. Mr. Allen has 
 also been a successful auctioneer for thirty 
 years, has dealt extensively in real estate, and 
 for fourteen years has been in the insurance 
 business, now representing the Mutual Life 
 Insurance Company of New York, of which he 
 is one of the most trusted agents. He was 
 elected sheriff of the county in 1884, to serve 
 three years, and has been re-elected each time 
 since. In politics he is a Democrat, and he 
 represented the district in the legislature in 
 1878. He has also served as Town Constable 
 ten years. Deputy Sheriff nine years, and reg- 
 istrar of voters twenty-five years. In all he 
 has been connected with the sheriff's oflfice 
 twenty-three years. His executive ability is 
 fully appreciated throughout the county. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Allen was united in marriage 
 with Ellen, daughter of Augustus Robinson, 
 -a shoemaker of New Britain. Her parents 
 died at her husband's home, the father at 
 eighty-four and the mother at eighty-two 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are the parents of 
 three children, as follows : Henry J., assistant 
 at the jail in Litchfield, who married Mary 
 Walling, of Irvington, and has four children — 
 Emma, Daisy, Harry, and Ellen; Nelly H., 
 who married Herman Huke, assistant superin- 
 tendent of the Needle Company, and has one 
 son, Allen; and Harriet B., who married Pro- 
 fessor Charles T. Grilby, the well-known elo- 
 cutionist and public reader of Boston, who is 
 now studying oratory in Emerson College. 
 
 Mr. Allen is active in Masonic work, having 
 joined the order of A. F. & A. M. in New 
 Britain in 1852, as a member of Harmony 
 Lodge. In i860 he reorganized Seneca 
 
62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lodge, No. 55, of Torrington, it having been 
 disbanded twenty-five years previously; and he 
 was the first Master, holding the position for 
 six years, and after an interim of two years for 
 two years more. He is also a member of the 
 Chapter here, and was formerly a member of 
 Giddings Chapter, No. 20, of New Britain. 
 Mr. Allen attends the Congregational church, 
 of which his wife is a member. 
 
 /^C 
 
 EORGE S. ELMORE, a prominent 
 Y^5| merchant of Litchfield, partner in 
 the firm of Granniss & Elmore, was 
 born in Winchester, Conn., April 29, 1856, 
 son of George W. and Julia Ann (Johnson) 
 Elmore. Mr. Elmore's grandfather, John 
 Elmore, was a native of North Canaan, Conn. 
 He became a prominent lawyer of Litchfield 
 County, and practised his profession in the 
 county courts for many years. He resided in 
 North Canaan, where he died at the age 
 of sixty-three. He married Phoebe Sterling, 
 and she became the mother of six children, as 
 follows: Sterling and John D., who are no 
 longer living; Frederick W. ; Harriet D., 
 who married Henry Drake ; George W. ; and 
 Theodore. She died in Canaan in 1852. 
 Both grandparents were members of the First 
 Congregational Church. 
 
 George W. Elmore, Mr. Elmore's father, 
 was born in North Canaan, August 24, 1831. 
 He learned the trade of a tanner and currier in 
 Winchester, and was employed in these trades 
 by the firm of Elmore, Drake & Co. Their 
 business subsequently passed into the hands of 
 his brothers, Sterling and John D. Elmore. 
 In 1 861 he enlisted as a private in Company 
 F, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Connecticut Vol- 
 unteers, for nine months' service in the Civil 
 War, and after serving thirteen months re- 
 turned home in feeble health. Upon his re- 
 
 covery he was employed at Rockwell's tannery 
 in Winsted for four years, and then went to 
 New York State, where he was engaged in the 
 tanning business with his brother, John D. 
 He later engaged in farming in Litchfield and 
 the adjoining towns, and is at present residing 
 in Litchfield. His wife, Julia Ann (John- 
 son) Elmore, was a daughter of Sheldon and 
 Sarah (Wells) Johnson. Her father, who was 
 a native of Hartford, moved to Torrington, and 
 there became prosperous in farming. He and 
 his wife had six children. Mrs. George W. 
 Elmore became the mother of eleven children, 
 eight of whom are still living; namely, George 
 S. , Ida, Hattie C. , Charles H., Addie L. , 
 Theodore S. , Sarah E., and Ella D. Ida is 
 the wife of M. M. Drake, Hattie C. married 
 George Drake, Addie L. married James H. 
 Bailey, and Sarah E. married Frank L. Leon- 
 ard. Those who are deceased were: Sarah E. , 
 who died aged six years; Eddie J., who died 
 aged eight months; and James W. , who died 
 in 1893, aged forty years. The mother's 
 death occurred in Torrington, September 8, 
 1892, aged fifty-eight years. Mr. Elmore's 
 parents were Adventists. 
 
 George S. Elmore resided with his parents 
 until his father enlisted for the Civil War, at 
 which time he went to live with an aunt, Mrs. 
 Henry Drake. At the age of twelve years he 
 commenced to work upon his grandfathers 
 farm, attending school in the winter season. 
 In 1872 he came to Litchfield; and after work- 
 ing for Charles McNeil, a market gardener, for 
 a year, he entered the employ of Charles B. 
 Lane, who conducted a meat market, and with 
 whom he remained four years. Mr. Lane was 
 succeeded in business by A. L. Judd, but Mr. 
 Elmore continued to work in the market under 
 the new proprietor until 1880. He then 
 formed a partnership with Mr. C. M. Ganung, 
 and they purchased a bankrupt stock, with 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 63 
 
 which they started in a general mercantile 
 business. This firm continued in trade until 
 1882, at which time the present partner, Mr. 
 W. G. Granniss, bought Mr. Ganung's inter- 
 est ; and the firm of Granniss & Elmore have 
 since conducted a very successful business. 
 They carry a complete line of groceries, crock- 
 ery ware, dry goods, gentlemen's furnishings, 
 carpets, and paper-hangings, and have acquired 
 a reputation for being "square " and upright in 
 their dealings. They are good buyers as well 
 as sellers, and import goods when it is for 
 their interest to do so. In 1888 their store 
 was destroyed by fire, but they immediately 
 built their present block, which stands upon 
 the ground formerly occupied by the old dis- 
 trict school, which they purchased of the town. 
 The present building is seventy-five by fifty- 
 nine, with an extension twenty-five feet by 
 nineteen. It is located at 44 West Main 
 Street, one of the finest business positions in 
 town. 
 
 Mr. Elmore is a Republican in politics, and 
 has served upon the Board of Burgesses for two 
 years. He is a charter member of the Lodge 
 of Ancient Order of United Workmen, and of 
 the Order of United American Mechanics, 
 being an ex- Councillor of the latter and Mas- 
 ter of the former lodge ; and he is Financial 
 Reporter of the Lodge of Knights of Honor in 
 Litchfield. He is also a Past Master of the 
 Workmen's Association of Connecticut and of 
 the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and 
 was a delegate to the Grand Lodge in 1893 
 and 1895. He was one of the first members 
 of the Litchfield Fire Company, and is to-day 
 closely identified with that organization. 
 
 On May 21, 1879, Mr. Elmore was united 
 in marriage to Nellie R. Peck, of Litchfield. 
 She was born November 11, 1858, daughter of 
 Charles J. and Julia A. (Bradley) Peck, the 
 former of whom was an old resident of Litch- 
 
 field. Mrs. Elmore's grandfather, Horace 
 Peck, was a prosperous farmer of Litchfield, 
 who died at the age of seventy years. He 
 married Lydia Orton ; and she became the 
 mother of four children, of whom Charles J., 
 Mrs. Elmore's father, was the eldest. Charles 
 J. Peck was born in Litchfield, and was reared 
 to agricultural pursuits. He was also engaged 
 in the wholesale butchering business, which 
 he followed successfully for some years. He 
 died in 1885, aged sixty-four years. His 
 wife, Julia A. Bradley, was born in Litchfield, 
 November 3, 1825, daughter of John R. and 
 Julia A. (Roberts) Bradley. John R. Bradley 
 was a lifelong resident of South Farms, now 
 called Morris, where he followed farming with 
 success. Mrs. Elmore's grandmother, who 
 was born June 3, 1802, became the mother of 
 nine children, of whom Mrs. Elmore's mother 
 was the eldest, and died February 3, i860. 
 Mrs. Charles J. Peck was the mother of six 
 children, as follows: Lydia J., who died at the 
 age of sixteen;- Edwin B. , a butcher of Litch- 
 field; Ella A., wife of William H. Cypher, of 
 Worcester, Mass. ; Julia A., wife of Marvin 
 S. Todd, Jr., of Litchfield; Charles E., who 
 formerly resided upon the old homestead, and 
 died at the age of thirty-four years; and Nel- 
 lie R., who is now Mrs. Elmore. She was a 
 member of the Congregational church, and 
 died at the age of sixty-five years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Elmore have two children, namely: 
 George Orton, who was born December 12, 
 1881; and Paul Bradley, born January 22, 
 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Elmore attend the Con- 
 gregational church, Mrs. Elmore being a mem- 
 ber. Mr. Elmore's business career has been 
 marked by a degree of energy and perseverance 
 that easily accounts for his success. He, how- 
 ever, credits it in a large measure to the 
 timely assistance of Mr. Samuel G. Beach, a 
 prominent citizen of Litchfield, who owned the 
 
64 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 block in which Mr. Elmore first established 
 himself in trade. 
 
 M 
 
 WIGHT C. KILBOURN, a well- 
 known resident of Litchfield, Conn., 
 Clerk of the Superior Court of Litch- 
 field County, was born in this town, October 9, 
 1837. He is the son of William P. and Caro- 
 line A. (Canfield) Kilbourn, and a descendant 
 of early settlers of Connecticut. 
 
 Thomas Kilbourn, who came with his fam- 
 ily from Wood Ditton, in the County of 
 Cambridge, England, arrived on the ship "In- 
 crease" in 1635, and settled in Wethersfield, 
 where he died prior to 1639. His descendants 
 have filled with honor various positions in our 
 national history, and some of them have be- 
 come quite prominent. Among them may be 
 mentioned Jonathan Law, LL. D., Governor of 
 Connecticut in 1741-50; Benjamin Silliman, 
 the distinguished scientist; James Kilbourn, 
 one of the pioneers of Ohio; Byron Kilbourn, 
 the developer of the railroads in the North- 
 west; Payne Kenyon Kilbourn, a distin- 
 guished genealogist and historian. Thomas 
 Kilbourn's grandsons, Joseph and Abraham, 
 settled in Litchfield about 1721, and from 
 them a large posterity descended; and all have 
 been esteemed and reliable citizens. In 1854 a 
 family meeting was held in Litchfield, at which 
 over five hundred descendants were present. 
 
 Abraham Kilbourn, son of John and grandson 
 of Thomas, the immigrant, was born in Wethers- 
 field, and was the first of the family to settle 
 in the town of Litchfield, being among its 
 earliest inhabitants. He was a fuller by occu- 
 pation, and conducted a mill at what is now 
 the village of Bantam, but which was then 
 known as Bradleyville. His descendants in 
 direct line to Dwight C. Kilbourn were all 
 natives and lifelong residents of Litchfield. 
 
 The next in line after Abraham was Jesse. 
 He was a farmer, and was the father of Jacob, 
 who was a farmer and currier, and served as 
 Tax Collector and first Constable for many 
 years. Jacob's son, Norman, was the grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch. He had 
 a large family, of which William P. was one 
 of the older members. 
 
 William P. Kilbourn, father of Dwight C, 
 was born in the village of Bradleyville, town 
 and county of Litchfield, Conn., in 181 1. In 
 early manhood he acquired a knowledge of the 
 carpenter's and wheelwright's trades, which 
 he followed in this county, making his home 
 in Bradleyville. He was a good mechanic, 
 and besides working at his regular trades was 
 often engaged to put machinery into mills of 
 various kinds. He had a wide reputation as 
 an excellent workman, and built the early 
 manufactories in Thomaston in this county. 
 His death occurred in Litchfield, in Novem- 
 ber, 1894, at the advanced age of eighty-two. 
 Llis wife, Caroline A. Canfield, was a daugh- 
 ter of Nathaniel Canfield, a clothier, born in 
 Remsen, N. Y., and was one of a large family. 
 Her mother, formerly Urania Green, was a 
 cousin of Chief Justice Church, of Connecti- 
 cut. Mr. and Mrs. William P. Kilbourn 
 reared two children, namely: Dwight C, 
 whose name appears at the head of this sketch ; 
 and Jane, who married Andrew D. Smith, a 
 successful and prominent farmer of the town of 
 Litchfield. The mother died in November, 
 1894, within five days of her husband, aged 
 eighty-one years, having well fulfilled her part 
 in life. She was a member of the Baptist 
 church. 
 
 Dwight C. Kilbourn attended the common 
 schools of his native town, supplementing his 
 studies by attendance at the normal school 
 during the winters. He remained in Litch- 
 field until the age of twenty-one, and was 
 
DWIGHT C. KILBOURN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 67 
 
 engaged for some time in teaching. On at- 
 taining his majority he went to Ohio and 
 taught school at College Hill, not far from 
 Cincinnati, remaining there some three years, 
 and benefiting by a course of private instruc- 
 tion during this period. In i860 he returned 
 home and began the study of law with Origen 
 S. Seymour, afterward Chief Justice of the 
 Supreme Court of Connecticut. Soon after 
 the breaking out of the Civil War he relin- 
 quished his studies for a time and enlisted in 
 Company A, Second Connecticut Heavy Artil- 
 lery. He saw active service under Grant and 
 Sheridan, taking part in the famous Shenan- 
 doah Valley campaign. He was wounded 
 while in the discharge of duty at the battle of 
 Opequan, and sent to the hospital, after his 
 recovery receiving promotion to the rank of 
 First Lieutenant. Toward the close of the 
 war he had charge of a detachment engaged on 
 the fortifications around Washington and Alex- 
 andria, and dismantled several forts. Having 
 been honorably discharged after three years of 
 service, he came back to Litchfield and re- 
 sumed his study of the law, being admitted to 
 the bar in 1866. Going to New York City he 
 remained a short time engaged in the practice 
 of his profession, but soon took advantage of 
 a favorable offer to accept a position as travel- 
 ling salesman in Pennsylvania and the Middle 
 States. After some practical experience on 
 the road he engaged in the mercantile business 
 in East Litchfield, and was variously occupied, 
 holding the position of station agent for nine- 
 teen years, also practising law for some time 
 in company with Chief Justice Andrews, and 
 later independently, until 1887, when he was 
 burned out and lost a valuable library. 
 
 In 1888 he was appointed Clerk of the Supe- 
 rior Court of Litchfield County, which position 
 he has ably filled to the present time. He is 
 also prominent in educational affairs, having 
 
 been secretary of the School Board for twenty 
 years. He is Commander of the Seth F. 
 Plumb Post, Grand Army of the Republic; 
 Secretary of the Second Artillery Veteran 
 Association ; and President of the Veterans' 
 State Association. He is also a member of 
 the Army and Navy Club. In the Masonic 
 Order he is a member of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 
 II, A. F. & A. M., and Darius Chapter, No. 
 16. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 Mr. Kilbourn was married July 5, 1866, to 
 Sarah M. Hopkins, a daughter of Edward 
 Hopkins, a well-known citizen, who died in 
 this town at the age of eighty years. On the 
 maternal side Mrs. Kilbourn is descended from 
 Joseph Harris, one of the earliest settlers of 
 Litchfield. She is a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 Mr. Kilbourn is a gentleman of cultivated 
 mind and wide intelligence. He takes much 
 interest in historical and genealogical matters, 
 and, having at his command a large fund of 
 valuable information, has come to be recog- 
 nized as an authority on these subjects. In 
 1881 he delivered the historical address at 
 Litchfield, on the occasion of the centennial 
 celebration of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 11, 
 A. F. & A. M. In religion Mr. Kilbourn is 
 of the liberal faith. His personal character is 
 above reproach, his conduct in the affairs of 
 every-day life being so guided as to win the 
 respect of those whose good opinion is most to 
 be desired. Both he and his wife are promi- 
 nent in the best society of Litchfield. 
 
 A portrait of this influential citizen is 
 placed on a preceding page. 
 
 |LISHA J. STEELE, superintendent of 
 the wire rod and tubing department of 
 the Coe Brass Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, of Torrington, was born in this town 
 
68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 June 29, 1843, a son of William S. Steele, a 
 native of Derby, New Haven County. His 
 grandfather, Norman Steele, was a well-to-do 
 manufacturer of New Haven County, and, pre- 
 sumably, spent the entire forty-two years of 
 his life in the town of Derby. He married 
 Hannah Spencer, who bore him seven chil- 
 dren, none of whom are now living. 
 
 William S. Steele, the father of Elisha J. 
 Steele, was educated and reared to manhood in 
 the village of Waterbury. There he learned 
 the trade of soldering brass, and for many 
 years followed that occupation in the button 
 factory. In 1838 he removed to Torrington, 
 then called Wolcottville, and went to work as 
 a button solderer in the manufactory of Wad- 
 hams & Webster. In this employment he rose 
 to the position of superintendent of the works, 
 which in time became one of the most promi- 
 nent establishments in the place. He worked 
 here until his decease, at the age of forty-two 
 years. William S. Steele had much natural 
 ability, was a clever mechanic, and a man of 
 considerable executive force. He also pos- 
 sessed a fine musical taste, took much interest 
 in musical enterprises, and was for ten years 
 chorister at the Third Congregational Church. 
 He was also influential in religious work, 
 and widely and favorably known in political 
 circles, having been one of the founders of the 
 Republican party. His wife, in maidenhood 
 Caroline Jones, was the daughter of Darius 
 Jones, of Cheshire, New Haven County. Mr. 
 Jones was a farmer by occupation, and spent 
 his entire life in Cheshire, dying at the good 
 old age of seventy-five years. He married 
 Abigail Bristol, a native of Wallingford, who 
 had one other child besides Caroline. She 
 was the mother of seven children, three still 
 living, namely: Abigail, wife of Florimand 
 D. Fyler; Elisha J. ; and George B. She 
 .survived her husband, spending her last days at 
 
 Torrington. Both she and her husband were 
 prominent members of the Third Congregational 
 Church, and very active in denominational work. 
 
 Elisha J. Steele began working with his 
 father in the button factory when a boy of 
 twelve years. Subsequently he took up the 
 papier-mache business, and was employed 
 thereat when the Civil War began. At the 
 first war meeting held in this town his was 
 the first name enrolled of those of the eleven 
 men who enlisted at that time. He became 
 a member of Company I, Fourth Connecticut 
 Volunteer Infantry, subsequently changed to 
 the First Connecticut Heavy Artillery, and 
 served as a private four years and three 
 months. His regiment was one of the best 
 organized and commanded of any in the State, 
 and won a grand record for bravery and fidel- 
 ity. Mr. Steele participated in many engage- 
 ments. He served all through the Peninsular 
 campaign, including the siege of Yorktown, 
 was with Grant in the engagements before 
 Richmond and Petersburg, and assisted in the 
 defence of Washington. After his discharge 
 at New Haven, August 12, 1865, Mr. Steele 
 went back to his native town and entered the 
 employment of Turner & Clark, of the Sey- 
 mour Manufacturing Company. He worked 
 for this firm until 1875, when he engaged with 
 the Coe Brass Company as superintendent of 
 the press department. F"rom this position 
 after four years he was promoted to the super- 
 intendency of the wire and rod department, 
 and in 1889 he was given the additional 
 responsibility of directing the brazed and 
 seamless tube department. In these capacities 
 he has control of about three hundred men. 
 
 In January, 1864, Mr. Steele was united in 
 marriage with Sophia H. Skiff, the daughter 
 of Nathan and Adelia (Milliard) Skiff, suc- 
 cessful farming people of this county. Of this 
 union four children have been born; namely. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 69 
 
 Jennie A., Abbie A., William S., and Annie 
 A. Abbie A. died at the age of two years. 
 The eldest daughter, a cultured and highly 
 accomplished young lady, received her educa- 
 tion at the New England Conservatory of 
 Music in Boston, is now a most successful 
 teacher in the public schools of this town, and 
 has also taught music in the schools of West- 
 field, Mass. William S. is a graduate of the 
 Torrington High School, and Annie is still 
 attending school. 
 
 In politics Mr. Steele is a Republican ; and 
 during the legislative session of 1887 and 1888 
 he served his constituents with credit in the 
 legislature, having been chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Appropriations, besides taking a 
 prominent part in the discussions of the 
 House. For the past ten years he was chair- 
 man of the town Republican Committee, and 
 for six years he was chairman of the Board of 
 Education. In 1890 he was appointed one of 
 a special commission to attend the centennial 
 celebration of the settling up of the Western 
 Reserve in Ohio. He is prominently identified 
 with the Grand Army of the Republic, being 
 Junior Vice-Commander, and ex-Commander 
 of the Steele Post, named in memory of his 
 brother, who was killed at Petersburg. In 
 1 891 Mr. Steele was an aide on the staff of 
 General Russell A. Alger, and in 1876 he was 
 one of a committee of three appointed to erect 
 a monument in memory of the brave soldiers 
 of Torrington who lost their lives in fighting 
 for the nation's honor. He is a charter mem- 
 ber of the Knights of Honor, and has served as 
 treasurer since its organization eleven years 
 ago. Mr. Steele is President of the Republi- 
 can Club of Torrington, and was chosen as 
 delegate at large to the National Convention 
 held at Cleveland in June, 1895. He also be- 
 longs to the Army and Navy Club of Connecti- 
 cut, and is a member of the Savings Bank 
 
 Corporation. On Decoration Day. each year 
 it has long been his practice to see that a flag 
 is placed upon every soldier's grave, which he 
 alone, of all the members of the post, can 
 locate with certainty. He and his family are 
 members of the Third Congregational Church ; 
 and he is now chairman of the society com- 
 mittee, has been leader of the choir, and was 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school for eight 
 years. He is likewise a leader and hard 
 worker in the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion, was one of its principal organizers, is 
 chairman of the Committee on Finance, and 
 has been a Director since its inception. Mrs. 
 Steele takes an earnest interest in all religious 
 work, and has held the office of President of 
 the Ladies' Aid Society. 
 
 EV. HIRAM STONE, rector of St. 
 Paul's Episcopal Church at Bantam, 
 in the town of Litchfield, and of 
 Trinity Church, of Milton, same town, was 
 early imbued with a deeply religious spirit, 
 and was naturally endowed with the gifts that 
 have made him a teacher and a leader of men. 
 He is a native of Litchfield, born July 25, 
 1824, a son of Russell Stone, who was born in 
 this town, November 26, 1798. Mr. Stone is 
 descended from one of the early settlers of the 
 historic town of Guilford, Conn. — the town 
 from which have originated so many of the dis- 
 tinguished men of this and past generations. 
 His ancestral history is traced back to one, 
 the Rev. Samuel Stone, who was born in 1585, 
 and doubtless spent his life in England. 
 
 William Stone, son of the Rev. Samuel 
 Stone, born in 1610, was the migrating ances- 
 tor, coming to the United States in 1639, 
 mayhap with the Rev. Henry Whitfield's little 
 flock, as he located in Guilford in the same 
 year, making that his home unti.l his death, 
 
7° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in 1683. He was a tiller of the soil; and his 
 descendants for several generations were horny- 
 handed sons of toil, gaining their subsistence 
 by the sweat of their brows from the produc- 
 tions of the earth. Thomas Stone, the pa- 
 ternal grandfather of the Rev. Hiram Stone, 
 was born September 21, 1755, in Guilford, son 
 of Thomas Stone, Sr., who spent his life in 
 that town, having been born in 1731, and 
 dying in 1778. Grandfather Stone was reared 
 to agricultural life, and was one of the brave 
 farmers who fought in the Revolution, for 
 which service he afterward received a pension. 
 He subsequently settled in this town, buying a 
 house on Prospect Mountain, where he died at 
 the venerable age of eighty-eight years. He was 
 twice married, reared four children by his first 
 wife and six by his second wife, the maiden 
 name of the latter being Polly Parmalee. 
 
 Russell Stone, who was born in the closing 
 years of the last century, early learned the 
 trade of a blacksmith, and followed that occu- 
 pation in Bantam until his decease, at the 
 comparatively early age of thirty-six years. 
 He formed a matrimonial alliance with Lucia 
 Palmer, the daughter of John Palmer, formerly 
 superintendent of the rolling-mills in Litch- 
 field, where he died at an advanced age. She 
 was one of a family of nine children, and was 
 descended from Puritan stock, the first mem- 
 ber of the family to come to this country hav- 
 ing been one Walter Palmer, who landed in 
 Salem, Mass., in 1629. The mother, who 
 was born August 9, 1802, died in Waterbury, 
 Conn., September 23, 1842, having survived 
 her husband several years, he having preceded 
 her to the grave July 25, 1834, the tenth anni- 
 versary of the birth of his only son, Hiram 
 Stone. They were the parents of but two 
 children, the other, Louisa, being now dead. 
 The Rev. Hiram Stone made his home with 
 his mother during her lifetime, and acquired | 
 
 the rudiments of his education in the district 
 schools and at select schools in this locality. 
 He began his professional career as a teacher. 
 In 1849, being desirous of further mental 
 training and higher attainments in learning, 
 that he might be fitted for a clerical position, 
 Mr. Stone began studying with a private tutor, 
 and in 1851 was admitted as a candidate for 
 orders. After pursuing his studies still 
 further at the Berkeley Divinity School for 
 two years he was ordained to the ministry, and 
 was appointed to his first charge in 1854 at St. 
 John's Church in Essex. Two years later Mr. 
 Stone went to Kansas, there being a wide 
 field for missionary work in that new country, 
 and for three years labored in the Master's 
 cause in Leavenworth, then a border town. 
 His efforts were rewarded, being attended by 
 a great awakening; and under his charge the 
 first Episcopal church between there and the 
 Rocky Mountains was organized. In 1859 he 
 accepted an appointment from the government 
 as chaplain at Fort Leavenworth, and during 
 the eight years he labored with the soldier 
 boys his ministry was fraught with good work. 
 He was then sent to Fort Sully, Dak., going 
 thence to Fort Totten, Benson County, and, 
 after a year's ministry, administered to Fort 
 Wadsworth in the same State. In 1876, hav- 
 ing spent sixteen years in army life on the 
 Western frontier, Mr. Stone tendered his res- 
 ignation to the government and returned to the 
 town which gave him birth. Since that time 
 he has been engaged in pastoral work in this 
 locality, having been settled over St. Paul's 
 Church for a longer period of time than any 
 other minister of his denomination in Litch- 
 field County. Without thought of self, and 
 with the true and humble spirit of the Master, 
 he has labored faithfully in his chosen calling, 
 and has been rewarded by the large increase in 
 the membership of his church, which now 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 71 
 
 numbers twofold as many communicants as 
 when he came here. 
 
 On September 10, 1855, Mr. Stone was 
 united in wedlock with Wealthy A. Lewis, 
 one of nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Augustus Lewis, prosperous farming people of 
 Haddam. Of this happy union two children 
 have been born, Lewis H. and Carrie Louisa. 
 Lewis H., whose birth occurred October 5, 
 1866, was educated at Trinity College, Hart- 
 ford, and subsequently was graduated from the 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons in New 
 York City. In 1890 he was appointed sur- 
 geon in the United States Navy, and has been 
 promoted at different times. Now, after hav- 
 ing travelled extensively, he is located at 
 Montevideo, South America. Carrie Louisa, 
 born September 28, 1869, was educated at St. 
 Margaret's School in Waterbury, Conn. She 
 married John Brock, of Pittsburg, a public 
 ofificial; and they have two children, Marie 
 L. and Gertrude Stone Brock. The first wife 
 of Mr. Stone died at the age of forty-one 
 years. She was a woman of tried and true 
 character, nobly assisted him in his Christian 
 labors, and was a devout member of the Epis- 
 copal church. He subsequently married Mrs. 
 Sarah (Aldridge) Phelps, the daughter of 
 Charles Aldridge, and the widow of the late 
 George Phelps. Mr. Stone, who is every- 
 where esteemed, being popular outside of his 
 church relations, is a most genial and pleasant 
 man, whose influence for good is universally 
 recognized, and whose friends number legion. 
 He is connected with the Seth F. Plumb Post, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, being its 
 chaplain. 
 
 frX re: 
 
 LFRED C. HOPKINS, a respected 
 resident of Torrington and agent of 
 the United States Express Com- 
 pany, was born in Northfield, Conn., April 8, 
 
 i860, son of Joseph and Delia (Atwood) Hop- 
 kins. His grandfather, Edward Hopkins, 
 lived in his early manhood in Campville, 
 Conn., where he was successfully engaged in 
 the manufacture of wooden clocks. He after- 
 ward settled on a farm in Northfield, where he 
 engaged in agriculture with profit, spending the 
 remainder of his life in that occupation. He 
 took an active part in the affairs of the town 
 and the church, always solicitous for the pub- 
 lic good. He died in Northfield in the year 
 1876. 
 
 Joseph Hopkins was born in Northfield, 
 where he grew to manhood on the old home- 
 stead, assisting his father in carrying on the 
 farm. Having acquired a good practical edu- 
 cation in the common schools, he and a brother 
 were successful teachers in that locality for 
 several years. After Joseph Hopkins became 
 of age he engaged in a mercantile life in 
 Plainville, where he conducted a successful 
 business until 1862. Then he sold out and 
 returned to the old homestead, where he has 
 since lived and prospered as a farmer. He 
 takes an active interest in all matters that con- 
 cern the welfare of his town, and has served 
 most acceptably in several of the town offices. 
 His wife, Delia (Atwood) Hopkins, is a native 
 of Watertown, Conn., and a daughter of David 
 Atwood. Her father was profitably engaged 
 in farming during the greater part of his life. 
 She bore her husband five children, of whom 
 three sons still survive, namely: Alfred C, 
 subject of this sketch; Elbert, residing at 
 home on the farm; and Joseph, who is attend- 
 ing college at Ashburnham, Mass. Both par- 
 ents are communicants of the Congregational 
 church, in which the father has served as 
 Deacon for many years. 
 
 Alfred C. Hopkins received his early edu- 
 cation by attending the common schools of 
 Northfield, and later a school at Thomaston, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Conn. He remained at home with his father 
 until he attained his majority. He then came 
 to Torrington, where he secured a position as 
 shipping clerli in the wood department of the 
 Union Hardware Company. Later on he was 
 employed in the needle factory, where he re- 
 mained about two years. For the two succeed- 
 ing years he was engaged as a contractor in 
 Mount Carmel, Conn., from which place he 
 removed to Morris, Conn., where he pur- 
 chased a farm at the south end of Bantam 
 Lake. Here, besides farming, he engaged in 
 a boating business, which he conducted for 
 five years. In 1888 he returned to Torrington 
 and was employed in the needle shop up to 
 January i, 1890, when he embarked in general 
 trucking and expressing, purchasing the inter- 
 est and outfit of Robert Stone. His predeces- 
 sor employed but two horses. He has since so 
 increased the business that he keeps fifteen 
 horses for its needs, and hires from six to 
 eight. Throughout the busy season he keeps 
 ten or twelve double trucks employed. He 
 also takes contracts for grading, cellar excava- 
 tion, and sirpilar work. At the age of twenty- 
 one years, in August of 1881, Mr. Hopkins 
 was joined in marriage with Miss Georgiana 
 Staples, only daughter of Edson and Mary 
 (Thompkins) Staples, of Litchfield, where 
 the former was engaged in the business of a 
 carriage-maker for many years. A paternal 
 uncle of Mrs. Hopkins was a well-known and 
 extensive hat manufacturer in Danbury, Conn., 
 for many years. Her mother died when she 
 was but three years of age. Mr. Staples after- 
 ward made a second marriage, and of this 
 union four children were born. 
 
 Following the example of previous genera- 
 tions of his family, Mr. Hopkins is a Republi- 
 can. He is a well-known member of the 
 Knights of Pythias and of the Order of Red 
 Men, in both of which he has held office. He 
 
 business 
 March i, 
 
 and his estimable wife are active and influen- 
 tial members of the Congregational church and 
 Sunday-school. Mrs. Hopkins is connected 
 with several of the societies of the church. 
 They reside at their pleasant home at 57 Pros- 
 pect Street. 
 
 IDNEY P. ENSIGN, Secretary of 
 the Barnum, Richardson Company 
 of Lime Rock and a well-known 
 man, was born in Canaan, Conn., 
 1834, son of Sidney and Clarinda 
 (Prentice) Ensign. His grandfather, Ely 
 Ensign, who was a native of Litchfield 
 County, was a farmer, and spent his life in 
 Canaan. He married Lucy Dean, and they 
 reared five children; namely, Sidney, John 
 E., Lee, Harriet, and Martha. Sidney En- 
 sign, Sr., was born in Canaan; and there, too, 
 his life was spent. He was a woollen manu- 
 facturer and fairly well-to-do. He lived to 
 be eighty-seven years of age. His wife, who 
 was the daughter of the Rev. Charles Pren- 
 tice, of Canaan, died at forty-five. They also 
 reared five children: Sidney P., Charles L., 
 Ely, Martha, and Theodore. 
 
 Sidney P. Ensign entered the business 
 world as an office boy. This was beginning 
 at the bottom, an event to which he is in- 
 debted for much valuable experience. In 
 1857 he entered the employ of the Barnum, 
 Richardson Company, manufacturers. He 
 was book-keeper for some time, and later 
 travelling agent. In 1864 he became a stock- 
 holder, and was subsequently made secretary. 
 For the past thirty years he has been closely 
 identified with the interests of the company, 
 which has a flourishing business, and is well 
 known throughout the locality. Much of its 
 success is attributable to the good judgment 
 and business ability of its secretary. 
 
 In 1859 M''- Ensign was united in marriage 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 73 
 
 to Jane E., daughter of Alexander Belcher, 
 of Salisbury; and three children blessed their 
 union. These were: Clarinda, wife of Erving 
 R. Fenton, of Lime Rock; Harriet; and Lucy. 
 In politics Mr. Ensign is a Democrat and 
 very active in the interests of his party. He 
 was a Representative to the legislature in 
 1871, a State Senator in the sessions of 1891 
 and 1893, and has served on the State Central 
 Committee for twenty years or more. The 
 family have a pleasant home at Lime Rock, 
 and are numbered among the most valued resi- 
 dents of the town. 
 
 /^^TeORGE H. hunt, a feed merchant 
 \Pj^ and farmer of Litchfield and a repre- 
 sentative business man of the town, 
 is a native of Alfreton, County Derby, Eng- 
 land, born May 22, 1857. His grandfather, 
 John Hunt, was born at South Wingfield, 
 England. He was a teacher of distinction 
 during his years of -activity, and having 
 rounded out a full period of years passed away 
 at an advanced age in the parish of Alfreton. 
 Mr. Hunt's father, Joseph Hunt, a lifelong- 
 resident of the same place, was born Septem- 
 ber 29, 1813, and died there in 1888. He was 
 a tiller of the soil, and married Mary Ann 
 Slack, the daughter of a farmer in South 
 Wingfield, a town adjoining Alfreton. She 
 was born in 1815, and died at the family 
 home in Alfreton in 1892. She reared six 
 children, namely: Ellen; Harriet, who died 
 at the age of twenty-one years; Joseph; James 
 S. ; Mary Ann; and George H., the subject 
 of this brief personal record. The parents 
 were people of some note in their native town 
 and esteemed members of the Church of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 George H. Hunt spent his early years in 
 England, attending private schools until fif- 
 
 teen years old, when he entered a law ofifice as 
 a clerk, a position which he retained eight 
 years. Returning then to the parental roof,, 
 he assisted his father on the farm one year, 
 and then came to America. He landed in 
 New York City in 1881, and on the 13th of 
 May made his appearance in Litchfield. On 
 the first day of the following June he entered 
 the employment of F. R. Starr, on what is 
 now known as Echo Farm. Three months 
 later this property was purchased by a stock 
 company, and for nearly eight years thereafter 
 Mr. Hunt was secretary of the company. 
 Resigning his position, he bought from the 
 Echo Farm Company their feed business, took 
 a lease of their mills, and has since conducted 
 a successful business. In 1895 Mr. Hunt 
 invested some of his surplus money in land, 
 purchasing the Moulthrop farm, containing 
 one hundred and thirty-five acres of choice 
 land. This he devotes to dairying purposes. 
 He keeps a herd of twenty fine graded cows, 
 besides young stock, and sells pure, unadul- 
 terated milk. 
 
 In 1886 Mr. Hunt was united in the bonds 
 of matrimony with Elizabeth Williamson, a 
 native of Litchfield, daughter of John F. and 
 Elizabeth H. (Wheeler) Williamson. Her 
 father was a native of Scotland, born near Ed- 
 inburgh, where he was reared and educated. 
 From there he went to South Carolina, thence 
 to New York State, and later to Connecti- 
 cut, locating in this town, where he spent 
 his remaining days. Mrs. Williamson, the 
 mother of Mrs. Hunt, was a daughter of 
 Christopher Wheeler, a native of Stoning- 
 ton, Conn., where his father, Lester Wheeler, 
 was a lifelong farmer. Christopher, who was 
 engaged in agriculture during his younger 
 years, removed to Litchfield after his mar- 
 riage, and bought a farm about three miles 
 west of the village, where he carried on mixed 
 
74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 husbandry until his decease, at the age of 
 threescore years. He married Amanda Gal- 
 lup, who was born at Groton, near Stonington, 
 a daughter of Ebenezer Gallup. She bore her 
 husband eight children, three of whom are 
 still living, namely: Charles D., a farmer in 
 this town; Elizabeth, mother of Mrs. Hunt; 
 and Mary J., the wife of Jacob Morse, of 
 Torrington. Mr. Morse occupied a prominent 
 position among the influential men of this 
 locality, and for twenty-three years was one of 
 the Selectmen, having served on the first 
 board elected in Litchfield, and also repre- 
 sented his fell6w-townsmen in the legislature. 
 His father, who lived to the age of seventy 
 years, was likewise a member of the legislat- 
 ure during one term. Mrs. Williamson, who 
 was born in 1823, is now making her home 
 with her son-in-law, Mr. Hunt, and is a re- 
 markably bright and active woman. Of the 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Hunt two children have 
 been born, Philip W. and Fernie W. Mr. 
 Hunt is an adherent of the Democratic party, 
 and has served as Assessor one year. He is 
 a man of financial standing and a Director in 
 the Echo Farm Company. He joined the 
 Order of Odd Fellows in England, and is now 
 a member of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 11, A. F. 
 & A. M., of Litchfield, of Darius Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons, and of Buel Council. 
 He was reared in the Episcopalian faith, but 
 is now an attendant of the Methodist church, 
 of which Mrs. Hunt is a communicant. 
 
 /p5Yo 
 
 EORGE W. COWDREY, whose por- 
 \^J_ trait appears on the opposite page, is 
 the General Manager of the Barnum, 
 Richardson Company's works in Canaan, 
 Litchfield County, Conn. He was born in 
 Ithaca, N.Y., April 15, 1844, and is the only 
 child reared by his parents, Chauncey and 
 
 Emeline (Davis) Cowdrey. Mr. Cowdrey's 
 father died on August 20, 1895, having 
 reached the advanced age of eighty - nine 
 years. He was for many years engaged in 
 the manufacturing of carriages in Ithaca, but 
 had retired from active business pursuits sev- 
 eral years before his death. Chauncey Cow- 
 drey's wife, Emeline Davis, was a daughter 
 of Sheldon Davis. 
 
 George W. Cowdrey received a good educa- 
 tion, and at the age of seventeen commenced 
 life for himself as a clerk. He remained in 
 that capacity for a year, and after filling a 
 position as a book-keeper for a similar length 
 of time became connected with the Barnum, 
 Richardson Company of Canaan. He has 
 been with that concern for the past thirty-two 
 years, and is now a stockholder in the com- 
 pany, a Director, and General Manager of the 
 works in Canaan. In the last-named capac- 
 ity, in which he has served for ten years, 
 Mr. Cowdrey has displayed unusual business 
 ability and rare judgment. 
 
 In politics a Democrat, he was elected to 
 the legislature in 1872, to represent the town 
 of North Canaan. In 1868 Mr. Cowdrey was 
 united in marriage to Irene Adam, the daugh- 
 ter of Forbes S. Adam, an old resident of 
 Canaan. Mr. and Mrs. Cowdrey have one 
 son, George W., Jr., who is employed in the 
 office of the Barnum, Richardson Company. 
 
 The prosperous business career of Mr. Cow- 
 drey happily illustrates the efificiency of con- 
 centration of effort and perseverance in one's 
 chosen course of action. As the author of 
 "Self-help" has well said: "The great high- 
 road of human welfare lies along the old high- 
 way of steadfast well-doing; and they who are 
 the most persistent, and work in the truest 
 spirit, will invariably be the most successful. 
 Success treads on the heels of every right 
 effort." 
 
GEORGE W. COWDREY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 77 
 
 W- 
 
 ALTER S. LEWIS, the oldest and 
 most prominent merchant in Tor- 
 rington, Conn., was born in New 
 Haven, February 21, 1833, son of Charles 
 and Elizabeth (Bradley) Lewis, respectively 
 natives of New Haven and East Haven. The 
 Lewis family is of Welsh origin. The grand- 
 father, Charles Lewis, who was a farmer in 
 Southington, Conn., where other members of 
 the family settled at an early date, spent most 
 of his active life in that town, passing his 
 last years practically retired in New Haven, 
 where he died at the age of ninety-seven in 
 1868. 
 
 Charles Lewis, the father of Walter S., 
 followed the sea for a livelihood, as captain of 
 a coasting-vessel. He also retired to New 
 Haven in his old age, and died there in his 
 seventy-third year. He was three times mar- 
 ried. His first wife, who was a member of 
 the large family of William Bradley, of East 
 Haven, died in New Haven at the age of 
 thirty -four. She was the mother of four chil- 
 dren, two of whom are living, namely: 
 Henry, a bit manufacturer in New Meriden ; 
 and Walter S. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Walter S. Lewis, left motherless when four 
 years of age, was taken charge of by his grand- 
 father. He received a good education, attend- 
 ing the city schools and studying at the 
 Lancastrian School of John E. Lowell. In 
 December, 1849, when he was sixteen years of 
 age, he went to work as a clerk for A. G. 
 Bradford, of Torrington, who kept a country 
 store, remaining five years. In 1855 with a 
 partner he started a general store. At that 
 time Torrington was only a small village, 
 with few stores and little competition. After 
 spending ten years conducting this establish- 
 ment, he opened a small general store near 
 the Allen House, later removing to the gran- 
 
 ite building, where he was five years. He 
 then moved into the building which he 
 now occupies, a two-story structure, one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five feet deep and forty-five 
 feet wide, specially erected by him to meet 
 the demands of his business. When he first 
 opened here, he had a fine stock of groceries, 
 dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, and no- 
 tions; but in 1 891 he disposed of all but the 
 dry goods, of which he now keeps a complete 
 stock, together with a first-class line of car- 
 pets, buying direct from the New York and 
 Boston markets. Mr. Lewis has been in busi- 
 ness forty years, and is consequently the old- 
 est merchant in the town, while one of the 
 oldest in the county. He has seen Torring- 
 ton grow from a small village to a flourishing 
 manufacturing place. His business has kept 
 pace with Torrington, holding its own through 
 many changes and' entitling him to be ranked 
 among the leading merchants of the place, 
 though the number of his competitors is 
 yearly increasing. His store is, perhaps, the 
 finest in the town and one of the largest and 
 finest in that part of the State. Mr. Lewis is 
 also a stockholder and Director of the Needle 
 Company and of the Electric Light Company, 
 a stockholder of the Torrington Water Com- 
 pany, the Union Hardware Company, and the 
 Eagle Bicycle Company. 
 
 On November 29, 1855, Mr. Lewis was 
 united in marriage with Mary J. Wooding, of 
 Torrington. Her father, who was a farmer in 
 Torrington, died at the age of seventy-four. 
 His wife, who was a native of New Hartford, 
 died at the home of her daughter, aged sev- 
 enty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had two 
 children, Lizzie W. and Charles, both of 
 whom received a liberal education. The for- 
 mer attended the seminaries at Rye and Pitts- 
 field. She is now the wife of William Mertz, 
 who assists in her father's store. Charles 
 
78 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lewis attended the Cheshire Military Acad- 
 emy and a commercial school at Poughkeepsie, 
 N.Y. He is employed in his father's estab- 
 lishment. In politics Mr. Lewis is a Demo- 
 crat. He has always been actively interested 
 in the growth of the town, and has filled many 
 offices, serving for some time as Warden of 
 the borough. In religious belief he is a Con- 
 gregationalist. 
 
 "ILAN M. ROGERS, agent of the 
 New York, New Haven & Hartford 
 L^ V _, Railroad Company, stationed at 
 Torrington, Conn., was born in Michigan, 
 January lo, 1838, son of Orlando and Thirza 
 CFuller) Rogers. His grandfather, Joel 
 Rogers, who was born February 16, 1769, 
 was a resident of North East, Dutchess 
 County, N.Y., from h-is fifth year, and was 
 there engaged in general farming up to the 
 time of his death, August 30, 1855. 
 
 Orlando Rogers was a native of Dutchess 
 County, New York, and on his father's farm 
 learned the art of successful farming. He set 
 about reclaiming some wild land in Michigan; 
 but, his health failing, he returned to New 
 York State, and two years before his death he 
 removed to Bridgeport, Conn, where he died 
 in 1871, at the age of sixty-one. He married 
 Thirza Fuller, a townswoman of his own, who 
 lived to be sixty-one, dying at the home of 
 her son, the subject of this sketch. They 
 were the parents of eight children, five of 
 whom are now living, namely: Hilan M., 
 whose name heads this article; Henry; 
 Ellen, widow of the late N. W. Lewis; Sarah 
 J., wife of E. W. Webster; and Mary, widow 
 of the late Walter Gilbert. 
 
 Hilan M. Rogers received a common-school 
 education. He enlisted for the Civil War as 
 a private in Company B, Twentieth Connect- 
 
 icut Volunteer Infantry, and before his term 
 of service ended was promoted to the rank of 
 Corporal. He served three years, and was a 
 participant in all the prominent battles of the 
 Twelfth Army Corps, including the bloody 
 fields of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. 
 Later he was transferred to the Army of the 
 Tennessee, and was under Sherman's command 
 during his march from Atlanta to Richmond. 
 In the engagement at Bentonville, N.C., he 
 was wounded by a minie ball, but not seri- 
 ously, and was for a time in the Knight Gen- 
 eral Hospital in New Haven, Conn., where he 
 received his discharge from the service. Re- 
 turning home he went to work November i, 
 1865, on the Naugatuck Railroad, now the 
 New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. 
 He was first employed as clerk in the office 
 for two years, and then as an extra hand, act- 
 ing for one year in a clerical capacity. On 
 November i, 1868, he was appointed agent at 
 Seymour, remaining till May 16, 1870, when 
 he was transferred to his present position, the 
 station then being called Wolcottville. He 
 had at that time but one assistant, but the 
 business of the road has so increased that now 
 he has ten men under his charge. He has 
 general supervision of an enormous freight 
 traffic, and also attends to a large general 
 ticket business. He has been connected with 
 the road some thirty years, and has proved a 
 most efficient and capable business man, ful- 
 filling with steadiness, coolness, and ability 
 the arduous duties of his post. 
 
 In January, 1870, Mr. Rogers was united in 
 marriage with Josephine, daughter of George 
 Hoyt, a book-keeper of Ansonia, Conn. Mrs. 
 Rogers died in 1888, at the age of forty-two, 
 leaving one son, William H., who is a clerk 
 in the station office with his father. He 
 married Louise Geiger, of Torrington, and has 
 one child, Hilan M., Jr. In politics Mr. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 79 
 
 Rogers is a Democrat. Though living in a 
 Republican town, he has been nominated for 
 several offices of trust; but he had no desire 
 for political honors, and declined to serve. 
 He was, however, Probate Judge for a year, 
 and has been on the School Committee at 
 different times. In Masonic circles he oc- 
 cupies a prominent position, belonging to 
 Seneca Lodge and Cyrus Chapter of Torring- 
 ton, Buel Council of Litchfield, Clark Com- 
 mandery of Waterbury, Pyramid Temple, 
 Mystic Shrine, of Bridgeport, and Lafayette 
 Consistory, Scottish Rite. He is also a 
 Tnember of Unity Lodge, No. 3054, of the 
 Knights of Honor, Torrington, and has been 
 Treasurer of Cyrus Chapter, No. 45, Royal 
 Arch Masons, since its organization. As a 
 comrade of L. W. Steele Post, Grand Army 
 of the Republic, he keeps fresh the associa- 
 tions of army days. Mr. Rogers is a member 
 of the Episcopal church, of which his wife 
 was also a communicant, and has taught in 
 the Sunday-school and has been a Vestryman 
 for years. He is a valued citizen of Torring- 
 ton, and as agent at one of the most important 
 stations on the New York, New Haven & 
 Hartford Railroad has a wide circle of ac- 
 quaintances, who regard him with esteem. 
 
 iRS. CHARLES W. HINSDALE,, 
 of Litchfield, was born in Bethle- 
 
 hem, Conn., daughter of Dr. Al- 
 gernon S. and Cornelia (Bennett) Lewis. 
 Mrs. Hinsdale's great-grandfather, Gersham 
 Lewis, was an early settler in Litchfield, 
 where he resided for many years. Her grand- 
 father, Ozias Lewis, was engaged in agricult- 
 ure, and passed his whole life in Litchfield. 
 He was a prominent man of his day, and 
 served as High Sheriff of Litchfield County 
 for nine years. He died at the age of eighty 
 
 years. He married Mary Jones, of Guilford, 
 Conn., who by him became the mother of four- 
 teen children, and died in Litchfield at an 
 advanced age. 
 
 Algernon S. Lewis, father of Mrs. Hins- 
 dale, was reared to an agricultural life. He 
 studied medicine with Dr. Abbey, and after 
 taking his degree at Castleton commenced the 
 practice of his profession in Bethlehem, where 
 he resided for a few years. He then moved to 
 Milton, and a short time later located in 
 Litchfield, where he conducted a lucrative 
 practice for many years. He was a skilful 
 and highly esteemed physician, a prominent 
 citizen, and an earnest Christian. He was 
 closely identified with public affairs, was 
 Town Collector, and was actively interested 
 in church work. Five years previous to his 
 death he was compelled by failing health to 
 retire from practice; and he died in 1870, 
 aged sixty-one years. His wife was born in 
 Litchfield, daughter of Charles G. Bennett, 
 who was a native of Sharon, Conn. Her 
 grandfather, Edward Bennett, who was born 
 in Columbia, Conn., settled in Sharon, where 
 he followed the trade of a blacksmith in con- 
 nection with farming, and died there at a good 
 old age. Charles G. Bennett, Mrs. Hins- 
 dale's maternal grandfather, acquired his 
 father's trade, and after following that occu- 
 pation in Litchfield for a time as a journey- 
 ,man established himself in the blacksmith's 
 business on his own account. In 18 14 he 
 erected the house in which Mrs. Hinsdale 
 now resides, and died in 1841, aged fifty-eight 
 years. He married Polly McNeil, daughter 
 of Samuel McNeil, a tailor of Litchfield; and 
 she became the mother of four children, of 
 whom Cornelia, Mrs. Hinsdale's mother, was 
 the eldest. Dr. and Mrs. Lewis were the 
 parents of four children, three of whom are 
 living, namely: Cornelia, the subject of this 
 
8o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sketch; George Sidney, who resides in Hart- 
 ford; and Albert Parmelee, who is auditor 
 in a railroad office in Indianapolis. The mother 
 died at the age of eighty-one years. 
 
 Cornelia (Lewis) Hinsdale has been a life- 
 long resident of Litchfield, and received her 
 education in that town. On March 6, 1866, 
 she was united in marriage to Charles W. 
 Hinsdale. Mr. Hinsdale was born in Har- 
 winton, Conn., son of Wolcott and Hannah 
 (Jones) Hinsdale. Mr. Hinsdale's grand- 
 father was a native of Harwinton, where he 
 followed agriculture throughout his life. He 
 was a prominent citizen, and a street in his 
 native town still bears his name. He died 
 at an advanced age. Wolcott Hinsdale, Mr. 
 Hinsdale's father, followed the sea in his 
 early manhood, and was master of a merchant 
 vessel, engaged in the West India trade. He 
 later became a prosperous farmer in Harwin- 
 ton, where he passed the remainder of his 
 life. He was a veteran of the War of 18 12. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah 
 Jones, was a native of Harwinton. Her 
 grandfather, Julius Jones, was accidentally 
 killed in Hartford, while preparing cartridges 
 for the army. Her father, who was born in 
 Hartford, was a soldier of the Revolutionary 
 War, and participated in the campaign which 
 resulted in the surrender of General Burgoyne 
 at Saratoga, N.Y. After the war he settled 
 in Harwinton, where he engaged in farming, 
 and died at the age of eighty-four years. 
 Mrs. Wolcott Hinsdale was the mother of two 
 children; namely, Sarah and Charles W. 
 She died at a good old age in the home of her 
 daughter in Litchfield. 
 
 Charles W. Hinsdale, though reared to agri- 
 culture at an early age, engaged in mercantile 
 pursuits. He entered a store in Harwinton 
 as a clerk, and after remaining there for a 
 time came to Litchfield. Here he enlisted as 
 
 a private in Company A, Nineteenth Connect- 
 icut Volunteers. He was subsequently pro- 
 moted to the rank of Quartermaster, and 
 served until the close of the Civil War. 
 After he was discharged he returned to Litch- 
 field, and became a clerk in the store of F. D. 
 McNeil. He later secured an interest in the 
 business, and in 1893 purchased his partner's 
 interest, since which time he has successfully 
 conducted the store alone. He has the oldest 
 established trade in Litchfield, and holds a 
 steady and profitable patronage. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hinsdale are members of St. Michael's 
 Church, of which Mrs. Hinsdale's great- 
 grandfather was formerly sexton. She is 
 an active member of the Ladies' Guild. Mr. 
 Hinsdale has been librarian for many years. 
 
 T^HARLES J. YORK, superintendent 
 I j[ of the New England Pin Company and 
 
 V»*_^ a prominent man in Winsted, was 
 born in Torrington, Conn., May 2, 1841, son 
 of Jesse and Mary (Hurlbut) York, the former 
 a native of North Stonington, Conn. His 
 father, William York, father of Jesse and 
 also a native of Stonington, died in 1820, 
 when in middle life His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Naomi Ray, survived him many 
 years, passing away in 1867 at Voluntown, 
 Conn., where she is buried. They reared a 
 family of two sons and four daughters, only 
 one of whom, a son, survives. He was for 
 many years a guard of the prison at Sing Sing, 
 N.Y., and is now an octogenarian. 
 
 Jesse York was born in 1809, and passed 
 his life in farming. He was an upright and 
 conscientious man and a member of the Meth- 
 odist church up to the time of his death, which 
 occurred when he was sixty-seven years old. 
 His wife was the daughter of Robert and 
 Mary Hurlbut. She was married to Mr. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 York in Winsted in 1835 by the Rev. Daniel 
 Coe, of the Methodist church, of which relig- 
 ious body she is a consistent member. Mrs. 
 York is still living, hale in mind and body. 
 She had three children, as follows: Charles 
 J., the subject of this sketch; David, who 
 died in Winsted, August 31, 1894, at the age 
 of fifty, leaving a wife and two sons, Fred- 
 erick and Charles, living respectively in Win- 
 sted and Waterbury; and Wilbur F., an un- 
 dertaker in Waterbury. 
 
 Charles J. York received a fair education 
 in the district schools, which he attended 
 until fifteen years of age. On May 4, 1857, 
 shortly after his sixteenth birthday, he en- 
 tered the employ of' the New England Pin 
 Company, and made such good use of his time 
 and opportunities that seven years ago he be- 
 came superintendent of the concern. This 
 company was established in 1854, so that prac- 
 tically Mr. York's life has been identified 
 with that of the company, it being but three 
 years old when he entered the works. The 
 business has yearly increased, and is now in 
 a thriving condition, furnishing employment 
 to from eighty to ninety hands and occupying 
 two large buildings. 
 
 On November 18, 1862, Mr. York was mar- 
 ried to Mary E., daughter of John F. and 
 Deborah (Wing) Bartlett, both natives of 
 Maine. Her father is still living in Win- 
 sted, but her mother died in 1854. Mrs. 
 York received a good education, graduating 
 from a normal school and teaching for some 
 years before her marriage. One daughter has 
 blessed this union, F. Idella, now the wife of 
 Charles B. Moore in Winsted and the mother 
 of one son, Russell York Moore. 
 
 Mr. York is active in politics. He has 
 served three terms in the State legislature, 
 has been a member of the School Board, and 
 has filled other offices. He is a Royal Arch 
 
 Mason, having served as High Priest of the 
 local Chapter three terms. In the Methodist 
 church, to which he and his wife belong, he 
 has been Trustee and Steward; and for 
 twenty -five years he has been regularly elected 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is 
 also a member of the William L. Gilbert 
 Board of Trustees. The family resides at 
 72 Elm Street, in the handsome house which 
 he built in 1872. 
 
 tUGUSTUS A. LORD, who is living 
 retired from the active pursuits of 
 »^^__^ business at his pleasant home on 
 North Street, Litchfield, is the worthy rep- 
 resentative of one of the oldest and most 
 honored families of this section of the county. 
 His great-grandfather, Lynde Lord, Sr., a 
 native of Lyme, Conn., came to this county 
 when a young man in 1753, and purchased in 
 Litchfield town a large tract of timbered land, 
 which he cleared and cultivated. He became 
 one of the largest landholders in this part of 
 the State and a very prominent citizen. He 
 was elected Sheriff of Litchfield County, a 
 position which he filled most creditably for 
 twenty-nine years, his son being his Deputy 
 for a portion of the time. He was employed 
 in the public service the larger part of his 
 time, and lived to be sixty-eight years of age. 
 His son, Lynde Lord, Jr., grandfather of 
 Augustus A. Lord, graduated from Yale Col- 
 lege, and spent his life on the paternal home- 
 stead in the village of Litchfield, nearly 
 opposite the present home of his grandson. 
 He married Mary Lyman, and they reared a 
 large family of children. Of these, Erastus 
 A., who was brought up to farming, found 
 rural occupations uncongenial to his tastes, 
 and went when a youth to Massachusetts, 
 where he learned the trade of a bookbinder. 
 
82 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 This he followed as an occupation for several 
 years in Boston, whither he moved during the 
 War of 1812. He subsequently spent a few 
 years in Baltimore, Md., but in 1822 came 
 to Litchfield and lived until 1844. He then 
 returned to Boston, where he had charge of 
 Dr. Abbey's sanatorium for a while. He sub- 
 sequently returned to the home of his birth, 
 where his death occurred in the sixty-ninth 
 year of his age. To him and his good wife, 
 formerly Charlotte Dorman, six children were 
 born, of whom three are living; namely, Au- 
 gustus A., Frances M., and George. The 
 last-named is a resident of Hartford. The 
 mother outlived her husband, dying at the 
 home of her son Augustus, at the age of 
 eighty-eight years. She was a woman of 
 steadfast Christian principles, and she was a 
 strict and devout member of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 Augustus A. Lord is a Bostonian by birth 
 and breeding, born November 5, 181 5, in 
 Hancock Street, within the shadow of Massa- 
 chusetts's historic capitol. He passed a few 
 of his earlier years in Baltimore; but his 
 memories of the place are very indistinct, he 
 having been but seven years of age when his 
 parents returned to Litchfield. After leaving 
 the district schools he attended for a while a 
 school in Watertown, one of Boston's subur- 
 ban towns. He was engaged in the book and 
 stationery business for a time, but agricultural 
 pursuits occupied the larger portion of his 
 life. He devoted himself to the care of his 
 parents during their declining years. He had 
 charge of the homestead property, which he 
 conducted with undoubted success until his 
 retirement from the activities of life. In 
 politics Mr. Lord votes with the Republican 
 party, being a stanch advocate of its princi- 
 ples. He has never sought official honors, 
 although he served most satisfactorily for 
 
 one term as Burgess of the borough. For 
 many years he was connected with the Lone 
 Star Lodge. He is broad in his religious 
 opinions, and was formerly a regular attendant 
 of the Episcopal church, contributing gener- 
 ously toward its support. Though well ad- 
 vanced in years, Mr. Lord is a bright and 
 active man, thoroughly familiar with the 
 leading questions of the day and full of many 
 interesting reminiscences of early times. 
 
 fRANCIS BROWN, whose brief memoir 
 given below is supplemented by an ex- 
 cellent portrait on the opposite page, 
 was for many years an esteemed resident of 
 Winsted, Conn. He died on June x, 1894, 
 being then nearly seventy-nine years of age. 
 His widow, Mrs. Maria M. Hewitt Brown, 
 still makes her home in this pleasant village. 
 
 Francis Brown was born in 181 5, in the city 
 of Hartford, Conn. His father, James Brown, 
 died some six years later, leaving a widow 
 with nine children, all of whom grew to 
 mature life. 
 
 When eleven years of age Francis was de- 
 prived by death of a mother's guidance and 
 wise counsels, and he and a younger sister 
 were taken to the home of a married sister. 
 A year later the lad, who was of a rather deli- 
 cate constitution, went to the home of a 
 brother-in-law at Pine Plains, where he was 
 put to work in James Dewell's scythe factory, 
 a hard position for one so young and unused 
 to toil. His school advantages were limited; 
 but he developed a love for reading, and, 
 selecting books useful for improvement, he 
 acquired a good education through his own 
 efforts, and subsequently represented Winsted 
 in the legislature. He made his first appear- 
 ance here in 1833, a youth of eighteen years, 
 with but eight cents in his pocket, having 
 
(1^1^ 7206^ 
 
 I2:'zc^'7i- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8S 
 
 started on foot for Hartford, but had been fort- 
 unate to secure an occasional ride with some 
 traveller. Hunting up Mr. Hinsdale, he ap- 
 plied for work in the scythe factory, and hav- 
 ing been promised a situation he visited his 
 sister until the place was open for him, when 
 he began work as a finisher of scythes. From 
 this humble position he was gradually ad- 
 vanced, and in 1838 was made general superin- 
 tendent of the works. The first two years of 
 his employment Mr. Brown worked by the 
 piece, toiling early and late; but even then he 
 made but a dollar and a half per day. With 
 the perspicacity and good judgment that mark 
 the able financier Mr. Brown invested his sur- 
 plus earnings, acquiring a property that en- 
 abled him to spend his last years in the enjoy- 
 ment of leisure. 
 
 On August 15, 1837, Mr. Brown was united 
 in marriage with Maria M. Hewitt, who was 
 born in Winsted in 181 2. Her parents, 
 Joshua and Polly (Williams) Hewitt, were 
 both of Connecticut birth, Mr. Hewitt's native 
 place being New London, and his wife's the 
 town of Plymouth. The only child born of 
 the union of Mr. and Mrs. Brown was a daugh- 
 ter, Susan M., now the wife of Charles G. 
 Perry, of Stratford, Conn., and the mother of 
 three children. Through the marriage of a 
 grand.-daughter Mrs. Brown has one great- 
 grandchild, Georgia S. Beach. For eighteen 
 years Mr. and Mrs. Brown had a very attrac- 
 tive home on Meadow Street, where they re- 
 sided until 1872. Deciding to spend that 
 year in California they broke up house-keeping 
 and afterward travelled every year, visiting 
 in these pleasure trips nearly every State in 
 the Union. 
 
 Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Brown ever united 
 with any church, but for many years both were 
 liberal supporters of the Congregational soci- 
 ety. Mr. Brown was always interested in the 
 
 cause of temperance, sparing neither time nor 
 money to advance the movement. Mrs. 
 Brown, a woman of much intelligence and 
 force of character, generous and public-spir- 
 ited, is using the wealth at her command not 
 for herself alone, but in various ways to pro- 
 mote the highest interests of the community. 
 In more recent years she has occupied rooms at 
 the Beardslee House, one of the best and most 
 homelike hotels in the State. 
 
 From this house can be seen, on the summit 
 of the hill, the beautiful monument erected by 
 the village of Winsted in memory of her sons 
 who fell in the Civil War, a memorial of 
 which the people may well be proud, and for 
 which Mrs. Brown deserves much credit, she 
 having contributed from the estate left her by 
 her husband over sixteen thousand dollars 
 toward its erection. This tall marble shaft 
 has an inside measurement of twelve feet in 
 length and breadth, and is lined from base to 
 apex with polished marble panels, whereon are 
 inscribed the records of the three hundred and 
 more brave men from this place that willingly 
 sacrificed their lives for their beloved country. 
 
 ■UDGE GEORGE C. HARRISON, who, 
 with the exception of two terms, has 
 served as Probate Judge since 1876, is 
 also a leading agriculturist of Cornwall, where 
 he was born on May 19, 1840, son of John R. 
 and Eleanor (Bradford) Harrison. Noah Har- 
 rison, great-grandfather of George C, was the 
 first representative of this branch of the family 
 in Cornwall. His son, Edmund Harrison, was 
 born in that town in 1768. Edmund Harrison 
 nearly all his lifetime lived in Cornwall Hol- 
 low, where he followed the occupation of a 
 farmer, and died at the very advanced age of 
 ninety-eight years and eight months. He 
 married Miss Ruth Hopkins, of Warren, 
 
86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Conn., who made him the father of eight chil- 
 dren, as follows: Riifus, Noah, Myron, Chand- 
 ler, Lucretia, John R., Hannah, and William 
 H. The mother lived to be eighty-five years 
 old. 
 
 John R. Harrison, who was born in Corn- 
 wall, received his education in the common 
 schools of that town. For a number of years 
 he engaged in teaching, after which he was 
 in mercantile business at Cornwall Centre. 
 He subsequently settled on the old homestead 
 and devoted his attention to agriculture with 
 satisfactory results. In his political views he 
 was a Democrat, and he took a leading part in 
 public affairs. For seventeen years he served 
 his town as Selectman. He was a Judge of 
 the Probate Court for six years, and a Repre- 
 sentative to the State legislature during three 
 sessions. He died in Cornwall Centre at sev- 
 enty-three years of age. His wife, Eleanor 
 (Bradford) Harrison, was a daughter of James 
 F. Bradford, of Cornwall, and was of the sixth 
 generation in direct line from Governor Brad- 
 ford. She lived to be eighty-two years old. 
 Their four children were: George C. ; Cath- 
 erine, wife of William H. H. Hewitt, who 
 has a son and daughter, Mary C. and William 
 H. ; Wilbur F. , who married Miss Harriet E. 
 Miner, a daughter of Luther Miner; and John 
 B., who married Miss Florence Porter, and 
 has three children — Florence E., Wilbur T., 
 and Katie. 
 
 George C. Harrison was educated in the 
 common and select schools of Cornwall. At 
 an early age he turned his attention to farm- 
 ing. Later he bought a farm of his father 
 near Cornwall Centre, where he has since 
 lived. It contains three hundred acres of 
 land, on which he is prosperously engaged in 
 mixed farming and dairying. 
 
 In 1862 he was united in marriage with Re- 
 becca Todd, a daughter of Carrington Todd, of 
 
 Cornwall. They have nine children, of whom 
 Cynthia R. married F. H. Monroe, and has 
 one son, George H. ; Eleanor H. is the wife 
 of Mark Halliday; George E. married Miss 
 Flora Moore, and has two daughters, Betsey 
 and Rebecca; Katie J. is the wife of Henry 
 D. Whitney, and has one son, Burke Emerson. 
 The rest are: Charlotte A., Gertrude C. , 
 Anna S., Mabel T. , and John R. 
 
 Judge Harrison is a stanch Democrat. In 
 1870 he served as a Representative in the 
 State legislature ; and for eleven years he has 
 filled the ofifice of Town Clerk and Treasurer 
 very acceptably. At the present time he holds 
 the office of Judge of the Probate Court, hav- 
 ing since his first election in 1876 served in 
 that position about seventeen years. He and 
 his family are attendants of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church of Cornwall. 
 
 1:^; 
 
 M H. GRISWOLD, an enter- 
 ng and successful boot and shoe 
 dealer of Thomaston, was born in 
 Goshen, Conn., November 18, 1859, son of 
 Homer W. and Mary (Butler) Griswold. Mr. 
 Griswold's grandfather, Julius Griswold, who 
 was of English ancestry, was a native of Litch- 
 field, Conn., where his father was an early set- 
 tler. Julius Griswold followed the occupation 
 of a millwright and contractor, and resided in 
 Litchfield until his death, which occurred at 
 the age of eighty-seven years. 
 
 Homer W. Griswold, Mr. Griswold's father, 
 was born in Milton, Litchfield County. He 
 learned the trade of a machinist and tool- 
 maker in Terryville. In early manhood he 
 went West, where he followed his trade and 
 also engaged in farming for a time. He 
 returned later to his native State, and while 
 residing in Goshen enlisted as a private in the 
 Nineteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 87 
 
 Infantry. He served three years in the Civil 
 War, during which time he was advanced to 
 the rank of First Lieutenant in recognition of 
 his capacity for the military service. He sub- 
 sequently drew the notice of the War Depart- 
 ment, and at the close of the war he was 
 offered a captain's commission in the regular 
 army, which he respectfully declined. After 
 leaving the service he returned to Goshen, and 
 later went to Waterbury, where he remained 
 for a time. He finally settled in Terryville, 
 of this county, and since has had charge of the 
 shipping department of the Eagle Lock Com- 
 pany. He is still active at the age of sixty- 
 six. His wife is a daughter of the late Lewis 
 L. Butler, who was formerly a prosperous 
 farmer of Harwinton, Conn. , and a representa- 
 tive of an old and reputable family of that 
 town. Mr. and Mrs. Griswold have had four 
 children, three of whom are living, namely: 
 William H., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Louise and Lotta, who are teachers in Cam- 
 bridge, Mass. Louise Griswold is a specialist 
 in geography, and took a prize at the World's 
 Fair for an unusually fine display of maps. 
 She is an expert teacher, an interesting and 
 instructive writer. Both parents are members 
 of the Congregational church, of which the 
 father is a Deacon. 
 
 William H. Griswold commenced his educa- 
 tion in the common schools and completed it 
 at the State Normal School in New Britain. 
 After teaching for four seasons in Terryville 
 he entered the employ of the Eagle Lock Com- 
 pany as shipping clerk, in which capacity he 
 continued for six years. For the succeeding 
 three years he acted as travelling salesman 
 through the New England and the Southern 
 States, and then resigned his position to be- 
 come superintendent of the case department of 
 the Seth Thomas Clock Company in Thomas- 
 ton. At the expiration of five years he retired 
 
 from that concern and engaged in the dry- 
 goods business in Manchester, Hartford 
 County, where he remained for a short time. 
 In 1 89 1 he returned to Thomaston, and, pur- 
 chasing the established boot and shoe business 
 of J. J. McNamara, has since conducted it 
 with the most gratifying results. He carries 
 a large and varied stock of fine footwear of 
 every description, and displays an energy and 
 business ability certain to insure continued 
 success. In politics he is a Republican, and 
 is connected with the fraternity of A. F. & 
 A. M. and that of the Red Men. On June 3, 
 1887, Mr. Griswold was married to Minnie 
 Thomas, daughter of Aaron Thomas, of 
 Thomaston. They have three children: 
 Grace, Gladys, and Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Griswold are members of the Congregational 
 church and Sabbath-school. 
 
 Aaron Thomas, Mrs. Griswold' s father, was 
 born in Plymouth Hollow, now called Thomas- 
 ton, March 13, 1830, and is the third son of 
 Seth and Laura Thomas. He was educated in 
 the public schools and was engaged in team- 
 ing. He was also interested in the manufact- 
 ure of clocks, and in January, 1859, he was 
 chosen President of the Seth Thomas Clock 
 Company, a position which he ably filled for 
 more than thirty years. In October, 1865, a 
 new company was organized under the name of 
 the Seth Thomas's Sons Company. Aaron 
 Thomas was also President of that enterprise 
 until 1879, when the two companies were con- 
 solidated. He presided over the affairs of this 
 well-known concern until 1892, when feeble 
 health caused him to resign; and he is now 
 living in retirement. He is a Republican in 
 politics, and was elected a Representative to 
 the legislature from Thomaston in 188 1. On 
 October 4-, 1848, he married Phebe A. Hine, 
 and has two children living; namely, Edson 
 and Minnie. Aaron, Jr., the third child, is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 deceased. Mr. Thomas is a member of the 
 
 Congregational church. He has been first 
 
 Selectman of Thomaston for a number of 
 years. 
 
 WILLIAM L. 
 ing in his 
 
 RANSOM, who is liv- 
 is pleasant home at Litch- 
 field, retired from the active pursuits 
 of life, is an attorney by profession, and for 
 twenty-eight years served most ably and satis- 
 factorily as Clerk of the Court of Litchfield 
 County. He is a native of Massachusetts, 
 born in Granville, Hampden County, March 
 28, 1822, son of Elisha and Kate (Coe) Ran- 
 som. Elisha Ransom spent the early part of 
 his life in this State, working on a farm in 
 Hartland, and there also learning the shoe- 
 maker's trade, which he followed for some 
 years. When enfeebled by age he settled at 
 Barkhamsted, in this county, making that his 
 permanent abiding-place until called to join 
 the silent majority at the venerable age of 
 ninety-one years. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Kate Coe, a native of Hartland ; and, 
 of the family of six children born to them, 
 four are living, and are as follows : Cyrus, a 
 retired business man, residing at Winsted, 
 Conn. ; William L. , the subject of this 
 sketch; Timothy C, a lawyer, formerly of 
 Grafton, N. Dak. ; and Sarah C, widow of 
 Jason H. Huyler. The mother's death pre- 
 ceded that of her husband, occurring in Bark- 
 hamsted when she was seventy-five years of 
 age. She was a faithful Christian woman, 
 and, with her life companion, was a sincere 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 William L. Ransom when- a boy of five 
 years accompanied his parents from their Mas- 
 sachusetts home to this county, and received 
 his elementary education in the public schools 
 of Barkhamsted. At the age of nineteen 
 years he began working for himself, first as a 
 
 tiller of the soil and afterward in a factory. 
 In' 1852, being desirous of entering upon a 
 professional career, Mr. Ransom began reading 
 law with Hiram Goodwin, an attorney of that 
 town, and continued to do so until his admis- 
 sion to the bar in October, 1854. After prac- 
 tising for a brief time in Barkhamsted he 
 opened an ofifice in Ansonia, New Haven 
 County. Before long he returned to his early 
 home, and engaged in his profession until 
 1857, when he located in Litchfield. Here he 
 formed a partnership with the Hon. John H. 
 Hubbard; and the firm carried on a good busi- 
 ness for six years, during which it came to be 
 counted among the leading law firms of the 
 county. In i860 Mr. Ransom was honored by 
 receiving the appointment of Clerk of the 
 Superior and Supreme Court of Errors, an ofifice 
 which he at once accepted. While filling this 
 position he continued his relations with Mr. 
 Hubbard for three years longer, when the part- 
 nership was dissolved. From the time of his 
 acceptance of it until 1888 Mr. Ransom was a 
 faithful incumbent of his ofifice, and won the 
 respect and good will of every one with whom 
 he was brought in contact. A man of great 
 patience, kind and courteous to all, he was 
 well-deserving of the high regard in which he 
 was held by his associates. 
 
 On October 18, 1853, Mr. Ransom was mar- 
 ried to Mary H. Hayward, a daughter of 
 Amasa Hayward, of Conway, Mass. Her 
 father was a tiller of the soil in Western Mas- 
 sachusetts, but spent his declining years at the 
 home of a son in Canaan, Conn. His family 
 consisted of two sons and three daughters; and, 
 of these, two daughters are yet living. Mrs. 
 Ransom died when seventy-five years old, leav- 
 ing behind her a worthy record of a busy and 
 usefully spent life. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ran- 
 som were ever held in high estimation by their 
 friends and neighbors, and she was a faithful 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 89 
 
 member of the Congregational church. Politi- 
 cally, Mr. Ransom was formerly a Whig, but 
 has affiliated with the Republican party since 
 its formation. He is an active worker in his 
 party's ranks, and for two years served his 
 constituents as Warden of the borough. He is 
 a man of strong convictions, well-informed on 
 the current topics, and broad and liberal in 
 all of his views. 
 
 IRAM ALPHA SMITH, a well-known 
 agriculturist of the town of Cole- 
 L!:^ V^ ^ brook and one of the brave de- 
 fenders of the Union in the Civil War, was 
 born in that town, May 3, 1836. He comes 
 from honorable English ancestry, and is a 
 descendant of a pioneer settler of Litchfield 
 County. His grandfather, Joseph Smith, who 
 was born in Simsbury, when twelve years old 
 went with his parents from that place to Nor- 
 folk. He was there reared to maturity, and 
 made his first purchase of land in that town. 
 He subsequently bought a tract of wild land in 
 the western part of Colebrook and made it his 
 permanent abiding-place. He was one of 
 those who acted a patriot's part in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, and preserved a lively recollec- 
 tion of many of its more memorable scenes up 
 to the time of his death, which occurred No- 
 vember 8, 1846, at the remarkable age of 
 ninety-five years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Sibyl Wardell, a native of Branford, 
 New Haven County, died at the comparatively 
 early age of fifty-six years. She bore him 
 seven- children; namely, Humphrey, Josephus, 
 Lois, Betsey, Laura, Evaline, and Hiram G. 
 
 Hiram Guy Smith, father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born in Norfolk, July 15, 
 1797. For a while after reaching manhood he 
 was engaged in the clothier's trade, but finally 
 turned his attention to agriculture. After 
 
 working on the parental homestead for a num- 
 ber of years he succeeded to its ownership, 
 and managed it successfully until his decease 
 at the venerable age of fourscore and two 
 years. For a life companion he wooed and 
 won the affections of Clementina Barber, who 
 was born and bred in Canton, Hartford County, 
 the date of her birth being May 29, 1804. 
 Her father, Michael Barber, Jr., was the son 
 of Michael Barber and Azubah Brown. Azu- 
 bah Brown was the daughter of John Brown, 
 third, and Hannah Owen. John Brown, third, 
 was the son of John Brown, second, and Mary 
 Eggleston. John Brown, second, was the son 
 of John Brown, first, and Elizabeth Loomis. 
 John Brown, first, was the son of Peter Brown, 
 second, and Mary Gillett. Peter Brown, sec- 
 ond, was the son of Peter Brown, the Pilgrim 
 who came over in the "Mayflower," December 
 22, 1620. Mr. Barber and his wife, Anna 
 (Taylor) Barber, lived in Canton several years 
 after their marriage; but in 1809 they fol- 
 lowed the tide of emigration westward, settling 
 in the present populous State of Ohio. They 
 started for their new home in the fall, making 
 the overland journey with teams, and being six 
 weeks on the way. Mr. Barber bought a tract 
 of timber land in the town of Marlboro, and in 
 the midst of the dense wilderness erected a 
 log cabin for himself and family, and began a 
 clearing for a farm. He had not, however, 
 made much progress when he was taken sick, 
 and, dying soon after, his remains were placed 
 in a log hollowed out for the purpose. His 
 widow, with three little girls, returned to 
 Canton, her native town, where she remained 
 until her deceas'e. Her daughter, Clementina, 
 came to Colebrook when a maiden of ten years, 
 and made her home with Luman Barber until 
 her marriage. She died September 22, 1890, 
 in the eighty-seventh year of her age, having 
 lived to see seven generations, as she distinctly 
 
90 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 remembered Hannah Owen, wife of John 
 Brown, third, who was her great-grandmother. 
 Hiram Alpha Smith was an early attendant 
 at the district school, and afterward completed 
 his studies at the Norfolk Seminary. At the 
 age of twenty-one he began teaching, a profes- 
 sion which he followed during the winter 
 season for a number of years, devoting the 
 remainder of each year to agricultural employ- 
 ments. In 1876 Mr. Smith began his career 
 as a travelling salesman, representing the 
 Empire Knife Company and the Beardsley 
 Scythe Company for several seasons, afterward 
 being employed in the same capacity by the 
 Thayer Scythe Company. He now represents 
 the Winsted Manufacturing Company, in 
 whose employment he has been since 1887. 
 The territory over which he travels embraces a 
 portion of Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, 
 and New Jersey. During the entire time 
 he has been so engaged Mr. Smith's home has 
 been in Colebrook, In 1858 he took up his 
 residence on the beautiful farm where he now 
 lives. He enlisted August 28, 1862, in Com- 
 pany F, Twenty-eighth Connecticut Volunteer 
 Infantry, for a term of nine months' service in 
 the Civil War, joining the regiment at Camp 
 Terry. In the fall he was sent South to the 
 Gulf, to join Banks's department of the Nine- 
 teenth Army Corps, wintering at Pensacola, 
 whence he proceeded to Port Hudson. He 
 participated in the siege and capture of that 
 place. He remained with his regiment until 
 its arrival in Memphis, Tenn., where, on ac- 
 count of sickness, he was left in the hospital, 
 August 8, 1863. He remained here until the 
 19th, when he started for New Haven. At 
 New Haven he -(vas honorably discharged Au- 
 gust 28, and returned then to his native town 
 quite enfeebled in health. 
 
 On the 9th of September, 1858, Mr. Smith 
 was united in marriage with Harriet North, a 
 
 native of Colebrook, born January 12, 1830. 
 Her father, Joel North, was born June 10, 
 1795, in the same town, son of Rufus North, 
 a native of Torrington, and grandson of Mar- 
 tin North, also born in Torrington. Ebenezer 
 North, father of Martin North and great-great- 
 grandfather of Mrs. Smith, removed from 
 Farmington to Torrington when a young man, 
 being one of the very early settlers of that 
 town, as his son Martin was of Colebrook in 
 after years. Martin was a chair-maker by 
 trade, and also manufactured spinning-wheels, 
 an important industry of his day. He married 
 Abigail Eno, who, without doubt, used a spin- 
 ning-wheel which he made. Rufus North, 
 Mrs. Smith's grandfather, was a skilful wood 
 worker, making churns, tubs, oars, and mould 
 boards, and, in addition thereto, was a pros- 
 perous farmer, his wife, formerly Esther Ro- 
 bards, having been a faithful helpmeet. Joel 
 North learned the trade of a blacksmith, and 
 was also skilful in repairing clocks and 
 watches. He was likewise interested in farm- 
 ing. He first bought a small farm, upon 
 which there was a saw-mill, which he operated 
 until 1834. He then sold that property and 
 bought the homestead where Mr. Smith and 
 his family now reside, and here worked at his 
 trade and engaged in farming until his death, 
 in January, 1855, at the age of fifty-nine 
 years. The maiden name of his wife was Har- 
 riet Taylor, a daughter of Jesse and Polly 
 (Owen) Taylor. She was born in Colebrook, 
 and lived to the age of sixty-three years, rear- 
 ing six children; namely, Emily and Esther 
 (twins), Harriet, Lester, Joel, and Eben. 
 Jesse Taylor was a soldier in the Revolution- 
 ary Army, serving seven years. His wife, 
 Polly, was a daughter of Amos and Mercy 
 (Brown) Owen, who, being the great-grand- 
 mother of Mrs. Smith, was also a lineal de- 
 scendant of Peter Brown, who came over in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 91 
 
 "Mayflower"; while the North family, her 
 paternal ancestors, came over on a later voy- 
 age. Five children have been born of the 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith ; namely, How- 
 ard, Gertrude C. , Lester N. , Julian H., and 
 Josephine H. Mr. Smith is a man of un- 
 doubted integrity, well known throughout the 
 community, and is a valued member of Cole- 
 brook society. 
 
 KRANK M. WHEELER, of Torrington, 
 shipping clerk for the Turner & Sey- 
 mour Manufacturing Company, was 
 born in Avon, Conn., May 27, 1847, son of 
 Amos and Martha (Chidsey) Wheeler. Mr. 
 Wheeler's grandfather, Amos Wheeler, resided 
 in Avon the greater part of his life, where he 
 followed the occupation of a miller in connec- 
 tion with farming. He was prosperous in his 
 business affairs, owned considerable real es- 
 tate, and was a prominent man in the town. 
 He contributed the land for a church and semi- 
 nary in Avon. His generous nature and the 
 deep interest he took in the general welfare of 
 the town were among the most notable traits 
 in his character. He died at the age of forty- 
 five years. 
 
 Amos Wheeler, Jr., Mr. Wheeler's father, 
 was born in Avon. He was first employed in 
 driving a team between Avon and Collinsville, 
 carrying produce and merchandise; but later 
 he entered mercantile business as a clerk. He 
 afterward conducted a large general store upon 
 his own account, and for some years was a 
 prominent merchant in Avon. He relin- 
 quished store-keeping, and, after selling Yan- 
 kee notions upon the road for a time, became 
 a travelling salesman for a wholesale house in 
 Hartford. In 1869 he took up his residence 
 in Torrington, and later resigned his position 
 with the Hartford concern for the purpose of 
 
 entering the employ of the Coe Brothers in 
 Torrington. Amos Wheeler, Jr., died in 
 1883, aged sixty-two years. His wife, Martha 
 Chidsey before marriage, was a daughter of 
 Jacob Chidsey, of Avon. Her father, who 
 was a prosperous farmer and a representative 
 of an old and highly reputable family, raised 
 a family of six children, of whom but two are 
 now living. They are : Martha, who became 
 Mrs. Amos Wheeler; and her twin sister, 
 Mary, who is now Mrs. Smith, of Avon. 
 Mrs. Amos Wheeler became the mother of 
 seven children, six of whom grew to maturity, 
 and are as follows: Frank M., the subject of 
 this sketch; Perlie; Nellie, wife of Edward 
 H. Haley, of Torrington; Lillie, who married 
 E. T. Coe, Treasurer of the Coe Brass Manu- 
 facturing Company; Homer C. , who married 
 Jennie A. Scoville, and is an employee at the 
 Coe Brothers' manufactory; and Leonard D., 
 a brass caster for the same firm. The mother 
 resides in Torrington, and is a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Frank M. Wheeler passed his early boyhood 
 in Avon, and was educated in the schools of 
 that town. At the age of fourteen he went to 
 Farmington, Conn., where he was employed in 
 a drug store for two years. He then went to 
 Hartford, and was engaged in the same busi- 
 ness for four years. After this he was drug 
 clerk in Saratoga, N. Y., for eight months, 
 and in Torrington for one year. He was sub- 
 sequently in the employ of the Excelsior 
 Needle Company and of the Coe Brass Manu- 
 facturing Company, after which, in 1876, he 
 became connected with the Turner & Seymour 
 Company. The business of this firm, moder- 
 ate at this date, developed rapidly thereafter, 
 and is at the present time one of the largest 
 in the manufacture of upholstery trimmings 
 and small iron castings in New England. Mr. 
 Wheeler has held his present responsible posi- 
 
92 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion of shipping clerk for nearly twenty years, 
 and his energy and business ability are well 
 appreciated by his employers. Mr. Wheeler 
 is a member of the Knights of Honor, and 
 holds the office of Reporter in the Lodge in 
 Torrington. He is a member and Secretary of 
 the New England Order of Protection in Tor- 
 rington, and was formerly a member and Past 
 Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias. He is 
 a Republican in politics. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler has been twice married. In 
 1874 he was united to his first wife, whose 
 maiden name was Helen A. Langdon. She 
 was born in Hartford, daughter of John W. 
 Langdon, a carriage trimmer, who moved to 
 Torrington, where his daughter passed the 
 greater part of her life. She died at the age 
 of thirty-eight years, leaving five children, as 
 follows: Edward C, who is employed in the 
 office of the Register Printing Company, Tor- 
 rington ; Lillian, who is a clerk in a dry-goods 
 store; Phillip H. ; Clarence P. ; and Grace E. 
 Mr. Wheeler wedded for his second wife Eliza 
 Jones, daughter of David Jones, formerly a shoe- 
 maker of Torrington. She was born in Wel- 
 lington, England, and emigrated with her 
 parents to the United States. They re- 
 sided for a time in Torrington, and later 
 moved to New York State, where her father 
 is engaged in farming. Mrs. Wheeler's par- 
 ents raised a family of five children, and 
 two of her brothers are engaged in the shoe 
 business in Torrington. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler has been a member of the 
 Third Congregational Church of Torrington 
 since 1874, and has been connected with the 
 Sunday-school for twenty years, during ten 
 years of which he was the superintendent. 
 He is at the present time a Deacon of the 
 church and a Director and Treasurer of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association. Mrs. 
 Wheeler is also a member of the church. 
 
 ^|t7\0BERT HENDERSON, a highly in- 
 \y\ telligent and capable Scotsman, whose 
 -i}p v ^ ^ portrait is placed in close proxim- 
 ity to the present sketch, has been employed 
 for about twenty-eight years by the Plume & 
 Atwood Manufacturing Company as master 
 mechanic of their branch mill at Thomaston, 
 Litchfield County. He was born at Loan- 
 head, about six miles from Edinburgh, Scot- 
 land, on the 29th of January, 1844. His 
 parents were John and Elizabeth (Hunter) 
 Henderson, the father being a native of Penni 
 Cuick, a place nine miles distant from Edin- 
 burgh. 
 
 John Henderson's great-grandfather, Deacon 
 John, of the United Presbyterian church, was 
 also a native of Penni Cuick, where he followed 
 the vocation of a millwright. He spent his 
 whole life in that place, living to the age of 
 threescore years and ten. Robert Henderson, 
 the first, son of Deacon John Henderson, 
 learned not only the trade followed by his 
 father, but that of a machinist, or wood and 
 iron worker, as well. He was engaged in 
 work at or near his birthplace until toward 
 the close of his life, when he came to Amer- 
 ica, and settled near the town of Norwich, 
 Conn. He died there at seventy-five years of 
 age. 
 
 His son John, the father of the leading sub- 
 ject of this biographical notice, was reared to 
 the vocation of a millwright, at which he 
 worked as a journeyman in Scotland for seven- 
 teen years. He then decided to try his fort- 
 unes in the United States; and, arriving here 
 on August I, i860, he settled in Greenville, 
 Conn., near the home of his father. After 
 working there for a time as a machinist, he 
 removed to Waterbury, where he is still em- 
 ployed in the shop of the Waterbury Brass 
 Company, although he is now a man seventy- 
 two years old, and has been actively engaged 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 9S 
 
 at his vocation for nearly half a century. His 
 wife, Elizabeth Hunter, daughter of Robert 
 Hunter, a successful blacksmith, was born in 
 Lasswade, Scotland. In that place, not far 
 distant from Edinburgh, for generations her 
 ancestors have engaged in the same vocation ; 
 and a brother is to-day occupying the same 
 stand where their great-grandfather worked at 
 his forge. Mr. and Mrs. John Henderson 
 reared nine children, seven sons and two 
 daughters, as follows: Robert; Elizabeth, the 
 widow of Samuel Geddes; John, who is the 
 proprietor of a machine shop in Waterbury, 
 Conn., where he is a well-known citizen, and 
 for many y§ars has acted as Deacon of the 
 Third Congregational Church; David, a super- 
 intending machinist in the Waterbury Brass 
 Company; .James (deceased); William, a 
 machinist in the employ of the Waterbury 
 Clock Company at Waterbury; Alexander, 
 who works in the machine shop of his brother 
 John; Annie, the wife of William H. Mari- 
 gold, who conducts a printing-office in Bridge- 
 port, Conn., of which city he has served two 
 terms as Mayor, and who has also been a Sen- 
 ator in the State legislature; and Thomas, a 
 machinist in the employ of his brother, John 
 Henderson. Robert Hunter had four sons 
 and four daughters, Mrs. Henderson being the 
 eldest daughter. She died in August, 1875, 
 at fifty-two years of age. Both she and her 
 husband were formerly members of the Presby- 
 terian church of Scotland; but, after coming 
 to America, she united with the Second Con- 
 gregational Church of Waterbury. 
 
 Robert Henderson acquired a good practical 
 education in the common schools of his native 
 land. He was sixteen years of age at the 
 time he accompanied his parents to this coun- 
 try, and he remained with his father in Nor- 
 wich for about eighteen months. He then went 
 to South Windham, Conn., where he secured a 
 
 position in the machine shop of Smith & 
 Winchester, manufacturers of paper machin- 
 ery ; but six months later he went to Hartford, 
 and was employed during the following year by 
 Woodruff & Beach, builders of engines for 
 war ships. The next year, he worked in 
 Waterbury for the Farrell Foundry and Ma- 
 chine Company, returning the following year 
 to his old position with Woodruff & Beach. 
 He was then employed for a year in Rainbow, 
 Hartford County, Conn., after which he went 
 to Waterbury for six months as a pattern- 
 maker, thence to Holyoke, Mass., for a brief 
 time; and in June, 1867, he returned to 
 Waterbury, and took a position with the 
 Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company, 
 by whom he is still employed at their branch 
 factory in Thomaston. He is superintendent 
 of general repairing at this place, looking 
 after all repairs and additions, and is now 
 among the oldest employees. 
 
 In 1 865, he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Margaret Crawford, who was born in 
 Scotland, and is a daughter of William and 
 Margaret (Glenn) Crawford. Her father 
 afterward came to this country, and settled in 
 Norwich, Conn., where he lived until the time 
 of his death. He and his wife reared the 
 following children: William Crawford; 
 Agnes, who married Robert Henderson, uncle 
 of our subject; John Crawford, who served in 
 the Civil War, enlisting in July, 1862, in 
 Company A of the Eighteenth Connecticut 
 Regiment, and died July 2, 1863, at Winches- 
 ter, Va. ; Margaret, now Mrs. Robert Hender- 
 son; and Mary, who married Charles A. 
 Hatch. The mother died in Norwich at 
 sixty-six years of age. Both parents were 
 connected with the Congregational church; 
 and the father, who took a keen interest in 
 town affairs, served as Justice of the Peace 
 for several years. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson 
 
96 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 are the parents of eight children, seven of 
 whom are still living, namely: John, a ma- 
 chinist in the employ of the Farrell Foundry 
 and Machine Company at Waterbury, Conn. ; 
 Margaret; William; Annie, who is attending 
 the Normal School at New Britain, Conn. ; 
 Mary; Alfred; and Andrew. Elizabeth died 
 at two years of age. 
 
 In politics Mr. Henderson is a Democrat. 
 He has served as Selectman of Thomaston for 
 three terms, and as a member of the Board 
 of Relief two years. He is a prominent 
 Mason, being a member of Union Lodge, No. 
 96, A. F. & A. M. ; Granite Chapter, No. 36, 
 Royal Arch Maso.i; Clark Commandery, No. 
 7, Knights Templars, of Waterbury; the Ma- 
 sonic Council at Waterbury; and of the Mys- 
 tic Shrine, Pyramid Temple, of Bridgeport. 
 He is also a member of the Connecticut Past 
 Masters Association, Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen, No. 4, of Thomaston. Mr. Hen- 
 derson is widely known and much respected. 
 They reside on East Main Street, Plymouth 
 Hill, in the pleasant home which he has 
 altered and improved since he purchased the 
 property. 
 
 1 mmm t 
 
 iDWIN R DICKINSON, a prosperous 
 farmer of Litchfield, was born in that 
 town, January 4, 1821, son of Amos 
 and Sally (Perry) Dickinson. Mr. Dickin- 
 son's grandfather, Solomon Dickinson, was 
 formerly a resident of Connecticut, but passed 
 his later years in New York State, where he 
 died. He was twice married, and had four 
 children by his first union. Amos Dickinson, 
 Mr. Dickinson's father, was born in Litch- 
 field, and acquired the trade of a millwright. 
 He followed that occupation through life, and 
 died in Litchfield, aged seventy-seven years. 
 His wife, who was born in Weston, Fairfield 
 County, Conn., became the mother of four 
 
 children, of whom Edwin P., the subject of 
 this sketch, is the only survivor. She died in 
 Litchfield at the age of fifty-four years. Both 
 parents were members of the Episcopal church. 
 
 Edwin P. Dickinson was educated in the 
 public schools. At the age of fourteen he 
 began life for himself as a farm laborer, an 
 occupation which he followed until he reached 
 the age of seventeen, when he commenced to 
 learn the trade of a carriage-maker. He 
 worked at that trade for fourteen years, and 
 then moved to his present farm, where he has 
 since resided. His property, containing two 
 hundred and fifty acres, is devoted to general 
 farming, and yields him a satisfactory income. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has served 
 as Grand Juror and Assessor. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 and was formerly a member of the Lodge in 
 Litchfield. He is also connected with the 
 Grange. 
 
 On July 3, 1848, Mr. Dickinson was united 
 in marriage to Emma Gilbert. She was born 
 in Litchfield, daughter of Truman Gilbert, 
 who was a well-to-do farmer and a representa- 
 tive of an old and prominent family of the 
 neighborhood. Both he and his wife are now 
 dead. Mrs. Edwin P. Dickinson became the 
 mother of two children, namely: Gilbert 
 Amos, who died at the age of nine years; and 
 Ithamer T. Mr. Dickinson's wife died in 
 1876, aged forty-nine years. She was a 
 member of the Episcopal church. Edwin P. 
 Dickinson also attends that church, and has 
 served it as Warden. 
 
 Ithamer T. Dickinson was born upon the 
 farm where he now resides, November 17, 
 1854. He received his education in the pub- 
 lic schools, and at an early age commenced to 
 assist his father in attending to the farm 
 duties. He has always remained at home, and 
 now devotes his time and energies to conduct- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 97 
 
 ing the farm, thereby relieving his father of 
 all care and responsibility during his declining 
 years. He married Celia Pratt, daughter of 
 Edward Pratt, of Litchfield, and has two chil- 
 dren; namely. Lulu E. and Edith Louise. 
 Ithamer T. Dickinson is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and was a Selectman for three years. He 
 is an active member of the Grange. In his 
 religious views he is an Episcopalian, is secre- 
 tary and treasurer of Trinity Church, and also 
 a Vestryman. 
 
 ^ ■**»-» ■■ 
 
 T^HARLES A. McNEIL, who is now 
 I Sf living in retirement in Litchfield, was 
 
 V»!l_^ born upon the farm where he now 
 resides, May 3, 18 19, son of John and Polly 
 (Catlin) McNeil. Mr. McNeil's great-grand- 
 father, Archibald McNeil, was a native of the 
 north of Ireland. He was of Scotch ancestry, 
 the family having established their residence 
 in Ireland during the reign of Robert Bruce. 
 In company with two brothers, his father, 
 mother, and an infant, he sailed for America ; 
 and they were shipwrecked in the vicinity of 
 Newport, wher6 his father, mother, and the 
 infant were lost, as well as all he and they 
 possessed. One of the brothers returned; 
 while he and the other brother remained in 
 America. They settled in Litchfield, where 
 they bought land for the cost of survey, and 
 cleared a good farm, which was located upon 
 what is known as McNeil Hill. They en- 
 gaged in mercantile business, and later intro- 
 duced the manufacture of linen and woollen 
 goods. They passed the remainder of their 
 lives in Litchfield, and both died at about the 
 age of seventy years. Mr. McNeil's grand- 
 father, Archibald McNeil, was born in Litch- 
 field, and was a lifelong resident of that town. 
 He had a family of seven children, of whom 
 Mr. McNeil's father was the only son. 
 
 John McNeil was born in Litchfield and 
 
 passed his boyhood at the homestead there. 
 He was reared to farm life, and after the death 
 of his father he succeeded to the ownership of 
 the property. He followed agriculture suc- 
 cessfully, and lived to the age of eighty-one 
 years. His wife was a native of Litchfield, 
 daughter of Able Catlin, who was a soldier in 
 the Revolutionary War, and died in Farming- 
 ton at an advanced age. His family consisted 
 of three sons and four daughters. Mrs. John 
 McNeil became the mother of nine children, 
 of whom Charles A., the subject of this 
 sketch, is the only survivor. She lived to the 
 age of eighty years. Both parents were mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 Charles A. McNeil resided at home, assist- 
 ing his father in carrying on the farm, until 
 he was twenty-one years of age. He then 
 purchased a small piece of property in Litch- 
 field, which he cultivated for a time. Subse- 
 quently he engaged in the manufacture of 
 woollen goods in Goshen, but shortly after re- 
 turned to agriculture, which he followed until 
 1851. In this year he caught the gold fever 
 and went to the diggings in California, where 
 he remained for two years. Upon his return 
 he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Litch- 
 field until 1859, when he went back to Cali- 
 fornia. In 1862 he returned again and ran a 
 store in his native town for seven years, after 
 which he sold out and engaged in farming with 
 his brother upon the property he now occupies. 
 He resided there for one year; and, after culti- 
 vating his cousin's farm for five years, he en- 
 gaged in trade to some extent in Torrington 
 for a time, and then settled on his present 
 estate, where he has since resided. The prop- 
 erty, which is known as Mountain View Farm, 
 consists of one hundred acres; and its eleva- 
 tion makes it a desirable and healthy location 
 in which to reside. Mr. McNeil is a Demo- 
 crat in politics. He is a member of St. 
 
98 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Paul's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Litchfield, 
 and was formerly a member of the Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 In 1840 Mr. McNeil was married to his first 
 wife, whose maiden name was Matilda 
 Wheeler. She was one of the nine children 
 of William Wheeler, formerly a prosperous 
 farmer of Stonington, who moved to Litch- 
 field, where he passed the remainder of his 
 life. By this union there were three children, 
 two of whom are still living; namely, Emily 
 and George S. Emily married B. C. Sweet, 
 a merchant of Hill's Grove, near Providence, 
 R. I., and has three children, named Arthur, 
 Mabel, and Harry. George S. , who is a dyer 
 in Lynn, Mass., is married and has two chil- 
 dren, named Charles and Archibald. Mr. Mc- 
 Neil's first wife, who was a member of the 
 Episcopal church, died at the age of thirty- 
 nine. He wedded for his second wife Mrs. 
 Seraphina (Wheeler) Warner, daughter of 
 Prentice and Seraphina Wheeler, of Stoning- 
 ton, the former of whom was a shoemaker by 
 trade. He had settled in Litchfield with his 
 father, William Wheeler, and they passed the 
 remainder of their lives in that town. Sera- 
 phina Wheeler, who was twice married, had five 
 children by her first husband, three of whom 
 are still living; namely, Mrs. McNeil, Emily, 
 and Ansel. The mother still survives. Mr. 
 and Mrs. McNeil have one daughter, named 
 Ida B., who is now the wife of Clarence Way, 
 a jeweller of Brooklyn, N. Y., and has one son, 
 named Charles McNeil Way. Mr. McNeil is 
 not connected with any religious denomina- 
 tion, but assists liberally in supporting the 
 various churches. He has lived a busy and 
 industrious life. He is liberal and ho.spitable, 
 an interesting conversationalist, with an intel- 
 ligent conception of public matters, and is 
 now enjoying a well-earned rest from the 
 active labors of life. 
 
 tfRANK A. CASE, a prosperous mer- 
 p(j chant of New Harfford, who conducts 
 a large country store in the Pine 
 Meadow district, was born in Barkhamsted, 
 September 9, 1847, son of Horace and Louisa 
 (Blakelee) Case. Mr. Case's great-grand- 
 father, Simon Case, was an early settler in 
 Litchfield County. His son, Obed Case, Mr. 
 Case's grandfather, was a resident of Barkham- 
 sted, where he successfully engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits for many years. He lived to 
 the age of eighty-four years. 
 
 Horace Case, father of Mr. Case, was born 
 in Barkhamsted, and received his education 
 in the district schools of his native town. He 
 was reared to agricultural life, and became the 
 owner of a farm in Barkhamsted, which he 
 cultivated with profit for the greater part of 
 his life. He was widely known as a skilful 
 musician and band-master, being connected 
 with different bands in the State. He was 
 director of several bands in adjacent towns. 
 His last public appearance as a musician was 
 at the dedication of the Clark House in Win- 
 sted. Mr. Case took an active interest in 
 public affairs, and represented his town in the 
 legislature two terms. He was made a Mason 
 when twenty-two years old, and was a member 
 of the fraternity for sixty years. He lived to 
 the age of eighty-two. His wife, in maiden- 
 hood Louisa Blakelee, was a native of Hart- 
 land, daughter of Samuel Blakelee, an early 
 settler in that town. She became the mother 
 of four sons, as follows: C. II. Case, who for 
 the past thirty years has been a well-known 
 jeweller of Hartford ; Dwight, who is superin- 
 tendent of the Gilbert House in Winsted ; 
 Frank A., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Hubert B. , a retired farmer and merchant of 
 Barkhamsted. She died in Barkhamsted, aged 
 forty-four years. Mr. Case's parents attended 
 the Universalist church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 9^ 
 
 Frank A. Case commenced his education in 
 the common schools of his native town. Sub- 
 sequently he took a course at the Wesleyan 
 Academy, and then became a clerk in a gen- 
 eral store in New Hartford. After spending 
 two years in this employment he took an addi- 
 tional course at a business college in New 
 Haven. He next secured a position as clerk 
 in the large dry-goods establishment of Lord 
 & Taylor in New York City, and remained 
 there one year. During the succeeding four 
 years he was employed as a clerk in the store 
 of S. Allen in Pine Meadow, at the expiration 
 of which time he went to Ohio, where he was 
 engaged in selling machinery. He was absent 
 one year, when he returned to Pine Meadow 
 and became proprietor of a hotel known as the 
 Willcox House. He carried it on for four 
 years; and then, in company with his brother, 
 he conducted a general store in Barkhamsted 
 for eight years. At this time he bought the 
 New Hartford Hotel, which after three years he 
 sold, and took charge of a hotel in Tariffville 
 for one year. In 1885 he once more returned 
 to Pine Meadow, purchased the large general 
 store in which he had worked as a boy, and has 
 since continued mercantile business. He now 
 conducts one of the most extensive general 
 country stores in the county; and, besides the 
 usual line of goods carried in such an establish- 
 ment, he deals in clothing, gentlemen's fur- 
 nishings, drugs, and patent medicines, with 
 which he supplies a large and constantly in- 
 creasing patronage. Mr. Case is prominently 
 identified with public affairs in New Hartford. 
 He has served as Deputy Sheriff, was in the 
 legislatures of 1875 and 1879, and has been 
 a member of the Board of Relief. Pressure 
 of business has forced him to decline other 
 important ofifices. He is a thirty-second 
 degree Mason, being a member of Amos 
 Beecher Lodge of New Hartford, the Colum- 
 
 bia Chapter in Collinsville, Tyrian Council of 
 Winsted, Washington Commandery of Hart- 
 ford, and the Consistory and Mystic Shrine 
 of Bridgeport. His brothers are also members 
 of the Masonic fraternity, C. H. Case being 
 advanced to the thirty-second degree. Mr. 
 Case is likewise connected with the Order of 
 Red Men in Winsted, and is Past Chancellor 
 of the Knights of Pythias of New Hartford. 
 In 1868 Mr. Case was united in marriage to 
 Emma J. Willcox, only daughter of Sherman 
 Willcox, who was formerly a hotel-keeper of 
 Pine Meadow. Mrs. Case's grandfather was a 
 well-known tavern-keeper there, and a very 
 prominent man in his day. Her father was 
 successful in the hotel business, and favorably 
 known to the travelling public. He died at 
 the age of forty-seven, and his wife died at the 
 age of thirty-two. Mr. and Mrs. Case have 
 two children ; namely, Hattie and Lulu B. 
 Hattie was educated at the New Hartford 
 High School, and was engaged in teaching for 
 some time. She married Harry E. Gates, an 
 undertaker of New Hartford, and has two chil- 
 dren, named Catherine and Susan L. The 
 family attend the Episcopal church, and Mrs. 
 Case is connected with the various church 
 societies. 
 
 tLBERT G. WILSON, ex-Judge of Pro- 
 bate and a prominent resident of Har- 
 ^^_^ winton, was born in Marion, Perry 
 County, Ala., February 4, 1840, son of Sam- 
 uel and Julia (Baldwin) Wilson. Mr. Wilson 
 is a descendant of John Wilson, who was born 
 February 7, 171 1. John Wilson's son, Eli 
 Wilson, who was born November 30, 1740, 
 was Judge Wilson's great-grandfather. Sam- 
 uel Wilson, the grandfather, was born in Har- 
 winton, December 29, 1782, and during his 
 early manhood was engaged in agriculture in 
 that town. He moved to New York .State, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 where he was employed in the manufacture of 
 salt, and resided for a time in Syracuse. He 
 finally returned to Harwinton, where he passed 
 his declining years and died. He was a prom- 
 inent man in the community, and a Deacon of 
 the church for many years. Samuel Wilson 
 married Nancy Moody, a native of Connecti- 
 cut; and she became the mother of six chil- 
 dren. She died in Illinois. 
 
 Samuel Wilson, Jr., Mr. Wilson's father, 
 was born in New York State, August 25, 
 1805. When a young man he came to Har- 
 winton, and after residing upon a farm for a 
 time he moved to Alabama, where he engaged 
 in mercantile business with success for many 
 years. He had a farm in Harwinton, upon 
 which he resided during the summer, his win- 
 ters being passed in the South, attending to 
 his business there. He finally abandoned 
 trade, and, returning to Harwinton, resided 
 there permanently until his death, which oc- 
 curred October 29, 1878, aged seventy-three 
 years. His wife, in maidenhood Julia Bald- 
 win, who was born in Harwinton, became the 
 mother of six children, of whom Albert G., 
 the subject of this sketch, is the only survivor. 
 Another son was in the Confederate Army dur- 
 ing the Civil War, first serving in a cavalry 
 regiment, and later in the ordnance depart- 
 ment. The mother died in Harwinton, Sep- 
 tember 16, 1876, aged seventy-one years. 
 
 Albert G. Wilson resided in Alabama until 
 he was four years of age, at which time he 
 came to Harwinton, where the primary 
 branches of his elementary education were re- 
 ceived. After attending the public schools 
 for a time he spent one year at a boarding- 
 school in Orange, N.J., and completed his 
 studies in Hartford, Conn. He then went to 
 Texas, where he remained for three years, at 
 the expiration of which time he returned to 
 Harwinton and engaged in agricultural pur- 
 
 suits upon the farm of two hundred and 
 twenty-five acres formerly owned by his grand- 
 father. He followed farming prosperously 
 from 1862 to 1887; and then renting the prop- 
 erty he removed to the village, where he has 
 since resided. 
 
 For many years he has been closely identi- 
 fied with public affairs in Harwinton. He is 
 a Democrat in politics. Although his party 
 is in the minority, he has been elected to 
 important oi^cial positions. He has been a 
 member of the School Board for several years, 
 was elected a Representative to the legis- 
 lature in 1877, and served as Judge of Probate 
 in Harwinton for two years. He has also been 
 Secretary of the Torrington Creamery for two 
 years, was a charter member of the Grange, of 
 which he was Master for four years and is now 
 Secretary. 
 
 On March 18, 1862, Mr. Wilson was united 
 in marriage to Helen Lucretia Wilson, daugh- 
 ter of Lyman and Lucretia (Bull) Wilson, the 
 former of whom was born in Harwinton, June 
 18, 1 81 3. He was a well-known farmer, and 
 died February 12, 1875, aged sixty-two years. 
 His wife was born in Harwinton, April ii, 
 1815, daughter of John Bull, Jr., and Dotha 
 (Austin) Bull. Mrs. Albert G. Wilson is a 
 direct descendant of Captain Thomas Bull, 
 who was born in England in 1606. He came 
 to America on the ship "Hopewell " in 1635, 
 becoming a resident of Connecticut in 1636. 
 He raised a family of seven children, and died 
 at the age of seventy-eight. His son, Thomas 
 Bull, was born in 1646, and was the father of 
 John Bull, who was born in Hartford in 1696, 
 and settled in Harwinton in 1733, there being 
 but three or four families residing in the town 
 at that time. Thomas Bull, second, died in 
 Harwinton. His 80% Samuel Bull, was a 
 farmer and a lifelong resident of Harwinton. 
 He raised a family of ten children, and died 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in 1794, at the age of seventy-two. His son, 
 John Bull, -Mrs. Wilson's great-grandfather, 
 was born in 1759, and was a lifelong resident 
 of Harwinton, where he followed the occupa- 
 tions of shoemaker and tanner. He was a 
 Captain in the Revolutionary War, and died in 
 1837, aged seventy-eight. Mrs. Wilson's 
 grandfather, John Bull, Jr., was born in Har- 
 winton, October 10, 1786. He followed tan- 
 ning and shoemaking as well as agriculture, 
 and was prominently identified with public 
 affairs. He was a Whig in politics, served as 
 a member of the Board of Selectmen, and was 
 a Representative in the legislature for three 
 terms. John Bull, Jr., died at the age of 
 ninety. His farm, which was a part of the 
 original grant deeded to his ancestors in 1733, 
 is now in the possession of the family. His 
 wife was a descendant of General Wadsworth, 
 who concealed the charter in the historical oak- 
 tree at Hartford. Mrs. Wilson's mother, who 
 still survives, has always lived in Harwinton. 
 She is bright and active, possessing a great 
 fund of general information, and is well ac- 
 quainted with the genealogy of the principal 
 families in that section. She is often con- 
 sulted on matters relating to family history. 
 Although she is now eighty years of age, her 
 memory is good; and she has kindly furnished 
 valuable data for this sketch. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Albert G. Wilson have had 
 six children, five of whom are still living, 
 namely: Helen Dotha, who attended school in 
 New Britain, and is now the wife of Newman 
 Hungerford, a commercial traveller of Hart- 
 ford ; Anna H., formerly a school teacher, who 
 married Walter B. Leavenworth, a farmer, and 
 has two children— Vera W. and Lizzie Bar- 
 ber; Mary B., who has been a well-known 
 school teacher in Harwinton for several years; 
 Julia C. and Lucy L., who reside at home; 
 and Adeline, who died at the age of thirteen 
 
 years. The family attend the Congregational 
 church, of which Mrs. Wilson and her daugh- 
 ters are members, and are actively engaged in 
 church work. 
 
 /^STeORGE T. JOHNSON, a druggist of 
 V il I Norfolk, was born in Watertowii, 
 Conn., June 29, 1853, son of David 
 S. and Sbphia (Stone) Johnson. Mi". Johnson's 
 grandfather, Ebenezer Johnson, was born in 
 Newtown, Conn., August 13, 1775. He first' 
 located in Sharon, Conn., where he resided for 
 a time,: settling later in Watertown, where he 
 passed 'the remainder of his life, and died May 
 19, 1833. Ebenezer Johnson married Lucy 
 Allen, who was born November i, 1777. She 
 died in 1838, having borne her husband seven 
 children; namely, Henry, John B. , William 
 A., Sarah M. , David S. , Chester A., and 
 George B. 
 
 David S. Johnson, Mr. Johnson's father, 
 was born in Watertown, February 16, 1808. 
 He was a farmer in his early manhaed. He 
 subsequently moved to the State of Texas, 
 where he was engaged in mercantile business 
 with his brother, and died July 14, 1861. 
 His wife, whom he married September 21, 
 1852, was a daughter of David Stone, of Mid- 
 dlebury. She was born January 29, 1825, and 
 reared a family of four children; namely, Mel- 
 ville S. , Benton O., George T., and Dwight 
 D. She still survives. 
 
 George T. Johnson commenced to learn the 
 business of a druggist and apothecary in 1871, 
 becoming thoroughly proficient in the handling 
 of drugs and the compounding of medicines. 
 In 1876 he established himself in business in 
 Norfolk, where he has been successful from 
 the start, and is now conducting a prosperous 
 trade. He carries a large and varied stock of 
 drugs, chemicals, druggist's sundries, paints, 
 oils, etc., and also deals in crockery ware. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Since starting in business he has erected a 
 new store and residence. Mr. Johnson has 
 reached his present position of prosperity by 
 diligent application to business, and so win- 
 ning the confidence and patronage of a large 
 number of customers. He is a member of 
 Western Star Lodge, No. 31, A. F. & A. M., 
 of Meridian Chapter, Tyrian Council, and of 
 Washington Commandery, Knights Templars. 
 He is also connected with Clifton Lodge, Li- 
 dependent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 On January i, 1879, Mr. Johnson was 
 united in marriage to Annie Humphrey, 
 a daughter of Deacon J. Humphrey. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Johnson have three children, namely : 
 Lila H., who. was born November 19, 1881 ; 
 Fred J., born January 7, 1883 ; and George D., 
 born December 9, 1888. Mr. Johnson is a 
 Republican in politics, and represented his 
 town in the legislature during the session of 
 1895. The family attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 JRS. EDWARD H. HOLLEY, the 
 leading milliner of Torrington, is 
 a highly intelligent and able busi- 
 ness woman, and is held in general respect 
 throughout this locality, wherein she has a 
 host of friends. She is a native of this State, 
 born in Avon, Hartford County, which was the 
 birthplace also of her father, Amos Wheeler, 
 Jr., and of her paternal grandfather, Amos 
 Wheeler, Sr., who died there at the age of 
 forty-five years. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Holley obtained his edu- 
 cation at the common schools of Avon, and 
 afterward completed his studies at the Colches- 
 ter Academy. He was Postmaster of the town 
 for many years, in addition to managing a 
 store of general merchandise. After the 
 construction of the Canal Railway he was 
 appointed station agent. By the faithful 
 
 performance of his duties in both positions 
 he gave general satisfaction. In 1869 Mr. 
 Wheeler disposed of his store and came to 
 Torrington, which he afterward made his home 
 until his decease in 1882, aged sixty years. 
 He continued in mercantile occupations during 
 his entire life, and was travelling salesman for 
 a Hartford firm during his last years. He was 
 very firm in his political opinions, which 
 favored the Republican party. The maiden 
 name of his wife, mother of Mrs. Holley, was 
 Martha Chidsey, a native of Avon, born in 
 1824, being a daughter of Jacob Chidsey, a 
 highly respected citizen of that town. Mr. 
 Chidsey was a man of integrity, very strict in 
 regard to the observance of the Sabbath, and 
 a regular attendant of the Congregational 
 church. He lived to the advanced age of 
 seventy-six years, retaining his faculties un- 
 dimmed, and is still held in loving remem- 
 brance by his grandchildren. His wife, 
 grandmother of Mrs. Holley, whose maiden 
 name was Martha Baldwin, was a native of 
 Branford. Her father was the only one that 
 returned home of the seven men of Branford 
 who fought in the War of Independence. 
 Mr.s. Wheeler was one of a family of four 
 brothers and two sisters. She reared seven 
 children, si.x of whom are now living; namely, 
 Frank M., Perley W., Nellie W., Lillie (the 
 wife of E. T. Coe), Homer C, and Leonard 
 D. She is a valued member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 Mrs. Edward H. Holley received her ele- 
 mentary education in the common schools of 
 her native town, afterward attending the New 
 Britain High School. At the age of sixteen 
 years, having taught school the previous year 
 in Avon, she came with her parents to Tor- 
 rington and completed her studies at the high 
 school. After that she resumed teaching in 
 this vicinity, and had been so employed for 
 
Mr. and Mrs. HENRY SANFORD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°S 
 
 five years, when in 1876 she married Edward 
 Holley. Mr. and Mrs. HoUey then went to 
 Pennsylvania and lived on a farm for six 
 years. They returned to Torrington in 1882, 
 on the death of Mr. Holley's father, when they 
 took possession of the old Holley homestead, 
 where they have since resided. In 1892 Mrs. 
 Holley, who has great artistic taste as well as 
 business tact, opened her present millinery 
 business. She has met with unqualified suc- 
 cess, and has won a large patronage among the 
 foremost residents of the locality. She was 
 Tjrought prominently before the public a few 
 years ago, when she sued the town for damages 
 claimed on account of the road cut in front of 
 her house. By her indomitable pluck and per- 
 sistence she won her case in spite of all the 
 opposition of the town, made through the best 
 of legal talent obtainable. In private life Mrs. 
 Holley is a true and loyal friend, a devoted 
 wife, and a loving mother. 
 
 Mr. Holley is a native of Torrington, and 
 was here reared to man's estate, acquiring an 
 excellent education in the high school of this 
 place, in a New York school, and later finish- 
 ing his studies at the Williston Seminary. 
 For some years thereafter Mr. Holley was 
 engaged in this vicinity and in Bridgeport as 
 a dealer in boots and shoes. After his mar- 
 riage he engaged in agriculture. He owned a 
 fine farm, which he devoted to dairy purposes, 
 manufacturing some fifteen hundred pounds of 
 butter per week, and also conducting a large 
 creamery. On the death of his father, Francis 
 N. Holley, he returned to the home of his youth 
 and invested his money in a knife shop; but, 
 his health breaking down shortly after, he was 
 obliged to give up active labor. 
 
 Francis N. Holley was a native of Salis- 
 bury, born May 13, 1807. In 1837 he re- 
 moved to Torrington, then called Wolcottville, 
 and here purchased the woollen-mills and en- 
 
 gaged in the manufacture of doeskins. He 
 was a man of prominence and influence, was 
 President of the savings-bank and a member of 
 the School Committee, besides serving in 
 other local offices. He was active in forward- 
 ing all good works designed for the benefit of 
 the community. He attended the Congrega- 
 tional church, was very generous in his contri- 
 butions toward its support, and donated seven 
 thousand dollars toward the erection of the 
 new church building. He died in 1878, being 
 then seventy-one years of age. He married 
 Eliza Ai Hotchkiss, a native of New Hart- 
 ford, born May 29, 1824. She died at the age 
 of forty-two years, leaving four children, two 
 of whorri are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Hol- 
 ley have five beautiful children ; namely, 
 Francis N., Lily W. , Lawrence H., Irving 
 B., and Horace A. All are receiving the best 
 of educational advantages obtainable, and a 
 practical training that will enable them to 
 occupy useful and honorable positions in life. 
 
 'ENRY SANFORD, one of the oldest 
 and most highly respected citizens 
 
 ^^ V^ ._, of Bridgewater, Litchfield County, 
 Conn., his native place, was born on October 
 14, 1806, and still occupies the farm on which 
 his paternal grandfather, Nehemiah Sanford, 
 Sr., settled in 1772. Mr. Sanford is a scion 
 of an old New England family, whose first 
 ancestor in this country was Thomas Sanford, 
 who lived in Dorchester, Mass., in the early 
 days of the colony, and moved in 1639 to Mil- 
 ford, Conn., where both he and his wife Sarah 
 died in 1681. 
 
 Their eldest son, Ezekiel, settled in Fair- 
 field, Conn., dying there in 1683, in his forty- 
 ninth year. He and his wife, Rebecca Wickla 
 or Wakelee, reared a son Ezekiel, who lived 
 and died in Fairfield, and whose wife also bore 
 
io6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Christian name of Rebecca. ■ Joseph San- 
 ford, son of second Ezekiel and Rebecca San- 
 ford, and great-grandfather of Henry Sanford, 
 married Catherine Fairchild. Their lives 
 were spent in their native town; but their son, 
 Nehemiah, sought a new home, settling first 
 in Redding, Conn., and in 1772 removing to 
 Bridgewater, as above mentioned. He took 
 possession of two hundred acres of land south- 
 east of Wolf Pit Mountain, and worked 
 industriously for many years, clearing and 
 improving the land. Nehemiah Sanford, Sr. , 
 married Elizabeth Morehouse, and they were 
 the parents of the following children : Ger- 
 shom ; Liffe; Phoebe, who died young; Anna; 
 Catherine; and Nehemiah, Jr. 
 
 Nehemiah Sanford, Jr., the father of the 
 subject of the present sketch, was born in 
 Redding, Conn., in 1762, and was the young- 
 est son of his parents. He enlisted in the 
 Revolutionary army when a youth of nineteen, 
 and when his term of service was ended settled 
 on the homestead farm, passing the rest of his 
 life in Bridgewater, where he was universally 
 esteemed as an upright and industrious citizen. 
 An ardent supporter of the Congregational 
 church, he was one of the leading me^nbers of 
 the Bridgewater parish up to the time of his 
 death, which occurred December 20, 1844. 
 His wife, Hannah Beach Sanford, who was a 
 daughter of David Beach, of Bridgewater, died 
 in 1839, at the age of seventy-four. Their 
 children were named: Robert, Anna, Electa, 
 Garry, Beach, and Henry. 
 
 Henry Sanford, who was the youngest son of 
 his parents, received a moderate education, 
 and on reaching man's estate settled on the 
 home farm, caring for his father and mother in 
 their last days. .He took up the work of agri- 
 culture with zest and pursued it with ability, 
 making many improvements on the estate, 
 remodelling the house, which was built by his 
 
 father in 1786, until it was almost like new, 
 and erecting new barns and other buildings. 
 He is one of the thriftiest farmers in the com- 
 munity, and though eighty-nine years of age 
 attends to business every day in the week. A 
 man of strong convictions and decided charac- 
 ter, he is bold and fearless in the performance 
 of duty ; and it is rare to find a man better 
 posted on political subjects or agricultural 
 matters. 
 
 December 4, 1828, Mr. Sanford was married 
 to Anna J., daughter of Daniel Canfield, of 
 Bridgewater. She died March 10, 1844, and 
 was laid beside her first child, Canfield H., 
 who was born July 28, 1839, and died August 
 17 of the same year. She was the mother of 
 one other child, Horace N., who was born Jan- 
 uary 4, 1 84 1, and grew to maturity, working 
 on the farm with his father. He enlisted in 
 1862 in Company H, Nineteenth Regiment of 
 Connecticut Volunteers, and served three 
 years, being promoted to the rank of Sergeant 
 in the Second Connecticut Artillery. At the 
 end of his term of service he returned to the 
 homestead, and was for many years a promi- 
 nent citizen of the town and a Deacon in the 
 Congregational church. He died September 
 S, 1889. He married Dora M., daughter of 
 George and Lucretia M. (Turner) Kasson, of 
 Bethlehem, Conn., and was the father of three 
 children, namely: Genevieve T., born March 
 18, 1872, a popular and successful school 
 teacher; Henry C, born April 16, 1875; and 
 Mabelle F., born April 29, 1879, who lives 
 on the homestead with her mother and grand- 
 parents. The marriage of Mr. Henry Sanford 
 and Polly B. Piatt, daughter of Deacon Sim- 
 eon Piatt, of South Britain, took place on No- 
 vember 12, 184s; and their golden wedding 
 was celebrated on November 12, 1895, the 
 pleasant occasion being one long to be remem- 
 bered in Bridgewater. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 107 
 
 In politics Mr. Sanford is a Republican. 
 He has been prominent as a town official, and 
 in religious matters especially has taken an 
 active part, having been identified with the 
 Congregational church since he was twenty- 
 one years old. He rarely misses a service, 
 and his life is consistent with the teachings in 
 which he has so long believed. 
 
 On a neighboring page may be seen a por- 
 trait of this venerable gentleman, who is now 
 in his ninetieth year, his mind enriched with 
 a wealth of garnered memories of blessings 
 enjoyed and labors done. 
 
 (5 I HEODORE SEDGWICK GOLD, a 
 g I prominent citizen of West Cornwall, is 
 a native of Madison, N.Y., born on 
 March 2, 18 18, son of Dr. Samuel Wadswoi;;th 
 and Phebe (Cleveland) Gold. His genealogy 
 is traced back through seven generations to the 
 Hon. Nathan Gold, the first representative of 
 the family in America. Nathan Gold was 
 one of the nineteen petitioners who received 
 the charter of Connecticut. His four children 
 were: Nathan, Jr., Sarah, Deborah, and Abi- 
 gail. Nathan Gold, Jr., first married Miss 
 Hannah Talcott, a daughter of Lieutenant 
 Colonel John Talcott. She died in 1696, 
 leaving six children, as follows: Abigail, 
 John, Nathan, Samuel, Joseph, and Hezekiah. 
 Three other children, Onesimus, David, and 
 Martha, were by a second wife, Sarah. Heze- 
 kiah Gold, who was born in 1694, graduated 
 at Harvard in 17 19, studied for the ministry, 
 and became a successful preacher at Stratford. 
 His death occurred in 1761. He married 
 Miss Mary Ruggles, daughter of the Rev. 
 Thomas Ruggles, of Guilford, Conn. At the 
 time of her death, in 1750, she was but forty- 
 eight years of age. They were the parents 
 of thirteen children; namely, Mary, Katie, 
 
 Jerusha, Sarah, Hezekiah, Jr., Thomas, Anna, 
 Rebecca, Huldah, Anna, Catherine, Abigail, 
 and Elizabeth. 
 
 Hezekiah Gold, Jr., who was born in Strat- 
 ford, Conn., on January 18, 1731, was edu- 
 cated at Yale College, from which he gradu- 
 ated in the class of 1751. He was the first of 
 the family to settle in Cornwall, Litchfield 
 County, where he died May 30, 1790. He 
 was thrice married, the first time on Novem- 
 ber 23, 1758, to Miss Sarah Sedgwick, daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Benjamin Sedgwick, of Corn- 
 wall. She died August 18, 1766, when but 
 twenty-seven years old, having had five chil- 
 dren; namely, Thomas, Hezekiah, Benjamin, 
 Thomas R., and Hezekiah (second). The 
 Rev. Hezekiah Gold's second wife was Eliza- 
 beth (Wakeman) Gold, a daughter of Joseph 
 Wakeman, of Fairfield. She died on Febru- 
 ary II, 1778, at thirty-three years of age, 
 leaving a son and two daughters: Joseph, 
 Sarah, and Mary. For his third wife he mar- 
 ried Miss Abigail Sherwood, of Fairfield, 
 Conn. Hezekiah Gold (second), who was 
 born on August i, 1766, spent his life in 
 Cornwall. His death occurred in 1847 on 
 the anniversary of Washington's birthday, 
 aged eighty-one years six months and twenty- 
 one days. He married Miss Rachel Wads- 
 worth, a daughter of Samuel Wadsworth, Oc- 
 tober 24, 1788; and the fruit of their union 
 was a son and three daughters, as follows: 
 Sally Maria, Samuel Wadsworth, Julia R-, 
 and Lorain Sedgwick. 
 
 Samuel W. Gold, the father of Theodore 
 Sedgwick, was born in Cornwall, on Septem- 
 ber 27, 1794. He graduated from Williams 
 College in 1814, studied medicine at Pitts- 
 field and Yale, and began the practice of med- 
 icine in Madison, N.Y., and in 1824 opened 
 an office in Goshen, Conn., where he followed 
 his profession for fifteen years. He took a 
 
io8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 keen interest in public affairs. During two 
 sessions of the State legislature he filled the 
 office of Senator, and in 1857 he served as 
 a Presidential elector. His wife, Phebe 
 Cleveland, was a daughter of Erastus Cleve- 
 land, of Madison, N.Y. They were married 
 April 17, 1817; and their union was blessed 
 by the birth of a son and two daughters: 
 Theodore Sedgwick, Mary E., and Julia Lo- 
 rain. The father died September 10, 1869, 
 and his wife's death occurred on the 29th of 
 the following November, seventy-three years 
 of age. 
 
 Theodore S. Gold came with his parents 
 from Madison, N.Y., to Cornwall when he 
 was a small child. He received his early edu- 
 cation in the public schools of Cornwall, and 
 later attended Goshen Academy and Yale 
 College, from which he graduated in the class 
 of 1838. He was one of the editors of the 
 Connecticut Homestead as long as it was pub- 
 lished at Hartford, Conn.; and in 1878 he 
 published a history of Cornwall. He has al- 
 ways given considerable time and attention to 
 agricultural pursuits and interests, and at the 
 present time owns about eight hundred acres 
 of land in Cornwall. On September 13, 
 1843, he was joined in marriage with Miss 
 Caroline E. Lockwood, daughter of Charles 
 and Eunice Lockwood, of Bridgeport. She 
 died April 25, 1857, in the thirty-second year 
 of her age, leaving five children, as follows: 
 Eleanor Douglas, who married Charles H. 
 Hubbard, of Sandusky, Ohio; Mary Eliza- 
 beth; Emily Sedgwick; Rebecca Cleveland, 
 wife of Samuel M. Cornell, of Brooklyn, 
 N. Y.; and Caroline Simons, wife of William 
 F. Gibson, of San Francisco, Cal. Two years 
 later, on April 4, 1859, Mr. Gold formed a 
 second union with Mrs. Emma (Tracy) Bald- 
 win, daughter of A. W. Tracy, of Rockville, 
 Conn. They have four children: Alice 
 
 Tracy, who married Franz Ulrich von Putt- 
 kamer, a relative of Prince Bismarck; Martha- 
 Wadsworth, wife of Colin D. Morgan, of 
 Montreal ; Charles Lockwood ; and James 
 Douglas, the latter a successful physician of 
 Bridegport, Conn., who married Miss Ger- 
 trude House. 
 
 Mr. Gold was one of the founders of the 
 State Agricultural Society, and has been offi- 
 cially connected with it since its organization 
 in 1854. In 1866 the State Board of Agricult- 
 ure was established, Mr. Gold being elected 
 Secretary, which office he still holds. He is 
 a member of the Board of Control of the State 
 Agricultural Experiment Station in New 
 Haven, Conn. From the establishment of 
 Storr's School and Agricultural College he 
 has been a member of the Board of Trustees, 
 and is now Secretary. Mr. Gold in connec- 
 tion with his father established in 1845 the 
 Cream Hill Agricultural School, which was 
 successfully conducted for twenty-four years. 
 In 1864, with the aid of the other incorpora- 
 tors, he obtained from the General Assembly 
 a charter for the Connecticut Soldiers' Orphan 
 Home at Mansfield; and during the mainte- 
 nance of this institution till 1874 Mr. Gold 
 held the office of Secretary of the corporation. 
 He is also a member of the Connecticut His- 
 torical Society, of which he is one of the 
 Vice-Presidents, a member of the Sons of the 
 American Revolution, a fellow of the American 
 Association for the Advancement of Science, 
 a life member of both the American Forestry 
 Association and the American Pomological 
 Society; and he is connected with Patrons 
 of Husbandry and various other organiza- 
 tions. In religious belief Mr. Gold is a 
 Congregationalist. For many years he has 
 served as Deacon in the church at Cornwall, 
 and is at present chairman of the society's 
 committee. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 log 
 
 B 
 
 EACON HENRY B. BISSELL, one 
 of the most respected and prosperous 
 agriculturists of tiiis section of the 
 county, resides on his valuable and well-kept 
 homestead on Maple Street, Litchfield, about 
 three miles from the village. He has the dis- 
 tinction of being one of the oldest native-born 
 residents of the town, having first opened his 
 eyes to the 'light on a farm adjoining the one 
 on which he now lives, April lo, .1814. He 
 comes of pioneer ancestry, his grea.t-grand- 
 father, Zebulon Bissell, who spent his early 
 years in Union, where he was born in 1724, 
 having been one of the original settlers of 
 Litchfield. Zebulon Bissell bought land from 
 the government, and in the midst of the path- 
 less wilderness erected the log cabin that was 
 the first, home of himself and young wife. 
 Benjamin Bissell, the grandfather of Deacon 
 Bissell, was born on the paternal homestead 
 June 15, 1754, and, as he grew to manhood, 
 assisted his father in clearing and cultivating 
 the land. He was occupied in agriculture 
 throughout his life, being one of the well- 
 to-do farmers of this locality. He married 
 when young; and, of his children, Nathaniel, 
 born in 1786, was the father of Deacon 
 Bissell. 
 
 Nathaniel Bissell was a lifelong resident of 
 Litchfield, and, like his ancestors, was a tiller 
 of the soil. On coming of age he bought land 
 adjacent to the farm now owned by Deacon 
 Bissell, and in its care and management spent 
 the remainder of his eighty-six years of life. 
 A man of sterling worth and character, he was 
 greatly esteemed by all, and was actively in- 
 terested in advancing the material welfare of 
 his native town and county. In politics he 
 was a Whig, and at one time served as grand 
 juror. He married Anna Smith, one of the 
 four children of Captain Daniel Smith. Cap- 
 tain Smith was a farmer of Middlebury, and 
 
 lived to the venerable age of ninety years. 
 Nathaniel Bissell and his wife' had seven chil- 
 dren, four of whom are yet living; namely, 
 Charles, Henry B., Frederick, and Julia. 
 The last-named is the wife of William Ensign. 
 
 Deacon Henry B. Bissell had better educa- 
 tional advantages than were generally given a 
 farmer's son in his time. After finishing with 
 the district schools he was sent to the semi- 
 nary, where he was under the instruction of 
 John P. Brace. He subsequently engaged in 
 teaching, which he continued for six winters. 
 His chief occupation, however, was assisting 
 on the home farm, where he remained until 
 twenty-eight years of age. Having by that 
 time much experience in general farming he 
 then bought the property on which he now 
 resides. Since that time he has placed the 
 two hundred and thirty acres of fertile land in 
 a yielding condition and made many other val- 
 uable improvements, sparing neither time nor 
 expense for that purpose. In 1850 Deacon 
 Bissell erected his present residence, which 
 stands on rising ground overlooking the village 
 three miles distant, the granite used in its 
 construction having been quarried on his own 
 farm. He pays a good deal of attention to 
 dairying, keeping some twenty head of fine 
 cows, and finds this branch of his business 
 quite profitable. 
 
 In 1 841 Deacon Bissell married Clarissa 
 M., daughter of Captain Samuel Wright, one 
 of the early settlers of Litchfield. Of the 
 nine children born to them, seven grew to 
 adult life; namely, Lewis, Philip, Samuel, 
 Alice, Francis, Cornelia, and Amelia, the fol- 
 lowing being chronicled of them : Lewis, who 
 is a veteran of the Civil War, is now a car- 
 penter in Syracuse, N.Y., and is married to 
 Clara Aldridge, by whom he is the father of 
 one child, Carl. Philip died at the age of 
 thirty-six years ; and Samuel died when forty 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years old. Alice married F. Germond, by 
 whom she has had four children: Henry B. , 
 James H., Gertrude, and Paul. Francis, who 
 lives with his father on the old homestead, 
 married Myra Piper, and has three children : 
 Arthur, Frederick F. , and Clarissa I. Cor- 
 nelia is the wife of Arthur Edwards, a neigh- 
 boring farmer, and has two children : Henry 
 H. and Ruth. Amelia and Cornelia are twins. 
 In 1892 Mrs. Bissell, the devoted wife and 
 mother, after a wedded life of more than fifty 
 years, passed from this life, at the age of 
 seventy-three years. She was an active Chris- 
 tian and an esteemed member of the Congrega- 
 tional church, of which her husband has served 
 as Deacon for many years. In politics the 
 Deacon is a stanch Republican. No man in 
 the community stands higher in the public es- 
 timation than Deacon Bissell, his entire life 
 having been marked by those noble and upright 
 principles that are most desirable in a good 
 and loyal citizen. 
 
 jDWARD L. LORRAIN, a successful 
 building contractor of Canaan, was born 
 in France, February 14, 1843, son of 
 John and Mary (Mundry) Lorrain. Both par- 
 ents were natives of France. Mr. Lorrain's 
 father, who was a wheelwright by trade, emi- 
 grated to the United States in 1847, and set- 
 tled in East Canaan, where he became con- 
 nected with the Barnum & Richardson 
 Company, with whom he remained for thirty- 
 five years. He died in Florida at the age of 
 sixty years. His wife, Mary Mundry, became 
 the mother of six children, of whom three are 
 now living, namely: Edward L. , the subject 
 of this sketch; Isabella, now Mrs. McCarty; 
 and Paul J. Mrs. John Lorrain died in 1862, 
 at the age of forty years. 
 
 Edward L. Lorrain was educated in the 
 
 schools of East Canaan, and at the age of 
 twenty years commenced to learn the carpen- 
 ter's trade. After completing his apprentice- 
 ship he followed his trade as journeyman for 
 a time, and subsequently commenced business 
 for himself as a contractor and builder. Being 
 a thoroughly skilled workman and possessing 
 besides a considerable knowledge of architect- 
 ure, he is able both to furnish and execute 
 plans for any kind of building. He has ac- 
 quired an enviable reputation, and is at the 
 present time engaged in fulfilling a large con- 
 tract for the erection of some fancy stock 
 stables in Great Barrington. He also fur- 
 nishes plans for buildings outside of his opera- 
 tions as contractor, and is well known as a 
 capable architect. He is a member of Hoosa- 
 tonic Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; and in politics 
 he is a Democrat. In 1868 Mr. Lorrain was 
 united in marriage to Sarah E. Crocker, daugh- 
 ter of Milo Crocker, of Lebanon, N. Y. They 
 have two children, namely: John E., who 
 married Mary Goodwin, and has two children, 
 named May and Bessie, respectively ; and 
 Sarah E. Mr. Lorrain occupies a fine resi- 
 dence on Prospect Hill. 
 
 KESSENDEN IVES, a retired farmer, 
 spending the sunset years of his busy 
 life in the village of Litchfield, widely 
 known as an honest man and a good citizen, 
 has been identified with the agricultural prog- 
 ress of this part of Connecticut for the past 
 half-century and more. He was born August 
 17, 1826, in the town of Goshen, and there 
 bred and educated. 
 
 He comes from a race of farmers, and is of 
 pioneer stock, his grandfather, Asa Ives, hav- 
 ing been an early settler of Goshen. He 
 bought a tract of "college land," which was 
 then in its virgin wildness; and from this he 
 
FESSENDEN IVES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 113 
 
 labored unceasingly to improve a homestead, 
 and was largely instrumental in developing 
 the resources of the town. He cleared a 
 large part of the land, placing it in a tillable 
 condition, and there lived until his demise, 
 being then a venerable, white-haired man, of 
 fourscore and ten years. This farm is still 
 in the possession of the Ives family, being 
 owned by the widow of one of his grandsons. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Sally 
 Marks, bore him four children, three sons and 
 one daughter; namely, Eben, Luther, Lev- 
 erett, and Sarah. The latter married Amos 
 Johnson, of Cornwall, her only descendant 
 now living being a son, Marion, a resident of 
 Iowa. The grandmother also attained a good 
 old age,, living to celebrate her eightieth 
 birthday. 
 
 Leverett Ives, son of Asa, was born in the 
 town of Goshen in 1796, and was reared to a 
 farmer's life. He at length assumed the 
 management of the homestead property, tak- 
 ing care of his parents in their old age. At 
 the time of his marriage he built a house near 
 the dwelling in which he was born, making 
 that his home until a few years prior to his 
 decease, when he removed to Canaan, where 
 he passed his last years, dying December 7, 
 1877, at the home of his daughter Mary, who 
 married Nelson Clark. Leverett Ives was a 
 very enterprising farmer, greatly respected, 
 and was ever active in advancing the interests 
 of his native town. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Huldah Holbrook, was born in 
 Mendon, Mass., daughter of a well-to-do 
 farmer of that town, being one of a family of 
 eight children, all of whom grew to maturity. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leverett Ives had a family of 
 ten children, nine of whom grew to years, of 
 discretion, namely: Alderman, who lived to 
 the age of sixty-eight years; Fessenden, of 
 whom we write; Sabin; Everardus and 
 
 Bogardus, twins, both deceased, the former at 
 the age of fifty years, and the latter when 
 a boy of ten; Hubert, who passed away in 
 1868, aged thirty-five years; Mary E. (Mrs. 
 Nelson Clark), of Canaan; Henry H., who 
 departed this life at the age of twoscore years; 
 and Florene, who became the wife of A. G. 
 Stephens. The mother long survived her 
 husband, joining him in the bright world be- 
 yond in September, 1893, at the venerable 
 age of eighty-nine years. She was a woman 
 of sincere piety, a devoted member of the 
 Methodist church, which she and her husband 
 joined in their younger days. 
 
 Fessenden Ives grew to man's estate on the 
 parental homestead, and in his youthful days 
 received all the educational advantages the 
 town afforded. For a few years after leaving 
 school he was engaged in teaching in the 
 winter season and assisting his father during 
 seed-time and harvest. Having concluded to 
 follow in the footsteps of his ancestors as re- 
 garded his life occupation, Mr. Ives purchased 
 in 185 1 one hundred and sixty-seven acres of 
 land, and began farming on his own account. 
 He was successful from the first, and in 
 course of time bought another small piece of 
 land, and having erected good buildings con- 
 tinued the pursuit of agriculture for forty -four 
 years. He made substantial improvements on 
 his property, clearing the land, putting in a 
 complete system of drainage, placing the 
 larger part of it under cultivation, carrying 
 on his labors after the most approved methods 
 of agriculture. In addition to mixed hus- 
 bandry Mr. Ives made a specialty of stock- 
 raising, keeping a herd of grade Jersey cows 
 and making an excellent quality of butter, 
 which he disposed of at the highest market 
 price. In April, 1895, Mr. Ives sold this 
 valuable farm to his son, Fessenden L. Ives, 
 who is keeping up the reputation the father 
 
114 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 had well earned by years of diligent and faith- 
 ful toil as one of the most practical and suc- 
 cessful agriculturists of Goshen. 
 
 On November 20, 1850, Mr. Ives wedded 
 Mary Cook, one of ten children born to Thad- 
 deus and Susan (Wiley) Cook. Her father, 
 a well-known farmer of Shefifield, Mass., died 
 at the early age of forty-four years, when she 
 was but two years old. Mrs. Cook lived to 
 the age of sixty-eight years, spending her last 
 days in Sheffield, Mrs. Ives being the only 
 survivor of this large family. Of the nine 
 children born to the household of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Ives only four grew to adult life, a brief 
 record of whom is as follows: Thaddeus, the 
 owner of a farm lying near the old homestead 
 in Goshen, married Mary H. Pratt, a daugh- 
 ter of Edwin Pratt, of this town, and they 
 have six children — Chester F., Ray H., Alice 
 H., Edwin R., Thaddeus C, and Mary L. ; 
 George C, the owner of a creamery in Tor- 
 rington, married Lucy C. Luddington, and 
 they have one child — Frances; Fessenden 
 L., who lives on the parental homestead, mar- 
 ried Ellora M. Kimberly, daughter of Sher- 
 man Kimberly, of Goshen, and they have one 
 child — Fessenden E. ; Mary J., who married 
 Courtland F. Ives, a farmer in Ohio, died in 
 1894, aged forty years. These children all 
 had good educational advantages, the eldest 
 son having attended the State Normal School 
 at New Britain and the others having taken a 
 course of study at the Goshen Academy. 
 
 In his politics Mr. Ives is a straight Re- 
 publican, and has taken an active part in local 
 affairs, having served as Selectman twelve 
 years, the major portion of the time being 
 chairman of the board, and also at one time 
 was a member of the Board of Relief. In 
 1875 he creditably represented his town in 
 the State legislature. He has been ap- 
 pointed trustee of different estates, and has 
 
 served as administrator of many, bis ability 
 and integrity being unquestioned. He was a 
 charter member of the Litchfield Grange, and 
 has been its Treasurer since its organization 
 in 1888, the society having now a membership 
 of one hundred and seventy-five. Mr. Ives 
 and his family are regular attendants of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 A faithful likeness of Mr. Ives occupies a 
 preceding page of this volume. 
 
 iRS. JULIETTE A. STRONG, a 
 lady in high standing in Winsted, 
 is the widow of the late Clark 
 Strong, who was a prominent manufacturer of 
 that town. He was the son of John Strong 
 and grandson of David Strong, both of 
 Chatham, Conn., the latter a farmer and an 
 innkeeper. Clark Strong, when completing 
 his education at the Monson Academy, met 
 there the lady who afterward became his wife 
 and is the subject of this sketch. After his 
 marriage he settled in St. Louis, where he 
 was a teacher for some time, and later was 
 called to a professorship at Westminster 
 College, Fulton, Mo. At the breaking out of 
 the Civil War the college was closed, as 
 there was some fighting in that vicinity; and 
 Mr. Strong returned to his father's home at 
 East Hampton, Conn. In the following year 
 he enlisted for nine months in the Twenty- 
 fourth Connecticut Infantry, serving as Ad- 
 jutant. He was under the command of 
 General Banks in the first engagement at Port 
 Hudson, and while delivering an order re- 
 ceived a gunshot wound, which was so serious 
 as to necessitate a stay of three months in the 
 hospital at New Orleans. When convalescent 
 he came home on furlough, the regiment re- 
 turning one month later. Soon after the close 
 of the war Mr. Strong, in company with his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "5 
 
 brothei- David, who had served in the war 
 with him, holding the rank of Lieutenant, 
 took up the manufacture of cofifin trimmings 
 in East Hampton, beginning on a small scale. 
 Within two years they moved to Winsted, 
 and built a large factory, where a thriving 
 business has since been carried on. For five 
 years prior to his death Mr. Strong was in 
 poor health, and travelled in Colorado and the 
 South in the hope of obtaining relief. He 
 died at his home in Winsted, July 15, 1878. 
 His marriage took place in 1853. He be- 
 longed to the Republican -party, but was not 
 in the political arena. 
 
 Mrs. Strong is the daughter of David and 
 Asenath (Smith) Lewis, both of Massachu- 
 setts, but residents for some time of Stillman 
 Valley, near Rockford, 111., where Mr. Lewis 
 was engaged in farming. They made the long 
 journey thither, more than a thousand miles, 
 over the rough country, in emigrant wagons. 
 On the way they passed through Chicago, 
 when it was little more than a mud-hole. In 
 Stillman Valley, a very fine farming country, 
 Mr. Lewis bought some six hundred acres of 
 land, and settled there with some twenty other 
 families, among whom were the Rev. Eben- 
 ezer Brown, a Congregational preacher, who 
 became pastor of the First Church, Willard 
 Andrews and wife, and a brother of Mr. 
 Lewis. After some years of pioneer life Mr. 
 Lewis sold his farm, and in 1852 moved to 
 Rockford, where he engaged in the manufact- 
 ure of cornstarch. Subsequently a fire de- 
 stroyed his buildings, and the financial panic 
 further reduced his resources. In conse- 
 quence Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, now well ad- 
 vanced in years, came to East Winsted with 
 their daughter. The mother died in 1877, 
 at the age of seventy-seven, and .the father in 
 1884, at the age of eighty-nine. They had 
 three children: L. M. Lewis, deceased, who 
 
 was a farmer in Stillman Valley, Abbie, 
 wife of Philetus Fales in Ottawa, Kan. ; and 
 Mrs. Strong. 
 
 Mrs. Juliette A. Strong was but four years 
 old when she went with her parents to Illi- 
 nois. She grew up among the hardships of 
 pioneer life. She, however, completed her 
 education at Monson Academy, after which 
 she taught for some time in Rockford, 111., 
 where she later married Mr. Strong. After 
 her marriage she went to St. Louis with her 
 husband, and came East with him at the break- 
 ing out of the war. She has lost four chil- 
 dren, two of whom died in infancy. Lewis 
 D., her oldest son, died in 1876, when but 
 twenty years old, a promising young man, 
 who had distinguished himself as a student 
 and was just starting in business. Gertrude 
 S. married W. F. McClelland, and resides in 
 Denver, Col. She has one daughter, Juliette, 
 so named after her grandmother. Lester 
 Clark Strong married Antoinette Loomis, of 
 Winsted, and has one son. Mrs. Strong 
 since her husband's death has held his inter- 
 est in the business, with the efificient aid of 
 her son Lester. Her home is at 100 Main 
 Street, where her husband died. 
 
 EORGE STANLY BURNHAM, a 
 '3 1 well-known resident of Winchester 
 and identified with the best interests 
 of this section of the State, is a native of this 
 county, born January 4, 1830, in the town of 
 Barkhamsted, on the homestead of his father, 
 Hiram Burnham. Mr. Burnham represents 
 one of the earliest families to settle in Con- 
 necticut. He is a descendant of one Thomas 
 Burnham, who bought land in Hartford from 
 the Indians, and was subsequently one of the 
 most extensive land-owners of his day. (A 
 comprehensive history of the Burnham family. 
 
ii6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 compiled and published by Roderick Burnham 
 in 1884, may prove of interest to the readers 
 of this volume.) The paternal grandfather of 
 the subject, also named Thomas Burnham, 
 was born at East Hartford, and, after his 
 marriage to Chloe Fairchild, moved to Hart- 
 land, where he was soon numbered among the 
 most enterprising and skilful business men of 
 the place. He engaged in several occupa- 
 tions, being a carder, a cloth-dresser, the 
 owner and manager of a saw-mill, and an ex- 
 tensive farmer. In the sunset of his life he 
 removed to Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio, 
 that he might spend his last days with his 
 son. 
 
 Hiram Burnham was reared to man's estate 
 in his native town. After his marriage he 
 resided for a short time in Bloomfield, and 
 then removed to Barkhamsted, where he 
 bought a partly improved farm, which he suc- 
 cessfully conducted until 1853. In this year 
 he removed to the vicinity of Winsted, where 
 he and his wife subsequently died. He was 
 prominent in political affairs, was a stanch 
 Whig, and represented his district in the 
 State legislature. His wife in maidenhood 
 was Hannah Clerene Sanford, daughter of 
 Strong Sanford, an officer in the Revo- 
 lutionary army. After the close of that 
 memorable war Strong Sanford married Tem- 
 perance Hotchkiss; and they settled in this 
 county, where they reared their children. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Burnham reared but two 
 of the three children born to them, namely: 
 George Stanly, the subject of this sketch; 
 and Laura Clerene, who married John Wood- 
 ford, of Winsted. Mary Jane died, aged six 
 years. 
 
 George S. Burnham received his early edu- 
 cation in the district school, and subsequently 
 attended the academies of Warren, Mass., and 
 of Granby, Conn. At the age of eighteen years 
 
 he began his professional career by teaching 
 during the winter season for some ten years, 
 the remainder of each year being spent in 
 farming or travelling. In his travels he 
 visited the States of New York, Ohio, and 
 Pennsylvania. Mr. Burnham was subse- 
 quently associated with his father in farming. 
 A year later he assumed the entire manage- 
 ment of the homestead property, engaging ex- 
 tensively in dairying. With another man he 
 carried on a cheese factory in South Street, 
 Winchester, for four years, after which he 
 sent his milk to the condensing factory for 
 two years. In 1874 he removed from his na- 
 tive town to Winsted, and for three years was 
 engaged in a mercantile business, dealing 
 largely in wool, generally selling in the New 
 York markets. In 1877 he purchased the 
 Elmwood farm, located on the side hill, 
 three-fourths of a mile from Winsted post- 
 office, and occupying a beautiful site, over- 
 looking the village of Winsted and the 
 surrounding country. 
 
 The union of Mr. Burnham and Mary C. 
 Crampton was celebrated in the month of De- 
 cember, 1864. She was born in Farmington, 
 Conn., a daughter of William Crampton, who 
 was a prosperous farmer and a dealer in pro- 
 visions and lumber. He was a stanch mem- 
 ber of the old Whig party, and was very 
 prominent in local affairs. He served as 
 Justice of the Peace for many years, and rep- 
 resented the town of Farmington in the State 
 legislature. He married Esther Cowles, pf 
 that town, a daughter of Rufus and Rachel 
 (Moss) Cowles; and they had seven children, 
 namely: Rufus C, Thomas, DeWitt, Rachel, 
 Mary (Mrs. Burnham), Elizabeth, and Ada- 
 line. Rufus, the eldest, was graduated from 
 Yale College, and was for a long time Pro- 
 fessor of Mathematics and Astronomy at the 
 Illinois College in Jacksonville, where he 
 

 
 
 
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 EDWARD C. HOTCHKISS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 119 
 
 subsequently died. The union of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Burnham has been blessed by the birth 
 of three children : Alice Sanford, Isabella 
 Grace, and George Nelson. The latter is a 
 commercial traveller, representing a Hartford 
 firm; and Alice S., who was the wife of Pro- 
 fessor James Bingham, formerly of Winsted, 
 but now a teacher at the Tillotson Institute 
 at Austin, Tex., died at the home of her 
 parents, November 8, 1895, leaving a baby 
 girl two weeks old. Mr. Burnham is held in 
 high regard by his fellow-townsmen, and his 
 influence and assistance are always sought in 
 behalf of undertakings for the benefit of the 
 general public. In him the Republican party 
 finds a strong ally. He has served as chair- 
 man of the Board of Relief. He was also one 
 of the organizers of the First National Bank 
 of Winsted, and has since been a Director and 
 much of the time an Auditor. At present 
 he is Overseer of the Still River Grange, in 
 which he has served as Chaplain and Treas- 
 urer. Both he and his wife are active and 
 valued members of the First Congregational 
 Church. He has acted as chairman of the 
 society for a number of years, and for a 
 quarter of a century he has been a teacher jji 
 the Sunday-school. 
 
 JDWARD C. HOTCHKISS, of Torring- 
 ton, Conn., senior member of the firm 
 of Hotchkiss Brothers & Co., con- 
 tractors and builders, was born in Naugatuck, 
 New Haven County, Conn., November 5, 
 1833. He is a son of Charles and Electa 
 (Brace) Hotchkiss, and comes of a noted fam- 
 ily of builders, both his father and grand- 
 father having been largely engaged in carpen- 
 try. The grandfather. Dyer Hotchkiss, was 
 born in Prospect, Conn., and spent most of 
 his Life in Naugatuck, where he owned a saw- 
 
 mill and manufactured lumber for his building 
 operations. 
 
 Charles Hotchkiss worked as a journeyman 
 carpenter in his youth, in early manhood as- 
 suming the responsibility of an independent 
 builder. In 1841 he left Naugatuck, and 
 settled in a part of Torrington which was 
 then an unreclaimed wilderness. There he 
 cleared a tract of land, and erecting a saw- 
 mill was soon actively engaged in the manu- 
 facture of lumber, at the same time doing 
 some building. In 1857 he sold his saw-mill 
 property, and establishing the plant now man- 
 aged by his sons became prominent and well- 
 known as a builder throughout the district, and 
 gained a reputation for good workmanship and 
 prompt execution that has aided much in the 
 success of the present firm. He successfully 
 conducted business until 1880, when he sold 
 his interest to his sons, and retired. He is 
 now in his eighty-fifth year, and is still ac- 
 tive and in" possession of his faculties. His 
 wife, formerly Electa; Brace, who died in 
 1888, was a native of Torrington, and was one 
 of six children, two of whom are still living. 
 Her father, Harland Brace, was a cooper by 
 trade. Mrs. Charles Hotchkiss was a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, of which 
 her husband was Deacon for many years. 
 Their union was blessed by seven children, 
 five of whom are living, namely: Edward C. 
 and Henry, of Torrington; Albert, of New 
 York; Fidelia, wife of Hiram Clemons; and 
 Eugene. 
 
 Edward C. Hotchkiss was seven years of 
 age when the family moved to Torrington. 
 He here received his education, and learned 
 the carpenter's trade with his father. At 
 seventeen he displayed such ability and dis- 
 cretion that he was intrusted with authority 
 to act as foreman, taking charge of important 
 contracts. He subsequently became a mem- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ber of the firm, the name from 1856 to 1866 
 being C. Hotchkiss & Son. In 1866 his 
 brother Henry was admitted, and "Son" was 
 changed to "Sons." In 1880 Edward and 
 Henry purchased their father's interest, and up 
 to 1888 the business was conducted under the 
 name of Hotchkiss Brothers. Pt has yearly 
 increased, and the reputation of the firm is 
 such as to retain old customers and to con- 
 stantly add to the list of new ones. Besides 
 being constantly engaged in filling contracts 
 for building, they deal largely in building ma- 
 terial; and they are the largest manufacturers 
 of sashes, blinds, and doors in the State, giv- 
 ing continuous employment in their factory 
 and yard to one hundred men. Edward C. 
 Hotchkiss is also an architect, and is very 
 skilful in drawing plans. 
 
 In 1856 he married Amelia Briggs, of Sara- 
 toga, N.Y., whose father was a farmer and 
 butcher in that town. Mrs. Amelia B. Hotch- 
 kiss was one of fourteen children. She died 
 in 1 88 1, at the age of forty-seven, leaving 
 three children, namely: Edward H., who in 
 1888 became associated in business with his 
 father, the name of the firm being changed on 
 his account to Hotchkiss Brothers & Co. ; 
 Josephine, wife of Harlow Pease, of Stock- 
 bridge, superintendent of the building busi- 
 ness of his father-in-law; and Minnie, wife 
 of C. H. Dougal, a druggist in Torrington. 
 Mr. Hotchkiss subsequently married Mrs. 
 H. R. Fellows, of Torrington, daughter of 
 Emory Coe, of Winsted. She was educated at 
 Ipswich, Mass., and taught school for twenty 
 years, for fifteen years being thus engaged in 
 Torrington. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hotchkiss is a Republican. 
 He cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, 
 walking ten miles in order to deposit his bal- 
 lot. He was in the State legislature in 1871 
 and 1875, and in Torrington served as Select- 
 
 man two years, was on the Board of Burgesses 
 two years, and was many years a member 
 of the Board of Relief. He is a member of 
 the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Seneca 
 Lodge of Torrington, Cyrus Chapter of Royal 
 Arch Masons, Clark Commandery of Water- 
 bury, and Pyramid Temple of Bridgeport, the 
 only one in the State. He attends the Con- 
 gregational church, to which his first wife be- 
 longed, and of which his second wife also is a 
 member. Mr. Hotchkiss is a broadly intelli- 
 gent man, and is regarded with esteem and re- 
 spect by all who know him. His portrait 
 appears on another page. 
 
 /STeORGE p. ward, a well-known 
 y_5T and successful business man of 
 Litchfield County, was born August 
 24, 1844, in Riverton, Hartford County. 
 His ancestors were for many generations 
 among the most worthy residents of York- 
 shire, England, where his father, Michael P. 
 Ward, and his grandfather, John Ward, were 
 both born and bred. 
 
 The grandfather remained in Yorkshire sev- 
 eral years after his marriage with Miss Parker, 
 who bore him six children; namely, James, 
 Ellen, Michael P., Alice, Isabelle, and 
 Charles. In 1828 he emigrated to America, 
 and settled in North Adams, Mass., living 
 thereuntil 1836. In that year he moved to 
 Hartland, Hartford County, where he pur- 
 chased a tract of land from Ezra Doolittle. 
 The property was situated on the west side of 
 the west branch of the Farmington River, 
 and included a valuable water-power and a 
 saw-mill, it being one of the oldest improved 
 estates in that locality. In the fall of 1836, 
 assisted by his sons, all of whom came to this 
 country, he began the erection of a calico- 
 mill, which he completed and put in opera- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 121 
 
 tion the following year. His sons were in 
 company with him; and under the firm name 
 of John Ward & Sons they continued the man- 
 ufacture of calicoes until 1851, when he retired 
 to his farm, which he thereafter superintended 
 until his death, at the venerable age of eighty- 
 two years. After the death of his first wife 
 he married a.gain, but of this union there 
 were no children. 
 
 Michael P. Ward, father of George P. 
 Ward, preceded his father to the United 
 States, coming here in 1825, being then a 
 venturesome youth of sixteen years. He 
 made the voyage in a sailing-vessel, the trip 
 occupying several weeks. He first secured 
 work at Hudson, N.Y., in a calico-mill, 
 where he was soon made superintendent, re- 
 maining there until 1833. He then went to 
 North Adams, Mass., and with his brother 
 James leased a mill, and bought the stock; 
 and for three years they were sucessfully en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of calico. In 1836 
 he accompanied his father and brothers to 
 Riverton, where he was associated with them 
 in business until 1851. In that year he 
 bought the Williams & Burbank Scythe Com- 
 pany's mills, located at the junction of the 
 Farmington and Still Rivers, ^nd forming a 
 stock company, of which he was the President, 
 Secretary, and Treasurer for a number of 
 years, engaged in the manufacture of scythes. 
 He finally retired from the management, and 
 devoted his time to his private interests until 
 his demise, at the ripe old age of eighty-five 
 years. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Sarah Ormrod, was a native of England, and 
 came to America with her mother, brothers, 
 sisters, and step-father. She, too, lived to a 
 good age, dying when seventy-five years old. 
 She bore her husband thirteen children; 
 namely, Sarah (deceased), Peter (deceased), 
 Mary J., John, Josephine, George P., Horace, 
 
 Charles (deceased), Victoria, Emma, Will- 
 iam, Belle, and Clarence. 
 
 George P. Ward received his elementary 
 education in the district school. This he ad- 
 vanced by attendance at the academies of New 
 Marlboro and Suffield. He subsequently 
 taught school for one term. Since that time 
 he has been associated with his brothers in 
 different branches of business, dealing ex- 
 tensively in stock, tobacco, and lumber; and 
 Fortune seemed to smile on whatever enter- 
 prise he engaged in. From 1878 until 1893 
 he manufactured paper, the firm being known 
 as Ward Brothers, one of the most substantial 
 in the county. They sold the plant in 1893. 
 It had been in the family for a long period 
 of years. 
 
 Mr. Ward married Emogene Tifft, the nup- 
 tials being celebrated August 26, 1870. 
 They have an interesting family of children ; 
 namely, Clayton, Jessie, Robert, and Horace. 
 Mrs. Ward's father, J. W. Loren Tifft, was 
 a native of Providence, R.I., and son of 
 Stephen and Eliza (Ballou) Tifft, farmers and 
 lifelong residents of Rhode Island. He was 
 a scythe manufacturer, and followed his trade 
 in different places. He was employed in 
 Windham, Vt., where Mrs. Ward was born; 
 but his last years were spent in Cornish, 
 N.H. The maiden name of his wife was Lo- 
 rania Pierce, a native of Londonderry, Vt., 
 and a daughter of Joel and Amanda (Sweet) 
 Pierce. Mr. Pierce was a blacksmith by 
 trade, and did the smith work for the con- 
 tractors on the Vermont Central Railway. 
 Both he and his wife departed this life at 
 Cavendish, Vt. Mr. Ward is a man of prom- 
 inence and influence in the community. He 
 is an earnest Republican, and has served his 
 party as chairman of the Town Committee. 
 For a number of years he has been a dele- 
 gate to district, county, and State conven- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tions. In 1888 and 1890 he was elected to 
 represent his town in the State legislature. 
 Mrs. Ward is a consistent member of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 /"©Yo 
 
 EORGE V. CAPRON, a jewelry mer- 
 VP'I chant of Falls Village and a veteran 
 6f the Civil War, was born in Floyd, 
 Oneida County, N.Y., December 27, 1834, 
 son of Ledyard and Olive (James) Capron. 
 Mr. Capron's grandfather, Elisha Capron, re- 
 sided in Preston, New London County, Conn., 
 and was a shoemaker by trade. Ledyard Ca- 
 pron, Mr. Capron's father, was born in Preston, 
 Conn., and followed shoemakingas an occupa- 
 tion. He removed to Dutchess County, New 
 York, where he resided for the remainder of his 
 life, and died at the age of seventy-three. His 
 wife, who died aged fifty-two years, became 
 the mother of eight children; namely, Susan, 
 John, Charles, Elisha, Giles, George V., 
 James, and Ella. 
 
 George V. Capron received his education in 
 the public schools. He assisted his father 
 until he reached the age of sixteen, at which 
 time he commenced to learn the trade of a 
 carpenter. After following that occupation 
 for three years, he worked for a still longer 
 period in a grist-mill. When the Civil War 
 broke out, he enlisted as a private in Company 
 G, Second Regiment, Heavy Artillery, Con- 
 necticut Volunteers, and served with his regi- 
 ment until discharged. Some time after his 
 return from the army he settled in Falls 
 Village, where he established himself in the 
 jewelry business, and has since conducted a 
 profitable trade. Mr. Capron has been promi- 
 nently identified with public affairs in Falls 
 Village for several years. He was for two 
 years a member of the Board of Selectmen, 
 represented his district in the legislature dur- 
 
 ing the years 1880 and 1881, and is at the 
 present time serving as Deputy Sheriff. He 
 is a comrade of O. H. Knight. Post, No. 58, 
 Grand Army of the Republic of Lakeville, 
 and is a member of Montgomery Lodge, No. 
 13, A. F. & A. M. In 1873 Mr. Capron was 
 united in marriage to Mary J. Bump, daughter 
 of Heman Bump, of Millerton, Conn., and has 
 one son, named George W. Mrs. Capron; is 
 a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 RS. MARY ANN CULVER, one 
 of the old and respected residents 
 
 _ of Winsted, is the widow of Ed- 
 ward Eaton Culver, a prominent builder and 
 contractor of that town, who died in Winsted 
 on New Year's Day, 1894. Mr. Culver was 
 born in Colebrook, Conn., son of Philander 
 and Prusa (Hewet) Culver. Philander Culver 
 besides manufacturing hats worked in a tan- 
 nery. He spent the declining years of his life 
 on a farm in Litchfield, and died in Winsted 
 at the home of his son when sixty-three years 
 old. His wife lived to be ninety-one years of 
 age, dying here in 1884. They reared eight 
 children, two of whom are now widows, living 
 in Winsted. 
 
 Edward Eaton Culver, after completing his 
 education at the common schools, entered the 
 tannery at Colebrook, and there spent several 
 years. He also spent some time in Litch- 
 field, after which, in 1851, he came to Win- 
 sted, and engaged in contracting, building, 
 and lumbering. Mr. Culver erected many of 
 the best buildings in the town, among which 
 may be mentioned the opera house and the 
 large school-house in the west part of Win- 
 sted. After he retired from active business 
 he was chosen by Mr. Gilbert to superintend 
 the building of the Gilbert Home and the lay- 
 ing out of the grounds. When his business 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 123 
 
 was most prosperous, Mr. Culver employed a 
 large number of men. "Associated with him 
 in the lumber trade were his son and Hosea 
 T. Streeter, who after his death carried on the 
 business under the same name. He was nearly 
 sixty-six when he died. In politics he was a 
 Republican and in good standing in the party. 
 He was Selectman for four years and Water 
 Commissioner for thirteen years. He was 
 also Director of the Winsted Savings Bank, 
 and served on the Loan Committee; and he 
 belonged to the Royal Arcanum and the 
 American Mechanics. In religious belief 
 he was Congregationalist, being a member of 
 the Second Church from its beginning and one 
 of the society committee. 
 
 On November i, 1849, Mr. Culver married 
 the lady whose name appears at the head of 
 this article, the ceremony taking place at 
 Litchfield. Mrs. Culver is a native of Sud- 
 bury, Mass. Her maiden name was Bowker, 
 being a daughter of Daniel and Ruth (Brown) 
 Bowker. Her father was a farmer, who had 
 an estate of one hundred acres, which is yet 
 in the family, and is now occupied by the 
 fifth generation. The farm, originally a 
 •large one, has been reduced by division. Mr. 
 Bowker died in 1853, when eighty-two years 
 old. His wife had passed away some years 
 before, laying down the cares of life at sixty- 
 eight. They had fourteen children, and Mrs. 
 Culver is the youngest of eleven who grew to 
 adult age. She has but one living sister, 
 Harriet, wife of Horace S. Gillett, of Indian- 
 apolis, Ind. Mrs. Culver was educated at a 
 boarding-school, and is a refined and culti- 
 vated lady. Her married life has been shad- 
 owed by aflfliction, for she has lost two chil- 
 dren. Lucius F. died when two years old; 
 and Elizabeth Ann, then the young wife of 
 Charles T. Donaldson, died in 1873, cut off 
 in her twenty-fourth year. Mrs. Culver's 
 
 living children are: Florence E., who resides- 
 with her mother; Edward M., a lumber mer- 
 chant, who has succeeded to his father's busi- 
 ness, and is senior partner in the firm of 
 Culver & Bristol ; and Marion L. , a graduate 
 of the West Winsted High School. The 
 house on Wheeler Street in which Mrs. Cul- 
 ver and family reside was built by her hus- 
 band in 1872, and for over twenty years has 
 held their household gods and sheltered them 
 in joy and sorrow. 
 
 OHN M. MILLER, who is successfully 
 engaged in the manufacture of har- 
 nesses, saddlery, and trunks in Lake- 
 ville, was born in Wiirtemberg, Lentenbach, 
 Germany, on September 21, 1835, son of 
 Michael and Catherine (Schonleber) Miller. 
 Michael Miller, who was also a native of 
 Wiirtemberg, was a weaver by trade, and did 
 the weaving for all the surrounding towns. 
 He died at the age of fifty-four years, and his 
 wife attained the same age. They were the par- 
 ents of four sons and four daughters ; namely, 
 Christiana, Jacob, Frederick, Catherine, Lou- 
 ise, Christian, Fredricka, and John M. 
 
 John M. Miller was educated in Germany, 
 and served an apprenticeship to the shoe- 
 maker's trade. In 1853, when eighteen years 
 of age, he left his native land for America, 
 landing at New York, and made his home in 
 that city for the next three years. During 
 that time he learned the harness-maker's 
 trade. In the following year he met with an 
 accident on the street car line, by which he 
 lost his left limb. From New York he went 
 to Newark, N.J., where he remained until 
 1867. He then removed to Amenia, N.Y., 
 and for seven years was employed at his trade. 
 Then in 1875 he came to Lakeville, Conn., 
 and started a harness shop, which he has con- 
 
124 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ducted since. He is also successfully engaged 
 in the sale of saddlery and trunks. In 1861 
 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. 
 Mansfield, a daughter of James Mansfield, of 
 Newark, N.J. They have an interesting fam- 
 ily of five daughters living; namely, Addie 
 L., Helen M., Emily, Alicia C, and Harriet 
 L. The two eldest, Charles A. and Mary F., 
 died in childhood. 
 
 W' 
 
 ALLACE CANFIELD, of the Can- 
 field Brothers' Lime Company of 
 East Canaan, was born in New 
 Marlboro, Mass., December 4, 1858, son of 
 Warren and Julia A. (Cook) Canfield. His 
 father was a native of New Marlboro, and was 
 . a son of Roderick Canfield, a former resident 
 of that town. Warren Canfield followed the 
 trade of a millwright throughout his life, 
 and died in New Marlboro at the age of sixty- 
 four years. His wife, Julia Cook, was a 
 daughter of Lewis Cook, of New Marlboro. 
 She was the mother of three children, namely: 
 William J Nellie (deceased), who became the 
 wife of Frank Coon; and Wallace, the subject 
 of this sketch. Mrs. Warren Canfield died at 
 the age of sixty-five years. 
 
 Wallace Canfield passed his boyhood on the 
 homestead in New Marlboro, and received his 
 education in the schools of that town and in 
 the Eastman Business College of Poughkeep- 
 sie, N.Y. In 1891, in company with his 
 brother, he engaged in the burning and ship- 
 ping of lime in East Canaan, under the firm 
 name of the Canfield Brothers' Lime Com- 
 pany; and they now conduct a large and con- 
 stantly increasing business, producing upward 
 of thirty thousand barrels of lime annually, 
 which product is shipped to Massachusetts, 
 Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and to 
 all parts of Connecticut. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Canfield was united in mar- 
 riage to Anna M. Sandam, daughter of Will- 
 iam H. Sandam, of New Marlboro, Mass.; 
 and they have one child, Dewey. 
 
 ARVEY WILCOX FINNEY, whose 
 portrait appears on the opposite 
 page, is well-known as one of the 
 ablest financiers of Litchfield County and the 
 wealthiest man in the town of Colebrook. He 
 was born on December 16, 181 1, nearly four- 
 score and four years ago; but time has dealt 
 gently with him, stealing not the mental vigor 
 that marked his younger days. Though he 
 partially lost the use of his right arm after he 
 was seventy years old, he has learned to write 
 with his left hand, and is now noted for the 
 excellence of his penmanship. From the 
 genealogy of the family in the History of An- 
 cient Windsor, Conn., we learn that Mr. 
 Pinney is of the seventh generation in direct 
 descent from Humphrey Pinney, who came to 
 America in the "Mary and John" in 1630, 
 and made his home at first in Dorchester, 
 Mass., whence in 1635 he removed to Wind- 
 sor, Conn., being one of the original settlers 
 of that town. His great-grandson. Captain 
 Abraham Pinney, born in 17 10, settled in 
 Simsbury, Hartford County, Conn. 
 
 Mr. Pinney's grandfather, Abram Pinney, 
 son of Captain Pinney, was born December 
 23. 173s ; and it is thought that he was a life- 
 long resident of Simsbury, where he was en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil for many years. His 
 son, Asaph Pinney, born in Simsbury, Febru- 
 ary 12, 1767, received an unusually fine edu- 
 cation for those days, becoming a noted math- 
 ematician and grammarian. He taught the 
 higher branches of mathematics for many sea- 
 sons. In 1797 he came with four of his 
 brothers to the town of Colebrook, and bought 
 
HARVEY W. PINNEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 127 
 
 a large tract of land near the southern boun- 
 dary of the town. A few acres of the land had 
 been cleared, and a small frame house and 
 barn had been erected. Here he resided until 
 his decease, at the age of sixty-eight years, 
 being engaged in agricultural pursuits during 
 the summer seasons and teaching school 
 winters. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Betty Wilcox, was a native of Simsbury and 
 a daughter of Roger and Elizabeth (Case) 
 Wilcox. She was born September 9, 1777, 
 and lived until 1847, the fruit of her marriage 
 being four children : Eliza, Emma, Asaph 
 O., and Harvey Wilcox, the direct subject of 
 the present sketch. 
 
 Harvey W. Pinney attended school in his 
 boyhood, acquiring a practical education, and 
 on the home farm became familiar with agri- 
 cultural labors. He inherited musical talent 
 from both of his parents and cultivated this to 
 quite an extent, becoming so noted as a violin- 
 ist that his services in furnishing music for 
 dances were in great demand for thirty miles 
 around. He also gained a wide reputation as 
 a teacher of dancing. At the decease of his 
 father Mr. Pinney and his brother engaged in 
 farming on the paternal homestead, continu- 
 ing in company for some time. In 1840 the 
 former disposed of his interest in the estate, 
 and in company with his brother-in-law, Ral- 
 zemon Phelps, opened a hotel just across the 
 line, in Winchester, on the Hartford and 
 Albany turnpike. A year later Mr. Pinney 
 purchased the property where he now resides 
 and in the management of which he has met 
 with eminent success, having by foresight and 
 wise judgment in his operations accumulated 
 a competency. He is widely known and re- 
 spected as a very capable business man. Be- 
 sides serving in the various local offices of 
 trust and responsibility, in 1851 he was 
 elected to the State legislature. In politics 
 
 he is a stanch Democrat, and a worthy repre- 
 sentative of the best element of his party. 
 
 The wedding of Mr. Pinney and Harriet 
 Abigail Wakefield took place on October 23, 
 1850. Mrs. Pinney was born October 14, 
 1822, in Colebrook, which was the native 
 place of her father, Hezekiah Wakefield. 
 Her paternal grandfather, Pattershall Wake- 
 field, was a pioneer settler of the town, buy- 
 ing a tract of timbered land, from which he 
 had to clear a space to erect his humble log 
 cabin. This he occupied for a while alone, 
 his first wife having previously died. After 
 his second marriage he built a good set 
 of frame buildings, and there he lived the 
 remainder of his years. His second wife, 
 grandmother of Mrs. Pinney, was Sarah Bar- 
 nard, of Simsbury, Conn., an active and ener- 
 getic woman, who reared her children to 
 habits of industry and economy. Hezekiah 
 Wakefield succeeded his parents in the own- 
 ership of the home farm, on which he spent 
 his long life of eighty-two years. He married 
 Harriet Barnard, of Simsbury, a daughter of 
 Oliver and Elizabeth (Brown) Barnard. She 
 lived to the age of seventy-nine years, and 
 reared a family of ten children: Emily, 
 Walter, Qrrin, Sarah, Charlotte, Francis, 
 Harriet A. (Mrs. Pinney), Ward, Hiram, and 
 Maria. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Pinney have had two sons, 
 but have been called to part with the elder, 
 Victor Hugo, who died February 12, i8S4) at 
 the age of two and a half years. The 
 younger, named Lucien Vernett, was born 
 May 9, 1853, and since his marriage with 
 Augusta C. Burbank has been an esteemed 
 resident of Winsted. Mr. Pinney is a well- 
 read man, broad in his views, and possesses 
 strong convictions, which he is fearless in 
 expressing. In religion he is an avowed 
 Spiritualist, firm and happy in his faith. 
 
128 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^AMES F. KEENAN, a highly respected 
 citizen and a successful furniture dealer 
 and undertaker at 290 to 294 Main 
 Street, West Winsted, Conn., was born in 
 that town, April 20, 1854, son of James and 
 Ann (Hughes) Keenan, both of whom were 
 natives of Ireland, respectively born in the 
 years 1820 and 18 19. 
 
 Having saved sufficient money to pay his 
 passage to this country, in 1851 James Kee- 
 nan embarked, arriving in America after a 
 twelve weeks' voyage. He settled in Win- 
 sted, Conn., where he learned the tanner's 
 trade of George Dudley, for whom he worked 
 at this business thirty-eight years, acquiring 
 considerable property by his industry and fru- 
 gality. He was a man of inflexible integrity, 
 remaining always steadfast to his convictions. 
 He served as city Burgess many years, re- 
 ceiving the vote of both parties, although he 
 was a Republican. In 1853 his marriage 
 with Miss Ann Hughes was performed in the 
 Catholic church of CoUinsville, Conn. She 
 had come to America in 1850, the year previ- 
 ous to that of his arrival. The voyage was a 
 rough and stormy one, and it was sixteen 
 weeks before she landed at New York City. 
 When in sight of port, the wind drove them 
 to sea again. Cholera broke out on board 
 the vessel; and of the nine hundred and 
 thirty-six passengers who started with her but 
 three hundred and eighty-six, or more than a 
 third, lived to land at New York. She bore 
 her husband two children, a son and daughter, 
 James F. and Margaret. The latter is the 
 wife of J. F. Coffee, of Winsted, Conn. The 
 father died at his home at 34 Meadow Street, 
 in which he had lived since 1861, and where 
 his widow and son now reside. 
 
 James F. Keenan received his education in 
 the graded schools of Winsted, and at ten 
 years of age began to work for his own liveli- 
 
 hood at the meat business, in the employ of 
 Parsons & Case. Later on he secured a posi- 
 tion with the Strong Manufacturing Company, 
 with which he remained thirteen years. Here 
 he advanced step by step until, when he sev- 
 ered his connection with that firm, he was 
 head shipping clerk. In the two years fol- 
 lowing he was successively employed as clerk 
 in the Beardslee House of Winsted and the 
 Gridley House of Bristol, Conn. He next 
 engaged in railroading, as baggage master at 
 West Winsted, from which position he as- 
 cended to that of road master, and had 
 charge of that line. On March i, 1893, he 
 embarked in his present business enterprise, 
 under the firm name of J. F. Keenan & Co., 
 his sister being his partner. In their spa- 
 cious rooms they carry a large and well- 
 selected stock of furniture, and the business 
 is thriving under Mr. Keenan's close atten- 
 tion. 
 
 On March 20, 1881, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Mary Baker, of Winsted, 
 daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Lane) 
 Baker, both of whom were natives of Ireland. 
 They reared four sons and one daughter. The 
 father died in 1878, past middle life, and the 
 mother in 1884, over sixty years of age. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Keenan's union has be.en brightened 
 by the birth of three children, of whom May 
 died at five years of age. The others are: 
 Annie L., a girl of thirteen years; and Eliz- 
 abeth, who is five years old. Mr. Keenan is 
 a stanch Republican, and he and his family 
 are consistent members of the Roman Cath- 
 olic church. 
 
 'OSIAH W. BROWN, a well-to-do farmer 
 of Sharon, was born in Goshen, Conn., 
 January 23, 1844, son of Warren and 
 Esther (Tuttle) Brown. Mr. Brown's grand- 
 father, William Brown, resided in Goshen 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for the greater and latter part of his life. He 
 married a Miss Hawley, and raised a family 
 of eleven children, severally named: William, 
 Reuben, Russell, Palmer, Warren, Lydia, 
 Lavinia, Lavisa, Grace, Polly, and Lucy. 
 Warren Brown, Mr. Brown's father, was bom 
 in Groton, Conn. He settled upon a farm in 
 Sharon, arid successfully cultivated it until 
 his. death, which occurred when he was sixty- 
 six years old. His wife, Esther Tattle, 
 daughter of Tyranus Tuttle, of Goshen, became 
 the mother of two children, namely: Sarah, 
 deceased, who was the wife of Zalmon Mallory ; 
 and Josiah W., the subject of this sketch. 
 The mother died aged sixty-seven years. 
 
 Josiah W. Brown was educated in the com- 
 mon schools. He assisted in carrying on the 
 home farm, and after the death of his father 
 succeeded to the property. He has since fol- 
 lowed general farming, and has long held a 
 prominent position among the farmers of 
 Sharon. Mr. Brown married Ellen Cart- 
 wright, and has three children, as follows: 
 Anna, who is now Mrs. Bierce, and has two 
 children, named Stella and Ellen; Charles, 
 who married Mary Loucks, daughter of John 
 C. Loucks, of Sharon; and Maurice. Mr. 
 Brown is a member of Hamilton Lodge, No. 
 54, A. F. & A. M., Hematite Chapter, No. 
 13, Royal Arch. Both he and his wife are 
 members of Rose Chapter, No. 14, of the 
 
 Eastern Star. 
 
 «•*•-«.« ■ ■ 
 
 -irx WIGHT ROGERS, a successful stock- 
 I =H raiser and general farmer of North 
 ^JiS"^ Cornwall and a lifelong resident of 
 the place that he now occupies, was born 
 August 3,^1832, son of Daniel L. and Har- 
 riet (Pratt) Rogers and a grandson of Noah 
 and Lydia (Cornwall) Rogers. 
 
 His great-grandfather, Noah Rogers, Sn, 
 came to Cornwall about the year 1760. Noah 
 
 Rogers, Jr., was a native of Cornwall, and 
 spent his whole life there in the pursuit of 
 agriculture. He was thrice married. His 
 first union was with Miss Lydia Cornwall, 
 who died when but thirty-six years of age, 
 having borne five children; namely, Daniel 
 L., Lydia, Rhoda, Noah, and Abbie. His 
 second wife was before marriage Miss Eliza- 
 beth Wilson. At her death she left a son 
 and two daughters; namely, Eliza, Ambrose 
 S., and Amanda. His third union was with 
 Mrs. Abigail Whedon. Daniel L. Rogers 
 was born on the old homestead in Cornwall 
 in 1790. He was reared to farm life; and, 
 after starting out in the world for himself, he 
 purchased the place which his son now owns, 
 an excellent farm, located about two and a 
 half miles east of West Cornwall. He lived 
 to be seventy-eight years of age. His wife, 
 who was a daughter of Miner Pratt, of Corn- 
 wall, was eighty-six years old at the time of 
 her death. Five sons and four daughters 
 were the fruit of their union. They were: 
 Henry L., Daniel M., Egbert M., Mary E., 
 Miner P., Harriet, Dwight, Abbie, and Har- 
 riet, second. 
 
 Dwight Rogers acquired his early education 
 in the common schools of Cornwall, and later 
 on attended the Williston Seminary. After 
 teaching school for a few seasons he purchased 
 the old home, and has since then confined his 
 attention to agriculture. His specialty, how- 
 ever, is dairying and stock-raising. He 
 keeps a fine grade of both cattle and sheep. 
 In 1863 he was joined in marriage with Miss 
 Lucy L. Leete, a daughter of Deacon Edward 
 Leete. She died August 18, 1893, in the 
 fifty-fifth year of her age, leaving five chil- 
 dren, namely: Dwight Leete, who married 
 Miss Fanny Smith, daughter of John B. 
 Smith, of New Britain, Conn., and has one 
 son, Dwight Leete, Jr.; Nellie L. ; Harriet 
 
13° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 F. ; Miner P. ; and Sylvia A. Mr. Rogers 
 takes especial interest in whatever will tend to 
 improve the condition of the farmer and in- 
 sure him the highest possible degree of happi- 
 ness and prosperity. He is a charter member 
 of the North Cornwall Grange. In religious 
 views he favors Congregationalism, being a 
 member of the Second Congregational Church 
 of Cornwall, which he has served as Deacon 
 since 1889. 
 
 — — ■ — ■ <-*»^» 
 
 (six LBERT P. BRIGGS, of East Canaan, 
 >-A a veteran of the Civil War and man- 
 ' " V^ ager of a flour and feed mill for the 
 Barnum, Richardson Company, was born in 
 Canaan, August 17, 1842, son of Hiram and 
 Jane E. (Peck) Briggs. Mr. Briggs's grand- 
 father, Daniel Briggs, moved from Boston, 
 Mass., to Canaan. He followed the trade of 
 carpenter through life, and raised a family 
 of eleven children. Hiram Briggs, father of 
 Mr. Briggs, was born in Canaan, and adopted 
 agriculture as an occupation. He was well- 
 known throughout his section as a progressive 
 and useful citizen, and was actively interested 
 in public affairs, serving as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen and representing his dis- 
 trict in the legislature in 1876. Hiram 
 Briggs died in Canaan at the age of seventy- 
 three years. His wife, daughter of Sheldon 
 Peck, of Canaan, became the mother of six 
 children: Albert P., Sarah, Charles H., 
 Lois, Miles E., and Minnie E. 
 
 Albert P. Briggs was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and was reared 
 to agricultural work. He followed farming 
 until he reached the age of eighteen, when he 
 commenced to learn the carpenter's trade. 
 After working as a carpenter for four years he 
 enlisted for service in the Civil War as a pri- 
 vate in the Nineteenth Regiment, Connecticut 
 Volunteers. He was afterward transferred to 
 
 the Second Regiment, Heavy Artillery. Upon 
 receiving his discharge from the service, he 
 returned home, and for eight years was em- 
 ployed as a clerk in a store. He next en- 
 gaged in farming for some years, after which 
 he agreed, in 1879, with the Barnum, Rich- 
 ardson Company to take charge of their flour 
 and feed mill. The firm has a steady and 
 profitable trade. It is not confined to the im- 
 mediate neighborhood of the mills, but em- 
 braces a liberal patronage from adjacent towns, 
 and averages twenty-five thousand dollars an- 
 nually. Since 1867 Mr. Briggs has been en- 
 gaged as an auctioneer, and has transacted 
 considerable business in that line. He is 
 prominently identified with public affairs. 
 In addition to other offices he has held that of 
 Selectman, and represented his district in the 
 legislature during the years 1886 and 1887. 
 He is also a member of Post No. 61, Grand 
 Army of the Republic, Department of Con- 
 necticut. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Briggs was united in marriage 
 to Ella J. Sewart, daughter of Reuben Sewart, 
 of Canaan. They have one son, named Will- 
 iam H., who married Katie Hayes. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM M. CURTISS, M.D., of 
 Cornwall Bridge, who, despite the 
 fact that it is only about two years 
 since he started in practice, has already at- 
 tained a good measure of success in his chosen 
 profession, was born at Norfolk, Conn., on 
 November 12, 1870, son of Richard and Jo- 
 hanna (Hannafin) Curtiss. Richard Curtiss 
 is a prosperous agriculturist of Norfolk and a 
 well-known citizen of that town. He and his 
 wife are the parents of four children, all sons; 
 namely, Richard, Jr., John, James, and Will- 
 iam M. The father and mother are still' liv- 
 ing, and each has attained the age of sixty years. 
 
JAMES H. BARNUM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 133 
 
 William M. Curtiss, M.D., spent his boy- 
 hood days on the old farm. He attended the 
 public schools of the town, and during his 
 vacations assisted his father with the farm 
 work. He subsequently studied for two years 
 at Yale College. Later he attended the Bal- 
 timore University School of Medicine, grad- 
 uating from that institution in 1893. Shortly 
 after receiving his diploma, he established 
 himself at Cornwall Bridge, where he has ac- 
 quired a good practice. His professional calls 
 are made over a considerable territory, neces- 
 sitating long drives, but indicating the rapid 
 growth of his reputation. In June, 1895, he 
 was joined in marriage with Miss Genevieve 
 Bierce, a most estimable young woman, and 
 one well fitted to help him in attaining suc- 
 cess. She is a daughter of Edward Bierce, of 
 Cornwall, Conn. Dr. Curtiss is a member of 
 the Litthfield County Medical Society and 
 also of the Connecticut State Medical Associ- 
 ation. 
 
 <^«» » 
 
 rAMES H. BARNUM, a leading mer- 
 chant of Lime Rock, Conn., was. born 
 August 29, 1827, at 41 Bowery, New 
 York City, son of Ira and Clarissa (Ely) 
 Barnum. Ira Barnum, who was a saddler by 
 trade, was an enterprising man, and conducted 
 an extensive business in New York and in 
 Augusta and Macon, Ga. He died in the 
 prime of life, at the age of forty-five. 
 
 James H. Barnum passed his early boy- 
 hood in New York, finishing his education at 
 Mechanic Institute. The quarter of the city 
 where he was born was very different, it is 
 scarcely needful to say, in the first half of 
 this century from the Bowery of to-day. 
 When a youth of fifteen, James H. Barnum 
 visited Lime Rock ; and he was persuaded to 
 remain there and work on his uncle's farm for 
 about three years. He then entered the em- 
 
 ploy of Barnum, Richardson Company, with 
 whom he remained several years, acceptably 
 filling the position of business manager for a 
 long time and finally securing an interest 
 in the company. This he later disposed of, 
 purchasing in 1876 the store that he now owns, 
 which is one of the largest in Lime Rock. 
 He carries a stock of general merchandise and 
 
 drugs. 
 
 Besides attending to the pressing cares of 
 business in connection with this large estab- 
 lishment, Mr. Barnum has faithfully and con- 
 tinuously served as Postmaster at Lime Rock 
 since his appointment by President Grant. 
 He is the oldest merchant on this line of rail- 
 road between Bridgeport and Pittsfield. In 
 1849 Mr. Barnum was united in marriage 
 with Mary M. Loveridge, daughter of V. P. 
 Loveridge, of Lime Rock. Two children 
 blessed their union: a daughter, named Cla- 
 rissa A., born June 2, 1854; and Julia L., 
 born August 30, 1866, died June 10, 1883. 
 
 Mr. Barnum votes the Democratic ticket. 
 He was a member of the legislature in 1858, 
 and has acted in different official capacities in 
 the town, serving as Selectman fifteen years. 
 He is a Mason, belonging to Montgomery 
 Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M. His resi- 
 dence, which is a very handsome one, is in 
 the east part of the village. Mr. Barnum's 
 wife died December 11, 1891. She was a 
 communicant of the Episcopal church. Mr. 
 Barnum is well known throughout the county, 
 and is a very popular man. His portrait, 
 which is herewith presented, will be recog- 
 nized with pleasure by many friends and 
 acquaintances.. 
 
 C'' 
 
 lOBERT P. PENDLETON, a well- 
 known farmer of South Canaan, was 
 born in Norfolk, July 10, 1826, 
 son of Ethan and Lucinda (Hungerford) Pen- 
 
134 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dleton. Mr. Pendleton's grandfather, Simeon 
 Pendleton resided in Westerly, R.I.; and his 
 only son, Ethan Pendleton, Mr. Pendleton's 
 father, was born in that town. Ethan Pendle- 
 ton went to New York State, and was for 
 many years a prosperous farmer. The latter 
 part of his life was passed in Norfolk, Conn., 
 where he died at the age of eighty-four. His 
 first wife, whose maiden name was Ruth Tay- 
 lor, left three children when she died. They 
 were: Taylor, Frederick, and Russell. By 
 his union with his second wife, who was be- 
 fore marriage a Miss Hinckley, there were six 
 children; namely, Sally, Abel, Hobart, 
 Harry, Lucius, and Mary. His third wife 
 was Lucinda Hungerford, of Colebrook, 
 Conn. ; and she became the mother of two 
 children : Robert P., the subject of this sketch ; 
 and Olive. She died at the age of forty-five. 
 He married for his fourth wife Clarissa Mil- 
 ler, of Colebrook, who died, leaving no chil- 
 dren, after which he wedded for his fifth wife 
 Huldah Wright. 
 
 Robert P. Pendleton resided with his father, 
 and engaged in agriculture upon the home- 
 stead in Norfolk. He inherited a farm of 
 one hundred acres. He later moved to the 
 farm in South Canaan where he now resides. 
 This property, which also contained one hun- 
 dred acres, "belonged to his wife. He con- 
 ducts general farming with satisfactory re- 
 sults, and is well and favorably known in the 
 district. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Pendleton was united in mar- 
 riage to Lois Merwin, daughter of Erastus 
 M. Merwin, of Cornwall, and has three chil- 
 dren; namely, Robert E., Merwin E., and 
 Olin H. Mr. Pendleton has advanced in 
 masonry to the Royal Arch degree, and is a 
 member of Western Star Lodge, No. 61, and 
 of Meridian Chapter of Salisbury. He was 
 a charter member and first Master of the 
 
 Canaan Agricultural Society. Both he and 
 Mrs. Pendleton are members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 KREDERICK MURRAY, one of the 
 veteran agriculturists of Litchfield 
 County now enjoying the fruitage of 
 their earlier years of toil and trials, was born 
 in the town of Winchester, July 28, 1813. 
 His father, Daniel Murray, was a native of 
 the town of Torrington. His grandfather, 
 Daniel Murray, Sr., who, it is supposed, was 
 either born in Scotland or was of Scotch an- 
 cestry, spent his last years on a farm in Tor- 
 rington, where he married Lucretia, the sister 
 of Jonathan Coe. 
 
 Daniel Murray, Jr., learned the shoemaker's 
 trade, and followed it for a while, but after 
 his marriage settled on a farm in the town of 
 Winchester. At the time of purchase a few 
 cleared acres and a small log house consti- 
 tuted the sole impro'^rients on his land; and 
 in the log cabin the subject was born. After 
 clearing more of the land he sold the place in 
 1815, and bought another farm in the same 
 town. From this he removed much of the 
 timber, made a good homestead, and resided 
 there until his death, at the venerable age of 
 eighty-five years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Roxalany North, a daughter of Juna 
 North, of Torrington, outlived him several 
 years, attaining the remarkable age of ninety- 
 five years. They were among the most re- 
 spected citizens of the town, and reared a 
 family of seven children, who grew to matu 
 rity, and became useful members of the 
 community. 
 
 Frederick Murray received a limited educa- 
 tion in the pioneer schools of his childhood, 
 and assisted his parents in clearing and cujti^ 
 vating their land. To understand what farm- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 135 
 
 ing was then it should be remembered that no 
 railways spanned our country from the Atlan- 
 tic to the Pacific Coast, neither were there 
 any canals; while the farmers of this vicinity 
 had to team their produce to Hartford. 
 
 Mr. Murray remained beneath the parental 
 roof-tree until his marriage with Ann Caul, 
 the daughter of William and Elizabeth Caul, 
 of Winchester, when he settled on the farm 
 where he now resides. This is pleasantly lo- 
 cated west of the lake, one and a half miles 
 from the village of Winsted, and contains one 
 hundred and sixty-five acres of choice and 
 well-cultivated land. The family circle in- 
 cludes seven children; namely, Catherine, 
 Daniel, Ellen, Mary, Frederica B., Julia, 
 and Anna. Mrs. Murray died January 6, 
 1892. Daniel, the only son living, owns a 
 fine farm about a half-mile from the home of 
 his father, where he is carrying on general 
 agriculture, paying especial attention to his 
 horses, among which are some very fine ones. 
 He married Rebecca Nash;" and they have 
 one child, Emily. Mr. Murray is an estima- 
 ble man, a stanch adherent of the Republican 
 party ; and, though never -an aspirant for offi- 
 cial honors, he takes an earnest interest in 
 local affairs. 
 
 tOLLIN DANIEL WILSON, proprie- 
 tor of the Riverside Farm, was born 
 _^ April 28, 1838, son of Daniel B. 
 and Adeline (Doolittle) Wilson. Captain 
 Abijah Wilson, his paternal grandfather, 
 son of Noah and Ann Wilson, was born De- 
 cember 18, 1746, in Torrington, and there 
 spent his earlier years in tilling the soil. 
 After his marriage he removed to the town of 
 Winchester, where he purchased a large tract 
 of wild land, including the homestead now 
 owned and occupied by Rollin D. Wilson. 
 He cleared a good farm, on which he and his 
 
 wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Bush- 
 nell, spent the remainder of their days. He 
 was a man of remarkable intelligence, very 
 prominent in public affairs, and was elected 
 to the State legislature in 1798 and in 1802. 
 
 Daniel B. Wilson was reared a farmer, and 
 became identified with the agricultural inter- 
 ests of this locality. He died March 31, 
 1886, on the farm where he had spent his 
 life, a period of more than fourscore years. 
 He married Adeline Doolittle, a native of 
 Winchester, and the daughter of Lyman and 
 Achsa (Davis) Doolittle. She departed 
 this life February 17, 1882, preceding her 
 husband by a few years. She reared a fam- 
 ily of nine children; namely, Elvira, John, 
 Margaret, Jane, Rollin D., Emerette, Ade- 
 laide, Henry, and Isabelle. 
 
 Rollin D. Wilson began his pursuit of 
 knowledge at the district school, and later at- 
 tended a select school in Robertsville, taught 
 by the Rev. Mr. Mace. On the home farm 
 he obtained a practical experience in agricult- 
 ure during the first twenty-one years of his 
 existence; but then, following his mechani- 
 cal inclinations, he commenced work in a 
 clock factory. He earned fair wages while 
 there, and in time was able to buy sixteen 
 acres of land from his father. On this tract 
 there was a small house, which had previously 
 been used for schodl purposes, and in which 
 he and his wife began house-keeping. He 
 had worked in the clock factory seven years, 
 when it was burned. Mr. Wilson then 
 turned his attention to his early occupation, 
 in which he has since continued, having 
 been prospered from the first. He has added 
 to his original acreage, having bought the 
 larger part of the parental homestead, and 
 has now a valuable farm of seventy-five 
 acres, all in a high state of culture. In 1894 
 he erected a commodious frame house, pleas- 
 
136 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 antly located on the west bank of the Still 
 River; and here he and his wife exercise 
 a generous hospitality, welcoming either 
 friend or stranger within their gates. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Wilson with Augusta 
 Evans, a native of this county, was performed 
 in October, 1867. She bore him no children; 
 but at her death she left an adopted daugh- 
 ter, Adella. On August 30, 1887, Mr. Wil- 
 son married the second time Miss Minnie 
 Pierce, who was born in the town of Norfolk, 
 Litchfield County. Her father, the late 
 John Fierce, a native of Berkshire County, 
 Massachusetts, who during his earlier years 
 was employed in a carding-mill, and subse- 
 quently followed the trade of a carpenter, 
 spent his last years in Winsted, living some- 
 what retired. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Harriet Cobb, was a native of Winsted, 
 Conn., and a daughter of Allen and Pluma 
 (Hinman) Cobb. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson 
 have had two children namely: Harvey, 
 born January 19, 1889, who died August 17, 
 1890; and Howard, a bright and active little 
 fellow, born May 15, 1892. The family at- 
 tend and support the Second Congregational 
 Church, of which Mrs. Wilson is a member. 
 Politically, Mr. Wilson is a stanch supporter 
 of the principles of the Democratic party. 
 
 |UGENE L. PHELPS, a successful mer- 
 chant and an extensive real estate 
 owner of Litchfield, Conn., was 
 born in this town October 22, 1853, son of 
 John and Martha L. (French) Phelps. Mr. 
 Phelps's great-grandfather, John Phelps, built 
 the well-known United States Hotel in Litch- 
 field, and conducted that hostelry as long as 
 he lived. His son, Edward Phelps, who was 
 born in Litchfield, December 17, 1772, settled 
 upon a tract of land which is known as Echo 
 
 Farm ; and he cleared and improved it into a 
 state of cultivation. He was a prosperous 
 farmer, passing the active portion of his life 
 in that occupation. He died October 3, 1859. 
 John Phelps, the second son of Edward, was 
 born in Litchfield. He was educated in the 
 common schools and at the high school, and 
 for a time followed agricultural pursuits upon 
 the old homestead. He afterward engaged 
 in running a saw-mill, and still later adopted 
 the carpenter's trade. His wife, Martha L. 
 French, whom he married in 1842, was born 
 in Charlestown, N. H., February 3, 1819, and 
 was a daughter of Lee French, a native of that 
 town. Her grandfather, Abel French, was a 
 lifelong resident of Charlestown, where he fol- 
 lowed the trade of a carpenter and joiner, and 
 was a highly respected citizen. He died at 
 the age of sixty-nine; but his wife, Lucy 
 Wright, of Concord, N. H., daughter of a sea 
 captain, lived to reach the advanced age of 
 ninety years. Lee French was reared to farm 
 life, and also worked at the carpenter's trade 
 with his father. He resided in Charlestown 
 for many years, but at length moved from 
 there to Charlemont, N. H., where he died 
 aged seventy-seven. His first wife, Lavinia 
 Hotchkins, a native of Charlestown, became 
 the mother of three children, two of whom are 
 still living, namely: Martha L., Mr. Phelps's 
 mother; and Abel. Mrs. Lavinia H. French 
 died at the age of thirty-one. Martha L. 
 French resided in Charlestown until reaching 
 the age of sixteen, when she came to Connecti- 
 cut and engaged in teaching school for some 
 years before she was married to Mr. John 
 Phelps. She has had three children, two of 
 whom lived to reach maturity, namely: Eu- 
 gene L., the subject of this sketch; and Lu- 
 cretia, who married for her first husband John 
 Stanton, and for her second Daniel Berry, of 
 Waterbury. Mrs. Martha French Phelps re- 
 
EUGENE L. PHELPS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 139 
 
 sides in Litchfield, and is still bright and 
 active at the age of seventy-six. She was for- 
 merly a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, but later became an Episcopalian. 
 
 Eugene L. Phelps was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools of his native town and lived with 
 his parents until he was nineteen years old. 
 In 1872 he established himself in a general 
 mercantile business on West Street, and a 
 short time later he moved his stock to a store 
 in Judd's Block. By careful attention to busi- 
 ness he secured the confidence and liberal 
 patronage of the general public, and rapidly 
 advanced in prosperity. On June 10, 1866, 
 his store, including the stock, was totally 
 destroyed by fire, thus causing him to sustain 
 a severe loss ; but in company with others he 
 built the Barracks, so called, where he con- 
 tinued his business for two years. He then 
 bought land and erected the Phelps Block, the 
 ground floor of which is occupied by Wessel & 
 Gates's pharmacy, Bigelow's market, the post- 
 oflfice, and his own store, which is twenty by 
 sixty feet. The upper floors are occupied by 
 the Phelps Opera House, which seats six hun- 
 dred people, the Grange Hall, and the lodge- 
 room of the Knights of Columbus, the En- 
 quirer office, and a barber shop. After relin- 
 quishing general store-keeping Mr. Phelps 
 conducted a large bakery, which was situated 
 upon the main street of the town. He later 
 sold that enterprise and engaged in his present 
 business, which has developed into large pro- 
 portions. He carries an extensive assortment 
 of cigars, tobacco, and smoker's articles, and 
 also handles teas and coffees. 
 
 In 187s Mr. Phelps was united in marriage 
 with Ella J. Austin. She was born in Har- 
 winton. Conn., only daughter of Amariah and 
 Mary (Hine) Austin, the former of whom was 
 well known as the stage driver from Litchfield 
 to East Litchfield. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have 
 
 two children. Lulu E. and George. Lulu E. 
 Phelps was carefully educated in a private 
 school, and has attained proficiency in the 
 study of languages. The family attend the 
 Congregational church and Sunday-school. 
 
 Mr. Phelps is an able business man and a 
 useful citizen. His success in life is due to 
 his energy and industry, and these commend- 
 able qualities have also been displayed for 
 other purposes than his own business affairs. 
 He has always exhibited a deep interest in the 
 welfare of the community,- and is ever ready to 
 aid in the furtherance of any movement which 
 is calculated to be of benefit to the town. He 
 is a Democrat in politics, and occupies a prom- 
 inent position in local affairs. For several 
 years he was a member of the Board of Bur- 
 gesses, and is at the present time Warden of 
 the borough. He has been Chief of the Fire 
 Department since its organization, and has 
 presided as chairman of the Democratic Town 
 Committee for many years. He is well ad- 
 vanced in the Masonic fraternity, being a 
 member of St. Paul's Lodge of Litchfield, 
 Darius Chapter, Buell Council, Clark Com- 
 mandery of Waterbury, and of Pyramid Tem- 
 ple of the Mystic Shrine of Bridgeport.- 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Phelps occupies the page 
 opposite the beginning of the foregoing sketch. 
 
 /^TeORGE R. WILCOX, a blacksmith 
 V i)l of Canaan, was born in that town, 
 April II, 1844, son of Lucius and 
 Belinda (Deming) Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox's 
 grandfather, Reuben Wilcox, was a native of 
 Cornwall. He was a cooper by trade, and 
 followed that occupation through life. He 
 died at the age of sixty-five years, having 
 raised a family of eight children, severally 
 named: Lucius, Whiting, Robert, Edwin, 
 Henry, Lucia, Fanny, and Marrietta. Lu- 
 
140 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cius Wilcox, father of Mr. Wilcox, was born 
 in Cornwall. He learned the trade of a 
 blacksmith, an occupation which he followed 
 during the active period of life, and is now re- 
 siding with his son in Falls Village. His 
 wife, Belinda Deming before marriage, a 
 daughter of Ruel Deming, of Canaan, became 
 the mother of ten children; namely, Harriet, 
 Mary, George R., Emma, Lucia, Jennie, 
 Edwin, Elizabeth, Lee, and Ellen. The last 
 three are dead. The mother died aged sixty- 
 five years. 
 
 George R. Wilcox attended the schools of 
 Canaan, and when very young began to learn 
 the blacksmith's trade. He afterward con- 
 ducted a general blacksmith business in South 
 Canaan. In 1885 he purchased his present 
 farm, situated about two miles south of the 
 village. He then built a new shop, where he 
 is still following his trade with his usual 
 activity. He also continues to superintend 
 his farm. In 1865 he was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary F. Curry, daughter of George 
 Curry, of Falls Village, and has one son, 
 named Eliot A. Mr. Wilcox in politics is 
 an active Republican. He is a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen and a Free and 
 Accepted Mason of Hoosatonic Lodge. He 
 and Mrs. Wilcox attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 T^HAUNCEY S. FOSTER, a pros- 
 it jj"'^ perous merchant tailor and clothier 
 
 V»i2 of Winsted, was born in Jefferson, 
 
 Schoharie County, N.Y., September 12, 
 1827. His father was Smith Foster, of New 
 Marlboro, Mass. ; and his grandfather was 
 Ezekiel Foster, an oldtime schoolmaster, 
 who devoted part of his life to agricultural 
 pursuits. Ezekiel, having passed the age of 
 threescore and ten, died, and was interred in 
 the cemetery at Norfolk, Conn. His wife, 
 
 Sarah (Smith) Foster, was the daughter of 
 Captain Smith, a soldier of the Revolution, 
 who fought in the battle of Bennington, and 
 served till the end of the war. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Ezekiel Foster reared two sons and four 
 daughters. 
 
 Smith Foster was a spinner in the woollen- 
 mills of Norfolk, and was also a capable 
 farmer. He removed to Jefferson, Schoharie 
 County, N.Y., and there for some years cul- 
 tivated a farm, returning to Connecticut in 
 his old age. He was a fine scholar for his 
 time and an especially good penman, looking 
 after his son's book-keeping as a pastime and 
 taking great pleasure in the neat appearance 
 of the books. He was a man of fine carriage 
 and commanding appearance, well-preserved 
 and active up to the time of his death, which 
 occurred when he 'was eighty-two years old. 
 His wife, to whom he was married in 1826, 
 was the daughter of Eliphalet Clark, of 
 Haddam, Conn., and the grand-daughter of 
 Ezekiel Clark, a musician in the Revolution- 
 ary army. Her father, who was a wealthy 
 land-owner in Haddam, moved to Norfolk. 
 The farm on which the Hillshurst House now 
 stands was part of the property he acquired 
 then. Mrs. Clark, a member of the Thomas 
 family, was of Welsh descent. Mrs. Foster 
 was a beautiful woman. Her mother used 
 to fondly say of her, " She was as handsome 
 a gal as there was in old Haddam." She 
 died when about seventy-one years old, leav- 
 ing two daughters and one son, the latter the 
 subject of this sketch. Emily Foster became 
 the wife of Horace B. Stevens, of Canaan, 
 Conn.; and Miss Sarah Foster lives at the 
 old home in East Canaan. 
 
 Chauncey S. Foster acquired a fair com- 
 mand of the three R's (reading, 'riting, and 
 'rithmetic) in the district schools, which he 
 attended until fifteen years of age. His father 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 141 
 
 allowed him the choice of a finished educa- 
 tion or a trade; and he chose the latter, be- 
 ginning his apprenticeship in Norfolk and 
 finishing in New York City when he was 
 twenty-one years of age. He has been a suc- 
 cessful man. The burden of his sixty-odd 
 years sits lightly upon his shoulders, .his sum- 
 mer vacations in the Adirondacks being still 
 enjoyed with all the zest and activity of 
 youth. 
 
 Mr. Foster was married at the age of 
 twenty-four to Helen E., daughter of Eb^n- 
 ezer and Fanny (Yale) Beebe, of South 
 Canaan, and has two children living. Geoxge 
 C. is a cutter in his father's tailoring estab- 
 lisment; and Fannie Belle is a promising 
 young musician, who was educated at Wind- 
 sor, Conn. A son, Junius, died when a little 
 over two years old. 
 
 Mr. Foster is Secretary and Director of the 
 Winsted Edge Tool Company. He votes the 
 Republican ticket, and is active in Lodge 
 matters, having been a Mason for forty years, 
 and holding the position of Past High Priest 
 of the Chapter of same, having filled in suc- 
 cession all the chairs. In the Methodist 
 church Mr. Foster is a respected member. • 
 
 EEWIS CATLIN, a prominent farmer of 
 ; Harwinton, was born in that town 
 ..^ July 6, 1824, son of Lewis and 
 Annie (Catlin) Catlin, both natives of Har- 
 winton. The Catlin family has been identi- 
 fied with the agricultural interests of Har- 
 winton for many generations,- Mr. Catlin's 
 grandfather, also Lewis Catlin, who was born 
 in Harwinton, June 3, 1758, being a farmer in 
 that town. Extracts obtained by the family 
 from the records of the War Department show 
 that Grandfather Catlin enlisted in the Revo- 
 lutionary army in the summer of 1776, and 
 
 subsequently re-enlisted twice, and that he 
 participated in the battle of Stillwater and 
 assisted in carrying General Benedict Arnold 
 from the field when he was wounded. Return- 
 ing to his native town after the close of the 
 war, he resumed his agricultural occupations, 
 acted for years as a Justice of the Peace, and 
 died January 7, 1839. On June 26, 1785^ he 
 was married to Candace Catlin, who survived 
 him some years, and was in receipt of a pen- 
 sion from the government on account of her 
 husband's services in the Revolutionary War. 
 One of their sons, George. S. Catlin, who was 
 born in Harwinton in 1808, was a graduate of 
 Amherst, and for years was a prominent law- 
 yer in Willimantic, Conn. In 1848 he was 
 elected to the United States Congress from the 
 Third Congressional District, and in the same 
 year was the Democratic candidate for gov- 
 ernor of Connecticut. He was well-informed 
 on all the topics of the day and was an eloquent 
 speaker. His sister, Candace, married Gen- 
 eral Morris Woodruff, father of Judge George 
 C. Woodruff, and grandfather of the present 
 Judge George M. Woodruff, of Litchfield. 
 Lewis Catlin, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, devoted his life to agriculture, spend- 
 ing his earlier years on the old homestead and 
 the latter part of his life in the village. He 
 also entered the political field, represented the 
 town in the legislature, and was for many 
 years a Justice of the Peace. He died at the 
 age of sixty-six. His wife, who, though bear- 
 ing the same surname, was no relation, was a 
 daughter of Benjamin Catlin, also a farmer of 
 Harwinton. She died at the age of seventy- 
 one, having borne seven children. Of these, 
 three are still living, namely : Anna, widow of 
 the late, Addison Webster, of Harwinton; 
 Lewis, the subject of this sketch; and Lucy 
 A., wife of Henry Reynolds, a carpenter and 
 joiner of Harwinton. 
 
J42 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lewis Catlin went to work at the age of 
 fourteen, entering a store in Harwinton, where 
 he was employed as clerk for two years. He 
 then spent five years down South in Georgia 
 engaged in mercantile pursuits, at the expira- 
 tion of which time he returned to Harwinton 
 and opened a general store. This venture 
 proved a success, and eight years later he 
 undertook the management of a farm, conduct- 
 ing the store and the farm conjointly for about 
 twenty years. He eventually disposed of his 
 mercantile interests, and turned his attention 
 wholly to farming. Mr. Catlin is a man 
 whose ability and good judgment command 
 success. That he has the confidence of his 
 fellow-townsmen is shown by the frequent 
 calls he receives from them to act as appraiser 
 of property and administrator in settling 
 estates. He was married in 1848 to Joan R., 
 daughter of Truman Kellogg, a prominent and 
 wealthy citizen of Harwinton. Truman Kel- 
 logg, who acquired a fortune in Georgia in liis 
 youth, used to hold an open purse for Harwin- 
 ton when financial aid was needed for its 
 improvements. He died in 1854, at the age 
 of sixty-four. He had two daughters, now 
 deceased, namely: Jane, who married Luther 
 Hoadley; and Joan R., who died at the age of 
 fifty-two. Two children were born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Catlin, Edward K. and Jane H. The 
 latter married Frank S. Grossman, a boot and 
 shoe dealer of Brooklyn, N.Y., and has two 
 children: Louis C, travelling salesman for a 
 jewelry firm of South Attleboro, twenty-one 
 years of age; and Ella K., eighteen years old. 
 In politics Mr. Catlin has ceased to be a 
 party man, in order to support the best candi- 
 dates. He was at first a Democrat, then a 
 Republican; and now he is independent. He 
 represented his district in the lower house of 
 the State legislature in 1852, 1862, and 1865, 
 was elected from the Fifteenth Senatorial Dis- 
 
 trict in 1 871, and has served as Postmaster 
 and Town Clerk of Harwinton twenty-five 
 years. He is a man of unusual intelligence, 
 and holds a leading place in the community, 
 not alone on account of the prominence of his 
 family, but also because of his own sterling 
 character. He is actively connected with the 
 Congregational church, as were also his wife 
 and children. 
 
 TD I GRACE NORTH, a representative 
 agriculturist of this section of Litch- 
 field County and a well-known resi- 
 dent of the town of Colebrook, was born 
 October 10, 1833, on the farm where he now 
 resides. His father, Martin North, was like- 
 wise a native of Colebrook, born November 5, 
 1804, son of Rufus North, who was born, it is 
 supposed, in Torrington, December 24, 1769. 
 
 The North family originated in England, 
 the branch in America being directly traced 
 back to the emigrant ancestor, John North, 
 who was born in England in 1615, and who 
 twenty years later came to this country, mak- 
 ing the voyage in the good ship "Susan and 
 Ellen." He was one of the first settlers of 
 Farmington, Conn., where he married and 
 spent the rest of his days. His son Thomas, 
 born in 1649, married Hannah Newell, a 
 daughter of Thomas Newell, and was a life- 
 long resident of Farmington. Their son 
 Ebenezer, born in 1703, married Sibyl Curtis, 
 and with his wife removed to Torrington, of 
 which they were among the first settlers, and 
 where their son Martin was born December 
 14, 1735- Martin was twice married, his first 
 wife, the great-grandmother of the subject of 
 this sketch, having been Abigail Eno. Their 
 son Rufus, the grandfather of Horace North, 
 removed from Torrington to Colebrook, and 
 purchased the North homestead, on which his 
 grandson, Horace, resides. He was an ener- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 143 
 
 getic, persevering man, and a typical pioneer. 
 He labored hard during his life to clear a 
 homestead from the wilderness, and died June 
 20, 1 84 1. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Esther Robards, was born June 15, 1768, and 
 lived until March 5, 1856. 
 
 Martin North, father of Horace North, when 
 old enough assisted in clearing the land and 
 tilling the soil. He was by nature a 
 mechanic ; and, although he never learned a 
 trade, he used tools of all kinds with a facility 
 that saved him much expense, and enabled him 
 to have many labor-saving devices that he 
 should otherwise have dispensed with. He 
 succeeded to the ownership of the parental 
 homestead. He married Mercy North, a native 
 of Colebrook, born December 28, 1808, being a 
 daughter of Enos and Celina (Pinney) North, 
 and they reared two sons : Henry, a resident 
 of Guthrie County, Iowa; and Horace, the 
 subject of this sketch. The mother died in 
 July, 1894, at the home of her son Henry. 
 Ehos North was born in Torrington, Novem- 
 ber 17, 1773, and, after his marriage with Miss 
 Pinney, settled on a farm about a mile south 
 of Colebrook Centre, where he afterward lived. 
 He was a son of Ebenezer and Jerusha 
 (Cowles) North, pioneer settlers of Colebrook, 
 who located on a tract of unimproved land 
 about a quarter of a mile south of the central 
 part of the town, and a descendant, in the 
 fourth generation, of John North, the emigrant 
 ancestor of the North family. 
 
 Horace North .has been constantly engaged 
 in agriculture, thereby acquiring an experi- 
 ence that has placed him among the leading 
 farmers of his native town. Succeeding his 
 father in the ownership of the ancestral acres, 
 he has carried on general farming with success. 
 He has also an extensive dairy business, keep- 
 ing a herd of fine grade Jerseys. On October 
 23, 1855, Mr. North was united in matrimony 
 
 with Frances Cooper, who was born in Win- 
 sted, May 12, 1837. Her father, Samuel 
 Alfred Cooper, who was a native of this State; 
 went to California in search of gold in 1849, 
 and never returned. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Julia Bills, was a native of Harwin- 
 ton. Conn., born February 27, 18 18, daughter 
 of Seth Bills, a prosperous farmer. She is 
 now living at Winsted, and is the mother of 
 five children, namely: Frances (Mrs. North); 
 William S. ; Samuel A. ; Charles W. ; and 
 Minerva, who died in childhood. The three 
 children born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
 North were: Frederick J., Martin, and Helen. 
 Frederick J. and Martin died in childhood; 
 while Helen was married in 1883 to Frederick 
 Chester, of Bloomfield. He died September 
 5, 1892, and Mrs. Chester now lives with her 
 parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. North are mem- 
 bers of the Colebrook Grange, No. 82, as is 
 also their daughter, Mrs. Chester. 
 
 /STeORGE L. FOSKETT, an enterpris- 
 V i) I ing and prosperous farmer of Win- 
 sted, was born in West Stockbridge, 
 Berkshire County, Mass., September 24, 1845, 
 son of George G. and Hannah E. (Brownell) 
 Foskett. His father, who was also a native of 
 West Stockbridge, born in 1822, was a son of 
 Nathaniel Foskett, of New Marlboro, Mass., 
 who was born February 14, 1796. The latter 
 died in December, 1868, at the home of his 
 daughter Lydia, wife of Gideon Hall, Judge 
 of the Superior Court at Winsted. Nathaniel 
 Foskett married Clarissa Ward, of old Berk- 
 shire County, Massachusetts; and they had 
 two children, the son and daughter already 
 mentioned. Mrs. Nathaniel Foskett died in 
 Winsted in 1865, at the age of sixty-four years. 
 George G. Foskett learned the trade of 
 wagon and carriage maker, in which he became 
 
144 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 an adept. He conducted a successful business 
 on his own account for many years, besides 
 engaging to some extent in agriculture. At 
 his death he left a good property, including 
 the Spring Hill farm, now in possession of his 
 son, George L. Foskett. This land, which 
 adjoins the borough of Winsted, is now being 
 taken up for residence property, a part of it 
 being occupied by the Winsted Hotel. The 
 cemetery of eighteen acres was a part of the 
 farm. The marriage of George G. Foskett to 
 Hannah K. Brownell took place in 1844, and 
 they became the parents of four children, 
 namely: George L. , whose name appears 
 above; Charles F., who went to Olney, Hi., 
 in 1868, where he is engaged in the drug busi- 
 ness; Mary L. , who resides at the old family 
 home in Winsted; and Gideon Hall, who died 
 in 1867, at the early age of five years. The 
 father died October 9, 1894, the mother hav- 
 ing previously passed away in January, 1884, 
 at the age of sixty-one. Both parents were 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 George L. Foskett was trained to the wagon 
 and carriage making trade by his father. He 
 had obtained an education in public and pri- 
 vate schools and at the Fort Edward Collegiate 
 Institute in Washington County, New York, 
 from which he was graduated in 1865. His 
 first business experience, however, was as a 
 clerk for B. F. Marsh, who kept a general 
 store in Winsted. He remained with him for 
 three years, and then took the position of 
 agent for David Howard & Co., in which firm 
 he was a silent partner. Three years later the 
 firm wound up their business and Mr. Foskett 
 moved to his present home, then the property 
 of his father, becoming identified with the 
 latter in his business and succeeding him 
 therein. The farm on which he lives is noted 
 for its fine spring water, and was the source 
 from which the east part of Winsted for some 
 
 time derived its supply. Mr. Foskett was 
 associated with his father in the breeding of 
 Jersey cattle, in which he still continues. He 
 also breeds the Shropshire grades of sheep. 
 He has been a member of the Board of Agri- 
 culture for the past two years, and is Secretary 
 of the State Cattle Commission. He is also 
 interested in building enterprises, being a 
 stockholder in the Winsted House Company, 
 and general agent for same. He is besides 
 prominent in various social orders. He is a 
 member of the Royal Arcanum, in which he 
 has been Chaplain five years, District Deputy 
 of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, 
 and member of the Grand Lodge, member of 
 the Grange, and Master of the Mountain 
 County Pomona Grange. He is also one of 
 the Directors of the Winsted Park. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican, and is a man who 
 takes a keen interest in the welfare of his 
 town and locality. 
 
 Mr. Foskett was married on November 24 
 (Thanksgiving Day), 1870, to Miss Mary E. 
 Bird, of Winsted, daughter of James Bird, of 
 Bethlehem, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Foskett 
 have lost one infant son. The living children 
 are as follows: George Herman, born July 30, 
 1873, who was educated in Winsted and at the 
 Robins School at Norfolk, and who., after 
 some time with an uncle in Chicago, returned 
 home on account of poor health and is now 
 engaged on the farm; Charles Lewis, born 
 September 25, 1876, now in the Storrs Agri- 
 cultural College of Connecticut; and Eliza- 
 beth, born June 21, 1882, a bright and promis- 
 ing girl of thirteen years. 
 
 TJJHARLES M. CHASE, a successful 
 I J[ merchant and a highly respected and 
 
 V» — ^ influential citizen of Winsted, 
 Conn,, was born in Millbury, Mass., January 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 45 
 
 29, 1863, son of David B. and Sarah (Newton) 
 Chase. His grandfather, Paul C. Chase, was 
 also a native of Millbury, where he was born 
 about 1803. Like the majority of his contem- 
 poraries in his town, Grandfather Chase was 
 reared to the business of farming, and when he 
 started out in life for himself he adopted it 
 for his regular occupation. He married Miss 
 Mary Blood, and their union was blessed by 
 the birth of two sons and four daughters. All 
 the children lived to marry and rear families. 
 Two now survive, namely : George L. Chase, 
 who is President of the Hartford Fire Insur- 
 ance Company at Hartford, Conn. ; and David 
 B. Their father died in Millbury, Mass., in 
 1883 ; and their mother passed away about five 
 years later. Both rest in the Millbury 
 cemetery. 
 
 David B. Chase learned the trade of a 
 machinist, at which he worked for a time ; but 
 during the past sixteen years he has been suc- 
 cessfully conducting business as a hardware 
 merchant in Winsted, having a store at 309 
 Main Street. He was married in 1850 to 
 Sarah Newton Chase, a daughter of William 
 Newton, of Wilkinsonville, Mass., engaged in 
 business as a millwright. Four children were 
 born to them, namely: George F. Chase, a 
 builder of Millbury; a daughter who died in 
 infancy ; and Charles M. and Agnes J. Chase, 
 who reside at home. Agnes J., assisted by 
 her brother Charles, is successfully engaged in 
 the florist's business. She has established a 
 thriving trade, and makes a fine floral display 
 in their garden and greenhouse. Their mother 
 died in 1868, over forty years of age. After 
 a time their father remarried, his bride being 
 Miss Augusta Newton, a sister of his former 
 wife. They reside at their pleasant home at 
 5 Prospect Street. 
 
 Charles M. Chase, who has always lived at 
 home, attended the common school until he 
 
 was seventeen years of age. He then spent 
 six years learning the tinsmith's trade in his 
 father's shop, after which he continued to 
 work for his father up to the spring of 1895, 
 when he succeeded to the business. He is a 
 thorough business man, and was practically 
 manager for the past eleven years. He carries 
 an excellent assortment of stoves, and tin and 
 sheet iron ware. Mr. Chase has thus far chosen 
 the life of single blessedness. In political mat- 
 ters he is a Republican. He has been Warden 
 of Winsted since May, 1894. He is a charter 
 member of Waramaug Tribe of Red Men, and 
 an enthusiastic, active, and efficient worker in 
 that noble band. He is also a member and 
 Past Grand Master of Clifton Lodge, No. 30, 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 OHN C. RICHMOND, a well-known 
 public official and prosperous farmer of 
 North Canaan, was born in that town 
 March 29, 1839, son of John H. and Betsey 
 A. (Curtis) Richmond. Mr. Richmond's 
 grandfather was Dr. John Richmond, a prac- 
 tising physician of Haddam, Conn. John H- 
 Richmond was born in Haddam, and came to 
 Canaan at the age of fifteen. He moved from 
 Canaan to Salisbury, Conn., in which latter 
 place he resided eight years, and at the expira- 
 tion of that time returned to North Canaan. 
 He purchased the farm on which his son, John 
 C, resides, and engaged in agriculture with 
 prosperous results until his death, which took 
 place when he was sixty-three years old. His 
 wife, Betsey A. Curtis, was a daughter of 
 James Curtis, of Sheffield, Conn. She be- 
 came the mother of two children, John C. 
 and Charles H. Her death occurred when she 
 was in her fifty-fifth year. 
 
 John C. Richmond was trained to an agri- 
 cultural life, and remained for some years on 
 
146 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the home farm. He was later for several years 
 engaged in teaming for the Barnum & Rich- 
 ardson Company, but finally resumed farming. 
 After his father's death he came into posses- 
 sion of the homestead, on which he has since 
 resided. The farm, which is situated about a 
 mile from the village, originally consisted of 
 one hundred acres, to which Mr. Richmond 
 has added twenty acres, and now has a well- 
 improved farm, which he cultivates with satis- 
 factory results. Mr. Richmond is a veteran 
 in the public service, having held the office of 
 Deputy Sheriff for twenty-three years and that 
 of Tax Collector for twenty years. He has also 
 acted as Constable, Grand Juror, and Justice 
 of the Peace. In 1876 he was united in mar- 
 riage to Elizabeth Roraback, daughter of John 
 C. Roraback, of Sheffield, Conn. 
 
 W'^ 
 
 [LLIAM HENRY VINING, whose 
 features are portrayed on the adjoin- 
 ing page, and something of whose 
 family history is given below, is an intelligent 
 and prosperous agriculturist of Colebrook, 
 Conn., and one of the most valued and es- 
 teemed citizens of the town. He was born 
 March 10, 1840, in the town of Birmingham, 
 New Haven County, Conn., and comes of 
 excellent English ancestry. His father, Will- 
 iam Vining, was a son of Thomas Vining, 
 both being natives of Simsbury, Conn. The 
 latter, who married Mary Wesley, was a car- 
 penter; and in addition to following his trade 
 he also carried on general farming, his home- 
 stead being in Simsbury. 
 
 William Vining learned the carpenter's 
 trade when a young man, but after his removal 
 to Birmingham engaged in the manufacture of 
 wire, then one of the principal industries of 
 that place, and also carried on farming to 
 
 some extent. A few years later he returned 
 to the place of his nativity, and, buying a 
 farm, there engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 until his death, at the age of sixty-nine years. 
 His wife, Orpha Hart Vining, bore him eight 
 children, as follows: Albert; Wealthy; Rob- 
 ert; Mariette; William H., of whom we 
 write; Julius; Elizabeth; and Alice. Mrs. 
 Orpha H. Vining was a daughter of Titus 
 Hart, of Colebrook, and spent her last years 
 on the Simsbury homestead. Her father was 
 twice married. His first wife, Lucy Johnson, 
 who was born September 22, 1803, died at 
 the age of thirty-eight years, leaving eight 
 children. His second wife was Betsey An- 
 drews, a daughter of Elijah Andrews; and of 
 their union nine children were born, making 
 seventeen of the two marriages, all but one of 
 whom grew to adult life. 
 
 Mr. Hart was born in Wallingford, Conn., 
 and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. 
 After the declaration of peace he came to 
 Colebrook, where he bought a tract of wild 
 land, upon which he built a good set of build- 
 ings and cleared a homestead for himself and 
 family, living here until his death, July 27, 
 1844, four days to the decease of his second 
 wife. 
 
 William H. Vining was reared and edu- 
 cated in Simsbury, residing there until twenty- 
 one years old, when he went to New York 
 City, where he was engaged in the livery busi- 
 ness for three or four years. Going from there 
 to Springfield, Mass., he was employed for 
 some time in the United States Armory, 
 coming from there to Colebrook, where he has 
 been engaged in general farming on the Hart 
 homestead. Mr. Vining was united in mar- 
 riage November 26, 1867, with Jane S. Hart, 
 who was born on the farm where she now 
 resides, August 15, 1847. Her father, Tim- 
 othy Hart, was born on the same farm, and was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 149 
 
 a son of Titus and Betsey (Andrews) Hart, 
 mentioned above. 
 
 Timothy Hart was for many years' identified 
 witii the agricultural interests of this town, 
 having always resided on the paternal home- 
 stead, at the death of his parents buying the 
 interest of the other heirs. He lived to cele- 
 brate the eightieth anniversary of his birth. 
 He was quite prominent in local affairs, being 
 an influential member of the Democratic party, 
 and serving one or more terms in the State 
 legislature. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Margaret Wakefield. She was born August 9, 
 1806, on the adjoining farm, the birthplace of 
 her father, Adin Wakefield, who came into the 
 world on November 25, 1773. His father, 
 Patershall Wakefield, the great-grandfather of 
 Mrs. Vining, was formerly from Ashford, 
 Conn., but removed from there to Windsor, 
 where he married Margaret Phelps. From 
 Windsor he came to Colebrook and bought a 
 tract of land near the centre of the town, being 
 one of the original settlers of the place. A 
 few years later his wife was taken sick and 
 returned to her relatives in Windsor, where 
 she died. He subsequently married Sarah 
 Barnard. 
 
 Adin Wakefield was reared to mature years 
 by his maternal grandparents in Windsor. 
 After his marriage he bought a tract of unim- 
 proved land in the south part of Colebrook, on 
 which he erected good buildings. He there 
 carried on farming until his death, June 16, 
 1857, at the age of fourscore and three years. 
 The maiden name of his wife, grandmother of 
 Mrs. Vining, was Susannah Barney. She was 
 born June 11, 1774, and died November 23, 
 1856, leaving six children. Of the union of 
 Timothy Hart and Margaret Wakefield but one 
 child was born, Mrs. Vining. Mrs. Hart died 
 September 14, 1875, some years before her 
 • husband. 
 
 The pleasant household circle of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Vining has included six children ; 
 namely, Adin W., Roscoe W. , Leon H., Lil- 
 lian J., Florence M., and Henry H. Roscoe 
 W. Vining is now attending the Folts Mission 
 Institute at Herkimer, N.Y., as a member of 
 the class of 1896. Leon H., the third child, 
 died on October 3, 1878, at the age of two 
 years. Since reaching his majority Mr. Vin- 
 ing has been a prominent and useful member 
 of the Democratic party, serving with faithful 
 zeal in the various town offices, having been a 
 member of the Board of Health, of the School 
 Board, Assessor, Collector, and thirteen years 
 a member of the Board of Selectmen. In 
 1879 he was elected to the State legislature, 
 where he voted for William Eaton for United 
 States Senator. Socially, Mr. Vining is a 
 member of the Colebrook Grange, No. 82. 
 
 Mr. Vining has in his possession the first 
 deed for the land he 1 ives on, dated November, 
 1780, to Titus Hart, by Samuel Mattoon. At 
 that time this town was a part of Waterbury. 
 
 W- 
 
 ILLIAM BISSELL, M.D., one of 
 the leading physicians of Lakeville, 
 was born in Litchfield, Conn., 
 March 15, 1830, son of Amos and Lydia B. 
 (Hall) Bissell. Amos Bissell, who was also 
 a native of Litchfield, owned a large farm 
 about two and a half miles west of Litchfield 
 village, and spent many years of his life in the 
 successful pursuit of agriculture. He lived to 
 be eighty-seven years old. His wife died at 
 sixty-four years of age. They were the par- 
 ents of four sons and three daughters ; namely, 
 Edward, William, Elizabeth, Julia, Mary, 
 Dwight, and Lyman. The last-named died in 
 infancy. 
 
 William Bissell received his early education 
 in Litchfield under the instruction of the Rev. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 C. G. Eastman. Later on he attended Yale 
 College, graduating in the class of 1853. He 
 then took up the study of medicine at the New 
 Haven Medical College, and graduated from 
 there in 1856. That same year he began the 
 practice of his profession in Elizabeth, Union 
 County, N.J. After si.x months he came to 
 Lakeville, where he now has quite an exten- 
 sive practice. He has also frequent calls from 
 the surrounding towns. 
 
 In 1858 he was joined in marriage with 
 Miss Mary G. Biddleman, of Bloomsbury, 
 N.J. She is now sixty years old. They have 
 three sons and a daughter, as follows : Joseph 
 B. , who is now a practising physician in New 
 York City; William B. , a successful physi- 
 cian of Lakeville; Edward C, who is studying 
 law; and May B. Dr. Bissell is an honored 
 member of the State and County Medical Soci- 
 eties, and is held in high estimation by the 
 community in which he lives. His office is 
 in his residence on the principal street of 
 Lakeville. 
 
 |RS. HARRIET D. (WADS- 
 WORTH) KILBOURNE, widow 
 of the late Dr. Charles J. Kil- 
 bourne, is a cultured and refined woman, whom 
 it is a pleasure to meet in .social circles. She 
 was born in Litchfield, a daughter of James C. 
 Wadsworth, who was one of Farmington's 
 favored sons. Her grandfather, Luke Wads- 
 worth, a lifelong resident of Farmington, was 
 well known and respected in Hartford County. 
 He married Abigail Cowles, who, likewise, 
 spent her entire life in that town ; and they 
 reared a family of eight children, of whom 
 James C. was their second child. 
 
 James C. Wadsworth was reared and edu- 
 cated in the town of his birth, and began to 
 earn a living when quite young. He was first 
 
 employed as a clerk at a store in Lansingburg, 
 where he afterward established himself in busi- 
 ness on his own account. He subsequently 
 removed to Litchfield, here opening a store 
 with his brother Amos, and continuing in 
 business with him for a number of years. Re- 
 moving then to Danbury, Mr. Wadsworth be- 
 came a leading merchant of the place. He 
 had been there about seven years when a disas- 
 trous conflagration consumed his store and 
 stock. Deeming himself too far advanced in 
 years to then start another establishment, he 
 returned to this town, and thereafter lived 
 retired from active business until his demise, 
 at the venerable age of ninety-two years. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Sally Cooke, 
 was a daughter of Thomas Cooke, and a grand- 
 daughter of Colonel Joseph P. Cooke, an 
 officer in the State militia and in the Revolu- 
 tionary army. Colonel Cooke was an inti- 
 mate friend of General Washington, who 
 visited him at his home by invitation on two 
 different occasions. A graduate of Yale, he 
 was a man of many accomplishments, was a 
 member of the First Congress, and was other- 
 wise prominent in public life for twoscore 
 years. Thomas Cooke was twice married. 
 Mrs. Wadsworth had two own brothers, James 
 H. and William Cooke, both prominent mer- 
 chants of New York City, the latter being a 
 large cotton and dry goods dealer. She also 
 had two half-brothers and one half-sister. Of 
 her union with Mr. Wadsworth two daughters 
 and four sons were born. They were : Harriet 
 D., the subject of this review; James C. L. ; 
 William Cooke; George, a resident of Buffalo; 
 Henry, deceased; and Caroline, deceased, 
 widow of General Henry Wessells, formerly 
 an officer in the regular army. The mother 
 spent her last years in New York City, dying 
 in 1869, aged seventy- live years. She was a 
 woman of true Christian spirit, and both she 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IS 'I 
 
 and her husband were sincere members of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Mrs. Kilbourne spent a few of her childhood 
 years in Danbury, and then carpe to Litchfield 
 with her parents, where she received her edu- 
 cation in a private school. She received an 
 excellent training in the domestic arts from 
 her wise mother, remaining beneath the paren- 
 tal roof until her union with Charles J. Kil- 
 bourne, June 25, 1844. Mr. Kilbourne was 
 born in Litchfield in 1820, son of Truman 
 Kilbourne, who was then one of the foremost 
 merchants of this town. Mr. Truman Kil- 
 bourne subsequently removed to Naugatuck 
 and thence to Waterbury, where he followed 
 his business throughout the remainder of his 
 life. He was quite prominent in financial and 
 religious circles, highly respected by all, and a 
 worthy member of the Congregational church, 
 of which he was Deacon for many years. 
 
 Charles J. Kilbourne received his prelimi- 
 nary education in Litchfield, and began the 
 study of medicine with Dr. Beckwith, a noted 
 practitioner. He subsequently removed to 
 Stanford, Dutchess County, N.Y., where he 
 entered upon the practice of his profession, 
 becoming one of the leading physicians of that 
 place. He was very successful in his work, 
 winning the confidence of the people and the 
 thorough respect of his professional brethren. 
 In 1851, owing to overwork and exposure, his 
 health failed and he went South, hoping that 
 rest and the mild breezes of a genial climate 
 would restore his physical powers. Not find- 
 ing the hoped for relief he returned to the 
 place of his nativity, remaining here until his 
 demise in January, 1853, at the early age of 
 thirty-two years. A man of broad and liberal 
 views, eminently charitable, with a heart 
 abounding with love of God and his fellow- 
 men, he was a true Christian, although con- 
 - nected with no religious denomination by 
 
 membership. Mrs. Kilbourne is a member of 
 the Congregational church, having united with 
 it many years ago, and is one of its most faith- 
 ful adherents. She occupies the house which 
 was purchased by her father some seventy 
 years ago, and was built in 1812. It was at 
 one time occupied by Colonel Talmadge, a 
 well-known citizen, as a store and post-office. 
 One of her brothers, James C. L. Wadsworth, 
 makes his home with her. He was reared in 
 this town, afterward going to Danbury, thence 
 to Buffalo, N. Y. , where he clerked in a hard- 
 ware store for some time. Mr. Wadsworth 
 then visited California, making his home on 
 the Pacific Coast for several years, and return- 
 ing to Litchfield in 1892, since which time 
 he has resided with Mrs. Kilbourne. 
 
 I^aHINEHAS R. BALDWIN, a well- 
 known farmer of Cornwall, was born 
 
 -^ in that town, June 19, 18 19, son of 
 Captain Phinehas and Nancy (Rexford) Bald- 
 win. Mr. Baldwin's father, who was the sixth 
 in a direct line to bear the name of Phinehas, 
 was born in Milford, Conn. He came to 
 Cornwall when quite young, to live with his 
 uncle, Captain John Miles. He learned the 
 carpenter's trade, an occupation which he fol- 
 lowed in connection with farming. He was 
 prominently identified with local affairs, and 
 rendered much valuable service to the town. 
 He held the rank of Captain in the State 
 militia, and was always interested in military 
 affairs. He lived to the age of eighty-four 
 years. His wife, who was a daughter of Sam- 
 uel Rexford, of Cornwall, became the mother 
 of eight children; namely, Samuel Rexford, 
 Lydia M., Phinehas R., John Franklin, Sarah 
 Elizabeth, Harvey Woodruff, Nancy Abigail, 
 and Thaddeus Robert. The mother died aged 
 fifty-five years. 
 
152 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Phinehas R. Baldwin received his education 
 in the common schools, and was brought up to 
 farming, which has been his occupation through 
 life. He settled upon a farm situated near the 
 village, where he has since resided, occupied 
 in the profitable cultivation of his land. He 
 has always displayed a great deal of energy 
 and ability as a farmer, and is known and 
 recognized as a conscientious and fair-minded 
 citizen. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin has been twice married. In 
 1854 he wedded for his first wife Sarah Jane 
 Stone, daughter of Ira and Nancy Stone, of 
 Warren, Conn., both of whom died at the age 
 of seventy-eight years. The children of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Stone were: Mary Eliza, Sarah Jane, 
 James A., Nancy Maria, Fanny C. , Hannah 
 Elizabeth, and Henry Daniel. Mr. Baldwin's 
 first wife died at the age of twenty-five, leav- 
 ing one son, Frank Stone Baldwin, who is a 
 well-known resident of Cornwall and a Deacon 
 of the Congregational church. In 1858 he 
 wedded for his second wife Fanny C. Stone, 
 his first wife's sister. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin is a Republican in politics; and 
 both he and his wife attend the Congregational 
 church, of which they are members. 
 
 I ^TeORGE W. HALL, Postmaster and 
 y^J a general merchant of Falls Village, 
 was born in Sheffield, Mass., Sep- 
 tember 20, 1843, son of Select and Caroline 
 (Bartholomew) Hall. Mr. Hall's father was 
 a prosperous farmer of Sheffield, and died at 
 the age of fifty-one years. His wife, daughter 
 of Willis Bartholomew, became the mother of 
 five children; namely, Mary J., Paulina E., 
 Martha, William E., and George W. She 
 died at the age of fifty-five years. 
 
 George W. Hall received his education in 
 his native town, and at the age of fourteen 
 
 started in life as a clerk. He continued in 
 that occupation seventeen years, and then erf- 
 gaged in mercantile business in Falls Village. 
 After conducting this enterprise for fifteen 
 years he formed a stock company known as the 
 George W. Hall Company. The business 
 steadily grew in proportions, proving a profit- 
 able investment for all concerned. The com- 
 pany has now a branch store in Lakeville, 
 Conn. They carry a large stock of goods. 
 Mr. Hall is held in high estimation, and has 
 secured a wide reputation as a man of busi- 
 ness. He was Postmaster in Falls Village for 
 twelve years, and is now serving his second 
 term as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. 
 In 1868 Mr. Hall was united in marriage to 
 Caroline Randall, daughter of A. C. Randall, 
 of Falls Village. 
 
 T^HARLES W. BARNUM, Vice-P.resi- 
 I jp dent of the Barnum & Richardson 
 
 ^^. -- Company, of Lime Rock, Conn., was 
 
 born here October 30, 1855, son of William 
 H. and Charlotte A. Barnum. Hon. William 
 H. Barnum was extensively engaged in iron 
 manufacture and was the originator of the 
 well-known firm of Barnum, Richardson & Co. 
 He was a stanch Democrat, and took an active 
 part in political affairs, representing the 
 Fourth Connecticut District in Congress, 
 1867-76, being then elected to the United 
 States Senate to fill the term ending March 4, 
 1879. He died in 1889, at the age of seventy 
 years. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Charlotte A. Burrell, was a daughter of Charles 
 Burrell. She lived to be seventy-five years 
 old. They reared the following children- 
 Charles W., Laura C, William M., and Lucy. 
 Charles W. Barnum received his early edu- 
 cation in a private school at Lime Rock. At 
 the age of seventeen he went to work in his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 15s 
 
 father's office, and in course of time became 
 one of the members of the stock company of 
 which he has now been Vice-President many 
 years. This company does a 'large manufact- 
 uring business. In 1875 Mr. Barnum was 
 united in marriage with Mary, daughter of the 
 Rev. George Nickelos, of Hoosick Falls, 
 N. Y. Two children have blessed their union, 
 Richard N. and Charlotte. 
 
 In politics Mr. Barnum is a Democrat. In 
 religion he is an Episcopalian, his wife also 
 being a communicant of the Episcopal church. 
 He is prominent among the business men of 
 Lime Rock, and is very popular with all 
 classes, being a gentleman of liberal ideas, 
 affable, and kindly. He has a beautiful resi- 
 dence in the eastern part of the town, situated 
 on the side of a hill. 
 
 We are happy to present in connection with 
 this brief biographical notice a portrait of 
 Mr. Charles W. Barnum as the representative 
 of one of the leading families of Litchfield 
 County, a family whose influence has been 
 widely felt in business circles and in State 
 and national politics. 
 
 LfREDERICK U. NEWCOMB, a promi- 
 P J nent boot and shoe merchant of Litch- 
 field, was born in Goshen, Conn., 
 December 2, 1861, son of George W. and 
 Mary S. (Wheeler) Newcomb. Mr. New- 
 comb's grandfather, Coville Newcomb, fol- 
 lowed agriculture and resided upon a farm 
 situated on the line between Goshen and 
 Litchfield. He became the father of twelve 
 children, and died at the age of eighty years. 
 George W. Newcomb, a native of Goshen, 
 was reared to agricultural life. In early 
 manhood he learned the trade of a house 
 painter. He followed that occupation in 
 Goshen until 1877, when he moved to Litch- 
 
 field to become manager of the Rogers estate, 
 a capacity in which he is still employed. He 
 enlisted as a private in the Nineteenth Con- 
 necticut Volunteers, and served three years in 
 the Civil War, during which time he was pro- 
 moted to the rank of Orderly Sergeant. His 
 wife was born in Litchfield, daughter of Peleg 
 and Eliza (Buel) Wheeler. The father was 
 a prosperous farmer, and died at the age of 
 fifty-six years. Peleg Wheeler raised a family 
 of five children, of whom two are now living; 
 namely, Charles G. and Mrs. George W. New- 
 comb. The latter has had but one son, 
 namely: Frederick U., the subject of this 
 sketch. The parents are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, with which Mr. 
 George W. Newcomb is officially connected. 
 Frederick U. Newcomb passed his boyhood 
 in Goshen, and attended the public schools. 
 After completing his education he obtained 
 employment with Wessells & Gates in the 
 drug business. He remained for one year 
 there, and then engaged with F. D. McNeil & 
 Co., with whom he remained for four years 
 and a half. At the expiration of that time he 
 purchased a general store in the village of 
 Bantam, Litchfield County, where he con- 
 ducted a satisfactory business until the latter 
 part of 1888. He then sold out and bought in 
 Litchfield village the old established boot and 
 shoe business of E. W. Meafay, which he has 
 since conducted with energy and success. He 
 carries a full line of attractive goods, and by 
 his pleasing manners and genial disposition 
 maintains a large patronage. Mr. Newcomb 
 is a Republican in politics. He has served 
 upon the Board of Burgesses for two years, is 
 a member of St. Paul's Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., of which he has been Junior Deacon, 
 and is connected with the Sons of Veterans. 
 
 In September, 1884, Mr. Newcomb was 
 united in marriage to Edith E. Trail, born in 
 
156 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Litchfield, daughter of Charles L. and Louisa 
 (Pratt) Trail. Her father for many years has 
 been foreman of D. Buell's farm. His wife 
 was the mother of four children; namely, 
 Edith E. , Burton, Fannie, and Lena. Fannie 
 married Edwin Potter, a house painter of 
 Litchfield. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb have one 
 daughter, Frederica Edith. 
 
 6 I HE( 
 
 HEODORE F. DEXTER, general 
 (Jjl manager of the Acme Rule Company of 
 Salisbury, was born in that town No- 
 \'ember i8, 1848, son of Newton L. and Lydia 
 (Cook) Dexter. Mr. Dexter' s great-grand- 
 father, in company with Paul Revere, rolled 
 the copper which was used in covering the 
 dome of the State House in Boston. 
 
 Jeremiah Dexter, the grandfather of Theo- 
 dore F. Dexter, was born in the vicinity of 
 Boston. He was a mechanic ; and, after set- 
 tling in Salisbury in 181 2, he established a 
 factory for the manufacture of hoes, and suc- 
 cessfully conducted it until his death, which 
 occurred in Salisbury at an advanced age. He 
 married Olive Plinsdale, and she became the 
 mother of four children; namely, Newton L., 
 Revere, Herman, and Maria. She died at the 
 age of thirty-eight years. Newton L. Dexter, 
 Mr. Dexter's father, was born in Walpole, 
 Mass., and accompanied his parents to Salis- 
 bury. After the death of his father he pur- 
 chased the factory, added the manufacture of 
 forks and potatoe hooks to that of hoes, and car- 
 ried on the three departments with increased 
 profit. He was prominent in public affairs, 
 and was Town Clerk for several years. New- 
 ton L. De.xter died in Salisbury, aged seventy- 
 four years. His wife, a native of Monmouth 
 County, New Jersey, became the mother of 
 eight children, as follows: Jeremiah N. ; Ann 
 E., who became the wife of George N. Burch ; 
 
 Stephen H. ; Mary C. , who became Mrs. Rora- 
 back ; Theodore F., the subject of this 
 sketch; Hattie L., now Mrs. Cornell; Jennie; 
 and Edgar C. The mother is still living in 
 the old home in Salisbury. 
 
 Theodore F. Dexter was educated in the 
 schools of his native town. He worked in his 
 father's factory until he reached his majority. 
 He then engaged in the insurance business in 
 New York State for a year, at the expiration 
 of which he returned to Salisbury, and later 
 entered mercantile business as a clerk. In 
 1890 he became book-keeper for the Acme 
 Rule Company of Salisbury, from which posi- 
 tion he has rapidly advanced to his present 
 post of general manager. He is a progressive 
 business man and a most valuable official to 
 the company. Mr. Dexter is a Republican in 
 politics, and has for several years been a 
 member of the Town Committee. In 1890 he 
 assisted in taking the United States Census, 
 and is at the present time serving as Town 
 Clerk. In 1884 he was united in marriage to 
 Mary L. Spurr, of Sheffield, Mass. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Dexter are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 ORRAIN APLEY, a prominent farmer 
 of Goshen and a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen, was born upon the 
 farm he now owns and occupies, December 17, 
 1839, son of Hiram and Caroline (Bierce) 
 Apley. Mr. Apley's grandparents were Eze- 
 kiel and Sally (Rood) Apley, the former of 
 whom was a prosperous farmer of Goshen, 
 where the greater portion of his life was 
 passed. He died at the age of eighty-six 
 years. His children were: Alfred, Hiram, 
 Lorrain, and Mary. The mother died at the 
 age of eighty-four years. 
 
 Hiram Apley, Mr. Apleys father, was born 
 in Torrington, Conn. ; but he resided in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IS7 
 
 Goshen after he was four years old. He had 
 a farm which he successfully cultivated during 
 the active period of his life. He lived to the 
 age of eighty-three years and eight months. 
 His wife, daughter of Sylvester Bierce, of 
 Cornwall, became the mother of three chil- 
 dren : Lorrain, Edwin, and Elizabeth. Edwin 
 married Eliza Howe, and died October 9, 
 1867, aged twenty-five years, leaving two chil- 
 dren, Levi and Julia. The latter became the 
 wife of James Leonard, and has one son named 
 Hiram. Caroline (Bierce) Apley died March 
 II, 1876, aged sixty-five years. 
 
 Lorrain Apley received his education in the 
 district schools and was reared to agricultural 
 life. He succeeded to the possession of the 
 homestead. The estate contains three hundred 
 and seventy-five acres of well-located land, on 
 which he has conducted general farming with 
 energy and good judgment. He is a Republi- 
 can in politics, and has ably filled various 
 ofifices of public trust. He is now serving his 
 sixth term as member of the Board of Select- 
 men, a position in which he is rendering val- 
 uable service to the town. Mr. Apley is a 
 member of Seneca Lodge, No. 55, A. F. & 
 A. M., and also of the Grange. 
 
 RS. RACHEL L. PRATT, an 
 esteemed resident of Salisbury, 
 widow of the late Daniel Pratt, 
 who was for many years Town Clerk of Salis- 
 bury, was born in that town, April 27, 1823. 
 She is the daughter of Chauncy and Lavinia 
 (Spencer) Reed, both natives of Salisbury, and 
 grand-daughter of Josiah Reed. Grandfather 
 Reed came here from the southern part of 
 Connecticut, and purchased the farm that con- 
 tained the Chatfield ore bed. He married 
 Elizabeth Marvin, with whom he reared a fam- 
 ily of seven children. They were: Marvin, 
 
 Silas, Lydia, Betsey, Susan, Chauncy, and 
 Charles. 
 
 Chauncy Reed, the father of Mrs. Pratt, 
 spent his life in Salisbury, engaged in farm- 
 ing. He owned a good farm near the centre 
 of the town, and was well known and re- 
 spected. He lived to be eighty years of age. 
 His wife, who was a daughter of Job Spencer, 
 of Salisbury, passed away at the age of 
 seventy. Their children were: Spencer J.; 
 Chauncey; Henry J.; Theron ; Jarie; and 
 Rachel L. , the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Rachel L. Reed on July 29, 1851, became 
 Mrs. Pratt, uniting her destiny with that of 
 Daniel Pratt, son of Schuyler and Olive (Gay) 
 Pratt. Schuyler Pratt died in his sixty-third 
 year; and his wife lived through the vicissi- 
 tudes of a century, being over ninety-nine 
 years of age at the time of her death. They 
 reared the following children : Milton, 
 Charles, Daniel, Henry, Mary, Harrison, 
 Olive, and Louise. Daniel Pratt was engaged 
 in the cotton business in the South until the 
 war broke out. He then returned North, and, 
 purchasing an estate in Salisbury, there spent 
 the rest of his life. A Democrat in politics, 
 he was a leading citizen in the town, and held 
 the office of Town Clerk for twenty years. He 
 passed away in January, 1890, at the age of 
 sixty-seven years, leaving his widow in com- 
 fortable circumstances. Mrs. Rachel L. Pratt 
 still lives in the old home endeared to her by 
 memories of the past. She and her husband 
 were the parents of four children, as follows: 
 Schuyler, who died at the age of twenty-six ; 
 Ellen, who died at the age of four years; Cora 
 L. , whose brief span of life embraced but six 
 summers; and Henry R., who married and is 
 now living in Chappaqua, N. Y. Represent- 
 ing two of the old families of the town, a lady 
 of culture, and in possession of many other 
 estimable qualities, Mrs. Pratt is highly re- 
 
iS8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 spected by her neighbors. She bears the 
 weight of her seventy years gracefully, and 
 appears to be much younger than she is. 
 
 jDMUND D. LAWRENCE, a retired 
 business man of Canaan, Conn., son of 
 Harvey and Betsey (Dunning) Law- 
 rence, was born in this town January 20, 
 1820. Mr. Lawrence's grandfather, Josiah 
 Lawrence, was a native of Canaan, and for 
 many years kept the hotel in the village. He 
 died at the age of sixty-seven. Josiah Law- 
 rence was twice married. His first wife, Amy 
 Rockwell, left five children : Abiah, Harvey, 
 Abigail, Betsey, and Charlotte. By his sec- 
 ond union he had two children, Isaac and 
 George. 
 
 Harvey Lawrence, son of Josiah and Amy 
 (Rockwell) Lawrence, was born in Canaan on 
 March 19, 1791. He became quite prominent 
 in public affairs, serving in important town 
 offices, and was Trial Justice for many years. 
 His wife, Betsey Dunning, whom he married 
 November 22, 1812, became the mother of 
 three children, as follows: Amy; Edmund D., 
 the subject of this sketch; and Catherine. 
 Mrs. Harvey Lawrence died September 21, 
 1865. Her husband died July 21, 1870. 
 
 Edmund, who was the only son, resided 
 with his parents until reaching the age of 
 eighteen, at which time he began life for him- 
 self. His first employment was in an iron 
 manufactory, where he received twelve dollars 
 and fifty cents per month as a start. He be- 
 came proficient in the work, and remained 
 there for fifteen years. Mr. Lawrence then 
 engaged in mercantile business for two years, 
 and was agent for seven years for a manufact- 
 uring concern in Norfolk, the following six 
 years being' spent in different businesses. 
 During the next seven years he was connected 
 
 with a sash and blind factory. After fifteen 
 years of prosperity in the lime business, his 
 next venture, he retired from active labor. 
 Mr. Lawrence is a Republican in politics, and 
 has been prominently identified with local 
 public affairs, serving as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen and as an Assessor. In 
 1855 Mr. Lawrence was united in marriage 
 with Lydia Rood, daughter of Dennis Rood, 
 of Canaan. Their only child is an adopted 
 daughter, a niece, named Emma Adams 
 Lawrence. 
 
 A faithful likeness of Mr. Edmund D. Law- 
 rence is herewith presented. He is a man 
 whose success in life has been the result of his 
 practical ability and close application to busi- 
 ness. His interest in the higher needs of the 
 community and his generosity are shown in his 
 gift to the town, in 1885, of a building which 
 cost thirteen hundred dollars for a public 
 library. 
 
 B 
 
 AVID K. BIERCE, the owner of a 
 fine farm two miles south of Sharon, 
 and one of the most enterprising and 
 substantial citizens of the town, was born in 
 Cornwall, Litchfield County, Conn., on October 
 20, 1833, son of Obadiah and Sybil (Clark) 
 Bierce, and grandson of James Bierce, who 
 came from England. James Bierce was with 
 the British army at the building of the fort at 
 Crown Point on Lake Champlain. He resided 
 in Cornwall, was a farmer, and spent the major 
 part of his life engaged in that occupation. 
 He died at the advanced age of ninety-five 
 years. Obadiah Bierce, the youngest of a 
 large family of children, was born in Corn- 
 wall. At an early age he learned the trade of 
 a millwright, and followed that calling during 
 his younger days. Later on he conducted a 
 grist and oil mill at Cornwall Bridge. In 
 addition to his mill property he owned about 
 
EDMUND D. LAWRENCE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i6i 
 
 seven hundred acres of land in the town. He 
 was eighty-five years old at the time of his 
 death. His wife, who was a native of Bur- 
 lington, Conn., also attained the same age. 
 They reared seven children; namely. Flora, 
 Sarah, Hercules, Edward, David K., Frank, 
 and Frances. 
 
 David K, Bierce remained with his parents 
 until he came of age. He then went West, 
 but a short time afterward returned to Corn- 
 wall, and for six years was successfully en- 
 gaged in the hotel business at Cornwall 
 Bridge. From there he removed to Amenia, 
 N. Y., where he spent the subsequent five years 
 in agricultural pursuits. In 1868 he came to 
 Sharon and purchased the place on which he 
 now resides, a very productive farm of one 
 hundred and twenty acres. Besides engaging 
 in mixed husbandry he makes a specialty of 
 dairying. In 1858 he was joined in marriage 
 with Miss Temperance Cooper, a daughter of 
 Hiram Cooper, of Amenia, N.Y. They are 
 the parents of three children, as follows : Mrs. 
 Emma Decker, their only daughter, who has 
 one child, Manzer; George, married to Miss 
 Ann Brown, a daughter of Josiah Brown, and 
 father of two daughters — Stella and Ellen; 
 and Arthur O. , married to Miss Lizzie Oean, 
 daughter of Edward K. Dean, by whom he is 
 the father of two children — David and Olive. 
 In politics Mr. Bierce is a loyal Republican. 
 He has served his town as Assessor for several 
 years, and at the present time holds the ofifice 
 of Selectman. 
 
 « ^»^» - 
 
 tOBERT G. HASSARD, M.D., a pop- 
 ular and successful physician of 
 _^ Thomaston, was born in Great Bar- 
 rington, Mass., May 23, 1841, son of Samuel 
 and Sarah G. (Cook) Hassard. The Hassard 
 family are of English lineage, and looking 
 backward along the line of descent it is found 
 
 that the first progenitor in this country came 
 to America in 1639. Since that time the 
 majority of the descendants have spent their 
 lives in the New England States. The great- 
 grandfather of Dr. Hassard, who bore the 
 name of Samuel Hassard, was a native of 
 Rhode Island. He spent the larger part of 
 his life in the business of a West Indies 
 trader. His son, Robert Hassard, who was 
 also born in Rhode Island, spent much of his 
 life in the West Indies, where he had stores 
 and also conducted a large plantation. He 
 died when but forty-two years of age. 
 
 Samuel Hassard, born in Jamaica, lived 
 with his parents in the West Indies only until 
 he was six years of age. He was then sent to 
 New England to obtain his education. As his 
 father died a short time after, he did not return " 
 to the West Indies. He afterward took up 
 the study of medicine. This he subsequently 
 dropped, to engage in the study of theology at 
 Yale College, where he graduated in 1826. 
 He then took a course at the Andover Theor 
 logical Seminary. On leaving the latter he 
 preached for a time in Taunton, Mass., and 
 still later became the rector of St. James' 
 Church at Barrington, Mass., where he re- 
 mained until his death. Like his father, he 
 lived but forty-two years. His wife, Sarah 
 G. (Cook) Hassard, was a daughter of John 
 Cook, of Taunton, Mass., where she was born 
 on February 29, 18 16. Her parents, who 
 were married when they were but fourteen 
 years old, reared a family of twelve children. 
 She died on October 9, 1887, seventy-two 
 years of age, leaving but one child. Dr. Rob- 
 ert G. Hassard. The Rev. Samuel Hassard 
 and his wife were both members of the Episco- 
 pal church, and were held in the highest 
 esteem by his parishioners. 
 
 Robert G. Hassard lived with his parents in 
 Great Barrington, Mass., until he was nine 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years old. He then went to New Haven, 
 Conn., where he remained until he attained 
 his majority, acquiring hi.s early education in 
 the common schools and graduating from Yale 
 College in the class of 1862. At the very 
 beginning of the Civil War, in 1861, he 
 entered the army with the first regiment that 
 left the State of Connecticut, and was gone 
 three months when he received his honorable 
 discharge. On his return to New Haven he 
 was made Acting Medical Cadet; and after 
 his graduation from Yale College he was ex- 
 amined by the Army Board and received an 
 appointment as Assistant Surgeon with the 
 rank of First Lieutenant in the Nineteenth 
 Connecticut Regiment. He was afterward 
 transferred to the Second Heavy Artillery, 
 with which he remained until he was mustered 
 out of service in August, 1865. He returned 
 again to New Haven, but not long after re- 
 moved to Bridgeport, Conn., where during 
 the following year he was successfully en- 
 gaged in the practice of his profession. The 
 next two years he spent in the West, from 
 which he once more returned to New Haven. 
 Some time later he went to Brooklyn, N. Y., 
 and became the acting surgeon of the police 
 department. After remaining here until 1880 
 he came back to Connecticut and settled in 
 Litchfield County. Since then he has ac- 
 quired a lucrative practice in the towns of 
 Harwinton and Thomaston. 
 
 In 1 88 1 he was married to Miss Lela M. 
 Udell, daughter of Alanson Udell, a merchant 
 of New York City. Although Republican in 
 his political views. Dr. Hassard casts his vote 
 for the man he considers best qualified for the 
 ofifice to be filled. He is a member of the 
 C. L. Russell Post, No. 68, Grand Army of 
 the Republic, of which he has acted as surgeon 
 since its organization. He and his wife are 
 active and influential members of the Episco- 
 
 pal church of Thomaston, while his wife is 
 connected with the different church societies. 
 
 TfREE 
 
 REDERICK G. DEAN, a prosperous 
 p[; farmer of Falls Village, was born in 
 Canaan, Litchfield County, Conn., 
 February 9, 1839, son of Edmund M. and 
 Susan C. (Butler) Dean. Mr. Dean's grand- 
 father, Solomon Dean, was a successful farmer 
 and a lifelong resident of Canaan. His family 
 consisted of ten children, named respectively: 
 Luther, William, Edmund M., Horace, 
 Electa, Eunice, Mary, Sarah, Julia, and 
 Nancy. Edmund M. Dean, Mr. Dean's 
 father, was born in Canaan. He was trained 
 to agriculture, and followed that occupation 
 with energy and success during his whole 
 life. His wife, Susan C. Butler, was a 
 daughter of Calvin Butler, of Cornwall. She 
 became the mother of three children, namely: 
 Frederick G., whose name appears at the head 
 of this sketch; Myron H., who married Anna 
 B. Goslee, and has two children, Alice C. 
 and Winifred; and Marshall, who married 
 Emma Millard, and has five children, 
 namely — Nellie, Arthur, Bessie, Harry, and 
 Mabel. 
 
 Frederick G. Dean was educated in the 
 district schools and at the Amenia Academy, 
 and after completing his studies taught 
 school for two seasons. He has always re- 
 sided at the Dean homestead, which is one of 
 the most productive farms in the town ; and 
 he conducts general farming with good re- 
 sults. In 1869 Mr. Dean was united in mar- 
 riage to Ellen E. Jaqua, daughter of Porter 
 M. Jaqua, of Canaan. Mr. Dean has fre- 
 quently been solicited to accept ofifice, but he 
 prefers to remain out of politics and give his 
 entire attention to the management of his 
 farm. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 163 
 
 7TAOLONEL HENRY W. WESSELLS, 
 I \r manager of a large drug store in 
 V,2_^- Litchfield and Secretary of the 
 Litchfield Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
 was born July 13, 1845, in the town of New 
 Milford, this county. Leverett Wessells, his 
 father, was born in Litchfield, July 28, 1819, 
 where Ashbel Wessells, father of Leverett and 
 grandfather of Colonel Wessells, was then 
 residing, being one of its leading physicians. 
 Dr. Wessells was born in Groton, New Lon- 
 don County, and there studied medicine. He 
 subsequently located in this county, and here 
 built up a large general practice, becoming 
 quite noted as a healer of all diseases, spend- 
 ing his life in the practice of his profession. 
 
 Leverett Wessells, one of the three sons 
 born to his parents, was reared and educated 
 in this locality, becoming a leader in the com- 
 munity. He took an active part in public 
 affairs, and was Deputy Sheriff from 1842 
 until 1851, Sheriff of the county from 1854 
 until 1866, and the village Postmaster for two 
 terms. As one of the ablest and most intelli- 
 gent men of the vicinity he was selected to 
 represent his fellow-townsmen in the State 
 legislature on two occasions, serving on impor- 
 tant committees each time. Prior to the late 
 Civil War he was Captain of the State militia; 
 and while the Rebellion was in progress he 
 organized the Nineteenth Connecticut Volun- 
 teer Infantry, which was afterward known as 
 the Second Connecticut Heavy Artillery. He 
 was commissioned Colonel of the regiment 
 July 28, 1862, holding this rank until Septem- 
 ber 15, 1863, when ill health compelled him 
 to resign. The regiment, which was one of 
 the finest at the front, achieved an honorable 
 war record, actively participating in the fol- 
 lowing actions: North Anna, Cold Harbor, 
 Petersburg, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar 
 Creek, Hatch's Run, Fort Fisher, Petersburg 
 
 (a second action), and at Sailor's Creek — and 
 losing, through killed, wounded, and captured, 
 four hundred and thirty-one men. From the 
 time of his resignation until the close of the 
 war Colonel Leverett Wessells was Provost 
 Marshal of the Fourth Connecticut District, 
 and was subsequently Quartermaster-general 
 on Governor Andrew's staff, being known in 
 his last years as General Wessells. He was 
 prominent in local as well as military affairs, 
 and served as a member of the Board of Chari- 
 ties for several years. He died here at the 
 age of seventy-six. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Mary Parks, lived to the age of 
 seventy years. She was the daughter of 
 Josiah Parks, formerly owner of all the stage 
 routes running from this town, including those 
 to Poughkeepsie and to Hartford. She reared 
 but two children, namely : Grace, who became 
 the wife of Dr. Gates, of New Hartford; and 
 Henry W. She was a most estimable woman, 
 sharing with her husband the esteem of the 
 community. Both were valued members of 
 the Episcopal church. 
 
 Colonel Henry W. Wessells, having ac- 
 quired his preliminary education in the pub- 
 lic schools of his native town, concluded 
 his studies at the Gunnery in Washington, 
 Conn. After his graduation from that famous 
 institution he came to Litchfield, and was for 
 some time engaged in the railway mail ser- 
 vice, running on different roads of the State. 
 Abandoning that life, the Colonel accepted 
 his present position as secretary of the local 
 insurance company, faithfully and ably per- 
 forming his duties in this capacity since. In 
 financial matters he is very skilful, very sys- 
 tematic and thorough in his methods, and is 
 eminently trustworthy and capable. 
 
 In 1876 Colonel Wessells married Anne E. 
 Dottefer, a native of the Keystone State. A 
 lady of rare culture and refinement, she pre- 
 
164 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sides most gracefully over their pleasant home, 
 which is a centre of social activity. The 
 Colonel in politics is a strong Republican. 
 He has served his constituents as Warden of 
 the borough for two years. Formerly he was 
 Lieutenant of Company H, Fourth Regiment 
 of the Connecticut National militia. He is a 
 prominent member of the Sons of the Ameri- 
 can Revolution, of the Colonial Society of 
 1 81 2, and of the Loyal Legion. Both he and 
 his wife are faithful members of the Episcopal 
 church, he being a Vestryman; while Mrs. 
 Wessells is an active worker in the church 
 society. 
 
 JRS. MARY (ROWLEY) BAIRD, 
 widow of the late Theophilus 
 Baird, who died at his home in 
 Winsted, December 4, 1894, is a most esti- 
 mable woman, and highly esteemed by all 
 who have the pleasure of her personal ac- 
 quaintance. Mr. Baird, born in 1825 iri 
 Watertown, N.Y., was of Scotch parentage. 
 Nathaniel Baird, his father, was born, bred, 
 and married in Scotland. The father soon 
 after his marriage emigrated to America. 
 He took up his residence in Watertown, 
 N.Y., where he spent his remaining years, 
 employed as a book-keeper, a capacity in 
 which he was very expert. He reared a fam- 
 ily of eight children, of whom three daughters 
 and two sons are now living, all residents of 
 either Watertown or Brooklyn. 
 
 Theophilus Baird was a man of excellent 
 business habits and judgment and a typical 
 representative of the self-made men of his 
 day. He possessed in a high degree the 
 characteristics of Scotland's sons — self-re- 
 liance, industry, and thrift— that are sure to 
 win ultimate success in life. Starting in life 
 empty-handed, he accumulated a fortune be- 
 fore its close, leaving his widow with a good 
 
 estate. He was engaged in business in Win- 
 sted as druggist for more than thirty years, 
 and was quite active and liberal in the sup- 
 port of all enterprises conducive to the wel- 
 fare of the town. In politics he uniformly 
 cast his vote with the Republican party. He 
 was a Trustee of the Gilbert School, a Di- 
 rector in the Winsted Savings Bank, a Master 
 Mason in the Masonic fraternity, and was a 
 member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows. He was a regular attendant and a 
 generous supporter of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church, of which Mrs. Baird is an es- 
 teemed and conscientious member. In 1883 
 Mr. Baird built the fine home now owned 
 and occupied by his widow, and resided there 
 contented until called to his final rest. 
 
 Mrs. Baird has been a lifelong resident of 
 this town. She is a daughter of Horace and 
 Sally (Dutton) Rowley, respectively natives 
 of Haddam and New Hartford. They were 
 married in 1827, took up a farm in Winsted, 
 and were among the well-to-do and enterpris- 
 ing members of the agricultural community. 
 They reared the four children born to them. 
 These are: James, who lives in Winsted; 
 Mary, now Mrs. Baird; Dewel Rowley, of 
 Winsted; and Caroline, wife of Marcus Baird, 
 of Brooklyn, N.Y., who is a brother of the 
 late Theophilus Baird. 
 
 ;;^ERUSHA (BASS) BUTLER, a bright 
 and intelligent woman of fourscore 
 years, notable for her sweet womanli- 
 ness and beautiful personality, was bom in 
 the town of Colebrook, November 29, 18 14, 
 being a daughter of Henry Bass, also a native 
 of this place. Mrs. Butler is descended from 
 honored Revolutionary and pioneer stock. 
 Her paternal grandfather, Nathan Bass, who 
 was born, it is supposed, at East Windsor, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^6S 
 
 Conn., located in Colebrook in 1766, being 
 one of the original settlers of the town. He 
 served in the Revolutionary War, and died in 
 New York ere his term of enlistment had ex- 
 pired. The maiden name of his wife, thus 
 early left a widow, was Anna Rockwell, a 
 native of East Windsor. 
 
 Henry Bass, the father of Mrs. Butler, early 
 evinced a taste for agricultural pursuits, and 
 when a youth went to live with his brother- 
 in-law, and there assisted on the farm. His 
 first purchase of land was on Beach Hill, 
 where he resided for a time before selling it. 
 He subsequently bought a farm west of the' 
 centre of the town, and there engaged in 
 mixed husbandry until his death, which oc- 
 curred at the advance age of eighty years. He 
 married Jerusha Holmes, who was born at Tor- 
 rington, a daughter of Joseph and Lydia 
 (Curtis) Holmes. They became the parents 
 of eight children; namely, Sidney H., 
 Belaria, Elvira, Lucia L., Jerusha (Mrs. 
 Butler), Henry, Warren A., and Lucien O. 
 The latter, who was a skilled machinist, fol- 
 lowed the trade in Ohio for a number of years, 
 and then returned to the old homestead, where 
 his death occurred, August 8, 1894. He 
 never married, and with the exception of the 
 time he spent in Ohio was a lifelong resident 
 of his native town. He served it with faith- 
 fulness in various oiifices of trust, besides rep- 
 resenting it in the State legislature. 
 
 Jerusha (Bass) Butler was reared to habits 
 of industry by her good mother, who was pro- 
 ficient in all the domestic arts, including 
 carding, spinning, and weaving. She re- 
 mained at home, assisting in the labors of the 
 household until her marriage, at the age of 
 twenty-five years, to Timothy Butler, a native 
 of this county and a son of Jared and Eunice 
 (Couch) Butler. He was the recipient of an 
 excellent education, and when quite a young 
 
 man began his career as a teacher, a profes- 
 sion in which he was engaged during the 
 winters for a number of years. He also 
 learned the carpenter's trade, for which he 
 had a natural inclination, and worked at that 
 for some time; but on his marriage he bought 
 a farm in Pennsylvania, near Bethany, where 
 he pursued farming for about two years. His 
 health being very poor, he returned to Cole- 
 brook, where his earthly life was closed, Jan- 
 uary 4, 1842. Mrs. Butler has since been a 
 resident of this pleasant village, making her 
 home with her only daughter, Mary Eunice, 
 the wife of A. Robbins Allen. Mr. Allen 
 was born in Colebrook, and is of honored an- 
 cestry, being a son of Lewis and Elizabeth 
 (Robbins) Allen, and on the paternal side 
 the grandson of Justus and Mabel Allen. On 
 the maternal side of the house he is the 
 grandson of Ammi and Salome Robbins and 
 the great-grandson of the Rev. Ammi Ru- 
 hamah Robbins, the first pastor of the First 
 Congregational Church of Norfolk, Litchfield 
 County. Mr. Allen is a leading member of 
 the agricultural community, being now the 
 owner of the ancestral acres on which he was 
 born and bred. Three children have been 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen : James W., 
 Grace L, and Lewis- T. These are a comfort 
 and a source of great pleasure to their grand- 
 mother Butler, as well as to their fond 
 parents. 
 
 EORGE ALLEN WHEATON, a 
 
 3 I successful husbandman of Cornwall 
 Centre, was born -July 30, 1821, on 
 the place which he now occupies, and which 
 has always been his home. He is a son of 
 George and Lewey (Allen) Wheaton and a 
 grandson of Jonathan Wheaton. George 
 Wheaton was a native of Wallingford, Conn. 
 He studied law under the guidance of Judge 
 
i66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 L. W. Church, of Salisbury, Conn. ; and, 
 after being admitted to the bar, he opened an 
 office in Cornwall, where throughout the rest 
 of his life he was successfully engaged in the 
 practice of his profession. Whatever in his 
 opinion would promote the welfare or enhance 
 the beauty of his town always elicited his 
 interest. He was looked upon by the people 
 of that community as a man of reliable judg- 
 ment. In addition to serving his town in 
 official position, he was at one time a mem- 
 ber of the State legislature. He lived to be 
 seventy-five years of age. His wife was a 
 daughter of Medad Allen. They reared three 
 children: Nancy, who married William Bald- 
 win; Cynthia, the wife of Elbert Shepard; 
 and George Allen. 
 
 George Allen Wheaton obtained his educa- 
 tion in the district schools of Cornwall. At 
 an early age he became familiar with the 
 duties of an agriculturist. Since he started 
 in life for himself he has been successfully 
 engaged in general farming on the old home- 
 stead, of which he is now the owner. He 
 was married in 1841 to Miss Artimecia Bald- 
 win, a daughter of Henry Baldwin, of Corn- 
 wall. They are the parents of four children, 
 namely: George H., who married Miss Ger- 
 trude Fitch, and died aged' thirty years, leav- 
 ing one daughter— -Jessie; Mrs. Lewey A. 
 Dean, a widow with two children — Edith 
 and George S. ; Hattie N. who married 
 James A. Cochrane, and has a son and daugh- 
 ter—George and Jessie; and Charles, who 
 died in the twentieth year of his age. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wheaton is a Democrat. 
 All through the war he was a Deputy Marshal 
 at Bridgeport, Conn. He has since served 
 as Deputy Sheriff for twelve years, and in 
 1855 he was a member of the State Senate. 
 He is a member of St. Luke's Lodge, Kent, 
 A. F. & A. M. 
 
 ^JJ^ELSON DRAKE FORD, one of the 
 I =Y foremost business men of Winchester, 
 -^ x^ ^ Conn., having been a worthy repre- 
 sentative of the agricultural and manufactur- 
 ing interests of this town for upward of half a 
 century, is a native of Litchfield County. 
 He was born November 29, 1825, in the town 
 of Torrington. His father, Harvey Ford, was 
 born in Bethany, New Haven County, Febru- 
 ary I, 1802, being a son of Amos Ford, who 
 was a native of the town of Cheshire in the 
 same county, the date of his birth being 
 April 29, 1767. From the most authentic 
 sources attainable we find that the Fords are 
 of English ancestry, the first to emigrate to 
 America having made his home for a while in 
 Plymouth, Conn. In 1639 he settled in what 
 is now Woodbridge, New Haven County, 
 where his descendants lived for several gener- 
 ations, the great-grandfather of Nelson D. 
 Ford removing thence to what is now Pros- 
 pect, then a part of Cheshire, and known as 
 the Columbia Society, there engaging in 
 general farming. 
 
 Amos Ford was a son of Nathan Ford, Jr., 
 and a grandson of Nathan Ford, Sr. John 
 Ford, a brother of Amos, and by trade a car- 
 penter and joiner, emigrated in his early life 
 to Ohio, and accumulated a fortune of one 
 hundred thousand dollars. One son, whom he 
 educated at Yale College, became Governor of 
 Ohio. His name as originally spelled was 
 Sebra Ford, but he changed it to Seabury Ford. 
 Amos Ford was born and reared in Cheshire, 
 where, in addition to tilling the soil and im- 
 proving a good farm, he raised flax, which he 
 dressed and prepared for manufacturing pur- 
 poses. He lived to a ripe old age, spending 
 his last years with his children. The maiden 
 name of his wife was Rachel M. Russell. 
 
 Harvey Ford, following in the footsteps of 
 his ancestors, selected farming as his life oc- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 169 
 
 cupation, carrying it on for a while in Torring- 
 tqn, where he resided a few years after his 
 marriage. In the spring of 1827 he came to 
 Winchester, buying the farm where his son 
 Nelson now lives, which is in one of the most 
 fertile regions of the county. The land lies 
 on both sides of the Naugatuck River; and in 
 1 84s he took advantage of the water-power by 
 building a dam and erecting a saw-mill and 
 cheese-box factory, putting in a set of stones 
 for grinding and all the other needed machin- 
 ery. These mills he operated in addition to 
 his agricultural labors until after his second 
 marriage, when he sold out to his sons, and 
 removed to Plymouth, going thence to Bristol, 
 where he bought a farm, on which he resided 
 until his death, at the age of fourscore years. 
 He was first married to Mary Ann Drake, a 
 native of Torrington, and a daughter of Noah 
 and Polly (Fyler) Drake. She died at the 
 age of sixty, leaving her two children : Nel- 
 son D., of whom we write; and Reuben 
 Fyler, now a resident of Stonington, Conn. 
 
 Nelson D. Ford was less than two years of 
 age when his parents brought him to Win- 
 chester, where he was educated, receiving all 
 the advantages afforded by the town, includ- 
 ing three terms in select schools. He began 
 when but a boy to assist on the farm and in 
 the mill and shop, residing with his parents, 
 with the exception of three years, until after 
 the death of his mother. In company with 
 his brother he subsequently bought the home 
 farm and the mill property, they operating 
 them in partnership until 1875, when they 
 divided. Nelson taking the mill property and 
 a small part of the farm, including the house 
 he now occupies. He has since been actively 
 engaged in milling, and continues the manu- 
 facture of cheese boxes, his being the oldest 
 established cheese-box factory in this section 
 of the State. 
 
 The ceremony uniting the destinies of Mr. 
 Ford and Mary Ann Norton was solemnized 
 September 25, 1853. Mrs. Ford was born in 
 Goshen, being a daughter of Charles Lyman 
 and Anna Maria (Bailey) Norton and on the 
 paternal side a grand -daughter of Stephen and 
 Hannah (Coy) Norton. Her maternal grand- 
 parents were Philo and Samantha (Root) 
 Bailey, early settlers in these parts. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Ford have one son, Lyman Norton Ford, 
 who was born October 29, 1872. He ac- 
 quired his education in the district school 
 and at the Winsted High School, and is at 
 present associated with his father in business, 
 being a very competent young man, full of 
 energy and push. He is an efficient surveyor, 
 and in 1894 was elected a Justice of the 
 Peace. He married Nellie M. Jessup, a na- 
 tive of Norfolk, born December 13, 1874, a 
 daughter of Edwin and Josephine (Williams) 
 Jessup. They have one son, Harvey Nelson 
 Ford, born February 14, 1894. 
 
 Mr. Nelson D. Ford has held many local 
 public offices, having been a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen, Justice of the Peace a 
 number of years, a chairman of the Board of 
 Relief; and in 1877 he was chosen to repre- 
 sent his town in the legislature. He is an ac- 
 tive Democrat, of the old Jeffersonian school, 
 and is ever ready to do aught in his power to 
 further the interests of his party. His faith- 
 fulness to his trusts, his integrity, and his 
 excellent sense in business, have won for him 
 the respect and confidence of the community. 
 
 An excellent likeness of Mr. Ford will be 
 found on another page of this volume. 
 
 /^^TeORGE gilbert, a substantial and 
 
 y5T highly esteemed farmer, residing 
 
 about three miles from Litchfield, 
 
 on the Torrington road, was born in North- 
 
lyo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 field, Conn., January 21, 1822, son of Linus 
 and Maria (Tolles) Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert's 
 grandfather, who was a resident of North 
 Haven, moved to Northfield, where he spent 
 the rest of his days engaged in farming. His 
 son, Linus, who was but eighty years old at 
 the time of the removal to Northfield, was 
 trained to farm work, at which he toiled 
 from an early age. He remained at home, 
 and at his father's death came into posses- 
 sion of the farm, which he conducted for the 
 remainder of his life. His death occurred at 
 the age of eighty-two years. His wife, who 
 was a native of this county, reared two chil- 
 dren, of whom George Gilbert, whose name 
 appears at the head of this sketch, survives. 
 She died on the old homestead at the ripe 
 age of eighty-one. 
 
 George Gilbert resided at home with his 
 parents until the age of twenty-one, acquir- 
 ing the elements of a practical education as 
 opportunity afforded. Soon after he pur- 
 chased his present farm of one hundred acres, 
 on which he has resided for over fifty con- 
 secutive years, leading the tranquil, even life 
 of a tiller of the soil. He makes a specialty 
 of dairying, producing a fine grade of table 
 butter. He has a large patronage among the 
 best people of Litchfield. Mr. Gilbert was 
 married in 1843 to Miss Emeline A. Curtis, 
 daughter of Jason Curtis, a lifelong farmer of 
 Northfield. Mrs. Gilbert is the mother of 
 three children, namely: Emma Jane, who 
 married C. Newbury; Joseph L., who resides 
 at home, and is employed in the brass works 
 at Torrington; and Cora B., who became the 
 wife of Edwin Blakeslee, a farmer of Plym- 
 outh, and is the mother of three boys Benja- 
 min O., Raymond A., and Charles Gilbert. 
 
 Mr. Gilbert is a Democrat in politics. He 
 has served his town acceptably as a member 
 of the Board of Relief and in other minor 
 
 offices. He has been a member of the local 
 Grange for many years. Both he and his 
 wife are communicants of the Episcopal 
 church in Torrington, which Mr. Gilbert has 
 long served as Warden. He was one of the 
 original organizers of the church nearly fifty 
 years ago, and took a prominent part in the 
 erection of the building. He was also for 
 many years superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school, and has labored zealously in sundry 
 ways to advance the interests of the parish. 
 He and his wife have passed that rarely 
 reached milestone on life's highway, the 
 golden wedding day; and, still young in 
 spirit, they journey on together in quiet con- 
 tent, hoping to hear, when their journey's 
 end is reached, the Master say, "Well 
 done." 
 
 W' 
 
 ILLIAM PENUEL LAWRENCE, 
 who has been a resident of Cole- 
 brook since the date of his birth, 
 December 31, 1833, is a practical and progres- 
 sive agriculturist and one of its most respected 
 citizens. His father, Pen^pel Lawrence, was 
 born, it is thought, in the town of Killingly, 
 Windham County, in which his parents, 
 James and Dorothy Lawrence, spent the major 
 part, if not the whole, of their lives. He 
 there learned the trade of a stone mason, but 
 after coming to Colebrook engaged in farm- 
 ing for several years, working by the day or 
 month. Soon after his marriage he bought a 
 small farm, which is included in the home- 
 stead now owned and occupied by the subject 
 of this article. He was very ambitious and 
 frugal, toiling unceasingly in the care of his 
 land; and, as his means increased, he added 
 to his original acreage, rebuilt and added to 
 the buildings, and bought a saw-mill near by, 
 adding the manufacture of lumber to his other 
 industries. He was considered one of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 171 
 
 best farmers in the locality, and continued in 
 these occupations until his death in 1864, 
 when sixty-five years old. The maiden 
 name of his wife, who was his faithful help- 
 mate and counsellor through life, was Laura 
 Barber, a native of Canton, Hartford County, 
 and a daughter of Michael and Anna (Taylor) 
 Barber. Four children were born of their 
 union; namely, Luther A., William P., 
 Martin H., and Laura A. 
 
 William P. Lawrence was educated in the 
 public schools, becoming thoroughly familiar 
 with the branches there taught. At the age 
 of nineteen years he became a teacher, and 
 met with such success that he continued in 
 the profession for twelve consecutive winter 
 terms. During this period he spent his free 
 time working upon the farm or in the mill 
 with his father. Remaining always on the 
 parental homestead, Mr. Lawrence subse- 
 quently became its owner, and has since 
 managed it successfully. The land, being 
 rich and fertile, yields excellent crops. :He 
 has invested from time to time in standing 
 timber, which he has manufactured into 
 lumber; and for the past fourteen years he 
 has added a substantial ice business to his 
 other industries, marketing his ice in Win- 
 sted. His ability and wisdom as an agricult- 
 urist and a business man are unquestioned, 
 the fine condition of his property being con- 
 vincing testimony of his judicious manage- 
 ment, industry, and thrift. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Lawrence with Miss 
 Sarah Eveline Hewitt was performed Novem- 
 ber 21, i860. She was born in Winsted, 
 being a daughter of John Hewitt, who emi- 
 grated from England to the United States 
 before he was twenty-one years old. He lo- 
 cated in the town of Winsted, where he 
 learned the trade of a stone cutter, which was 
 his occupation for many years, and remained 
 
 a resident of the place until his decease, at 
 the age of seventy-two years. When a young 
 man he married Eliza Leach, who was born 
 in Salisbury, and died in Winsted, at the 
 venerable age of eighty-six years. They 
 reared three children ; namely. Marietta, 
 Sarah E. (Mrs. Lawrence), and Charles L. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have but two sons 
 living, Charles D. and Robert W., their 
 youngest son, J. Russell, having lived but 
 eight years and five months. They are 
 worthy members of the Colebrook Congrega- 
 tional Church. He is Deacon of the church, 
 and was superintendent of the Sunday-school 
 for upward of a quarter of a century. He fills 
 all positions of trust with fidelity, and has 
 served as Postmaster at Mill Brook since 
 1872. 
 
 RION J. HALLOCK, an extensive 
 farmer and land-owner of Goshen and 
 formerly a member of the Connecticut 
 legislature, was born in that town, Septem- 
 ber 9, 1831, son of Dudley F. and Anna M. 
 (Bailey) Hallock. Mr. Hallock's grand- 
 parents were Denis and Lydia (Ford) Hal- 
 lock, respectively natives of Durham, N.Y., 
 and Cornwall, Conn. Denis Hallock was 
 a tailor by trade, and followed that occupa- 
 tion until his death. His children were: 
 Julia and Dudley F. Hallock. 
 
 Dudley F. Hallock, Mr. Hallock's father, 
 was born in Durham, and accompanied his 
 mother to Cornwall, Conn., when he was two 
 years of age. He learned the trade of a shoe- 
 maker, which he followed until reaching the 
 age of thirty years; and then he acquired the 
 trade of a carpenter. He resided in Goshen 
 after his marriage, and died in 1840, aged 
 thirty-three years. His wife, Anna M. 
 (Bailey) Hallock, who was the daughter of 
 Joseph and Reigne (Hurd) Bailey, became the 
 
172 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mother of five children, as follows: Orion J., 
 the subject of this sketch; Orson, who died 
 when eighteen months- old; Orson, second, 
 who died aged five years; Dudley F., who 
 died in the army, twenty-six years old; and 
 Asahel, who married Sarah Merwin, and has 
 two children, respectively named George and 
 Edward. The mother died in 1894, aged 
 eighty-three. 
 
 Orion J. Hallock commenced to support 
 himself at the age of eleven years. He re- 
 ceived his education in the district schools, 
 and in early manhood adopted agriculture as 
 an occupation, which he has since followed 
 with success. Being possessed of an unusual 
 amount of energy and ability, he found the 
 high-road to success at the very start, and has 
 followed it with increasing fortune, until he 
 gained a position in life seldom reached by 
 those depending upon their own individual 
 efforts. He has long made the stock busi- 
 ness a specialty; and he owns and conducts a 
 valuable stock farm, which has a wide reputa- 
 tion on account of the extra-fine cattle bred 
 there. He owns over one thousand acres 
 of land, and is one of the most extensive 
 and successful farmers in Litchfield County. 
 In politics he is a Democrat, and in 1876 
 he represented his town in the State legislat- 
 ure. He has also served as Constable and Col- 
 lector. 
 
 In March, 1859, Mr. Hallock was united in 
 marriage to Caroline L. Austin, daughter of 
 Nelson and Clerena (Apley) Austin, of 
 Goshen. Mr. and Mrs. Hallock have three 
 children, namely: Emma A., who is now the 
 wife of Frank E. Cutler, and has one son, 
 named Herbert H.; Tinnie E., who is the 
 wife of William P. Lawrence, and has one 
 son, named William; and Herbert Gay, who 
 is at home. Mr. and Mrs. Hallock attend the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 W' 
 
 ILLIAM H. DAYTON, master 
 mechanic of the Excelsior Needle 
 Company at Torrington, was born 
 here, October 28, 1840. His grandfather, 
 Jonah Dayton, a native of Watertown, Conn., 
 was for many years a resident of this place, 
 having removed when a young man to Dayton- 
 ville, which was named in his honor. He 
 bought land, and improved a good homestead, 
 spending on it the remainder of his threescore 
 years and ten. 
 
 Avrid Dayton, father of William H. Day- 
 ton, was brought up on a farm, but early 
 turned his attention to mechanical pursuits. 
 He established a factory at Daytonville for 
 the manufacture of melodeons, and was one 
 of the leading business men of the place for 
 many years. He attained the ripe old age of 
 eighty years, enjoying to the utmost the con- 
 fidence and esteem of his friends and fellow- 
 townsmen. He was twice married. His first 
 wife. Miss Bristol in her maidenhood, was a 
 native of Litchfield County, born in Litch- 
 field or Morris. She bore her husband two 
 children: Emily, now deceased; and Will- 
 iam H. 
 
 William H. Dayton spent his early years 
 in the village of Daytonville, this town, being 
 educated in the common schools. He began 
 his career as a workman in his father's fac- 
 tory. The year after the organization of the 
 Excelsior Needle Company by A. F. Migon, 
 Mr. Dayton entered the factory in a minor 
 position. Since then he has worked his way 
 upward, through various ranks, to his present 
 responsible office of master mechanic of the 
 firm. He is an expert in the use of tools, a 
 thorough master of his trade, and has the rep- 
 utation of being the finest and most skilful 
 mechanic in the vicinity. He is also prom- 
 inent in financial affairs and a stockholder in 
 this company, which is the largest needle 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 173 
 
 company in the world, carrying on a business 
 unequalled by any similar establishment. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Dayton was joined in the 
 bonds of matrimony with Miss Clara Case, a 
 daughter of Hosea T. Case, a well-known 
 druggist of Torrington. Two children have 
 been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dayton, Kate and 
 James. Kate, a highly accomplished lady, 
 received her early education at St. Margaret's 
 School in Waterbury, being afterward a pupil 
 at The Elms, in Springfield, Mass. James 
 M.,,who had equal educational advantages, 
 completed his studies at Hackettstown, N.J. 
 In his political views Mr. Dayton is a stanch 
 Democrat, upholding the principles of his 
 party at all times. He has been a Burgess 
 since the formation of the borough, taking a 
 prominent part in the management of town 
 and county affairs. He attends and supports 
 the Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Dayton 
 is an esteemed member. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ^LLIAM SPITTLE, a first-class ma- 
 linist in the employ of the Coe 
 Brass Manufacturing Company of 
 Torrington, was born in Dudley, England, 
 December 7, 1835, son of Samuel and Ann 
 (Tipton) Spittle. Samuel Spittle was also a 
 native of Dudley, England, where he followed 
 with success the trade of a blacksmith. His 
 specialty was the manufacture of hand vices, 
 in which he continued for many year in Eng- 
 land. In September of the year 1848 he 
 came to America, locating in New York City, 
 where he secured a position as foreman in a 
 vice manufactory. There he remained until 
 1865, when he removed to the home of his 
 son, William Spittle, the subject of this 
 Sketch, in Chicopee, Mass. Thenceforward 
 he lived with William, coming with him in 
 1870 to Torrington, where he died in 1872, 
 
 sixty-three years of age. His wife, Ann (Tip- 
 ton) Spittle, was, like himself, a native of 
 England ; and their union was blessed by the 
 birth of three sons. The two now living are 
 William and John. Samuel, Jr., died when 
 twenty-three years of age. The mother's 
 death also occurred at the home of William 
 Spittle, in her sixty-sixth year. 
 
 William Spittle lived with his parents dur- 
 ing his youth, and received a good practical 
 education in the public schools of England. 
 He was thirteen years old when his parents 
 brought him to America. At seventeen he 
 began to learn the machinist's trade, serving 
 an apprenticeship of three years in New Lon- 
 don, Conn., after which he had charge of a 
 department of the Wilson Manufacturing Com- 
 pany up to 1862. The Civil War was then in 
 progress, and he entered Company C of the 
 Second Connecticut militia as First Lieuten- 
 ant of a rifle company of three months' men, 
 under the command of Colonel Terry. His 
 term of enlistment lasted until the battle of 
 Bull Run, when he re-enlisted as Captain of 
 Company F of the Twenty-first Connecticut 
 Regiment, and thereafter continued to serve 
 until the close of the war. He was in many 
 of the hard-fought engagements of the Army of 
 the Potomac, among which were those of An- 
 tietam and Fredericksburg, under General 
 Burnside ; the siege of Suffolk, under General 
 Peck ; and the attack on Richmond, under 
 General Dix. In 1864 he was promoted to 
 the rank of Major, and was honorably dis- 
 charged in June, 1865. He first returned 
 to New London, Conn., but soon after went to 
 Chicopee Falls, Mass., where from 1865 to 
 1869 he was successfully engaged in the gro- 
 cery business. The following year he lived in 
 Chicopee, and was there employed by the Gay- 
 lord Manufacturing Company. In July, 1870, 
 Mr. Spittle came to Torrington, Conn., and 
 
174 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 took charge of the rivet department of the Coe 
 Brass Company. He held that position until 
 the department was abolished, since which 
 time he has continued as a machinist in the 
 company's employment, a connection now cov- 
 ering a period of twenty-five years. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Spittle was joined in marriage 
 with Miss Catherine I. Raymond, who was 
 born in New London, Conn., daughter of 
 Edward Raymond, a captain of a whaling-ves- 
 sel. Their union was blessed by the birth of 
 three children, of whom two are deceased. 
 The survivor is Anna W. ; Katie, who married 
 Charles Hubbard, of Torrington, died at 
 twenty-eight years of age; and Samuel died 
 when three years old. Their mother, whose 
 death occurred in her fifty-third year, was a 
 member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Spittle 
 afterward formed a second marriage with Miss 
 Mary L. Tucker, his present wife, who was 
 born in Seymour, Conn., and is a daughter of 
 David and Angenette (Whitney) Tucker. 
 David Tucker was Deputy Sheriff of New 
 Haven County for over thirty years, served 
 four years as Postmaster under President 
 Cleveland, was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and died in 1892, sixty-seven 
 years of age. Mr.s. Tucker, who was born in 
 Litchfield, Conn., is a communicant of the 
 Episcopal church, and is still living. She 
 reared her husband three children: Mary L., 
 now Mrs. Spittle; Jennie A., the wife of 
 Joseph H. Jarviss, a machinist; and Henry S. 
 Tucker, who is employed by the Coe Brass 
 Company. 
 
 In politics Mr. Spittle is now a Republican, 
 although previous to the Civil War he was a 
 supporter of Democratic principles. He has 
 been Constable two years. Justice of the Peace 
 ten years, and Trial Justice eight years. He 
 was appointed the first Fire Marshal of the 
 town, from which position he afterward re- 
 
 signed. As a member of the Knights of Pyth- 
 ias he has four times served as Chancellor 
 Commander, and thrice as Deputy Grand 
 Chancellor; while at the present time he is a 
 member of the Committee on Law and Super- 
 vision, of the Grand Lodge, and is and has 
 been for the past ten years Secretary of the 
 Endowment Rank. Mr. Spittle is also con- 
 nected with the Order of Red Men, in which 
 he has served one term as Chief of Records ; 
 and he is a member of Steele Post, Grand 
 Army of the Republic, in which he has filled 
 the office of Commander for one term and that 
 of Quartermaster for eight years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Spittle are both active and influential 
 members of the Episcopal church, he serving 
 as one of the Vestry and precentor in the Sun- 
 day-school, and for fourteen years as member 
 of the choir. Mrs. Spittle is a prominent 
 member of the King's Daughters, the Ladies' 
 Guild, and Ladies' Auxiliary, and is also a 
 teacher in the Sunday-school. 
 
 Tj0\ORMAND ADAMS, of whom a brief 
 I =/ memoir is here given, supplemented 
 J- N^ ^ by a lifelike portrait, was for many 
 years a prominent merchant and highly re- 
 spected resident of Winsted, Conn. He was 
 a son of Matthew Adams, a native of Sims- 
 bury, Conn., who moved to the town of Win- 
 chester when a comparatively young man, and 
 here spent a large part of his life. He mar- 
 ried Betsey Case, of Simsbury ; and they reared 
 a large family, all of whom are now deceased. 
 The last to pass away was Oscar Adams, who 
 died at Portage, N.Y., in 1891. The com- 
 fortable home of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Adams 
 in Winchester being destroyed by fire, they 
 removed to the West, settling in Ohio, where 
 they died. Their remains are interred in 
 Granville in that State. 
 
NORMAND ADAMS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 177 
 
 Normand Adams in youth worked on a farm. 
 At the age of twenty he came to Winsted, and 
 with a partner started in business with a good 
 stock of general merchandise, .soon building 
 up a flourishing trade. Mr. Adams was also 
 President of the Winsted Savings Bank. In 
 politics he was an old-time Whig and later a 
 Democrat, and as Water Commissioner and in 
 other capacities he looked to the best interests 
 of the town. He died at his home in Win- 
 sted, November 6, 1882, when seventy-five 
 years of age, and is survived by his wife, 
 Elizabeth Adams, whom he married in 1834, 
 when she was seventeen. Mrs. Adams is the 
 daughter of Luman and Betsey (Rockwell) 
 Wakefield, both natives of Colebrook. Her 
 father was for many years a practising physi- 
 cian in Winsted, where he settled before his 
 marriage. He died here on March 19, 1850? 
 in his sixty-third year, his wife having passed 
 away in 1833. They had seven children, one 
 of whom, a son, died in infancy. Of the others 
 the following is a record : Julia became the 
 wife of Eli T. Wilder, a lawyer in Red Wing, 
 Minn., and died in 1866, when in her fifty- 
 second year. Lucy married William H. 
 Phelps, founder and President of the Hurlbut 
 Bank in Winsted, who died in 1864, she fol- 
 lowing him to the better land in 1867, leaving 
 a son and daughter. John Luman Wakefield 
 was a physician in active practice in Shakopee, 
 Minn., where he died in 1874, aged fifty-one, 
 leaving four children. James B. Wakefield, 
 a retired lawyer, living quietly at Blue Earth 
 City, Minn., was in the House of Representa- 
 tives at Washington for four years, and has 
 been Lieutenant Governor of the State. Mary 
 Helen Wakefield became the wife of Richard 
 H. Yale, and died in New Orleans in 1851, in 
 her thirty-second year. She left a daughter, 
 who married Judge John H. Kennard, and is 
 now a widow with two daughters and one son, 
 
 residing in Winsted with her aunt, Mrs. 
 Adams. 
 
 During her long married life Mrs. Adams 
 suffered the most severe losses, the closest ties 
 being severed by death. Her first-born child, 
 George Gaylord Adams, died suddenly when 
 three years old ; and her youngest, James 
 Wakefield Adams, passed from her arms when 
 but an infant. One son, William Rockwell 
 Adams, lived to be twenty-six years old. He 
 was a refined and scholarly man, of most ami- 
 able character; and when he passed away, in 
 May, 1868, the grief of his parents was incon- 
 solable. Mrs. Adams is a member of the 
 Congregational church, as was her late hus- 
 band. Ever since she was married she has 
 resided at her present home, 78 Main Street, 
 Winsted, which is thus endeared by the asso- 
 ciations of nearly sixty years. 
 
 |ISS SARAH A. BISSELL, a re- 
 tired school teacher of Litch- 
 _ field, was born in Torrington, July 
 7, 1825, daughter of George and Sarah (Wood- 
 ruff) Bissell. Miss Bissell's grandfather, 
 Elisha Bissell, was a native of Windsor, Conn. 
 After his marriage he moved to Torrington, 
 where he was a lifelong resident and a prosper- 
 ous farmer. He raised a family of five chil- 
 dren, of whom George Bissell, Miss Bissell's 
 father, was the fourth-born. George Bissell 
 passed his boyhood at the homestead in Tor- 
 rington. He was educated in the district 
 schools, and after completing his studies be- 
 came a schoolmaster. During the War of 1812 
 he went to New London to assist in its de- 
 fence, should the English attack it, as antici- 
 pated. He died in 1834, aged forty-four 
 years, in Torrington. He was a Whig in pol- 
 itics, and served as a Selectman, Constable, 
 and in other ofifices of [public trust. In Octo- 
 
178 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ber, 1823, George Bissell married Sarah 
 Woodruff, daughter of John and Sally (De- 
 Forest) Woodruff. The father, who was born 
 in Oxford, Conn., was a prominent farmer of 
 Morris, Litchfield County ; but he moved to 
 Torrington in 1820, where he passed the re- 
 mainder of his life. He served in the Revolu- 
 tionary War under General Washington, and 
 was with the army during its memorable en- 
 campment at Valley Forge. He was made 
 prisoner by the British, and confined for a 
 time in New York. John Woodruff died at 
 the age of seventy-five years. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Sally DeForest, was 
 the mother of six children, three sons and 
 three daughters. The daughters all lived to 
 the advanced age of ninety, and two of the 
 sons lived to be eighty years of age. The 
 mother, Miss Bissell's maternal grandmother, 
 died at the age of sixty-six years. Sarah 
 (Woodruff) Bissell became by her first mar- 
 riage the mother of two children, namely: 
 Sarah A., the subject of this sketch; and 
 George D., who now resides in Naugatuck, 
 Conn., where he has occupied the position of 
 Postmaster, Judge of Probate, Selectman, and 
 at present transacts a large amount of public 
 business. 
 
 Sarah A. Bissell came to Litchfield in 1836. 
 She received her education in the schools of 
 that neighborhood. At the age of eighteen 
 she commenced her career as an educator. 
 She continued to teach in the public schools 
 for nearly thirty years, during which time she 
 had as pupils many of Litchfield's most promi- 
 nent business men of the present day. She 
 united with the Congregational church in 
 1843, and was actively interested in church 
 work until the death of her father. She then 
 devoted her entire attention to the care of her 
 mother, doing for her comfort all that filial 
 affection could prompt, until her death, which 
 
 occurred in September, 1894. Miss Bissell 
 has resided at her present home for more than 
 fifty years. 
 
 TT^HARLES J. PORTER, the Post- 
 I V'^ master and the proprietor of a general 
 
 V,C_^ store in Goshen, was born in this 
 town, January 27, 1839, on^Y child of John 
 P. and Caroline (Prentiss) Porter. John P. 
 Porter, who was the youngest of a family of 
 thirteen children, was a native of Farming- 
 ton, Conn. When about sixteen years of age, 
 he came to Goshen, where he was employed 
 for a few 3fears as a clerk. Later on he en- 
 gaged in mercantile business for himself. 
 He subsequently went to New Haven for a 
 short time, after which he returned to Goshen, 
 whence he afterward went to West Cornwall. 
 He finally settled in Goshen, where his death 
 occurred at the age of threescore years and 
 ten. He was an active and public-spirited 
 man, and served very acceptably as a member 
 of the State legislature. His wife was a 
 daughter of Walker Prentiss, of Goshen. 
 She died at sixty-seven years of age, leaving 
 one son, Charles J. Porter. 
 
 Charles J. Porter began his business career 
 when but seventeen years of age as a clerk in 
 a store. At the opening of the Civil War, 
 five years later, he enlisted in the First Con- 
 necticut Heavy Artillery. He served three 
 years, during which he took part in the 
 battles of Petersburg, Fredericksburg, and 
 Hanover Court-house. When the war was 
 over, he resumed clerking, at which he con- 
 tinued for three years. The following two 
 years he dealt in horses, and then engaged 
 in mercantile business in Goshen with a Mr. 
 Cook, under the firm name of Cook & Porter. 
 Thirteen years after, he purchased Mr. Cook's 
 interest, and conducted the business alone 
 for a year. He then sold out, and formed a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 179 
 
 copartnership with Allen Brothers, under 
 the firm name of Porter & Allen Brothers; 
 but in the next year he sold his interest, and 
 opened the general store which he now owns 
 and conducts. 
 
 In 1870 he was joined in marriage with 
 Miss Eleanor C. Bennett, a daughter of 
 Charles W. Bennett, of Goshen. Their 
 union has been blessed by the birth of seven 
 children, as follows: John P.; Carrie, the 
 wife of A. Barton; Katie, who married L. P. 
 Humphrey, of Norfolk, Conn., and has one 
 daughter, Hilda; Annie E. ; Charles W. ; 
 Samuel W. ; and Gordon B. In his politi- 
 cal opinions Mr. Porter is a Republican. In 
 1866 and 1893 he served as a Representative 
 in the State legislature, and has filled the 
 office of Sheriff of Litchfield County. For 
 a number of years he has been Town Treas- 
 urer of Goshen, and has also served in various 
 other offices. In his religious views Mr. 
 Porter favors Congregationalism. 
 
 bfRANK STOUGHTON, the present 
 P" 5 Representative in the Connecticut 
 State legislature for the district of 
 Bethlehem, was born in Barkhampsted, April 
 I, 1848, son of Cicero and Lavinia (Ange- 
 vine) Stoughton. Cicero Stoughton was a 
 native of Bloomfield, Conn. He learned the 
 tailor's trade in Sharon, and worked there a 
 few years, subsequently settling in New Pres- 
 ton, where he died at the age of seventy-four. 
 His wife, who was a native of Sharon, died 
 at the age of sixty-six. They reared five of 
 their eight children, namely: Clarissa, wife 
 of Arthur D. Catlin, who has one child, 
 Clarence F. ; Mary A., wife of Charles 
 Meacham, who has four children — Emily, 
 Anna, Fred, and Edward; Hattie, wife of 
 George M. Hubble; William, who married 
 
 Mary J. Harrison, and has two children — 
 Frank and Arthur; and Frank, the subject of 
 this sketch. Sarah, John Wolcott, and John 
 died young. 
 
 Frank Stoughton was reared in New 
 Preston, and enjoyed the advantages of a good 
 education, attending district and select 
 schools, and finishing his course of study at 
 the Gunnery, the school of Washington vil- 
 lage. He taught for six seasons, and then 
 turned his attention to farming, in which he 
 was very successful. He now resides on a 
 well-improved farm about two miles west of 
 the village of Bethlehem. His judgment in 
 agricultural matters is respected throughout 
 the community; and he is an influential mem- 
 ber of Bethlehem Grange, No. 121. 
 
 On January 13, 1874, he was united in 
 marriage with Martha E. Todd, daughter of 
 Silvanus M. Todd, of Warren. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Stoughton have an adopted son, Will- 
 iam F. 
 
 Mr. Stoughton is a stanch Republican, and 
 stands high in the estimation of his fellow- 
 partisans. He was elected to the State legis- 
 lature in 1894. He has held other public 
 offices, acting as Selectman of Bethlehem for 
 some time and serving on the Grand Jury. 
 He is a member of Watertown Lodge, No. 
 69, Ancient Order of United Workmen. In 
 religious belief Mr. Stoughton is a Congre- 
 gationalist, his wife also belonging to that 
 church. 
 
 M 
 
 WIGHT S. CASE, superintendent 
 of the Gilbert Home at Winsted, has 
 held that position since the home 
 was established, having accepted the office at 
 the solicitation of the founder, William S. 
 Gilbert. This beautiful home for friendless 
 children is one of the grandest institutions 
 of the State. It is endowed with a fund of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 four hundred thousand dollars. The property 
 contains twenty-five acres of well-graded land, 
 on which is erected the home, a fine brick 
 structure, four stories in height, and one hun- 
 dred and ninety-six by sixty feet in dimen- 
 sion. There are now one hundred and .fifty- 
 seven children within its walls, nine adults, 
 and three teachers, besides Mr. and Mrs. 
 Case. Mr. Case is admirably fitted for the 
 duties of his position, being kind and sympa- 
 thetic, yet firm, and has the hearty support 
 and co-operation of the trustees. These trus- 
 tees, in whom the property and general gov- 
 ernment of the institution are vested, are: 
 R. E. Holmes, I. B. Woodruff, George B. 
 Owen, Lyman R. Norton, Charles B. Hallett, 
 A. H. Fenn, David Strong, Eugene Potter, 
 Harvey L. Roberts, W. J. Garvin, J. H. 
 Norton, William L. Camp, and C. J. York. 
 Harvey B. Steele and Theophilus Baird, re- 
 cently deceased, were formerly members of the 
 board. This home, founded by the generosity 
 of Mr. Gilbert, has long been needed, and is 
 heartily indorsed by the State Board of Char- 
 ities. 
 
 Mr. Case was born in Hartland, February 
 23, 1843, a son of the late Horace Case and 
 a grandson of Obed Case, who was a native 
 of Granby, this State. Obed Case was a 
 farmer by occupation, and reared a family of 
 eight children, comprising an equal number of 
 sons and of daughters, one of whom, Luna, 
 the widow of Milton Case, is still living. 
 The grandfather lived to a ripe old age, dying 
 in 1850, more than fourscore years of age. 
 Horace Case was born in Barkhamsted, this 
 county, in 1809, and died in the same town 
 in 1 891. The maiden name of his wife, to 
 whom he was united in 1840, was Louisa 
 Blakeslee, a native of Hartland, Hartford 
 County, where the first few years of their 
 wedded life were spent. In 1846 they re- 
 
 moved to Barkhamsted, settling on a home- 
 stead of one hundred and seventy-five acres, 
 from which they improved a good farm, still re- 
 tained in the family. Their family consisted 
 of four sons, as follows: Clayton H., a jew- 
 eller, who lives in Hartford; Dwight S., sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Frank A., a merchant, 
 living in New Hartford, who is prominent in 
 public affairs, and has served two terms in 
 the legislature; and Herbert B., a farmer, re- 
 siding in Barkhamsted, who has been Town 
 Clerk, Town Treasurer, and Postmaster for 
 many years. Of Herbert B. it may be further 
 said that he is keen, quick-witted, and pos- 
 sessed of good legal ability, that he has been 
 the administrator of several large estates and 
 Representative of his district in the State 
 legislature. The mother died in April, 1864, 
 in the forty-fifth year of her age. The father 
 was again married, this time to Sarah E. Mer- 
 rill, who survives him. 
 
 Dwight S. Case received a thorough educa- 
 tion in the branches taught in the common 
 schools, and took a business course at the 
 Hartford Commercial College. He remained 
 on the home farm until, about thirty years of 
 age, after which he was successfully engaged 
 in a mercantile business in Barkhamsted for 
 seventeen years. In 1888 he was selected by 
 Mr. Gilbert to fill his present onerous posi- 
 tion, and in the discharge of his duties he has 
 ever evinced the utmost fidelity and ability. 
 He has served the public as Constable, Town 
 Clerk, Assessor, Registrar, Grand Juror, and 
 Postmaster for several years; and in 1872 he 
 was a member of the State legislature. He 
 and his brothers, following in their honored 
 father's footsteps, are Chapter Masons. 
 
 On attaining his majority, in 1864, Mr. 
 Case was united in marriage with Ellen M. 
 Sheldon, of Barkhamsted, a daughter of David 
 H. and Charlana (Cady) Sheldon, both now 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon reared four 
 children, one of whom, Cady Sheldon, died 
 in middle life, leaving a widow. Another, 
 D. E. Sheldon, is a merchant in Kansas. 
 A third, A. D. Sheldon, residing in Chehalis, 
 Lewis County, Wash., is manager of the 
 Water Company. The union of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Case has been blessed by the birth of three 
 children, namely: Frank D., an unmarried 
 man, who has recently returned from Cali- 
 fornia; Archer M., a young man of nineteen 
 years; and Harold S., an active boy of thir- 
 teen years. Both parents are consistent mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 'OHN Q. AMES, a prosperous farmer 
 of Litchfield and a veteran of the Civil 
 War, was born in South Farms, now 
 called Morris, October 3, 1845, son of Rufus 
 and Mary (Westover) Ames. Mr. Ames's 
 father, who was a native of Canada, was 
 reared to agricultural life, and in early man- 
 hood came to the United States, first settling 
 in Goshen, Conn. He later purchased a farm 
 in Morris, which he cultivated successfully, 
 and became a well-to-do farmer. He died at 
 the age of fifty-six years. His wife, who was 
 a native of Morris, became the mother of nine 
 children, seven of whom are still living, and 
 are as follows: David, a resident of Bethle- 
 hem; Mary, wife of Walter Turner, of Salis- 
 bury; Ann, wife of Hiram Bishop, of Water- 
 town ; James, a resident of Bethlehem ; Lucy, 
 wife of Walcott Bunnell ; John Q., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Hattie. The mother, 
 who was a member of the Episcopal church, 
 passed her declining years in Morris, where 
 she died. 
 
 John Q. Ames, left an orphan at the age of 
 ten years, then began to support himself. He 
 worked as a farm laborer by the year, attend- 
 
 ing school during the winter, being obliged 
 to pay for his tuition from his earnings. 
 At the age of seventeen he enlisted as a pri- 
 vate in Company A, Nineteenth Connecticut 
 Volunteer Infantry, which served under Gen- 
 eral Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. He 
 participated in the battles of Winchester, 
 Cedar Creek, the siege and capture of Peters- 
 burg, and the capture of Richmond, and was 
 present at the surrender of General Lee at 
 Appomattox. He received his discharge in 
 New Haven after serving one year, the most 
 important and decisive period of the CivU 
 War. He was for the next eight years em- 
 ployed in the cutlery manufactory of Salis- 
 bury. Failing health caused him to relin- 
 quish that business, and for the succeeding 
 five years he followed the trade of a carpenter. 
 He was next manager for five years of the 
 large property occupied by Dr. Allen, of New 
 York City, as a summer residence. This posi- 
 tion he resigned to take charge of George E. 
 Jones's stock farm at Lakeside Park. After 
 remaining there for two years he retired to 
 his farm of seventy-five acres, situated on 
 Beach Street, which he had previously 
 bought, and where he has since resided. 
 
 Mr. Ames is independent in politics. He 
 is a comrade of the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, and has been Commander of his Post, 
 besides holding other offices. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Good Templars of Salisbury, and 
 was for two years Chief Templar of the 
 Lodge. He is a member of the Grange, of 
 which he was Master for two years, and has 
 been Overseer of the County Grange. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Ames was united in marriage 
 to Lydia A. Stone, who was born in Salis- 
 bury, daughter of David Stone, a truckman 
 of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Ames are mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
 has been officially connected with the church 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Litchfield as Steward, and was superin- 
 tendent of the Sabbath-school for two years. 
 
 -OHN H. WOOD, of Thomaston, 
 Litchfield County, Conn., formerly 
 superintendent of the movement de- 
 partment of the Seth Thomas Clock Company, 
 with which he was associated for about forty- 
 four years, is a man of superior mechanical 
 ability. He was born in Plymouth, Conn., 
 on June 30, 1828, and is a son of Henry and 
 Julia (Ford) Wood, the former of whom was 
 born in East Windsor, Conn. 
 
 James Wood, father of Henry, was one of 
 three brothers, who came from England, and 
 settled in East Windsor, Conn., where they 
 spent the remainder of their lives in the suc- 
 cessful pursuit of agriculture. He married 
 Miss Susan Elmer, and they became the 
 parents of six children; but all have since 
 passed away. His nephew, John Warner 
 Barber, wrote the History of Connecticut pub- 
 lished in 1836, the first history ever written 
 of that State. 
 
 Henry Wood spent his early years on a 
 farm in Windsor. He acquired a good practi- 
 cal education in the schools of that town, and 
 was afterward for a long period engaged in 
 school teaching. After his marriage he re- 
 moved to Plymouth, and the remainder of his 
 life was spent in that town. He died there 
 at sixty years of age. His wife, Julia Ford, 
 was a daughter of Hial and Lucina (Pres- 
 ton) Ford, of Plymouth, a grand-daughter of 
 Amos F"ord, a great-grand-daughter of Eben- 
 ezer Ford, and a great-great-grand-daughter of 
 Barnabas Ford, who was one of the earliest 
 settlers in what is now the town of Thomas- 
 ton, Conn., which then bore the name of 
 Northbury. Down to Amos Ford these an- 
 cestors spent their lives in that town, where 
 
 they engaged in agricultural pursuits. He 
 sold his property there, and removed to Ver- 
 mont, where he lived during the rest of his 
 life. Mrs. Henry Wood's maternal ancestors 
 were large land-owners in Harwinton, Conn. 
 Her mother, Lucina (Preston) Ford, was 
 a sister of Stiles Preston; and both were 
 children of John Preston, whose wife was a 
 daughter of Deacon Reuben and Edna (Stiles) 
 Preston, the latter of whom was a daughter of 
 President Stiles, of Yale College. Hial 
 Ford and his wife reared a family of eight 
 children, namely: Lucina (deceased); Susan 
 (deceased); John; Allen, who resides in Meri- 
 den. Conn. ; Warren, a resident of Thomas- 
 ton ; Julia, who is dead; Harriet, who mar- 
 ried Charles Hurlburt, of Thomaston; and 
 Wealthy (deceased). 
 
 John H. Wood remained with his parents 
 until he was twelve years of age. He then 
 went to work on a farm, and followed that oc- 
 cupation until he was fifteen years old. His 
 father gave him his wages during the re- 
 mainder of his minority. He soon began to 
 learn the trade of a movement-maker on 
 clocks and watches; and, after serving an ap- 
 prenticeship of three years, he was employed 
 a year as a journeyman. In 1848 he secured 
 a position with the Seth Thomas Clock Com- 
 pany as a mechanic, shortly becoming a con- 
 tractor and later a foreman. He was finally 
 made superintendent of their movement fac- 
 tory, a position that he held for thirty years, 
 and from which he resigned in 1892, since 
 which time he has lived in retirement, hav- 
 ing laid by sufficient to enable him to do so 
 in comfort. • When the Thomaston Knife 
 Company was formed, he was chosen its 
 President, and still holds that position. 
 
 In 1849 he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Mary Ostrom, a daughter of Henry 
 Ostrom, a woollen operator and one of the 
 
JOHN H. WOOD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 '8S 
 
 pioneer settlers of Torrington, Conn. She 
 bore her husband two children, a son and a 
 daughter, Eliza and Henry O. Eliza Wood 
 married O. B. Sawyer, who was a Lieutenant 
 in Company A of the Fourteenth Regiment 
 of Connecticut Volunteers. She died on Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1872, and he on November 16, 
 1874. Three children were born of their 
 union: a daughter, who died in childhood; 
 and two sons, Frederick H. and Wilbur John, 
 both of whom were graduated from the 
 Thomaston High School in 1887, their class 
 being the first to receive diplomas from that 
 school. In 1890 they entered the class of 
 1894 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, 
 Conn., and would have graduated together, but 
 Wilbur J. was taken sick, and died on March 
 3, 1894. Frederick H. completed the course 
 with his class, and is now attending the Bos- 
 ton University, where he is taking a course 
 in theology. Henry O. Wood was for a num- 
 ber of years a book-keeper for the Seth 
 Thomas Clock Company, but is now superin- 
 tendent of the Waterbury Brass Company at 
 Waterbury, Conn. He is a prominent Odd 
 Fellow. ' 
 
 In politics Mr. Wood is a Republican, and 
 has supported that party ever since its forma- 
 tion. He was sent as a Representative from 
 his town to the legislature of 1887, and has 
 served as grand juror and in other offices. 
 For several years he was a member of the 
 School Committee. When elected to the leg- 
 islature, he had a clear majority over three 
 candidates, and during his term of office was 
 appointed by the Speaker as one of the Com- 
 mittee on Banks, He was one of the incorpo- 
 rators of the Thomaston Savings Bank, and 
 at the present time is the President of that 
 institution. His wife is a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a 
 liberal supporter. He was chairman of the 
 
 building committee, and has acted as Trustee 
 for over thirty years. 
 
 A portrait of this useful, influential, and 
 highly respected citizen appears on a neigh- 
 boring page. 
 
 7J7\HARLES A. SANFORD, M.D., 
 C S[ a practising physician of Falls Vil- 
 V,;2_^ lage, was born in Cornwall, Janu- 
 ary I, 1868, son of Dr. Edward and Vilate C. 
 (Gardner) Sanford. Dr. Sanford's grand- 
 father, Amos Sanford, was a resident of 
 Cornwall, where he followed the trade of a 
 clock-maker. He died at the age of seventy- 
 two years. His five children were: Alson, 
 Edward, Buell, Nancy, and Caroline. 
 
 Edward Sanford, M.D., Dr. Sanford's 
 father, was born in Cornwall. He attended 
 the New York Medical College, and after 
 completing his studies located in Cornwall, 
 where he practised his profession for forty- 
 two years. He was a well-known and highly 
 esteemed physician. He became prominent 
 in public affairs, serving in important town 
 offices. He was a member of the Connecticut 
 House of Representatives for two terms. Dr. 
 Edward Sanford died in Cornwall at the 
 age of sixty -four years. His wife, who was 
 daughter of James M. Gardner, became the 
 mother of four children, as follows: Henry 
 E.; Josephine E., who is now Mrs. Smith; 
 Charles A., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Jennie G., who is now Mrs. Preston. The 
 mother still survives. 
 
 Charles A. Sanford commenced his educa 
 tion in the public schools of Cornwall. After 
 pursuing a course at the Housatonic Valley 
 Institute, he entered upon the study of medi- 
 cine, graduating from the Long Island Col- 
 lege Hospital, March 21, 1894. On May i, 
 1894, he commenced the practice of his pro- 
 fession in Falls Village, Dr. Sanford is a 
 
r86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 member of the State and County Medical So- 
 cieties and of the Alumni Association of the 
 Long Island Hospital. 
 
 "I'^iypjARK S. NICKERSON, a promi- 
 p= I =/ nent farmer of New Hartford, a 
 ^4 ajjs ^^^^ member of the Board of Selectmen 
 and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in 
 Cornwall, Litchfield County, May i6, 1843, 
 son of Smith and Mary A. (Davidson^ Nicker- 
 son. Mr. Nickerson's father was born in 
 Sharon, Conn., in 1804; and his grandfather 
 was an early settler in that town. Smith 
 Nickerson was a farmer, and he followed that 
 occupation through life. In 1842 he settled 
 in Cornwall, where he was prominent among 
 the agricultural community for some years. 
 He finally purchased a farm in Torrington, 
 and on it passed the last years of his life. 
 He died there in 1852, aged forty-eight years. 
 His first wife, Mary A. Davidson, who was a 
 native of Cornwall, became the mother of 
 eight children, five of whom are living, 
 namely: Sarah, Uriah, Almira, Henry, and 
 Mark S. Sarah is the widow of the late 
 Sergeant. Hall; Almira is the widow of the 
 late Edwin Fitch; and Henry resides in Corn- 
 wall. Four of her sons served in the army 
 during the Civil War; and Edwin Nickerson, 
 of the Thirteenth Regiment, Connecticut 
 Volunteers, was killed at the battle of Irish 
 Bend. The mother died in Cornwall, aged 
 forty years. Mr. Nickerson's parents were 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Mark S. Nickerson was left an orphan at 
 the age of nine years. He resided with his 
 step-mother for a time, and later went to live 
 with an aunt, with whom he remained until 
 her death. He received a common-school 
 education, and worked upon a farm until he 
 reached the age of nineteen, when he en- 
 
 listed as a private in Company A, Tenth 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 
 He served three years in the Civil War, in- 
 cluding the most important period of the Re- 
 bellion; and he was with the Army of the 
 Potomac throughout the Peninsular campaign. 
 At the expiration of his first term of enlist- 
 ment he re-enlisted in the Thirteenth New 
 York Cavalry, with which he served until 
 mustered out at the close of the war. He 
 participated in sixteen decisive battles, being 
 a portion of the time attached to the Color 
 Guard; and, although death often stared him 
 in the face, and many of his comrades fell 
 around him never to rise again, he escaped 
 without an injury. He was promoted to the 
 rank of Corporal in each regiment to which 
 he belonged, and he received each of his dis- 
 charges as such. After his final discharge 
 he returned to Cornwall, and worked as a 
 farmer for a time. He then went to his 
 sister in Chicago, and attended a commercial 
 college. Once more he returned to Cornwall, 
 and for six years was engaged in teaching 
 school in West Cornwall and Canaan, while 
 residing in Cornwall village. In 1892 he 
 settled upon his present farm in Nepaug. 
 The property, which contains a fine brick res- 
 idence, is pleasantly located, and comprises 
 sixty-five acres of fertile land. Mr. Nicker- 
 son devotes his time and energies to general 
 farming, with the most satisfactory results, 
 paying particular attention to the raising of 
 poultry. In politics he is a Democrat; and, 
 although his well-known intelligence and 
 energy make him especially eligible to pub- 
 lic office, he has declined nominations on va- 
 rious occasions. He was for several years a 
 member and Secretary of the School Board in 
 Cornwall, and has acted as a Justice of the 
 Peace for many years. He had been a resi- 
 dent of New Hartford but one year when he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 187 
 
 was elected to the Board of Selectmen, in 
 which position he has since served with 
 ability. 
 
 On April 26, 1875, Mr. Nickerson was 
 married to Hannah A. Higgins, daughter of 
 Upton Higgins, of Wolcott, New Haven 
 County, and has one. daughter, May A. Mr. 
 Nickerson has for several years been con- 
 nected with church work. He was united 
 with the Congregational church in Cornwall, 
 and was superintendent of the Sunday-school 
 there for some time. Since coming to New 
 Hartford he has joined the Congregational 
 church in Nepaug, and is superintendent of 
 its Sunday-school. Mrs. Nickerson is a 
 member of the same church, and both are in 
 the Young People's Society for Christian 
 Endeavor. 
 
 Many amiable qualities endear Mr. and 
 Mrs. Nickerson to their numerous friends. 
 They are interesting and hospitable, and so- 
 cially are very popular. 
 
 /^STeORGE H. CLARK, an enterpris- 
 \ i) I ing merchant of Salisbury, was born 
 in that town, April 2, 1851, and is a 
 son of George B. and Betsey A. (Hamlin) 
 Clark. His paternal grandfather was Nehe- 
 miah Clark, who came to Salisbury from East- 
 ern Connecticut, and followed the combined 
 occupations of miller and farmer in this 
 town. He was the father of six children: 
 Delia, Nathaniel, George B., Harry, Mary, 
 and Sarah. 
 
 George B. Clark, who was born in Salis- 
 bury, adopted agriculture as his life occupa- 
 tion, and became a prosperous farmer. He 
 died at the age of seventy-eight years. His 
 wife, Betsey A. Hamlin, was a daughter of 
 Benjamin Hamlin, of Sharon, Conn. She 
 was the mother of two children: George H., 
 
 whose name appears at the head of this 
 sketch ; and Ambrose R. She died in the 
 full bloom of womanhood, aged twenty-nine 
 years. 
 
 George H. Clark was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and resided at 
 home until reaching the age of twenty-one. 
 He then engaged in mercantile business in 
 Salisbury in company with his brother, Am- 
 brose R. At the end of one year he pur- 
 chased his brother's interest in the store, and 
 has since conducted it alone. Having gradu- 
 ally secured a large and profitable trade in 
 the grocery line, in 1890 he added a dry- 
 goods department, in which he has been 
 equally successful. He takes an interest in 
 and has been closely identified with public 
 affairs for many years. He has served as 
 Town Clerk and Treasurer, and represented 
 his town in the legislature during the years 
 1879, 1891, and 1893. Mr. Clark married 
 Mary E. Ball, a daughter of R. H. Ball, a 
 well-known citizen of Salisbury. 
 
 /^^TeORGE R. woodward, a thrifty 
 V i) I farmer and substantial citizen of 
 Sharon, was born within the con- 
 fines of that town, July 9, 181 3, and is 
 therefore one of the oldest and best-known 
 residents of that community. He is a son of 
 Abel, Jr., and Susan (Woodruff) Woodward. 
 
 Abel Woodward, Sr., grandfather of 
 George R., was a native of Lebanon, Conn. 
 The major part of his life was, however, spent 
 in Watertown, Conn., where he followed the 
 occupation of farmer. He died December 
 31, 1820, eighty-five years of age. He mar- 
 ried Miss Lucy Atwood, of Woodbury, Conn. 
 The ages of both were about the same; but 
 Mrs. Woodward outlived her husband until 
 January 16, 1823, when she died, in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 eighty-eighth year of her age. They were the 
 parents of nine children; namely, Reuben S., 
 Eunice, Abel, James, David, Lucy, John, Je- 
 rusha, and Russell. Abel Woodward, Jr., 
 was born in Watertown, Mass., October 13, 
 1770. In the early part of his life he was en- 
 gaged in mercantile business; but in 1797 he 
 settled on a farm in Sharon, and spent the 
 later years of his life in the occupation of an 
 agriculturist. His wife was a daughter of 
 David and Esther Woodruff, of Oxford, Conn. 
 He died in 1849, seventy-nine years of age; 
 and her death occurred three years later, when 
 she was seventy-seven years old. They reared 
 a family of eight children, of whom George 
 R. is the sole survivor. The rest were: 
 Laura, Nancy, David, Susan, Ruth E., Abel 
 C, Louise L. 
 
 George R. Woodward, the youngest child, 
 received his education in the district schools 
 of Sharon and from the instruction of private 
 teachers. At first he -taught school, begin- 
 •ning at nine dollars per month; but, after 
 following that occupation for four seasons, he 
 purchased in 1844 the farm on which he now 
 resides, having lived there since 1845. It is 
 located a mile and a half south of Sharon vil- 
 lage; and, increased by a later purchase of 
 fifty acres, it now contains two hundred and 
 ten acres. 
 
 In 1839 he was joined in marriage with 
 Miss Sarah Boland, a daughter of Reuben and 
 Abigail Boland, of Sharon. Four daugh- 
 ters were the fruit of their union, as follows: 
 Susan W., who married Nathan H. Jewett, 
 and at her death left five children — Carrie, 
 Sarah, Fannie, Abbie, and Mary; Abbie F., 
 wife of Samuel A. Skiff, who was the mother 
 of eight children, all now deceased —namely, 
 George, Sarah, Abbie, Lillie, Gertrude, 
 Susan, Florence, and Warren; Emma M., 
 wife of Luther Brown; and Harriet V., who 
 
 died aged seventeen mqnths. The Repub- 
 lican party has always counted Mr. Woodward 
 among its most faithful adherents. During 
 several terms he has served his town very ac- 
 ceptably as Selectman. His wife is an hon- 
 ored member of the Congregational church of 
 Sharon. 
 
 pjUELL HEMINWAY, a silk manu- 
 ^^ facturer of Watertown, Conn., son 
 of General Merrit and Mary A. 
 (Buell) Heminway, was born in this town, 
 April 20, 1838. He acquired a good education 
 in the common schools and Watertown Acad- 
 emy, and at an early age went to work in his 
 father's silk manufactory. Having become thor- 
 oughly familiar with all branches of the busi- 
 ness, he finally entered into partnership with 
 his father, the business then being transacted 
 under the firm name of M. Heminway & Sons. 
 When General Heminway died, Mr. Buell 
 Heminway, together with his son Havens and 
 Mr. Bartlett, the superintendent under the old 
 firm, organized a stock company to carry on 
 the business, which continues to be one of the 
 largest industries in the county. Mr. Hemin- 
 way is a Director of the Dime Savings Bank in 
 Waterbury, a member of the building commit- 
 tee of the new town hall, chairman of the 
 executive committee of the library, and Treas- 
 urer of the Centre School District. When 
 the new library building was erected, he was a 
 member of the committee in charge of it, and 
 took an active interest in the completion of 
 the edifice, which is one of the handsomest 
 public buildings in the State. He has inher- 
 ited many of his father's characteristics, is 
 courteous, kindly, and public-spirited, ready to 
 aid in all projects for the improvement of his 
 native town and the good of the people in gen- 
 eral, and responding readily to all demands 
 upon his time and attention or his purse. 
 
/i^-.,-^.-^^ Ji^ 
 
 ^KJ-^w-T^--^^/ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In January, 1866, Mr. Heminway married 
 Julia, only daughter of George F. Havens, a 
 lawyer of New York City. Three children 
 have blessed their union, namely : Buell 
 Havens, who is in business with his father; 
 and Mary J. and Helen L. , who are living 
 with their parents. The son is married and 
 has two children. 
 
 In politics Mr. Heminway is a Democrat. 
 He is a Vestryman of the Episcopal church, of 
 which all his family are members. His wife 
 and daughters are active in religious work, 
 teaching in the Sunday-school and zealously 
 forwarding the interests of the parish. The 
 name of Heminway is identified with all char- 
 itable enterprises; and the family is univer- 
 sally esteemed, beloved by the poor, and re- 
 spected by people of their own station in life. 
 An excellent portrait of Mr. Heminway, a 
 fine steel engraving, will be seen on a neigh- 
 boring page of this volume. 
 
 SVANOE LYMAN, a leading citizen of 
 Falls Village, Salisbury, was born in 
 Bridgeport, Conn., May 13, 1856, son 
 of Samuel and Sarah (Squires) Lyman. Sam- 
 uel Lyman, who was born in Washington, 
 Mass., was a locomotive engineer on the 
 Housatonic Railroad. He died while a com- 
 paratively young man, passing away at the 
 age of thirty-eight. His wife was a daugh- 
 ter of Sullivan Squires. Her life, too, was 
 shorter than the average, embracing but fifty 
 years. They reared three children: Ivanoe, 
 Minott, and Florence. The latter died some 
 time since. 
 
 Ivanoe Lyman received a fair education in 
 the -public schools. Leaving his books at the 
 age of sixteen, he went to work in the car shops 
 of Falls Village. There he remained several 
 years, becoming thoroughly acquainted with 
 
 the work of locomotive building. He subse- 
 quently spent three and a half years in Bridge- 
 port. Eventually, he returned to the Falls 
 Village shops, and since 1893 he has been 
 general manager of the motive power estab- 
 lishment. Mr. Lyman has natural mechani- 
 cal ability. This, supplemented by business 
 tact and good judgment, has made him a very 
 efficient manager, the duties of which office 
 he performs in a manner satisfactory to all 
 concerned. In politics he is a Republican. 
 He is advanced in Masonry, belonging to 
 Montgomery Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M., 
 Lakeville Chapter, No. 43, and the Royal 
 Arch. 
 
 LONZO B. GARFIELD, a general 
 merchant of East Canaan, was born 
 in Summerville, Pa., December 12, 
 1837, son of Abner P. and Emily (Bullard) 
 Garfield. Mr. Garfield's grandfather, Elisha 
 Garfield, was a native of Massachusetts. He 
 was prominent in his locality, and served his 
 town faithfully in public office. He was 
 Town Clerk for thirty years, and represented 
 his district in the Massachusetts legislature 
 for several terms. His children were: 
 Abiram, Polly, Abner P., and Elisha. 
 
 Abner P. Garfield, father of Alonzo B., was 
 born in Tyringham, Mass. He was trained 
 to agriculture, and followed farming with 
 prosperous results until his death, which oc- 
 curred at the age of sixty-three years. His 
 wife, Emily Bullard, was a daughter of Ben- 
 jamin Bullard, of Tyringham. She became 
 the mother of five children ; namely, Levi, 
 Maria A., Elisha, Alonzo B., and Daniel. 
 She died at the age of eighty-one years. 
 
 Alonzo B. Garfield commenced his educa- 
 tion in the district schools, and after a course 
 at the Charlotteville Seminary completed his 
 studies at the Claverack Academy in New 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 York. He taught school for seven winters, 
 his summers being devoted to farming. Sub- 
 sequently he entered mercantile business as a 
 clerk in Monterey, Mass., where he remained 
 for ten years. He then removed from Mon- 
 terey to East Canaan, where he purchased a 
 general store, and now enjoys a flourishing 
 business. For the first four years he was as- 
 sociated with a partner; but at the expiration 
 of that time he bought his partner's interest, 
 and has since continued in business alone. 
 He carries a large and varied stock of general 
 merchandise, and enjoys the esteem and con- 
 fidence of his patrons. Mr. Garfield acted as 
 Town Clerk in Monterey for some years, and 
 for four years has been a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen of Canaan. 
 
 In 1 870 Mr. Garfield was united in mar- 
 riage with Mrs. Ella Webster Jewell, widow 
 of John Jewell and daughter of Eugene Web- 
 ster, of Canaan. They have three children; 
 namely, Hattie E., James A., and Irene E. 
 
 I D WARD H. WELCH, M.D., one of 
 the leading physicians and surgeons of 
 Winsted, was born March 15, 1852, 
 in the house, 386 Main Street, which is now 
 his residence. He comes of a family of 
 doctors, both sides being represented in medi- 
 cine. His grandfather, Dr. Benjamin Welch, 
 who was born in 1772, married Louisa, daugh- 
 ter of Dr. Ephraim Guiteau; and they reared 
 a family of five sons and three daughters. All 
 the sons became physicians, and located as 
 follows: Benjamin, Jr., at Lakeville; Asa 
 in Lee, Mass. ; James, father of the subject of 
 this sketch, in Winsted; William W. at Nor- 
 folk; John, successively in Litchfield, Nor- 
 folk, and Hartford. Dr. Benjamin Welch 
 was an eminent surgeon and the manufacturer 
 of the Welch splints. Dr. Asa Welch was 
 
 State Senator. Dr. William Welch was ac- 
 tive in politics, represented Norfolk in the 
 State legislature and the district in Congress. 
 He died in Norfolk in July, 1892. 
 
 Dr. James Welch, born in Norfolk, Conn., 
 January 12, 1807, was in active practice for 
 fifty-three years in Winsted, where he estab- 
 lished his home, building the house in which 
 his son. Dr. Edward H. Welch, now resides. 
 He lived to be nearly eighty years old, dying 
 in November, 1886. He was married in 1836 
 to Miss Lavinia Hubbard, who, born in Salis- 
 bury, Conn., in July, 1806, died in January, 
 1882, at the age of seventy-six years. They 
 reared a family of six children. 
 
 Dr. Edward H. Welch was a student at 
 Winchester Institute, and studied medicine 
 with his father, taking charge of his first case 
 of obstetrics in March, 1870, before he was 
 eighteen years old. He was out of college 
 for two years on account of his father's ill 
 health; but he graduated from Yale in 1876, 
 taking his degree of M.D. in the same year. 
 For upward of twenty years Dr. Welch has 
 been kept busy by the cares incident to the 
 life of a physician, answering cheerfully the 
 call for help from suffering humanity, whether 
 it came in the day or the night. He has, 
 however, found time to attend to social 
 matters also, and to take an interest in poli- 
 tics. He is a stalwart Republican, but as yet 
 has held no office. He is Post Surgeon of 
 Litchfield County, is President of the Yale 
 Alumni Association, belongs to the Winsted 
 Lodge of Red Men, and is a member of the 
 A. F. & A., M. 
 
 Dr. Welch was married in September, 
 1876, to Nellie, daughter of Nathan and 
 Jennie (Wing) Munger, of New York City. 
 Miss Munger came to Winsted with her 
 grandfather, John Wing, and was here edu- 
 cated at Miss Phillips's School for young 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 193 
 
 ladies. Dr. and Mrs. Welch have lost an in- 
 fant son, and have one daughter, Louise, a 
 bright little miss of fourteen, who attends 
 school at Winsted. 
 
 tUGUSTUS MESSENGER PER- 
 KINS, a respected and prominent 
 ^_^, agriculturist, was born in Becket, 
 Berkshire County, Mass., May 9, 1817, on 
 the homestead of his father, Origen Augustus 
 Perkins. Origen Augustus was born in the 
 same house, March 31, 1785, a son of Ephraim 
 Perkins, who was a native of Hanover Parish, 
 Lisbon, Conn., born July 8, 1745. The 
 Perkins family originated in England. Its 
 first progenitor in this country was one John 
 Perkins, born in Newent, Gloucestershire, 
 England, in 1590, who on December i, 1630, 
 sailed for America, and landed at Nantasket, 
 Mass., in the following February. The line 
 of descent is continued through his son Jacob, 
 the next in line being Joseph, then Matthew, 
 whose son Ephraim was the paternal grand- 
 father of the subject of this article. (A more 
 detailed account of the family will be found 
 in a work compiled by George A. Perkins, of 
 Salem, Mass., published in 1889.) 
 
 In 1736 the legislature of Massachusetts 
 sold to Matthew Perkins, of Lisbon, Conn., 
 and thirty-four others a large tract of land, 
 embracing several towns in the southern part 
 of Berkshire County. Subsequently Matthew 
 Perkins gave to his son, Ephraim Perkins, 
 fourteen hundred acres of this land, located in 
 the town of Becket. When twenty-three years 
 of age, Ephraim visited that place, and 
 erected a commodious frame house, which is 
 to-day one of the finest in that vicinity, 
 having withstood the ravages of time and 
 weather for more than one hundred and 
 twenty-five years. He went back to Connecti- 
 
 cut after doing this, married Mary Chaplin in 
 November, 1771, and the following day, ac- 
 companied by his fair bride, started on horse- 
 back for their future home in Becket. Here 
 they resided until called to join the silent 
 majority; and their pleasant homestead, now 
 known by the name "Bonny Rigg," is in the 
 possession of their grandsons, William and 
 Alfred Birney, of Springfield, Mass. 
 
 Origen Augustus Perkins completed a 
 course of study at Lenox Academy after he 
 left the district school. He inherited a por- 
 tion of the home farm, and bought the interest 
 of his brothers and sisters in the remainder. 
 He lived on the homestead throughout his 
 entire life, and died there in 1854. His 
 wife, in maidenhood Sarah Messenger, like- 
 wise spent her entire life in the town of 
 Becket, living to the advanced age of seventy- 
 seven years. She was the grand-daughter of 
 Benoni Messenger, who married Lucy Wood, 
 and afterward became one of the first settlers 
 in Becket, where he kept a public house for 
 many years. Her father, Hiram Messenger, 
 in addition to carrying on general agriculture 
 on his fine farm, about four miles north of 
 Becket Centre, was also proprietor of a hotel, 
 and operated a saw and grist mill. He mar- 
 ried Lydia Shapleigh; and in 1815 they re- 
 moved to Western New York, going thence, 
 some three years later, to Amherst, Lorain 
 County, Ohio, to spend their remaining days. 
 Origen A. Perkins and his wife reared three 
 children; namely, Augustus M., Charles O., 
 and Sarah L. Charles O., who lived on the 
 old home farm until 1874, went to Kansas for 
 a few years, returned to Becket for a while, 
 and was at Thomasville, Ga., whither he had 
 gone to escape the chilly winds of our North- 
 ern winters, when he died. Sarah L. was the 
 first wife of the late William Birney, of 
 Springfield, Mass. . 
 
194 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Augustus M. Perkins received an academi- 
 cal education at Lenox and Westfield. He 
 selected agriculture as his occupation, and 
 bought a farm adjoining the old homestead. 
 In addition to cultivating the land he engaged 
 in the lumber business on a rather extensive 
 scale. For this business he bought large 
 tracts of timber lands, of which on June i, 
 1863, he had as much as thirty-six hundred 
 acres, one hundred and thirty acres being in 
 Connecticut and the remainder in Berkshire 
 County, Massachusetts. At one period he had 
 three steam saw-mills in operation at the same 
 time. In February, 1865, he settled on the 
 estate he now occupies, situated about a mile 
 from the village of Winsted. Soon after 
 coming here he bought a large tract of forest 
 land in Barkhamsted ; and, taking advantage 
 of the fine water-power thereon, he erected a 
 large saw-mill, and manufactured lumber. 
 He subsequently purchased the Greenwood 
 Trotting Park, located in the heart of Win- 
 sted; and, platting about three-fourths of it, 
 he sold it by lots at a good profit. He has 
 always been noted for his enterprise and su- 
 perior business qualifications. He is also 
 generously endowed with public spirit, being 
 willing to aid every project conducive to the 
 advancement and welfare of the community. 
 He is a strong member of the Republican 
 party, having joined its ranks at its start. 
 He was Postmaster in Becket, and here he 
 has been Assessor and Magistrate. 
 
 Mr. Perkins wedded, November 8, 1838, 
 Ruth S. Snow, who was born in Becket, No- 
 vember 30, 1 814, being a daughter of Timothy 
 and Ruth (Wadsworth) Snow. The union of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Perkins has been blessed by the 
 birth of eight children; namely, Ephraim A., 
 Roger M., Timothy W., Benjamin C, Susan 
 S., Sarah L., Bishop, and Mary. Mr. Per- 
 kins is an extensive reader of the best litera- 
 
 ture of the period, and is well informed on 
 all the current topics. He has one of the 
 best-stocked libraries in the town, among his 
 books being many valuable works, some of 
 which are now out of print. In his house are 
 many articles valuable for their antiquity and 
 their associations. One is a watch made to 
 order in England for his great-grandfather. 
 Another is a chair formerly owned by his 
 paternal grandmother, Mary Chaplin. The 
 chair is of cherry wood; and the seat, which 
 was upholstered by her, bears her name and the 
 date, 1770, in embroidery. Mr. Perkins often 
 gives expression to his thoughts in verse, and 
 has won considerable reputation as a poet. 
 
 ^OHN ANDRUS, a brass caster in the 
 employment of the Coe Brass Company 
 at Torrington, was born in Solon, 
 N.Y.; January 29, 1826. On the paternal 
 side he comes of Connecticut stock, his grand- 
 father, Simeon, having been a lifelong resi- 
 dent of this State. Simeon Andrus was a 
 farmer by occupation, and spent his declin- 
 ing years in Naugatuck, where Isaac Andrus, 
 father of John Andrus, the subject of this 
 sketch, was born. 
 
 Isaac Andrus remained at home, assisting 
 in clearing and otherwise improving a home- 
 stead, until he attained his majority, when he 
 began working by the month. Being prudent 
 and industrious, he saved some money, and 
 with a brother went to Cortland County, New 
 York, where they purchased land, and culti- 
 vated it in partnership for eight years. At 
 the expiration of that time they divided the 
 property; and Isaac alone bought another 
 farm, and carried on mixed husbandry there 
 for several years. In 1850 he came to Tor- 
 rington, and lived with his son John until his 
 demise. He married Sarah Holmes, a native 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 19s 
 
 of Colerain, Mass. ; but she was reared in 
 Cortland County. New York, of which her 
 parents were pioneers. She bore her husband 
 six children, three of whom are yet living, 
 namely: John; Leora, the wife of Sheldon 
 F. Potter, of Thomaston; and Erskine, a 
 brass caster, with the Bridgeport Brass and is 
 Copper Company. The mother also spent 
 her last years at the home of her son John, 
 dying at an advanced age. 
 
 John Andrus received his education in the 
 district schools of his native town. At the 
 early age of twelve years he began to be self- 
 supporting, working as a farm laborer from 
 that time until eighteen years old. He then 
 came to Connecticut to take care of his aged 
 grandmother and an aunt, who were living at 
 Naugatuck. He was also engaged there in 
 teaming from 1844 until 1850. Thence he 
 went to Waterbury, and began working at his 
 present trade with Mr. E. L. Frisbee, a prom- 
 inent citizen of that town. He was subse- 
 quently employed as a caster for four years 
 with the Brown & Elton Company and for 
 three years with the firm of Holmes, Booth & 
 Hayden. After this he worked in Plymouth, 
 now called Thomaston, until 1861, and then 
 in the navy yard at Brooklyn, N.Y., for six 
 months. Returning then to this county, Mr. 
 Andrus was a resident of Waterbury until 
 1865, when, early in the month of October, 
 he came to Torrington, and secured work with 
 the Coe Brass Company. This firm, which at 
 that time gave employment to fifty men, now 
 keeps a force of one thousand men busily at 
 work. He has seen the village grow with the 
 business of the company from a hamlet of fif- 
 teen hundred souls to a thriving town of 
 seven thousand inhabitants. Mr. Andrus has 
 been twice married, both wives having been 
 daughters of Hezekiah Buckingham, a black- 
 smith, of Middlebury. His first wife, Eliza 
 
 A., died after ten years of married life, leav- 
 ing five children, four of whom are still 
 living, as follows: Sarah, the wife of Horace 
 Burr and mother of Noah, Horace J., Edith, 
 Alice, Elbert, and Orville Burr; Rollo L. who 
 married Mary F. Treat, of Middlebury, and is 
 father of Mamie, Charlie B., Howard, Jennie, 
 and Emma Andrus; Julia, the wife of Frank 
 A. Cook and mother of Lulu, Tessie, and 
 Ruth Cook; and Ina, wife of William 
 Westerman, the Captain of the Uniform 
 Rank, Knights of Pythias, and mother of 
 Laura, Willie, Grace, George, and Ina E. 
 Westerman. Of the union of Mr. Andrus 
 with Mary E. Buckingham two children were 
 born, one of whom died at the age of nine- 
 teen years. The other, Emma L., married 
 Howard C. Doolittle; and they make their 
 home with Mr. and Mrs. Andrus. Most of 
 the children were educated at the district and 
 high schools. Mrs. Doolittle was a success- 
 ful teacher prior to her marriage. In politics 
 Mr. Andrus was formerly a Republican; but 
 he is now identified with the Prohibitionists, 
 and was for several years a member of the 
 Sons of Temperance. Religiously, both he 
 and his wife are faithful members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. He united 
 with that organization twenty-eight years ago, 
 although he was reared in the Baptist faith, 
 his parents having been connected with that 
 denomination. He has served as Steward and 
 class leader for many years and taken a prom- 
 inent part in the Sunday-school, and has been 
 a diligent worker in all religious work. 
 
 (gYrMOS C. BENTON, a prosperous 
 
 fcjA farmer of Litchfield, was born in the 
 
 /'^LV house he now owns and occupies, 
 
 January 25, 1834, son of George and Harriet 
 
 B. (Farnam) Benton. Mr. Benton is a de- 
 
i9t 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 scendant of Ebenezer Benton, an early settler 
 in Litchfield, who resided, and subsequently 
 died, upon a farm in that part of the town 
 known as South Farms. Mr. Benton's great- 
 grandfather, Ebenezer, second, and his grand- 
 father, Amos Benton, were born upon that 
 farm, and there passed their lives, both hav- 
 ing ■ been prosperous farmers. Grandfather 
 Amos Benton married Rachel Catlin, daugh- 
 ter of Dr. Samuel Catlin, of Litchfield; and 
 she became the mother of four children. 
 Amos Benton died at the age of eighty-eight, 
 and his wife died aged sixty-five years. 
 
 George Benton, Mr. Benton's father, was 
 reared to agriculture; and at the age of 
 twenty-four years he came into possession of 
 the farm upon which his son, Amos C. Ben- 
 ton, now resides. He completed the present 
 house, and followed farming successfully 
 until his death, which occurred at the age of 
 forty-nine. His wife, Harriet B. Farnam, 
 was a daughter of Seth Farnam, Jr., who was 
 born in 1777. He was an early settler in the 
 town of Morris and a representative of a prom- 
 inent family of that section. Mr. and Mrs. 
 George Benton were the parents of four chil- 
 dren, three of whom are still living, namely: 
 Amos C, the subject of this sketch; Jane 
 A.; and Phebe F. The mother died at the 
 age of seventy-eight years. 
 
 Amos C. Benton at an early age began to 
 assist his father in attending to the farm 
 duties. After his father's death he succeeded 
 to the ownership of the property. In 1887 
 there was uncovered in a sand-pit on the place 
 an Indian burial-ground and many relics of 
 the aborigines, such as arrow-heads, pipe 
 bowl charms, spear heads, and tomahawks. 
 Mr. Benton has continued to conduct general 
 farming, with satisfactory results. He is a 
 Republican in politics. Mr. Benton is un- 
 married, and his two sisters reside with him. 
 
 They are members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 ETER CORBIN, the venerable 
 gentleman whose portrait is here 
 shown, is without doubt at the pres- 
 ent time, November 14, 1895, the oldest 
 native-born citizen of Colebrook, his birth 
 having occurred January 27, 1808, on the 
 homestead where he now resides. Already 
 has he passed the eighty-seventh milestone of 
 his life; but his mind is yet rich in reminis- 
 cences of his youth, he remembering well 
 the olden times in the century, when rail- ■ 
 roads were unthought of, and when the city of 
 Hartford, some twenty-five miles away, was 
 the most convenient market for the surplus 
 productions of the farmers and the principal 
 depot of supplies. His Christian name, 
 Peter, was borne by his father and his grand- 
 father, the latter of whom was born in Wood- 
 stock, presumably of early French ancestry. 
 Grandfather Corbin spent a few years of his 
 manhood in the town of Danbury, removing 
 from there to this county and becoming one of 
 the pioneers of Winchester. He bought six 
 hundred acres of woodland, and cleared and 
 improved a farm, on which he and his wife 
 passed the remainder of their lives. 
 
 Peter Corbin, second, was born during the 
 residence of his parents in Danbury, and was 
 there reared to a vigorous manhood. When 
 the Colonial struggle for independence took 
 definite shape, he was one of the brave 
 patriots who laid down the axe and the plough 
 to take up the musket and the powder-horn, 
 enlisting twice during the Revolution and 
 seeing much actual service. In 1796 he came 
 to Colebrook, and bought a tract of timbered 
 land, which is included in the farm where the 
 subject of this sketch now resides. A plank 
 house, a frame barn, and a few acres of 
 
PETER CORBIN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 199 
 
 cleared land constituted the only improve- 
 ments of the place. He cleared more land, 
 and before many years erected the house in 
 which his son Peter still lives. It is well 
 built, and having always been kept in excel- 
 lent repair has withstood the ravages of time 
 and weather. Here he carried on his chosen 
 occupation until his death in 1830, at the age 
 of sixty-eight years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Violett Nearing, was an admirable 
 helpmeet and companion, looking well after 
 the ways of her household, and carding, spin- 
 ning, and weaving the home-made garments 
 in which the family were clothed. She bore 
 him five children; namely, Joseph, Uriel, 
 John Starr, Amos, and Peter, the latter being 
 the only one now living. 
 
 Peter Corbin, third of that name, has 
 watched the transformation of this section of 
 his native county from a dense forest, with 
 here and there a small hamlet or a solitary 
 farm-house, to a rich and populous agricult- 
 ural and manufacturing region, and takes sat- 
 isfaction in knowing that he has performed 
 his part in assisting in its development. He 
 has long been known as one of the prosperous 
 agriculturists of Colebrook, having diligently 
 and successfully cultivated the parental acres, 
 a part of which he inherited at the death of 
 his father and mother, the remainder coming 
 into his possession by purchase. 
 
 He is now passing the golden sunset of his 
 days in retirement from the active cares of 
 business, enjoying the fruit of his early years 
 of industry and thrift. With his kindly face 
 and venerable form, he is a well-known pres- 
 ence in the community where his years have 
 been spent, and is held in high respect by 
 young and old. Mr. Corbin has been for 
 several years a widower, his wife, Caroline 
 Whiting, whom he married in 1834, having 
 passed away at the age of sixty-seven years. 
 
 She was a daughter of Seth and Tryphena 
 
 Whitney. 
 
 ,*»»i » 
 
 (^s>TRI E. WHITING, of Torrington, pro- 
 ir\ prietor of the Grand View Farm, 
 Vi»>|i«"— — «^ was born in this town, August 20, 
 185 1, son of Frank L. and Julia (Bragg) 
 Whiting. Ancestors of Mr. Whiting were 
 among the earliest settlers of Torrington ; and 
 both his great-grandfather, William Whiting, 
 and his grandfather, Uri Whiting, son of 
 William, were farmers and lifelong residents 
 of the place. 
 
 Frank L. Whiting, Mr. Whiting's father, 
 resided with his parents until reaching his 
 majority, at which time he went into company 
 with his brother on their father' s farm ; but, 
 after conducting it for a time, he sold his in- 
 terest to his partner, and purchased another 
 farm near by. He later sold that property; 
 and, after living near the village for two 
 years, he bought a tract of land in Win- 
 chester, upon which he erected a house, and 
 resided there for thirty years, his little farm 
 being a favorite resort for summer boarders. 
 He passed his declining years at the present 
 home of his son, Uri E. Whiting, in Torring- 
 ton, where he died at the age of seventy-four 
 years. Mr. Frank L. Whiting was well 
 known as an intelligent and useful citizen 
 and an active member of the Congregational 
 church, with which he was for many years 
 officially connected. His wife, Julia Bragg, 
 was born in Barkhamsted, where her father, 
 James Bragg, was a hotel-keeper. James 
 Bragg later moved to Winchester, and there 
 passed the remainder of his life as a farmer. 
 He died at the age of eighty-six, and his wife 
 died at the age of seventy-four years. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Frank L. Whiting were the parents 
 of two children, namely: Uri E., the subject 
 of this sketch; and Mariette, who married 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Charles Barnes, of Goshen, Conn., and is no 
 longer living. The mother died in Torring- 
 ton, aged sixty-nine years, and was buried in 
 Winchester. 
 
 Uri E. Whiting began his studies in the 
 common schools, and completed his educa- 
 tional course at the Winchester Institute. 
 He resided with his parents until he was four- 
 teen years old, at which time he began life for 
 himself by working on a farm, continuing 
 thus occupied for three years, then being em- 
 ployed by W. S. Lewis for four years in a 
 store in Torrington. After that he bought a 
 small piece of property in Winchester, where 
 he resided for four years, during which time 
 he drove a stage; and from there he moved to 
 North Canaan, where for two years he was en- 
 gaged as a contractor upon the reservoir in 
 connection with farming. He then moved to 
 Cheshire, New Haven County; and, after fol- 
 lowing agriculture there with good results for 
 six years, failing health caused him to return 
 to Winchester, and for the next four years he 
 was engaged in selling hardware upon the 
 road. In 1889 he bought his present prop- 
 erty, which is known as Grand View Farm, 
 consisting of one hundred and twenty-five 
 acres of well-improved land; and he has since 
 conducted general farming and dairying with 
 satisfactory results. He keeps twenty-five 
 cows, and furnishes Conley's Inn in Torring- 
 ton with milk, cream, vegetables, and ice. 
 His farm is valuable on account of its fertil- 
 ity, its healthy location, and its elevation, 
 commanding a fine view of the surrounding 
 country. 
 
 In November, 1876, Mr. Whiting was 
 united in marriage with Mary Riggs, who was 
 born in Torrington, October 26, 1854. Her 
 father, Albert Riggs, is a railroad engineer, 
 who has been employed upon various railroads 
 in this country and Mexico. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Whiting have six children; namely, Blanche, 
 Frank, Julius, Irving, Lena, and Clifford. 
 Blanche was born in Canaan, Conn., May 9, 
 1878. Frank was born in Cheshire, July 
 3, 1 881; Julius, in Winchester, January 21, 
 1886; Irving, in Winchester, February 28, 
 1887; Lena, in Winchester, March 4, 1888; 
 and Clifford, in Torrington, July 26, 1890. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Whiting and their daughters 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and are actively interested in both 
 church and Sunday-school work. 
 
 Mr. Whiting is a member of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen, and was a dele- 
 gate to the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 
 Boston in 1895. He is connected with the 
 New England Order of Protection, and was 
 formerly a member of the Grange. He is a 
 Republican in politics. 
 
 rail ENRY M. WHITE, proprietor and 
 editor of the Daily and Weekly 
 Register of Torrington, was born in 
 Elba, N.Y., June 24, 1847. He is a son of 
 the late George H. and Eliza (Morgan) 
 White, and is of Colonial and Revolutionary 
 ancestry on both sides, being a direct de- 
 scendant of the Hooker Colony. One original 
 ancestor was a prominent settler of Spring- 
 field, Mass., the other of Hartford. 
 
 Mr. White's paternal grandfather, David 
 White, spent the greater part of his life as a 
 farmer in the vicinity of Springfield, but died 
 in 51ba, N.Y. George H. White owned a 
 farnij. in Longmeadow when a young man. 
 He was subsequently engaged in farming in 
 Elba, Genesee County, N.Y., as a mechanic 
 in Shelburne Falls, Mass., and Northampton, 
 and as a farmer in Springfield, the last years 
 of his life being spent in the latter place, 
 where he died at the age of seventy. His 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Morgan, 
 was a native of Wilbraham, a daughter of 
 Ebenezer Morgan, a farmer. She reared 
 three children: Robert A., Hattie E., and 
 Henry M. Mrs. George H. White died at 
 the age of seventy-two in Torrington. Both 
 parents attended the Baptist church. 
 
 Henry M. White lived with his parents 
 until twenty years of age. He graduated 
 from the high school and from the academy 
 at Shelburne Falls. Entering the cutlery 
 factory at Northampton, he rose from a sub- 
 ordinate position to that of superintendent of 
 three departments. He subsequently entered 
 the employ of C. W. Dunlap & Co., hardware 
 manufacturers in New York City, remaining 
 five years. Mr. White next engaged with the 
 Union Hardware Company, and came to Tor- 
 rington early in 1882. That same year he 
 purchased the paper which he now conducts, 
 which then had a circulation of five hundred 
 and twenty-five. Under his intelligent and 
 efficient management the circulation rapidly 
 increased, soon reaching nine hundred; and 
 in 1889 he added a daily, which in five years 
 attained a circulation of eleven hundred. It 
 is a lively and popular paper, and is univer- 
 sally regarded as a household necessity in 
 Torrington, the day not seeming complete 
 without a visit from the Register. In 1893 
 Mr. White enlarged his building, which is 
 forty-five by twenty-two feet in dimension, 
 andjs fully equipped with all the latest ma- 
 chinery, including a fine large Babcock press. 
 He will enlarge again in 1896. A great 
 amount of job work is done. Mr. White also 
 prints the Tabula, a neat little paper of six- 
 teen pages, published monthly by the high 
 school, and the Trinity Messenger, for Trin- 
 ity Parish. Mr. White was united in mar- 
 riage in 1879 to H. Minnie Cole, who was 
 born in Brooklyn, N.Y., a daughter of John 
 
 B. Cole, an employing carman of that city. 
 Mr. Cole was born in Mahopac, N.Y., and 
 was a well-known man in Brooklyn. Mrs. 
 White is one of four children, three of whom 
 are living. She is an educated lady, a gradu- 
 ate of the Brooklyn public schools and of 
 Packer Institute. 
 
 Mr. White votes the Republican ticket. 
 He was in the State legislature in 1891-92, 
 and is a Justice of the Peace. He and his 
 wife are members of the Congregational 
 church, Mr. White being Sunday-school 
 superintendent and his wife a prominent 
 teacher, active in all the societies connected 
 with the church work. Mr. White was super- 
 intendent of the Baptist Sunday-school in 
 Northampton five years. He is a leading 
 member of the Literary Club of Torrington. 
 
 / 2JeORGE CAMP, who conducts a well- 
 V i> I improved farm in the town of 
 Morris, Conn., was born in Kent, an 
 adjacent town in the same county of Litch- 
 field, January 7, 1824. His father. Miles 
 Camp, was a grandson of Jonah Camp, who 
 resided in Milford, New Haven County, 
 Conn., and was the first ancestor of the family 
 to settle in America. His son, Chauncey 
 Camp, Mr. Camp's grandfather, was born in 
 Milford, April 11, 1754; and, when a young 
 man, he settled in New Preston, Litchfield 
 County. He engaged in mercantile pursuits 
 and in the manufacture of nails, which he 
 followed with advantageous results. He 
 became a large land-owner, and aside from his 
 business enterprise he was a successful farmer 
 and merchant. He also ran a saw-mill, and 
 was the first Postmaster of New Preston. 
 He died at the age of ninety years. He 
 and his wife, Sally Baldwin, reared a family 
 of six children: Jeremiah; Miles; Sheldon; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Burr; Clarissa; and Comfort, who became 
 Mrs. Porter. The grandmother lived to 
 reach the advanced age of over ninety years. 
 
 Miles Camp was born in New Preston, Sep- 
 tember 12, 1790. He adopted agriculture as 
 an occupation, and resided in New Preston 
 until his marriage, when he moved to Kent 
 Hollow, where he settled upon a farm. He 
 was an energetic and successful farmer, mak- 
 ing various improvements upon his land and 
 buildings; and he lived on one farm for 
 seventy years, or until he was ninety-nine 
 years old, at which time he went to Ohio, 
 where he died in December, 1893, having 
 reached the unusually advanced age of one 
 hundred and three years. He possessed many 
 worthy traits of character, was an intelligent 
 and useful citizen, and was for many years a 
 prominent figure in local public affairs. 
 
 His wife, Cyrene Beeman, who was a 
 daughter of Daniel Beeman, of Warren, be- 
 came the mother of eight children, as follows: 
 William J., who died at the age of eight 
 years; Henry P., who married for his first 
 wife Maria Strong, for his second Melissa 
 Thomas, and for his third Mrs. Cornelia 
 Thomas, and had one daughter by his first 
 union, named Frances; Charles, who married 
 Ruth A. Strong, and has two children — 
 Fergus M. and Charles; George, the subject 
 of this sketch; Harriet, who is now Mrs. 
 Newton; Daniel B., who married for his first 
 wife Laura M. Hill and for his second Eliza- 
 beth Brooks; Augustus B., a resident of 
 Warren, who married for his first wife Mary 
 Peet and for his second Julia Strong, and has 
 one child named Mary by his first union; and 
 Augusta, who became Mrs. Kenney, and has 
 had five children, namely — Miles, Winona 
 (deceased), Abner, Wall Lee, and Burton. 
 The mother lived to reach the advanced age of 
 ninety-eight, and died in January, 1889. Mr. 
 
 Camp's parents attended the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 George Camp acquired his elementary edu- 
 cation in the district schools of his native 
 town ; and, after taking a high course of study 
 at the New Preston Academy, he taught 
 school with gratifying success for fourteen 
 seasons. He then settled on his present farm 
 in Morris, where he has now resided for many 
 years, having become one of the most promi- 
 nent and well-to-do farmers in the town. He 
 is an active member of Morris Grange, No. 
 119, and in his political principles he is a 
 strong Prohibitionist. 
 
 In 1850 Mr. Camp was married to Sarah W. 
 Warner, daughter of Niram and Sylvia (At- 
 wood) Warner, of Woodbury. They have two 
 children: Harriet A., who became Mrs. Her- 
 bert S. Babbitt, and had two children — Sadie 
 A. and Arthur J., the latter of whom died 
 aged twenty years; and Ida F., who is now 
 Mrs. Joel W. Skilton, and has one son, named 
 Merritt C. Mrs. Babbitt died at the age of 
 thirty-nine, and her husband died aged thirty- 
 one years. Mr and Mrs. Camp attend the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 LfRANK A. PICKETT, of Torrington, a 
 J_ Ij well-known ice dealer, is an excellent 
 representative of the industrial ele- 
 ment of this part of Litchfield County and 
 one of the substantial business men of the 
 town in which he resides. He is a Pennsyl- 
 vanian by birth and breeding, born June 17, 
 1867, but is of New England ancestry, his 
 paternal grandfather, Samuel Pickett, having 
 been born and reared on a Connecticut farm. 
 When a young man, Samuel Pickett removed 
 to Pennsylvania, where he purchased land, and 
 worked at farming until his death at an ad- 
 vanced age. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Anson Pickett, son of Samuel, was born in 
 the Keystone State, and received his educa- 
 tion in the district schools, in the mean time 
 assisting on the home farm. At the age of 
 nineteen years he went to work by the month, 
 finally locating in the town of Rush, Susque- 
 hanna County, Pa., where he purchased a 
 farm, continuing as a tiller of the soil during 
 his years of active life. He died when but 
 forty-five years old. The maiden name of his 
 wife, who is still a resident of Pennsylvania, 
 was Sarah Bennett. She is a native of Tus- 
 carora, Pa., being the daughter of Ferris Ben- 
 nett. Of the seven children born to her and 
 her husband five are now living, as follows: 
 George, who married Flora Baker; Minnie, 
 wife of David Heaney; Frank A., whose name 
 heads this brief record; Merton; and Will- 
 iam. The parents were highly regarded as 
 neighbors, friends, and citizens, and were 
 valued members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. In politics the father was identified 
 with the Republican party and a warm advo- 
 cate of its principles. 
 
 Frank A. Pickett was but eight years of 
 age when he had the misfortune to be left 
 without a father's care. He remained with 
 his mother through his early years, and ac- 
 quired a good common-school education. 
 When old enough to begin manual labor, he 
 secured a place on a neighboring farm, and 
 for three years worked by the month. Com- 
 ing then to Connecticut, Mr. Pickett went to 
 work for a firm of ice dealers at Waterbury, 
 and during the two years he remained in their 
 employ became familiar with the business. 
 The succeeding two years he was engaged in 
 handling the same cool commodity at Birm- 
 ingham, whence he came to Torrington. Pur- 
 chasing the business of E. A. Perkins, who 
 had been for some time dealing in ice in this 
 community, Mr. Pickett has since remained 
 
 here, and has built up a large and profitable 
 trade, running three delivery wagons at the 
 present time. He is an industrious, hard- 
 working man, fair and square in his dealings, 
 and has the respect and patronage of the best 
 people in the town, his prompt and strict 
 attention to his business and his courteous 
 manners making him a most agreeable and 
 popular tradesman. 
 
 In 1890 Mr. Pickett married Mrs. Lillie 
 C. Dayton Woodward, daughter of William 
 Dayton, of Woodbury. Mr. and Mrs. Pick- 
 ett are both active members of the Congre- 
 gational church, and are highly esteemed 
 throughout the community. In his political 
 views he is a true-blue Republican, sustain- 
 ing his party by vote and voice. 
 
 ^AMES T. MORGAN, general manager 
 of the Morgan Silver Plate Company 
 of Winsted, Conn., was born at Had- 
 dam Neck, Conn., July 24, 1839. He is a 
 son of Jarvis A. Morgan and a descendant of 
 Miles Morgan, one of the first settlers of 
 Springfield, Mass., whose bronze statue stands 
 in Court Square in that city to-day. 
 
 Jarvis A. Morgan was a native of Marlboro, 
 Conn., where he was born in 1809. He was 
 a blacksmith by trade, and was a man of more 
 than ordinary ability and intellect, being a 
 great reader and a deep thinker. Though his 
 school advantages were limited, he educated 
 himself to a remarkable extent, and was well 
 versed in law and the sciences; and, like Eli- 
 jah Kellogg, he often had a book for his com- 
 panion. He moved from Marlboro to Haddam 
 Neck in 1826, and there established his home, 
 living to be over eighty-one years old. His 
 wife, whom he married in 1828, Fannie A., 
 daughter of Solomon Arnold, lived but one 
 year after his decease. Their graves are in 
 
204 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the church-yard at Haddam Neck. Their 
 children, who were reared to habits of virtue 
 and industry, comprised seven sons and two 
 daughters, six of whom are living, namely: 
 Jarvis Alonzo, on the home farm; Almira, in 
 Meriden, Conn., widow of Samuel A. Camp; 
 Egbert, a farmer in Holyoke, Mass. ; James 
 T., the subject of this sketch; Hubert W., a 
 silver plate worker in Meriden, a man of re- 
 markable mechanical genius, which he is sup- 
 posed to have inherited from his mother's fam- 
 ily; Loren T., a farmer in Meriden ; Lucretia 
 P., formerly a teacher, now the wife of Henry 
 A. Chapman, of North Scituate, R.I.; John 
 B. , an academic student, a man of inventive 
 genius. 
 
 Newton Isaac Morgan, deceased, was a 
 blacksmith by trade and a volunteer in the 
 Twenty-fourth Connecticut Regiment, after a 
 few months' service being promoted from the 
 ranks to be Second Sergeant of his company. 
 He was wounded at Port Hudson by a spent 
 ball, and, from the combined effects of this 
 wound and a chronic disease contracted durine 
 his army life, died at the age of twenty-two, 
 at his father's home. 
 
 James T. attended the common schools until 
 sixteen years of age, in the mean time working 
 on a farm and in his father's shop. He then 
 entered the employ of L. Boardman & Son, of 
 East Haddam, Conn., manufacturers of Bri- 
 tannia spoons, German and nickel silver- 
 plated table ware, and, with the exception of 
 two terms at school, worked for fourteen years 
 for this firm, familiarizing himself with a 
 large part of the business, and in dull times 
 taking any kind of work that was offered him. 
 
 Slowly he worked his way up, advancing 
 step by step and taking charge of different 
 branches, until finally he was made superin- 
 tendent of the German silver factory, which 
 position he held for four years. A more favor- 
 
 able situation being offered him by the Strono- 
 Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of 
 undertaker's goods, of Winsted, Conn., in the 
 spring of 1870 Mr. Morgan came to Winsted 
 in the interest of that company, and in Janu- 
 ary, 1872, was made a director of the company 
 and superintendent of the hardware depart- 
 ment. This position he held until 1887, when 
 he disposed of his interest, and the same year 
 organized the Morgan Silver Plate Company 
 for manufacturing undertakers supplies. 
 This corporation is now a stock company with 
 a capital of twenty-five thousand dollars. It 
 is one of the most prosperous concerns of the 
 age and kind, and its success is largely due to 
 the ability and energy of Messrs. Morgan & 
 Granger, its directors. Of Colonel Granger a 
 sketch will be found on another page of this 
 volume. Mr. Morgan has been general man- 
 ager of the company since its organization. 
 
 Mr. Morgan was married on November 12, 
 1865, to Nellie V., only daughter of Samuel 
 and Cynthia E. (Chapman) Mitchell, of 
 Moodus, Conn. Mrs. Morgan received a lib- 
 eral education, making a study of music, for 
 which she had a natural taste. She was mar- 
 ried at twenty ; and two sons have blessed the 
 union, brilliant and high-principled young 
 men, of whom the parents are justly proud. 
 The elder, Arthur H., who has recently at- 
 tained his majority, is a travelling salesman 
 for the Morgan Silver Plate Company. He 
 studied first at the Winsted graded school, 
 and then for a term at a business college, and 
 later on at the military school at Bordentown, 
 N.J., afterward taking a special course in 
 music, vocal and instrumental. He has nat- 
 ural musical talent, and is a fine violinist. The 
 younger son, Elmer E., a promising youth of 
 sixteen, is an accomplished pianist, and is now 
 a pupil of the Gilbert High School. 
 
 Mr, Morgan is a Republican in politics, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 205 
 
 has always been interested in Lodge matters, 
 having belonged to the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows and the Encampment since his 
 twenty-first year, and has passed all the chairs 
 up to the Grand Lodge, which he has repre- 
 sented. With his wife and family he is an 
 attendant at the First Congregational Church. 
 On coming to Winsted Mr. Morgan sold his 
 estate in East Haddam and bought the pleasant 
 home at 17 Walnut Street, where the family 
 have resided for over twenty years. 
 
 KEANDER B. PALMER, a prosperous 
 farmer of Roxbury, Conn., son of 
 «^ Charles H. and Betsey B. (Blake- 
 man) Palmer, was born in this town December 
 17, 1857. Mr. Palmer's paternal grandpar- 
 ents, Seth and Hannah (Disco) Palmer, were 
 residents of Bedford, N.Y. ; and Charles H. 
 Palmer was born there on November 19, 18 14. 
 His parents died when he was very young; and 
 he came to Washington, Conn., where he 
 learned the hatter' s trade, an occupation which 
 he followed for twenty years. He then bought 
 a farm near Weller's Bridge, which he later 
 sold; and in 1875 he settled upon the farm 
 that is now owned by his son, Leander B. 
 This property, formerly known as the George 
 Hudson farm, consists of one hundred and 
 sixteen acres of well-improved land. Mr. 
 Charles H. Palmer successfully conducted gen- 
 eral farming until his death, which took place 
 on June 8, 1893. He was a Republican in 
 politics and a Congregationalist in religion. 
 His wife, Betsey B. Blakeman, who was born 
 December 25, 181 7, daughter of Isaac Blake- 
 man, became the mother of one son, namely : 
 Leander B., the subject of this sketch, with 
 whom she now makes her home. 
 
 Leander B. Palmer received his education in 
 the public schools, and at an early age began 
 
 to assist in the work of the farm. Since the 
 death of his father he has managed the prop- 
 erty with energy and good judgment, making 
 various improvements. His tillage land is in 
 a high state of cultivation, and Mr. Palmer 
 occupies to-day a position among the leading 
 farmers of the neighborhood. In April, 1895, 
 a large barn containing his cattle and horses 
 was struck by lightning, resulting in the total 
 destruction of the buildings and their contents, 
 a loss not easily repaired, but which was not 
 allowed to discourage this thrifty husbandman. 
 On April 30, 1889, Mr. Palmer was united 
 in marriage to Nettie Mallory, a daughter of 
 Daniel and Mary A. (Lane) Mallory, of Rox- 
 bury. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have two chil- 
 dren, as follows: Charles H., who was born 
 March i6, 1892; and Asa D., born October 
 31, 1894. Mr. Palmer is a Republican in 
 politics, and is a Free Mason. 
 
 '^ EORGE W. RICHMOND, formerly 
 i> I a successful contractor and builder 
 and at the present time Postmaster of 
 New Milford, was born in this town, October 
 I, 1844, son of George and Janet (Wat.son) 
 Richmond. Mr. Richmond's father was born 
 in New Milford in 1819, and received his edu- 
 cation in the common schools. When a young 
 man he entered mercantile pursuits on Bennett 
 Street in his native town. He continued 
 there for a time and then conducted a general 
 trade in Gaylordsville and Park Lane; but his 
 life, which promised a successful future, was 
 cut short by consumption, his death occurring 
 in 1847, at the early age of twenty-eight years. 
 He was an able and progressive young man, a 
 Democrat in politics, and a member of the 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 His wife, Janet Watson, was a daughter of 
 William and Lucy (Picket) Watson. She was 
 
206 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Scotch descent, her father, William Wat- 
 son, Sr. , having been born in Churnside, Ber- 
 wickshire, Scotland, January 6, 1773. He 
 emigrated to New York in 1795, and became 
 an early settler in New Milford, where he fol- 
 lowed his trade of stone mason until his death, 
 which was caused by an accident, when he was 
 fifty-eight years old. Mr. Watson's wife, 
 Lucy Picket, whom he married November 14, 
 1807, became the mother of nine children: 
 William, George, Sally, Wellington, Joseph, 
 John, Janet, Robert, and Wallace. Mr. and 
 Mrs. George Richmond were the parents of 
 two children : George W., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Isabella, who died at the age of 
 two years and six months. The mother died 
 in September, 1895, aged seventy-three. 
 
 George W. Richmond attended the public 
 schools of his native town, and later entered 
 St. Paul's Preparatory School at Brookfield, 
 Conn., where he was graduated in 1863. He 
 then went to England and remained abroad 
 several months. At the age of twenty-three 
 years he learned the carpenter's trade, which 
 he followed as a journeyman for some years, 
 and later became a contractor and builder. 
 He continued in that calling with good results 
 until November, 1893, when he received the 
 appointment of Postmaster of New Milford, a 
 position which he has since filled with ability. 
 He is a Democrat in politics, and has been a 
 member of the School Board for fourteen 
 years. He owns a pleasant residence, situated 
 in the outskirts of the village, which he 
 erected in 1878. 
 
 On July s, 1869, Mr. Richmond was united 
 in marriage with Ellen Hosey, of Waterbury, 
 Conn., daughter of Patrick and Bridget 
 (Lynch) Hosey. They have had six children, 
 as follows: Francis X., who was born July 18, 
 1870, and is now a law student; Joseph B., 
 born May 15, 1872, who was a printer, and 
 
 died in 1893; George P., born April 24, 
 1874, who is a printer by trade and is acting 
 as Assistant Postmaster; M. Bella, born May 
 25, 1880; Matthew W., born August 7, 1883; 
 and Fabian, born December 20, 1886. Mr. 
 Richmond is a prominent member of the 
 Roman Catholic church, and has been a trus- 
 tee for the parish at New Milford for a number 
 of years. 
 
 '- <^ •^fc 
 
 RS. JULIA E. HOLMAN 
 PHELPS resides in the town of 
 Colebrook, Conn., on one of the 
 old homesteads which has been in the posses- 
 sion of the Phelps family for more than a cen- 
 tury. The buildings are charmingly situated 
 on a rise of ground, commanding an extensive 
 view of the surrounding country, and are of the 
 good substantial sort that stand for comfort 
 and convenience, the entire farm being one of 
 the best in point of improvements of any in 
 the vicinity. Mrs. Phelps was born in Ben- 
 nington, Wyoming County, N.Y. Her father, 
 Benjamin Franklin Holman, a native of New 
 Hampshire, was a son of Jonathan Holman, 
 who migrated from New England to New York 
 State. He made the removal with teams, part 
 of the way following a path marked by blazed 
 trees. He settled in the town of Stafford, 
 Genesee County, where he improved a farm 
 from the wilderness, residing there until his 
 death. He and his wife, whose maiden name 
 was Sawyer, reared several children. 
 
 Benjamin F. Holman was a young lad when 
 his parents removed to New York. He lived 
 with them until his marriage with Mary Mar- 
 shall, a daughter of Dr. Silas Marshall, of 
 Stafford, when he removed to the town of Ben- 
 nington, then in Genesee County, but now 
 included within the limits of Wyoming 
 County. Buying a tract of land from which a 
 few acres had been cleared, and on which there 
 
HORACE M. PHELPS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 209 
 
 were a log house and a log barn, he lived there 
 about eighteen years, clearing more land and 
 replacing the log structures with substantial 
 frame buildiiigs. He then sold at an advantage 
 and removed to Conneaut, Crawford County, 
 Pa., where he bought a farm on which he car- 
 ried on mixed husbandry until after the death 
 of his wife, when he retired from active pur- 
 suits, spending the rest of his days with his 
 son-in-law at Summer Hill, dying at the age 
 of seventy-eight years. Eight children were 
 born to him and his wife, namely: Albert M., 
 who died in childhood ; Sarah A. ; Candace 
 J. ; Julia E. (Mrs. Phelps) ; Mary A. ; Sylvia 
 J. ; Cynthia M. ; and Chastina A. 
 
 Julia E. Holman resided with her parents 
 until her marriage at the age of eighteen 
 years'. Her husband, Horace Matthew Phelps, 
 was born in Colebrook, June 18, 1825. His 
 father, Ralzamon Phelps, was a son of John 
 and Betsey (Bingham) Phelps, the former 
 being a native of Enfield, Conn., and a pioneer 
 settler of Colebrook. Ralzamon Phelps was 
 reared as most farmers' sons, in the winter 
 attending school, and laboring in the summer 
 season on the farm, to the ownership of which 
 he finally succeeded. He married for his first 
 wife Mary Coy, a native of Norfolk ; but she 
 passed to the higher life at the early age of 
 twenty-two years, leaving her infant son, Hor- 
 ace Matthew. The father was a second time 
 married, but the only child of that union is 
 not living. On the death of his mother Hor- 
 ace was placed in the charge of his maternal 
 grandmother, who reared him to a useful 
 manhood, sending him to the district school 
 and afterward to the Norfolk Academy. On 
 completing his school life Mr. Phelps spent 
 a few months in Hartford, where he learned 
 the photographer's art, going from there to 
 Mexico, where he resided a year. Then, after 
 a visit in Ohio, he returned to Litchfield 
 
 County, and for two years had a studio in 
 Winsted. 
 
 Mr. Phelps then removed with his family 
 to Rock Creek, Ashtabula County, Ohio, and 
 was the leading artist of that place until 1878, 
 when, his father dying, he returned to the 
 old homestead, which became his by virtue 
 of inheritance. Here he devoted his time and 
 energies to agricultural pursuits, carrying on 
 the home farm with the same skill and success 
 that had characterized his ancestors, winning 
 an assured position among the respected and 
 valued members of the community. He passed 
 from earth February 12, 1893, leaving an hon- 
 orable record of a well-spent life. The only 
 child born of their pleasant union was Mary A., 
 who married Augustus Curtiss, of Norfolk, 
 and is the mother of two children, Horace 
 Phelps Curtiss and Samuel A. Curtiss. 
 
 This brief memoir of the late Horace M. 
 Phelps is supplemented by a lifelike portrait 
 on a neighboring page. 
 
 lEV. JOHN CALVIN GODDARD, 
 pastor of the Congregational church 
 _ in Salisbury, was born in Brooklyn, 
 N.Y., September 18, 1852, son of James E. 
 and Catherine F. (Jennings) Goddard. Mr. 
 Goddard's grandfather, Hezekiah Goddard, son 
 of Daniel Goddard, was engaged in the trading 
 and shipping business in New London, Conn. 
 He served as Quartermaster-general during 
 the War of 1812. Hezekiah Goddard died at 
 the age of eighty years. He married Eunice 
 Rathbone, daughter of John Rathbone, of New 
 York City, and reared a family of six children, 
 as follows: Eunice, John, James E., George 
 W., Juliet R., and Sarah, 
 aged eighty-four. 
 
 James E. Goddard, Mr 
 was born in New London 
 
 The mother died 
 
 Goddard's father, 
 in 1 817. He en- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gaged in mercantile pursuits, and conducted a 
 wholesale dry-goods business in New York 
 City from 1833 to 1874. He resided in 
 Brooklyn from 1850 to 1862, at the expiration 
 of which time he removed to Yonkers, N.Y. ; 
 and after residing there for twelve years he re- 
 turned to New London and passed the remain- 
 der of his life in that city. He was an active 
 member and an Elder of the Presbyterian 
 church in Yonkers, and was a Deacon of the 
 Congregational church in New London. He 
 was a man of strong convictions and great 
 benevolence, having special affection for dumb 
 animals and comprising in his own person a 
 humane society. He was a particular friend 
 of the colored race, and taught up to the week 
 of his death a large class of them, whom he 
 had gathered in the city. He was deeply read 
 in history and theology, and wielded a trench- 
 ant pen in public discussions. He was so 
 gifted in prayer and remembered unfailingly 
 so many persons that on his decease a friend 
 made this opportune and characteristic remark, 
 "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are 
 ended." James E. Goddard died in New 
 London in 1893, aged seventy-six. His wife, 
 Catherine F. Jennings, was a daughter of 
 Nathan T. Jennings, of New York City, where 
 she was born in 1819. She became the 
 mother of eleven children, nine of whom 
 lived to maturity, namely: Juliet R., who 
 became Mrs. Henry T. Thomas; Catherine A. ; 
 Eunice C. ; John C, the subject of this sketch ; 
 Walter L. ; Caroline M., now Mrs. Salter S. 
 Clark; William L. ; George F. ; and James C. 
 The mother died November 23, 1895. 
 
 John C. Goddard commenced his education 
 in the public schools of Yonkers, and after 
 attending the New London High School he 
 entered Yale University, from which he was 
 graduated with the class of 1873. He pursued 
 his theological studies at the Chicago Theolog- 
 
 ical Seminary, and after graduating in 1881 
 was ordained a minister in Chicago in June of 
 the same year. He was pastor of the West- 
 ern Avenue Congregational Church in Chi- 
 cago until 1884, in which year he received and 
 accepted a call to the Congregational church in 
 Salisbury. He was installed pastor of this 
 church on October 16, 1884, and has since 
 resided in Salisbury. 
 
 On August 2, 1883, Mr. Goddard married 
 Harriet W. Allen, daughter of Dr. Charles L. 
 Allen, of Rutland, Vt. Mr. and Mrs. God- 
 dard have seven children, namely: Catherine; 
 Miriam and Rose, who are twins; Charles 
 Allen; John Calvin, Jr.; Louisa Page; and 
 Ruth Salisbury. 
 
 W^^ 
 
 ESTON G. GRANNISS, of the firm 
 of Granniss & Elmore, general 
 merchants of Litchfield, was born 
 in this town February 16, 1855, son of Asa 
 and Sally Granniss. Mr. Granniss's great- 
 grandfather, William Granniss, who was a 
 native of East Haven, Conn., settled in 
 Litchfield in 178 1. He purchased a farm sit- 
 uated about five miles west of the village, 
 which is now owned and occupied by his 
 great-grandson, Mr. Granniss's brother, and 
 followed agricultural pursuits until his death. 
 Thomas Granniss, Mr. Granniss's grandfather, 
 was born in 1787. He succeeded to the pos- 
 session of his father's farm, which he con- 
 ducted with prosperous results, and died at 
 the age of eighty-nine years. He married 
 Ruth Stone, who was born in Litchfield, 
 April 9, 1787. 
 
 His youngest son, Asa Lyman Granniss, 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 on the old homestead, January i, 18 14, and 
 died there January 13, 1894, aged eighty 
 years, having spent his whole life on the same 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 211 
 
 farm. He married March 13, 1849, Sally, 
 daughter of Miner and Polly Potter. Miner 
 Potter was a son of Benjamin Potter, who was 
 born in East Haven in 1763, and settled in 
 Litchfield at an early date. He was a soldier 
 in the Revolutionary War, and participated in 
 the defence of New London. He died in 
 Litchfield, and was buried at Bantam. In 
 early life Miner Potter learned the carpenter's 
 trade, and assisted in the erection of many of 
 the older residences of Litchfield, where he 
 was well and favorably known. He died 
 December 12, 1850, aged sixty-three years. 
 His wife, Polly (jrey, whom he married in 
 1 81 7, was born in Danbury, Conn., and was a 
 daughter of Joseph Grey, a farmer of that 
 town. Five children blessed their union, of 
 whom three are still living: Garry G., who 
 resides at New Milford; Sally, Mr. Granniss's 
 mother; and Julia, who married Jason St. 
 John, and lives at Hammonton, N.J. Sally 
 (Mrs. A. L. Granniss) was born December 
 IS, 1 82 1, and has been a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church over fifty years. 
 Two children only were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 A. L. Granniss: Fremont M., who still re- 
 ' sides on the old homestead; and Weston G., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Weston G. passed his boyhood days "down 
 on the farm," and got most of his education at 
 the "little school-house under the hill," one 
 winter being spent at the Gunnery School at 
 Washington. He then entered the employ of 
 Baker & Brinsmade, general merchants of 
 that town, as man of all work, and after two 
 years of hard and conscientious labor gained 
 the distinction of being their confidential and 
 trusted head clerk, which position he held 
 until the close of his services with them, in 
 all nearly five years. He then accepted a po- 
 sition with Bennett, Sloan & Co., wholesale 
 grocers of New Haven, Conn., and became 
 
 one of their travelling salesmen. After con- 
 tinuing in their employ two and one-half 
 years, he returned to Litchfield, and bought 
 of C. M. Ganung his interest in the firm of 
 Ganung & Elmore. The present firm of 
 Granniss & Elmore was established February 
 I, 1882, with this motto, " Everything guaran- 
 teed as represented." Its progress has been 
 onward. The firm started with no capita] 
 other than stout hearts, willing hands, and a 
 firm determination to win. They enjoy the 
 confidence of the public, who accord them a 
 liberal patronage, which they merit. The fin- 
 est delicacies prepared in this and foreign 
 countries are among their grocery stock. 
 They also carry' a large line of dry goods, car- 
 pets, wall papers, etc., and enjoy the reputa- 
 tion of doing the largest mercantile business 
 ever done at Litchfield. 
 
 Mr. Granniss is a Republican in politics. 
 He is a Past Master of St. Paul's Lodge, A. F. 
 & A. M., of Litchfield, having filled all the 
 chairs of the Blue Lodge, is at present District 
 Deputy of Litchfield County, and is also offi- 
 cially connected with the Chapter and Council. 
 He is a member of the Connecticut Commer- 
 cial Travellers' Association, having been one 
 of the early members of the organization. 
 
 On February 20, 1879, he married Louise 
 Glover, only daughter of Julius and Jeanette 
 (Bolles) Glover, of New Preston, Conn. 
 Mrs. Granniss's grandfather, Elisha Glover, 
 was a prosperous farmer and lifelong resident 
 of Warren, where her father was born. Julius 
 Glover acquired the trade of a stone-cutter, 
 and followed that occupation until failing 
 health caused him to retire from active labor. 
 He served three years in the Civil War as a 
 member of Company G, Nineteenth Regiment, 
 Connecticut Volunteers. His wife died May 
 4, 1895. Mrs. Granniss is a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'AMUEL R. SCOVILLE, although 
 .one of the youngest in the farming 
 community of Cornwall, is already 
 ranked among its most enterprising members 
 and is highly esteemed as a man of integrity 
 and good business judgment. He was born 
 March 27, 1866, son of Ralph I. and Maria E. 
 (Wadhams) Scoville. He occupies the old 
 Scoville homestead in the north part of the 
 town, which belonged to his grandfather, 
 Jacob Scoville, who also was a native of 
 Cornwall. 
 
 Grandfather Scoville was a practical and 
 prosperous farmer. He devoted considerable 
 attention to town affairs, serving in the vari- 
 ous offices; and he was a member of the State 
 legislature during two sessions of that body. 
 He was seventy-five years old at the time of 
 his death. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Martha Ingersoll, was born in Bethlehem, 
 Conn. They had one son, Samuel, who died 
 in infancy; and they reared two sons and a 
 daughter, as follows: Ralph I., Eliza M., and 
 Samuel. Eliza M. Scoville married William 
 C. Rogers, of Cornwall, and has three children 
 living, all married and settled 'in Sheffield, 
 Mass. Her younger brother, the Rev. Samuel 
 Scoville, who is settled in Stamford, Conn., 
 has a summer residence in Cornwall, adjoining 
 the homestead. He married Harriet Beecher, 
 daughter of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and 
 grand-daughter of Dr. Lyman Beecher; and 
 they have a family of four children. 
 
 Ralph I. Scoville was born on the old Corn- 
 wall homestead and continued to live here dur- 
 ing his life. He was very successful as a 
 farmer, and, like his father, gave considerable 
 of his time to town affairs and other public 
 interests. In 1876 he served in the State leg- 
 islature, and he was many times elected to fill 
 responsible town offices. He died May 15, 
 1887. He married Maria E. Wadhams, a 
 
 daughter of Lewis C. Wadhams, of Goshen, 
 Conn., and they became the parents of the fol- 
 lowing children : Irving J., who married Miss 
 Carrie French, of Boston, and has two sons 
 and a daughter — Elizabeth, Ralph, and Fred- 
 erick ; Martha, wife of James H. Moser, who 
 has two daughters — Grace and Lydia; Lydia; 
 Samuel R. ; and Frederick R. Mrs. Maria 
 E. Wadhams Scoville, now sixty-five years of 
 age, enjoys a good degree of health and mental 
 vigor. 
 
 Samuel R. Scoville learned his early lessons 
 in the common schools, and pursued a higher 
 course of study at Phillips Academy, Andover, 
 Mass., where he was graduated. He then 
 returned to the old homestead to live with his 
 parents. He is now the manager of the farm, 
 which contains three hundred acres of land, 
 divided between pasturage and tillage. Mr. 
 Scoville is a charter member of North Corn- 
 wall Grange, No. 32. 
 
 LTrANCIS benedict SMITH, M.D., 
 IjIj, who is living in pleasant retirement 
 at West Winsted, Litchfield County, 
 Conn., is a native of this section of the State, 
 Norfolk being the place of his birth, which 
 occurred May 14, 1816. His father, Erastus 
 Smith, a native of Sandisfield, Berkshire 
 County, Mass., was a son of Dr. Amos Smith, 
 who was a practising physician in that town 
 for many years, and died there at the age of 
 seventy-five. 
 
 Erastus Smith married a fair maiden of Con- 
 necticut, Wealthy Benedict, who was born in 
 Norfolk, daughter of Francis Benedict, a na- 
 tive of the same place. Her paternal grand- 
 father, also named Francis Benedict, was born 
 in Danbury, Fairfield County, and removed 
 from there to Norfolk in 1760. He was the 
 first settler in the north-east part of the town, 
 
FRANCIS B. SMITH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2IS 
 
 following the way from the central part by a 
 trail marked by blazed trees. He bought a 
 tract of timber, and soon the merry blows of 
 his axe could be heard as he hewed the giants 
 of the forest to make an opening in which to 
 build a log house to shelter himself and fam- 
 ily. He stopped not to dig a cellar, but made 
 a hole in the bank to keep the potatoes and 
 vegetables which he afterward raised; and by 
 dint of persevering labor he cleared a good 
 farm, on which he passed the remainder of his 
 life, dying at the age of seventy-five years. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Lyon, 
 outlived him more than two decades, attaining 
 the remarkable age of ninety-seven years. 
 
 Their son Francis ably assisted his parents 
 in clearing and conducting their farm from the 
 time he was old enough to wield axe or hoe, 
 and with the exception of two or three years 
 that he was employed in a shovel factory at 
 Colebrook Centre lived in Norfolk, at the 
 death of his father succeeding to the ownership 
 of the homestead property. He was a nat- 
 ural mechainic, and in addition to tilling the 
 soil he owned and oj3erated a saw-mill and 
 turned out wooden dishes. He lived to the 
 age of seventy-five. He married Judith Wal- 
 ter, a native of Goshen, in this county; and 
 she, too, spent her last days on the home farm, 
 living to the age of seventy-six years. 
 
 Erastus Smith was a young man when he 
 left his Sandisfield home to become a resident 
 of Litchfield County, and was at first employed 
 on the farm of Dr. Phelps at Colebrook Cen- 
 tre. Two years after his union with Miss 
 Benedict he bought a farm in Norfolk. Two 
 children were born to them, namely: Mary C, 
 who married Heman Swift, and died Novem- 
 ber 19, 1883; and Francis Benedict, of West 
 Winsted. The father died in 1875, in his 
 eighty-fifth year; and the mother died in her 
 eighty-seventh year. 
 
 Francis received the 'rudiments of his educa- 
 tion in the district school, and at the age of 
 nineteen turned his attention to the study of 
 medicine, taking a thorough course and receiv- 
 ing a diploma from the New Haven Botanic 
 Medical Society, and later one from the 
 Thompsonian Medical Society of the State of 
 Connecticut. Dr. Smith began the practice 
 of his profession at New Britain, going thence 
 to New York City to take charge of the infirm- 
 ary located at 119^^ Bowery. Returning to 
 Norfolk after a few months' practice in the 
 metropolis, he came into possession of a farm 
 given him by his grandfather Benedict; and he 
 soon after married and began the pursuit of 
 agriculture. In addition to general farming 
 the Doctor continued his professional duties, 
 and also manufactured essences and oils from 
 the medicinal plants of the locality, reaping 
 a good profit as well as pleasure from his 
 labors. In 1877 he came to West Winsted; 
 and, buying his present estate, which contains 
 five acres of land, he erected the fine residence 
 in which he has since lived in quiet retire- 
 ment. In reviewing the work of his life Dr. 
 Smith recalls with interest the fact that he 
 assisted in teaming the marble pillars for 
 Girard College from South Egremont, Mass., 
 to Hudson, N.Y., the huge blocks weighing 
 about eleven tons, and being drawn by eleven 
 horses hitched tandem. 
 
 Dr. Smith was first married October 20, 
 1840, to Sarah, daughter' of General Josiah and 
 Amelia (Cowles) Wolcott. She was born at 
 Sandisfield, Mass., June 5, 1819, and departed 
 this life December 9, 1841, leaving no issue. 
 He subsequently married Eliza W. Wolcott, 
 a sister of his first wife; and she passed to the 
 higher life January 9, 1894. By this union he 
 has one son, the Rev. Wolcott Francis Smith, 
 who has been a Baptist minister for over 
 twenty years. He was born September 24, 
 
2 l6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1844, and on the twenty-third anniversary of 
 his birth, September 24, 1867, was united in 
 marriage to Mary E. Webster, of Sandisfield, 
 a daughter of Deacon Abner S. and Mary M. 
 (Alford) Webster. They also have one son ; 
 he bears the name of Francis Abner Smith, 
 and is now attending Colgate College, Hamil- 
 ton, N. Y. , in the class of 1896. 
 
 Dr. Smith has always afifiliated with the 
 Democrats. His first Presidential vote was 
 cast for Martin Van Buren in 1840. Always 
 active and influential in local affairs, he served 
 in various offices of trust and responsibility, as 
 Selectman, Assessor, member of the Board of 
 Relief, Justice of the Peace three terms, and 
 juror at the Superior Court while in Norfolk, 
 and in Winsted has been a member of the 
 Board of Relief six years for the town and 
 two years for the borough, and also of the 
 Grand Jury. He is a conscientious member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, with 
 which his wife united shortly before her death, 
 having in her earlier years been connected 
 with the Congregational church in Sandisfield, 
 Mass. 
 
 An excellent portrait of Dr. Smith is a 
 pleasing accompaniment of this biography. 
 
 B 
 
 ANIEL YOUNGS, an experienced 
 agriculturist and an extensive lum- 
 ber manufacturer and dealer, is 
 widely and favorably known as one of the 
 leading business men of Barkhamsted. He 
 was born on May 23, 1814, in the town of 
 Farmington, which was also the place of 
 nativity of his father. Constant Youngs, who 
 was born March 20, 1790. 
 
 Joshua Youngs, father of Constant; was born 
 August 17, 1750, on Long Island, and was a 
 patriotic soldier of the Revolutionary War. 
 He subsequently removed to this State, locat- 
 
 ing in Farmington, where he purchased a tract 
 of land, on which he afterward carried on 
 general farming. He died there April 17, 
 1 82 1. His wife, whose name before marriage 
 was Hannah Sanford, was born at Saybrook, 
 Conn., January i, 1751, and died on the 
 Farmington homestead. She reared four of 
 her children; namely, Thomas, Constant, Seth, 
 and Joshua. 
 
 Constant Youngs grew to manhood on the 
 paternal homestead, a part of which he event- 
 ually inherited; and he there continued with 
 his brothers, engaged in agricultural labors, 
 until his decease, in his thirty-seventh year, 
 on October 29, 1826. He wooed and won as 
 his life companion Miss Cynthia Higgins, who 
 was born in Avon, Conn. Mrs. Cynthia 
 Youngs survived her husband a few years, 
 dying September 17, 1834, leaving five chil- 
 dren, as follows : Daniel ; Constant, Jr. ; 
 Edward; Hannah; and Emeline. 
 
 Daniel Youngs spent his early years at 
 Farmington, and after leaving the district 
 schools of that place he pursued his studies at 
 the academies of New Britain and Hartford. 
 From the age of sixteen to twenty-one years he 
 resided at the latter city, making his home 
 with an uncle, and working at the carpenter's 
 trade. In 1836 Mr. Youngs came to Bark- 
 hamsted, accompanied by his brother. Con- 
 stant, to look after their landed interests. 
 Their grandfather had here purchased a large 
 tract of wild land, located on both sides of the 
 Farmington RiveV. Their father had inherited 
 a portion of the original tract, and the brothers 
 had come into possession of their father's 
 share. They at once erected a dwelling-holise, 
 and, after building a dam, put up a saw-mill 
 and engaged in the manufacture of lumber, 
 their first contract being to furnish chair stock 
 to the contractors at the State prison. A few 
 years later Constant sold his interest to his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 217 
 
 brother Edward, who has since been associated 
 with their brother Daniel in his manufactur- 
 ing, and likewise in his agricultural business, 
 they being very prosperous in other branches. 
 On December 9, 1840, Mr. Daniel Youngs 
 was united in marriage with Ann Amelia 
 Whittlesey, who was born in Farmington, May 
 23, 1815. Her father, Harvey Whittlesey, 
 was a native of this county, born in the town 
 of Washington, of which his father, Joseph 
 Whittlesey, and his grandfather, Martin Whit- 
 tlesey, were both lifelong residents. Joseph 
 was a farmer by occupation, and married Mary 
 Camp. Their son Harvey was reared to man's 
 estate in his native town ; but when he left the 
 parental roof he went to Farmington, where he 
 married Ruth D. Whittlesey, a daughter of 
 Abner and Ruth (Wadsworth) Whittlesey. 
 He engaged in farming, and finally settled on 
 the farm which his wife inherited, residing 
 there until his decease, at the advanced age of 
 seventy-seven years, outliving his wife, who 
 died at the age of forty-seven years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Youngs have two children living, 
 namely: Harriet W., who married Henry Bar- 
 bour, and has one daughter, Anna Youngs; 
 and Wilfred D., who married Lily Eggleston. 
 Mr. Youngs is an ardent advocate of the prin- 
 ciples of the Democratic party, and cast his 
 first Presidential vote in 1836 for Martin Van 
 
 Buren. 
 
 < • ■■ > 
 
 TT^HARLES THOMAS LOVELL was 
 I Sf born in Sharon, Conn., and here spent 
 
 V^ ^ his entire life— an industrious and 
 useful citizen, in his early manhood being 
 engaged in mercantile business, and later giv- 
 ing his attention to farming. At the time of 
 his death, in 1876, he was fifty-seven years 
 old. His great-grandfather, John Lovell, 
 came to Sharon from South America in 1770. 
 He had ten children: Sarah, Mary, Amy, 
 
 Jonah, Priscilla, Lois, Cynthia, John West, 
 Aime, and John Williams, the last three of 
 whom died in infancy. Jonah Lovell married 
 Betsey Barlow, and settled on his father s farm. 
 They had three children — Laurain, Almira, 
 and John Barlow. 
 
 In 1 81 8 John Barlow Lovell married Cla- 
 rissa Chaffee, who died in 1824; and in 1825 
 he married Catharine M. Gold. His children 
 by his first wife were: Elizabeth, Charles 
 Thomas, and John Chaffee; by the second, 
 Almira, Sarah H., Clara G., Henry R., Lucy 
 E., Mary W., Frances M. C, Helen, and 
 Laura G. John C. Lovell, who owns the old 
 homestead, has one son, Edward Swan, living 
 in Newtown, Fairfield County, Conn. Eight 
 of the twelve children of John B. Lovell are 
 living — one in Connecticut, one in Massachu- 
 setts, four in Michigan, one in Idaho, and 
 one in California. 
 
 Charles Thomas Lovell purchased a part of 
 his father's farm, and built, at a short distance 
 from the original home, the house in which 
 his son, Rodney L., now resides. He married 
 Miss Roana P. Woodward, a daughter of David 
 W. Woodward, of Sharon, Conn. She is now 
 living, and is sixty-nine years of age. Four 
 sons and a daughter were born of their union, as 
 follows: Charles Henry, Susan E., John Bar- 
 low, David Woodward, and Rodney Lincoln. 
 Charles Henry Lovell was born in 1849, and, 
 though now living in New York State, in the 
 town of Northeast, Dutchess County, is less 
 than six miles from his birthplace. In 1875 
 he married Mary Orinda Couch, of Washing- 
 ton, Litchfield County. Their children are: 
 Helena May, Herbert Elmore, Charles Arthur, 
 Irving Howard, Amy Orinda, and Lawrence. 
 Susan Eliza Lovell, born in 1851, was mar- 
 ried in 1877 to Charles E. Buckley. They 
 live in Sharon, and have one son, Edward Mar- 
 shall Buckley. 
 
2l8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 John Barlow Lovell, born in 1852, in early 
 manhood spent a few years in Flint, Mich., 
 engaged in repairing clocks and watches. 
 Failing health and his father's death brought 
 him back to Connecticut. In 1877 he married 
 Elizabeth A. Reynolds, by whom he has six 
 children : Roana Knibloe, David Henry, Mary 
 Reynolds, Blanche Buckley, Helen Maria, and 
 John Barlow. David Woodward Lovell, born 
 in 1854, married in July, 18S3, Sarah A. 
 Woodward, and died in September of the same 
 year in McPherson, Kan. His widow lives in 
 Sharon. • 
 
 Rodney Lincoln Lovell was born on his 
 father's homestead in Sharon on April 6, i860, 
 and has always remained here with the excep- 
 tion of a few years spent in the West. He is 
 now engaged in carrying on the farm, which 
 contains about one hundred and sixty acres. 
 He was married in 1888 to Miss Anna Ells- 
 worth, of Dover, N. Y. They have three chil- 
 dren : Charles Thomas, Raymond Stevens, and 
 Clara Louise. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM E. BATTAM, a leading 
 surgeon - dentist of New Milford, 
 Litchfield County, Conn., was born 
 in London, England. Dr. Battam's father, 
 Septimus Battam, was born in London, March 
 25, 1822. He was successfully engaged as a 
 contractor during the greater portion of his 
 active life, but spent his last years in retire- 
 ment. He died on September 6, 1886. He 
 married Sarah Martin; and they reared six 
 children, as follows: William E., the subject 
 of this sketch, Sidney, Alice, Annie, Her- 
 bert, and Alfred, all of whom are living. 
 The mother still survives, and resides in 
 England. 
 
 William E. Battam received his elementary 
 education in England, where he also pursued 
 his professional studies. When a young man, 
 
 he came to America; and, after spending a 
 year in Toronto, Canada, he settled in New 
 York City, where he engaged in the practice of 
 dentistry. He conducted a very prosperous 
 business for nine years, becoming well and 
 favorably known in the metropolis as an ex- 
 pert in his profession. In January, 1881, he 
 moved to New Milford, and, opening pleasant 
 and centrally located parlors on Bank Street, 
 has created for himself an extensive practice. 
 He has gained the reputation of being 
 thoroughly reliable in all branches of dentis- 
 try, and is considered particularly successful 
 in filling and the production of artificial 
 teeth. He is a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, the Fire Department, 
 the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
 the B. P. O. Elks. 
 
 §OHN J. CARROLL, a leading mason, 
 builder, and contractor in Winsted, 
 was born in Canaan, Conn., in 185 1. 
 His parents were John E. and Bridget (Sulli- 
 van) Carroll, both natives of Ireland. 
 
 John E. Carroll was born in 181 5, and 
 spent nearly thirty years of his life in his na- 
 tive land. In 1844, with his wife and one son, 
 he took passage for America, and after a long 
 and tiresome voyage landed safely, going al- 
 most immediately to Stockbridge, Mass., 
 where he found employment as a laborer, 
 working for Judge Byington for several years. 
 He was employed for some time by the Bar- 
 num & Richards Furnace Company in Canaan, 
 Conn., and removed with his family to this 
 place. Here his son, John J., was born, as 
 stated above. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. John E. Carroll joined the 
 westward-flowing tide, going to California by 
 way of the Isthmug of Panama. On his ar- 
 rival he went to work in the mines, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 219 
 
 labored there for four years, accumulating 
 some money. He died in the winter of 1891 
 at his home in Connecticut. He was a very 
 industrious man, and worked almost up to 
 the time of his death. His widow survived 
 nearly two years, reaching the age of eighty- 
 one. The wedded life of Mr. and Mrs. John E. 
 Carroll, covering fifty-two years, was marked 
 by mutual respect and support, each doing un- 
 complainingly the allotted task. Hale and 
 strong to the last, they were a remarkable old 
 couple. They reared five of their six chil- 
 dren, namely: M. W. Carroll, a salaried em- 
 ployee of a large packing-house in Kansas 
 City; Ellen, who died in Winsted in 1862, 
 when just budding into womanhood; Nora, 
 wife of John H. Swift, a manufacturer at 
 Union, N.Y. ; Mary, wife of Paul McLough- 
 lin, of Winsted, both now deceased; and John 
 J., of Canaan. An elder son, John, died at 
 the age of seven. 
 
 John J. Carroll left the district school at 
 the age of thirteen, and hired himself out to 
 a farmer for six dollars a month, staying with 
 him two years. The last year his wages were 
 raised to ten dollars. He then started to 
 learn the blacksmith's trade, but changed his 
 mind, and went to work in a hoe factory. At 
 eighteen he became a mason's apprentice, in 
 the employ of Burt & Hart, and served in that 
 capacity three years for small pay. In 1874, 
 having mastered the trade, he went into busi- 
 ness with S. F. Rowe, the firm name being_ 
 Carroll & Rowe. This partnership lasted five 
 years, at the expiration of which time Mr. 
 Rowe went to Torrington, Conn.; and since 
 then Mr. Carroll has carried on the business 
 without a partner. A practical mason, he 
 has built some of the best large structures in 
 this vicinity, notably the handsome brick 
 house and barn of Eugene Potter, the Paro- 
 chial School, the convent of Notre Dame at 
 
 Waterbury, the Burr & Lee Block in Win- 
 sted, the new high school, and the school 
 building at the Gilbert Home, the two latter 
 in 1894. He has also erected several factory 
 buildings in Winsted. 
 
 On Thanksgiving Day, 1876, Mr. Carroll 
 was married to Harriet, daughter of George 
 and Sarah (Baker) Dyson, the former a skilled 
 mechanic in the employ of the Empire Knife 
 Company for the past thirty years. Mrs. 
 Dyson died in 1888, at the age of fifty-four, 
 leaving three sons and three daughters. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Carroll have seven children, as fol- 
 lows: Matthew G., a young man, living with 
 his parents, an able assistant to his father; 
 Mary A., a school-girl; George, a boy of 
 thirteen; John, Charles, Frank, and Fannie, 
 whose ages range from eleven to three. Mr. 
 Carroll belongs to the Roman Catholic church. 
 His home at No. 4 Mountain Avenue, which he 
 built in 1880, is very pleasantly situated. 
 
 IRA C. HOTCHKISS, an enterprising 
 and successful business man of Water- 
 town, Conn., dealer in flour, feed, 
 baled hay, and straw, was born in Watertown, 
 August 19, 1 86 1, son of Augustine and 
 Clarinda (Catlin) Hotchkiss. Mr. Hotch- 
 kiss's grandfather, Ira Hotchkiss, resided in 
 Watertown for many years. He was a well- 
 educated man, who in his younger days en- 
 gaged in teaching school; and he also taught 
 penmanship as a specialty. He finally 
 adopted farming as- an occupation, which he 
 followed with gratifying success for the rest 
 of his life. He died in Watertown at the age 
 of over sixty years, having reared a family of 
 eight children. 
 
 His son, Augustine Hotchkiss, who was 
 born in Hartland, Conn., grew to manhood on 
 the home farm. Later he became widely 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 known as the driver of the stage from Water- 
 town to New Haven, making two round trips 
 per week; and he was a resident of Water- 
 town until his death, which took place when 
 he was sixty-nine years old. His second 
 wife, Clarinda Catlin, was a daughter of 
 Deacon Cyrus and Emeline (Whetmore) 
 Catlin, the former of whom was a native and 
 highly esteemed resident of Litchfield, active 
 in the Congregational church. He died in 
 1872, aged seventy-two. His wife, who 
 lived to reach the age of seventy-nine, reared 
 a family of seven children. Mrs. Augustine 
 Hotchkiss became the mother of but one son, 
 Ira C, the subject of this sketch. Both par- 
 ents were members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Ira C. Hotchkiss acquired a common-school 
 education in his boyhood and youth, and at 
 the age of nineteen went to Oakville, where 
 he learned the trade of a machinist in the 
 shop of Joseph H. Baird, a pin manufacturer. 
 After remaining there for three years, he en- 
 tered the employ of the Oakville Pin Com- 
 pany, later accepting a position as tool-maker 
 for the Waterbury Buckle Company, with 
 whom he remained four years. In 1893 he 
 purchased the old established flour and feed 
 business which is located near the depot in 
 Watertown, and has since conducted a thriv- 
 ing retail trade. 
 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has 
 served upon the Town Committee for several 
 years. He is a member and Secretary of 
 Federal Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Water- 
 town, a member of Granite Chapter, Royal 
 Arch Masons, of Thomaston, and is also con- 
 nected with A. H. Terry Lodge, Order of 
 American Mechanics, Columbia Lodge, 
 Knights of Pythias, and is .a member of the 
 Watertown Fire Department. On October 
 16, 1885, Mr. Hotchkiss was united in mar- 
 
 riage with Mary J. Dunbar, of Harwinton, 
 who was born in the State of Ohio. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hotchkiss have two sons: Arthur Ray- 
 mond and Floyd Dunbar. Mr. Hotchkiss at- 
 tends the Congregational church, of which his 
 wife is a member. 
 
 ON. ISAAC B. BRISTOL, ex-pro- 
 prietor of the New England House, 
 the leading hotel of New Milford, 
 Conn., and a man who during his long resi- 
 dence in this town has been closely identified 
 with many other business enterprises, was 
 born in Brookfield, Fairfield County, Conn., 
 on December 21, 1821, son of William B. and 
 Eliiia (Baldwin) Bristol. His father, who was 
 also a native of Brookfield, was born in the 
 first year of the present century. He owned 
 a large farm and was one of the leading agri- 
 culturists and most enterprising men of his 
 day. 
 
 Isaac B. Bristol enjoyed not only the privi- 
 leges of the district schools of Brookfield, but 
 he also attended successively the Quaker 
 School in Dutchess County, New York, and 
 the Newtown (Conn.) Academy. When he 
 was fifteen years old he obtained a position as 
 clerk in a store at Brookfield, Conn. ; and after 
 staying there a year he returned to the farm 
 for a short time. His next year's work was 
 as a clerk in Bridgeport, Conn. Having by 
 this time acquired practical knowledge of mer- 
 cantile affairs, he now bought his employer's 
 business and conducted it for himself during 
 the succeeding twelve months, at the expira- 
 tion of which he sold out and was subsequently 
 engaged for a year as a clerk in New Milford. 
 His next business venture was the purchase of 
 a half-interest in the lime kiln of S. W. 
 Stevens at Boardman Bridge. Following that 
 Mr. Bristol began to deal in cattle and horses, 
 
ISAAC B. BRISTOL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 223 
 
 and made frequent trips to Canada in company 
 with Eli F. Booth to purchase horses, of 
 which he is an excellent judge. It is scarcely 
 needful to remark that he still takes pride in 
 keeping some fine horses for his own use and 
 enjoyment. He continued to engage in that 
 business at intervals for about thirty years, 
 during which time he was employed as a clerk 
 for a year, and likewise gave much attention 
 to buying and selling farms and other real 
 estate. 
 
 He first settled on the farm in New Milford, 
 now owned by Mr. Halpine, and after carrying 
 that on and making various improvements in 
 the buildings and land, in 1867 he purchased 
 the old Ezra Noble home, one of the first 
 houses built in New Milford. It had previ- 
 ously been remodelled and converted into a 
 store and hotel by L. Lum ; and from the time 
 of his purchase up to October i, 1895, Mr. 
 Bristol continued to successfully conduct it 
 as a hotel. Being a gentleman of pleasing 
 address and courteous ways, and withal a thor- 
 ough business man, he won not only the re- 
 spect and esteem of his fellow-townsmen, but 
 the favor of the travelling public, who re- 
 garded him as an admirable host and gave him 
 a liberal share of patronage. For a number of 
 years he has been largely interested in the 
 tobacco business in company with M. Staub, 
 the firm being the largest packers in this 
 town. He has sold his hotel property and 
 retired from that business, but yet holds a 
 goodly amount of real estate, comprising a 
 two-thirds interest in the block at the corner 
 of Church and Main Streets, his fine residence 
 on Main Street, an excellent farm in New 
 Milford, and three in the town of Brookfield, 
 besides large cattle ranches in Texas and Mon- 
 tana. 
 
 Mr. Bristol was married in 1845 to Miss 
 Annis Roberts, a daughter of Benjamin and 
 
 Hannah (Downs) Roberts. The Roberts fam- 
 ily have been residents of New Milford since 
 about 1750, when Eli Roberts settled on a 
 farm a mile east of the village. Mrs. Bristol 
 died in 1894, at seventy-three years of age, 
 leaving no children. 
 
 Mr. Bristol has always been keenly inter- 
 ested in whatever would conduce to the highest 
 welfare and improvement of the town, being a 
 man to be relied upon in the furtherance of 
 any worthy enterprise. Politically, Isaac B. 
 Bristol is a Democrat. He represented his 
 district in the State Assembly six years and 
 two years in the Senate, and was Selectman of 
 New Milford thirteen years, besides filling 
 many minor offices. He is a Director of the 
 First National Bank of New Milford, also of 
 the savings-bank, and Vice-President of the 
 latter, Director of the New Milford Water 
 Company, and Director of the Bridgeport 
 Wood Finishing Company. 
 
 We are happy to give place on another page 
 of the "Review " to an excellent portrait of this 
 widely known, public-spirited, and influential 
 citizen. 
 
 4-*«^ > 
 
 iRS. LORETTA GEER, widow of 
 Milo Geer, of Kent, .Litchfield 
 County, Conn., has for the most 
 part of her life resided in New Milford vil- 
 lage, where she was born on July 27, 181 3, 
 and is a daughter of Nathan and Margaret 
 (Piatt) Bishop and a grand-daughter of Eber 
 and Betsey (Wheeler) Bishop. Her grand- 
 father Bishop, who was one of the early 
 settlers of New Milford, and followed the oc- 
 cupation of a farmer, died in 1806, at sixty- 
 four years of age. 
 
 Nathan Bishop was a native of New Mil- 
 ford, and spent his whole life here success- 
 fully, engaged in agriculture. He died in 
 1848, aged sixty-nine years. His wife sur- 
 
224 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 vived him five years, dying in 1853, at the 
 age of seventy-four. Nine children were born 
 of their union, namely: Wheeler, Charlotte, 
 and another child, who died in early life; 
 William P., who died in 1848, at thirty years 
 of age; Susan, Betsey, and Harriet, all of 
 whom reached an advanced age; Polly and 
 Loretta, now Mrs. Geer, the two latter being 
 the only survivors of their father's family. 
 
 Loretta Bishop received such educational 
 advantages as her parents' circumstances per- 
 mitted of, and acquired in early womanhood a 
 thorough knowledge of the housekeeper's art. 
 On March 29, 1837, she became the wife of 
 Mile Geer, a son of Gardner and Hester 
 (Titus) Geer. His parents owned a large 
 farm in Kent, and were progressive and 
 enterprising citizens of that place. After 
 marriage Mr. and Mrs. Geer settled on a farm 
 in Kent, where they spent twelve happy years 
 together. On July 7, 1849, in an unsuccess- 
 ful attempt to save his sister's boy from 
 drowning, Mr. Geer lost his life. He left his 
 widow with a son and daughter: Henry F. 
 and Flora. The former married Miss Mary 
 E. Stone, of Woodbury, Conn., and now lives 
 in Turlock, Stanislaus County, Cal., where 
 he is a large land-owner, and deals exten- 
 sively in grain, and is well known throughout 
 the State. He and his wife have four chil- 
 dren, two sons and two daughters; namely, 
 Julia A., Charles, Caroline L., and Frederick 
 M. Henry F. Geer enlisted in the First 
 New York Mounted Cavalry in 1861, and 
 served four years, during which he was a 
 special despatch carrier to General Benjamin 
 Butler, and held many other offices of trust. 
 He is a member of the Masonic order. 
 
 The daughter, Flora Geer, was married on 
 October 17, i860, to Andrew T. Stilson, who 
 is also a Mason. His parents were John, Jr., 
 and Elvira (Turrill) Stilson, his father being 
 
 a son of John and Rachel (Bostwick) Stilson, 
 of Little Falls. For many years he owned and 
 conducted a grist-mill in New Milford, having 
 learned the business in his father's mill at 
 Little Falls. Mr. Andrew T. Stilson's great- 
 grandparents were Moses and Hannah (Trow- 
 bridge) Stilson. Mrs. Andrew T. Stilson 
 died young, leaving a son and daughter, 
 namely: John H., who married, and resides 
 in Kansas; and Flora G., who has always 
 lived with her grandmother. She is a charm- 
 ing and cultured young lady, and one of 
 the most active workers in the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 After her husband's death Mrs. Geer came 
 to New Milford village, where she has since 
 resided. She still enjoys a good degree of 
 health, and, though over eighty-two years of 
 age, contemplates a trip to California to visit 
 her son, who is now her only child. She is 
 held in the highest esteem by all who know 
 her, and contributes liberally toward the sup- 
 port of the Episcopal church of New Milford, 
 of which she is a member. 
 
 ^ENJAMIN F. HUMESTON, man- 
 ufacturer of soda and mineral 
 waters and the owner of a fine 
 three-story block in New Milford, Conn., was 
 born in Little Rest, Dutchess County, N.Y., 
 on April 9, 1845. His father, Bennett 
 Humeston, was also a native of Little Rest, 
 N.Y., where he followed with success the 
 twofold vocation of a farmer and merchant. 
 He died at eighty-two years of age. His 
 wife, Amy White Humeston, is now in her 
 eighty-fourth year. 
 
 Benjamin F. Humeston received a good 
 practical education in his native town. On 
 starting out for himself, he engaged in the 
 hotel business for two years, and then in 1869 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 225 
 
 came to New Milford, and entered into the 
 grocery and retail liquor business on Railroad 
 Street, continuing in that for six years. He 
 then purchased the New Milford hotel, which 
 he conducted with success until 1880, when 
 he engaged in the manufacture of soda and 
 mineral water and bottled goods of various 
 kinds, carrying on a large business for four- 
 teen years. In 1894 he purchased a vacant 
 lot adjoining the BoUes Block, and the fol- 
 lowing year had completed the best block in 
 the city, a three-story structure, fifty-two by 
 seventy-two feet in ground area. The first 
 story is used for business purposes ; and the 
 second and third floors are divided into four 
 flats, all equipped with modern conveniences, 
 being supplied with hot and cold water and 
 lighted by gas, which he manufactures him- 
 self. He still continues the bottling busi- 
 ness, and has everything in first-class shape. 
 Back of his block he has a fine new barn. 
 
 In 1891 he purchased a lot on Treadwell 
 Avenue, where he built his present attractive 
 residence. In 1864 he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Susan M-. (Cromers), a 
 daughter of Andrew Cromers. Their union 
 has been blessed by the birth of three chil- 
 dren, as follows: Charles A., born December 
 8, 1878; Amy, born June 8, 1886; and 
 Thalia C, born April 16, 1889. Mr. 
 Humeston is a loyal Democrat. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Humeston are members of Myrtle 
 Lodge, No. 16, Daughters of Rebekah Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of Danbury. 
 He also belongs to the Order of the Good, 
 Shepherd, No. 65. 
 
 ISAAC H. HUTCHINSON, a well- 
 known farmer of Litchfield, was born 
 July 26, 1844, in Perry, Wyoming 
 County, N.Y., where his father, Louis 
 
 Hutchinson, a native of Canaan, Conn., lived 
 for some years, engaged as a millwright. 
 
 From Perry Mr. Louis Hutchinson went to 
 Amenia, Dutchess County, where he was em- 
 ployed five years. He then became head car- 
 penter for the Harlem Railroad Company, and 
 after a residence of nine years in Millerton, 
 N.Y., came to Litchfield, Conn., where for 
 several years he followed his trade. _ From 
 Litchfield he moved to Cornwall Bridge, and 
 there made his home for the next two years. 
 Then, returning to New York State, he erected 
 a grist-mill in the vicinity of Wassaic, which 
 he operated for ten years, at the expiration 
 of which time he moved to Irondale, and 
 later went to Millerton, where he died, aged 
 seventy-six years. He married Olivia Hig- 
 ley, of Binghamton, N.Y., by whom he had 
 two children: Louis E., who resides in Mil- 
 lerton, N.Y. ; and Isaac H., the subject of 
 this sketch. The mother died in Millerton, 
 aged eighty-two years. 
 
 Isaac H. Hutchinson received a -common- 
 school education, and acquired the mill- 
 wright's trade of his father, with whom he 
 worked for some time. In 1870 he came to 
 Litchfield, and has since resided upon the 
 Wheeler farm of two hundred acres, which he 
 conducts with good results. The property is 
 well located, and is devoted principally to 
 diarying. 
 
 On January 22, 1869, Mr. Hutchinson was 
 united in marriage with Jennie E. Wheeler, 
 daughter of Charles D. Wheeler, a well- 
 known and highly esteemed citizen of Litch- 
 field, a very successful farmer. Mr. Wheeler 
 was born in Stonington, November 18, 1817. 
 His grandfather, David Wheeler, was a na- 
 tive and lifelong resident of Stonington, 
 prosperously engaged in farming. He was 
 the father of nine children. Christopher 
 Wheeler, son of David and father of Charles, 
 
226 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 moved with his wife and three children from 
 Stonington to Litchfield, where he settled 
 upon a farm which adjoins the property of his 
 son. He became prominent in public affairs, 
 and represented his district in the State legis- 
 lature. Another son of David Wheeler was a 
 member of the Connecticut House of Repre- 
 sentatives for several years. Christopher 
 Wheeler's wife, Orinda Galloupe, a native of 
 Groton, Conn., became the mother of nine 
 children, three of whom are still living, 
 namely: Mrs. Jacob Morse, of Torrington; 
 Mrs. Williamson; and Charles D. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson have had four 
 children, namely: one who died in infancy; 
 Charles Wheeler Louis; Carrie May; and 
 Mary Elizabeth, who died September 8, 1878, 
 aged eight months. The son was graduated 
 from Eastman's Business College at Pough- 
 keepsie, N.Y., where he stood very high 
 in his studies. The daughter was educated 
 at Mrs. Cady's Ladies' Seminary in New 
 Haven, Conn. Mr. Hutchinson is a Demo- 
 crat in politics, and has served as Justice of 
 the Peace. The family attend the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 Y^ORENZO SAMUEL NASH, promi- 
 IJT nent among the prosperous farmers of 
 '^^ — - ^ Winchester, was born on the farm 
 where he now resides, December 30, 1823, 
 son of the late Alvah Nash. John Nash, his 
 paternal grandfather, was of English ancestry, 
 born probably in West Hartford, where he 
 spent his youth and early manhood. He came 
 from there to Winchester Centre to pursue his 
 trade of a joiner, and subsequently bought 
 the land now occupied by his grandson. He 
 cleared a considerable part of it, and resided 
 there for the remainder of his life. The 
 maiden name of his wife was Esther Whiting, 
 a native of Torrington and a daughter of 
 
 William Whiting. They reared a large 
 family, of whom one son and four daughters 
 lived more than fourscore years. 
 
 Alvah Ndsh, son of John Nash, was born 
 in the homestead established by his father, 
 and was reared to farming as it was pursued in 
 pioneer times. After attaining his majority, 
 he purchased a woollen mill, and engaged in 
 the manufacture of cloth for a few years. 
 Eventually succeeding to the paternal estate, 
 he was afterwards engaged in general farming 
 until his decease, which occurred in the 
 eighty-eighth year of his age. He married 
 Rebecca Sage, who was a daughter of Enos 
 Sage, one of the most respected citizens of 
 Colebrook. She lived to celebrate the eighty- 
 second anniversary of her birth. Two chil- 
 dren only were born to them: Susan and 
 Lorenzo Samuel. The daughter, who died at 
 the age of thirty-seven years, married Isaac 
 A. Bronson, of this town. 
 
 Lorenzo Samuel Nash obtained his early 
 education by attending the district school 
 when it was in session. In the intervals he 
 worked on the -farm, becoming as familiar 
 with its duties as with his studies. In 1849 
 he took a prospecting trip to the newer coun- 
 try of the West, making Michigan his destina- 
 tion. The facilities for travelling were not 
 as great as now; but he chose the most ex- 
 peditious route, going by stage to Canaan, 
 thence by rail to Buffalo, where he took a 
 boat for Detroit, and completing his journey 
 to Memphis, Macomb County, by stage. 
 After a stay of two months in that vicinity 
 Mr. Nash returned. He has been the sole 
 owner of the property since the death of his 
 parents. He has made many valuable im- 
 provements, including the erection of a sub- 
 stantial stone house and other necessary 
 buildings for successfully carrying on his 
 work. The residence is finely situated on 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 227 
 
 Maple Avenue, and commands a charming 
 view of the surrounding country. 
 
 On January 28, 1852, Mr. Nash was united 
 in marriage with Caroline E. Tuller, a native 
 of Winchester, born November 30, 1827. 
 Her father, Orin Tuller, was born in Sims- 
 bury, Conn., the town in which his father, 
 Thaddeus Tuller, spent his entire life. Orin 
 Tuller came to Winchester when a lad of 
 twelve years as an apprentice to his uncle, 
 William Bunnell, a blacksmith, with whorn 
 he worked a number of years. He subse- 
 quently bought a farm about a mile west of 
 the centre of the town, and, erecting a black- 
 smith's shop there, worked at his trade, and 
 carried on general farming until his death, at 
 the good old age of seventy-eight years. The 
 maiden" name of his wife, mother of Mrs. 
 Nash, was Elizabeth Chase, a native of Win- 
 chester, a daughter of Gedeliah and Rebecca 
 (Dewey) Chase. She was a woman of great 
 personal worth, a capable and faithful help- 
 mate; and her death, at the age of sixty-four 
 years, was a great loss to her family, and 
 mourned by neighbors and many friends. The 
 family circle of Mr. and Mrs. Nash includes 
 three children; namely, Rebecca, Susan, and 
 William L. Rebecca married Daniel Mur- 
 ray, and has one daughter, Emily, and a son, 
 Fred, aged three years. Susan, the wife of 
 Wilbur Bronson, has five children: Theron, 
 Marjorie, Wilbur B., Robert, and Helen. 
 William L. has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Ella G. Griswold before marriage, 
 died at the age of twenty-three years, leaving 
 two children: Florence and 'Rebecca. His 
 second wife, formerly Catherine H. Spear, 
 has borne him one daughter, Susan. The 
 political creed of Mr. Nash is Democratic, 
 while in religious opinions he is in sympathy 
 with the tenets of the Congregational church, 
 of which his good wife is a faithful member. 
 
 'ClDWARD R. WOOSTER, of Bridge- 
 P water, a leading member of the farming 
 ^ community of this county, was born 
 
 in this town, September 17, 1861, son of 
 Peter and Caroline (Morris) Wooster. He 
 belongs to one of the oldest families in the 
 vicinity, the first of his line in Bridgewater 
 being Jabez Wooster, son of Timothy, who 
 was born in Derby in 1730, and who on Sep- 
 tember 4, 1772, purchased one hundred acres 
 of land in Bridgewater. Jabez Wooster 
 cleared this property, and, erecting a set of 
 good buildings, established there a comfort- 
 able home, where he spent the rest of his 
 life. He had but two sons : Peter and Isaac. 
 Peter, who was the great grandfather of Ed- 
 ward R. Wooster, was born in 1762, spent 
 his life on the homestead, and died in 1798. 
 He married Betsey Canfield; and they reared 
 two children: John and Susannah. John, 
 who was born in 1790, made the most of the 
 advantages afforded by the district school, and 
 became one of the best teachers of his day. 
 According to the custom of those times, he 
 taught only in the winter season, while he did 
 farm work in the summer. He soon accumu- 
 lated enough money to purchase his sister's 
 interest in the homestead, to which he was 
 much attached, and on which he made many 
 improvements. In politics a Republican, he 
 stood high in the esteem of his fellow-parti- 
 sans. He was elected to the State legisla- 
 ture, served as Selectman many terms, and 
 filled other offices of less importance. John 
 Wooster was esteemed by all who knew him, 
 being an upright business man and always 
 mindful of his neighbor's int'erest. He died 
 at the age of sixty-eight. He married 
 Jerusha, daughter of David Lockwood; and 
 they reared four children: Mary E., Peter, 
 David, and Susan. 
 
 Peter Wooster, father of Edward R., was 
 
228 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born April 6, 1820. He received a good edu- 
 cation, and when a young man engaged like 
 his father in teaching school. He followed 
 this occupation intermittently until he was 
 forty-five years of age. He then became in- 
 terested in the manufacture of hats in Bridge- 
 water, and was actively engaged in that busi- 
 ness till 1 871, when he bought the Trow- 
 bridge farm. This property contained eighty 
 acres of good land in a situation commanding 
 one of the finest views in the State. Mr. 
 Wooster remodelled the buildings, and made 
 many improvements, spending his last days 
 in the enjoyment of a model country home. 
 In 1880 he was elected Representative to the 
 legislature on the Democratic ticket, and he 
 has filled in turn almost every office within 
 the gift of the town. He died May 24, 
 1893. His wife, Caroline, born January 28, 
 1824, was a daughter of Roswell Morris, of 
 Bridgewater. She died December 18, 1892. 
 They were both members of the Episcopal 
 church. Peter and Caroline (Morris) Wooster 
 reared the following children: Laura, born 
 June 14, 1847, who married Richard Randall, 
 and died August 29, 1880, leaving one child 
 — Jennie C; John M., born September 5, 
 1850, who died January 14, 1856; Charles, 
 born January 13, 1857, a physician and sur- 
 geon of Tariffville, Conn., who married Mattie 
 Adams, and has two children — Vivian and 
 Charles; and Edward R., whose name heads 
 this article. 
 
 Edward R. Wooster succeeded his father as 
 owner of the homestead, and added by pur 
 chase thirty acres to the original property. 
 He is successfully engaged in general farm- 
 ing, making a specialty of tobacco and dairy 
 products, and is one of the leading citizens of 
 the town. He well sustains the high stand- 
 ing of the family, so honorably represented by 
 his father and grandfather. He has been 
 
 twice married. His first wife was Julia E., 
 daughter of Bruce Beach, of Bridgewater. 
 She died at the age of twenty-seven, leaving 
 one child, Kate B., who was born September 
 28, 1886. Mr. Wooster subsequently married 
 Mary L., daughter of Henry T. B. and Mary 
 C. (French) Brown. Mr. Brown, who was a 
 teacher of mathematics, died in 1873, at the 
 age of forty-five. His wife died "December 
 10, 1895, at the age of sixty-five. They were 
 the parents of five children, namely: Henry 
 S. , married to Delia G. Shaw; George H.; 
 Mary L., Mrs. Wooster; Alice; and Minnie. 
 The last two died in childhood. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Wooster favors Democratic 
 principles. He represented his town in the 
 State legislature in 1895-96. In religious 
 belief he and his wife are Episcopalians. 
 
 "slTAMES H. LINSLEY, a portrait of 
 whom is here given, is a well-known 
 and much esteemed citizen of Wood- 
 bury, Litchfield County, Conn. He was born 
 in this town, April 18, 1827, in a house 
 which stood opposite his present residence. 
 He is a son of Harvey J. and Mary (Summers) 
 Linsley, and grandson of Daniel Linsley, a 
 farmer of Branford, Conn., who lived and died 
 in his native town. 
 
 Daniel Linsley married a Miss Jones, of 
 Branford; and their son, Harvey J., was also 
 a native of that town. He learned the cabi- 
 net-maker's trade when a boy, and by economy 
 and industry saved money enough to start in 
 business in a small way as a cabinet-maker 
 and undertaker. In 1822 he purchased a lot 
 of land in Woodbury, where he built a small 
 shop, and here engaged in the manufacture of 
 household furniture. He brought with him a 
 hearse; and, as it was the first one seen in 
 the town, it was an object of wonder. His 
 
JAMES H. LINSLEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 231 
 
 furniture business soon beginning to increase, 
 he took in a number of apprentices, and en- 
 larged his factory, which eventually grew to 
 generous proportions, and was furnished with 
 a horse-power to turn out bedsteads. This 
 curious machinery his son has preserved. 
 Mr. Harvey J. Linsley was reputed the finest 
 mechanic ever known in Woodbury, and the 
 fame of his skill spread far and near. His 
 taste also was admirable, and the trees which 
 he planted are to-day a pleasing ornament to 
 the town. He became quite wealthy, and 
 was a large property owner at the time of his 
 death, which occurred in 1853. Politically, 
 he was a member of the old Whig party. He 
 was public-spirited and generous, and was 
 universally respected. In religious belief he 
 was a Congregationalist. Mr. Linsley was 
 twice married. His first wife, Laura Clark, 
 of Southington, died in 1824, leaving one 
 daughter, Mary A. His second wife, Mary 
 Summers, who was a daughter of William and 
 Joanna Summers, of Huntington, died on Jan- 
 uary II, 1879, of old age. She was the 
 mother of three children: James H., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Laura, wife of E. F. 
 Bassett; Jane, who died December 27, 1855, 
 aged twenty-one years. 
 
 James H. Linsley received his education in 
 the public schools of Woodbury. He served 
 as an apprentice under his father, and adopted 
 his motto,. "Good work always"; and in 1852 
 he took full charge of the business, disposing 
 of the furniture manufacturing industry about 
 1880, but retaining the salesrooms and the 
 undertaking department. In the mean while 
 he devoted his spare time to farming and 
 cattle-dealing, purchasing largely in the 
 West. He has now for years carried on an 
 extensive trade in live stock; and he owns 
 several farms, including the Nathaniel Smith 
 and the Curtis farms on Good Hill and the 
 
 Benedict and Minor farms on the Pomeraug 
 River. His furniture business is in a 
 flourishing condition; and, as he is the only 
 undertaker in the town, the demand for him 
 in that line is very great. He has had charge 
 of over twenty-seven hundred funerals, in- 
 cluding the obsequies of a number of centena- 
 rians. Mr. Linsley inherits his father's fine 
 taste ; and his beautiful home, surrounded by 
 well-kept lawns and shaded by magnificent 
 elm-trees, which he planted in 1850, is one of 
 the handsomest pieces of residential property 
 in the county. 
 
 October 9, 1849, Mr. Linsley married 
 Harriet E., daughter of John and Maria (Gil- 
 bert) Curtis, of Woodbury, and received from 
 his father a house and land for a wedding 
 present. Mrs. Maria Gt Linsley died in 
 
 1879, at the age of fifty. She was the 
 mother of three children : Sarah E., born in 
 September, 1851, who died March 13, 1871; 
 Anna, who died June 18, 1869, in childhood; 
 and Wilbur C, born in May, 1855. Mr. 
 Linsley was again married, September 22, 
 
 1880, taking for his second wife Sarah E. , 
 daughter of Samuel Smith, of South Britain. 
 Wilbur C. Linsley married Minnie Smith, 
 of Woodbury, by whom he had one son, James 
 L. ; and after her death he married Kate 
 Phinney, of Towanda, Penn., who bore him 
 four children: Jessie P., Sarah, Malcolm, and 
 Catherine. He and his family live in a 
 house built for him by his father on a lot ad- 
 joining the parental home. 
 
 Politically a Republican, Mr. James H. 
 Linsley represented the town in the legisla- 
 ture in 1879 and 1887. He has been a Dea- 
 con of the First Congregational Church in 
 Woodbury and Treasurer of the society 
 twenty-nine years. For forty-five years he 
 has been a member of the choir, of which 
 he was leader seventeen years; and his pro- 
 
232 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ficiency in music has caused a demand for his 
 services as a singer on various public occa- 
 sions. 
 
 Y^EBBEUS J. WELCH, a thriving and 
 IJT industrious farmer of Cornwall and a 
 "^— ^ veteran of the Civil War, vi'as born 
 in Warren, Conn., March 12, 1835, son of 
 Jason and Sarah (Bright) Welch. His first 
 ancestor in this country was Thomas Welch, 
 a native of Wales, who emigrated from that 
 country to America. His son Paul, Mr. 
 Welch's great-grandfather, followed the sea, 
 and was engaged as a trader for some years 
 between Bridgeport, Conn., and the West 
 Indies. He subsequently settled in New Mil- 
 ford, Conn., where he engaged in mercantile 
 business, and was the first merchant in that 
 town. His children were: David, John, 
 Abner, Nathan, Jephthah, Irene, and Harriet. 
 John Welch, grandfather of L. J. Welch, was 
 born in New Milford, Conn., and followed the 
 trade of a carpenter. He was a soldier in the 
 Revolutionary War, and at the close of his 
 military experience took up his residence in 
 Warren, Conn. He lived to reach the age of 
 eighty-three years. He married Rispah Page, 
 a native of Litchfield; and they reared two 
 children: Jason and Lois. Mrs. John Welch 
 died at the age of sixty-six years. Jason 
 Welch, father of our special subject, was born 
 in Warren, and was a lifelong resident of that 
 town. He adopted agriculture as an occupa- 
 tion, and, being energetic and industrious, 
 achieved a fair degree of success. He lived 
 to be eighty-seven years old. His wife, Sarah 
 Bright, daughter of Shores Bright, a native of 
 New Jersey, became the mother of eight chil- 
 dren; namely, Henriett, David, Noah, Evi, 
 Antoinette, Teresia, Lebbeus J., and Mary. 
 
 Lebbeus J. Welch, after attending the 
 schools of his native town, commenced busi- 
 
 ness life as a clerk, but subsequently relin- 
 quished mercantile pursuits for farming. 
 During the Civil War he served as a private 
 in Company K, Second Regiment Heavy 
 Artillery, Connecticut Volunteers. After 
 receiving an honorable discharge, he laid 
 down his gun, and once more took up the 
 plough, in 1887 settling on a farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres, situated in the 
 eastern part of the town of Cornwall, where 
 he has since resided. On November 10, 1864, 
 Mr. Welch was united in marriage to Cathe- 
 rine C. Williams, daughter of William R. 
 and Julia A. (Holsapple) Williams, residents 
 of West Winsted, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Welch are the parents of eight children, 
 namely: Fanny M. ; Jason W. R. ; Katie M.; 
 Lelia Ann; Belle J. and John Buel, twins; 
 Paul L.; and Warren Andrews. Mr. Welch 
 is a member of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 64, 
 A. F. & A. M., and a comrade of Gregory 
 Post, No. 59, Grand Army of the Republic. 
 
 ^ \ISS MARY PHELPS, an intelli- 
 gent and cultured woman, re- 
 _ spected and beloved by old and 
 young, resides in a pleasant old house, facing 
 Litchfield Common. This house, in which 
 she was born, and which has been kept in ex- 
 cellent repair, is one of the oldest in the lo- 
 cality, and is one of the landmarks of the 
 town, having been erected in 1782. It has 
 been in the possession of the Lewis family 
 since 1812, when it was bought by Luke 
 Lewis, the grandfather of Miss Phelps. 
 
 Henry Phelps, father of Miss Phelps, was 
 born in Simsbury, Hartford County, in 1800, 
 son of Noah L. Phelps, also a native of Sims- 
 bury. Jonathan Phelps, father of Noah and 
 great-grandfather of Miss Phelps, was born 
 and reared in Westfield, Mass., after which 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 233 
 
 he lived in Simsbury for a few years. He as- 
 sisted in clearing some of Connecticut's land 
 from its vast forests, and was afterward a 
 brave soldier in the French and Indian War. 
 He subsequently removed to Swanzey, but re- 
 turned to Simsbury before his death, which 
 occurred at a ripe old age. His son Noah 
 was reared in Simsbury, and spent a few years 
 of his early life in Farmington. Here he 
 subsequently purchased a tavern, and engaged 
 in the hotel business, living there until his 
 demise, in 1861. 
 
 Henry Phelps grew to man's estate in 
 Farmington, and there embarked in a mercan- 
 tile career, getting a good start. He subse- 
 quently opened a store for general merchan- 
 dise in Litchfield, established a prosperous 
 trade, and became one of the leading mer- 
 chants of the place. A few years prior to his 
 decease he gave up active business, living re- 
 tired until summoned to his eternal rest, in 
 1868. He married Louisa Lewis, a daughter 
 of Luke Lewis, who was a native of Goshen. 
 Nehemiah Lewis, the grandfather of Luke 
 and maternal great -great-grandfather of Miss 
 Phelps, was one of the original settlers of 
 Goshen. His son William, the next in line 
 of descent, was a lifelong resident of that 
 place, and there reared his family. 
 
 ■Luke Lewis came to Litchfield from the 
 place of his nativity when a young man, and 
 established the first drug store in this local- 
 ity. He had a successful business for many 
 years before his death, which occurred in 
 1839. He was closely identified with local 
 affairs, and was widely and favorably known 
 throughout this section of Litchfield County. 
 In 18 1 2 he bought the house now owned and 
 occupied by his grand-daughter, Miss Phelps, 
 as above stated. He reared a family of five 
 daughters, of whom Louisa, who became the 
 wife of Henry Phelps, was the only one to 
 
 marry. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Phelps, only Mary reached maturity. The 
 mother survived her husband many years, 
 dying in 1889, at the venerable age of eighty- 
 seven years. Like her ancestors, she was 
 a devoted member of the Congregational 
 church. Both she and her husband when 
 quite young united with that organization, and 
 were firm believers in the tenets of that de- 
 nomination. When the infirmities of age 
 began to tell upon her native strength, her 
 eyes growing dim and her steps feeble, she 
 was tenderly cared for by her daughter Mary, 
 who sought to anticipate her every want. 
 Miss Phelps is a worthy representative of both 
 the Lewis and Phelps families, and is highly 
 esteemed throughout the community. 
 
 EV. FATHER P. DUGGAN, pas- 
 tor of St. Francis Church of Torring- 
 ton, is a native of County Tip- 
 perary, Ireland, born in the year 1847 His 
 father, Denis Duggan, was a lifelong resi- 
 dent of said county, where he belonged to 
 the sturdy farming class so characteristic- of 
 Tipperary. 
 
 Father Duggan was reared and educated in 
 his native isle, and, after leaving the national 
 schools, completed his studies at St. Patrick's 
 College in Thurles, being ordained in the 
 cathedral of that place in 1874. Emigrating 
 to this country, he was appointed assistant at 
 St. John's Church in the town of Middlesex, 
 where he remained two years. During the 
 succeeding three years Father Duggan was at 
 the Waterbury Church of the Immaculate 
 Conception, under the Rev. Lawrence Welch. 
 Then in 1879 he was assigned to his present 
 pastorate. At that time his congregation, 
 which numbered only nine hundred souls, 
 worshipped in a small, dilapidated building, 
 
234 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 occupying the site of the present parsonage. 
 He put forth his most strenuous efforts to 
 raise money enough to erect a church and 
 suitable buildings. The result was that in 
 1885 he was able to purchase from Miss Coe 
 the lot now occupied by the school and from 
 Miss Saxford the site of the present fine 
 church. The latter edifice was completed in 
 1887, and is a model of architectural beauty, 
 being one of the finest structures in the 
 county. It is none too large for the congre- 
 gation, which now numbers twenty-four hun- 
 dred souls. 
 
 Father Duggan's labors, however, did not 
 cease with the erection of the church. In 
 1888 he built the parsonage connected with 
 it. In 1 891 he had the convent erected, and 
 two years later saw the completion and equip- 
 ment of the beautiful school building, after 
 the most approved modern plans. This 
 school is imder the charge of ten religious 
 si.sters, who give instruction to five hundred 
 pupils in the branches taught in the public 
 schools, fitting them for the high school. 
 The pastor's object in providing this school 
 for his people is to bring together the differ- 
 ent nationalities of the place, the German, 
 French, Italian, Hungarian, Pole, Slav, and 
 Thuringian, to blend them in a homogeneous 
 mass, and to so instruct the pupils as to make 
 each a worthy citizen and a loyal supporter of 
 the United States government. In pursuance 
 of this purpose Father Duggan infuses into 
 the minds of his pupils a love of the prin- 
 ciples of American liberty, realizing that 
 upon this as a corner-stone will rest the great 
 future of America. He requires not only that 
 the pupils shall be regular in their attendance 
 and diligent in their studies, but also that 
 they shall be true to the higher instincts of 
 their nature. He is of the opinion that no 
 young man can afford to be handicapped by 
 
 his own folly; that in his efforts to gain a 
 higher position for himself he cannot afford to 
 lose his chances by anything leading to dissi- 
 pation; that the great stumbling-block to be 
 shunned is strong drink; and that manhood, 
 diligence, and self-control are the groundwork 
 of success in life. 
 
 In all of his works Father Duggan is an 
 earnest and tireless laborer. He is ably as- 
 sisted in his duties by the Rev. Edward 
 Brennan. In 1890 he travelled extensively 
 in Europe, and studied the social, civil, and 
 religious questions, his object being to in- 
 form himself upon these matters as an aid 
 to his parish work. He proudly speaks of 
 America as his country by adoption, and says 
 that no country surpasses it, and that no 
 grander people than the Americans are to be 
 found on the face of the earth. 
 
 RCHIBALD McLEISH, a leading 
 citizen of Falls Village, Salisbury, 
 foreman in the car-shops of the 
 New Haven Railroad in that place, was born 
 in Charleston, Scotland, April 28, I858, son 
 of Robert and Elizabeth (Mason) McLeish. 
 His grandfather, whose name also was Robert 
 McLeish, was a printer in Scotland; and his 
 father, Robert, Jr., was in the service of .the 
 government twenty-two years, serving as clerk 
 in the army. The latter was subsequently in 
 the employ of the North Bridge Railroad 
 seventeen years. The mother of Mr. Mc- 
 Leish, who was a daughter of Joseph Mason, 
 came to America in 1882, and is now in her 
 seventy-third year. She and her husband 
 reared six children; namely, Alexander, 
 Archibald, Robert, Ellen, Margaret, and 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 Archibald McLeish learned the carpenter's 
 trade in Scotland, acquiring the thoroughness 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 235 
 
 and nicety of execution peculiar to expert 
 workmen. Coming to America in 1880, he 
 first found work as a car-builder at Norwood, 
 Mass. Subsequently he was seven years in 
 the employ of the New York & New England 
 Railroad at that place, and in 1887 he went to 
 work for the New Haven road. In this em- 
 ployment he gave so much satisfaction that in 
 time he was made foreman. He got charge of 
 the car department in the Falls Village works 
 in 1893, and up to the present time has filled 
 the position in a satisfactory manner. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. McLeish was united in mar- 
 riage with Ellen Stewart, daughter of David 
 Stewart, of Dumferline, Scotland. Four 
 children have blessed their union; namely, 
 Robert, David, Alexander, and Florence. 
 
 In politics Mr. McLeish is Republican. 
 He is advanced in Masonry, being a member 
 of Orient Lodge of Norwood, Mass., A. F. 
 & A. M., and also of Phoenix Lodge, No. 79, 
 of New Haven, Conn. He also belongs to 
 the Order of United Workmen. 
 
 W: 
 
 ILLIAM STANLEY BALDWIN, 
 a representative business man of 
 New Milford, was born in New 
 York City,. April 25, 1831, son of Stanley S. 
 and Harriet (Stevens) Baldwin. Mr. Bald- 
 win's grandfather, Joel Baldwin, was a native 
 of Brookfield, Conn., and a cooper by trade. 
 He was also engaged in agriculture as well as 
 coopering, and enjoyed a fair degree of pros- 
 perity. He was a land-owner, and conducted 
 a large farm situated upon Long Meadow 
 Hill. In his latter years he engaged in the 
 grain business. His children by his first 
 marriage were: Polly, Stanley Sanford, Sam- 
 uel, and Minerva; by his second marriage, 
 Catherine, Thomas, Mary Anne, George, 
 Edwin, Herriot, and Henry. Stanley S. 
 
 Baldwin, Mr. Baldwin's father, learned the 
 trade of manufacturing jewelry in New Haven, 
 and later established himself in business at 
 4 Franklin Square, New York City, where he 
 conducted a prosperous business until his 
 death, which took place when he was thirty- 
 four years old. He was a supporter of the 
 Whig party in politics, and was a membes of 
 the Congregational church. His wife, Har- 
 riet Stevens, became the mother of one son : 
 William Stanley, the subject of this sketch. 
 She afterward became the wife of Almon 
 Hallock, of Gaylordsville. 
 
 William Stanley Baldwin has resided for 
 the most part in New Milford since reaching 
 the age of four years; and he received his ed- 
 ucation in the schools of that town and in 
 Brooklyn, N.Y. He early engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits, and for six years after his 
 marriage conducted farming with his step- 
 father in Gaylordsville. In 1862 he became 
 financially interested in a patent pump, which 
 proved a profitable* investment; and he carried 
 on business in that line in New Milford for 
 several years. He is now engaged in the 
 grocery business with his son-in-law. In 
 1863 he purchased the A. B. Mygat property 
 on East Street, which he has improved and 
 beautified by setting out fruit trees, grading 
 and laying out the grounds into lawns and 
 walks, and remodelling the house. 
 
 On October 18, 1853, Mr. Baldwin was 
 united in marriage to Betsey Potter, who was 
 born July 20, 1830, daughter of James A. 
 and Phebe (Gelston) Potter. Her father was 
 a prosperous farmer and extensive horse dealer 
 of Albion, N.Y., who after a busy and suc- 
 cessful career finally retired from active busi- 
 ness pursuits. He reared a family of seven 
 children, namely: Clark; Maltby; Betsey, 
 who is now Mrs. Baldwin; George; Henry; 
 James; and Phebe. 
 
236 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin have three children, 
 namely: Alice G., who was born June 11, 
 1855; Nellie L., born December 3, 1858; 
 and Harriet P., born January 25, 1868. 
 Alice G. Baldwin married George H. Jack- 
 son, and has one daughter, named Cornelia 
 Baldwin. Mr. Jackson is an enterprising 
 grocer of New Milford, which is his native 
 town. He is a son of Charles W. and Laura 
 M. (Hine) Jackson. His father, who was a 
 farmer and brick-maker, enlisted in 1862 as 
 a private in Company H, Second Regiment, 
 Connecticut Heavy Artillery, and was killed 
 in the battle of Cold Harbor. Nellie L. 
 Baldwin married Harry Ives, son of Henry 
 and Lucy T. (Yale) Ives. Her husband is 
 engaged in the paper box business in New 
 Milford. Harriet P. Baldwin married Will- 
 iam H. Percy, ticket agent and operator at 
 the New Milford station, and has one son, 
 named Stanley Baldwin. 
 
 Mr. William S. Baldwin is a Republican in 
 politics. He and his wife and daughters are 
 members of the Congregational church, the 
 family taking an active part in church work. 
 
 DfREI 
 
 REDERICK N. WOODRUFF, whose 
 J^l, home is situated in the South District 
 of Watertown, one and a half miles 
 from the village, was born March- 30, 1812, 
 on the farm he now occupies, his parents 
 being Nathaniel and Esther (Hungerford) 
 Woodruff. His great-grandfather, John 
 Woodruff, a native and lifelong resident of 
 Milford, Conn., was of English ancestry. 
 Captain John Woodruff, son of the elder John, 
 moved from Milford to Watertown after his 
 marriage, and finally settled upon the estate 
 which is now owned by his grandson, Freder- 
 ick N. He applied himself sedulously to 
 agricultural labors for a number of years, dur- 
 
 ing which time he improved his property into 
 a good farm, and died at the age of seventy 
 years. 
 
 Nathaniel was the youngest of the family of 
 eight children born to Captain Woodruff and 
 his wife. He was reared at the homestead, 
 which he succeeded to the possession of after 
 his father's death. He continued to improve 
 the property, cultivating the land successfully 
 and erecting the present residence. He died 
 at the age of eighty-five. He was a Democrat 
 in politics, taking an active part in local pub- 
 lic affairs; and he served with ability as a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen and as 
 Justice of the Peace. He was twice married, 
 his first wife, Esther Hungerford, being a 
 daughter of Deacon Jonas Hungerford, a rep- 
 resentative of one of the oldest families in 
 Watertown. She became the mother of five 
 children, of whom two are now living, 
 namely: Frederick N., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Lydia Ann, widow of Charles 
 Bidwell. Mrs. Esther H. Woodruff died at 
 the age of fifty years. Both parents attended 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 Frederick N. Woodruff was educated in the 
 district and select schools of Watertown, and 
 at an early age he began to assist in attend- 
 ing to the farm duties at home. He became 
 proficient in all branches of agriculture, and 
 managed the farm during his father's declin- 
 ing years, finally inheriting the homestead. 
 His land, consisting of one hundred acres, is 
 well located and in a good state of cultiva- 
 tion; and he has always carried on general 
 farming with prosperous results, his crops 
 being large and of a superior quality. 
 
 On September 21, 1842, Mr. Woodruff mar- 
 ried his first wife, Nancy E. Tolles, daughter 
 of Sheldon Tolles, of Woodbury. She died 
 aged fifty-six, having been the mother of one 
 child, who died at the age of seven years; and 
 
FREDERICK N. WOODRUFF. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 239 
 
 he wedded for his second wife Martha A. 
 Beardslee, daughter of D. M. Beardslee,, of 
 Watertown. 
 
 Mr. Woodruff is a supporter of the Demo- 
 cratic party, and has rendered valuable service 
 to the town as a member of the School Beard. 
 He is a member of the Congregational church, 
 with which he has been actively connected for 
 many years, and has served upon the various 
 committees. He assisted in the establish- 
 ment of a mission at Oakville, where he acted 
 as superintendent of the Sunday-school ; and, 
 although he has reached the advanced age of 
 eighty-three years, he still retains sufficient 
 vigor to enable him to continue in church 
 work. He is possessed of a high order of in- 
 telligence, has been a great reader, and is 
 well informed upon all important questions 
 of the day. He has lived an industrious and 
 useful life, and has always enjoyed the re- 
 spect and esteem of his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 A portrait of this venerable citizen will be 
 recognized on another page. 
 
 (T' 
 
 EORGE S. DUNNING, a general 
 merchant of East Canaan, Litchfield 
 County, Conn., was born in that 
 town, July 19, 1859, son of Lyman and Isa- 
 bella (Holcomb) Dunning. Mr. Dunning' s 
 great-grandfather, Edmund Dunning, who 
 lived to the advanced age of ninety-two years, 
 was a resident of Canaan; and Hawley Dun- 
 ning, Mr. Dunning's grandfather, was born 
 here, and followed farming, also conducting a 
 tannery in the building which is now oc- 
 cupied by the subject of this sketch as a 
 store. His wife, who died aged fifty-six, was 
 the mother of two children, namely: Lyman; 
 and Ellen, who became Mrs. Holcomb. 
 Lyman Dunning was born in East Canaan, 
 and was reared to farm life, which he followed 
 
 until reaching the age of twenty-eight years. 
 He then engaged in mercantile pursuits in 
 his native town, where he continued to carry 
 on business until 1889, when he sold the 
 store to his son, George S., and is now liv- 
 ing in retirement at the age of sixty-four 
 years. He was twice married. His first 
 wife, Isabella Holcomb, who died at the age 
 of thirty-three years, was the mother of four 
 children: Celia (deceased); George S., 
 whose name appears at the head of this 
 sketch; Ellen; ind Belle. For his second 
 wife Lyman Dunning married Esther Stevens 
 Rood. 
 
 George S. Dunning passed his boyhood on 
 the old Dunning homestead, which has been 
 in possession of the family for four genera- 
 tions. He was educated in the schools of his 
 native town, and at the age of twenty-six went 
 to Manning, la., where for three years he was * 
 engaged in general mercantile business. He 
 then returned to East Canaan, and in 1889, 
 as elsewhere stated, purchased his father's 
 business, which he has since conducted with 
 prosperous results. In 1887 Mr. Dunning 
 was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Clark, 
 daughter of Nelson Clark, of Canaan. Mr. 
 Dunning is a Republican in politics, and has 
 served as a member of the School Board. 
 
 OSHUA A. BOLLES, editor of the 
 New Milford Gazette and a writer on a 
 variety of topics, is one of the leading 
 citizens of New Milford, and a native of 
 Waterford, Conn., where his birth occurred on 
 May 26, 1856. He is a son of Joshua and 
 Theresa A. J. (Wheeler) Bolles, his father 
 having been a well-known book publisher. 
 
 During his active business career Joshua 
 Bolles was associated with his brothers in a 
 book store and publishing business at New 
 
240 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 London, Conn. The firm compiled and issued 
 the Bolles Dictionary and the Bolles Sjjelling- 
 book. Joshua Bolles died in 1857, two years 
 after his marriage, when he was but forty-nine 
 years old. His wife, Theresa A. J. Wheeler 
 Bolles, is now living at the age of sixty-seven 
 years. Their only child is Joshua A., of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Joshua A. Bolles spent his boyhood in the 
 old seaport town of New London, Conn., and 
 was graduated from the Bulkeley School. He 
 afterward entered Amherst 'College, but on 
 account of severe illness was unable to remain 
 long. At twenty years of age he began his 
 career as a newspaper man in the office of the 
 New York Mail, which was then edited by the 
 late Major Bundy. He received valuable 
 training from William Henry Forman, the lit- 
 erary editor, also from Colonel Clifford 
 Thompson, a well-known New York journalist. 
 Mr. Bolles subsequently learned to set type in 
 the office of the New London Telegram, and 
 after that went to Great Barrington, Mass., 
 where he was employed by Clark W. Bryan to 
 write for the Berkshire Courier, the Paper 
 World, and other publications of Clark W. 
 Bryan & Co. From Great Barrington, in com- 
 pany with Mr. F. H. Giddings, he came to 
 New Milford, where they purchased and edited 
 the Gazette. Mr. Giddings retired after a 
 year, and Mr. Bolles has since conducted the 
 paper alone and has brought it into the front 
 rank of country newspapers. 
 
 In 1 891 he erected a three-story block, the 
 first floor of which he rents for a grocery store, 
 and the third for a photographic studio; the 
 second is devoted to his newspaper and job 
 printing business, for which work he has a 
 thorough equipment of fine machinery and 
 presses, which are run by means of power fur- 
 nished by a nine-horse boiler and a four-horse 
 steam-engine. Mr. Bolles has contributed 
 
 many stories to the Boston Bicdget, Belford's 
 Magarsine, Frank Leslie' s Popular Monthly, 
 the Yankee Blade, and other publications. 
 Two of his essays read before the Connecticut 
 Editorial Association, entitled "The Country 
 Editor of To-day" and "Country Journalism 
 as an Art," have attracted special notice. 
 
 On September 15, 1887, Mr. Bolles was 
 united in marriage with Miss Ella S. Irwin, a 
 daughter of Robert Irwin. They are the par- 
 ents of one daughter, Gertrude E., born 
 December 19, 1888. The family reside on 
 Bridge Street, where Mr. Bolles owns a pleas- 
 ant home centrally located. 
 
 ^TJDWARD COWLES, of Woodbury, one- 
 Jpl of the leading manufacturers of Litch- 
 field County, was born in Bethlehem, 
 Conn., September 19, 1829, son of David .M. 
 and Alma (Merriam) Cowles. His grandfather 
 also, Levi Cowles, who was born in Bethlehem 
 and there spent his life on a farm, died in 
 1 813, at the age of forty-six. The wife of 
 Levi, whose maiden name was Rachel Rumney, 
 died in 1835, in her sixty-seventh year. The 
 couple reared several children ; namely, Truman, 
 John, Betsey, Albert, Althea, Edward, Maria, 
 Sarah, David M., Susan, and Wealthy. 
 
 David M. Cowles, father of Edward Cowles, 
 was born in Bethlehem, Conn., March 5, 1805. 
 After his father's death he took charge of the 
 homestead, and engaged in general farming, 
 gradually buying more land until he owned 
 four hundred acres in the eastern part of the 
 town. He dealt largely in cattle, going West 
 and North to trade. He owned stock in differ- 
 ent manufacturing enterprises, buying cau- 
 tiously at first, and gradually increasing his 
 inve,stments until he was one of the wealthiest 
 men in the county. He first became inter- 
 ested in the American Shears Manufactory, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 241 
 
 buying several shares of the stock. Subse- 
 quently, with his son, the subject of this 
 sketch, he gained control of the whole enter- 
 prise, which has since reached mammoth pro- 
 portions under the management of the younger 
 man. Politically a Republican, he was a 
 prominent factor in the town government, act- 
 ing as Selectman and in other official capaci- 
 ties. He died January 17, 1886. On No- 
 vember 27, 1828, he was married to Alma, 
 daughter of Oliver Merriam, of Watertown, 
 who died January 18, 1873. She was the 
 mother of the following children : Edward, 
 whose name heads this article; Oliver, born 
 June 15, 1831, who died November 15, 1833; 
 Oliver, born April 24, 1833; David, born Sep- 
 tember 4, 1835; Wealthy, born February 11, 
 1838; Horace, born January 9, 1841 ; Truman, 
 born February 14, 1844; and Mary J., born 
 July 3, 1846. 
 
 Edward Cowles received his early education 
 in the schools of his native town. He assisted 
 his father in the care of the farm and the cat- 
 tle until he attained his majority, and then 
 purchased a farm for himself, which he man- 
 aged seven years. After that he moved to 
 Woodbury, and located in Hotchkissville, be- 
 coming Secretary and Treasurer of the Ameri- 
 can Shears Company, in which he and his 
 father were stockholders. This company was 
 organized in 1852, and Mr. Cowles was Secre- 
 tary and Treasurer until 1886, when he and 
 his father bought up all the stock; and he be- 
 came President, becoming sole manager after 
 his father's death. The business has greatly 
 increased within the past ten years, and now 
 gives employment to one hundred and twenty- 
 five hands, turning out annually three thousand 
 different kinds of knives, besides many kinds 
 of scissors and shears. Stock is imported for 
 the handles of tbe knives, comprising pearl, 
 tortoise shell, horn, cocoa wood, ebony, and 
 
 other fine materials. The blades are wholly 
 made of Sheffield plate steel. He has many 
 machines of the latest pattern for cutting and 
 finishing; and he has a fine water power, and 
 also a fifty-horse power engine for special pur- 
 poses. Each knife goes through several dif- 
 ferent hands before it is finished. Mr. Cowles 
 finds market for his goods all through the 
 United States, sending them as far west as 
 California. His manufactory occupies several 
 buildings, ranging from two to three stories 
 high ; and he owns several tenement houses, 
 besides a fine residence in Woodbury. In 
 1895 he bought the Young house in Wood- 
 bury, which he remodelled; and, beautifying 
 the grounds and erecting a new barn, he trans- 
 formed the whole into one of the handsomest 
 pieces of residential property in the county. 
 
 On April 21, 1858, he was married to 
 Esther A., daughter of Charles C. Hatch, of 
 Bridgewater, Conn. She was born October 
 20, 1833, and died January 18, 1893, leaving 
 three children — Julius H., Emogene A., and 
 Caroline L. Julius H., who was born Septem- 
 ber 19, 1859, is in company with his father, 
 and is superintendent of the works. He mar- 
 ried Mrs. Sarah Smith, who had by her former 
 marriage one son, Edward H., now adopted by 
 her husband. Julius Cowles has one daughter 
 living, Gladys E., and has lost three children. 
 Caroline L. Cowles, who was born December 
 23, 1864, is an artist, wife of Arthur Wright, 
 who also is an artist. Emogene A., born July 
 8, 1862, resides in California. Edward 
 Cowles was again married November 19, 1894, 
 his bride being Fannie M., daughter of James 
 and Caroline (Capewell) Stone, of Woodbury. 
 James Stone, who was a son of Sheldon Moses 
 and Ursula (Gillette) Stone, was born in 
 Woodbury, December 10, 1836. In early life 
 he was a carpenter and contractor, and later he 
 was successfully engaged in the bakery busi- 
 
242 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ness. He died at the age of fifty-eight. His 
 wife, who was a daughter of George A. and 
 Harriet (Davis) Capewell, lives with her 
 daughter, Mrs. Cowles. They reared the fol- 
 lowing children: Mary E., born November 25, 
 1859, who was first married to Frank Root, 
 and after his death became the wife of Samuel 
 Root; Henry J., who died in childhood; Ellen 
 L., born October 30, 1862, wife of Lewis 
 Dawson; Fanny M. 5 born April 8, 1866, wife 
 of our subject; and George S. , born September 
 12, 1872. In politics Mr. Cowles is a stanch 
 Republican. He is an esteemed member of 
 the Episcopal church, to which his wife also 
 ' belongs. 
 
 bfRAT 
 
 RANK J. IvILBORN, an enterprising 
 [jlj, miller of Washington, was born in 
 Litchfield, May 22, 1850, son of 
 Jeremiah and Rachel C. (Westover) Kilborn. 
 Mr. Kilborn's grandfather, Putnam Kilborn, 
 was a native and a lifelong resident of Litch- 
 field. He followed agriculture prosperously 
 during his active period, and died at the age 
 of seventy-two years. He married Catherine 
 Freeman, and reared a family of seven chil- 
 dren; namely, Hiram G., Jeremiah, Rollin 
 F., Hobart, Abigail, Clarissa, and Charles. 
 The grandmother lived to reach the age of 
 seventy-two. 
 
 Jeremiah Kilborn, Mr. Kilborn's father, 
 was born in Litchfield. He learned the trade 
 of a blacksmith, an occupation which he fol- 
 lowed industriously until he lost his sight. 
 This, together with other physical disabilities, 
 caused his retirement from active labor. He 
 died at the age of thirty-two years. His wife, 
 Rachel (Westover) Kilborn, was a daughter of 
 John Westover, of Litchfield ; and she became 
 the mother of two children, namely: David 
 P., who married Lucy J. Hatch, of New Mil- 
 ford, Conn.; and Frank J., the subject of 
 
 this sketch. The mother still survives at the 
 age of seventy-one years. 
 
 Frank J. Kilborn received his education in 
 the schools of his native town. At the age of 
 seventeen he commenced to learn the trade of 
 a stone-cutter. He also acquired the mason's 
 trade, and afterward followed these occupations 
 for twenty years. In 1889 he moved to Wash- 
 ington, and, purchasing his present property, 
 engaged in the milling business, which he has 
 since prosperously followed. His mill is run 
 by three wheels combined, giving ninety-horse 
 power, which is ample for his present needs. 
 Besides milling a large amount of flour and 
 grain, in which he has built up a thriving 
 trade, he grinds about eight hundred bushels 
 of rye annually. He also makes a specialty 
 of producing cider of a superior quality, at the 
 rate of about one thousand barrels each season. 
 He conducts business on a liberal and progres- 
 sive scale, and his energy and ability are pro- 
 ducing the most satisfactory returns for his 
 investment. In politics he is a Democrat; 
 and, although his business monopolizes the 
 major part of his time, he has served the town 
 as first Selectman with ability for two years. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Kilborn was united in marriage 
 to Julia A. Jordan, daughter of Timothy C. 
 Jordan. They have two children, namely: 
 Wilbur T., who married Agnes P. Lofland, 
 and has one child; and Harry G., who died 
 October 27, 1895. He is well advanced in 
 Masonry, having been Master of Rising Sun 
 Lodge, No. 27, a member of Meridian Chap- 
 ter, No. 15, Royal Arch Masons and Tyrian 
 Council Royal and Select Masters, and of 
 Clark Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templars. 
 As a citizen and a business man, Mr. Kilborn 
 in highly esteemed by a large circle of friends 
 and acquaintances, who appreciate his various 
 commendable traits of character and true 
 worth. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 243 
 
 HOMAS H. BROWN, a highly intel- 
 ligent and respected business man of 
 Thomaston, where he is engaged in 
 the tea and coffee and crockery business, and 
 also follows the vocation of an undertaker, 
 was born in Plymouth, Conn., March 17, 1857, 
 son of Thomas and Mary (Brown) Brown. 
 Patrick Brown, the grandfather of Thomas H., 
 was born in Ireland, of Irish parentage. His 
 life was sper^t in that country, where he fol- 
 lowed the occupation of a farmer. 
 
 His son, Thomas Brown, who was also a na- 
 tive of Ireland, was brought up in the calling 
 of his father, and received his education in 
 that country. At the age of twenty years he 
 came to this country, where upon his arrival 
 he settled in Plymouth, Conn. He went to 
 work as a carriage-painter in the large carriage 
 factory which was then located in that town, 
 and was there employed for several years. He 
 next secured a position with the Seth Thomas 
 Clock Company, remaining with them until 
 within five years of his death, which occurred 
 in 1893, in the sixty-third year of his age. 
 His wife, who, though bearing the same sur- 
 name as himself, was not a relative, was of 
 Irish descent, and the daughter of James 
 Brown, who spent his life in Ireland as a 
 farmer. She bore her husband seven children, 
 of whom five are now living, namely : Thomas 
 H., the subject of thfs sketch; Joseph J., re- 
 siding at South Norwalk, where he has charge 
 of a restaurant; Katy, employed in her 
 brother's store; Maggie, a successful dress- 
 maker; and Mary, who is employed in the 
 ofifice of the Seth Thomas Clock Company. 
 Their mother died in April, 1891, sixty-one 
 years of age. Both parents were consistent 
 members of the Catholic church, the daughters 
 being members of the choir. 
 
 Thomas H. Brown remained with his par- 
 ents during his early years, and acquired a 
 
 good common and high school education. He 
 then secured a position with the Seth Thomas 
 Clock Company, and continued in their employ 
 for nine years. At the expiration of that time 
 he entered into business for himself; and since 
 April, 1883, he has conducted a constantly 
 increasing trade, winning by his upright deal- 
 ings the respect and friendship of those with 
 whom he comes in daily contact. He carries 
 a complete line of teas and coffees and an ex- 
 cellent assortment of crockery and glass ware, 
 being the only merchant in Thomaston to make 
 a specialty of these lines. In 1893 he added 
 to his other business that of an undertaker, the 
 serious duties of which he is well qualified to 
 perform. 
 
 His political views are those of a stanch 
 Democrat. He has served two years on the 
 Board of Assessors, and has been a member of 
 the Board of Relief. Fraternally, he is a 
 member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, 
 being Treasurer of his court, of the Ancient 
 Order of Hibernians, and of the Knights of 
 Columbus. He is a member of the Fire De- 
 partment, and Treasurer of the Crescent Flose 
 Company. In his religious belief he is a 
 Catholic, and a communicant of St. Thomas 
 Church. 
 
 "ON. GUY C. FORD, of Washing- 
 ton, who is Judge of Probate and 
 holds other important positions, was 
 born on the Ford homestead in Washington, 
 September 3, 1826, son of Captain Simeon and 
 Mary (Fenn) Ford. The first representative 
 of the Ford family in Washington was Samuel, 
 the great-grandfather of Mr. Guy C. Ford. 
 Samuel Ford was born in Old Milford, and 
 settled in Washington at an early date. He 
 fought for independence in the Revolution, 
 bravely undergoing the trials and privations 
 that fell to the lot of the sturdy soldiers of 
 
244 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Continental army. His son Samuel, the 
 grandfather of Mr. Ford, was also a native of 
 Old Milford. He moved to Washington with 
 his father, and spent his life there in the calm 
 avocations of a farmer. He died in 1841, at 
 the age of seventy-one years. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Betsey Piatt, was a daughter 
 of Samuel Piatt, who also was a Revolutionary 
 soldier. Mrs. Ford died at the age of seventy- 
 five, laying down the burdens of life in 1850. 
 They had but one son, Simeon. 
 
 Captain Simeon Ford, born in Washington 
 in 1800, was content to follow in the footsteps 
 of his father, tilling the paternal acres up to 
 the time of his death, which occurred in 1871. 
 His wife, who was the daughter of Gershom 
 Fenn, a farmer of Washington, lived to be 
 eighty-eight years old, passing from life in 
 1 891. Simeon and Mary (Fenn) Ford reared 
 the following children: Guy C, the siibject of 
 this sketch; Isabella, who died at the age of 
 seven years; Frances H., who married John 
 Woodruff, and has one child, Addie H. ; and 
 Isabella B. , who married Ray T. Kipp. 
 
 Guy C. Ford has also devoted a good part of 
 his life to agriculture, tilling the farm which 
 supported his father and grandfather. How- 
 ever, being a man of unusual ability, he has 
 been called to fill various official positions of 
 responsibility, political and otherwise. His 
 services are in frequent demand to settle es- 
 tates, He has been a Justice of the Peace 
 since 1856, and was appointed Judge of Pro- 
 bate in 1891. He was elected to the legisla- 
 ture on the Republican ticket in 1855, 1887, 
 and 1891, serving in 1887 as Chairman of the 
 Committee on Constitutional Revision, and in 
 1889 as a member of the Educational Com- 
 mittee. 
 
 In i860 Judge Ford was united in marriage 
 with CeliaJ., daughter of Samuel and Sarah 
 (Canfield) Nettleton. Mrs. Ford died in 
 
 1884, in her fifty-seventh year, leaving one 
 daughter, Ellen A., who is married to C. I. 
 Parsley, and has one son, Anthony R. Judge 
 Ford occupies a prominent place in Masonic 
 circles, being First Past Master of Rising Sun 
 Lodge, No. 27, A. F. & A. M., of Washing- 
 ton, a member of Darius Chapter, No. 16, 
 and of Buell Council of Litchfield. He also 
 belongs to Washington Grange, No. 10. In 
 religious matters he favors the Episcopal 
 church, having been Warden and Lay Reader 
 for alternate Sundays for nearly thirty years. 
 
 pjENJAMIN F. LAMPPIIER, a prom- 
 '''^A inent farmer of Goshen, Conn., son 
 of George and Elizabeth B. (Robin- 
 son) Lamphier, was born in this town, Febru- 
 ary 20, 1836. Mr. Lamphier' s father, who 
 was a native of Rhode Island, settled in 
 Goshen at the age of twenty years, and here 
 followed agriculture during the active period 
 of his life. He owned a good farm, upon 
 which he made various improvements, and was 
 an industrious and highly respected member of 
 the community. He died at the age of eighty- 
 two years. His wife, Elizabeth B. Robinson, 
 who was a daughter of Thomas Robinson, of 
 Stonington, Conn., became the mother of six 
 children. The following is a brief record of 
 the family : Elizabeth Lamphier became Mrs. 
 George H. Crandal ; George W. married Emily 
 Richardson, and reared five children— Ed- 
 ward P., Emily E^., George W., Origin S., and 
 Alfred; Joseph married Elvira Clemens, and 
 reared six children — Arthur G., Lydia E., 
 Minnie J., Burton, Frederick, and Eugene; 
 Homer died at the age of eighteen; Benjamin 
 F. is further spoken of in the paragraph below ; 
 Lucretia died aged twenty-two years. Mrs. 
 George Lamphier lived to reach the advanced 
 age of ninety years. 
 
B. F. LAMPHIER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 247 
 
 Benjamin F. Lamphier attended the district 
 schools of his native town, and was reared to 
 farm life. He has always resided at the home- 
 stead, which consists of one hundred and sixty 
 acres of well-improved land ; and he has man- 
 aged his property. with a degree of success that 
 can only be attained through industry and a 
 thorough practical knowledge of the principles 
 and processes of agriculture. He is a Demo- 
 crat in politics; and, although he has always 
 closely applied himself to his legitimate occu- 
 pation, he has found time to take part in pub- 
 lic affairs, in which he has been called upon 
 to serve in various responsible positions of im- 
 portance. He has filled the offices of Consta- 
 ble and Collector with ability, and in 1881 
 was elected to represent his town in the State 
 legislature, in which capacity he rendered effi- 
 cient service to the community whose interests 
 were intrusted to his charge. 
 
 On November 3, 1858, Mr. Lamphier was 
 united in marriage to Jerusha M. Howe, who 
 was born in Canaan, May 21, 1839. Her 
 father, Lyman Howe, who was a prosperous 
 farmer of Canaan, Conn., died at the age of 
 fifty-seven years. He and his wife, Jerusha 
 Lowery Howe, reared a family of five children. 
 The first, Erastus L., married Esther Bradley, 
 and has one daughter, named Fanny, who is 
 married and has four children — Clinton E., 
 Minnie E., Maude L., and Mabel. The sec- 
 ond, Olive, is the wife of William W. Millard, 
 of Canaan, and has three children — Fitch, 
 who married Nettie Sardham ; Mary, who mar- 
 ried William Marsh, and has four children — 
 Charles, John, Ray, and William L., who 
 married Mary Marsh, of Cornwall. The third, 
 Henry, married Mary Merwin, and has six 
 children — Elizabeth, Lyman, Sarah, Harriet, 
 Julia, and Emma. The fourth was Jerusha. 
 The fifth was Elisha, who died aged eighteen 
 years. The mother died aged thirty-seven years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lamphier have four children, 
 namely: George Lyman, born July 4, 1865; 
 Ada Lucretia and Ida Jerusha, twins, born 
 August 20, 1868; and Elizabeth Olive, born 
 January 20, 1871. George Lyman Lamphier 
 fitted for college at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover, Mass., taking both scientific and classi- 
 cal courses, was graduated at Yale in the class 
 of 1889, and has since been successfully en- 
 gaged in educational work. His first field of 
 labor was at Winton College, Columbus, Ga. 
 Obliged to return North at the end of the year 
 on account of ill-health, he was principal of the 
 West Winsted High School for the next four 
 years. He then resigned, and went to South 
 Hadley, Mass., remaining there until called to 
 Pepperell, Middlesex County, Mass., where he 
 now holds a position as superintendent of 
 schools. He was married on June 22, 1889, 
 to Louise Davis. Their two children are: 
 Louise Lyman Lamphier, born July 18, 1892; 
 and Edward George Lamphier, born February 
 27, 1894. 
 
 Ida Jerusha Lamphier was married April 
 18, 1889, to Willis M. Hurlburt, who was born 
 at Cornwall Hollow, September 7, 1868. 
 They have three children: Ruth Minnie, born 
 January 23, 1890; Mark, born June 15, 1891 ; 
 and Roy Benjamin, born September 23, 1893. 
 Ada Lucretia Lamphier was married March 
 25, 1890, to Allyn H. Vaill, a native of 
 Goshen, born May 23, 1870. They have two 
 children: Edna Rebecca Vaill, born August 
 13, 1892; and Robert Lamphier Vaill, born 
 April 16, 1893. Elizabeth Olive Lamphier 
 was married March 14, 1894, to William H. 
 Harrison, formerly of Waterloo, la., who was 
 born at Cornwall Hollow, Conn., February 23, 
 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Lamphier attend the 
 Congregational church. A portrait of Mr. 
 Lamphier occupies another page of this 
 volume. 
 
248 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (sTVLBERT S. PEARSALL, a resident 
 t^ of Hotchkissville, Woodbury town- 
 ^ "V._^ ship, was born in Bronxville, West- 
 chester County, N. Y., August i, 1853. 
 James Pearsall, the grandfather of Albert 
 Pearsall, was also a native of Westchester. 
 He was a piano-maker by trade, and both he 
 and his wife lived fourscore years. They left 
 three sons, one of whom, Jarvis Pearsall, was 
 the father of Albert S. 
 
 Jarvis Pearsall was born in Nyack, N.Y. 
 He became in after years a resident of Kings- 
 bridge, N. v., where he learned the trades of 
 blacksmith and carriage-maker. To these 
 branches of industry, after putting up a trip- 
 hammer, he added the making of wagon axles. 
 He finally established himself in Bronxville, 
 N. Y., where he died. Both his wife, who 
 was Catherine Cole before marriage, and him- 
 self died young, though the exact ages are not 
 known. A family of six small children were 
 thus left to face the difficult problem of life 
 without parental protection. These children 
 were: John H., James C, William, David C, 
 Catherine, and Albert S. John H., who 
 fought in the late Civil War, married Mary 
 Valentine, and died at twenty-five years of 
 age, leaving one child, John. James C, who 
 also served in the late war, is a cooper, living 
 in Sing Sing, N.Y., married to Kate Davis, 
 and the father of two children — Kate and Jar- 
 vis. David C. likewise served in the war, 
 and Catherine died young. 
 
 The life-story of a man or woman who has 
 unusual odds to fight against, and has yet main- 
 tained an honorable name, is always full of 
 interest to other strugglers. In reviewing the 
 life of Albert S. Pearsall, one finds encourage- 
 ment and example. Left an orphan when of 
 tender years, he was taken by a Mr. Pease, who 
 cared for him until an elder brother claimed 
 the privilege of becoming the child's protec- 
 
 tor. He was now sent to school, but very 
 soon after this second adoption he was again 
 left utterly alone by this brother's death. 
 The boy secured work in the knife factory at 
 Bronxville, where he became by care and in- 
 dustry a skilled workman. In 1876 he was 
 sufficient of an adept in his trade to venture 
 elsewhere, so he came to Hotchkissville, 
 where he found employment in the American 
 Knife and Shears Company. So competent a 
 workman did he show himself to be that in 
 time he became a foreman in the grinding and 
 finishing department, a situation he held until 
 1893. At this time he exchanged factory 
 work for the lighter duties of a head clerkship 
 in the store of Mr. G. F. Morris, of Hotch- 
 kissville. In this position he has gained the 
 esteem of his employer and the merited com- 
 mendation of his friends. On the 25th of 
 June, 1874, Mr. Pearsall obtained the dearest 
 wish of his heart by becoming united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Ellen E. Garrity. Her parents, 
 James and Ellen Garrity, were residents of 
 Roxbury township, where the father cultivated 
 a farm. Mr. Pearsall is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and is a member of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 ^ENJAMIN TREAT, of the firm of 
 Treat & Starr, large dry-goods mer- 
 chants in New Milford, was born in 
 Bridgewater, July 17, 1823, son of Joseph C. 
 and Lucy (Gorham) Treat, and grandson of 
 Abijah and Abigail (Canfield) Treat. 
 
 His first paternal ancestor in this country 
 was Governor Robert Treat, who was born 
 in England in 162 1. He came to America 
 when hardly more than a boy, resided for a 
 time in Wethersfield, Conn., and removed to 
 Milford in his eighteenth year, thereby becom- 
 ing one of the first settlers in that town. In 
 1670 he was appointed Major of the Connecti- 
 
/ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 249 
 
 cut troops, and three years later was advanced 
 to the rank of Colonel. He served in the 
 Indian war.. In 1674 he was elected Deputy 
 Governor, and in 1683 he became Governor, 
 and for fifteen years was re-elected annually, 
 after which he declined to serve further. His 
 son, Lieutenant Joseph Treat, was one of the 
 original land-owners of New Milford; and his 
 grandson, a son of Joseph Treat, Jr., and the 
 great-grandfather of Benjamin Treat, was the 
 first of the family to settle in New Milford, 
 although the portion of the town in which he 
 settled is now known as Bridgewater. He was 
 a large land-owner, and was successfully en- 
 gaged in agriculture. He died at eighty years 
 of age. His wife, Phoebe Hawley, bore him 
 ten children. Of these, Abijah turned his at- 
 tention to farming ; and at his parents' death he 
 purchased- the old homestead. He lived to be 
 seventy-six years old ; and his wife, nh Abi- 
 gail (Canfield) Treat, attained the age of 
 eighty-two years. 
 
 Joseph C, born in Bridgewater, August 11, 
 1783, was one of the five children of Abijah 
 Treat. "When he started in life for himself, he 
 purchased a farm, on'which he erected a new 
 house and barns. He was profitably engaged 
 in general farming throughout his life, and 
 died at the age of sixty-nine years. His wife 
 reared him eight children; namely, Madison 
 A., Royal, Sarah A., Mary A., Daniel, Jo- 
 seph Eli, Benjamin, and Arza. She lived 
 but forty-five years. 
 
 After Benjamin Treat attained his majority, 
 he purchased the old home, and followed agri- 
 cultural occupations until 1861, when he re- 
 moved to Brookfield, Conn., where he engaged 
 in the milling business during the following 
 ten years. He then came to New Milford, and 
 purchased the store built by his brother, 
 Joseph Eli, who was one of the first to en- 
 gage in mercantile business in New Milford. 
 
 For fourteen years he carried on a thriving 
 trade in dry goods and hardware ; and then, in 
 1885, he formed an equal partnership with 
 George Emmons. Two years afterward he 
 bought out his partner's interest ; and, dropping 
 the sale of hardware, he refitted his store, and 
 put in a more complete line of dry goods, so 
 that he now has one of the best stores of that 
 description in the county. In 1887 he sold a 
 half-interest to Edward W. Starr; and the 
 business has since been conducted under the 
 firm title of Treat & Starr, although on ac- 
 count of ill-health Mr. Treat is now only a 
 silent partner. 
 
 On December 11, 1851, he was joined in 
 marriage with -Miss Betsey Ruggles, of Brook- 
 field. She died in 1872, thirty-nine years of 
 age, leaving one daughter, Susan O. , now the 
 wife of H. S. Beers, an undertaker of Middle- 
 town, Conn. Mr. Treat afterward formed a 
 second union with Mrs. Mary A. Alvord, a 
 daughter of Nickerson and Elizabeth S. (Lev- 
 erich) Millis. She was the widow of John 
 J. M. Alvord, who died when but forty-two 
 years old, leaving three daughters, as follows : 
 Eva E., the wife of William Jenning; Delia 
 M., who married J. Harris; and Ida C, the 
 wife of William Stilson. Her parents were 
 born in Virginia ; but the later years of their 
 lives were spent in New York City and at 
 Oswego, N.Y., where her father followed the 
 business of a shoe merchant. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Millis had ten children; namely, Mary A., 
 John L., William N., Ellison (deceased), 
 Elizabeth, Ellison D., Lysander T., Joseph, 
 Louisa, and Charles D. Mrs. Millis was a 
 great-grand-daughter of General Provost, of 
 Revolutionary fame. 
 
 Mr. Treat is a stanch Republican; and 
 while a resident of Bridgewater he served in 
 town office, but since he has lived in New 
 Milford his time has been too fully occupied 
 
250 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to admit of his accepting ofificial positions. 
 Pie resides in his pleasant home on Grove 
 Street, which he purchased when he came to 
 New Milford. The house was built by the 
 Rev. A. Elliott in 1812. Since he bought 
 the place, he has been to considerable expense 
 in improving it, building a new barn, filling 
 in and making a terraced lawn, and setting out 
 shade and fruit trees, so that he now has a 
 very attractive place. 
 
 Y^YMAN L. CLARK, a well-known car- 
 IJT penter and builder of Washington, was 
 '^'— . -^ born in Torrington, Conn., October 
 5, 1819, son of Joel and Candis (Bown) Clark. 
 Mr. Clark's father was born near Simsbury, 
 Conn., and was a farmer by occupation. He 
 passed his latter years in Torrington, and died 
 at the age of sixty-five. His wife, Candis 
 Bown, of Torrington, became the mother of 
 ten children, as follows: Emily, who is now 
 Mrs. Apley, and has three children — Diantha, 
 Sherman, and Julia; Mary, who became Mrs. 
 Hill, and has six children — Fred, Frances, 
 Julia, Melvin, Catlin, and Sidney; Lyman L., 
 the subject of this sketch; Marilla, who is 
 now Mrs. Woodruff, and has one son, Walter ; 
 Sidney, who married Miss Johnson; Truman 
 P., who married Jane Tibbies, and has two 
 children — Abbie, Luella; Sabra; Henry ; Ed- 
 win, who married Mary Pendleton; and Amelia, 
 who is now Mrs. Harris. The mother died at 
 the age of sixty-five years. 
 
 Lyman L. Clark was educated in the schools 
 of Torrington, and at an early age began to 
 contribute toward his own support. When 
 nineteen, he commenced to learn the trade of a 
 carpenter and joiner, which has been his occu- 
 pation through life. He followed his trade in 
 Torrington for fifteen years ; but for the past 
 thirty-five years he has resided in Washington, 
 
 where he has conducted extensive business 
 operations. He has had charge of the con- 
 struction of many of the largest and most 
 prominent residences in this vicinity, which is 
 sufficient indication of the confidence felt in 
 his ability and trustworthiness. He has for 
 several years made a specialty of turning out 
 mantels and fireplaces, in the construction of 
 which he has displayed much original talent. 
 In 1854 Mr. Clark was united in marriage to 
 Elizabeth F. Gibson, daughter of Brindsmade 
 Gibson, of Washington, and has two children, 
 namely: Edward G. , who married Anna M. 
 North, and has two children ^ — Fred N. and 
 Russell F. ; and Sarah A. Mrs. Clark died 
 in 1889, aged seventy years. Mr. Clark is a 
 Democrat in politics, and attends the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 (HThec 
 
 HEODORE JUDSON, a progressive 
 q J\ and successful business man in the 
 town of Woodbury, where he was born, 
 March 25, 181 8, belongs to a family which has 
 lived in Connecticut since his first American 
 progenitor settled in this State, in 1639. Mr. 
 Judson is eighth in lineal descent from Will- 
 iam Judson, who came from Yorkshire, Eng- 
 land, in 1634, and, after living four years in 
 Concord, Mass., moved to Stratford, Conn., 
 and thence to New Haven. William Judson 
 brought with him to the New World three sons 
 — Joseph, Jeremiah, and Joshua. 
 
 Mr. Theodore Judson is of the lineage of 
 Joseph, the eldest son. Joseph's son John, 
 who married Elizabeth Chapman, was born in 
 Stratford, Conn., December 2, 1647, and in 
 1672 was one of the signers of the Funda- 
 mental Articles for the settlement of Wood- 
 bury, whither he came with the first company 
 of pioneers. He took up a tract of unbroken 
 land, which has remained in possession of his 
 
THEODORE JUDSON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 253 
 
 name and blood to the present time. John 
 Judson's estate was small, and the wild land 
 was difficult to cultivate; but by dint of ener- 
 getic and untiring effort he at last established 
 a home. His habitation, which was built of 
 heavy timbers, after the good old fashion of 
 those days, was one of the first frame buildings 
 erected in the town. Here he died at sixty- 
 two years of age. His son, John, Jr., married 
 Sarah Beers, and was the father of a third 
 John, whose wife Sarah bore him a son and 
 namesake. John, fourth, married Martha 
 Camp. He died in 1808, aged sixty-two. His 
 wife died in 1834, at the age of ninety-three. 
 Their children were: John and Phineas, the 
 former of whom became the father of Mr. 
 Theodore Judson. John Judson, the fifth of 
 the name, inherited the old homestead. He 
 extended the boundaries of his domain by pur- 
 chasing more land, and improved his property 
 by building new barns and keeping it in good 
 order. Discovering that the soil he owned 
 was a peculiarly fine quality of clay, he estab- 
 lished a brick yard, which proved a profitable 
 venture. The bricks made of this clay were 
 very durable, and some of his make are still in 
 use. Mr. John Judson was prominent in local 
 politics, representing his county in the legis- 
 lature in 1835-40; and his death was a blow 
 to the Democratic party, to which he had 
 always stanchly adhered. He was a communi- 
 cant of the Episcopal church, and was a man 
 of influence in religion as well as political 
 circles. He died on the 14th of August, 
 1849, aged seventy-one years. His wife, 
 Jerusha, who was a daughter of Abijah Mitch- 
 ell, was born August 4, 1785, and died on 
 May 20, 1845. The children of this union 
 were: Betsey C. ; Antoinette; Phineas A.; 
 John A. ; Theodore, whose name stands at the 
 head of this sketch ; Martha E. ; and Frank- 
 lin M. 
 
 Theodore Judson,- after leaving school, de- 
 voted himself to home interests, and continued 
 manufacturing bricks until 1862. In 1854 he 
 took down the old house, and built a large, 
 handsome mansion, made after his own design 
 and of his own brick. He also remodelled the 
 other buildings on the place, and thus rehabili- 
 tated the old homestead. In 1852 he married 
 Miss Julia Mariah Colton. This lady, who 
 was a daughter of Benjamin and Jerusha W. 
 (Porter) Colton, was born March 2, 1819. 
 Mrs. Judson's father, Benjamin Colton, was 
 an early settler in Woodbury Centife, where he 
 was engaged, as a dealer in general merchan- 
 dise. He died in 1850, aged fifty-seven. 
 Mrs. Colton' s maternal grandfather was Per- 
 point Porter. Her mother died at the early 
 age of twenty-seven. 
 
 Although Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Judson 
 have never had children born to them, they 
 early took into their home four little ones, 
 who have enjoyed all the love, care, and pro- 
 tection that parents bestow. Julia, Harriett, 
 Augusta, and Frederick are the fortunate chil- 
 dren of this generous, large-hearted couple. 
 Mr. Judson, like his father, is a strong Demo- 
 crat. He has held office of Selectman for five 
 years. The happily mated husband and wife 
 are both in the communion of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 The accompanying portrait will be recog- 
 nized and appreciated by the neighbors and 
 friends of Mr. Judson as a very good likeness 
 of this excellent representative of an old Colo-, 
 nial family. 
 
 RANK H. LEE, M.D., a practising 
 physician of Canaan, was born in Shef- 
 field, Mass., July 17, 1862, son of Seth 
 and Mary (Lee) Lee. Dr. Lee is a descend- 
 ant of John Lee, who emigrated from England 
 about the year 1645, and was one of the 
 
^54 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 founders of the New England colony. Dr. 
 Lee's grandfather was Dennis Lee, a native 
 of Farmington, Conn., where he was engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits throughout his life. 
 He died at the age of eighty-five years. His 
 wife was Caroline Squire; and she became the 
 mother of five children; namely, Seth, Curtis, 
 Earl, Jennie, and Fanny. Dr. Lee's grand- 
 mother still survives at the age of eighty-one. 
 Seth Lee, father of our subject, was born in 
 Sheffield, Mass., and has all his life remained 
 a resident of that town. He adopted agricult- 
 ure as an occupation, and became a prosperous 
 farmer. His wife, Mary Lee, was the mother 
 of four children, whose names follow: Frank 
 H., the subject of this sketch; Alice A.; 
 Caroline B. ; and M. Luella. 
 
 Frank H. Lee acquired the foundation of 
 his education in the common and high schools 
 of his native town. After graduating from 
 the high school, he began the study of 
 medicine with Dr. H. H. Smith. He com- 
 pleted his preliminary studies with Dr. F. L. 
 Smith, and entered the Albany Medical Col- 
 lege, from which he was graduated with honor 
 in 1888, receiving a prize for a complete 
 report of the surgical clinics at the Albany 
 Hospital. Dr. Lee was a student with Dr. A. 
 Vanderveer, and had exceptional opportunities 
 for obtaining a practical knowledge of his pro- 
 fession. Upon completing his medical course. 
 Dr. Lee commenced practice in Canaan, where 
 he has since acquired an excellent reputation 
 as a skilful and reliable practitioner, the 
 demand for his services steadily increasing. 
 He is medical examiner for several life insur- 
 ance companies, including the Traveller's of 
 Hartford and the Washington of New York. 
 His practice extends over a wide section, and 
 he has a large number of patients in the adja- 
 cent towns. In November, 1890, Dr. Lee 
 was united in marriage to Ada Strong, daugh- 
 
 ter of George Strong, of Canaan. He is a 
 representative of one of the oldest New Eng- 
 land families, and is a gentleman possessing 
 many intellectual attainments. Dr. Lee is a 
 member of both the County and the State 
 Medical Societies. 
 
 /^TeORGE S. LYMAN, who owns and 
 Vj5j^ manages a productive farm in War- 
 ren, was born in Glastonbury, Conn., 
 August 30, 1817, son of Dr. Norman and Eu- 
 nice (Smith) Lyman. Mr. Lyman's grandpar- 
 ents, David and Mary (Brown) Lyman, were 
 residents of New Hartford, Conn., where 
 David Lyman was for many years an industri- 
 ous miller. They both lived to reach an ad- 
 vanced age, and their children were : Orange, 
 David, John, Daniel, Elijah, Norman, Sam- 
 uel, and Mary. Norman Lyman was born in 
 New Hartford, and was educated for the medi- 
 cal profession. He first settled in Glaston- 
 bury, Conn., where he ably practised his 
 profession for fifteen years, removing then to 
 Warren, in which place he was similarly en- 
 gaged for the rest of his life. He was a skil- 
 ful physician and a useful citizen, possessing 
 the esteem and confidence of the entire commu- 
 nity. His death occurred when he was sixty- 
 two years old. His wife, Eunice Smith, 
 daughter of Eli Smith, of Litchfield, became 
 the mother of seven children, as follows: Sid- 
 ney; Mary; George S., the subject of this 
 sketch ; Edward ; Jonathan ; Mary (second) ; 
 and Eunice. Mrs. Dr. Lyman, like her hus- 
 band, died at the age of sixty-two. 
 
 George S. Lyman passed his boyhood and 
 youth in Warren, and received his education in 
 the common schools of that town. After com- 
 pleting his studies, he taught school for four 
 terms, and then engaged in agricultural pur- 
 suits, which has since been his occupation. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 255 
 
 He owns two hundred and seventy-five acres of 
 well-improved land, upon which he conducts 
 general fanning, carrying into the exercise of 
 his calling those essential qualities of fore- 
 thought, energy, and thrift that characterize 
 the typical New England farmer. 
 
 In 1840 Mr. Lyman was united in marriage 
 to Mary Sackett, daughter of Justus Sackett, 
 of Warren. She died aged seventy-five years, 
 leaving two children, namely: Eunice, who is 
 the widow of Orlando P. Kingman, and has 
 two children — Edward and Marion; and Ed- 
 ward. Mr. Lyman is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and in religious views a Congrega- 
 tionalist. 
 
 «i^»»» 
 
 ^^^RS. HARRIET W. FORBES, an 
 esteemed resident of Woodbury 
 _ and widow of the late Mr. Loren 
 Forbes, is the daughter of Guy and Nancy 
 (Lum) Walker. She belongs to a family 
 whose history is connected with the settlement 
 of the provinces and the city of Boston. 
 Mrs. Forbes' s earliest American ancestor was 
 Robert Walker, born about 1606, and a resi- 
 dent of Boston until 1684. His son, the Rev. 
 Zechariah Walker, had a pastorate in Jamaica, 
 Long Island, from 1663 to 1668. He received 
 ordination in the Presbysterian church, and 
 became pastor of the Second Church in Strat- 
 ford on the isth of May, 1670. Parson Zech- 
 ariah and his wife, Susannah Walker, had a 
 son, who bore his father's name and was a 
 Deacon in the church. The second Zechariah 
 married Elizabeth Bull. Their son, Peter, 
 was wedded to Rhoda Sherman. To Peter and 
 Rhoda Walker was born a son, whom they 
 named Peter, and who married Miss Annis 
 Minor. Peter and Annis Walker were the 
 parents of Guy, born in 1788, the father of 
 Mrs. Forbes. 
 
 Mr. Guy Walker, who was a carpenter by 
 
 trade, left his native place in 1824, and mi- 
 grated to Florida. Here, on a plantation two 
 miles from St. Augustine, he settled with his 
 family; but about fifteen months after, find- 
 ing the climate unhealthy, he moved to 
 Charleston, S. C. , finally becoming a resident 
 of Baltimore, Md., where he lived for four 
 years. Here he died in 1829, leaving a widow 
 and six children. Mrs. Walker returned to 
 Woodbury after her husband's death, bringing 
 her daughter, the one child living, with her. 
 The children were: John C. , who died young; 
 Charles B. , who was drowned off the coast of 
 Florida; Mary S. , who died in Baltimore; 
 Harriet, of whom this sketch is written ; Laura, 
 who also died during their sojourn in Balti- 
 more ; and Jane, who died in her fourth year. 
 Harriet Walker was united in marriage to 
 Loren Forbes, of Woodbury, Conn., April 21, 
 1844. Mr. Forbes was energetic and industri- 
 ous from his boyhood. At fifteen years of age 
 he was employed on the farm of Mr. Asa Minor, 
 remaining until he attained his majority. He 
 then was engaged by Mr. Noah Benedict, farm- 
 ing for him until 1844, the year of his mar- 
 riage, after which he hired his employer's farm 
 for seventeen years. He then purchased the 
 estate known as the Morris farm, upon which 
 his widow now resides. This tract of land is 
 located in Hazel Plain, District No. 9, of 
 Woodbury. Mr. Forbes was a cattle dealer as 
 well as farmer, and was accustomed to driving 
 his herds to the markets of New York, New 
 Haven, and Boston. After some years he 
 turned his whole attention to agriculture. He 
 was a member of the First Congregational 
 Church, with which he connected himself in 
 1831. He was a Republican, and during his 
 life his neighbors showed their esteem for 
 him by intrusting to him sundry town ofifices. 
 Mrs. Forbes was left a widow on the i6th of 
 January, 1883, her husband having lived to the 
 
2s6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 good old age of seventy-six years. A son and 
 daughter blessed their union. They were : 
 Mary W. , born February 8, 1845, who is a 
 teacher; and William, whose birth occurred 
 October 18, 1851. The latter is a brick and 
 stone mason and a stone-carver by trade. 
 Though bereaved of the companion of her ear- 
 lier years, Mrs. Forbes has still the interests 
 of her children's lives to solace her. As she 
 still lives at the homestead, she is surrounded 
 by the treasured associations of her wedded 
 life. 
 
 TI^OBERT W. IRWIN, a thriving young 
 I ^^ farmer of the town of Washington, 
 J-^ V , _ V was born in Liverpool, England, 
 February 4, 1864, son of John and Catherine 
 (Allwell) Irwin. Mr. Irwin's father, who 
 was a native of Ireland, went to Liverpool, 
 where he resided during the remainder of his 
 life. His wife, Catherine Allwell, was a 
 daughter of Grant Allwell. Their children 
 were : Andrew, who married Sarah Hegnot ; 
 Crayton ; James; Sarah, who became Mrs. 
 Marshall; and Robert W. , whose name heads 
 this sketch. John Irwin died at the age of 
 fifty-five years, and his wife at forty years. 
 Robert W. Irwin passed his early years in 
 England. At the age of fourteen he came to 
 the United States, and settled in the town of 
 Washington, this county. He engaged in 
 ■farming, which he prosecuted with vigor, hav- 
 ing in view the establishment at some day of 
 a home of his own. By the exercise of dili- 
 gence and thrift he has been able to attain his 
 modest ambition, and now owns a finely located 
 and well-improved farm. In 1888 Mr. Irwin 
 was united in marriage to Sophia Siessenbyt- 
 tle, daughter of Andrew Siessenbyttle, of New 
 York City. Mr. Irwin is a Republican in 
 politics. In his religious views he is a 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 tALPH L 
 formerl) 
 _^the n( 
 
 CRISSEY, who owns and 
 formerly operated a granite quarry in 
 northern part of the town of 
 Norfolk, Conn., was born in this town, Febru- 
 ary 4, 1833, son of Benjamin W. and Eunice 
 (Burr) Crissey. His paternal grandfather, 
 Israel Crissey, a native of Woodbury, Conn., 
 whose birth occurred on March 31, 1764, first 
 settled in Colebrook, but subsequently moved 
 to Norfolk. He was married February 7, 
 1788, to Alice Woodruff, daughter of Heze- 
 kiah Woodruff, of Colebrook ; and they became 
 the parents of four children, namely: Mehit- 
 able, who was born July 21, 1789, married 
 Seth Barbour, and died September 8, 1830; 
 Benjamin W. ; Alice, born June 15, 1793, 
 died September 3, 1861 ; and Olive, who was 
 born February 28, 1795, became the second 
 wife of Seth Barbour, and died February 3, 
 1865. Israel Crissey died at his home in Nor- 
 folk, December 6, 1833; and his wife, April 
 24, 1834. 
 
 Benjamin W. Crissey, father of our direct 
 subject, was born May 19, 1791. He was 
 trained to farm work, inherited part of his 
 father's estate, and, becoming a prosperous 
 farmer and dealer in stock, added to his landed 
 possessions until he owned over four hundred 
 acres. He belonged to the Agricultural Soci- 
 ety, and was prominent in town politics, serv- 
 ing at different times in nearly all the local 
 offices. He was also an active and valued mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church. His death 
 took place on October 28, 1864. His wife, 
 Eunice Burr, whom he married March 4, 
 1828, was born January 14, 1797. She was the 
 mother of four children : Warren, born March 5, 
 1 831; Ralph I., whose name appears at the 
 head of this sketch; Olive E., born April 6, 
 1835; and Theron W., born April i, 1837. 
 Mrs. Eunice B. Crissey died February 8, 
 1882. 
 
RALPH I. CRISSEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 259 
 
 Ralph I. Crissey was trained to agriculture, 
 and remained at home with his parents until 
 their death. He then entered the employ of 
 the Barnum Richardson Company, with whom 
 he remained for twenty-five years. At the pres- 
 ent time, besides his other business, he owns 
 and conducts a farm of two hundred acres. 
 He is a true blue Republican in politics, and 
 cast his first Presidential vote for General 
 Fremont, the "Pathfinder." He has served 
 his town with credit as Selectman, Assessor, 
 and as Justice of the Peace. He also repre- 
 sented his district in the legislature in 1867 
 and again in 1883. He is a member of West- 
 ern Star Lodge, No. 37, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Mr. Crissey was married on June 6, 1861, 
 to Cornelia Seymour, daughter of Samuel Sey- 
 mour. She was born April 18, 1834, and died 
 March 26, 1866, leaving two children, namely: 
 Isabella, Mrs. Winthrop Cone, born April 21, 
 1863; and Cornelia, born March 21, 1866, 
 who died March 8, 1883. On August 29, 
 1 87 1, Mr. Crissey married Mrs. Prudence 
 (Murray) Curtiss, who died August 30, 1881, 
 without issue. Mr. Crissey's third wife is 
 Mary E. Buell, daughter of H. G. Buell, a 
 well-known iron manufacturer of Colchester, 
 Conn. By this union there are no children. 
 Mr. Crissey is a member of the Congregational 
 church, and the family is one highly esteemed 
 in Norfolk and the vicinity. 
 
 The portrait placed opposite the beginning of 
 the foregoing sketch will be recognized as a 
 good likeness of the gentleman whose name it 
 bears, Mr. Ralph I. Crissey. 
 
 EORGE F. PRITCPIARD, a well- 
 5l' known blacksmith of Watertown and 
 an ex-member of the legislature, was 
 born August 17, 1838, son of Benjamin and 
 Mary (Pritchard) Pritchard. Mr. Pritchard's 
 
 great-grandfather, Benjamin Pritchard, was an 
 early settler in Waterbury, Conn., where he 
 followed the blacksmith's trade with success 
 until his death, which took place when he was 
 forty-six years old. His son Asher, Mr. 
 Pritchard's grandfather, was a native of Water- 
 bury. He followed his father's calling in the 
 town of his birth, and subsequently in Water- 
 town, to which place he moved in 1820. He 
 reared a family of five children, three sons and 
 two daughters, and lived to the advanced age 
 of ninety-two years. 
 
 Benjamin Pritchard, Mr. Pritchard's father, 
 was born in Waterbury, and learned the black- 
 smith's trade from his father in Watertown. 
 He engaged in business for himself in Water- 
 bury, later returning and joining with his 
 father upon the site now occupied by his son 
 in Watertown. He died at the age of seventy- 
 three years. His wife, who was a daughter of 
 Isaac Pritchard, a prosperous farmer of Water- 
 bury, became the mother of four children, of 
 whom George ¥., the subject of this sketch, is 
 the only survivor. She died in Watertown, 
 aged twenty-nine years. Both parents were 
 Episcopalians, as were their ancestors -for 
 many generations. 
 
 George F. Pritchard supplemented the edu- 
 cation he received in the common schools by a 
 course at the Watertown Academy. His boy- 
 hood and youth were passed with his grand- 
 father, of whom he acquired the blacksmith's 
 trade. At the age of twenty-two he went to 
 Oakville, where for two years he was employed 
 as a forger in a machine shop. In 1865 he re- 
 turned to Watertown, and engaged in business 
 at his present location, where he has since 
 continued with prosperity, and is now the old- 
 est and best known ^workman in his locality. 
 He is a Democrat in politics, and has long 
 been a leading spirit in local public affairs, 
 serving with ability as Collector, for three 
 
26o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years as a member of the School Board, and in 
 1889 and 1890 he represented his town in the 
 legislature. He is a member of Federal 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Watertown, in 
 which he has held all the ofifices, having been 
 its Master for two years and Treasurer for sev- 
 eral years. 
 
 Mr. Pritchard has been twice married. In 
 1870 he first married Esther Jackson, daughter 
 of William Jackson, a well-to-do farmer of 
 Bethlehem. She died at the age of thirty- 
 one; and he wedded in 1885, for his second 
 wife, Elizabeth, a sister of his first wife. 
 Mr. Pritchard enjoys a wide reputation as an 
 intelligent, upright, and useful citizen and a 
 public official who has served the town faith- 
 fully and with credit. He actively supports 
 the Episcopalian church, of which he is a 
 Vestryman. 
 
 ^AMES GUERNSEY CURTJSS, one 
 of the leading farmers of Woodbury, 
 was born on the old Curtiss homestead, 
 opposite his present residence, August 8, 
 1835. His parents were David H. and Anna 
 (Guernsey) Curtiss. William Curtiss, the ear- 
 liest known ancestor, came from London in 
 1632, and settled in Scituate, Mass. David 
 Stiles and Sybil (Huntington) Curtiss were 
 the grandparents of the subject of this sketch. 
 David H. Curtiss was born in 1796, on the 
 old homestead. At the age of sixteen he be- 
 came a teacher, in which profession he was 
 engaged for thirteen years. In the course of 
 time he bought out the other heirs to the old 
 Curtiss farm. To this he added more land, 
 until there were about three hundred acres. 
 On it he conducted general farming in accord- 
 ance with the most enlightened principles. 
 
 Mr. Curtiss was twice married. Maria 
 (Summers) Curtiss, his first wife, died while 
 a young woman, leaving no children. Anna 
 
 (Guernsey) Curtiss, the second wife, had four 
 children, as follows: a son, who died in in- 
 fancy ; Maria, who died at the age of two and 
 a half years; James G. ; and David Curtiss. 
 
 James Guernsey Curtiss inherited the part 
 of his father's farm on which he now lives. 
 Since taking possession of it, he has remod- 
 elled the buildings and made many other 
 improvements. 
 
 In politics Mr. Curtiss is a Republican. 
 He has been Selectman for two terms, and he 
 has also served on the Board of Relief. In 
 1877 he represented the town in the legisla- 
 ture. He is a man of progressive ideas. 
 
 On May 17, i860, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary J. Stiles, daughter of Henry B. 
 and Patty (Seeley) Stiles. Flenry B. was a 
 son of Benjamin Stiles. Mr. and Mrs. Henry 
 B. Stiles had three children : Mary J., Ellen, 
 and Alice. Mrs. James Guernsey Curtiss died 
 in September, 1893, at the age of- sixty, leav- 
 ing seven children. These are: Henry, who 
 owns an adjoining farm, married to Frances 
 Eyre; Anna S., married to D. L. Somers; 
 Nellie, who married Harry Barnes, lives in 
 Watertown, and has two children — Edna and 
 Merritt; James G., a teamster, married to 
 Alma Bassett, who lives in Ansonia, and has 
 one child, James G. ; Flora, who married 
 Lyman W. Garrington, lives in Ansonia, and 
 has lost two children; George S., who died 
 young; and Eva M. Curtiss, who died at the 
 age of nine. Mr. Curtiss is a member of the 
 Episcopal church, to which his wife also be- 
 longed prior to her death. 
 
 OHN CHAPIN BRINSMADE, prin- 
 cipal of the Gunnery, a noted school 
 in Washington, Conn., was born in 
 Springfield, Mass., April 24, 1852, son of 
 William B. and Charlotte (Chapin) Brins- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 261 
 
 made. On the paternal side he is descended 
 from the Rev. Daniel Brinsmade, who, gradu- 
 ating from Yale College in 1745, settled in 
 Washington in the latter part of the eigh- 
 teenth century, and acted for many years as 
 pastor of the Judea Congregational church. 
 His son Daniel, who also was a graduate of 
 Yale, with the class of 1772, was a promi- 
 nent man in the district and a member of the 
 State Convention for the ratification of the 
 Constitution of the United States. 
 
 William B. Brinsmade, the father of the 
 subject of this sketch, likewise claimed Yale 
 as his Alma Mater, graduating from that in- 
 stitution in 1840. He was a man of unusual 
 intelligence and executive ability, and was for 
 a long time superintendent of the Connecticut 
 Railroad. His wife was a daughter of Colo- 
 nel Harvey Chapin, a descendant in the 
 sixth generation of Deacon Samuel Chapin, 
 who settled in Springfield in 1642. 
 
 John Chapin Brinsmade attended the 
 schools of Springfield, took a course of study 
 at the Gunnery, and graduated from Harvard 
 in 1874. In the fall of 1874 he became as- 
 sistant teacher at the Gunnery, and in 1881, 
 on the death of the principal, took full charge 
 of the school. It is one of the finest insti- 
 tutions in the county. With a campus com- 
 prising twenty acres, it is beautifully situated 
 in Washington village. Many distinguished 
 men have studied within its walls, as evi- 
 denced by the presence on its rolls of names 
 well known throughout the country. This 
 school Mr. Gunn conducted successfully up 
 to the time of his death, and it has lost 
 none of its prestige since his son-in-law has 
 assumed the management. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Brinsmade was united in mar- 
 riage with Mary G. Gunn, daughter of F. W. 
 Gunn, the founder of the Gunnery. The 
 home of Mr. and Mrs. Brinsmade has been 
 
 brightened by seven children, namely: Fred- 
 erick G. ; William, who died in his eleventh 
 year; Chapin; Eleanor; Mary; John C, Jr.; 
 and Charlotte B. In politics Mr. Brinsmade 
 is a Republican. He is not an aspirant for 
 office, but creditably represented his district 
 in the legislature of 1892. In religious be- 
 lief Mr. and Mrs. Brinsmade are Congrega- 
 tionalists. 
 
 (sTrNSON H. SQUIRES, an extensive 
 t^ farmer of the Merryall District in 
 ■^^ '^ V^ the town of New Milford, and for- 
 merly a member of the Connecticut legisla- 
 ture, was born upon the farm he now owns 
 and occupies, September 9, 1846, son of John 
 N. and Lucy (Segar) Squires. Mr. Squires's 
 great-grandfather, Thomas Squires, who was 
 a native of Fairfield, Conn., followed the sea 
 as master of a trading-vessel. While at the 
 Island of St. Bartholomew he died of yellow 
 fever, leaving with a wife his son Anson, 
 grandfather of Mr. Squires. The widow set- 
 tled in Marble Dale, this county, where she 
 became the wife of Joseph Smith; and Anson 
 Squires at the age of seven years went to live 
 with John Morehouse. At the age of fifteen 
 he commenced to learn the carpenter's trade, 
 which he followed as an occupation for many 
 years; and, being industrious and possessed 
 of good judgment, he became successful. He 
 invested in real estate, and built and operated 
 a distillery, employing a large number of men 
 in his business enterprises, and at the time of 
 his death owned eleven hundred acres of land, 
 situated in the northern part of New Milford. 
 He was a Whig in politics, serving in many 
 of the town offices, and was a liberal, public- 
 spirited man. He died March 11, 1873. He 
 married Barbara Lyon, and reared a family of 
 five children, as follows: Lucy M., born 
 April 24, 181 7: Samuel E., born May 15, 
 
262 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1819; John M., born November 11, 1823; 
 George S., born August 27, 1831; and Mary 
 A., born June 29, 1833. The mother died 
 March 10, 1873, and the father on the follow- 
 ing day. They were buried together in one 
 grave. Both were Episcopalians in their re- 
 ligious belief. 
 
 John M. Squires, Mr. Squires's father, 
 adopted agriculture as an occupation, and in 
 early manhood purchased the Kenney prop- 
 erty, which adjoins the farm where he now re- 
 sides. After improving it to some extent, 
 he sold it, and bought his present property. 
 The buildings, having been destroyed by fire, 
 were rebuilt in 1S82. Besides farming suc- 
 cessfully, he has dealt quite extensively in 
 real estate, and is at the present time the 
 owner of several pieces of valuable farm prop- 
 erty. He has also been a prominent cattle 
 dealer in that district, and gives consider- 
 able attention to dairying. He is a Demo- 
 crat in politics, has been a Justice of the 
 Peace, and rendered good service to the town 
 during the two terms he served it as a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Selectmen. His wife, 
 Lucy (Segar) Squires, whom he married Octo- 
 ber 3, 1842, was a daughter of Heman Segar. 
 She became the mother of three children, 
 namely: Anson H., the subject of this sketch; 
 Henry, who resides at home; and Hattie, wife 
 of E. A. Peet. The mother died in 1892. 
 
 Anson H. Squires commenced his education 
 in the district schools of New Milford, and 
 completed his studies at the Bridgeport Busi- 
 ness College. At the age of twenty-one he 
 went to reside with his grandparents. He 
 conducted their farm during their latter years, 
 and succeeded to its ownership at their death. 
 It contains two hundred acres of land, and is 
 desirable for its healthy location and pictur- 
 esque surroundings. Mr. Squires has im- 
 proved the property by remodelling the old 
 
 buildings and erecting new ones. He has 
 been a large and successful tobacco raiser, 
 and at the present time owns a valuable farm 
 in the town of Kent. 
 
 On November 7, 1867, Mr. Squires was 
 united in marriage to Alice M. Barton, 
 daughter of Edward P. and Melissa J. 
 (Worthy) Barton. Mr. Barton, who was born 
 in Stamford, N.Y., August 14, 1819, had 
 been in business as a merchant until 1875, 
 when he bought a farm of two hundred and 
 fifty acres, situated in the town of New Mil- 
 ford. His wife, who was born April 26, 
 1820, is the mother of three children; 
 namely, Edwin L., Alice M., and Mary E. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Squires have one son, named 
 Charles A., who was born October 24, 1873, 
 and resides at home. 
 
 Mr. Squires is a Democrat in politics, was 
 a member of the Connecticut House of Repre- 
 sentatives during the years 1883, 1891, and 
 1893, and in 1895 was elected Selectman. 
 
 iRS. ADELAIDE NORTHROP, of 
 Roxbury, widow of the late An- 
 drew Northrop is a daughter of 
 Elisha A. and Maria (Peck) Weller. She is 
 descended from Thomas and Elizabeth Weller, 
 who emigrated from England, and settled at 
 what is now called Weller's Bridge, in the 
 town of Roxbury. Thomas Weller, who in 
 due course became a large farmer and land- 
 owner, built a house upon rising ground just 
 north of the present Weller homestead, and is 
 supposed to have attained an advanced age. 
 His wife, who died September 18, 1770, aged 
 seventy-nine years, was the mother of five 
 children; namely, Daniel, Zaccheus, Rose, 
 Mary, and Abigail. Daniel Weller, who in- 
 herited a portion of his father's property, and 
 became a prosperous farmer, built for himself 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 263 
 
 a house, which is still in the family's posses- 
 sion, and died September 21, 1816, aged 
 eighty-eight years, bequeathing to his chil- 
 dren by his will, which was executed April 
 13, 1 8 16, the means for each to make a good 
 start in life. He married Jerusha Squires, 
 and his children were: Margaret, Parnell, 
 Mary, Jerusha, Experience, David, Thomas, 
 Matthew, Daniel, and Bashtile. His wife, 
 Jerusha, died May 18, 18 16, aged eighty-four 
 years. 
 
 Captain David Weller learned the black- 
 smith's trade, and carried on that business 
 successfully for many years. He succeeded to 
 the possession of the homestead; and he 
 erected a new house, which still stands. 
 The nails, fastenings, and other iron-work 
 used in its construction were made in his 
 shop by hand. He was for some time a Lieu- 
 tenant in the Thirteenth Regiment of the 
 State militia, and was subsequently commis- 
 sioned a Captain. He died April 2, 1845, 
 aged seventy years. In politics he was a 
 Democrat, and in his religious views an Epis- 
 copalian. He married Lydia Andrews, who 
 bore him two children, namely: Adeline, 
 who married John Castle; and Elisha A. 
 The mother died July 15, 1869, aged eighty- 
 seven years. 
 
 Elisha A. Weller was born upon the home 
 farm, November 20, 1808; and his birth took 
 place in a house which stands near the present 
 residence of his daughter. He inherited the 
 homestead, and in early manhood engaged in 
 the manufacture of woollen hats. He fol- 
 lowed this occupation for some years, when it 
 became unprofitable; and he turned his atten- 
 tion to the cultivation of his farm, and in 
 1839 built the present substantial residence. 
 He was a man of much public spirit, a Demo- 
 crat in politics, took an active interest in 
 public affairs, served with ability in all of the 
 
 principal town offices, and was elected a mem- 
 ber of the legislature. His was a busy and 
 useful life until its close, which occurred 
 April 13, 1884, when he was seventy-five 
 years old. His wife, who was born January 
 19, 18 16, became the mother of five children, 
 namely: Andrew, who died July 18, i860; 
 Emily; Sarah; Adelaide; and Eva. The 
 mother lived to the age of seventy-eight years, 
 and died August 13, 1894. 
 
 Adelaide Weller married Andrew Northrop, 
 son of Waite and Polly (Ruggles) Northrop, 
 born in Brookfield, February 2, 18 17. Mr. 
 Northrop' s grandfather was Andrew Northrop, 
 a prosperous farmer of Brookfield; and his 
 son, Waite Northrop, succeeded to the owner- 
 ship of the homestead. The latter was thrifty 
 and energetic, and became the owner of a 
 large and productive farm. His son, Andrew 
 Northrup, the late husband of Mrs. Adelaide 
 Northrop, when a young man settled near the 
 Iron Works in Brookfield, where he purchased 
 a quarry, and engaged in burning lime. He 
 carried on a large and profitable enterprise for 
 many years, and finally retired from business 
 in affluent circumstances, his latter days 
 being passed at his comfortable home in 
 Brookfield. In 1891, while on his way to 
 Johnstown, N.Y., accompanied by his wife, 
 he met with an accident, being struck by an 
 engine and having his foot crushed, and was 
 taken to the Albany hospital, where he died. 
 After the death of her husband Mrs. Northrop 
 returned to the Weller homestead. 
 
 'ENRY F. REYNOLDS, who owns 
 and conducts a productive farm situ- 
 
 i9 ^^ ^ ated at Reynolds Bridge in the 
 
 town of Thomaston, was born where he now 
 resides, December 4, 1820, son of Russell 
 and Mary (Castle) Reynolds. The family is 
 
j64 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Scotch-Irish ancestry; and Mr. Reynolds's 
 great-grandfather, Samuel Reynolds, was 
 among the early settlers of Watertown, where 
 he followed agriculture prosperously for a 
 greater part of his life. His last years were 
 spent with his son in the part of Plymouth 
 now called Thomaston, where he died at the 
 age of ninety years. Mr. Reynolds's grand- 
 father, Samuel, Jr., was a native of Water- 
 town, and was reared to farm life. He re- 
 sided at home until he attained his majority, 
 when he purchased a small piece of land in 
 the present town of Thomaston, near the home 
 of his grandson. The property contained a 
 blacksmith's shop, the upper story of which 
 he fitted up as a residence; and he occupied 
 it as such until 1796. Then he built the 
 house that still stands upon the place, in 
 a good state of preservation. He followed 
 agriculture as an occupation during the rest 
 of his life, and died in 1813. He married 
 Sarah Foote, who was born in that part of 
 Litchfield which is now called Morris; and 
 she was the mother of nine children. She 
 died at the homestead in Thomaston in 1827. 
 Russell Reynolds was born in Watertown 
 in 1 78 1. He became a resident of Thomaston 
 when he was fourteen years old, and during 
 his father's declining years, he took charge 
 of the farm. He was a thrifty and industri- 
 ous farmer and a prominent and useful man in 
 the community. He died in May, 1869, aged 
 eighty-eight years. He was an attendant of 
 the Episcopal church, and acted as a Vestry- 
 man, Collector, and chorister for many years. 
 His wife, Mary Castle, was a representative 
 of one of the earliest families that settled in 
 Plymouth ; and she became the mother of five 
 children, as follows: Pamelia, who died at 
 the age of ninety-five; Clarissa, who died at 
 eighty-four; Emeline, who died at seventy- 
 five; George, who now resides with his 
 
 brother; and Henry F., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother died at the home of her 
 son in September, 1869, aged eighty-eight 
 years. 
 
 Henry F. Reynolds was educated in the 
 common schools of Thomaston, and resided at 
 home, assisting his father in attending to the 
 farm until he was twenty-six years old. He 
 then took charge of the property, which he 
 has since greatly improved. He erected his 
 present substantial residence in 1857. He 
 built a saw-mill near the old homestead, 
 which he operates in connection with farm- 
 ing, manufacturing a large quantity of lumber 
 for local consumption. He owns over two 
 hundred acres of land, which he keeps for 
 lumber purposes. In all of his business 
 operations he has been successful. He is a 
 Republican in politics, and has served with 
 ability as a member of the Board of Select- 
 men and as Assessor for several years. He 
 has long been connected with the Thomaston 
 Band, of which he was the leader for over 
 twenty years; and he is widely known as a 
 skilful musician. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Reynolds was united in mar- 
 riage to Lorinda Edwards, who was born in 
 Hadley, Mass. She was formerly a resident 
 of Ware in the same State, where her father, 
 David Edwards, was employed in the fac- 
 tories. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have one 
 daughter; namely, Elizabeth C. She mar- 
 ried C. F. Williams, a druggist of Thomas- 
 ton, and has one son, named C. H., who mar- 
 ried Martha Woodruff, and is now in business 
 with his father. Mr. Reynolds was formerly 
 an Episcopalian in his religious views; but 
 with others he organized the Eagle Rock 
 Society, and established a Congregational 
 church at Reynolds Bridge, which he liber- 
 ally supports, and has been active in develop- 
 ing its usefulness. He has seen the locality 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 265 
 
 in which he lives expand from a thinly settled 
 district into a thriving village, named in honor 
 of his ancestors, who were the first settlers 
 there; and the new bridge and railway station 
 also bear his name. He occupies a promi- 
 nent position in the community, and is re- 
 garded with the highest respect by all. 
 
 LPrEDERICK W. KNOWLES, a pro- 
 P J, gressive farmer and an enterprising 
 insurance agent of New Milford, was 
 born in that town, October 26, 1859, son of 
 Charles W. and Harriet L. (Bard) Knowles. 
 Mr. Knowles's grandparents were Nelson and 
 Eunice (Warren) Knowles. Nelson Knowles 
 resided in Lanesville, where he owned and 
 operated a grist-mill. 
 
 Charles W. Knowles, who was born in New 
 Milford in February, 1836, purchased a small 
 farm in Lanesville, where he engaged in 
 farming and milling until he moved to Nor- 
 walk. Here he remained until his death, 
 which occurred in 1880, at the age of forty- 
 four years. He was a member of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, and was prominent in 
 church work. His wife was a daughter of 
 Charles M. and Sarah (Judson) Bard, the 
 former of whom was a son of Isaac and Abiah 
 (Miner) Bard, of Derby, Conn. Isaac Bard 
 settled in New Milford, where he purchased 
 of his brother Daniel the farm now owned 
 and occupied by Frederick W. Knowles, the 
 subject of this sketch. He erected the pres- 
 ent house, made other improvements upon the 
 place, and resided there for the rest of his 
 life. He died in 1844, aged sixty-one years. 
 His first wife was Martha (Odell) Bard, who 
 died young, leaving one daughter, named 
 Athilia. He married for his second wife 
 Abiah Miner, who became the mother of two 
 children; namely, Charles M. and George. 
 
 Charles M. Bard was born in New Milford, 
 and succeeded to the ownership of his father's 
 farm. He remodelled the house, set out fruit 
 trees, and cultivated the farm successfully 
 during his active period. He continues to re- 
 side there; and, although he has now reached 
 the age of eighty-eight years, he is still bright 
 and active. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Sarah A. Judson, daughter of Morris 
 Judson, and whom he married February 4, 
 1836, had one child, Harriet L., who married 
 Charles W. Knowles. Mrs. Charles W. 
 Knowles reared two children; namely, Fred- 
 erick W. and Edwin M, The mother was a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and lived to the age of twenty-eight years. 
 
 Frederick W. Knowles received his educa- 
 tion in the schools of Lanesville and South 
 Norwalk. In this town at the age of twenty- 
 one he commenced work in a paper-box fac- 
 tory, where he remained for five years. After 
 running a tea wagon for a time, he took the 
 agency of the Hartford Life Insurance Com- 
 pany, a business which he still follows with 
 considerable energy and success. In 1886 he 
 returned to New Milford, and once more en- 
 tered the paper-box business. This time he 
 served as foreman of the Ives factory, and 
 continued so employed until 1890. Then he 
 moved to his present residence at the old Bard 
 homestead, whichhad become his by inheri- 
 tance. Since taking charge of the property, 
 he has enlarged it to seventy acres by the pur- 
 chase of adjoining land; and he has re- 
 modelled the building, besides otherwise im- 
 proving the estate. In addition to general 
 farming he conducts a well-equipped dairy, 
 and raises some fine horses. These various 
 occupations bring him a satisfactory income 
 at the same time that they are congenial to his 
 tastes. 
 
 On December 4, 1881, Mr. Knowles was 
 
266 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 united in marriage to Gertrude E. Martin, 
 who died at the age of thirty-four years. On 
 May 20, 1889, he wedded for his second wife 
 Elizabeth Graft, daughter of Joseph and 
 Christine Graft. By this union he has three 
 children, namely: Charles Miner, who was 
 born June 5, 1890; Christine Gladys, who 
 was born June 14, 1893; and Gertrude Eliza- 
 beth, who was born November 7, 1895. Mr. 
 Knowles is a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows of New Milford, and 
 both he and his wife attend the Episcopal 
 church. He is an active, energetic farmer, a 
 reliable insurance agent, and a worthy citi- 
 zen. In politics he supports the Republican 
 party. 
 
 "jTJDWARD J. TRESCOTT, whose por- 
 JPtrait is here given, is a well-known 
 business man of Norfolk, Conn. 
 He was born in the adjoining town of North 
 Canaan, June 25, 1848, son of Wesley and 
 Elizabeth (Kellogg) Trescott. Mr. Trescott's 
 paternal grandfather, Jonathan Trescott, was 
 a native and a lifelong resident of Massachu- 
 setts. He was a citizen of influence, and 
 represented his district in the legislature in 
 Boston. 
 
 Wesley Trescott, son of Jonathan, was born 
 in Massachusetts, and was brought up to work 
 at farming. He remained at home with his 
 parents until attaining his majority, when he 
 came to North Canaan, Conn., where he pur- 
 chased a farm, and successfully engaged in 
 agricultural labors. He was active in politi- 
 cal affairs, serving in many of the important 
 town offices, and was a Trial Justice for 
 thirty consecutive years, during which time 
 not one of his decisions were ever reversed by 
 a higher court. He served as a representa- 
 tive in the Connecticut legislature, once at 
 New Haven and once in Hartford, before 
 
 that city became the sole capital of the State. 
 Wesley Trescott died at the age of seventy 
 years. His wife, Elizabeth Kellogg, a daugh- 
 ter of Albert Kellogg, became the mother of 
 five children, who were named as follows: 
 Jane, Martin, Edward J., Elizabeth, and 
 Henry. Mrs. Wesley Trescott, like her hus- 
 band, passed away at seventy years of age. 
 
 Edward J. Trescott resided with his par- 
 ents until reaching the age of twenty-seven. 
 He was engaged in the meat trade in Great 
 Barrington, Mass., for four years, and also- 
 had business interests in Norfolk and Canaan, 
 Conn. In 1891 he established his residence 
 permanently in Norfolk, and has since con- 
 ducted business with marked ability and with 
 prosperous results. In 1889 Mr. Trescott 
 was united in marriage with Genevieve Clark, 
 daughter of Nelson Clark, of Canaan. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Trescott have one son, named 
 Wesley E. 
 
 Mr. Trescott is a Democrat in politics, and 
 in 1884 represented the town of North Canaan 
 in the legislature. He is a member of the 
 Board of School Visitors, and is at present 
 Justice of Peace, an office to which he was 
 elected in 1894. In Masonry Mr. Trescott 
 has advanced to the thirty-second degree. 
 He is a member of Housatonic Lodge, No. 
 61, of Meridian Chapter, Royal Arch, Tyrian 
 Council, Washington Commandery, Knights 
 Templars, and of the Bridgeport Consistory 
 and Mystic Shrine. 
 
 TgTENRY N. CAMP, a leading farmer 
 r=H and extensive cattle dealer of 
 -'- V^ Bridgewater, was born in New Mil- 
 ford, October 4, 1826, son of Elijah J. and 
 Adeline (Northrop) Camp. Mr. Camp's 
 great-grandfather was Jonah Camp, a resident 
 of Milford, Conn.; and his grandfather, John 
 
EDWARD J. TRESCOTT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 269 
 
 Camp, was likewise a native of the town. 
 John Camp settled upon Second Hill in the 
 town of New Milford, where he~purchased a 
 large tract of land, and became a prosperous 
 farmer. He served as a musician in the Rev- 
 olutionary War, and died at an advanced age. 
 He married Annis Clark, daughter of Thomas 
 Clark, and reared three sons; namely, Elijah 
 J., Nathan H., and Gerardus W. The grand- 
 mother lived to a ripe old age. 
 
 Elijah J. Camp, Mr. Camp's father, was 
 bprn in New Milford in 1792. He conducted 
 a wagon manufactory, and also became quite 
 an extensive maker of drums, the heads for 
 which he tanned and prepared himself. In 
 the Second Hill district he owned a good 
 farm, which he cultivated successfully until 
 his death, which occurred when he was 
 seventy-five years old. His wife, whom he 
 married October ig, 1820, was born October 
 19, 1804, daughter of Solomon Northrop. 
 She bore him seven children, as follows: 
 George, who was born September 21, 1824; 
 Henry N., the subject of this sketch; Mairy, . 
 born August 17, 1830; John, born January 
 21, 1833; Frederick, born February 28, 
 1836; Edwin, born January 29, 1841; and 
 Martha, born August 3, 1843. 
 
 Henry N. Camp attended the district 
 schools of his native town until he reached 
 the age of twelve years, when he commenced 
 work as a farm laborer at four dollars per 
 month. He continued in this occupation for 
 ten years. After his marriage he purchased a 
 farm of forty acres, located near his father's 
 property, built on it a new barn, and there re- 
 sided for twelve years. At the expiration 
 of that space of time he sold it, and bought a 
 larger farm of one hundred acres, knowra as 
 the Babbitt estate, where he now resides. 
 Since then he has increased his land by the 
 purchase of sixty valuable acres in the town 
 
 of Brookfield, has remodelled his buildings, 
 and otherwise improved the property. In ad- 
 dition to the customary products of general 
 farming he raises from one to two tons of 
 tobacco per year. For a number of years he 
 dealt extensively in cattle, buying principally 
 in Canada, and driving his herds to Eastern 
 markets, where he sold at prices which 
 brought him handsome returns for his labor 
 and investment. He is a Democrat in poli- 
 tics; and, though not anxious for political 
 notoriety, he served the town with ability as 
 a member of the Board of Selectmen for two 
 terms. 
 
 On December 25, 1848, Mr. Camp was 
 united in marriage to Julia E. Frost, daugh- 
 ter of Curtis and Sally (Briscoe) Frost. 
 They have one daughter, Mary F., who was 
 born October 5, 1849. She wedded Gideon 
 W. Northrop, a prosperous farmer and real 
 estate owner of Bridgewater, son of Grant and 
 Rebecca (Camp) Northrop, and has two chil- 
 dren: Henry C, born May 8, 1873; and 
 Emma R., born October 15, 1876. Mrs. 
 Camp died in 1892, aged sixty-two years. 
 She attended the Episcopal church. Mr. 
 Camp has attained success through careful 
 management and close application to busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Yp)TENRY H. BART LETT, general 
 r^ manufacturing agent and general 
 
 Ji® V, J superintendent of the Heminway & 
 
 Bartlett Silk Company of Watertown, was 
 born in Williamsburg, Hampshire County, 
 Mass., February 11, 1849, son of Thaddeus 
 and Evelyn (Bannister) Bartlett. His grand- 
 father, who was a farmer, resided for many 
 years in Williamsburg, and died there at an 
 advanced age; and his grandmother, whose 
 maiden name was White, lived to be ninety- 
 two years of age, rearing eight children. 
 
I'JO 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Thaddeus Bartlett, father of Henry H. 
 Bartlett, was born in Willliamsburg, and 
 reared on his father's farm in that town. On 
 reaching man's estate, he entered the world of 
 trade, and became well known as a trades- 
 man. He was for many years a dealer in 
 meat and fish in -'Hampshire County, Massa- 
 chusetts, and died in Goshen, that State, at 
 the age of seventy-six. His wife, who was a 
 daughter of Jonathan Bannister, of New York 
 State, is now living in Bridgeport, Conn., 
 and is a member of the Methodist church, 
 which her husband also attended. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bartlett were the parents of eleven chil- 
 dren, six of whom are living; namely, 
 Martha, Harriet, Frank, Henry H., Mary, 
 and Edward. The latter is in the silk manu- 
 factory under the charge of his brother. 
 
 Henry H. Bartlett went to work in the silk 
 factory when a boy of^ight 'years, in the 
 mean time also attendingfchool. He finished 
 his schooling at the age of seventeen years, 
 and when but eighteen was given charge of 
 a room in the silk works. When he was 
 twenty-two years of age, he was made superin- 
 tendent of the William Skinner factory, in 
 which he had worked as a boy, and acceptably 
 filled the position till 1874, the year of the 
 destructive flood. At that time he went to 
 Holyoke, and took charge of a factory which 
 he assisted in organizing; and two years later 
 he removed to Watertown, and was made 
 superintendent of the old factory of Hemin- 
 way & Sons. After holding this position for 
 twelve years, he was taken into partnership by 
 Buell Herainway, the son of General Hemin- 
 way, proprietor of the old factory, and assisted 
 in organizing the present establishment, 
 which has been in successful operation since 
 1888. Mr. Bartlett acts as general manager, 
 manufacturer's agent, and executive officer of 
 the company. As the establishment is one 
 
 of the most extensive silk factories in the 
 United States, his position is one of great 
 responsibility. Starting as a boy, obliged to 
 earn his own living at an age when most boys 
 are perfectly free from care, Mr. Bartlett 
 steadily won his way to a foothold on the 
 heights of prosperity. His sterling char- 
 acter, clear understanding, and ripe judgment 
 win for him respect from all with whom he 
 comes in contact. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Bartlett was united in marriage 
 with Lucretia E., daughter of Joseph Reece, 
 a skilled mechanic of Florence, Mass. Their 
 union has been blessed by the birth of one 
 daughter, Florence M. Politically, Mr. Bart- 
 lett is independent, but inclined to favor the 
 Republican party. A member of the Masonic 
 fraternity, he is Senior Warden of Federal 
 Lodge, No. 17, and belongs to Granite Chap- 
 ter, No. 96. He is also a member of the 
 Knights of Pythias and of the American Me- 
 chanics' Association, belonging to Terry 
 Council of Watertown. In religious belief he 
 is an Episcopalian, and his wife and daughter 
 are members of the church of that denomina- 
 tion in Watertown. 
 
 |RS. SARAH A. SABIN, widow ' 
 of the late Charles C. Sabin^ of 
 New Milford, was born in that 
 town, March 12, 181 3, daughter of Ebenezer 
 and Philotheta (Lessey) Hill. She is a rep- 
 resentative of one of the most prominent fam- 
 ilies of New Milford. Her grandparents were 
 Silas and Sarah (Leach) Hill, the former of 
 whom was born in 1733, and first settled in 
 Fairfield, Conn. He later moved to New 
 Milford, where he purchased land and devel- 
 oped the property which is now owned by 
 Charles Hatch. In 1758 he enlisted as a 
 private for service in the French War; and, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 271 
 
 after serving one year, he returned to his 
 home, and passed the remainder of his life in 
 attending to his farm. He died in 1798, 
 aged sixty-five years. His wife, who died in 
 1792, aged fifty-six, was the mother of ten 
 children, of whom Ebenezer, Mrs. Sabin's 
 father, was the eighth born and the, youngest 
 son. Ebenezer Hill, who was born December 
 15, 1778, succeeded to the possession of the 
 homestead. He became a prosperous farmer, 
 and was prominent among the leading people 
 of the district. He died in 1856, aged 
 seventy-eight years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Philotheta Lessey, daughter of John 
 F. and Ann Lessey, became the mother of 
 four children, as follows: Amy, Maria, Eliza 
 A., and Sarah A. She died in 1862, aged 
 eighty-two years. - 
 
 Charles C. Sabin was born in Naples, On- 
 tario County, N.Y., January 12, 181 1, son of 
 Huram and Olive Sabin. His father was an 
 early settler in Ontario County, where he be- 
 came a farmer; and both he and his wife lived 
 to an advanced age. Charles C. Sabin 
 learned the millwright's trade, which he fol- 
 lowed as an occupation for the greater portion 
 of his life. In early manhood he settled 
 upon a farm in Lanesville, town of New Mil- 
 ford, and improved the property by erecting 
 new buildings, among them being the house 
 in which his widow now resides. He was a 
 Republican in politics. He is well remem- 
 bered for his upright and conscientious prin- 
 ciples. He died December 21, 1884. On 
 December 15, 1835, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Sarah A. Hill, the subject of this 
 sketch. Mrs. Sabin has had four children, 
 namely: Charles H., born March 20, 1837, 
 who married Laura Throp, and died May 5, 
 1875, leaving a widow and one daughter, 
 named Harriet, the latter now the wife of 
 H. D. Warner; Philotheta L., born April 
 
 II, 1842, who died July i, 1861; Cornelia 
 R. M. B., born December 15, 1847, who 
 married Albert T. Smith, and has one daugh- 
 ter, named Sarah A. S. ; and William F., 
 born March 2, 1850, who died April 24, 
 1871. 
 
 Early in life Mrs. Sabin united with the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of which she 
 was a member for twenty years. Influenced 
 by a change in her religious opinions, she 
 then left the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
 now attends the Friends' Society, of which 
 she has since been a devout member. Al- 
 though she has reached an advanced age, she 
 is enjoying good health, while her mental 
 faculties are vigorous. She is an extensive 
 reader, is well informed upon current relig- 
 ious and political questions; and her opin- 
 ions, which she freely expresses, are sound 
 and well founded. . . 
 
 (sTtNDREW G. BARNES, one of New 
 ^L Milford's most" prominent farmers 
 /aJls^_^_ and a member, of the Connecticut 
 legislature, was born in Sherman, Conn., 
 November 15, 1838, son of Albert and Cath- 
 erine (Gaylord) Barnes. Mr. Barnes's great- 
 grandparents were Stephen and Ann Barnes, 
 residents of Lyme, Conn. His grandfather, 
 Andrew Barnes, who was born in Lyme in 
 1773, resided for some time in the town of 
 Sherman, and later bought a farm situated 
 upon Stilson's Hill, in the town of New Mil- 
 ford, where he lived for the remainder of his 
 life. He became a very prosperous farmer 
 and a prominent man in the community, and 
 died in 1858. He married Polly Giddings, 
 daughter of Jonathan Giddings, of Sherman, 
 and she reared six children; namely, Albert, 
 Loretta, Samuel H., Sarah, Mary, and Laura. 
 Albert Barnes, father of Mr. Barnes, was 
 
272 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born in Sherman, August 6, 1805. He was 
 reared to agricultural life; and, when a young 
 man, he purchased and subsequently cultivated 
 a good farm in Sherman. He subsequently 
 became an extensive land-owner, was a promi- 
 nent figure in public affairs, and filled various 
 town offices, which he administered with abil- 
 ity and good judgment. He was widely 
 known and highly respected for his many 
 commendable traits of character. Both his 
 public and private career was marked by a 
 sturdy adherence to right principles. He 
 died at the age of seventy-four years. His 
 wife became the mother of three children; 
 namely, Andrew G., George A., and 
 Hiram S. 
 
 Andrew G. Barnes received his education 
 in the schools of Sherman and Danbury. 
 When but thirteen years old, he commenced to 
 develop the spirit of industry which has since 
 been a prominent trait in his character by 
 planting and successfully raising the first crop 
 of tobacco ever attempted in the neighbor- 
 hood, upon the land which his father had given 
 him for the purpose. At the age of nineteen 
 years he engaged in burning brick upon his 
 father's farm, in addition to his cultivation of 
 tobacco. In due time he realized enough 
 money to purchase his grandfather's farm in 
 New Milford, upon which he commenced gen- 
 eral farming and tobacco raising. Later he 
 engaged in the cattle business, buying for the 
 market, eventually becoming an extensive 
 dealer in Western cattle, which he first 
 brought East in droves, but later shipped 
 them by rail. After making various improve- 
 ments in his farm on Stilson's Hill, he sold 
 that property, and bought his present estate, 
 which was known as David Noble's farm. In 
 1891, his barns having been destroyed by fire, 
 he built upon their sites much more spacious 
 and convenient structures. He has also re- 
 
 modelled and enlarged his residence, and 
 built a large tobacco warehouse. He raises 
 about twelve acres of the weed annually, which 
 amounts, when packed, to seventy-five cases. 
 He owns a finely located farm upon the op- 
 posite side of the river, which, like other 
 land in the Housatonic valley, is of much 
 fertility. Here he keeps from sixty to one 
 hundred full-blooded Holstein cows, whose 
 milk he ships direct to New York City. He 
 is President of the New Milford Hat Com- 
 pany, in which he is a heavy stockholder; 
 and the success of that enterprise is in a 
 measure due to his energy and business abil- 
 ity. 
 
 Mr. Barnes married for his first wife Hattie 
 Seeley, daughter of Gregory Seeley. She 
 died, leaving one son, named Albert Sher- 
 wood, who also died in 1893, aged twenty- 
 three. He married for his second wife Mrs. 
 Jennie Weaver, daughter of Sheldon Baker. 
 In politics Mr. Barnes has always supported 
 the Republican party. In 1894 he was 
 elected a representative to the legislature by 
 a large majority, being the first Republican 
 to represent New Milford in that body. As a 
 legislator, he is. alive to the best interests of 
 his town and State. 
 
 ENRY WELCOME WOODRUFF, 
 an enterprising business man and a 
 -^ V well-known philanthropist of Wash- 
 ington, was born in that town, November 13, 
 1837, son of Luman and Eunice (Bills) Wood- 
 ruff. Luman Woodruff was born in Washing- 
 ton in 1803. When quite young, he received 
 an accidental injury which caused the paralysis 
 of his left arm. This incapacitated him for 
 manual labor ; but he was very successful as a 
 business man, and for many years was engaged 
 as a drover. He died February 6, 1888. His 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 273 
 
 wife, Eunice, who was born in 181 1 in Tol- 
 land County, Connecticut, died March 17, 
 1 891. Seven children blessed their union, 
 namely: Jane, born in 1835, who married Dan- 
 iel Taylor, and has had six children — Frank, 
 Sidney, Daniel, Lizzie (Mrs. Douglas), Fred, 
 and Grace (Mrs. Sanford), all but Sidney and 
 Fred being married; Henry W., the subject 
 of this article; Isaac, born in 1839, who died 
 in 1884; Caroline, who married a Mr. Taylor 
 for her first husband, George Schenck for her 
 second, and William Bailey for her third, and 
 has one son, Frank Taylor; Sarah, born in 
 1844, now Mrs. Churchill, and mother of one 
 child. Bertha; David C, born in 1849; Abner, 
 born in 1852, who married Ida Durgey, and 
 has one child, Lena M. 
 
 Henry W. Woodruff, after acquiring the 
 rudiments of his education in the district 
 schools of his native town, studied for some 
 time at the Gunnery, the noted finishing 
 school in Washington village. At the age of 
 sixteen he began to learn the carpenter's trade, 
 and in 1859 took up the manufacture of turned 
 handles for axes and other tools, a calling in 
 which he was successfully engaged for ten 
 years. He then disposed of his busines.s, and 
 engaged in a mercantile enterprise in Wash- 
 ington Green for five years. By that time he 
 was convinced that he could do better at his 
 original calling, and he repurchased his old 
 shop and resumed the manufacture of turned 
 handles, etc. He was burned out three years 
 afterward, and he was obliged to rebuild. 
 About this time a company, organized for 
 the purpose of manufacturing matches in 
 the town, engaged Mr. Woodruff to do the 
 work for them. This he did for three years, 
 managing simultaneously the handle shop, the 
 match factory, and a saw-mill. He retained 
 the handle business for five years after 
 rebuilding the shop, and then took up the 
 
 manufacture of wagons and carriages, to- 
 gether with the repairing of old vehicles. 
 His carriage business likewise proved a suc- 
 cess, and is now in a flourishing condition ; 
 while his saw-mill has an annual output of 
 three hundred thousand feet of lumber. He 
 gives constant employment to a number of 
 men, and is an important factor in the business 
 life of the locality. Some time ago, at New 
 Preston Depot, he purchased a tract of wild 
 brush land, which is now the site of five cosey 
 homes. He has materially aicted in the up- 
 building of Washington, and is generally 
 recognized as a public benefactor. 
 
 In i860 Mr. Woodruff was married to 
 Martha M. Warner, daughter of Charles J. 
 Warner, of Washington village. She died 
 March i, 1879, at the age of thirty-eight 
 years. She had but one child, Helen, born 
 May 7, 1873, who died November 8- of the 
 same year. In 1880 Mr. Woodruff contracted 
 a second marriage, his bride being Amelia 
 Lyons, daughter of David and Charlotte (Dart) 
 Lyons, of Sheffield, Mass. David Lyons was 
 a rope-maker, and worked at his trade for many 
 years. His last years were spent at the home 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff, where he died at 
 the age of seventy-one. His wife is yet liv- 
 ing, and is now in her seventy-third year. 
 She also makes her home with the Wood- 
 ruffs. They reared six children, namely: 
 Hannah, wife of Truman Shores, who has two 
 children — Merritt .C. and Fred S. ; George; 
 Frank, who married Emma Grant, and has six 
 children — Mary, Charles H., Elsie, Lottie, 
 Frankie, and Lester; Addie, wife of George 
 Decker, who has eight children — Ida, Archie, 
 John, Cora, Louis, Nellie, Maud, and Min- 
 nie; Amelia; and Lorinda, wife of Charles 
 Northrop. 
 
 In politics Mr. Woodruff favors the Repub- 
 lican party. In his religious belief he is a 
 
274 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Congregational. He is a public-spirited and 
 large-hearted man. His open-handed generos- 
 ity has earned for his residence the name of the 
 "Transient's Home." 
 
 "Tt^^OBERT LITTLE, a prosperous farmer 
 I I^V^ and extensive land-owner of Salis- 
 ■l-^ V ^ bury, in the north-west part of 
 Litchfield County, Connecticut, was born in 
 Sheffield, Mass., October 4, 1822. His par- 
 ents, Ralph and Maria (Fox) Little, were 
 both natives of East Haddara, Conn. Ralph 
 Little was a merchant in the early part of his 
 life, and later devoted his time and strength 
 to agriculture. He lived for many years in 
 Sheffield, dying at the age of seventy-two. 
 He was twice married. His first wife, Maria 
 Fox, the daughter of Robert Fox, of East 
 Haddam, died at the age of thirty-six, leaving 
 six children: Lucius, Ralph, Robert, Annie, 
 Frank, and Augusta. Mr. Little's second 
 wife, Louisa, daughter of E. Royce, of Shef- 
 field, died at the age of fifty-six. 
 
 Robert Little worked for some time when 
 a young man as clerk in a store. In 1842 he 
 settled on the farm that he now owns, which 
 is located in the eastern part of Salisbury, on 
 the Housatonic River. This part of Salis- 
 bury is rich in history, the first white child 
 born in the town having opened its eyes to 
 the light on this farm, and a lot near the 
 river, called "the Fort lot," being the site of 
 the block-house to which the whites retreated 
 in time of danger from the Indians. This 
 farm, when Mr. Little purchased it, contained 
 one hundred and forty acres; and he has 
 added to it till now it covers three hundred 
 and forty acres. He also owns two other 
 farms, one of one hundred and fifty-two acres 
 and one of one hundred and ten acres, all 
 finely improved. Mr. Little is extensively 
 
 engaged in general farming, in which he has 
 been very successful. 
 
 In 1844 he was united in marriage with 
 Cornelia M. Eldred, daughter of Erastus and 
 Maria (Ball) Eldred, of Salisbury. After 
 full fifty years of wedlock Mrs. Little passed 
 from earth on March 7, 1895, at the age of 
 seventy-three. She was the mother of one 
 daughter, Minnie Little, who married Elson 
 Hornbeck, and died at the age of twenty- 
 two. 
 
 Mr. Little has a beautiful home. The 
 estate is very appropriately called Elm Farm, 
 being adorned with some of the finest elms 
 in the vicinity. One handsome tree, just op- 
 posite the house, is said to be the largest 
 spreading elm for the size of the trunk ever 
 known. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Mr. Robert 
 Little will be recognized and appreciated by 
 the friends and acquaintances of this esti- 
 mable gentleman. 
 
 TTAHARLES POMEROY, of Gaylords- 
 ( jp ville, in the town of New Milford, 
 
 ^«^ a dealer in lumber and builder's 
 
 hardware, lime, cement, and phosphate, was 
 born in Franklin, Delaware County, N.Y., 
 October 12, 1834, son of Wesley and Sophro- 
 nia (Hendrix) Pomeroy. Mr. Pomeroy's grand- 
 parents were Seymour and Clarissa (Gibbons) 
 Pomeroy, the former of whom was a native 
 of Massachusetts. In early manhood he went 
 to Delaware County, New York, where he 
 purchased a large tract of wild land, which 
 was covered with heavy timber; and he be- 
 came one of the first settlers in that region. 
 He began the task of establishing a home by 
 building a rude cabin to shelter his family 
 from the storms and wild animals which 
 abounded in the forest ; and by patient indus- 
 
ROBERT LITTLE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 277 
 
 try and perseverance he at length succeeded in 
 clearing and cultivating a farm. He cut his 
 timber, and rafted it down the river to 
 market, continued to clear and improve more 
 land until he possesse'd a valuable farm of 
 three hundred and fifty acres, most of which 
 was eligible to cultivation. He became a 
 very prominent citizen in the town of Frank- 
 lin. Seymour and Clarissa Pomeroy both 
 lived to reach the advanced age of eighty 
 years; and their children who lived to ma- 
 turity were as follows: Wesley, William, 
 Orle, Mark, Harvey, Hannah, Sally, Jane, 
 and Martha. 
 
 Wesley Pomeroy, Mr. Pomeroy' s father, 
 was born in Franklin, Delaware County, 
 N.Y., and was reared to farm life. When a 
 young man, he bought sixty acres of his 
 father's farm, upon which he commenced 
 farming on his own account; and, realizing a 
 profitable return for his, labor, he added more 
 land at intervals, until fie possessed three 
 hundred and twenty acres in all. He con- 
 ducted general farming and stock-raising suc- 
 cessfully until his death, which occurred at 
 the age of eighty-four. His wife, Sophronia 
 Hendrix, became the mother of ten children, 
 namely: Seymour; Charles, the subject of 
 this sketch; Murray; Ariel; Orle; Clinton; 
 Jane; Martha; Emma; and Julia. The 
 mother died at the age of sixty years. 
 
 Charles Pomeroy received his education in 
 the district schools of his native town and at 
 the Franklin Institute. He followed agricult- 
 ure until 1883, when he bought the Graves 
 farm of forty-eight acres in Gaylordsville, 
 Conn., together with a tract of sixty acres, 
 situated upon Long Mountain. He then 
 established himself in the lumber business. 
 He enlarged and remodelled the residence and 
 out-buildings, erected a storehouse for lumber 
 and another for his lime, cement, hardware. 
 
 etc., which contains his business office; and 
 his equipment for the special line of trade in 
 which he is engaged is suitable and conven- 
 ient. Since opening his business, he has se- 
 cured a large and profitable trade; and, con- 
 sidering the industrious character of the 
 proprietor, it may be safely inferred that his 
 future business prosperity is assured. 
 
 In 1 86 1 Mr. Pomeroy was united in mar- 
 riage to Josephine Hallock, his first wife, 
 who was a daughter of Homer Hallock. She 
 died in 1875, leaving one son, named Henry 
 H., who was born September 17, 1862. In 
 1878 Mr. Pomeroy married for his second 
 wife Mary E. Helsten, daughter of Eric and 
 Mary (Harty) Helsten. He is a Republican 
 in politics, and a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Henry H. Pomeroy, Mr. 
 Pomeroy's only son, is extensively engaged 
 in farming and cattle, raising. He owns two 
 valuable farms, situated upon Long Mountain, 
 and is one of the leading business men in his 
 locality. On December 5, 1885, he wedded 
 Edna Chase, daughter of John Chase, and has 
 one son, named Charles C, who was born 
 October 28, if 
 
 T^ATHANIEL M. STRONG, an enter- 
 I =M prising druggist and general merchant 
 J}p V ^ of North Woodbury and an ex- 
 member of the legislature, was born in 
 Woodbury, April 6, 1849, son of Nathaniel- 
 L. and Mary R. (Miner) Strong. The first 
 ancestor of the family in America was John 
 Strong, a native of Taunton, England, who 
 emigrated to New England about the year 
 1638. He settled in Woodbury in the year 
 1700, was engaged in farming, and raised a 
 family of eight children. His third son. 
 Preserved Strong, married Esther Stoddard, 
 by whom he became the father of five chil- 
 
278 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren. Anthony, his fourth child, was Mr. 
 Strong's great-grandfather. 
 
 Anthony Strong was born in Woodbury, 
 December 9, 1759. When a young man, he 
 went to the town of Washington, where he 
 engaged in operating mills for a number of 
 years. In 18 17 he returned to Woodbury, 
 and settled at the old family homestead, now 
 owned by F. T. Strong; and he resided there 
 until his death, which took place in 1829. 
 He served as a private in the Revolutionary 
 War, but subsequently was a Captain in the 
 State militia. He married Phebe Curtis, and 
 had three children; namely, Phebe, Anthony 
 C, and Nathaniel. Anthony C. Strong, Mr. 
 Strong's grandfather, was born September 7, 
 1792. He assisted his father in running the 
 mills in Worthington, and later became a 
 successful farmer in Woodbury, where he 
 passed the rest of his life. He married Julia 
 Lambert, and raised a family of four children, 
 namely: Nathaniel L., Mr. Strong's father; 
 Henry P.; Willis A.; and Frederick T. 
 The grandparents each lived to an advanced 
 age. 
 
 Nathaniel L. Strong was born in Woodbury 
 in March, 1821. When a young man, he en- 
 gaged in farming upon his own account, pur- 
 chasing and settling upon the property now 
 owned by Julius Galpin. He was indus- 
 trious in his calling and an exemplary citi- 
 zen. He was engaged in agriculture until his 
 death, which took place when he was fifty- 
 nine years old. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican. He served with ability in several of 
 the important town offices, and he was a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church. His first 
 wife, in maidenhood Mary R. Miner, to 
 whom he was married in 1846, was a daughter 
 of Nathaniel Miner. She died at the age of 
 thirty-five, leaving one son, Nathaniel M., 
 the subject of this sketch. His second wife 
 
 was Mary (Bryan) Strong, who had no chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Nathaniel M. Strong, after receiving a good 
 education in the schools of his native town, 
 taught school for six years. He then engaged 
 as a clerk in the store kept by W. A. Strong. 
 After spending one year in this employment, 
 he joined his employer in erecting the build- 
 ing known as Strong's Block and in fitting up 
 and starting a large store for the drug and 
 hardware business. The two had conducted 
 the store unitedly for about eight years, when 
 in 1885 Nathaniel purchased his partner's in- 
 terest, added a full line of groceries, paints, 
 and oils, etc., and since has successfully con- 
 tinued the business alone. He is a member 
 of the First Congregational Church, and in 
 politics he supports the Republican party. 
 He has served as School Visitor, was for three 
 years a member of the Board of Education, 
 and represented his town in the legislature in 
 1889. He is a member of the Order of 
 American Mechanics and of the Foresters. 
 He is highly esteemed in both business and 
 social circles as a progressive and enterprising 
 merchant and citizen. 
 
 Mr. Strong married for his first wife Mar- 
 garet Lambert, daughter of Henry Lambert, 
 who died, leaving no children. He married 
 for his second wife Julia Miner, daughter of 
 Solomon B. Miner, of Waterbury. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Strong have had two children; namely, 
 Frank and a daughter. The daughter is now 
 deceased. The family occupy a very pleasant 
 residence on Main Street. 
 
 •AMES HINE, M.D., one of the oldest 
 and most skilful physicians of New 
 Milford, was born there on July 31, 
 182 2, son of Lyman and Hannah (Roberts) 
 Hine. The Hine family rs traced to Thomas 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 279 
 
 Hine, the first representative in America, 
 who owned land in Milford as early as 1646. 
 His son Stephen, the next in line, was fol- 
 lowed by Ambrose. Stephen Hine, second, 
 son of Ambrose, spent his life in Wood- 
 bridge, Conn., where he was a prosperous car- 
 penter. According to tradition, he erected 
 the first frame house built in Bridgewater, 
 which was then a part of the town of New 
 Milford. He performed the work for John 
 Treat; and he received for his pay two hun- 
 dred and fifteen acres of common land, that 
 he afterward gave to his son, Stephen, third. 
 He was also at one time interested in the 
 Litchfield Review. His wife before marriage 
 was Miss Elizabeth Carrington. After 
 Stephen Hine, third, was married to Miss 
 Naomi Peck he came to New Milford, and 
 purchased of John Treat one hundred and 
 thirty-eight acres, making the total amount of 
 land owned by him about three hundred and 
 fifty acres. On getting possession of his 
 purchase he erected a log house, and pro- 
 ceeded to the work of clearing the land. In 
 1798 he purchased the farm of N. Taylor, Jr., 
 at the mouth of Rocky River, together with 
 a saw-mill, grist-mill, fulling-mill, and dye 
 shop. For a number of years he carried on 
 quite an extensive business in the various in- 
 dustries these buildings were designed for. 
 He purchased and brought to New Milford 
 the first two-horse wagon owned in that town, 
 using it to deliver flour from his mill. 
 Toward the close of his life he retired from 
 active business, making over to his sons all 
 his property except what he deemed sufficient 
 to supply his needs. He was drafted for ser- 
 vice in the Revolutionary War, and was pres- 
 ent at both the evacuation of New York and 
 the surrender of General Burgoyne. His 
 powder-horn, which he brought home from 
 the war, is in the possession of his grandson, 
 
 Dr. James Hine, He died in 1833, seventy- 
 nine years of age; and his wife died in 1818, 
 at the age of sixty years. They had five sons ; 
 namely, Clark, William, Anan, Isaac, and 
 Lyman. 
 
 Lyman Hine, who was born January 28, 
 1793, remained with his parents during his 
 boyhood. When he started for himself, he 
 engaged in the manufacture of fire brick for 
 stove lining, the first time that work was 
 undertaken in this country. He carried on 
 this industry for many years, doing an exten- 
 sive business. He finally relinquished it in 
 favor of his sons, William H. and George, 
 and retired from active labor. Up to 1850 he 
 held Democratic principles, after which he 
 became an adherent of the Republican party. 
 He served acceptably as Selectman of his 
 town, and lived to the age of eighty -nine 
 years. His wife, Hannah (Roberts) Hine, to 
 whom he was united in September, 1837, died 
 when she was sixty-nine years old. Both 
 were faithful members of the Congregational 
 church. Their four children are : William 
 H., Louisa, James, and George. 
 
 James Hine, M.D., acquired his early edu- 
 cation in the common schools. He subse- 
 quently studied at the Vermont University, 
 from which he graduated in the class of 1844, 
 and then entered the medical department of 
 the University of the City of New York, com- 
 pleting the .course there in 1847. Soon after 
 he came to New Milford, his native town, and 
 engaged in the practice of his profession. 
 For many years he has been the leading phy- 
 sician and surgeon of that vicinity. After 
 his marriage he purchased the Northrop home- 
 stead on Bridge Street, the early home of the 
 Mygatts, moved it to a vacant lot, and 
 changed it into a double tenement - house, 
 which still stands. On the old site he erected 
 his fine large house and barn, and laid out a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 beautiful lawn. He has also been engaged 
 in building or remodelling other houses; and 
 he has had West Street extended, and laid out 
 a number of building lots. 
 
 On October 9, 1849, Dr. Hine was united 
 in marriage with Miss Catherine Northrop, a 
 daughter of Cyrus and Betsey (Wells) North- 
 rop. Her father was a successful farmer and 
 highly esteemed citizen of New Milford. She 
 died in 1883, sixty-four years of age, leaving 
 three children, as follows: Francis L., born 
 December 6, 1850, who is married to Mary I. 
 Low, and has two children; Sophia M., born 
 April 15, 1855, wife of Professor J. T. Shaw, 
 of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, and has 
 two children; and Caroline L., born Decem- 
 ber I, 1857, who married George B. Noble, 
 of East Hampton, and has two children. 
 Francis L. Hine, who lives in Brooklyn, 
 N.Y., and is Vice-President of the Astor 
 Place Bank, in the organization and develop- 
 ment of which he was one of the leaders and 
 is now its principal manager, was one of the 
 original incorporators of the New Milford 
 Savings Bank, has been a director of it, Vice- 
 President, and President, having held the 
 last-named office for many years before illness 
 compelled his resignation, and was instru- 
 mental in securing the site of the bank build- 
 ing, obtained its design, and largely superin- 
 tended its erection. 
 
 Dr. Hine is a faithful supporter of Repub- 
 lican principles. In 1853 he served as Judge 
 of Probate. On one occasion he was nomi- 
 nated for representative of his district, and 
 came within one vote of being elected. 
 
 BALDWIN, a prominent 
 residing upon Long Moun- 
 the town of New Milford, 
 was born on the farm he now owns and occu- 
 
 pies, August I, 1831, son of David M. and 
 Laura M. (Fairchild) Baldwin. The family 
 is of English ancestry, and descends from 
 Nathaniel, son of Richard Baldwin, who emi- 
 grated to America in the early days of the 
 New England colony," and was one of the 
 early settlers of Milford, Conn. The descent 
 continued through Daniel, first, Daniel, 
 second, and Jeremiah, first, to Jeremiah, 
 second, and Eunice Baldwin, who were 
 Andrew J. Baldwin's great-grandparents. 
 Jeremiah and Eunice Baldwin settled in New 
 Milford, where they passed the remainder 
 of their lives. Their children were David, 
 John, Jeremiah, Eunice, Polly, and Hannah, 
 Jeremiah, third, Mr. Baldwin's grandfather, 
 in company with his two brothers, bought a 
 tract of three hundred and fifty acres of land, 
 situated upon Long Mountain, which they di- 
 vided equally between them. Jeremiah's por- 
 tion, including a later purchase made by him 
 and the old house built by A. Buck in 1786, 
 is now the property of his grandson. When 
 cleared and put under cultivation, the prop- 
 erty made a good farm. Jeremiah, third, died 
 in 185 1. He married E. Sarah Merwin, who 
 became the mother of six children, as follows: 
 Polly, who was born September 23, 1794; 
 Minerva, born November 3, 1798; Caroline, 
 born August 5, 1801; David M., born No- 
 vember 7, 1804; Delia M., born November 
 21, 1 8 10; and Harriet E., born November 8, 
 1816. She died in 1859. 
 
 David M. Baldwin, the only son of his par- 
 ents, succeeded as such to the ownership of 
 the homestead. H^ improved the property to 
 a considerable extent, and was a prosperous 
 farmer. He was a popular man in the com- 
 munity, and served in some of the town ofifices 
 with ability. He was originally a Whig and 
 later a Republican. He was a member of the 
 Congregational church; and he died April 20, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1884. His wife, a daughter of Munson Fair- 
 child, became the mother of two children, 
 namely: Sarah F., who was born February 
 13, 1834, and died July i, 1850; and Andrew 
 J., the subject of this sketch. The mother 
 died March 3, 1888. 
 
 Andrew J. Baldwin was educated in the dis- 
 trict and select schools, and adopted agricult- 
 ure as an occupation. He has always re- 
 sided at the old homestead, and since 1854 
 has occupied the handsome and substantial 
 residence his father erected for him at the 
 time of his marriage. Alive to the progres- 
 sive tendencies of the times, he has made vari- 
 ous noticeable improvements in his property. 
 He has remodelled the buildings, and has 
 added more land to the estate. He pays par- 
 ticular attention to the dairying, keeping a 
 number of choice cows. The large measure 
 of prosperity he is enjoying may be taken as 
 the result of his steady perseverance and deter- 
 mination to reach the highest degree of per- 
 fection in his calling. 
 
 On October 10, 1854, Mr. Baldwin was first 
 united in marriage to Delia Merwin. She 
 was born in January, 1832, daughter of 
 Henry and Susan (Gaylord) Merwin, and died 
 December 4, 1872, leaving three children, as 
 follows: Henry M., Sarah F., and Mary G. 
 The last two died each at the age of seven- 
 teen. Mr. Baldwin married for his second 
 wife Lucy S. Weaver, who died in 1892, aged 
 fifty years. Henry M., the only survivor of 
 Mr. Baldwin's children, was born October 10, 
 1856. He was well educated, and is now en- 
 gaged in teaching school. He also assists his 
 father in carrying on the farm. He married 
 Lottie C. Ferriss, and has two children, 
 namely: Alice, who was born April 16, 1884; 
 and Ralph H., born May 15, 1888. His 
 father is a Republican in politics and a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church. 
 
 W': 
 
 ILLIAM W. BULL, a retired 
 farmer of Plymouth, was born in 
 that town, November 28, 18 16, son 
 of Benedict and Betsey (Carrington) Bull. 
 The family is of Welsh origin; and its pres- 
 ent representatives are the descendants of 
 Governor Bull, who ruled the colony of Rhode 
 Island in 1685. Mr. Bull's grandfather, 
 Jabez B. Bull, was born in Milford, Conn., in 
 1748, followed the trade of a tailor in his na- 
 tive town, and died in 18 17. He married 
 Naomi Bristol, born in Milford, April 20, 
 1754, who reared six children, of whom 
 Benedict, Mr. Bull's father, was the eldest. 
 She passed her declining years at the home of 
 her son in Plymouth, and died at the age of 
 ninety years. Both parents were members of 
 the Congregational church, the father having 
 been a Deacon for many years. 
 
 Benedict Bull was born in Milford, July 
 10, 1 77 1. He acquired the tailor's trade 
 from his father, with whom he worked until 
 he was twenty-one. He then went to New 
 York, where he continued to follow that occu- 
 pation. Subsequently, after recovering from 
 a severe illness, he shipped as a sailor in the 
 merchant service, making voyages to the West 
 Indies and points along the coast. This was 
 during the turbulent times caused by the un- 
 settled state of Europe in the early part of the 
 present century, and he was upon three several 
 occasions captured by pirates. After follow- 
 ing the sea for some twenty years, he in 181 5 
 settled in Plymouth, where he purchased a 
 farm, which he cultivated successfully for the 
 rest of his life. His death occurred in 1852, 
 at the age of eighty years. In politics he 
 favored the abolitionist movement. He mar- 
 ried Betsey Carrington, daughter of Dr. Ed- 
 ward and Mrs. (Whittlesey) Carrington, of 
 Woodbridge. Dr. Carrington, a physician in 
 good practice, subsequently moved to New 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 York. After suffering from a protracted ill- 
 ness, he returned to his native State, and died 
 in Milford in early manhood, leaving a widow 
 and six children. His wife, who was a native 
 of Wallingford, Conn., died in Milford. 
 Mrs. Benedict Bull became the mother of four- 
 teen children, eleven of whom, eight sons and 
 three daughters, grew to maturity. Of these 
 William W., the subject of this sketch, is the 
 only one now living. The mother lived to 
 the age of ninety-two, dying in Plymouth in 
 1 87 1. Both parents were members of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 William W. Bull received his education in 
 the common schools, and was trained to agri- 
 cultural duties. Beginning at an early age to 
 assist on the farm, he was intrusted with its 
 management during his father's declining 
 years, and its possession fell to him by inheri- 
 tance at his father's death. It comprises two 
 hundred acres, and it is desirably located and 
 well improved. Mr. Bull devoted his atten- 
 tion to general farming and dairying. He 
 was particularly successful in the latter vent- 
 ure, and made a high reputation as a breeder 
 of fine Jersey cattle. He continued farming 
 until 1876, when he rented the property, and 
 retired to the village, where he now occupies 
 a very comfortable and attractive residence, 
 situated opposite to the common. In politics 
 he was originally an abolitionist, and is now 
 a supporter of the Republican party. He has 
 S2rved with ability in some of the town 
 offices, was a grand juror for several years 
 and also Highway Surveyor. 
 
 In 1846 Mr. Bull was united in marriage to 
 Sophia P. Buell, his first wife. She was 
 born in Simsbury, daughter of Lester Buell; 
 and she died in 1874. His second marriage 
 was with Mrs. Sarah M. Fenton, daughter of 
 Isaac Beach, who was a prosperous farmer of 
 the locality known as Northfield, in the town 
 
 of Litchfield. Isaac Beach was born in Wal- 
 lingford, Conn., son of John Beach. He 
 passed his boyhood and youth in Watertown, 
 where he was brought up to farming; and 
 in 1822 he settled in Northfield. Here he 
 resided for the rest of his life, and died at 
 the age of eighty years. He married Maria 
 Beecher, daughter of Burr Beecher, of Wood- 
 bridge. He and his wife reared eleven chil- 
 dren, seven of whom are still living, Mrs. 
 Bull being the eldest. The others are: 
 George, a resident of Terryville; Edward, 
 who resides in Stamford; Albert, a commer- 
 cial traveller; Isaac, who resides in Bristol; 
 Nancy, who married Amaziah Clark, a me- 
 chanic of Terryville; and Elizabeth, who 
 married Albert Morse, Deputy Sheriff of 
 Bristol. The mother died in Terryville, 
 aged eighty years. Sarah M. Beach resided 
 in Northfield until she married Elijah Fenton, 
 a carriage-maker of Plymouth, who died in 
 1871, aged sixty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bull are members of the Congregational 
 church, and have been teachers in the Sunday- 
 school. Mr. Bull has acted as a Deacon for 
 several years, and displays a deep interest in 
 church work. He has led a useful and suc- 
 cessful life, winning the high esteem of his 
 fellow-townsmen. 
 
 NOS BENHAM, a native of Middle- 
 bury, New Haven County, Conn., 
 whose portrait accompanies this 
 sketch, was born September 3, 18 19. He 
 was a son of Albe and Sally (Bronson) Ben- 
 ham, highly respected citizens of Middlebury, 
 and was reared on a farm. Not content to 
 pass his life in his native town, when a young 
 man he left home for the West, journeying as 
 far as the extreme outposts of civilization at 
 that time. Like many other Western travel- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 285 
 
 lers, however, he decided that the East 
 afforded better opportunities, and, returning, 
 was employed for some time as a clerk in 
 Springfield, Mass. He then decided to settle 
 in Woodbury, Conn., and in 1843 established 
 himself in business in this town. He was 
 successful as a merchant, and continued in 
 business to the time of his decease, November 
 I, 1890. 
 
 A man of strict integrity, respected, by all 
 with whom he came in contact, while unobtru- 
 sive in manner, he yet possessed a force of 
 character that commanded success. He united 
 with the First Congregational Church in 
 1850, and was ever a consistent member and 
 a liberal supporter of religious enterprises. 
 On September 9, 185 1, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Emily J. Minor, daughter of 
 the Hon. Matthew and Lorena (Bacon) Minor, 
 of Woodbury, Conn. 
 
 The Hon. Matthew Minor was born Octo- 
 ber 26, 1780. He was a graduate of Yale 
 College in the class of 1801, studied law 
 under the direction of the Hon. Noah B. 
 Benedict, and became one of the leading 
 lawyers of Litchfield County. He began prac- 
 tice in his native town, and continued in his 
 profession until his death, December 17, 
 1839. He was a member of the House of 
 Representatives in the State legislature in 
 1830, 1832, and 1833, and a member of the 
 Senate in 1837. He also filled many offices 
 of trust in his native town. 
 
 "OWARD M. HICKCOX, Judge of 
 Probate at Watertown, was born in 
 
 that town, September 19, i860, 
 
 son of Edward S. and Charlotte (Percy) Hick- 
 cox. The Hickcox family was one of the first 
 to settle in Watertown ; and th6 great-grand- 
 father of Howard M., Caleb Hickcox, who was 
 
 born October 18, 1766, was a large land-owner 
 there when the district was sparsely in- 
 habited. Caleb died March 9, 181 3, at the 
 age of forty-seven; and his wife, whose 
 maiden name was Ruth Scoville, born in 
 Watertown, March 8, 1773, and died there Jan- 
 uary 8, 1859, in her eighty-seventh year. In 
 religious belief they were Episcopalians. 
 Their son Edward, who was born in Water- 
 town, May II, 1794, is the grandfather of 
 Howard M. He was a progressive farmer, ac- 
 quiring his first knowledge of agriculture on 
 his father's farm, which was on the east side 
 of the town. About 1823 he purchased a 
 large farm on the west side of the town, and 
 was for years extensively engaged in breeding 
 merino sheep and Devon cattle. He was well 
 known throughout the locality, and was par- 
 ticularly active in religious matters. He 
 died October 16, 1881, in his eighty-eighth 
 year. He was twice married. The first time 
 was on March 4, 18 19, when he was united to 
 Anna Merriman, of Watertown. She was the 
 grandmother of Howard M. In his second 
 marriage he was wedded to Anna Beecher. 
 
 Edward S. Hickcox, the father of Howard 
 M., was born in Watertown, June 21, 1832. 
 Reared on a farm, he adopted agriculture as 
 his life occupation; and, when he reached his 
 majority, he purchased a farm adjoining his 
 father's. He was prominent in town affairs, 
 and served in various official capacities during 
 his short life, which ended when he was 
 thirty-three years of age. His wife was a na- 
 tive of Woodbury, daughter of Thaddeus and 
 Emeline Percy. Her father, who was a 
 farmer, lived to be eighty years of age. Mrs. 
 Hickcox has now attained her sixtieth year, 
 and is living on the homestead. She is a 
 member of the Methodist church, in which 
 her husband took an active interest. Four 
 sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hickcox, all 
 
286 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of whom are now living. They are: F. 
 Percy, Howard M., Truman S., and Frank H. 
 
 Howard M. Hickcox was but five years of 
 age when his father died. He helped about 
 the farm when a boy, and as he grew older 
 worked at whatever presented itself. In this 
 period he hired by the month to do farm work 
 some three or four years. He drove team for 
 Cheney Brothers, of Manchester, one summer; 
 and he taught school for a year. In 1881 he 
 purchased a farm in Watertown, and has since 
 resided in Watertown Centre, actively en- 
 gaged in general farming. An enterprising 
 and energetic man, he has also engaged in 
 other business. He entered the ice trade in 
 1886, and after five years disposed of his inter- 
 est in it at an advantage. He has also been a 
 licensed undertaker since 1886. He is ac- 
 tively interested in agricultural matters, and 
 is a charter member of the Grange, of which 
 he was Overseer for two years; and he has 
 been Treasurer of the Watertown Agricultural 
 Association for seven years. A Republican 
 in politics, he has been Selectman one year, 
 Tax Collector four years, a member of the 
 Board of Relief four years, Clerk of the 
 School Board a long time, and Judge of Pro- 
 bate since 1890. He is Secretary and Treas- 
 urer of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, 
 has been superintendent of the cemetery six 
 years, and is financial agent for the Water- 
 town Library Association. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Hickcox was married to 
 Amelia M. Atwood, only daughter of Eben J. 
 Atwood, of Watertown, and grand-daughter of 
 Stephen Atwood, a noted merino sheep raiser 
 of Woodbury, where Mrs. Hickcox was born. 
 Her father died when he was forty-two years 
 of age, but her mother is still living. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Atwood were esteemed members of 
 the Congregational church of Watertown. 
 The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hickcox has been 
 
 brightened by four children: Arthur Percy, 
 Frank Bronson, Mabelle Merriman, and 
 Florence Strong. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hickcox are members of the 
 Methodist church, and he for many years has 
 been Recording Steward of the society and 
 for ten years Treasurer of the Sunday-school. 
 He is a man of culture as well as unusual 
 business ability, and he takes a deep interest 
 in history and biography. 
 
 ISAAC W. BROOKS, of the firm of 
 Brooks Brothers, bankers of Torrington, 
 a native of this county, was born in 
 Goshen, November 8, 1838, this town being 
 also the place of nativity of his father. Watts 
 H. Brooks, and of his grandfather, Harvey 
 Brooks, who was born in 1779. Joseph 
 Brooks, the great-grandfather of Isaac W., was 
 a native of Durham, Middlesex County, and 
 one of the pioneer settlers of Goshen. He 
 purchased a tract of wild land, and from it 
 cleared and improved a homestead, living 
 there until he attained an advanced age. 
 Harvey Brooks was reared on the old home 
 farm, which he had assisted in reclaiming 
 from the wilderness. After his marriage he 
 purchased a farm near by; and there, engaged 
 in agricultural labors, he lived until 1873, 
 when he departed this life at the venerable 
 age of ninety-three years. He reared but two 
 children, the father of Isaac W. being the 
 youngest child. 
 
 Watts H. Brooks while a youth acquired a 
 practical knowledge of farming; and, on ar- 
 riving at man's estate, he became the owner of 
 a valuable farm in Goshen, and was engaged 
 in tilling it for many years. A man of un- 
 usual intelligence and force of character, he 
 was prominent in political and religious 
 circles. Besides serving acceptably in vari- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 287 
 
 ous minor offices of the town, he was a member 
 of the State legislature three terms. In him 
 the Republican party had one of its most 
 faithful adherents. He married Mary Wad- 
 hams, the daughter of John Wadhams, a 
 Goshen farmer, she being one of a family of 
 five children. Four children were born of 
 their union, three of whom are still living, 
 namely: John W., in partnership with Isaac 
 W. Brooks; Isaac W. ; and Amanda. The 
 mother passed to the next world when but 
 sixty-four years of age, and the father at the 
 ripe old age of seventy-eight years. 
 
 Isaac W. Brooks in his youth was an apt 
 and diligent pupil. After graduating from 
 the high school, he entered Goshen Acad- 
 emy, where he was fitted for college, subse- 
 quently completing his studies at Brown Uni- 
 versity. He began life as a merchant, enter- 
 ing into business with his brother in a store of 
 general merchandise. The brothers had con- 
 ducted the store successfully for eleven years, 
 when in 1872 they came to Torrington, and 
 established their present banking business, 
 which they have continued uninterruptedly 
 since. This banking firm is one of the oldest 
 established in the vicinity. The Messrs. 
 Brooks are very skilful financiers. They are 
 keen and quick in business affairs, and are 
 highly appreciated throughout the community. 
 John W., the brother of the subject of this 
 sketch, was for three years Insurance Com- 
 missioner for the State. In local matters no 
 citizen of Torrington takes a more genuine 
 interest than Mr. Brooks. He encourages 
 and supports all enterprises tending to the 
 moral, intellectual, or financial advancement 
 of the town or county. Soon after coming 
 here, twenty-three years ago, he was elected 
 Town Treasurer, and has since been an in- 
 cumbent of that office. For four years he was 
 Judge of the Probate Court, and for twenty 
 
 years he has been Treasurer of the Torrington 
 Savings Bank. In 1878 Mr. Brooks was one 
 of three citizens appointed to look into the 
 feasibility of introducing water into the town, 
 and since the organization of the company 
 has been its President. He is also connected 
 with other business enterprises in an official 
 capacity, and has been a Director of the 
 Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company of 
 Hartford. In 1886 he was appointed one of 
 the receivers of the Charter Oak Insurance 
 Company of Hartford, a position which took 
 up much of his time. Mr. Brooks was elected 
 to represent his district in the State legisla- 
 ture in 1884 and in 1893, serving as Speaker 
 of the House on the last occasion. He has 
 travelled extensively, both in this country and 
 on the other side of the Atlantic. His 
 European trips were made in 1880 and 1893. 
 An excellent sketch of Mr. Brooks appears in 
 the volume entitled "Representative Men of 
 the State of Connecticut," published in 1894. 
 He was one of the four men selected by the 
 author to represent Litchfield County. 
 
 (sTrUGUSTUS E. BLAKESLEE, the 
 JmL genial and accommodating Postmaster 
 /<J1b\^^^ of Thomaston, was born in that 
 town, then known as Plymouth, on July 22, 
 1842, son of Stephen B. and Sarah (Will- 
 iams) Blakeslee. He is a descendant of one 
 of three brothers who came to this country 
 some time in the seventeenth century, and 
 settled at North Haven, Conn. 
 
 Micha Blakeslee, great-grandfather of 
 Augustus E., was born in North Haven; but 
 in his manhood he removed to Plymouth, of 
 which place he was one of the pioneer set- 
 tlers. Like the majority of the people among 
 whom he lived, he followed the occupation of a 
 farmer. He also served in the Connecticut 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 State militia; and his commissions of Lieu- 
 tenant, Colonel, and Major are still in the 
 possession of his great-grandson. His son, 
 Marvin Blakeslee, was born in Plymouth. 
 At first he engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
 but later on he entered the clock-making busi- 
 ness. He lived to be eighty-eight years of 
 age. His wife, in maidenhood Ruth Graves, 
 was born in Harwinton, Conn., daughter of 
 one of the early settlers of that place. She 
 reared him two sons: Henry B., deceased; 
 and Stephen B. At the time of her death, 
 which occurred on the same day of the month 
 as that of her husband, she had attained the 
 age of ninety-two yeai"s. Both spent their 
 last years with their grandson. 
 
 Stephen B. Blakeslee passed his boyhood 
 upon a farm. He then went into the hotel 
 business, purchasing a hotel in Thomaston. 
 After six or eight years spent in this occupa- 
 tion he went to California with the early 
 gold hunters in 1849, and is still a resident of 
 that State, being now seventy-five years of 
 age. His wife, Sarah (Williams) Blakeslee, 
 was the only child of John and Hannah Will- 
 iams, of Plymouth. Her father was a cab- 
 inet-maker in Plymouth, but during the latter 
 part of his life he conducted a hotel in 
 Thomaston. He died at the age of forty-eight. 
 Mrs. Blakeslee lived only to the age of 
 twenty-two years, leaving one child, Augustus 
 E. Blakeslee. Both parents were members 
 of the Episcopal church. 
 
 Augustus E. Blakeslee, who was but fifteen 
 months old at the time of his mother's death, 
 lived during his early years with his grand- 
 mother. When he was but six years old, his 
 father removed to California. He received a 
 good practical education in the common 
 schools of Thomaston and at the Episcopal 
 Academy of Cheshire, Conn. He then went 
 to work with the Seth Thomas Clock Com- 
 
 pany; and, beginning as a boy, he worked his 
 way up to the position of foreman and con- 
 tractor. With the exception of three years 
 spent in joiner work he remained with the 
 clock company until 1886. In that year he 
 received an appointment from President 
 Cleveland as Postmaster, and served in that 
 position for four years. He then entered the 
 employ of the Plume & Atwood Manufactur- 
 ing Company in their carpenter department, 
 remaining there until 1894, when he was 
 again appointed Postmaster. This is a third- 
 class office, requiring two clerks and doing a 
 large business, having besides its mail depart- 
 ment an international money order department. 
 In 1867 he was joined in marriage with 
 Miss Mary J. Hart; and their union has been 
 blessed by the birth of two daughters, 
 namely: Ruth Anna, Assistant Postmistress 
 in Unionville, Conn. ; and Frances Emeline, 
 Assistant Postmistress in Thomaston. In 
 politics Mr. Blakeslee is a Democrat. He 
 has served as Town Collector for three terms, 
 and has also filled the office of Constable. 
 He is affiliated with Union Lodge, No. 96, of 
 Thomaston, in which he is Past Master; with 
 Granite Chapter, No. 36, Royal Arch Masons, 
 of Thomaston, of which he is Past High 
 Priest ; with the Grand Chapter of Connecti- 
 cut, in which he is Past Grand High Priest; 
 with Waterbury Council, No. 21; with Clark 
 Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templars, of 
 Waterbury; with Thomaston Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen, No. 4; with Court 
 Friendship of the Order of Foresters; and 
 with the Knights of Pythias, in which he has 
 held the office of Chancellor and Commander. 
 Mr. Blakeslee and his family are influential 
 members of the Episcopal church, in which 
 he has served as organist and Vestryman; 
 and his daughters are active workers in the 
 Sunday-school. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 289 
 
 KREDERIC E. STARR, First Select- 
 man of the town of New Milford, where 
 he is successfully engaged in general 
 farming and has a good milk route, was born 
 in the house in which he now resides, Novem- 
 ber 27, 1832, son of Colonel William J. and 
 Sarah (Northrop) Starr. The genealogical 
 record of the Starr family in this country 
 dates back to Dr. Comfort Starr, who emi- 
 grated from England in the year i66o. 
 
 Colonel Josiah Starr, the great-grandfather 
 of Frederic E., was born in Danbury, Conn., 
 about 1740. At the age of twenty-one years 
 he came to New Milford, and purchased the 
 Paul Welch place, consisting of five acres of 
 land, now occupied by the subject of this 
 biography. For eighteen sessions prior to 
 1802 he was a representative in the General 
 Assembly. In 1776 he was appointed Cap- 
 tain in the American army, and was afterward 
 promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. 
 He died in 18 13, seventy-three years of age. 
 He married Miss Sarah Mygatt, and of the 
 union there were born two sons and two 
 daughters; namely, Hannah, Eli, Betsey, and 
 Daniel. Their mother died in 1805, sixty- 
 five years of age. Eli Starr, who was born on 
 March 10, 1763, became the owner of the old 
 homestead at his parents' decease. He also 
 bought additional land, and engaged in farm- 
 ing with good results. Matters pertaining to 
 the public welfare always awakened his inter- 
 est, and he was in close sympathy with church 
 and other religious work. He died on De- 
 cember 5, 1835. His wife, Susanna (Hig- 
 gins) Starr, who bore him a son and daughter, 
 Eliza and William J., died in 185 1. 
 
 William J. Starr, whose birth occurred on 
 the old homestead, January 15, 1806, acquired 
 his education in the public schools of Dan- 
 bury and at Sharon Academy. He inherited 
 the old homestead, which has been in the fam- 
 
 ily for over one hundred and thirty years. 
 The present house was erected in 1838, upon 
 the site of the old one, which it was found 
 necessary to demolish. He has rebuilt all 
 the other structures connected with the farm, 
 and has put up some buildings in the village, 
 where he now owns four tenement-houses. In 
 early life he engaged in farming, and has fol- 
 lowed that avocation since. In company with 
 his son he now owns two hundred acres of land 
 near the village. He takes a lively interest 
 in the progress of New Milford village, and is 
 a liberal contributor to the support of church 
 work. Although nearly ninety years of age, 
 he is still able to read without the assistance 
 of glasses, and is out each day attending to 
 his business. His marriage with Miss Sarah 
 Northrop, a daughter of Cyrus Northrop, took 
 place April 15, 1830. She was born Novem- 
 ber 9, 1807, and died on February 24, 1883. 
 They were the parents of four children, as 
 follows: Eliza J., who died in infancy; Fred- 
 eric E. ; William E., deceased; and Catherine 
 S., the wife of Joseph Bostwick. 
 
 Frederic E. Starr obtained a good practical 
 education in the district school and at New 
 Milford Academy, after which he went to New 
 Haven, and took a course in engineering and 
 surveying. For fifteen years afterward he was 
 successfully engaged in the business of a 
 civil engineer. He is also engaged in farm- 
 ing with his father. He has a choice dairy 
 farm near the village, where he carries on 
 general farming, and keeps a dairy of twenty 
 Devonshire cows, which supply the milk for 
 the route he has established. Since his 
 mother's death, as his father is now advanced 
 in years, he sold his surveying business. On 
 May 27, 1857, he was joined in marriage with 
 Miss Hannah Wanzer, a daughter of William 
 Wanzer, a prosperous farmer of this section. 
 Three sons and a daughter live to bless their 
 
290 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 union, namely: William E., of the firm of 
 Treat & Starr, who was married on May 25, 
 1888, to Miss Carrie C. Johnson, and has one 
 child, S. Helen, born March 18, 1889; 
 Charles W. , who married Ruth Wells, Octo- 
 ber 16, 1890, and owns and conducts a bakery 
 in New Milford; Adelaide, who married C. S. 
 Perry, of New York, and has one child, 
 Eleanor M.; and Frederic E., Jr., the Secre- 
 tary of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion of New Milford. In politics Mr. Starr 
 is a Republican. For the ten consecutive 
 years previous to 1889 he served his town 
 very acceptably as Selectman, and in 1894 he 
 was elected First Selectman. He and his 
 family are influential members of the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 I LI D. WEEKS, Treasurer of the Na- 
 tional Life Underwriters' Association, 
 is a well-known life insurance man, 
 residing in the village of Bantam, for many 
 years an agent of the Phoenix Mutual Insur- 
 ance Company of Hartford. He was born in 
 Washington, Litchfield County, Conn., No- 
 vember 7, 1830, son of Hiram and Lucy 
 (Tucker) Weeks. 
 
 Mr. Weeks's father settled on a farm in 
 Washington when a young man, and is still 
 residing at his homestead. He has been en- 
 ergetic and successful; and, although he has 
 now reached the advanced age of ninety-four, 
 he is still vigorous for one of his years. His 
 wife, Lucy Tucker, who died at seventy-five 
 years of age, was a native of Washington, 
 daughter of Eli Tucker, a well-to-do farmer 
 of that town, who was also interested in a 
 marble quarry there. Her father died at the 
 age of forty, having reared a family of five 
 children, two of whom are still living, 
 namely: Levi; and Chloe, now a widow, who 
 
 married for her first husband a Mr. Parsons 
 Wheeler and for her second Orsen Taylor. 
 Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram 
 Weeks three still survive, namely: Eli D., 
 the subject of this sketch; Esther, who mar- 
 ried Lewis Hart; and Emma, who married 
 Oliver Evits. 
 
 Eli D. Weeks acquired his education in 
 the district' schools and at the Gunnery in his 
 native town. He learned the trade of a car- 
 riage-maker, and subsequently continued that 
 occupation with Smith & Hatch in New 
 Preston, later working in Milton. Returning 
 to New Preston, he started in the carriage- 
 making business with a partner, under the 
 firm name of Weeks & Burnham; and, after 
 relinquishing that enterprise, he came to Ban- 
 tam, and was employed as a journeyman by 
 Frederick Morse. The factory being pur- 
 chased by a Mr. Smedley, Mr. Weeks took 
 charge of the business for a year; and, when 
 Mr. Smedley sold out, Mr. Weeks organized 
 the Litchfield Carriage Company, of which he 
 was secretary and general manager for five 
 years. In 1878 he retired from that concern, 
 and connected himself with the Phoenix 
 Mutual Life Insurance Company of Hartford. 
 As a general agent of that well-known com- 
 pany he has won an enviable reputation as an 
 able and successful business man. He was 
 President of the Connecticut Life Under- 
 writers' Association in 1894, and Vice-Presi- 
 dent of the National Association, and a mem- 
 ber of the Special Committee upon Finance in 
 1894-95, and is now, December, 1895, Treas- 
 urer of the National Life Underwriters' Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 Mr. Weeks is a Democrat in politics, and 
 is a prominent party leader in his section. 
 He served as a member of the School Board 
 for several years, and has held other impor- 
 tant town offices. He represented his town 
 
ELI D. WEEKS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 293 
 
 in the legislature in 1867 and 1877, in the 
 latter year being on the Insurance' Committee. 
 He was for some years on the local Demo- 
 cratic Committee, and is at the present time a 
 member of the State Central Committee from 
 the Twentieth Senatorial District of Connecti- 
 cut. He has advanced in Masonry to the 
 Royal Arch degree, and is a member of St. 
 Paul's Lodge, of which he was Master two 
 years, and also of Darius Chapter. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Weeks married Maria T. Brad- 
 ley, daughter of Augustus Bradley, a former 
 resident of Litchfield. Mrs. Weeks's great- 
 grandfather, Aaron Bradley, was a tavern- 
 keeper of Bradleyville, which is now Bantam. 
 He was a leading business man and a promi- 
 nent citizen in his day, and highly respected 
 for his many worthy traits of character. He 
 married Lorin Abernathy, a relative of Judge 
 Abernatby, of Bridgeport, Conn. Mrs. 
 Weeks's grandfather, Horace Bradley, owned a 
 farm in Bradleyville, which was situated di- 
 rectly opposite his father's tavern. He later 
 moved to Chenango Coimty, New York, where 
 he passed the remainder of his life, and died 
 at the age of eighty years. He occupied a 
 prominent position in the community, and 
 was an esteemed and useful citizen. He mar- 
 ried Hannah Twitchell, who lived to an ad- 
 vanced age, having reared nine children, four 
 of whom are still living. 
 
 Augustus Bradley, Mrs. Weeks's father, 
 was born in Litchfield, and passed his earlier 
 years in that town. In 1859 he purchased a 
 farm in Chenango County, New York, upon 
 which he spent the rest of his life. He died 
 at the. age of seventy-eight. He married 
 Julia Clemans, only daughter of Harvey 
 demons, of Litchfield. Her father was an 
 early settler in Bantam, and lived to be nearly 
 eighty-two years old. Mrs. Augustus Bradley 
 died at seventy-eight years of age. She was 
 
 the mother of five children, as follows: Helen, 
 who married Thomas Dickinson; Maria T., 
 who is now Mrs. Weeks; Anna, who married 
 Lewis C. Hotchkiss, a prosperous farmer of 
 Litchfield; Henry A.; and Julia A., who 
 married Nelson Bennett. Mrs. Weeks's par- 
 ents were members of the Universalist church. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Weeks are communicants of 
 the Episcopal church, of which he is the 
 Senior Warden. They occupy a most desir- 
 able residence, situated upon an elevation 
 overlooking the village, which he erected in 
 1891. The excellent portrait of Mr. Weeks 
 accompanying this sketch of his career is sure 
 to be widely recognized and appreciated, as 
 he is, without doubt, one of the best-known 
 life insurance agents in Connecticut. 
 
 7^ HESTER THOMAS, the veteran car- 
 I Vp riage trimmer of Bantam, Conn., was 
 V ^ ^ born in Woodbridge, New Haven 
 County, April 18, 18 19, son of Perley and 
 Elmira (Addiss) Thomas. His father was a 
 native of Woodbridge, and was there brought 
 up on a farm. Later he moved to Litchfield, 
 where he purchased a small piece of property, 
 and followed the trade of a shoemaker until 
 his death, which occurred when he was thirty- 
 eight years of age. His wife, Elmira Addiss, 
 one of the thirteen children of Thomas 
 Addiss, a prosperous farmer of Litchfield, 
 died at the age of fifty-eight years. She was 
 the mother of four sons, who all grew to man- 
 hood and became identified with the carriage- 
 maker's trade, and of whom Chester, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, is the only survivor. 
 
 Chester Thomas resided, with his mother 
 until reaching the age of thirteen, when he 
 went to Hartford to work on a farm. At six- 
 teen he began to learn the carriage trimmer's 
 trade, and in 1841 he came to Litchfield. He 
 
29 + 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was employed as a journeyman by William 
 Rogers for nineteen years, during which time 
 he purchased a residence on Lake Street; and 
 for the succeeding thirteen years he worked 
 for a carriage company in Torrington. Re- 
 turning to Litchfield, he bought some stock in 
 the Litchfield Carriage Company, whose fac- 
 tory was located in Bantam; and, selling his 
 Litchfield residence, he erected his present 
 comfortable home, which is one of the finest 
 houses in the village of Bantam. When the 
 firm of Flynn & Doyle established their pres- 
 ent business, Mr. Thomas was secured for the 
 trimming department; and he has since re- 
 mained with them. He has been a practical 
 carriage trimmer for sixty years, and is with- 
 out doubt the oldest representative of that 
 trade in the State. Mr. Thomas is a Repub- 
 lican in politics. He is a Master Mason, and 
 has been a member of the Lodge in Litchfield 
 for many years. 
 
 Mr. Thomas has been twice married. His 
 first wife, whom he wedded in 1841, was 
 Jane Waters, daughter of Chauncey Waters, 
 a carpenter and farmer of Hartford, Conn., 
 and by this union there were three children, 
 namely: Charles, who became a soldier in 
 the Civil War, and died soon after leav- 
 ing Libby Prison; Mary, who died aged 
 thirty years; and Edward, who still survives. 
 Edward Thomas enlisted as a private in the 
 Nineteenth Connecticut Regiment, and served 
 until the close of the war. He is now 
 connected with a boot and shoe establish- 
 ment in Newark, N.J., where he has resided 
 for the past thirty years. He married for his 
 first wife Annie Churchill, and had by this 
 union one daughter, Cora, who married 
 Charles Garribrane. His first wife died at 
 the age of twenty-sev.en ; and he married a 
 second wife, by whom he has five children. 
 
 Mr. Chester Thomas's first wife having died, 
 
 he wedded for his second wife Catherine 
 Smith, a native of Ireland, daughter of Sir 
 Frank and Lady Rosa (Fox) Smith. Sir 
 Frank Smith died at the age of thirty-five 
 years, leaving five children, three of whom are 
 still living: Catherine, Christopher, and Isa- 
 bella. After the death of her husband. Lady 
 Smith came to the United States, where she 
 resided for a few years, and then returned to 
 Ireland. She died at the age of seventy- 
 seven years. In religion she was an Episco- 
 palian. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have two chil- 
 dren, namely : Edith, who married Charles 
 Flynn, of Litchfield, and has one daughter, 
 Maude; and William Chester, who married 
 Mary Gladding, and has two children, Cath- 
 erine and Kenneth. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas 
 attend the Episcopal church. 
 
 RI CHURCH, for many years a promi- 
 nent agriculturist of Winchester and 
 one of the representative citizens 
 of the town, being the son of John Church, a 
 pioneer of the locality, was born on August 
 4, 1792- 
 
 John Church was born in Connecticut, the 
 historical town of Saybrook being the native 
 place of both himself and his father, Simeon 
 Church, the latter being a lifelong resident. 
 John with two older brothers served three 
 years in the Revolutionary army, being under 
 Arnold at Quebec and later at Saratoga. In 
 1780 the marriage of John Church and Deb- 
 orah Spencer was solemnized in the town of 
 Chester, then included in the limits of Say- 
 brook, that having been the place of nativity 
 of the bride. The young couple, who had 
 previously decided on building up for them- 
 selves a home in more newly settled regions, 
 started on horseback for Winchester, a jour- 
 ney of sixty miles, taking nearly two days to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 295 
 
 perform. A few years later the wife made 
 her first visit to her old home in Chester, 
 going and returning as she first came, on 
 horseback, carrying a baby the whole distance 
 in her arms. 
 
 John Church on reaching Winchester soon 
 purchased a tract of uncleared land, which ex- 
 tended for a considerable distance around the 
 shore of Crystal Lake, and which included 
 the land on the north shore, where now the 
 water coming through the Gilbert Tunnel 
 flows into the lake. On a slope of land on 
 the east side, in full view of the lake and 
 about eighty rods distant from it, a log house 
 was built : and here house-keeping was com- 
 menced, this being the first home of the 
 Church family in Winchester. They lived in 
 the log house for eight years. In the mean 
 time another tract of wooded land a half mile 
 further north was purchased ; and on this was 
 erected a frame house, which overlooked the 
 Mad River valley. In the spring of 1788 
 the family moved into the new house, which 
 is still standing, with quite an enlargement 
 subsequently added to the first, the entire 
 building being a real type of primitive archi- 
 tecture. Like all uncultivated lands, this 
 large tract needed much labor to bring it 
 under cultivation; and the young farmer, 
 anxious to succeed, set himself at once to work 
 felling trees, clearing away timber, brush, 
 and stumps, ploughing and planting, setting 
 out fruit trees, and with his characteristic 
 energy and perseverance making other needed 
 improvements. Meadows, too, must be brought 
 into grass for winter's hay; and, needing grass 
 seed to sow, he went into New York State 
 to buy. Seed was brought home and sowed, 
 he not knowing that with the grass seed were 
 mixed a few seeds of the ox-eye daisy, so that, 
 when the grass began to grow, to the farmer's 
 great surprise and dismay there also appeared 
 
 here and there a daisy plant; and from this 
 seed-sowing has been dated by the older in- 
 habitants the first introduction of daisies into 
 the town of Winchester. But, if true, Mr. 
 Church did his best to eradicate and prevent a 
 further spreading over the land; for he had 
 such a dislike to the weed that his boys used 
 to say that, if their father spied a daisy plant 
 in any meadow, he sent one of them at once 
 to dig up and destroy it, saying, " No grass 
 can ever grow with daisies." But the 
 whitened fields in June of to-day, a hundred 
 years later, show that a few plants must have 
 escaped his notice and been left to ripen, 
 their seeding from year to year producing 
 fully its hundredfold. Mr. John Church 
 cleared a large farm, and continued to till the 
 soil until the time of his decease, December 
 6, 1834, being among the most successful 
 farmers of this part of the county! He and 
 his wife enjoyed more than a half-century of 
 wedded life on earth, and in going hence were 
 not long separated, her death occurring but 
 thirty-six hours before his own. Their bodies 
 were laid to rest in the same grave. They 
 reared a family of eight children; namely, 
 Hannah, Eunice, Jonathan,. Isaac, David, 
 Uri, Lucy, and Wealthy. 
 
 Uri Church was a young man of fine mental 
 ability. He was given excellent educational 
 advantages, and began his career as a teacher 
 in the district schools of New York State. 
 On his return to Winchester Mr. Church 
 bought a farm on the east side of Mad River, 
 and lived there for a short time. He subse- 
 quently disposed of that property, and pur- 
 chasing land on the west side of the river, 
 about a mile and a half above Winsted, 
 erected substantial frame buildings, which oc- 
 cupy a beautiful site, overlooking the Mad 
 River valley. On this farm he engaged in 
 general agriculture, adding from year to year 
 
.96 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to the improvement of the estate, making it 
 his permanent abiding-place until called from 
 earth on August 12, 1856. He was a man of 
 excellent business tact and good judgment, 
 possessing sterling virtues that rendered him 
 a valued citizen, a desirable neighbor, and one 
 of the best of friends. He was united in mar- 
 riage December 18, 1822, with Miss Eliza 
 Brooks, a native of Chester, a daughter of 
 Simeon and Lois (Church) Brooks. Mrs. 
 Church passed to the higher life June 17, 
 i860, leaving the only child of their union, 
 Amanda E. Church, who has succeeded to the 
 ownership of the valuable estate, now called 
 the Mountain Home Farm. Here she resides, 
 surrounded by all the comforts of life, taking 
 much pleasure in her library of choice books 
 and the companionship of congenial friends. 
 
 J ^TeORGE W. ANTHONY, the pro- 
 y^J prietor of a successful laundry in 
 New Milford, was born in Newtown, 
 Conn., October 9, 1837, son of John H. and 
 Alice A. (Walker) Anthony. William An- 
 thony, the grandfather of George W., who 
 was born in Providence, R.I., was for many 
 years successfully engaged in the manufacture 
 of hats, making a specialty of silk hats. At 
 his death, which occurred in Providence, he 
 left two sons and three daughters; namely, 
 Henry E., Mary, Abbie, Amanda, and 
 John H. 
 
 John H. Anthony, the youngest son of his 
 parents, was born in Providence, R.I. Hav- 
 ing learned early in life to make horn combs, 
 he availed of the first opportunity to start for 
 himself in that industry in Sandy Hook, 
 Conn. Afterward he worked for a number of 
 years as a journeyman. In 1862 he enlisted 
 for service in the civil strife with Company E 
 of the Fifteenth Connecticut Volunteers, and 
 
 served until honorably discharged on account 
 of ill health. He died in New Milford, 
 seventy-six years of age. His wife, Alice A. 
 (Walker) Anthony, who was born in Plain- 
 field, Conn., bore him the following children; 
 George Walker; Joseph Henry, who died in 
 childhood; Helen J., the wife of G. H. 
 Lines; John Henry, Jr., who enlisted in 
 1864 in Company G of Engineer Corps, First 
 Regiment of New York Volunteers; and 
 William A., residing in Worcester, Mass. 
 
 When but twelve years old, George W. An- 
 thony left home to live with James Fitts, a 
 manufacturer of woollen cloth and satinets. 
 He remained with Mr. Fitts for four years, 
 during which time he attended the winter 
 school. He then obtained a position as clerk 
 in a hotel at Brookfield, Conn., where he was 
 employed for eight years. Following that he 
 conducted a hotel, and later on took a posi- 
 tion as station agent and telegraph operator, 
 which he retained for five years. In 1868 he 
 came to New Milford, and entered into part- 
 nership with A. H. McMahon. The firm of 
 Anthony & McMahon did a thriving business 
 in stoves, tinware, paints, oils, and agricult- 
 ural implements for sixteen years. At the 
 end of that space of time Mr. Anthony sold 
 his interest to Mr. McMahon, and in company 
 with D. E. Soule and H. Schovrerling erected 
 a large three-story building, in which they 
 began the manufacture of ivory buttons in 
 1884. Here a very successful business was 
 carried on until July 15, 1889, when the fac- 
 tory was destroyed by fire. Four days after 
 Mr. Anthony was appointed Postmaster. He 
 served in that capacity for four years, in the 
 course of which time he fitted up the finely 
 equipped office the town now possesses, and 
 which is by far the best it has ever had. At 
 the expiration of his term of office he pur- 
 chased the old fire-engine house, put in it a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 297 
 
 fine Troy steam laundry equipment, and in a 
 short time built up a large trade, not only in 
 New Milford, but in all the surrounding towns. 
 On August 25, 1862, he enlisted in Company 
 C, Twenty-third Regiment, Connecticut Vol- 
 unteer Infantry. Although he started as a 
 private in the ranks, when it was found that 
 he was a competent drummer, he was given an 
 instrument, and from that time served with 
 the musicians. On January 23, 1863, he was 
 taken prisoner at Fort Buchanan. He was 
 mustered out on August 31, 1863, after thir- 
 teen months of faithful service. 
 
 In 1864 he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Laura C. McMahon, a daughter of 
 George and Laura C. (Hill) McMahon. 
 They lost one child in infancy. They have 
 one son living, Wesley Morton, born May 29, 
 1868, who is associated with his father in the 
 laundry business, and is married to Miss Jo- 
 sephine A. Mead, a d'aughter of John A. and 
 Josephine (Beardsley) Mead. 
 
 Mr. Anthony is a stanch Republican. He 
 served two years as Deputy Sheriff, has held 
 the offices of Assessor and Tax Collector, and 
 has been a member of the Board of Relief. 
 While acting as Deputy Sheriff, it fell to his 
 lot to arrest seven horse thieves. Among 
 these was Oliver Wood, who stole a horse in 
 Bedford, N.Y., was arrested in Massachusetts, 
 and brought to New Milford for trial, and 
 sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. For 
 his services on this occasion Mr. Anthony re- 
 ceived one hundred dollars' reward from the 
 owner of the horses, besides his regular fees. 
 For fifteen years he has been a Director of the 
 New Milford Savings Bank. He is one of 
 the sixteen charter members of the New Mil- 
 ford Water Company, incorporated for supply- 
 ing New Milford with wholesome water. 
 Among the fraternal orders with which he is 
 connected are St. Peter's Lodge, No. 21, 
 
 A. F. & A. M. ; Housatonic Chapter, No. 33, 
 Royal Arch Masons; the Knights of Honor; 
 and Upton Post, No. 14, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, of which he is Commander. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Anthony are influential members of 
 St. John's Episcopal Church of New Milford. 
 They reside on South Main Street, where he 
 owns a fine house and barn. 
 
 If; 
 
 ILLIAM F. ABELING, of Tor- 
 ngton, who owns and manages a 
 large saw-mill and a cider-mill, was 
 born in Sommerfeld, Germany, November 23, 
 1849, son of Julius and Augusta (Milisch) 
 Abeling, both natives of Germany. Julius 
 Abeling was a manufacturer of woollen cloth 
 in Germany in his early manhood. In 1869 
 he came to America, and settled in Torring- 
 ton, obtaining employment in a woollen-mill, 
 where he worked until advancing age necessi- 
 tated his retirement. He is now seventy- 
 three years old, and is living with a daughter 
 in Torrington. His wife was the daughter of 
 Traugott Milisch, a wealthy citizen of Som- 
 merfeld, Germany, who lived in the troublous 
 times of Napoleon Bonaparte. When the 
 great conqueror passed through that section, 
 he pillaged the town so thoroughly that no 
 financial resources were left. At the time he 
 was exiled to St. Helena, Herr Milisch, who 
 had replenished the town's empty treasury 
 several times during the war, had not even 
 the means to carry on his business. When he 
 died, in 1837, he had little to bequeath his 
 three children. Mrs. Abeling was fatally 
 burned by the overturning of a kerosene lamp, 
 December 24, 1890. She and her husband 
 were members of the German Lutheran church 
 in the Fatherland; and, when they became 
 residents of Torrington, they joined the Con- 
 gregational denomination, whose teachings 
 
298 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 most nearly resembled those of their former 
 church. They were the parents of eight chil- 
 dren, five of whom are living, namely: Her- 
 man H., who is employed in the brass foundry 
 of the Coe Brothers, Torrington; William F., 
 the subject of this sketch; Otto, a mining 
 engineer in British Columbia; Charles, a 
 wood-turner in Meriden, Conn. ; and Martha, 
 who married Jacob Fritz, an employee in the 
 Torrington Needle Factory. 
 
 William F. Abeling received his education 
 in Germany, and came to this country when a 
 youth of nineteen. Familiar with the manu- 
 facture of woollen cloth in Germany, where 
 he worked for his father, on settling in Tor- 
 rington he was able to take employment in 
 the woollen-mill. After a while he went to 
 work for the Union Hardware Company, in 
 whose employ he remained seven years, travel- 
 ling at intervals through the United States, 
 studying the country and the ways of the 
 people. His next venture was in the wood- 
 turning business at Burlington, Conn. ; but 
 this shop burned down after eight months, 
 whereupon he purchased the place he now 
 owns. Situated about a mile and a quarter 
 from the village of Torrington, it has proved 
 a favorable site for his business. The saw- 
 mill was first erected. The cider-mill was 
 not built until some time after. Mr. Abeling 
 is also an artist of fine crayon drawings. He 
 has sketched the view of Torrington from the 
 hillside twice with good success; and, if he 
 lives, he will take another sketch of that town 
 in 1900. His undertakings have turned out 
 very successfully, and he is now one of the 
 wealthiest men of Torrington. His resi- 
 dence, which he erected in 1894, is the finest 
 house on the street, and is equipped with all 
 modern conveniences. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Abeling was married to Rosa 
 Beecher, of Torrington, daughter of David 
 
 Beecher, a farmer, who is now in Minnesota. 
 Mrs. Abeling was born in Germany, but has 
 lived in America since she was eight years of 
 age. She was one of seven children. Her 
 brothers and sisters are located as follows: 
 Augusta, who married Clemence Katzele, 
 lives in Minnesota; David is in the employ of 
 the Union Hardware Company, and lives in 
 Winchester, Conn. ; Fred is a farmer in Win- 
 chester, but works also with his brother for 
 the Union Hardware Company; Emil like- 
 wise is in the employ of that company; Emma 
 is with her father in Minnesota; and Julia 
 is with her brother in Winchester. Mrs. 
 Abeling's mother died in Minnesota in her 
 fifty-fourth year. She was a member of the 
 German Lutheran church. Mrs. Abeling bore 
 her husband five children: Annie, Adele, 
 Elsie, Theodore, and Rheinhardt. 
 
 In politics Mr. Abeling is independent, 
 favoring the Republican party. He has been 
 Auditor of the German Aid Society since his 
 election to membership. He attends the Ger- 
 man Lutheran church, of which his wife and 
 family are members. Mr. Abeling is a well- 
 read man, with a thorough understanding of 
 current topics, and is highly respected in the 
 community of which he is a member. 
 
 tILEY IVES, a retired manufacturer 
 and one of the oldest residents of 
 _^ Plymouth, was born in that town 
 January 15, 1809, son of Truman and Eunice 
 (Peck) Ives. Mr. Ives's grandfather, El- 
 nathan Ives, was an early settler of Plymouth, 
 where he owned a good farm, which he culti- 
 vated successfully for many years. He was a 
 sturdy, patriotic citizen, and served as a sol- 
 dier in the Revolutionary War. He lived to 
 the age of ninety-four years. 
 
 Truman Ives, Mr. Ives's father, was born in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 299 
 
 Plymouth, and resided at the homestead until 
 he attained his majority. He then went to 
 New York State, where he was employed in 
 surveying for a time. Returning again to 
 Plymouth, he purchased a farm, and thereafter 
 was chiefly occupied in cultivating it. He 
 was well known to his neighbors, was esteemed 
 by them for his general intelligence and readi- 
 ness to serve the community, and died at 
 the age of ninety-four years. His wife, in 
 maidenhood Eunice Peck, who was a native of 
 Bethany, became the mother of eight children, 
 four sons and four daughters. Of these the 
 only survivors are: Betsey, wife of Henry D. 
 Stanley, of Plainville ; and Riley, the subject 
 of this sketch. An elder sister died in Au- 
 gust, 189s, aged ninety -four years The 
 mother also lived to the age of ninety-four, 
 dying at the homestead in Plymouth. Both 
 parents were members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Riley Ives was educated in the common 
 schools of Plymouth, and assisted his father in 
 carrying on the farm. On reaching the age of 
 twenty-one he went to Terryville, where he 
 entered the employ of a clock manufacturer. 
 Here by his cleverness as a mechanic he 
 worked his way step by step until he became 
 superintendent of some of the departments. 
 He remained in that business for ten years, 
 and then bought a farm, which he worked to 
 good advantage for several years. However, 
 he finally relinquished farming, and once more 
 engaged in the business of mechanician, mak- 
 ing steel springs; but later he invented and 
 manufactured musical devices for toy purposes. 
 The enterprise proved profitable, and he car- 
 ried it on until his retirement. 
 
 Mr. Ives has been twice married. His first 
 wife, whom he married in 1834, was before 
 marriage Mary A. Judd, of Qrange, Conn. 
 She reared two children, namely: Catherine 
 
 A., who is no longer living; and Edward R., 
 a toy and novelty manufacturer of Bridgeport. 
 The latter married Jennie M. Blakeslee, 
 daughter of Joel Blakeslee, of Plymouth, and 
 has had six children, four of whom are living; 
 namely, Harry C, Alice I., Edward L., and 
 Royal M. Catherine Ives married Arthur 
 Blakeslee, and left one daughter, named Ade- 
 line, who became the wife of Augustus J. Du 
 Bois, of Yale College. Mr. Ives's first wife 
 died at the age of thirty years, and he wedded 
 for his second wife Julia S. Stoughton. She 
 is a daughter of Andrew and Julia (Hooker) 
 Stoughton, the former of whom was a native 
 and a prosperous farmer of Plymouth, who 
 died at the age of fifty-four. His wife, Julia 
 Hooker, was a native of Bristol and a de- 
 scendant of the old Hooker family that was 
 prominent in the early history of the colony. 
 Andrew Stoughton raised a family of eight 
 children, five of whom are living, and are as 
 follows: Julia S., who is now Mrs. Ives; 
 Catherine, who became Mrs. Ansel Gaylord, 
 and is now a widow; George A., who resides 
 in Thomaston ; Ira H. ; and Justin 0. The 
 mother died in Terryville, aged eighty-six 
 years. By his second union Mr. Ives has one 
 son, namely: Charles A., a resident of Bridge- 
 port, who is married and has children. Mr. 
 Ives is a Republican in politics, but has never 
 aspired to public office. He has been a very 
 successful business man, and is now passing 
 his time in ease and tranquillity at his pleasant 
 home, having the hearty good will of his 
 neighbors. Both he and his wife are members 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 p)|'ENRY C. STEVENS, of East 
 "^ Canaan, superintendent of furnaces 
 .s ^__^for the Barnum, Richardson Com- 
 pany, was born in Sheffield, Mass., October 
 
300 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 24, 1829, son of Jonathan and Roxana (Dun- 
 ham) Stevens. Mr. Stevens's paternal grand- 
 father was Stephen Stevens, a lifelong resi- 
 dent of Sheffield. His son, Jonathan, Mr. 
 Stevens's father, was born in Sheffield, and 
 was reared to agricultural pursuits. He pur- 
 chased a farm adjoining the old homestead, 
 and followed farming for a time, but relin- 
 quished that occupation to enter mercantile 
 business, in which he was engaged for a 
 period of twelve years. At the expiration of 
 that time he resumed his former calling, and 
 in addition operated a saw and grist mill and 
 a thrashing machine. Jonathan Stevens died 
 in Winsted, December 14, 1875, at the age of 
 eighty-four years. His wife, Roxana Dun- 
 ham, was a daughter of William Dunham, of 
 Canaan. She became the mother of ten chil- 
 dren, as follows: Elmira J.; Ensign D. ; 
 William S.; Ashel D. ; Dennis W. ; Henry 
 C, the subject of this sketch; Laura M. ; Ed- 
 ward C; Roxana D.; and Herbert, who 
 died in childhood. The mother died in Jan- 
 uary, 1883, at the age of eighty-six years. 
 
 Henry C. Stevens was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and after complet- 
 ing his studies he learned the carpenter's 
 trade. He has followed that occupation the 
 greater part of his life, and is well known as 
 a skilful and reliable workman. He con- 
 structed the furnaces for the Barnum, Richard- 
 son Company of Canaan, also those at Miller- 
 ton, N.Y., and Lime Rock, Conn., and for 
 the past fifteen years has been superintendent 
 of that department at the company's works. 
 Mr. Stevens is the owner of a valuable piece 
 of farm property, consisting of one hundred 
 and forty acres. He has been active in pub- 
 lic affairs, having served as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen in 1861; and he is a 
 member of the local agricultural society, of 
 which he was the first master and an incorpo- 
 
 rator. In 1858 Mr. Stevens was united in 
 marriage to Antoinette Stevens, daughter of 
 Nathaniel Stevens, of Canaan, and has one 
 son, Nathaniel S. by name, who is now en- 
 
 gaged in teaching school. 
 
 /^TeORGE D. WORKMAN, President 
 
 \J5| and largest stockholder of the War- 
 renton Woollen Company at Torring- 
 
 ton, Conn., was born July 23, 1835, in 
 Gloucestershire, England, where his father, 
 
 Samuel Workman, son of James, was born, 
 bred, and married. James spent the larger 
 part of his long life in England, his native 
 country, being there employed in a mill, but 
 eventually came to America. He made his 
 home in Torrington, dying at the venerable 
 age of eighty-four years. 
 
 Samuel Workman emigrated with his family 
 to this country in 1836. He had previously 
 worked in a woollen-mill, was there employed 
 for a time, and after his arrival in New York 
 City he worked as a wool grader. The follow- 
 ing winter he came to Torrington, here begin- 
 ning work as a wool sorter in a mill, continu- 
 ing thus engaged for some years. Having 
 by industry and economy saved considerable 
 money, he purchased an interest in what was 
 then known as the Union Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, and in 1865 bought still more of the same 
 stock, becoming its largest owner. He con- 
 tinued as wool buyer for the establishment until 
 1861. He died in 1879, at the age of three- 
 score and ten years. The maiden name of his 
 wife, who died in Torrington at the venerable 
 age of eighty-three years, was Caroline Frank- 
 lin. She was a native of Gloucestershire, 
 England, where their marriage was solemnized. 
 They reared five children; namely, James S. 
 (deceased), Annie, George D., John, and Caro- 
 line. Another child, Henry, died in infancy. 
 
GEORGE D. WORKMAN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 303 
 
 George D. Workman was an infant when he 
 came with his parents to this country, where 
 he received his education. He remained at 
 home through the days of his youth and man- 
 hood, and when the infirmities of age began to 
 creep upon his parents he devoted himself to 
 their care, and has succeeded tO the ownership 
 of the old homestead, where he still resides. 
 On leaving school Mr. Workman entered the 
 mill, and under his father's wise instruction 
 became familiar with the practical part of the 
 woollen business, and at length took his 
 father's place as wool buyer for the company, 
 continuing in that position until 1872. En- 
 tering the office in that year, he was made 
 agent and treasurer of tbe company, and 
 proved so competent a manager of affairs that 
 in 1886 he was elected president of the 
 company. 
 
 The plant was established as a woollen-mill 
 on its present site as early as 1820, and has 
 always made a fine grade of goods, formerly 
 manufacturing an excellent quality of doeskin 
 cloth. This company, now under the leader- 
 ship of Mr. Workman, with his brother John 
 as treasurer and his nephew, Samuel C, as 
 secretary, was changed in 1894 from the 
 Union Manufacturing Company to the Warren- 
 ton Woollen Company, and is engaged in the 
 manufacture of superior woollen material, de- 
 signed expressly for making policemen's and 
 military uniforms of every description. The 
 company carries on an extensive business, giv- 
 ing employment to a force of one hundred or 
 more hands, it being one of the substantial 
 and leading industries of this thriving manu- 
 facturing village. 
 
 Enterprising, liberal-minded, and upright 
 and honorable in all his dealings, Mr. Work- 
 man'has the respect and esteem of the entire 
 community. Pie worships at the Episcopal 
 church, of which his parents were prominent 
 
 members, his father having been one of the 
 organizers of that society and very influential 
 in its support and management. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. George D. Workman ac- 
 companies these brief biographical notes. 
 
 /3!)eORGE p. crane. Deputy Sheriff 
 V i I of Litchfield County and one of the 
 
 leading citizens of Woodbury, was 
 born in New Milford, January 14, 1837, son of 
 Henry S. and Betsey J. (Bishop) Crane. He 
 belongs to an old Connecticut family, tracing 
 his descent from Benjamin Crane, of Wethers- 
 field, one of the first settlements in the State. 
 Joseph Crane, a descendant of Benjamin, had 
 a son Stephen, who was the great-grandfather 
 of George P. Crane. He settled in New Mil- 
 ford, marrying Mary Chapman, of that town, 
 whose father, a blacksmith, was a commissary 
 of artillery at the time of the Revolution. 
 Stephen Crane died May 10, 1814; and his 
 wife passed from life ten years later. Their 
 children were named: Ezra, Abigail, Isaac, 
 Stephen, Noah, Mary, Joseph, Thalia, Jared, 
 Baldwin, Sally, Irad, and Ann. Stephen 
 Crane, Jr., grandfather of George P., settled 
 on Pumpkin Hill, New Milford, and was one 
 of the leading farmers of his day, occupying a 
 prominent place in the community. A Demo- 
 crat in politics, he took a prominent part in 
 public affairs. He acted as Trial Justice and 
 filled other important offices, and he died in 
 New Milford at an advanced age. He was 
 twice married. His first marriage was with 
 Hannah Baldwin. She left the following 
 children: Susan, Anna B., David B., Laura, 
 Arma, and Horace. His second wife, Chloe 
 (Averill) Crane, of Washington, Conn., bore 
 him seven children; namely, Heman, Henry 
 S., Hannah M., George E., Mary, Caroline 
 M., and Jennette. 
 
304 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Henry S. Crane, the father of George P., 
 was born in New Milford, Conn., June i6, 
 i8i I. When a young man he was successfully 
 engaged in general farming in New Milford 
 for some years. He afterward bought a farm 
 in Warren, Conn., which he disposed of later 
 in order to purchase an estate in Woodbury. 
 He died in the latter town, April 22, 1858. 
 His wife, who was born July 19, 1810, in New 
 Milford, was a daughter of Nathan Bishop, a 
 well-to-do farmer. She died June 2, 1884. 
 Their children were: Horace B., born August 
 5, 1834; George P., the subject of this arti- 
 cle; and Stephen H., born September 6, 1843. 
 
 George P. Crane received a good common- 
 school education. Reared on a farm, it was 
 natural that he chose agriculture for his life 
 occupation. He purchased a small farm 
 shortly after attaining his majority. Besides 
 tilling the soil he engaged in cattle dealing, 
 buying in New York and Canada and driving 
 the animals to Connecticut for sale. In 1874 
 he bought the Benedict farm in the village of 
 Woodbury; and some time later he purchased 
 the pleasant home on Main Street where he 
 now resides, then known as the L. J. Allen 
 place. Mr. Crane is now practically retired 
 from agricultural pursuits, giving all his time 
 and attention to his public duties. A Repub- 
 lican in politics, he has taken part in the town 
 government as Constable, First Selectman, and 
 in other important capacities. He represented 
 Woodbury in the legislature in 1870, and is 
 now serving his second term as Deputy Sheriff 
 of the county. On January 15, 1861, Mr. 
 Crane was united in marriage with Susan C, 
 daughter of Thomas and Wealthy (Allen) 
 Root, of Woodbury. Mrs. Crane also belongs 
 to an old New England family, being a de- 
 scendant of Thomas Root, of Salem, Mass., 
 who came from England in 1636. From him 
 the line is traced through Josiah, Joseph, and 
 
 Thomas to Joseph Root, who was born in 
 Woodbury, Conn., May 7, 1761, and married 
 Abigail Hurd. This couple were the grand- 
 parents of Mrs. Crane. Their son, Thomas 
 Root, her father, was born in Woodbury, May 
 9, 1 79 1, and there sioent his life, profitably 
 engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Crane 
 have reared the following children: Henry R., 
 born August 14, 1863, a produce merchant of 
 Oakland, Cal., who married Louise Hille- 
 brand; George H., born April 15, 1869, a 
 book-keeper, who married September 6, 1893, 
 Lilla Munson, and lives in Waterbury, Conn. ; 
 and Stephen T., born September 15, 1872, 
 a book-keeper of Waterbury. 
 
 Mr. Crane takes an active interest in educa- 
 tional progress. He is a Trustee of the Con- 
 necticut School for Boys at Meriden. He is 
 also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and 
 is Past Master of King Solomon's Lodge, No. 
 7, of Woodbury. In religious belief he is a 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 EV. JOHN P. HAWLEY, who dur- 
 ing the past seven years has faithfully 
 ministered to the spiritual needs of 
 the Congregational church of New Hartford, 
 Conn., and has won the respect and esteem of 
 the people of this community, was born in 
 Norfolk, Litchfield County, on April 24, 
 1833. His parents were Philo and Alma 
 (Wheeler) Hawley, the former of whom was 
 also a native of Norfolk. 
 
 His paternal grandfather, Elisha Hawley, 
 was born in Simsbury, Hartford County. 
 After acquiring his education he was engaged 
 for several years in teaching school. In Nor- 
 folk, where he taught for a time, he met the 
 young lady who afterward became his wife and 
 the mother of nine children, one being Philo, 
 who is named above. Philo Hawley grew to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3°S 
 
 manhood on his father's farm. He then trav- 
 elled through a portion of the Southern States 
 on business ; and later on he opened a store in 
 Charleston, S. C, where he spent his winters 
 for a number of years, his summers being 
 passed on the old homestead, which he pur- 
 chased after his father's decease. He died in 
 Louisiana in the seventy-fifth year of his age. 
 His wife. Alma Wheeler, was a daughter of 
 Nathan Wheeler, an early settler of Winsted, 
 Conn., who was accidentally killed there when 
 but forty-two years old. Four sons were born 
 of their union, but the Rev. John P. Hawley is 
 now the sole survivor. His mother died in 
 Norfolk in 1858, at sixty years of age. 
 
 John P. Hawley acquired his early education 
 in the schools of Norfolk, and supplemented 
 it by a course in the academy at Winsted and 
 other special study. After he left school he 
 taught for a time in Norfolk and also in the 
 district schools of New Jersey, from which 
 State he went to Illinois, where he obtained a 
 situation in a law office. Obliged to leave 
 that position on account of trouble with his 
 eyes, he returned to the East. He was next 
 employed in a store in Norfolk as clerk, and 
 later on became a partner of N. B. Stevens, 
 and still later was in business with others, 
 until he sold out his interest. He afterward 
 removed to New York, and' was in business 
 there until 1866, when he entered the Hart- 
 ford Theological Seminary, from which he was 
 graduated in the class of 1869. 
 
 His first ministerial charge was at South 
 Coventry, Conn., where he remained five years, 
 going from there to Talcottville in the town 
 of Vernon, Conn. After four years' efficient 
 service in the latter place he was established 
 for fifteen months in Chester, Conn., before 
 he accepted a call to Westerly, R.I., and re- 
 moved thither. He remained there four years 
 and then went to Stafford Springs, Conn., from 
 
 which place he came five years later to New 
 Hartford. During the seven years that he has 
 been a resident of this place he has, by his 
 broad intelligence, kindly sympathy, and his 
 exemplification of practical Christianity, not 
 only endeared himself to the hearts of his 
 parishioners, but has won the respect and con- 
 fidence of the community at large. 
 
 He was married in 1855 to Miss Imogenet 
 Brown, who was born in Winsted, Conn., and 
 is a daughter of the late Harris Brown, a man- 
 ufacturer of hand forks. Her parents both 
 lived to the age of threescore years and ten. 
 She bore her husband three children, one of 
 whom, John Stevens Hawley, died when an 
 infant. The two living are: Mabel W. , who 
 married Mr. G. L. Keeney, formerly of South 
 Manchester, Conn., but now of Monson, 
 Mass. ; and Alfred M. Hawley, a bank cashier, 
 who married Miss Jennie Dick, has one child, 
 Florence, and resides in Colorado. 
 
 The Rev. John P. Hawley usually casts his 
 vote with the Republican party. He has 
 served three terms as a Representative to the 
 State legislature, first in 1862, from Norfolk, 
 when he was appointed a member of the Com- 
 mittee on Claims; second, in 1874, from Cov- 
 entry, at which time he was a member of the 
 Committee on Education; and third, in 1885, 
 from Stafford, when he was House chairman 
 of the Committee on Humane Institutions. 
 At the close of this session the Hartford 
 Times, in speaking of the members, said of 
 him, "Mr. Hawley, of Stafford, was, perhaps, 
 the best general debater (and a level-headed 
 one) on the Republican side." Mr. Hawley 
 has also served as a member of the School 
 Board of Coventry, Stafford Springs, and New 
 Hartford; and while a resident of Norfolk he 
 acted as Constable, Selectman, and Justice of 
 the Peace. For many years he was a Trustee 
 of Hartford Seminary, also of the Hale Fund 
 
3°6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Tolland County, which position he now 
 holds; and he is also a Trustee of Monson, 
 Mass., Academy. He was formerly a member 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
 the Sons of Temperance, and is now affiliated 
 with a Masonic Lodge at Norfolk and the 
 Chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Winsted, 
 Conn. He is a seventh degree member of 
 the Patrons of Husbandry, and Chaplain of the 
 Mountain County Pomona. 
 
 TT^ORNELIUS COLT, a prominent citi- 
 1 ji zen of Harwinton, who owns and man- 
 
 V >i° ^ ages a farm about a mile and a half 
 from the village, was born in this town, on 
 the old Colt homestead, February i, 1833. 
 He is the son of Wolcott and Polly (Tomp- 
 kins) Colt, and belongs to a family that has 
 been well and favorably known in the vicinity 
 for many years, his great-grandfather, Jona- 
 than Colt, who was born October 13, 1735, 
 having been one of the early settlers of the 
 place. 
 
 John Colt, son of Jonathan, spent most of 
 his life on the farm now occupied by his 
 grandson, the subject of this sketch, dying at 
 an advanced age. John's son Wolcott also 
 passed his days here, living to be fifty-four 
 years of age. His wife, Polly Tompkins, who 
 was a native of Plymouth, Conn., survived him 
 some years, attaining the age of seventy-three, 
 the latter part of her life being passed in 
 Birmingham, Conn. They were both members 
 of the Congregational church. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wolcott Colt reared twelve children, seven of 
 whom are living; namely, Charles, Cornelius, 
 Charlotte, Eliza, Julia, Martha, and Ruth. 
 
 Cornelius Colt received his education in the 
 common schools of his native town. He 
 spent his youth and early manhood, with the 
 exception of a year, in which he worked in 
 
 Meriden, on the home farm, acquiring a prac- 
 tical knowledge of husbandry. In 1861 he 
 enlisted in the Fourth Connecticut Regiment, 
 which was later known as the First Heavy 
 Artillery, and was in active service three 
 years, participating in some of the most 
 momentous battles of the Civil War. He was 
 under General McClellan's command in June 
 and July, 1862, when in six days the Union 
 army lost over fifteen thousand men and the 
 Confederate about nineteen thousand, and took 
 part in the battle of Malvern Hill, which the 
 Confederate General Magruder described as 
 follows: "The battlefield was enveloped in 
 smoke, relieved only by flashes from the con- 
 tending troops. Round shot and grape crashed 
 through the woods; shells of enormous size, 
 which reached far beyond the headquarters of 
 the commander-in-chief, burst amid the artil- 
 lery in the rear. Belgian missiles and minie 
 balls lent their aid to this scene of stupendous 
 grandeur and sublimity." Mr. Colt was dis- 
 charged at Bermuda Hundred with the rank of 
 Corporal, and, returning to the old homestead, 
 has resided here up to the present time. The 
 farm consists of one hundred and thirty acres, 
 and is well managed by Mr. Colt, who under- 
 stands thoroughly the best methods of farming 
 and is recognized as an authority on agricult- 
 ural subjects. He has been president for 
 many years of the local agricultural society. 
 
 On October 12, 1865, Mr. Colt was mar- 
 ried to Virginia E. , daughter of Peleg and 
 Eliza (Buell) Wheeler, of Litchfield. Peleg 
 Wheeler, who spent the greater part of his 
 life in Litchfield, was a painter by occupation. 
 Mrs. Colt died in September, 1894, in her 
 sixty-sixth year, leaving two children, Jennie 
 W. and Robert Morris. The latter is a 
 painter by trade and also manages a farm. 
 
 Mr. Colt votes the Republican ticket. He 
 still keeps up the associations of army life, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3°7 
 
 being a prominent member of Russell Post, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, of Thomaston. 
 He attends the Congregational church in Har- 
 winton, of which his wife was a member and to 
 which his children also belong, the family tak- 
 ing a prominent part in parish matters. Mr. 
 Colt is possessed of fine social qualities and is 
 well informed on subjects of current interest. 
 He is highly esteemed in Harwinton, and is a 
 fine representative of that noble band, whose 
 numbers are yearly lessening — the Grand 
 Army of the Republic. 
 
 "ON. REUBEN ROCKWELL, a rep- 
 resentative citizen of Litchfield 
 Li^ V ^ County, is one of the most extensive 
 land-holders of Colebrook, where he was for 
 many years Postmaster and is now Town Clerk. 
 He was born within the limits of this town, 
 August 24, 1 81 8, being a son of Reuben Rock- 
 well, Sr., a native of East Windsor, who was 
 born in East Windsor, October i, 1765, and 
 the grandson of Samuel Rockwell, a native of 
 the same place. The family is descended from 
 substantial English stock, coming in a direct 
 line from Deacon William Rockwell, the emi- 
 grant progenitor. (For further ancestral his- 
 tory see the Genealogy of the Rockwells.) 
 
 In 1766, Mr. Rockwell's grandfather, Sam- 
 uel Rockwell, removed to Colebrook. In this 
 connection we will refer to Trumbull's His- 
 tory of Connecticut, which says: "Just previ- 
 ous to the coming of Sir Edmund Andros, in 
 expectation that the charter would be revoked, 
 the Connecticut legislature granted to the 
 towns of Hartford and Windsor the towns of 
 Winchester, Torrington, Barkhamsted, Cole- 
 brook, New Hartford, Hartland, and Harwin- 
 ton. Later these towns divided equally, and 
 the towns of Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Tor- 
 rington, and the west half of Harwinton was 
 
 Windsor's share. This was afterward divided 
 among the freeholders of the town, and quite 
 a tract came in this way to Samuel Rockwell." 
 In 1765 Grandfather Rockwell visited this 
 locality and erected a frame house, into which 
 he moved the following year, as above stated. 
 In 1794 he made a large addition to this 
 dwelling, the house which he had first built 
 becoming the L. The entire house still 
 stands, in excellent repair, occupied by his 
 grand-daughter, Elizabeth Rockwell. 
 
 Mr. Samuel Rockwell lived in his native 
 town a while after his marriage with Hephzi- 
 bah Pratt ; and when the removal to Colebrook 
 was made she accompanied him to their future 
 home on horseback, with her infant son in her 
 arms. He came with an ox team and sled 
 with their household goods, they being the 
 third family to locate in the town, which was 
 then a wilderness, where deer were occasion- 
 ally seen and wild turkeys were quite plenti- 
 ful. Toiling day after day with the coura- 
 geous energy and the indomitable perseverance 
 that characterized the early pioneer, he cleared 
 a large farm, on which he resided until his 
 death in 1795. He reared six sons, namely: 
 Samuel, Jr.; Timothy; Solomon; Reuben, 
 Sr. ; Alpha; and Martin. Samuel, Jr., be- 
 came a physician, practising first in Salisbury 
 and later in Sharon, where he spent his last 
 years. The other five sons became associated 
 in business with their father, under the firm 
 name of Samuel Rockwell & Sons, and in 
 addition to farming erected and operated a 
 saw-mill. 
 
 After the death of the father the brothers 
 continued business under the name of Solomon 
 Rockwell & Brothers, enlarging their opera- 
 tions by the erection of a flour-mill, a wool- 
 len-mill, and an iron forge, and engaging in 
 the manufacture of woollen goods and of iron 
 and steel. In 18 10 the brothers divided the 
 
3o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 real estate ; and a few years later complications 
 arose, owing to the fact that much of the land 
 was overflowed, heavy law-suits being the 
 result. Shortly after the War of 1812 they 
 closed out the manufacturing business here, 
 and Solomon went to Winsted, where he 
 erected an iron forge, which was one of the 
 first established industries in that now busy 
 borough. He engaged in the manufacture of 
 scythes, continuing thus employed until his 
 decease. Timothy, the second son, passed 
 away from earth a few weeks before his father. 
 Alpha removed to Winsted, and erected a resi- 
 dence on the site of the present Beardsley 
 House, there spending his last years. Martin 
 was a lifelong resident of Colebrook. Reuben 
 Rockwell, Sn, who was engaged with his 
 brother in farming pursuits for a number of 
 years and afterward carried on the same occu- 
 pation by himself, died June 14, 1840. 
 
 He married Rebecca Bebee, a native of 
 Litchfield, Conn., a daughter of Bezaleel 
 Bebee, a veteran of the Revolution. Mr. 
 Bebee enlisted as a private in the Fourth Com- 
 pany, First Regiment, at the time of the siege 
 of Boston. He was shortly commissioned 
 First Lieutenant, and for gallant services and 
 meritorious conduct was successively promoted 
 till before the close of the war he held the 
 rank of Colonel of the regiment. Five chil- 
 dren were born of the union of Mr. Reuben, 
 Sr., and Rebecca Rockwell; namely, Julius, 
 Louisa, Bezaleel B., Elizabeth, and Reuben. 
 The mother outlived her husband several 
 years, dying in 1851. 
 
 Reuben Rockwell was the youngest child 
 born to the parental household. On reaching 
 manhood he was engaged in mercantile busi- 
 ness for about ten years, but has been more 
 especially interested in agricultural pursuits, 
 being a large holder of real estate. In 1858 
 Mr. Rockwell married Miss Aurelia Eno, who 
 
 was born in Colebrook, a woman of rare per- 
 sonal qualities. Characterized by the same 
 mental vigor, business aptitude, and high 
 moral rectitude that distinguished his ances- 
 tors, Mr. Rockwell holds a prominent position 
 among the leading citizens of Colebrook, and 
 has served in the various offices of trust with 
 marked fidelity. He was elected to the office 
 of Town Clerk in 1853, and served continu- 
 ously until 1877, and in 1888 was again 
 elected to that ofifice, which he still holds. 
 From 1 841 until 1857 he served as Postmaster 
 of the town, being again appointed in 1861, 
 when he resigned to accept the ofifice of Asses- 
 sor of Internal Revenue, to which he was 
 appointed immediately after. He continued 
 Assessor for the Fourth Congressional District 
 until the ofifice was abolished, when he again 
 became Postmaster, remaining in the office 
 until 1893. Mr. Rockwell has also served in 
 the State legislature, having been a representa- 
 tive in 1857 and a member of the Senate the 
 following year. He cast his first Presidential 
 vote for General Harrison in 1840, and has 
 voted at every town. State, and national elec- 
 tion since that time. On the formation of the ' 
 Republican party he joined its ranks, and has 
 since been faithful to its interests. 
 
 HERMAN BENEDICT, a prosper- 
 ous Litchfield County farmer, owns 
 and occupies the ancestral farm in 
 the town of Kent on which he was born, Au- 
 gust 7, 1818. His parents were William and 
 Plannah (Hitchcock) Benedict. The father of 
 William was Elijah Benedict, who resided for 
 a greater part of his life in the south part of 
 Kent, where he followed the trade of a shoe- 
 maker in connection with farming. Pie lived 
 to about the age of eighty years, as did also 
 his wife, Molly Benedict. Their children 
 
SHERMAN BENEDICT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3'i 
 
 were: William; Nathan; Sylvia, who became 
 Mrs. William Turrill ; and David. 
 
 William Benedict was born in the south part 
 of Kent, and was a lifelong resident of this 
 town. He conducted the home farm with 
 profitable results, and was known as an intelli- 
 gent and useful citizen. He and his family 
 attended the Methodist church. In politics he 
 was a Democrat, and took a prominent part in 
 public affairs, serving in various important 
 town offices with marked ability. His first 
 wife, Hannah Hitchcock, of Washington, 
 Conn., became the mother of three children, as 
 follows: Harriet, who became the wife of 
 Ralph Howland, and reared one son, Sherman 
 Howland, who is married and has six children 
 — namely, Evelyn, Sherman, Mary, Justina, 
 Mark, and Flora; Sherman, the subject of this 
 sketch ; and Barbara, who became the wife of 
 Edwin R. Roberts. The first wife died aged 
 thirty-one, and William Benedict's second 
 wife, Amanda Hallock, daughter of William 
 Hallock, of New Milford, died at the age of 
 sixty-four, leaving two children, namely : Eliza, 
 who became the wife of George L. Page; and 
 Sylvia (deceased), wife of Edwin Barnum. 
 
 Sherman Benedict acquired his education in 
 the common and select, schools of his native 
 town, and subsequently pursued a course of 
 study at the academy in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
 At the age of seventeen he took charge of the 
 home farm, and has since followed agricultural 
 pursuits with an energy and perseverance 
 which have resulted in an ample reward for his 
 labors. He is a Democrat in politics, has 
 served the town with fidelity and good judgment 
 as a member of the Board of Selectmen and a 
 Justice of the Peace; and in 1880 he was 
 elected a Representative to the State legis- 
 lature, in which capacity he displayed a zeal- 
 ous desire for the maintainance of good 
 government. 
 
 Mr. Benedict was united in marriage with 
 Laura Noble, daughter of Jonathan Noble, of 
 Kent, in 1840, and has had three children: 
 Andrew H., Ellen, and Vesta. Andrew H. 
 Benedict has been twice married. By his first 
 wife. Flora Piatt, he has a son Otis and a 
 daughter Edith. His second wife, formerly 
 Julia Jones, has had but one child, a son, 
 Sherman J., who died aged twenty-three years. 
 Otis Benedict married Eliza Austin, and has 
 two daughters. Flora and Charlotte. Ellen is 
 the wife of Samuel R. Hill, and has two chil- 
 dren, Randolph and Laura. Vesta, the wife 
 of William B. Burnett, has one daughter, 
 named Cora. Mr. and Mrs. Benedict attend 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, of which both 
 are members. 
 
 Speaking of the Benedicts of Connecticut, 
 Hinman says, "This was early a highly re- 
 spected family of the colony. " We are happy 
 here to present in connection with the life 
 sketch of Mr. Sherman Benedict a portrait of 
 this worthy scion of ancient stock. 
 
 "ON. FREDERICK A. JEWELL, a 
 well-known lawyer and a prominent 
 resident of New Hartford, Conn., 
 ex-Judge of Probate of Litchfield County, was 
 born in Salisbury, Conn., September 14, 1858, 
 son of Oliver and Mary E. (Walton) Jewell. 
 The Jewell family is of English origin, and 
 some of its ancestors emigrated to the New 
 England colony early in the seventeenth cen- 
 tury. Mr. Jewell's great-grandfather resided 
 in Salisbury, and the farm upon which he 
 lived has been in the possession of the family 
 since the year 1745. His son, Andrew Jew- 
 ell, was born upon the farm in Salisbury, and 
 there successfully followed agriculture, living 
 to be seventy years old. He raised a family 
 of eight children. 
 
312 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Oliver Jewell, son of Andrew, was reared to 
 farm life and labor, and succeeded to the pos- 
 session of the homestead. He was thrifty and 
 energetic and became a prosperous farmer. 
 He died in Salisbury, aged seventy-one. Oli- 
 ver Jewell was a member of the Congregational 
 church, with which he long held official rela- 
 tions, being Deacon for more than forty years 
 and for many years superintendent of the Sun- 
 day-school. He was highly esteemed for his 
 Christian character and principles. His wife, 
 Mary E. Walton, was a daughter of Dr. Ward 
 Walton, of Salisbury, where she was born. 
 Her great-grandfather was the first Congrega- 
 tional minister to settle in Salisbury; and she 
 is a lineal descendant, in the seventh genera- 
 tion, of Governor Bradford of the Plymouth 
 Colony. Dr. Ward Walton spent his last 
 years in New York State. The children 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Jewell were: Eliza 
 Everest, who married Moses L. Graham, of 
 Salisbury; Moore C, a merchant of Salis- 
 bury, who died at the age of twenty-nine; and 
 Frederick A., the subject of this sketch. 
 Mrs. Mary E. Jewell, who still survives, re- 
 sides with her daughter in Salisbury. 
 
 Frederick A. Jewell acquired his elementary 
 education in the common-schools of his na- 
 tive town. He assisted his father upon the 
 farm and also was employed in his brother's 
 store until reaching the age of seventeen, at 
 which time he began to prepare for college 
 under the instruction of a private tutor. He 
 later abandoned the intention of pursuing a 
 collegiate course and entered upon the study of 
 law instead. He completed a thorough course 
 of legal study and was admitted to the bar on 
 December 7, 1881. He began the practice of 
 his profession in New Hartford, where he has 
 since continued to reside, and has a large and 
 profitable general law business. He has been 
 a Justice of the Peace for thirteen years, and 
 
 was Judge of Probate for eight years, having 
 been at the date of his appointment the young- 
 est man who had held that office. He has also 
 been Commissioner of the Superior Court. 
 Mr. Jewell is a Republican in politics, is Past 
 Master of Lodge No. 121, A. F. & A. M., of 
 New Hartford, and is a member of the Knights 
 of Pythias, in some of whose offices he has 
 served. He is well-known as a gentleman 
 possessing many estimable traits of character. 
 In 1886 Mr. Jewell married Amy S. Sey- 
 mour, who was born in New Hartford, daugh- 
 ter of Carlton Seymour, a merchant of that 
 town. Carlton Seymour was formerly an 
 officer in the United States Army. He retired 
 from service, becoming a contractor, and finally 
 settled in New Hartford, where he engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits. Mrs. Amy S. Seymour 
 Jewell was a lady possessing superior intellect- 
 ual powers. She became a proficient law stu- 
 dent, and was the first lady to be appointed 
 Commissioner of Courts in the State of Con- 
 necticut. Formerly an Episcopalian, she later 
 united with the Congregational church. She 
 died at the age of twenty-four, leaving one 
 child, named Oliver Seymour. Mr. Jewell 
 married for his second wife Mrs. Ada S. 
 Gates, nee Smith, widow of Walter B. Gates, 
 and daughter of Rufus Smith, of Massachu- 
 setts. Mr. Jewell is a member of the Congre- 
 gational church, of which he was organist for 
 ten years. 
 
 |^ENJAMIN F. PAGE, a well-known 
 ^^ farmer of Harwinton, Conn., and a 
 veteran of the Civil War, was born 
 in Warren, another Litchfield County town, on 
 October 24, 1837, son of Daniel and Ursula 
 (Smith) Page. Mr. Page's grandfather, Dan- 
 iel Page, Sr., a native of Branford, New 
 Haven County, moved from that town to War- 
 ren, where he purchased a farm, upon which 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3^3 
 
 he resided for the remainder of his life. He 
 reared a large family of children. 
 
 His son and namesake, Daniel Page, was 
 born in Warren and was brought up on the 
 home farm. He left the paternal roof at the 
 age of twenty-one, but eventually returned and 
 took charge of the farm during the declining 
 years of his parents. He succeeded to the 
 ownership of the homestead, and followed farm- 
 ing successfully for many years. After retiring 
 from active labor he resided with a daughter in 
 Goshen, where he died in 1881, at the age of 
 eighty-eight years. His wife, Ursula Smith, 
 was born in Litchfield, Conn. Of their eight 
 children five are still living, namely: Lydia 
 A., wife of J. B. Corbin ; Samuel D. ; Mary, 
 wife of George Crandall ; Julia, wife of Henry 
 L. Coe; and Benjamin F., the subject of this 
 sketch. The deceased are: Caroline, the wife 
 of Erastus Bates ; Sarah, who was unmarried ; 
 and George W., who married M. J. Smith, of 
 Waterbury, Conn. The mother died at the 
 old homestead in Warren in 1861, aged sixty- 
 six years. 
 
 Benjamin F. Page was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of his native town and resided with 
 his parents until reaching the age of eighteen, 
 when he began life for himself. He was for 
 a time employed as a farmer and later as a 
 teamster, working in various towns until 1861. 
 Enlisting in that year as a private in Company 
 E, Eighth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer 
 Infantry, he served four years in the Civil 
 War, participating in several hotly contested 
 battles, including the engagement at Cold 
 Harbor and the siege of Petersburg. At 
 Fort Harrison by the explosion of a shell he 
 received a wound which confined him to the 
 hospital for several months. During his ser- 
 vice he was promoted to the rank of Corporal 
 and later to that of Sergeant, and was dis- 
 charged as such at the close of the war. After 
 
 leaving the service he returned to Warren, and 
 a short time later he purchased a farm in East 
 Granville, Mass., where he made his home for 
 six years. In 1872 he sold his property in East 
 Granville and bought his present farm in Har- 
 winton, consisting of seventy-five acres of well- 
 improved land, which he devotes to general 
 farming and dairying. By his untiring energy 
 and good judgment in the management of his 
 affairs he has reached a position of prosperity. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Page was married to Frances 
 M. Smith. She was born in Cornwall, only 
 daughter of Eli B. and Emeline (Corbin) 
 Smith, late of Harwinton. Her father was a 
 wagon-inaker by trade, and followed that occu- 
 pation in Cornwall and later in New Britain. 
 He finally settled in Harwinton, where he 
 died in 1871, at the age of fifty-five years. 
 He was a man of intelligence, a Republican in 
 politics, and earlier in life favored the antislav- 
 ery, or Free Soil, party, then so called. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Page have two children, namely: 
 Alena E. , who was educated in the public 
 schools of Harwinton and the High School of 
 Plainville, Conn., and has taught school for 
 several years; and Charles A., who has re- 
 ceived a common-school and academic educa- 
 tion. The family attend the Congregational 
 church, of which Mrs. Page and daughter are 
 members; and they are actively interested in 
 church work. 
 
 Mr. Page is a Republican in politics; and 
 during his residence in East Granville, Mass., 
 he was Tax Collector for one year. He has 
 served as Constable for many years in Harwin- 
 ton, and at present is a Justice of the Peace. 
 He was a member of the House of Represent- 
 atives of the State legislature in 1895. He 
 has been a member of St. Paul's Lodge, A. F. 
 & A. M., of Litchfield. He is a comrade of 
 Steele Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of 
 Torrington. 
 
ii4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 -fpTUDSON M. SEYMOUR, a success- 
 r^H fill dairyman of New Hartford, was 
 
 J-^'' V.^ born August 6, 1842, upon the 
 
 farm where he now resides, son of Sedgwick 
 and Mary A. (Case) Seymour. Mr. Seymour 
 is a descendant of John Seymour, who came to 
 New Hartford at an early date and settled 
 upon a large tract of land situated on West 
 Hill, where he passed the remainder of his 
 life. His son Uriah was born in New Hart- 
 ford and resided upon this estate. He served 
 as Major in the American army during the 
 Revolutionary War. Mr. Seymour has in his 
 possession two deeds which were executed in 
 the name of Uriah Seymour, one in 1757 and 
 the other in 1758. Chauncey Seymour, son of 
 Uriah, was "born in New Hartford, December 
 14, 1762, and inherited the estate that is now 
 owned and occupied by his grandson, the sub- 
 ject of the present sketch. Chauncey Sey- 
 mour followed farming with ability and good 
 success, erecting the present residence in or 
 near the year 1800, and otherwise improving 
 the property. He was a prominent man in the 
 place, serving as a Justice of the Peace for 
 many years, being also active in church affairs; 
 and he was a Representative in the State leg- 
 islature several terms. He died July 12, 
 1839, aged seventy-seven years. Mr. Chaun- 
 cey Seymour was twice married, and reared a 
 family of eleven children, of whom Sedg- 
 wick, Hudson M. Seymour's father, was the 
 youngest. 
 
 Sedgwick Seymour was born at the old 
 homestead, September 20, 1808. He was 
 reared to an agricultural life, and after the 
 death of his father he succeeded to the own- 
 ership of the estate. He conducted general 
 farming successfully until his death, which 
 occurred November 30, 1859. He was com- 
 missioned Captain of an artillery company in 
 the State militia and served several years. 
 
 He also held other positions of trust and confi- 
 dence in the administration of public affairs. 
 His wife, Mary A. Case, whom he married 
 September 6, 1831, was born in Canton, No- 
 vember 27, 1 81 2, daughter of Dudley and 
 Lina (Barbour) Case. Dudley Case, who was 
 the father of a large family, moved from Can- 
 ton to Barkhamsted, and later went to Texas, 
 where he passed the remainder of his life with 
 his sons. Mr. and Mrs. Sedgwick Seymour 
 were the parents of five children, four of whom 
 reached maturity, and two are now living; 
 namely, Mary and Hudson M. Mary is now 
 the widow of H. H. Stone, who was formerly 
 a prominent resident of New Hartford, and 
 served as a Selectman, Sheriff, and Represent- 
 ative to the legislature. The mother passed 
 her declining years with her children, and 
 died February 4, 1895, aged eighty-two 
 years. Both parents were formerly Congre- 
 gationalists. 
 
 Hudson M. Seymour commenced at an early 
 age to assist in conducting the farm. His 
 elementary education was obtained in the dis- 
 trict schools of his native town. After the 
 death of his father, which occurred when 
 young Seymour was in his eighteenth year, he 
 worked out by the month, and thus obtained 
 means to pursue more advanced studies at the 
 Connecticut Literary Institute three terms, 
 and to take a course at Eastman's Business 
 College in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He then re- 
 turned to the old homestead, which he hired 
 till February 4, 1895, and has since been 
 engaged in agricultural labors. His farm, 
 which consists of one hundred and fifty acres, 
 IS devoted principally to dairying interests. 
 He keeps an average of twenty cows, and for 
 the past twenty years has furnished some of 
 the local dealers in the village of New Hart- 
 ford with milk. He is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and represented his town in the legis- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 315 
 
 latiire in 1895. In the Masonic fraternity he is 
 a member of Amos Beecher Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., of New Hartford; the Chapter and 
 Council of Winsted ; and Washington Com- 
 mandery, No. i, of Hartford. 
 
 In July, 187S, Mr. Seymour married Anna 
 Dew, a daughter of George Dew. Her father, 
 who is a native of England, came to America 
 and settled in Litchfield County, where he 
 engaged in farming, but is now residing in 
 Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour have two 
 children, Martha and Julius. Mr. Seymour 
 is a member of the Episcopal church in Pine 
 Meadow, of which he is a Vestryman, and 
 takes a profound interest in all its affairs. 
 He is a thrifty and energetic farmer, an intel- 
 ligent and useful citizen, and a worthy repre- 
 sentative of an old and highly reputable 
 
 family. 
 
 < •■» » 
 
 /^^TeORGE B. ALFRED, a farmer of 
 V i) I Harwinton, in the eastern part of 
 Litchfield County, was born in this 
 town, March 27, 1823. His parents were Ju- 
 lius and Candace (Thrall) Alfred. Mr. Al- 
 fred's great-grandfather. Job Alfred, who was 
 a soldier of the Revolutionary War, became an 
 early settler in Harwinton, and was here en- 
 gaged in agricultural labors until his death. 
 His son, Job Alfred, Jr., Mr. Alfred's grand- 
 father, was born in Harwinton and learned the 
 trade of a cooper, an occupation which he fol- 
 lowed in connection with farming. He passed 
 his entire life in Harwinton, and died at the 
 age of seventy-three years. 
 
 Julius Alfred, son of the younger Job, was 
 also a native of Harwinton. He learned the 
 trade of carpenter and joiner, and was engaged 
 as a master builder in Harwinton and the sur- 
 rounding towns. He followed his vocation 
 with prosperous results, becoming a well- 
 . known and reliable workman, and a highly es- 
 
 teemed citizen. Julius Alfred died at the age 
 of fifty-five years. His wife, Candace Thrall, 
 was a daughter of Eli Thrall, a pipe layer, who 
 resided in Harwinton. She was born in Ege- 
 mont, N.Y. , and came to Harwinton with her 
 parents when young. Mr. and Mrs. Julius 
 Alfred reared but one son, George B., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. The mother died at his 
 home in Harwinton at the age of seventy-five. 
 Mrs. Candace T. Alfred was a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 George B. Alfred was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town, and at an early age 
 adopted agriculture as an occupation. He also 
 engaged in lumbering to some extent, and 
 after the death of his father he succeeded to 
 the ownership of the homestead. In 1867 he 
 purchased his present farm, which consists of 
 one hundred and fifteen acres; and this, to- 
 gether with other tracts of land, gives him a 
 total of four hundred acres. He has in the 
 past devoted considerable attention to dairy- 
 ing, but at the present time is engaged princi- 
 pally in general farming, still keeping about 
 twenty-five cows, mostly Jerseys and Hol- 
 steins. Mr. Alfred is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and has been prominent in public affairs. 
 He was a member of the Board of Selectmen, 
 and in 1876 represented his town with marked 
 ability in the legislature. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Alfred married Mary A. Bots- 
 ford, daughter of Cyrus and Jeannette (Beebe) 
 Botsford. Mrs. Alfred's great-grandfather 
 was an early settler in Derby, Conn., where 
 her grandfather, Ezra Botsford, was a farmer 
 and a lifelong resident. Cyrus Botsford was 
 born in Derby and learned the trade of a stone 
 mason, which he followed during the active 
 portion of his life. His declining years were 
 passed with his daughter in Harwinton, where 
 he died at the age of eighty-one. He was a 
 member of the Episcopal church. His wife, 
 
?i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Jeannette Beebe, a daughter of Martin Beebe, 
 died in Oxford at the early age of thirty-six 
 years. They were the parents of nine chil- 
 dren, two of whom are still living, namely: 
 Elizabeth, who married William Thayer; and 
 Mary A. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Alfred have had seven chil- 
 dren, six of whom are still living, namely: 
 Warren J., who married Emma Lloyd, and is 
 a hotel-keeper in the Adirondack region in 
 New York State; Edwin B., who married 
 Linda Perry, and has two children — Wini- 
 fred J. and Edna M. ; Robert A., who married 
 Agnes Maynard, and has one child, named 
 Mabel Bernice; Julius B. , a policeman in 
 Providence, who married Nellie Brown, and 
 has two children, named Grace A. and Hazel 
 J. ; Jessie, wife of Fred K. Perry, a job 
 printer in Naugatuck, having one child, 
 Harold R. ; and Marion B., who is still at 
 home. Mr. Alfred's sons, who have been 
 liberally educated, are now well advanced in 
 business prosperity. Edwin B. is in the phos- 
 phate business in Florida, and Robert A. is 
 engaged in the setting up and adjusting of 
 machinery for phosphate works. Mr. and 
 Mrs. George B. Alfred are among the most 
 highly esteemed and respected residents of 
 Harwinton. Mrs. Alfred is a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 "ON. DANIEL CURTISS, formerly 
 member of the Connecticut Senate, 
 who was for many years closely 
 identified with the industrial growth and 
 development of Woodbury, was born in that 
 town, September i8, 1801, son of David S. and 
 Sybil (Huntington) Curtiss. Mr. Curtiss, 
 who was of English origin, traced his descent 
 through eight generations to William Curtiss, 
 who emigrated from England and settled in 
 
 Stratford, Conn., at an early date in the col- 
 ony's history. The family was continued by 
 John, son of William, Israel, and Ensign John 
 Curtiss to David, who was Mr. Curtiss's great- 
 grandfather. His grandparents were David 
 (second) and Sarah (Miner) Curtiss. His 
 parents were residents of Woodbury. 
 
 Daniel Curtiss received a good education in 
 the schools of Woodbury. After completing 
 his studies he was engaged in teaching school 
 for several terms. When a young man he 
 bought a farm in Woodbury, which he carried 
 on for a few years. He then went to the State 
 of New Jersey, where he engaged in peddling 
 for a short time. Finding this employment 
 not to his liking, he returned to his native town 
 and established himself in mercantile busi- 
 ness at the south end of Main Street. He 
 later purchased the house and store of Jabez 
 Bacon, located. near the village, and there suc- 
 cessfully conducted a large general business 
 for a number of years. The house, which was 
 built in 1760, is still standing, and in its 
 present improved condition is one of the sub- 
 stantial homesteads of the town. While en- 
 gaged in conducting a profitable business Mr. 
 Curtiss kept a lookout for some good invest- 
 ment for his surplus capital. This he found 
 in the manufacture of silverware, which proved 
 a most successful venture. He was the first 
 to introduce German silver spoons, thimbles, 
 etc., and employed a force of seventy-five 
 skilled workmen in that industry. The fac- 
 tory, which was located opposite to his store, 
 was subsequently destroyed by fire; but the 
 business was continued in quarters located 
 upon the other side of the river. He after- 
 ward retired from the enterprise, and, purchas- 
 ing the old woollen factory built by Jesse 
 Burton, he renovated and otherwise improved 
 It, and revived its former business with vigor. 
 His three sons eventually became partners 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 317 
 
 with him ; but he continued at the head of the 
 concern until his death, which took place 
 March 16, 1878. He was a member of the 
 Congregational society. In politics he was a 
 Whig, and joined the Republican party at its 
 formation, supporting its principles with zeal. 
 His well-known ability made him of especial 
 value to the community in public affairs, and 
 he rendered distinguished services in both the 
 House of Representatives and the Senate. 
 He was deeply interested in the welfare of his 
 native town, whose industrial resources he was 
 so largely instrumental in developing. His 
 knowledge in relation to financial affairs was 
 always in demand, and he was for some time 
 President of the Woodbury Bank. 
 
 On January 27, 1835, Mr. Curtiss was 
 united in marriage to Julia F. Strong, daugh- 
 ter of John, Jr., and Flora (Preston) Strong. 
 Mrs. Curtiss' s grandparents were Lieutenant 
 John and Sarah (Walker) Strong, the former 
 of whom was a prosperous farmer of his day 
 and an ofificer in the Revolutionary War. 
 John Strong, Jr., was a graduate of Yale Col- 
 lege in the class of 1806, and, locating in 
 Woodbury, became one of the leading lawyers 
 of Litchfield County. He was a Representa- 
 tive to the legislature in 1813, 1825, and 
 1826, and was Judge of Probate for the years 
 1 816, 1 81 7, and 1834. He died at the age of 
 forty-eight, and his wife lived to reach the 
 advanced age of ninety years. Their children 
 were: Julia F., Charles, Horace, John W., 
 Emily, and William. William, Horace, and 
 John are now deceased. Mrs. Curtiss has had 
 eight children, as follows: Walter, born April 
 18, 1836; Emily A., born October 30, 1837, 
 and married to Homer Tomlinson; Ellen C, 
 born November 8, 1839, and married to Perry 
 Averill; Horace D., born July 24, 1841 ; 
 Cordelia, born March 13, 1843, who married 
 G. C. White and is now deceased; Edward, 
 
 born January 24, 1845; Frances J., born July 
 7, 1848, now residing with her mother; and 
 Elizabeth S., born September 7, 1850, who 
 married E. F. Cole, and died January 11, 1883. 
 Mrs. Curtiss still resides at the old homestead. 
 Horace D. Curtiss, a partner in the woollen 
 manufacturing business founded by his father, 
 is one of Woodbury's most enterprising and 
 successful business men of to-day. He be- 
 came identified with the business at an early 
 age. In 1861 the plant was enlarged by erect- 
 ing a three-story brick building, and a spe- 
 cialty has been made of gentlemen's wool- 
 len goods of a superior quality. Horace Cur- 
 tiss bought the Daniel Martin homestead, 
 which he converted into a beautiful as well as 
 a comfortable residence. He has invested in 
 some very valuable property in Woodbury. 
 He formerly owned the Glepe place. He pur- 
 chased the Judge N. B. Smith place on Main 
 Street, where he now resides, and upon which 
 he has erected a new and handsome residence 
 with other buildings. He has also been an ex- 
 tensive dealer in cattle. He was married on 
 October 6, 1868, to Harriet F. Atwater, a 
 daughter of Ira Atwater, of New Haven, and 
 has two children, namely: Charles, a chemist, 
 born May 24, 1875, and a graduate of Yale; 
 and Olivia H., born March 30, 1878. Mr. 
 Horace Curtiss is a Republican in politics. 
 He has served as a Selectman and in other 
 town offices. He represented the town in the 
 legislature in 1868 and 1884, and was a mem- 
 ber of the State Senate for the years 1885 and 
 1886. He is a member of the Congregational 
 
 society. 
 
 — < *•» > 
 
 -OHN H. VAN KEUREN, of Winsted, 
 Conn., editor of the Winsted Evening 
 Citizen, was born in Kingston, N.Y. , 
 November 20, 1843. His first paternal an- 
 cestor of whom we find record in this country 
 
3i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was an immigrant from Holland, who settled 
 in New York State in 1636. Mr. Van Keu- 
 ren's grandmother was a child of nine years 
 when the British captured and burned Kings- 
 ton ; and when the women and children fled 
 for their lives she was swept with the tide of 
 refugees to the town of Hurley, adjacent to 
 Kingston. 
 
 Mr. Van Keuren's mother, whose maiden 
 name was Ruima Hamilton, is a descendant of 
 one of the old families of New York who set- 
 tled in that State prior to 1700. She was 
 born in 1810, and is still living, a widow, in 
 Kingston. She has been a faithful member of 
 the Dutch Reformed church for seventy years. 
 Through her Mr. Van Keuren claims relation- 
 ship to Alexander Hamilton. 
 
 John H. Van Keuren was educated at the 
 public schools and at Kingston Academy. He 
 filled the editorial chair of the Kingston Press, 
 and conducted the paper when the Hon. D. C. 
 McMillan was owner. Later Mr. Van Keuren 
 was editor of the Kingston Daily Neivs and 
 the Wethersfield Farmer, and for the past 
 seven years has been editor of the Winsted 
 Evening Citizen. He has been for many years 
 a contributor to the metropolitan press and to 
 other publications. 
 
 Mr. Van Keuren was married in Kingston 
 in February, i868, to Sarah Elliott. The two 
 daughters born of this union, Grace and Amy 
 Van Keuren, are teachers in Winsted, and 
 reside with their parents. Mr. Van Keuren 
 is. a stanch Republican, devoted to the inter- 
 ests of his party, and, while a church attendant 
 at public worship, is not a member of any 
 church. 
 
 HXIAM J. PLATT, a descendant 
 of one of the oldest families in 
 Bridgewater, Conn., and a success- 
 ful farmer, who died at the Piatt homestead, 
 
 February 18, 1887, was born here on Decem- 
 ber 12, 1809. He was a son of Jeremiah and 
 Irene (Barrett) Piatt, and a great-grandson of 
 Jeremiah and Hannah Piatt, of Milford, whose 
 son, Jeremiah, the next in line, was born on 
 December 12, 1747. 
 
 Grandfather Piatt settled in that part of 
 New Milford which later became the town of 
 Bridgewater, where he cleared and improved a 
 large farm, and built in 1798 the substantial 
 residence which is now occupied by his grand- 
 son's widow and is still in a good state of 
 preservation. The materials for its construc- 
 tion were obtained upon the farm, and it con- 
 tains large open fireplaces, brick ovens, and 
 other reminders of a century past. It was a 
 favorite resting-place for travellers, who came 
 in numbers at the time of the spring training 
 of the State militia, and were sure of comfort- 
 able quarters and pleasant entertainment. 
 Jeremiah Piatt, second, was a prominent man 
 in Bridgewater until his death in 1805. He 
 was an early member of St. Peter's Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M. He married Mary Merwin, 
 who was born December 18, 1753; and they 
 reared three children: Jeremiah, Hannah, 
 and Newton. Mrs. Mary M. Piatt died in 
 1825. 
 
 Jeremiah Piatt, third, was born October 20, 
 1772. He inherited the homestead, conducted 
 general farming and dairying, and kept a 
 hotel. He was an able and industrious 
 farmer, well and favorably known; and he con- 
 tinued active until his death, which took place 
 in 1839. His wife, formerly Irene Barrett, 
 became the mother of three children, as fol- 
 lows : Caroline, who was born February 6, 
 1800; William J., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Oliver, who was born January 29, 181 2. 
 Mrs. Irene B. Piatt died in 1863, aged eighty- 
 one years. 
 
 William J. Piatt was reared to farm work, 
 
WILLIAM J. PLATT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3ii 
 
 and eventually succeeded to the ownership of 
 the homestead. He conducted farming accord- 
 ing to the progressive principles which were 
 inaugurated by his ancestors, of whose record 
 he was justly proud ; and he sought by every 
 possible improvement he could make upon the 
 land and buildings to sustain their reputation 
 as thrifty, industrious, and model farmers, 
 thus becoming one of the leading agricultu- 
 rists of his day. He was a man of sound 
 judgment and high moral character, and he 
 ably fulfilled his duties as an intelligent and 
 useful citizen. He died at the Piatt residence 
 in Bridgewater, aged seventy-eight years. 
 His first wife, whose maiden name was Eliza 
 M. Peck, died in middle life; and on October 
 21, 1875, he wedded for his second wife Mrs. 
 Ann (Arthur) Thompson, widow of Smith E. 
 Thompson. 
 
 Mrs. Piatt was born in Monmouthshire, 
 Wales, daughter of William and Elizabeth 
 (Harper) Arthur, who were natives of Wales 
 and most estimable people. Her father, a 
 blacksmith and wheelwright by trade, died at 
 the age of sixty years, and her mother at forty- 
 seven. Their children were: Thomas; Will- 
 iam ; and Ann, who is now Mrs. Piatt. Ann 
 Arthur came to the United States on board a 
 sailing-vessel that was commanded by her 
 uncle, and, being favorably impressed with 
 New York City, she settled there and engaged 
 in dress-making. Her first husband. Smith 
 E. Thompson, died at the age of fifty-seven 
 years. Since becoming the wife of Mr. Piatt 
 she has resided in Bridgewater, where she still 
 occupies the old Piatt mansion ; and, although 
 she rents the land, she maintains personal 
 supervision of the estate, in order that she may 
 follow out her husband's idea of keeping the 
 property up to its high standard of excellence. 
 She is a lady of unusual physical and mental 
 vigor, and is held in the highest esteem by 
 
 her many friends and acquaintances. She 
 attends the Episcopal church. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Piatt accompanies this 
 brief memoir. 
 
 m 
 
 ORTLAND D. COLE, a prosperous 
 farmer and successful business man of 
 Washington, was born in New Mil- 
 ford, Conn., August 2, 1846, son of Sumner 
 Benjamin and Eliza (Hallock) Cole. Mr. 
 Cole's father, who was a native of Scotland, 
 came to the United States when a child, and 
 passed most of his boyhood years in New 
 York. In early manhood he became inter- 
 ested in railroad construction, and was en- 
 gaged as contractor on the Housatonic and 
 Naugatuck Railways. He led a busy and suc- 
 cessful life, and died at the age of forty-five 
 years. His wife, Eliza Hallock, was a daugh- 
 ter of William Hallock, of Kent. She reared 
 four children, namely: Prudence, who is now 
 Mrs. Edwards, and has three children ; Cort- 
 land D. ; Cassius; and Ida, who is now Mrs. 
 Hoag, and has three children. Mrs. Sumner 
 B. Cole still survives at the age of seventy- 
 two years. 
 
 Cortland D. Cole received a good education, 
 and at an early age developed a taste and 
 capacity for business pursuits which have en- 
 abled him to conduct successfully various im- 
 portant ventures. He resided for eight years 
 in Roxbury. In 1874 he came to Washington 
 and settled upon his present farm, which is 
 pleasantly situated and consists of seventy 
 acres of well-improved land. Besides carrying 
 on general farming he has dealt extensively in 
 cattle. He also has business interests of an 
 important nature in Bridgeport and Torring- 
 ton. Conn., in Florida, in Union City, and in 
 San Diego, Cal. He is a Democrat in poli- 
 tics, and served as Selectman for two years, 
 having also acted as Assessor and Registrar. 
 
322 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In 1875 Mr. Cole was united in marriage to 
 Adelaide G. Frisbie, daughter of Daniel Fris- 
 bie, of Washington. They have had two chil- 
 dren, namely: Abbie B. ; and Daniel E. , who 
 is no longer living. Mr. Cole attends the 
 Congregational church, and is a member of 
 Rising Sun Lodge, No. 27, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 'AMES JACKSON PRESTON, a vet- 
 eran agriculturist of Litchfield County 
 and an honored and respected resident 
 of the town of Winchester, was born May 5, 
 1 81 7, in Harwinton, the place of nativity of 
 his father, John S. Preston. For many years 
 the home of his early ancestors was in Massa- 
 chusetts, and the record of their lives forms a 
 part of the early history of that Common- 
 wealth. 
 
 Roger Preston, born in England in 1614, 
 sailed from London in 1635; and upon his 
 arrival on the New England shores he settled 
 in Ipswich, Mass., where he resided for 
 twenty-two years. Removing then to Salem, 
 a few miles south, he lived there until his 
 death, nine years later, on January 20, 1666. 
 Martha Preston, his wife, whose maiden name 
 is not recorded, was born in 1623, and died on 
 March 21, 1703. Several sons were born of 
 their union, of whom Samuel, the next in 
 order of lineal descent, was born in Ipswich in 
 1651, and died in Andover, July 10, 1738. 
 He married in Andover, May 27, 1671, Miss 
 Susannah Gutterson, who died December 29, 
 1710. Three years later, September 24, 1713, 
 he formed a second union with Mrs. Mary 
 Blodget. He was the father of eleven chil- 
 dren, two of whom, John and Jacob, removed 
 to Connecticut. 
 
 John Preston was born in Andover, May i, 
 1685. In his Connecticut home he followed 
 the occupation of a hewer of timber and a 
 
 tiller of the soil, and spent his last years on 
 his farm in the town of Windham, Windham 
 County, where he died July 26, 1733. On 
 January 10, 1707, he married Miss Mary 
 Haynes, of Haverhill, Mass., where she was 
 born March 3, 1687, daughter of Jonathan 
 and Sarah (Moulton) Haynes. Mary Haynes 
 and her brothers were captured by Indians and 
 taken to Canada, where the brothers remained, 
 but she was ransomed by a hand-sled load of 
 tobacco and was drawn home on the sled. In 
 1709 John Preston received a grant of land in 
 Killingly; and from the recorded dates of the 
 births of their children it is evident that he 
 and his wife removed to Windham between 
 1725 and 1727, as their tenth child, born 
 October 10, 1725, was baptized in Killingly, 
 and the eleventh child was born in Windham, 
 August 20, 1727. John Preston, the second, 
 their eldest, whose birth occurred in Andover 
 or Killingly in 1708, married March 18, 
 1 73 1, Miss Eleanor Stiles, who was born in 
 Boxford, Mass., February 17, 1703, daughter 
 of John and Deliverance (Town) Stiles. 
 They became the parents of four children, as 
 follows: John, Asa, Anne, and Jonathan. 
 
 John Preston, the third, the paternal grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 in Windham in 1735. After attaining man's 
 estate he moved to Harwinton, being one of 
 the original settlers; and, buying a tract of 
 land that was in its primitive wildness, he 
 cleared and improved a homestead. At the 
 time he settled in Harwinton, deer, bears, and 
 rattlesnakes were plenty; but a four-wheeled 
 carriage of any sort was a thing unknown. Of 
 a Sabbath morning church-goers made their 
 way to the place of worship either afoot or 
 on horseback, the women of the different fam- 
 ilies seated on pillions behind their travelling 
 companions. John Preston must have come to 
 Windham with a two-wheeled cart drawn by 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 323 
 
 oxen; for he brought certain household goods 
 with him, among which was a cedar pork 
 barrel inscribed with the date of 1737, which 
 is still in the possession of the family. In 
 those days it was considered an evidence of 
 thriftlessness and improvidence for a man to 
 be out of pork ; but as shad were cheap and 
 plenty, it was not an uncommon occurrence to 
 see a man coming from the Connecticut River 
 on horseback with a few dozen shad thrown 
 behind him on his horse, a sight sure to bring 
 forth the sometimes unjust comment from the 
 onlooker of, "That man is out of pork." 
 John Preston, the third, married Miss Miriam 
 Bristol, a native of Harwinton, and the daugh- 
 ter of Aaron Bristol, a pioneer of the place, 
 and they reared to lives of usefulness their six 
 children, namely: Miriam, who married Jo- 
 seph Halsted, of Trenton, N.J. ; Noah, who 
 married Honor Rossiter; John S. ; Garner, 
 who married Bethena Upson ; Lucina, who 
 married Jehiel Ford ; and Ursula, who married 
 Lemuel Humphreyville and lived to the re- 
 markable age of one hundred and two years. 
 
 John S. Preston, son of John and Maria 
 (Bristol) Preston, was born December 5, 
 1769, and was a lifelong resident of Harwin- 
 ton, being a prosperous agriculturist and a 
 man of prominence in local and State affairs. 
 His wife, Aurelia Dewey, a daughter of Eli 
 Dewey, of Harwinton, was born September 5, 
 1774. Their entire wedded life was spent on 
 the home farm, where they reared their family 
 of nine children. In politics he was a Feder- 
 alist at the time of his majority, but later 
 became identified with the Whigs, and was 
 chosen to represent his town in the legislature. 
 
 The boyhood days of James J. Preston were 
 spent on the parental homestead, and were re- 
 plete with the incidents and experiences of life 
 in the early part of the present century, before 
 the days of railroads. He was an attendant 
 
 of the district school during the winters, and in 
 the season of seed-time and harvest assisted on 
 the farm, obtaining a practical insight into its 
 labors and duties. At the age of nineteen he 
 began the battle of life on his own account, 
 and for seven years was engaged as a travelling 
 salesman of tinware and dry goods. Desiring 
 to settle down to some permanent business, he 
 then bought a farm in the town of Canaan, 
 where he lived two years, when he purchased 
 the homestead he now occupies, and which he 
 has since carried on with good success. It 
 contains twenty-two acres of choice land, and 
 is beautifully located on the hill overlooking 
 the village of Winsted and the surrounding 
 country, commanding a charming view. 
 
 Mr. Preston was married November 21, 
 1841, to Adaline Camp, who was born in Win- 
 chester in this county, January 3, 1817. Mrs. 
 Preston is a daughter of Moses Camp, who was 
 born in Norfolk in 1774, and a grand-daughter 
 of Moses Camp, Sr., a native, it is thought, of 
 the town of New Milford, of early English 
 antecedents. He was a pioneer settler of Nor- 
 folk, where he carried on general husbandry 
 until his decease. Mrs. Preston's father 
 learned the hatter's trade, and in company 
 with his brother Samuel was engaged in the 
 manufacture of hats until 1804. He then sold 
 "out and bought the Stephen Knowlton farm, 
 located on the side hill, a mile south-east of 
 Winsted; and from that time until his death, 
 March 6, 1852, he was prosperously engaged 
 in agriculture. He bought the farm where his 
 son Moses now resides, and where his death 
 occurred. His wife, mother of Mrs. Preston, 
 was Diadema Knowlton Camp, a daughter of 
 Stephen and Diadema (Chubb) Knowlton. 
 She was born in Winchester, October 15, 
 1784, and lived until August 11, 1884, having 
 almost completed a century of life. 
 
 Mrs. Camp was always blessed with good 
 
324 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 health, never having had any long sickness, 
 her final illness being less than an hour. 
 Only a few hours before the change she re- 
 marked that her memory had failed to such an 
 extent that she considered herself a know-noth- 
 ing. Some one jokingly replied that she had 
 better join a know-nothing society, at which 
 she looked up, laughing, and said, "I should 
 not have to go far." She was an esteemed 
 member of the Congregational church, and 
 reared her family in the same faith. Her 
 father was a soldier of the Revolution, and the 
 name of Knowlton is an honored one in the 
 military annals of Connecticut. Her only liv- 
 ing son is Moses Camp, a well-to-do farmer, 
 residing on the old homestead. He married 
 Amelia Worthington, a native of East Had- 
 dam and a daughter of Edward and Elizabeth 
 (Willey) Worthington. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Preston have one son, James 
 H., who was born April 15, 1849. He mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Van Valkenburg, the three 
 children born of their union being : Adelaide, 
 a graduate of Smith College, Northampton, 
 Mass., now teaching French and German in 
 Portsmouth, N. H. ; Blanche; and May. In 
 politics Mr. Preston has always stood on the 
 side devoted to the highest interests of human- 
 ity, having been a strong abolitionist in his 
 earlier days, later a strong Republican, and 
 now a firm and influential Prohibitionist. Re- 
 ligiously, he and his wife are consistent and 
 active members of the Congregational church. 
 
 As may be gathered from the above, they are 
 worthy representatives of good old New Eng- 
 land families. 
 
 W: 
 
 «-*-» 
 
 ville. 
 
 ILLIAM H. KNICKERBOCKER, 
 who has conducted a successful 
 blacksmithing business at Wood- 
 in the town of Washington, for many 
 
 years, was born in Kent, Conn., November 
 
 26, 1836, son of William and Harriet (John- 
 son) Knickerbocker. Mr. Knickerbocker's 
 father was a native of Dover, N. Y. ; and when 
 a young man he learned the tailor's trade, 
 which he followed during the active period of 
 his life. He settled in Kent, where he re- 
 sided for many years, becoming well and favor- 
 ably known as an industrious and useful 
 citizen. His last days were spent in Provi- 
 dence, R.I. , where he died at the age of 
 seventy-three years. His wife, Harriet John- 
 son, who was a daughter of Hezekiah Johnson, 
 of Kent, became the mother of the following 
 children : Julia, who became Mrs. Monroe, 
 and has two children — George and Mary; 
 Frederick; Oscar; Delia, a twin sister of the 
 latter, who became Mrs. Taylor, and had five 
 children, namely — William, Mary, Ida, Louis, 
 and Martha; William H., the subject of this 
 sketch ; and Edward, who was twice married, 
 his first wife being Ellen Varney and his sec- 
 ond Ellen Fluntley. The mother lived to 
 reach the age of seventy-six years. 
 
 William H. Knickerbocker received his 
 education in the district schools, and at the 
 age of fifteen began work at the forge. After 
 learning the blacksmith's trade he worked as a 
 journeyman, and finally settled in Washington 
 in the village of Woodville, where he has 
 carried on a thriving business for over thirty 
 years. During his long residence in Wood- 
 ville he has acquired a high reputation as 
 a skilled and reliable workman, and has 
 met with the usual reward of well-directed 
 industry. 
 
 In 1 871 Mr. Knickerbocker was united in 
 marriage to Emma Briggs, daughter of David 
 Briggs, of Washington, and has one son, Harry 
 by name. Mr. Knickerbocker is a Democrat 
 in politics, and has well served the town as 
 grand juror, Constable, and in other offices. 
 He attends the Congregational church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 325 
 
 Tj^ARCISSE J. THIBAULT, a leading 
 I =J contractor and builder in Winsted, 
 -1^ x^ ^ was born in Quebec in 1848, son 
 of Gregoireand Rose (Marcise) Thibault. His 
 father was born in St. Thomas, Canada, in 
 1803, and died on his farm in that town in 
 1888. The widow is still a resident of that 
 place. They had seven sons and seven daugh- 
 ters, all of whom are living save one, Louis, 
 who died at the age of twenty years. 
 
 The child who is one of a large family is 
 usually obliged to cultivate a spirit of indepen- 
 dence unknown to the one who is his parent's 
 only care. This spirit was early developed in 
 young Narcisse Thibault; and at the age of fif- 
 teen he left home and started on his indepen- 
 dent career, the first four years of which were 
 spent on a farm in Nova Scotia. Then the 
 lumber industry, which is the source of much 
 of the wealth of that country, engaged his 
 attention; and he later learned the carpenter's 
 trade, working at it in the Dominion for about 
 six months. In March, 1870, he came to 
 Winsted, working as journeyman for some 
 time, but finally starting in business as a con- 
 tractor and builder. He was at first in part- 
 nership with others, but for the past eight 
 years has conducted business alone. He has 
 done some fine work in Winsted, the Strong 
 & Tanner Block, the Alvord Block, and the 
 Winchester Block of West Winsted being 
 samples of his workmanship, as well as the 
 large buildings on the Highland Lake Farm. 
 Mr. Thibault has also erected many dwelling- 
 houses. He is doing a good and increasing 
 business, employing from eight to ten men. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Thibault was married to Miss 
 Mary Dempsey, a native of Ireland, and by 
 her has had four children, one of whom, Greg- 
 ory, died in infancy. The living are: Anna, 
 aged seventeen; Joseph, fifteen; and Louis, 
 nine, all pupils in the Alleghany School. 
 
 Mr. Thibault is independent in politics, vot- 
 ing according to his best judgment, regardless 
 of party lines. He settled at his present 
 home, 17 Elm Street, in 1890. It is pleas- 
 antly situated and convenient for business, his 
 workshop being on the premises. By steady 
 industry and .conscientious work he is slowly 
 but surely advancing along the road to honora- 
 ble success. 
 
 ^-mmm-t 
 
 OLONEL SALMON ALGERNON 
 GRANGER, Secretary and Treas- 
 urer of the Morgan Silver Plate 
 Company of Winsted, was born in New Marl- 
 boro, Berkshire County, Mass., August 12, 
 1839, and is a descendant of Phineas Granger, 
 a soldier of the Revolution, who was born at 
 Sufifield, August 7, 1738. Phineas Granger 
 joined the minute-men in June, 1777, and 
 was under command of Captain Elihu Kent, in 
 the Fifth Connecticut line, serving for eight 
 months. In 1780 he enlisted in the Second 
 Connecticut Regiment, and in 1781 joined the 
 ranks of the Third Regiment. He died in the 
 service in July, 1781, three months before the 
 close of the war. His son Phineas, grand- 
 father of Colonel Granger, was a cousin of 
 Gideon Granger, the Postmaster-General under 
 the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Grand- 
 father Granger was a farmer in good circum- 
 stances in New Marlboro. He married Martha 
 Newell, of Canaan, who lived to be eighty- 
 four years old, dying October 6, 1857. She 
 and her husband are buried in the cemetery at 
 New Marlboro. They had five children, three 
 sons and two daughters, the oldest of whom, 
 James L., was the father of ex-Congressman 
 Judge Miles Tobey Granger. All of the fam- 
 ily lived to a ripe old age, and all but one 
 daughter married and had families. 
 
 Gideon Granger, father of Colonel Granger, 
 was born in New Marlboro, August 6, 1806, 
 
326 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and died July 3, 1885. He was twice mar- 
 ried, his first wife being Estlier, daughter of 
 Salmon and Esther M. Treat, who were farm- 
 ing people in easy circumstances. Mrs. 
 Granger died at twenty-nine, leaving three 
 children, the eldest of whom was Colonel 
 Granger. The others are: Sylvenus E. , who 
 resides in Winsted ; and Ursula Janette 
 Granger, who lives in Riverton. Gideon 
 Granger's second wife was in maidenhood Bet- 
 sey Lowe, of Troy, N.Y. , who is still living. 
 Seven children were born of this union, two 
 sons and five daughters. 
 
 Colonel Salmon Algernon Granger, accord- 
 ing to a sketch of his career in J. A. Spald- 
 ing's Popular Biography of Connecticut, re- 
 ceived a fair common-school education and 
 learned the carpenter's trade. When a youth 
 of eighteen he came to Winsted, where he 
 worked at his trade for E. B. Parsons until the 
 war broke out. In response to the first call 
 for troops he enlisted, April 25, 1861, as pri- 
 vate in the Second Connecticut, under the late 
 General Alfred H. Terry, and was in the first 
 battle of Bull Run. When his term of ser- 
 vice expired, he enlisted again, this time in 
 the Nineteenth Infantry, subsequently desig- 
 nated as the Second Connecticut Heavy Ar- 
 tillery, and had risen to the command of 
 Company I by the time of Lee's surrender 
 at Appomattox. In 1864 Colonel Granger was 
 with Sheridan in the great Shenandoah cam- 
 paign, and throughout the war he served with 
 credit and distinction. At the close of the 
 war he accepted the position of superintendent 
 of the New England Pin Company of Win- 
 sted, which he held for twenty-two years. In 
 1888 he was one of the organizers of the 
 Morgan Silver Plate Company, of which he is 
 now Secretary and Treasurer. 
 
 On December 19, i860, Colonel Granger 
 married Carrie A., daughter of Newton C. 
 
 Potter, of Torrington ; and four children 
 blessed their union. Two are deceased: an 
 infant daughter, born February 14, 1866; and 
 a son, born March 3, 1873, who lived only five 
 months. Ralph Stuart Granger, a young man 
 of twenty, is a cadet in the United States 
 Military Academy at West Point, a member of 
 the class of 1898; and William Bradley 
 Granger is a member of the class of 1896 in 
 the Gilbert School of Winsted. 
 
 Colonel Granger is a Democrat in politics. 
 He has been Aide-de-camp on the Governor's 
 staff, with the rank of Colonel, since his ap- 
 pointment to that rank by the late Governor 
 Morris. He is also interested in educational 
 matters, and served several years on School 
 Committee. He is Past Master of St. An- 
 drew's Lodge (Winsted), A. F. & A. M. ; 
 Past H. P. of Meridian Chapter, and has at- 
 tained the thirty-second degree in Masonry. 
 He also belongs to the Odd Fellows, and is 
 Past Grand Regent of the Connecticut Royal 
 Arcanum and Grand Treasurer of the 
 N. E. O. P. of Connecticut. He has also 
 held the office of Junior Vice-Commander of 
 the Grand Army in this State. Colonel 
 Granger is a Trustee of the Methodist church, 
 of which he has been a member since 1859. 
 
 bfREI 
 
 RED. L. WADHAMS, a prominent 
 Ijlj lumber manufacturer of Torrington, 
 Conn., was born on December 4, 1842, 
 in Goshen, an adjoining town, of which his 
 parents, James and Sarah L. (Oviatt) Wad- 
 hams, were both natives. His grandfather, 
 Norman Wadhams, who was a lifelong resi- 
 dent there, was a stone cutter by trade. He 
 died at the age of seventy -four. 
 
 James Wadhams was one of six children. 
 He remained in Goshen until about eighteen 
 or nineteen years of age, when he went to 
 
F, L. WADHAMS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 329 
 
 Newark, N.J., to learn the wheelwright's 
 trade. After finishing his apprenticeship he 
 worked for a time in Newark, and then re- 
 turned to Goshen, where he purchased a farm, 
 on which he spent the rest of his life. He 
 died at the age of sixty-eight. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Sarah L. Oviatt, was 
 a daughter of Luman Oviatt, a native of 
 Goshen. Luman Oviatt was a prominent 
 farmer and large land-owner in that town. 
 He was twice married, and had thirteen chil- 
 dren, all of whom lived to grow up. His 
 second wife, Alosia Sandford, of Torrington, 
 was the mother of three children, of whom 
 Sarah L., Mrs. James Wadhams, was the first- 
 born. Mr. and Mrs. James Wadhams were 
 members of the Congregational church. Four 
 children were born to them, two of whom are 
 now living, namely: Fred. L., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Abner H., a carpenter and 
 joiner of Torrington. The mother died in her 
 twenty-ninth year. 
 
 Fred. L. Wadhams lived with his parents 
 until thirteen years of age, when he went to 
 reside with his grandmother. He received 
 his education in the common schools and at 
 the Goshen Academy. When a youth of eigh- 
 teen, he enlisted in Company I, Thirteenth 
 Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, as a private, 
 was in active service three years, participating 
 in several hard-fought battles. He was taken 
 prisoner September 19, 1864, at Winchester, 
 and was paroled in December at Belle Island. 
 He received his discharge in January, 1865, 
 and returning to Goshen remained at home 
 till the fall of that year, when he entered the 
 employ of the Turner & Seymour Manufactur- 
 ing Company of Torrington. In the winter 
 of 1866-67 he attended a business school in 
 Bridgeport. In the spring of 1867 he went 
 West, and a year later returned to Torrington, 
 and opened a meat market, which he con- 
 
 ducted about two years. He then purchased 
 the water privilege, putting in the saw-mill of 
 which he is now proprietor, and has since 
 been prosperously engaged in the manufacture 
 of lumber, conducting a large business. 
 
 Mr. Wadhams was married in 1871 to Sarah 
 M., daughter of William Goodwin, a farmer 
 of New Hartford, Conn., where the Goodwin 
 family were early settlers. Mrs. Wadhams's 
 parents are both departed, her mother having 
 died within the past year. They had five 
 children, four of whom are now living, the 
 brothers of Mrs. Wadhams being Lewis, Will- 
 iam, and Fred Goodwin. Four children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Wadhams, namely: 
 Fred U-, a graduate of Yale College in the 
 class of 189S; Sanford H., a graduate of 
 Sheffield College, who is now studying at the 
 Yale Medical School; Herbert, in the Excel- 
 sior Needle Company's office; and Clarence, 
 who is still with his parents. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wadhams is a Republican. 
 He is prominently identified with the fraternal 
 orders of the town, belonging to Seneca 
 Lodge, No. 55, A. F. & A. M., of Torring- 
 ton, Hope Grange, also the Knights of Honor, 
 and Steele Post, No. 34, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. The family are connected with the 
 Congregational church of the town, Mr. Wad- 
 hams attending service there and his wife and 
 two eldest sons being members of that church, 
 in which Mrs. Wadhams is very active. Mr. 
 Wadhams is a man of superior intelligence 
 and fine social qualities, very popular in Tor- 
 rington, where he has resided for upward of a 
 quarter of a century. He lived in New Haven 
 from 1 89 1 to 1894, while his children were 
 being educated in that city. With this ex- 
 ception, since 1865 his home has been in 
 Torrington; and his business and social 
 record places him among the leading citizens 
 of the place. 
 
33° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 
 ■UGUSTUS B. CAMP, a successful 
 farmer and a prominent resident of 
 Warren, was born in Kent, Conn., 
 November it, 1832, son of Miles and Cyrene 
 (Beeman) Camp. Mr. Camp's grandfather, 
 Chauncey Camp, was a prosperous farmer of 
 New Preston, where the major portion of his 
 life was spent. He married a Miss Baldwin, 
 and both he and his wife lived to the advanced 
 age of ninety years. Their children were: 
 Jeremiah, Miles, Sheldon, Burr, Clarissa, and 
 Comfort. 
 
 Miles Camp, father of Mr. Camp, born in 
 New Preston, settled in early manhood upon a 
 farm in Kent Hollow, where he enjoyed a 
 prosperous career as a farmer for over seventy 
 yeai-s. He was a prominent man in the com- 
 munity, took an active part in political affairs, 
 and was in his religious belief a Congrega- 
 tionalist. He was an unusual instance of 
 longevity, as he lived to the remarkable age 
 of one hundred and three years. His wife, 
 daughter of Daniel Beeman, of Warren, 
 reared eight children, as follows: William, 
 who died aged eight years; Henry P., who 
 married three times; Charles, who married 
 Ruth Strong, and has two children, named 
 F^ergus M. and Charles; George, who married 
 Sarah Warner, and has two children, named 
 Hattie and Ida; Harriet, who is now Mrs. 
 Newton; Daniel, who married Laura Hill, 
 both of whom with their children, Isabell and 
 Daniel R., are deceased; Augustus B., the 
 subject of this sketch; and Augusta S., twin 
 sister of Augustus B., now Mrs. Mark Ken- 
 ney, and mother of four children, named 
 Miles, Abner, Wall, and Burton. Henry P. 
 Camp's first marriage was with Maria Strong, 
 who died, leaving one child. His next was 
 with Melissa Thomas, who with the seven 
 children she bore him is now deceased; and 
 his third marriage was with Cornelia Thomas. 
 
 The mother died at the age of ninety-eight 
 years. 
 
 Augustus B. Camp, who was educated in 
 the district schools of his native town, at an 
 early age commenced to assist his father on 
 the farm. He resided at home until his ma- 
 jority, when he purchased a farm, upon which 
 he settled, and engaged in general agricult- 
 ure on his own account. He cultivated his 
 land with success for a number of years, 
 thereby attaining a high degree of proficiency 
 in his calling. In 1882 he moved to Warren 
 village, where he has since resided. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican, and has figured prom- 
 inently in public affairs. He has displayed 
 executive ability and good judgment of more 
 than ordinary merit in the capacities of 
 Assessor, Collector, Constable, member of 
 the School Board, and grand juror. 
 
 On November 16, 1853, Mr. Camp was 
 united in marriage to his first wife, who was 
 before marriage Mary A. Peet, daughter of 
 Riley Peet, of New Milford, Conn. She 
 died at the age of twenty-four years, leaving 
 one daughter, Mary, now wife of F. S. Gib- 
 son, of Kent Hollow, and mother of one child, 
 Julia. In 1858 Mr. Camp wedded for his 
 second wife Julia Strong, daughter of David 
 and Ann is (Sutliff) Strong. David Strong 
 died at the age of ninety and his wife at that 
 of fifty-six years. The children reared by 
 them were: William, Sarah, Noble, Julia, 
 and Edward. Mr. and Mrs. Camp attend the 
 Congregational church, and Mr. Camp is 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
 
 /^HARLES H. NICHOLS, an ener- 
 i Jl getic and practical farmer of Wash- 
 
 ^«i2 — ' ington, was born in Bridgeport, 
 Conn., November 18, 1850, son of William 
 A. and Edna H. (Smith) Nichols. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 331 
 
 Mr. Nichols's great-grandfather on the 
 paternal side was Edward Nichols, who was a 
 resident of Woodbury, Conn., where he passed 
 the greater portion of his life. His son Rus- 
 sell settled in Bridgeport, where he engaged 
 in farming, and where he resided until his 
 death, which took place when he had reached 
 an advanced age. He married Huldah 
 Turner, and they reared a family of three chil- 
 dren; namely, William A., John, and Delia. 
 Mrs. Russell Nichols lived to reach the age of 
 eighty-three years. William A. Nichols was 
 born in Bridgeport. When a young man, he 
 learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol- 
 lowed successfully, becoming widely and 
 favorably known as a skilled and reliable me- 
 chanic; but his career was cut short by death 
 at the early age of thirty-six years. His 
 wife, Edna H. Smith, who was a daughter of 
 Nathan Smith, of Roxbury, reared one son, 
 Charles H., whose name appears above. The 
 mother died at the age of fifty-three years. 
 Charles H. Nichols was educated in the 
 schools of Bridgeport, and after completing 
 his studies entered mercantile pursuits, find- 
 ing employment as a clerk, in which capacity, 
 he continued for eight years. He then re- 
 linquished mercantile life, and settled in 
 Washington, this county, where he purchased 
 a farm of eighty acres, and has since been 
 prosperously engaged in agriculture. He has 
 attained a prominent position among the 
 farmers of Washington, and is a member of 
 Washington Grange. In his political views 
 he is a Democrat. 
 
 W" 
 
 'ILLIAM D. STONE, a progres- 
 sive farmer of the Lower Merryall 
 District in the town of New Mil- 
 ford, Conn., was born May 7, 1863, upon the 
 farm near by which is owned and occupied by 
 
 his father, Duane Stone. Mr. Stone is a de- 
 scendant of Benajah Stone, who came from 
 Branford, New Haven County, to New Milford 
 in 1742, and bought seventy acres of the 
 North Purchase. 
 
 In 1749 Benajah Stone bought a tract of 
 land situated north of Park Lane, upon which 
 he settled and engaged in agricultural labors 
 with energy and success. He increased his 
 acreage by the purchase of more land, and be- 
 came one of the leading farmers and prominent 
 citizens of the town. He and his wife reared 
 a family of eight children. Their son Ithiel 
 settled in 1753 in that part of New Milford 
 known as the Upper Merryall District. He 
 was a man of influence in the town and an 
 honored and patriotic citizen, rendering much 
 valuable service in the cause of independence 
 by recruiting soldiers for the Continental 
 army. He married Martha, daughter of The- 
 ophilus Baldwin, and reared but one son, 
 Julius, who was Mr. Stone's great-grand- 
 father. 
 
 Julius Stone owned and conducted the farm 
 where Duane Stone now resides, being a pro- 
 gressive farmer and a useful citizen. He 
 served as a soldier in the War of 181 2, and 
 died in 1835, aged eighty-one years. His 
 wife, Esther Sperry Wheaton, widow of 
 Joseph Wheaton, died in 1847, at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-nine years. The chil- 
 dren of Julius Stone were: Chauncey, Julia, 
 and Nancy. 
 
 Chauncey Stone, Mr. Stone's grandfather, 
 was born at the homestead, September 22, 
 1788. He succeeded to the ownership of the 
 farm, and built the present residence. He 
 improved his land, upon which he conducted 
 general farming with success, but devoted a 
 greater part of his time to the raising and 
 breaking of oxen for teaming purposes. He 
 was prominent in local public affairs, with 
 
332 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 which he was closely identified for many 
 years; and in religion he was an Episcopalian. 
 He died in 1856, aged sixty- seven. He mar- 
 ried Amy Wadhams, and had seven children, 
 namely: Benjamin J. ; Julia; Esther; Albina; 
 Nancy; Duane and Delia, the last two being 
 twins. Mrs. Amy W. Stone lived to reach 
 the age of eighty-two years, and died in 1875. 
 Duane Stone, son of Chauncey and Amy 
 Stone, was born at the Stone homestead, where 
 he now resides, January i, 1835. He re- 
 ceived a district-school education; and at the 
 age of nineteen he commenced teaching 
 school, an occupation which he followed for 
 some years. He later went to Jefferson, Ky., 
 where he was employed in a freight office for 
 three years, at the end of which time he re- 
 turned to New Milford, and bought the home- 
 stead. He has added more land to the estate 
 and made various improvements, having 
 erected a spacious barn and wagon house, and 
 has at the present time one of the finest set of 
 farm buildings in his locality. He is en- 
 gaged in tobacco-raising and in cattle deal- 
 ing, keeping an average of seventy-five head, 
 which he fattens for the market, and also de- 
 voting considerable attention to breeding 
 fancy steers and oxen. He is a Republican in 
 politics, and has served with ability in vari- 
 ous town offices. He attends the Episcopal 
 church. His wife, whom he married on May 
 7, 1 86 1, Anna E. Hawley, a daughter of Ben- 
 jamin and Emeline (Glover) Hawley, has had 
 three children, as follows: William D., the 
 subject of this sketch; Clarence, who died in 
 1 891, aged eighteen years; and Florence, who 
 is now a teacher. 
 
 William D. Stone was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of New Milford; and, after com- 
 pleting his studies, he assisted his father in 
 general farming and in the cattle business. 
 In young manhood he settled upon a farm in 
 
 Newtown, which he successfully conducted 
 until 1 891, when he returned to New Milford, 
 and purchased the Nickerson farm of fifty 
 acres, which is situated in the Lower Merryall 
 District, where he has since resided. He has 
 improved the land and buildings; and aside 
 from general farming he has a dairy, and deals 
 in stock to some extent. He possesses the 
 vigor and ambition of youth, which, together 
 with the ability he displays in managing his 
 farm, are sufficient assurance of his future 
 prosperity. 
 
 On April 8, 1886, Mr. Stone was united in 
 marriage with Ellen Hall, daughter of John 
 and Frances J. (Clark) Hall. They have 
 three children: Anna F., Marian E., and 
 Clarence. Mr. Stone is a Republican in poli- 
 tics and an Episcopalian in his church affilia- 
 tions. 
 
 RS. MARY L. ALVORD, a most 
 estimable lady residing in Win- 
 sted. Conn., is the widow of the 
 late James R. Alvord, who died there Febru- 
 ary 17, 1890, aged sixty-six years four 
 months and ten days. Grandfather Alvord 
 was a farmer in the town of Haddam, Conn., 
 where he married a Miss Hall, who reared him 
 three sons and four daughters. He died when 
 a young man. One of his sons, who followed 
 a seafaring life, perished at sea. The 
 mother died in Utica, N.Y., where she had 
 lived for many years with a bachelor son. 
 
 Deacon Joseph H. Alvord, the father of 
 James R. Alvord, was born in Haddam, 
 Hartford County, Conn., about the year 1779. 
 He followed the trade of a harness-maker and 
 saddler, conducting the business in Haddam 
 and subsequently in Winsted, to which town 
 he removed in 181 1. Soon after his removal 
 he built a comfortable and substantial cottage 
 at the east end of Winsted, where he passed 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 333 
 
 the remainder of his life. He gave to his 
 children all the educational advantages it was 
 in his power to furnish. In 1804 Joseph H. 
 Alvord was united in marriage with Miss 
 Lucy Cook, who was born in Haddam in 
 1784. Twelve children were born of this 
 union, of whom three accompanied them when 
 they removed to Winsted. They buried two 
 young sons and a daughter. The latter, Mary 
 Cook Alvord, was twenty-one years of age 
 when she died. There were seven sons, all 
 of whom are deceased except Jabez Al- 
 vord, the youngest of the family, who re- 
 sides in Winsted. He has never married, 
 and is a retired machinist. John W. Alvord, 
 who was a Congregationalist minister and 
 Secretary of the Boston Tract Society, was 
 also prominent in the Freedmen's Bureau, 
 in which he was succeeded by Fred Douglass. 
 He died in Denver, Col., where he was stay- 
 ing temporarily, and is buried in the family 
 lot in Winsted. He was well advanced in the 
 seventies at the time of his death, and left a 
 widow, who resides in Chicago, and two sons, 
 and a daughter. George Alvord, who con- 
 ducted a printing establishment in Winsted, 
 died in middle life, leaving a widow but no 
 children. Charles Alvord left a widow, who 
 resides in Winsted, and four children, two 
 sons and two daughters. 
 
 James R. Alvord, who was born January 31, 
 1 82 1, received a good practical education, and 
 at fifteen years of age began his business 
 career as a salesman. On December 3, 1849, 
 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. 
 Landon, daughter of the Rev. Seymour and 
 Phebe (Thompson) Landon, the former of 
 whom was a Methodist clergyman. The 
 mother was a native of Ticonderoga, N.Y., 
 born near the fort, October 4, 1796. The 
 Rev. Seymour Landon's birth occurred May 
 3, 1798. Mrs. Alvord was one of four chil- 
 
 dren, two sons and two daughters; and she and 
 her brother, Thompson H. Landon, the young- 
 est, who is in his sixty-fifth year, are the 
 only survivors. The latter is a Methodist 
 preacher, and at the present time is at the 
 head of the Military School of Bordentown, 
 N.J. Their mother died at the home of Mrs. 
 Alvord, and their father in Jamaica, L.I., at 
 the home of his adopted daughter, in 1880, 
 eighty-two years of age. He was in the itin- 
 erancy from his twenty-first year up to a date 
 near the time of his death, and was a member 
 of the New York Conference when it extended 
 from New York City to Canada. He lived to 
 preach his half-century anniversary sermon. 
 Mrs. Alvord has lost three children : Elliott 
 B., who died August 19, 1859, aged one year 
 and seventeen days; James R., who died 
 August 18, 1865, at fifteen years of age; and 
 Louise Landon Alvord, whose death occurred 
 on January 4, 1870, when seventeen years of 
 age. The last named was a promising young 
 student, and possessed a lovely character. 
 The living are: Charles L. Alvord, who re- 
 sides with his mother, is married, and has 
 two sons, D. Fletcher and Elliott L. ; Sey- 
 mour L. Alvord, who is married, and has 
 three children — Louise L., Edith Owen, and 
 Russell; George Stevens Alvord, a silk sales- 
 man for the Armstrong Silk Company in 
 Boston; Amanda M., wife of Deacon John 
 Hinsdale, who has two children, John W. and 
 Mary; and Mrs. Susan Rice, whose husband, 
 Asahel Rice, died in Winsted about 1893, 
 leaving her with one daughter, Harriet. 
 Charles L. and Seymour L. Alvord are en- 
 gaged in the Empire Knife Company, which 
 was established by Beardslee & Alvord forty- 
 three years ago. Mrs. Alvord resides at 23 
 Meadow Street, which has been her residence 
 for forty-four years. She and her husband 
 were both members of the Congregational 
 
334 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Church of Winsted. They spent forty-one 
 years of happy wedded life together. 
 
 W' 
 
 ILLIAM H. HINE was born in 
 New Milford, Litchfield County, 
 Conn., June 19, 1816, son of 
 Lyman and Hannah (Roberts) Hine. His 
 birth occurred in the house located next to his 
 late residence, the present home of his widow, 
 Mrs. Elizabeth G. Hine, which is situated 
 upon Candlewood Mountain, where he died 
 on December 11, 1893. Lyman Hine was en- 
 gaged in manufacturing fire brick; and after 
 he retired from business his sons, William H. 
 and George, conducted the enterprise until 
 1883, when the former relinquished active 
 pursuits. 
 
 In early manhood William H. Hine pur- 
 chased a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, 
 which he carried on in connection with his 
 brick business; and in 1842 he erected the 
 house in which Mrs. Hine now lives, besides 
 making other improvements in the property. 
 He was particularly interested in stock-rais- 
 ing, always owning some of the best cattle in 
 the town; and he carried on general agricult- 
 ure with the most gratifying results. In 
 politics he was a Republican, and held several 
 of the important town offices of trust, in which 
 he displayed a zealous desire to forward the 
 best interests of the community. He also 
 served as a Justice of the Peace. He was an 
 active member of the Congregational church, 
 of which he was Deacon for over thirty years; 
 and he was a leading spirit in promoting the 
 religious welfare of the town. 
 
 On January 4, 1843, Mr. Hine was united 
 in marriage to Elizabeth Gaylord, daughter of 
 Nathan and Irene (Downs) Gaylord. Mrs. 
 Hine is a lineal descendant of Deacon Will- 
 iam Gaylord, who with his wife and children 
 
 came from England on board the " Mary and 
 John" in 1630. He was the first Deacon of 
 the church in Dorchester, Mass., but after- 
 ward moved to Windsor, Conn. The line of 
 descent continues through Walter and Mary 
 (Stebbins) Gaylord, Joseph and Sarah (Stan- 
 ley) Gaylord, to William and Joanna (Miner) 
 Gaylord, the former of whom was the first 
 member of the family to settle in New Mil- 
 ford. He was a prosperous farmer and the 
 owner of large tracts of land in what is now 
 Gaylordsville, which was named on account of 
 his being the first white settler there. He 
 was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and 
 the records of the family contain accounts of 
 his interesting experience with the Indians. 
 Mrs. Hine's great-grandparents were Aaron 
 and Phebe (Smith) Gaylord; and her grand- 
 parents were Ebenezer and Catherine (Chit- 
 tenden) Gaylord, who were all natives and 
 lifelong residents of New Milford. Nathan 
 Gaylord, Mrs. Hine's father, was born No- 
 vember 10, 1783, and became an energetic 
 and progressive farmer. He resided in New 
 Milford until his death, which occurred in 
 1865. His wife, Irene Downs, became the 
 mother of seven children, all of whom grew 
 to maturity. 
 
 M. and Mrs. Hine became the parents of 
 three children, as follows: Helen L. was born 
 August 18, 1848, and died March 19, 1850; 
 Henry D., born January 19, 1852, married 
 Ella A. Beach, and is now a painter in New 
 Milford; and Mary E., born March 26, 1855, 
 resides with her mother. Mrs. Hine possesses 
 a vigorous constitution, and is blessed with 
 good health. She is among the most promi- 
 nent of the old residents of New Milford, and 
 is highly esteemed by a large circle of friends 
 and acquaintances. 
 
 On the opposite page will be seen a portrait 
 of the late Deacon William H. Hine, who is 
 
WILLIAM H. HINE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 337 
 
 held in honored remembrance as a public- 
 spirited and eminently useful citizen. 
 
 -AMES G. SKILTON, a successful 
 farmer of Watertown and a representa- 
 tive of a prominent family in that sec- 
 tion, was born in this town, March 3, 1856, 
 son of George F. and Abigail (Wilcox) Skil- 
 ton. The original ancestor of the family in 
 America was Dr. Henry Skilton, who emi- 
 grated from England, and settled in Groton, 
 Conn., where he practised medicine for many 
 years. Besides following his profession he 
 engaged in agriculture, was a large land- 
 owner, operated a mill, and carried on other 
 business. He also ably^ officiated as a 
 preacher upon various occasions in South- 
 ington. The last years of his life were 
 passed in Watertown. The^ descent continued 
 through his only son, Avery, who followed 
 farming in Watertown and Bethlehem. Mr. 
 "Skilton's grandfather was Captain James 
 Skilton, who was born in Bethlehem, and 
 settled in Watertown when he was seventeen 
 years old. He was a school-teacher of note 
 in his day, and was also an able and success- 
 ful farmer. He labored industriously during 
 the active period of his life, the major part 
 of which was passed in Watertown, where he 
 died in 1848, aged over seventy years. He 
 was the father of seven sons, of whom George 
 F., Mr. Skilton's father, was the youngest. 
 
 George F. Skilton was born at the home- 
 stead in Watertown, and was reared to an 
 agricultural life. He commenced at an early 
 age to assist in carrying on the farm; and 
 after the death of his father he succeeded to 
 the property, which he managed with energy 
 during the rest of his life. He died in the 
 house where he was born, in July, 1895, aged 
 over seventy-five years. He was a prominent 
 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church for 
 fifty-eight years, having served as a class 
 leader, Steward, and Trustee. He was first 
 married to Wealthy M. Munn, of Watertown, 
 who died at the age of twenty-eight, leaving 
 one daughter, named Emily, who married 
 Charles J. Cook, of Cheshire. He entered 
 matrimony a second time with Abigail Wil- 
 cox, who was born in Wolcottville, now Tor- 
 rington,. December 16, 1827, daughter of 
 George W. and Elmira (Richards) Wilcox. 
 Her father, who was engaged in the woollen 
 factory in that town, subsequently moved to 
 Ohio, and later to Michigan, where he resided 
 for the rest of his life, and died at the age of 
 seventy-five. He and his wife, who was a na- 
 tive of Canaan, Conn., reared six children, 
 four of whom are living, namely: Abigail, 
 who became Mrs. Skilton ; George T., Albert 
 J., and Merritt C, who are residents of Mich- 
 igan. The mother died in Michigan, at the 
 age of seventy-five. Mrs. George F. Skilton 
 has been the mother of five children, of whom 
 four are now living, and are as follows: 
 Nellie, who married S. H. Jones; James G., 
 the subject of this sketch; Albert W. ; and 
 Carrie M. The mother, who still survives, is 
 living with her children. 
 
 James G. Skilton received his education in 
 the common schools ; and at the age of nine- 
 teen he commenced teaching school in Water- 
 town, which he followed as an occupation for 
 six seasons. At the age of twenty-four he 
 began farming upon his own account; and 
 after the death of his wife's father he moved 
 to his present farm, where he has since re- 
 sided. This property consists of eighty acres 
 of desirable land. This with another farm of 
 his is devoted to general farming and dairy 
 purposes, for which he also keeps a herd of 
 twenty-five cows. He is a progressive man, 
 and conducts his agricultural operations with 
 
338 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the degree of liberality that is a guarantee of 
 success. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 has served with ability as Tax Collector and 
 grand juror. He is also agent of the Hu- 
 mane Society. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Skilton was united in mar- 
 riage to Eliza A. Judson, daughter of Thomas 
 F. and Ann B. (Millard) Judson. The 
 former, who was a native of Woodbury, and 
 became a prosperous farmer and cattle dealer 
 of Watertown, died at the age of sixty-one 
 years. His wife, who was born in Cornwall, 
 has reared seven children, and is now living 
 with her daughter, Mrs. Skilton. She is a 
 bright, intelligent lady and exceedingly active 
 for one of her years. Mr. and Mrs. Skilton 
 have four children, as follows: Ada M., Alice 
 M., Edna A., and Lora Agnes. The family 
 are all members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, with which Mr. Skilton has long been 
 connected as Steward, Trustee, a member of 
 the official board, and superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school. He is also a member of the 
 Watertown Grange. 
 
 |ISS ISABELLA ELDRIDGE, of 
 
 Norfolk, is a daughter of the late 
 Rev. Joseph and Sarah (Battell) 
 Eldridge.- The Rev. Joseph Eldridge was 
 born in Yarmouth, Mass., July 8, 1804. He 
 prepared for college at Phillips Academy, 
 Andover, Mass., and in September, 1825, en- 
 tered Yale University, from which he gradu- 
 ated with second honors in the class of 1829. 
 He immediately commenced his theological 
 studies at the same university. After com- 
 pleting his course he was ordained as a minis- 
 ter September 25, 1832, and installed as pas- 
 tor of the Congregational church in Norfolk. 
 During his long term as pastor of this church, 
 which extended through a period of forty-two 
 
 years, Mr. Eldridge exhibited a love and ca- 
 pacity for the Christian ministry that gained 
 for him a reputation extending far beyond the 
 limits of his pastorate; while his zeal for the 
 increase and development of the church in 
 general was highly appreciated by a large 
 number of Christian workers. He always 
 manifested a deep interest in educational 
 matters, and assisted many young men to pro- 
 cure an education, both by counsel and finan- 
 cial aid. Mr. Eldridge continued as pastor 
 of the church in Norfolk until 1874, when 
 failing health forced him to retire from active 
 labor. He reluctantly resigned his pastorate 
 on November i of that year, being at that 
 time the oldest minister in active service in 
 the State. He died in Norfolk, March 31, 
 1875. The New York Independent in notic- 
 ing his death alluded to him as a man of fine 
 culture, keen wit, and sound sense, command- 
 ing a strong influence throughout his section' 
 and maintaining a home which was the centre 
 of all that is beautiful and gracious in the 
 Christian ministry. 
 
 The Rev. Joseph Eldridge married Sarah 
 Battell, daughter of Joseph Battell, who was a 
 native of Milford, Conn., and moved from 
 there to Torrington, and subsequently to Nor- 
 folk, where he passed the remainder of his 
 days. Mrs. Eldridge died in June, 1878, 
 leaving six children; namely, Sarah, Irene, 
 Mary, Joseph B., Isabella, and Alice Brad- 
 ford. Irene is now Mrs. Edward T. Swift; 
 and Alice Bradford is now Mrs. Henry H. 
 Bridgman. Mrs. Swift has three children, 
 namely: Edward E., who married Florence 
 Wilson, daughter of J. Wilson, of Philadel- 
 phia; Irene B. ; and Mary E. Mrs. Bridg- 
 man has one child, named Eldridge. 
 
 Isabella Eldridge has presented the village 
 of Norfolk with a public library, which she 
 also maintains. The building, which was de- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 339 
 
 signed by George Keller, of Hartford, was 
 commenced in 1888, and completed and 
 opened in March, 1 889. It contained seventy- 
 five hundred choice books ; and it is under the 
 efficient charge of Mr. H. H. Eddy, a gradu- 
 ate of Williams College in the class of 1893. 
 He came from the Pratt Institute Library of 
 Brooklyn, N.Y. The library is open daily 
 from 9 A.M. to 9.30 P.M., and is much ap- 
 preciated by the residents of this town and 
 vicinity. 
 
 Upon Norfolk Green stands a beautiful 
 fountain, which was presented to the village 
 by Mary Eldridge in 1889, in memory of her 
 uncle, Joseph Battell. It was designed by 
 Stanford White; while the design for the fish, 
 which ornaments the top of the structure, 
 was furnished by the famous sculptor, St. 
 Gaudens. Both the fountain and the library 
 are supplied with pure water from a hill, situ- 
 ated about one mile and a half distant. Miss 
 Eldridge occupies a beautiful home, the sur- 
 roundings of which are constantly kept in a 
 pleasing condition. 
 
 'ARVEY DEMING, deceased, who 
 was cut off in the middle of ,a use- 
 L^ V. , ful life, was for many years identi- 
 fied with the leading interests of the town of 
 Colebrook, and is remembered by the people 
 of this section of Litchfield County as one of 
 its most worthy residents. He was born in 
 the town of Colebrook, January 27, 1827, son 
 of Allen Deming, a lifelong resident of the 
 same town and a grandson of Daniel Deming, 
 an early settler of Colebrook. Daniel Dem- 
 ing was a shoemaker by trade. He laid down 
 his last to join a company of minute-men in 
 the Revolution, as proved by the presence of 
 his name in the glorious roll of those who 
 fought for the independence we now enjoy. 
 
 He subsequently bought a tract of land in the 
 south-eastern part of Colebrook; and on the 
 homestead which he cleared and improved he 
 passed his remaining days, dying at the age of 
 seventy-four years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Judith Loomis, attained the age 
 of seventy-seven years. She bore him seven 
 children, severally named: George, Moses, 
 Daniel, Honor, Sally, Allen, and Jared. 
 
 Allen Deming was reared on the farm ; 
 and, finding the occupation of tilling the soil 
 congenial and profitable, he continued in agri- 
 cultural pursuits through his years of activity. 
 After attaining his majority, he bought a farm 
 at Robertsville, in Colebrook. Among the 
 improvements he made was a substantial brick 
 residence, which is still in a good state of 
 preservation. He was a very successful agri- 
 culturist, contributed his full share toward 
 the development of the locality, and died at 
 the age of eighty-three years. His wife, 
 whose maiden -name was Verena Woodruff, 
 born at Stonington, Conn., was a daughter of 
 Isaiah and Esther (DeWolf) Woodruff, na- 
 tives, respectively, of Stonington and Killing- 
 worth. She, also, outlived the scriptural 
 period of life, dying at the age of seventy-four. 
 They had five children; namely, Laura A., 
 Wolcott, Lucy, Harvey, and Harriet, all of 
 whom grew to maturity. 
 
 Harvey Deming was diligent in taking ad- 
 vantage of his opportunities for acquiring 
 knowledge. At the age of twenty years he 
 began teaching, his first professional experi- 
 ence being in the town of Hartland. From 
 there he went to the State of New Jersey, 
 where he taught with success for several 
 terms. Mr. Deming then turned his atten- 
 tion to the occupation in which he had been 
 reared, and for a time after his marriage 
 carried on the old home farm. Subsequently 
 purchasing a farm near by, he added stock- 
 
34° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 raising to general husbandry, and had a thriv- 
 ing business for many years. He bought his 
 stock in New York State, at times feeding 
 over two hundred cattle. In time he became 
 the owner of quite an extensive property. 
 He added largely to his real estate, further 
 improved his homestead by the erection of a 
 good set of farm buildings, and rebuilt and 
 enlarged his dwelling-house, rendering his 
 estate one of the most valuable and desirable 
 in the vicinity. In the midst of his many 
 private interests Mr. Deming was not unmind- 
 ful of the public welfare, which he constantly 
 sought to promote. He held various offices in 
 the town, and ably represented his district in 
 the State legislature in 1861 and 1868. He 
 was one of the most zealous advocates of the 
 principles of the Democratic party, .and served 
 it with fidelity. 
 
 In the month of May,, 1851, Mr. Deming 
 was united in marriage with Amarette Spencer, 
 who was born December 28, 1830, in Cole- 
 brook, daughter of John Spencer. Mr. Spen- 
 cer, who was born in Rhode Island, lost his 
 father in his childhood, and was but a small 
 lad when he came with his mother to Litch- 
 field County. He began very soon to earn 
 his own living. Being very industrious and 
 thrifty, he was able to save a part of his earn- 
 ings, besides assisting his widowed mother 
 somewhat. He succeeded to the farm left by 
 his uncle, Samuel J. Whitford. , This is the 
 estate now owned and occupied by Mr. Spen- 
 cer's son Thomas. He lived to the good old 
 age of seventy -two years, departing this life on 
 the homestead. He had survived his wife, 
 whose maiden name was Emeline Hill, and 
 who died at the age of sixty-two years. She 
 was a native of Blandford, Mass., and a daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and Joanna (Kibbe) Hill, es- 
 teemed residents of that town. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Deming had five children, of whom three are 
 
 now living; namely, John Allen, Clayton H., 
 and Homer P. Frances A. died at the age of 
 eleven years and Waldo when seventeen years 
 old, being then a youth of great promise. 
 The three living brothers are busily engaged 
 in general agriculture and stock-raising, their 
 favorite breed of cattle being- the Guernseys, 
 and are meeting with merited prosperity in 
 life. John A., born April 30, 1854, mar- 
 ried Miss Alice Raidart; and they have three 
 children: Grove W., Earl L., and Ralph S. 
 Like his father, he takes an active interest in 
 politics, and has already represented the dis- 
 trict in the State legislature of 1886 and 1890. 
 Clayton H., a member of the present (1895) 
 legislature, was born January 20, 1866; and 
 of his union with Almira R. Moore three 
 sons have been born, Arthur, Harvey, and 
 Lynn. Homer, the youngest son, born April 
 7, 1870, is unmarried, and resides with his 
 mother on the old homestead. Mrs. Deming 
 is a member of the Baptist church, of which 
 her husband was also a faithful member; and 
 they have reared their family in the same 
 faith, the two younger sons having united 
 with the church. 
 
 kOBERT J. MURPHY, a thriving 
 
 ^OB] 
 
 I r\ farmer of the town of Washington, 
 *- V^^ was born in County Antrim, Ire- 
 land, in 1862, son of Robert and Nancy (Dun- 
 lap) Murphy. Mr. Murphy's father was an 
 industrious and highly respected farmer of . 
 County Antrim, who died at the a-ge of thirty- 
 five years. His wife, Nancy Dunlap, also a 
 native of Ireland, became the mother of four 
 children, namely: William, who married 
 Margaret Nickle, and has four children; 
 James; Robert J., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Samuel. Mrs. Nancy D. Murphy is 
 passing her declining years with her children, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 341 
 
 and is a resident of Washington, this county. 
 She has reached the age of seventy years. 
 
 Robert J. Murphy emigrated to the United 
 States in 1881 in company with his brother 
 William, and settled in Washington, where 
 he has since been prosperously engaged in 
 farming. He comes of a race famed for their 
 industry and natural aptitude for the cultiva- 
 tion of the soil, and well maintains their best 
 traditions. Mr. Murphy married Anna Lud- 
 gate, daughter of John and Margaret (Hegert) 
 Ludgate, of Bridgeport, Conn. Mrs. Murphy's 
 father, who was a respected citizeuj was a 
 stove finisher by trade, and died at the age of 
 seventy-eight years. He and his wife reared 
 the following children: Fanny, who became 
 Mrs. Terrill, and has two children; Michael, 
 who died aged forty-two years; Belle, who be- 
 came Mrs. Dean, and has two children; Anna, 
 who is now Mrs. Murphy; Jennie, who be- 
 came Mrs. Cables, and has two children; and 
 John. Mrs. Ludgate died when in her fifty- 
 second year. Mr. Murphy is a Republican in 
 politics. He is a member of Washington 
 Grange, No. 1 1 ; and both he and his wife 
 attend the Congregational church. 
 
 -AMES T. .NORTON, an old and re- 
 spected resident of Winsted, where, 
 retired from active business, he has 
 lived for the past twenty-nine years, was born 
 in Goshen, Litchfield County, February 3, 
 181 1. His father was Abraham and his 
 grandfather Ebenezer Norton, both natives of 
 Goshen. Ebenezer Norton was a farmer in 
 good circumstances and also a skilful me- 
 chanic. He reared four sons and three daugh- 
 ters, all of whom grew up, married, and lived 
 to a ripe old age. 
 
 Abraham Norton was born about I774) and 
 spent his life in Goshen, where he had a 
 
 large and productive farm. On November 
 27, 1794, he married Rhoda Thompson, of 
 Goshen, who lived to be eighty-two years old, 
 and now rests with her husband in the Central 
 Cemetery at Goshen. Their farm-house was 
 brightened by one daughter and five sons, of 
 whom James T. Norton, now in his eighty- 
 fifth year, is the only survivor. 
 
 James T. Norton's boyhood and youth were 
 spent on his father's farm. From the district 
 school at Goshen he went to the academy, and 
 he spent one term in Torringford. He de- 
 sired a classical education, but was not so sit- 
 uated as to secure his wish; and at seventeen 
 he became a clerk in a country store. At the 
 end of six months he obtained a position as 
 collector for a clock firm, and went West in 
 their employ, travelling for about a year. 
 The six years following he was employed by 
 Case & Wilson at Marion, Ala. ; and on their 
 closing up business he engaged as collector 
 for Dennis Perkins & Co., a large mercantile 
 house in New York City. .In the interests of 
 this firm he travelled extensively through the 
 North-western States. In the summer, when 
 not occupied in collecting, he was employed 
 in keeping books. His connection with the 
 house, beginning in 1853, lasted until 1865, 
 when the firm wound up its business. Mr. 
 Norton afterward spent two years in trade in 
 Avon, Conn. When he retired, he had an 
 ample fortune, the most of which he had ac- 
 quired by his own industry. 
 
 Mr. Norton was twice married. His first 
 marriage, which took place in 1834, was with 
 Adeline Wilson. She died at his present 
 home on May 8, 1876, aged sixty-seven. In 
 November, 1877, he took for his second wife 
 Mrs. Emeline S. Williams, of New Haven, 
 daughter of Grove Winchell, Jr., and Laura 
 (Doolittle) Winchell. Her father was a 
 farmer in the town of Chester, Hampden 
 
342 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 County, Mass., and died in the prime of life, 
 having been fatally injured by a fall from a 
 load of hay. His widow lived to be eighty- 
 five years old, dying in 1882. Mrs. Norton is 
 one of nine children. Her only brother and 
 a sister have passed away. Six sisters are yet 
 living. Her first husband, to whom she was 
 married November 11, 1841, was Edward 
 Williams, a mechanic, who died in 1865, 
 leaving her wih two sons and two daughters. 
 Her eldest daughter, Agnes W., is now Mrs. 
 Carpenter, and lives in Brookline, Mass.; 
 Alice E. is the wife of William P. Clancey, a 
 Congregational minister in Troy, N.H.; 
 Byron Hartley Williams lives in Amherst, 
 Mass.; and Frank L. Williams died in 1876, 
 at the age of nineteen. Mrs. Norton has six 
 grand-daughters and two grandsons, the latter 
 remarkably talented and distinguished for 
 their scholarly acquirements. 
 
 Mr. Norton was a Henry Clay Whig, and 
 since the war has been nominally a Democrat; 
 but he always votes for the best man. He has 
 served as Selectman and filled other town 
 offices: and with his wife he attends the Con- 
 gregational church. A man of brilliant intel- 
 lect and pleasing personality, he is a fine con- 
 versationalist, expressing his thoughts in the 
 best of language with the clearest enunciation. 
 It is a pleasure to visit him and his estimable 
 wife in their spacious home at 12 Park Place. 
 
 |RS. EMMA J. (MARIGOLD) 
 GREENLEAF, an enterprising 
 manufacturer, engaged in wood- 
 turning and enamelling at Pleasant Valley, 
 this county, was born in Waterbury, Conn. 
 Her father, the late William H. Marigold, 
 was born in New York City, which was the 
 lifelong home, so far as known, of his father, 
 William Marigold. William H. Marigold 
 
 learned the trade of a silversmith while living 
 with his parents. When a young man, he re- 
 moved to the manufacturing town of Water- 
 bury, where he worked at his trade for the 
 firm of Brown Brothers nineteen years. On 
 account of ill health he was forced to resign 
 his position, and sought the milder climate of 
 Florida, hoping that it might prove beneficial 
 to him. But he grew steadily worse, and 
 died there in the month of July, 1869. The 
 maiden name of his wife, mother of Mrs. 
 Greenleaf, was Elizabeth Abbott. She was a 
 native of Middlebury, Conn., being a daughter 
 of David Abbott, wfm, it is thought, spent his 
 entire life in that town. After the death of 
 her husband she returned from Florida to her 
 native State, and spent her last years in the 
 city of Bridgeport, where she passed away, in 
 February, 1883. Besides Mrs. Greenleaf she 
 reared William H. Marigold, a prominent 
 business man of Bridgeport, influential in 
 the management of municipal affairs, having 
 served as Mayor of the city two terms, and 
 being at the present time State Senator. 
 
 When sixteen years of age Emma J. Mari- 
 gold became the bride of John C. Greenleaf, 
 who was identified with the manufacturing in- 
 terests of Litchfield County for many years. 
 He was born in Chester, N.H., son of John 
 and Frazilette (Lane) Greenleaf. (Further 
 information will be found in the published 
 Genealogy of the Greenleaf family.) Mr. 
 Greenleaf was but an infant when his parents 
 removed to Newburyport, Mass., where he 
 grew to manhood and acquired his education. 
 When about twenty years of age, he went to 
 Florida, where he purchased a Spanish title to 
 a tract of land, and commenced its improve- 
 ment, thinking to devote it in due course to 
 the culture of Florida fruit. The climate did 
 not agree with him, however; and after a 
 three years' trial he returned North, locating 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 343 
 
 soon afterward in Waterbury, where he was 
 employed for a time in a clock factory. Mr. 
 Greenleaf next established himself in business 
 at Wolcott, where he bought a small mill, 
 and began the business of wood-turning. In 
 a few years, the business outgrowing the ca- 
 pacity of the plant, he sold out. After that 
 he .was engaged in manufacturing at Burrville, 
 Colebrook River, and at New Boston. He 
 was in business at the latter place at the time 
 of his decease, in October, i88g. 
 
 After the death of her husband Mrs. Green- 
 leaf, who is an energetic, capable woman, with 
 a natural aptitude fof-" business, continued 
 manufacturing in New Boston for a time. In 
 1 89 1 she took a lease of the plant of the 
 Greenwoods Manufacturing Company at Pleas- 
 ant Valley, and, having fitted it with all the 
 requisite machinery, has since carried on busi- 
 ness there with remarkable success. She has 
 six children; namely, Elizabeth, Eleanor, 
 Edith, John, Willie, and Hattie. Elizabeth, 
 the eldest child, married Clark Sherman; and 
 they have two children, Raymond Greenleaf 
 Sherman and Ralston Marigold Sherman. 
 Mr. Greenleaf was for a number of years con- 
 nected with the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows; and Mrs. Greenleaf is an esteemed 
 member of the Congregational church and a 
 valued and active member of the Woman's 
 Christian Temperance Union. 
 
 (glYLFRED E. MERRELL, a well-to- 
 ZJL\ farmer of New Hartford, residing in 
 /JlsV^__ the village of Nepaug, son of Asher 
 and Eliza (Olmstead) Merrell, was born Feb- 
 ruary 10, 1830, upon the farm which he now 
 owns and occupies. Mr. Merrell's grand- 
 father, Asher Merrell, Sr., was an early set- 
 tler in New Hartford, and owned a farm in 
 Nepaug, which he cultivated for the greater 
 
 part of his life. He and his wife, Caroline 
 Phelps, of Harwinton, both lived to be over 
 seventy years of age. They reared a family 
 of seven children. 
 
 Asher Merrell, the younger, was born and 
 brought up on the old homestead in Nepaug, 
 and early acquired a practical knowledge of 
 farming. When of age, he purchased a farm 
 in the neighborhood of his birthplace; and 
 this he conducted with good results until his 
 death, which occurred when he was seventy- 
 four years old. He was a Democrat in poli- 
 tics. His wife, Eliza Olmstead, who was a 
 daughter of Michael Olmstead, a prosperous 
 farmer and an old resident of New Hartford, 
 became the mother of eight children, five of 
 whom are living, namely: Walter S., a resi- 
 dent of Southington; Alfred E. ; Ann M., 
 who married Cyrus E. Ransom; Caroline A., 
 who married Charles E. Green, of Newark, 
 N.J. ; and Catherine J., wife of William S. 
 Seymour. Mrs. Eliza Olmstead Merrell lived 
 to reach the age of eighty-four. She was a 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 Alfred E. Merrell was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of his native town, and at an 
 early age began to help his father in carrying 
 on the farm. He resided with his parents 
 until he was twenty-four; and a few years 
 later he purchased a portion of the old home 
 farm, where he now resides. He owns one 
 hundred acres of fertile land, and since set- 
 tling here has erected substantial farm build- 
 ings and otherwise improved the property. 
 He conducts general farming, receiving satis- 
 factory returns for his labor; and he is thrifty 
 and energetic, possessing a high order of in- 
 telligence and entertaining advanced ideas in 
 relation to the best methods of farming. In 
 politics he is a Democrat, but votes indepen- 
 dently when he considers it for the best so to 
 do. He has served as a member of the Board 
 
344 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Selectmen for several years, and has acted 
 as a Justice of the Peace. He is officially 
 connected with the Grange, and takes an 
 active interest in all matters relative to the 
 general welfare of the community. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Merrell married Eliza Barnes, 
 daughter and only child of Isaac and Thirza 
 (Barber) Barnes, the former of whom moved 
 from Southington to New Hartford, where he 
 became a prosperous farmer. Mr. Barnes 
 lived to reach the age of seventy-seven. His 
 second wife, Thirza Barber, a native of Can- 
 ton, attained the advanced age of eighty-six. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Merrell have four children, 
 as follows: Charles A., who married Loretta 
 J. Mason, and has one son, named Alfred S. ; 
 Ida H., who married Charles J. Healy, an em- 
 ployee of the Consolidated Railroad Com- 
 pany; Jessie E., a graduate of the Collinsville 
 High School, who married Stephen L. Kel- 
 logg, a travelling salesman; and Fannie K., 
 who resides at home. At the Westfield, 
 Mass., Normal School Jessie E. Merrell fitted 
 herself for teaching, and taught successfully 
 in her native town and in Massachusetts. Mr. 
 Merrell is a member of the Congregational 
 church, of which he has been Deacon for three 
 years, and is a teacher in the Sunday-school. 
 His wife and family are also members of the 
 church and Sunday-school. 
 
 'OHN M. FORD, who has served three 
 terms as a member of the Connecticut 
 legislature, is the enterprising owner 
 of a productive farm in Marble Dale, in Wash- 
 ington, Litchfield County, Conn., where he 
 also conducts a large creamery. He is a son 
 of Lewis and Anna (Farrand) Ford, and was 
 born in this town on August 4, 1823. Mr. 
 Ford's grandfather, Samuel Ford, moved from 
 Milford, Conn., to Washington, where he set- 
 
 tled upon a farm, and engaged in agricultural 
 labors successfully for the rest of his life. 
 He raised a family of ten children, five sons 
 and five daughters. 
 
 Lewis Ford was born in Milford, and in 
 young manhood learned the carpenter's trade, 
 which he followed as an occupation in connec- 
 tion with farming. He owned a large farm 
 situated on Christian Street, and was a pros- 
 perous and useful citizen. He died at the age 
 of forty-four years. His wife, Anna Farrand, 
 who was a daughter of John Farrand, of 
 Washington, lived to the age of sixty years. 
 Their six children were as follows: Mary; 
 Catherine, who became Mrs. Goodsell; Henry; 
 George; Edgar; and John M., the subject of 
 this sketch. Mr. Ford's parents attended the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 John M. Ford received his education in the 
 schools of Washington; and in young man- 
 hood he engaged in the marble business, 
 which he followed for four years. He then 
 turned his attention to agriculture, and has 
 since devoted himself with energy and success 
 to the management of his valuable farm in 
 Marble Dale. Although he has passed his 
 seventieth birthday, he is still in possession 
 of youthful vigor and activity. In 1894 he 
 established a large creamery upon his farm; 
 and, gathering his cream from the surrounding 
 country, he is now producing an average of 
 two thousand seven hundred pounds of superior 
 butter per week. He is a Republican in poli- 
 tics; and, besides serving as a grand juror, he 
 has been three times elected to represent his 
 town in the State legislature, of which he was 
 a member during the years 1873, 1877, and 
 1878, his public life being marked by a cor- 
 rect understanding of the necessary elements 
 of good government, together with an intelli- 
 gent conception of the best interests of his 
 constituents. 
 
JOHN M. FORD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 347 
 
 In 1849 ^^- Ford married Sophronia M. 
 Wheaton, daughter of Myron B. Wheaton, of 
 New Milford, Conn., and has one adopted 
 daughter, Nellie C. Mrs.- Ford died in 1890, 
 aged sixty-nine years. Mr. Ford occupies a 
 prominent position among the leading farmers 
 of his locality, and has enjoyed a prosperous 
 career. He has always been quick to avail 
 himself of new and progressive ideas in rela- 
 tion to agricultural development, and has im- 
 proved his farm to a high state of cultivation. 
 
 This brief biographical sketch is accom- 
 panied by a likeness of Mr. Ford. 
 
 ■Y^VrNURRAY C. FORD, a prosperous 
 1 1 =i farmer of Washington, Litchfield 
 ^ '?LL? ^____, County, Conn., was born at the 
 Ford homestead, in this town, December 26, 
 1866, and is a son of Simeon D. Ford. Mr. 
 Ford's great-grandfather, Samuel Ford (son of 
 John, son of John, son of Thomas, the settler 
 of Milford), moved from Milford to Washing- 
 ton, where he resided for the rest of his life. 
 He married Susanna Stone (daughter of John, 
 son of Ezekiel, son of John, son of John, the 
 settler'of Guilford), and they reared a family 
 of ten children, namely: Susanna; Samuel, 
 Jr.; William; Polly; Lazarus; Sally; Lewis; 
 Lois; John M.; and Simeon. 
 
 John M. Ford, Mr. Ford's grandfather, was 
 born in Washington shortly after his parents 
 removed from Milford. He. became a prosper- 
 ous farmer and a worthy citizen, and died in 
 1843, aged fifty-eight years. He married 
 Polly Calhoun, daughter of Calvin Calhoun 
 (son of John, son of David), of Washington, 
 and reared a family of six children, as fol- 
 lows: Seth Porter, who married first Maria 
 Fowler, second Carrie Jackson, and had three 
 children — Lois, Minnie, and Seth; Simeon 
 D. ; John C, who died at the age of sixty- 
 
 six; Lois A., who became Mrs. Robert Har- 
 vey, and had four children — Charles, Calvin, 
 George, and Remus ; Samuel R. ; and Remus 
 T., who married Helen Sackett. Mrs. Polly 
 Calhoun Ford died in 1864, aged sixty- 
 eight. 
 
 Simeon D. Ford, Mr. Ford's father, was 
 born at the homestead in Washington, January 
 8, 1822. He was early trained to agricult- 
 ural labors, and for many years followed 
 farming with good results. He has now re- 
 tired from active pursuits, and is passing his 
 declining years pleasantly with his son. His 
 wife, Malinda Sackett, whom he married in 
 1849, was a daughter of Moses Sackett, of 
 Warren, Conn, (son of Benjamin, son of 
 Justus, son of Jonathan, son of William, son 
 of John, son of Simeon). Mr. and Mrs. 
 Simeon D. Ford were the parents of four chil- 
 dren, as follows : Porter, who married Lois 
 Ford, and has one daughter, named Lois; 
 Lester, who died at the age of twenty-five; 
 Archer;' and Murray C, the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother died in 1881, aged fifty- 
 five. Simeon D. Ford is a highly esteemed 
 citizen of Washington, and is a charter mem- 
 ber of the Grange in this town. 
 
 Murray C. Ford received his education in 
 the public schools of his native town, and has 
 always resided at the Ford homestead. In 
 his boyhood and youth he assisted his father 
 in the work of the farm, and he now has entire 
 charge of the property. He carries on farm- 
 ing in a progressive and energetic manner, 
 and his industry and thrift are the assurance 
 of a prosperous and successful future. In 
 1 89 1 Mr. Ford was united in marriage with 
 Ivah Kelly, daughter of Luther and Gertrude 
 (Ailing) Kelly, of Ansonia, Conn. Mrs. 
 Ford's father died at the age of twenty- 
 six, and her mother died aged thirty-seven 
 years. 
 
348 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bfRANK O. PECK, a prosperous farmer 
 P^5 and a prominent resident of Water- 
 town, was born December i, 1853, son 
 of Leman O. and Rhoda A. (Carr) Peck. 
 Mr. Peck's grandfather, Ozias Peck, settled 
 in Watertown, where he was successfully en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. 
 Leman O. Peck, Mr. Peck's father, who 
 was an only son, was born in Watertown. 
 His father died when he was but a year old; 
 and he passed his boyhood and youth upon a 
 farm, contributing what he could to his own 
 support by his labor. In early manhood he 
 bought a tract of land situated north of Water- 
 town Centre, where he engaged in farming 
 upon his own account. He followed his call- 
 ing industriously, and was a useful citizen. 
 He died at the age of seventy years. His 
 wife was a native of Goshen, Conn., daughter 
 of Leonard B. Carr, a progressive farmer of 
 that town. She became the mother of four 
 children, as follows: Emma -A., who married 
 Frank S. Munson; Fanny K., who married 
 Burton G. Bryan, a banker of Waterbury, 
 Conn.; Frank O., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Mary C, who married for her first hus- 
 band Pierre W. Judson and for her second 
 Ploward J. Wright. The mother died in 
 Watertown, aged sixty-five years. Mr. Peck's 
 parents were members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, of which his father was a 
 Trustee and collector. 
 
 Frank O. Peck received his education in 
 the district and high schools of his native 
 town, and resided at home, assisting in carry- 
 ing on the farm until he became of age. He 
 then purchased a farm, situated two miles and 
 a half from the village; and, after residing 
 there for a time, he sold the place, and bought 
 the old homestead where his father was born. 
 He cultivated that property successfully until 
 1889, when he again sold; and, moving to his 
 
 present farm of sixty acres, he has since de- 
 voted his energies to general farming and 
 dairying, with good results. He keeps twenty 
 cows, furnishing milk to the local dealers; 
 and his crops are among the best raised in his 
 locality. He is Republican in politics, is 
 actively interested in local public affairs, has 
 served three years as a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen, two years as an Assessor; and 
 he has been a Constable for eighteen years. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Peck was married to Celia S. 
 Judson, daughter of Thomas F. and Ann (Mil- 
 lard) Judson. Thomas F. Judson was a na- 
 tive of Woodbury, Conn., who settled in 
 Watertown, and formerly owned the farm 
 where Mr. Peck now resides. He moved to 
 Illinois, and later to Texas, where he was a 
 successful sheep dealer. He passed the last 
 years of his life in Watertown, and died at 
 the age of si,;cty-one years. His wife was a 
 daughter of Charles Millard, of Woodbury, 
 who died in that town at the age of ninety-one 
 years. She became the mother of seven chil- 
 dren, two of whom are still living, namely: 
 Celia S., who is now Mrs. Peck; and Eliza, 
 who married James G. Skilton. Mrs. Peck's 
 mother still survives at the age of sixty-four 
 years. Mr. andJMrs. Peck had two children, 
 one of whom, Frederick, is living. They 
 have an adopted daughter, named Rosalind. 
 Mr. Peck is connected with the Patrons of 
 Husbandry, being a charter member of the 
 Grange in Watertown. Both he and his wife 
 attend the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
 which Mrs. Peck is a member. 
 
 C. NEWBURY, a well-to-do-farmer 
 of Litchfield and a veteran of the 
 Civil War, was born in Litchfield, 
 Conn., November 29, 1840, son of Joseph A. 
 and Paulina (Willcox) Newbury. Mr. New- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 349 
 
 bury's father was a native of New York State. 
 During his boyhood he came to Connecticut, 
 where he found employment at farm work, 
 and in his spare time attended the district 
 schools. After reaching manhood, he pur- 
 chased a farm, which was located near the 
 present farm of his son in Litchfield, and 
 became a thriving agriculturist. He was 
 prominent in public affairs, and served as Se- 
 lectman, both in Litchfield and Torrington. 
 He died at the age of seventy years. His 
 wife, Paulina Willcox, was born in the vicin- 
 ity of Litchfield, and was a daughter of Abia- 
 tha Willcox, a prosperous farmer of this lo- 
 cality. She was the mother of seven children 
 of whom but two are now living, namely: 
 C. C. Newbury, the subject of this sketch, 
 and Eva, widow of Warner Scoville. Mrs. 
 Joseph A. Newbury still survives at the age 
 of seventy-eight years. 
 
 C. C. Newbury resided in Harwinton during 
 his early years. At the commencement of the 
 Civil War he enlisted as a private in Com- 
 pany I, Thirteenth Regiment, Connecticut 
 Voiunteers, and served four years, during 
 which time he saw some hard fighting; but, 
 although promotion was offered him, he de- 
 clined, preferring to remain in the ranks. 
 After being mustered out, he returned to 
 Litchfield, and purchased his present farm of 
 one hundred acres, which he devotes to dairy- 
 ing interests. He also deals to some extent 
 in cattle. He is a Democrat in politics, and 
 has served as Selectman and Assessor. In 
 1868 Mr. Newbury was united in marriage to 
 Emma Gilbert, who was born in Litchfield, 
 and is a daughter of George Gilbert, a pros- 
 perous farmer of this town. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Newbury have "had four children, namely: 
 Howard, who is married, and has one son, 
 Joseph E. ; Edgar; Alice M. ; and Jessie, 
 who died at the age of four .years. 
 
 Mr. Newbury is liberal in his religious 
 views, and his wife is a member of the Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 - < ■*•*■>■■■ 
 
 RANK FARRAND, whose valuable 
 dairy farm is situated in the town of 
 Washington, was born on September 
 22, 1864, on the homestead where he now 
 resides. His parents were David N. and 
 Sophia B. (Farrand) Farrand. Mr. Farrand's 
 paternal grandfather, who was an industrious 
 and thriving farmer of Washington, married ' 
 Narcissa Gibson, and reared a family of three 
 children, as follows : Rebecca, who became 
 Mfs. Warner; Narcissa, who became Mrs. 
 Atwood; and David N. 
 
 David N. Farrand was born at the home- 
 stead in Washington, and here grew to man- 
 hood. Succeeding to the ownership of the 
 property after the death of his father, he fol- 
 lowed agricultural pursuits during his active 
 period, and was known as a prosperous farmer 
 and a useful citizen. He died at the age of 
 sixty-six. His wife, Sophia B. Farrand, who 
 was a daughter of Charles Farrand, of Wash- 
 ington, became the mother of six children, as 
 follows: Charles; Robbins, who married Delia 
 Logan, and has one daughter, named Marjorie; 
 Burdette; William H., who married Florence 
 Paul, and has two children, Paul and Helen; 
 Roderick M. ; and Frank, the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother lived to reach the age of 
 sixty-three. 
 
 Frank Farrand received his education in 
 the public schools, and was reared to farm life 
 and healthful labors. He resided with his 
 parents, assisting in carrying on the farm, and 
 came into possession of the homestead at his 
 father's death. His property, which is finely 
 located, is well improved; and he cultivates 
 the land and manages his various affairs with 
 gratifying results. He is especially inter- 
 
35° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ested in dairying, and in this direction dis- 
 plays a great amount of energy and ability. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and in his re- 
 ligious belief is a Congregationalist. 
 
 "T^VTVARSHALL STRAIGHT, whose 
 W= I =/ portrait accompanies the present 
 i4 aLL' ^__^ sketch, is a retired farmer and a 
 highly respected citizen of New Milford, 
 Litchfield County, Conn. He was born in 
 the adjacent town of Kent on April 22, 18 16, 
 son of Henry A. and Abigail (Sherwood) 
 Straight. Mr. Straight's paternal grand- 
 father, Henry Straight, who resided in Kent, 
 and was a farmer by occupation, was twice 
 married. His first wife, Mary Straight, died 
 in 1777, aged twenty-nine; and his second 
 wife, Olive, died in 181 1, aged sixty-one 
 years. Henry Straight died in 18 18, aged 
 seventy-five, having reared but one child, 
 Henry A., Mr. Straight's father. 
 
 Henry A. Straight was born 'in Kent, and 
 was reared to agricultural life. He succeeded 
 to the ownership of the homestead, and hence- 
 forth devoted his entire attention to agricult- 
 ure, purchasing more land, which he added 
 to his estate until he owned over five hundred 
 acres. An able, energetic, and progressive 
 farmer and a useful citizen, he lived to reach 
 the age of eighty-four years. He was a Re- 
 publican in politics and a Quaker in religion. 
 His wife, Abigail Sherwood, who was a 
 daughter of Reuben Sherwood, became the 
 mother of four children, as follows: Marshall, 
 the subject of this sketch; Olive, who married 
 William Hoag; Henry, who died in 1887, 
 aged sixty-three; and John, who died August 
 22, 1893, aged nearly sixty-two. Mrs. Abi- 
 gail S. Straight lived to reach the age of 
 eighty-four years. 
 
 Marshall Straight received his educat 
 
 ion in 
 
 the best schools of the vicinity, and at an 
 early age became proficient in all branches of 
 agriculture. He resided at home, assisting 
 in the farm duties until reaching the age of 
 twenty-two, when he settled upon a farm 
 whiwh his father bought for him. This place 
 he improved by the erection of a new house and 
 barn ; and for many years he conducted general 
 farming with good results, making a specialty 
 of dairying interests, keeping a fine herd of 
 Durham stock. In 1875 he rented the old farm, 
 and purchasing another of thirty acres, upon 
 which he now resides, conducted it success- 
 fully until his retirement from active labor. 
 
 In 1838 Mr. Straight was united in mar- 
 riage to his first wife, whose maiden name 
 was Mary Buckingham. She died in 1862, 
 leaving four children, as follows: Alice, who 
 was born August 13, 1840, married Mr. 
 Wickwire, and is now deceased; Henry Carr, 
 born November 18, 1841, and killed in the 
 Civil War at the battle of Cold Harbor; 
 Frederick G., born August 18, 1846, who 
 married Emma Beach, and has two children, 
 Frank B. and Frederick M. ; and Orrin, born 
 in February, 1850, who is no longer living. 
 Having been bereft by death of his .second 
 wife, Asenath Wilbur, his third wife, Hannah 
 Wilbur, and his fourth wife, Sophia Terrell, 
 Mr. Straight married his present wife, whose 
 maiden name was Josephine S. Wakelee. 
 
 Mr. Straight is a Republican in politics, 
 and has served with ability as Assessor and in 
 other town offices. He has long occupied a 
 position of prominence in the community, and 
 has led a busy and a useful life. 
 
 (sTtlbe: 
 
 LBERT SYLVESTER HILL, a lead- 
 ig business man of New Milford, 
 was born on Long Mountain, in 
 that township, July i, 1821, son of Noah I. 
 
MARSHALL STRAIGHT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 353 
 
 and Aurila (Stilson) Hill. His great-grand- 
 father, Silas Hill, who was born in 1733, 
 moved from Sherborn or Holliston to New 
 Fairfield, where he was married, and later set- 
 tled in New Milford. In 1756 he enlisted 
 for service in the French and Indian War, re- 
 maining in the army one year. In 1760 he 
 purchased land on the plains in New Milford, 
 where Charles Hatch- now lives, and there 
 made his home during the rest of his life, 
 dying in 1798, at the age of sixty-six years. 
 He married Sarah Leach, of New Fairfield, 
 who died in 1792, in her fifty-seventh "year. 
 Ten children were born to them; namely, 
 Solomon, Sarah, Silas, Keziah, Polly, 
 Johanna, Perthena, Ebenezer, Mercy, and 
 Aurila. The eldest son, Solomon, who was 
 the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 
 was born in 1759. He settled in the 
 Aspetuck District, Fairfield County, purchas- 
 ing a large farm, and for many years was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 
 religious belief he was an Episcopalian, and 
 was Vestryman of St. John's Church, to which 
 he left a legacy of five hundred dollars. He 
 died in 1839, at the age of eighty. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Amy Stone, died in 
 1836, in her seventy-fourth year. They 
 reared seven children; namely, Solomon, Noah 
 I., Sally, Silas, Joyce, Gardner, and Amy M. 
 Noah I. Hill, the father of Albert Sylves- 
 ter, was born in New Milford, December 16. 
 1785. He was a farmer and a cattle drover, 
 owning considerable property on Long Moun- 
 tain, and was very successful in his business 
 projects. He died about the year 1820, while 
 on a trip to Delaware. His wife was a daugh- 
 ter of Rivees Stilson, of New Milford. She 
 died in 1862, at the age of seventy-nine. 
 Four sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hill; 
 namely, Solomon B., Silas H., Noah, and 
 Albert Sylvester. 
 
 Albert Sylvester Hill received his early 
 education in the district schools of New IVTil- 
 ford, completing his studies at Amenia Semi- 
 nary. As a first business venture he 
 purchased a farm near Northville, New Mil- 
 ford, and in company with E. P. Barton bought 
 the Taylor Mill, fitted it for a paper-mill, and 
 started it in 1852. After conducting this 
 enterprise successfully for twenty years, Mr. 
 Hill in 1872 purchased his partner's interest, 
 [n 1888 he converted the establishment into a 
 creamery, the first in the county, which he 
 conducted successfully for two years. He 
 then went to Roxbury, where he ran a mill 
 for nineteen months. After this he returned 
 to- New Milford, and retired from active busi- 
 ness. Thfe creamery was destroyed by fire in 
 1895. Mr. Hill now lives quietly on a small 
 farm in Northville. He owns considerable 
 other property in the town, and ranks among 
 "the foremost men of the place. 
 
 On November 16, 1845, he was married to 
 Elizabeth S. Wells, born October 23, 1826, 
 daughter of Philip and Nancy (Watson) 
 Wells. Their children were: Agnes E., 
 born August 3,' 1847, who married Jarvis E. 
 Wheaton, of Washington, Conn., and has^one 
 child; Horace A., born October 3, 1849, who 
 married Florence B. Morehous, has one child, 
 Daisy T., and lives at Bridgewater; and 
 George W., a farmer in New Milford, born 
 July 4, 1854, who married Abbie M. Couch, 
 and has one child, Albert S. Mr. Hill votes 
 the Democratic ticket. He represented the 
 district in the legislature in 1867, 1868, 
 1869, and 1 88 1, was First Selectman of the 
 town eleven years, served on the School Com- 
 mittee for some time, and has filled many 
 other offices within the gift of his townsmen. 
 In religious belief he is an Episcopalian, and 
 has served as Warden of St. John's Church 
 for thirty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Hill were 
 
354 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the first couple married in that church. At 
 the celebration of their golden wedding, No- 
 vember i6, 1895, they received many beauti- 
 ful presents from members of the parish, 
 accompanied by expressions of regard that 
 made the occasion one long to be remembered. 
 
 'ONATHAN B. BALCH, an enterpris- 
 ing citizen of Harwinton, who is 
 widely and favorably known as a 
 builder, a carriage manufacturer, and a first- 
 class undertaker, was born in the village of 
 Harwinton, October 26, 1822, son of Jonathan 
 and Minerva (Brace) Balch. His father was 
 a native of West Hartford and his mother of 
 Harwinton. Our subject is the third Jonathan 
 Balch in line of descent, his grandfather hav- 
 ing also borne that name. Jonathan Balch, 
 first, was born in West Hartford, and there 
 passed his life, engaged in farming. He was 
 a Deacon of the West Hartford church for 
 many years. His son, father of our subject, 
 was also a farmer, and spent some years in 
 Harwinton when a young man. After his 
 marriage, which took place early in the pres- 
 ent century, he returned to his native town, 
 and in 1820 moved again to Harwinton, pur- 
 chasing the farm on which his wife was 
 born. There he spent the rest of his life, 
 dying at the age of seventy-eight. His wife, 
 Minerva Brace, was the daughter of Esquire 
 Brace, the leading man of the locality, a Trial 
 Justice, and for many years a Justice of the 
 Peace. He died in Harwinton in 1823. His 
 daughter, Mrs. Balch, lived to attain the age. 
 of seventy-three years. The home of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Balch was brightened by six children, 
 four of whom reached maturity. Of these two 
 are now living, James S. and Jonathan B. 
 One son met with a tragic death, being killed 
 on the railroad. 
 
 Jonathan B. Balch left home at the age of 
 fifteen to learn the builder's trade, at which 
 he worked, after completing his apprentice- 
 ship, for about thirty-five years. Many of the 
 houses in Harwinton and this vicinity were 
 erected by Mr. Balch, among them his own 
 home, which, though built in 1846, is as 
 firm and well-conditioned to-day as when first 
 completed. Mr. Balch subsequently built a 
 carriage shop, and for years has been success- 
 fully engaged in the manufacture and repair- 
 ing of carriages; and in addition to his other 
 business he has for twenty-five years been 
 manager of a first-class undertaking establish- 
 ment, personally answering calls from Litch- 
 field, Plymouth, and other large places, 
 besides attending to those in his native 
 town. 
 
 Mr. Balch has been twice married. In 
 1843 he was united to Harriet N. Gibbs, a 
 native of this county and daughter of Alaric 
 Gibbs, a well-known farmer. She was called 
 to rest in 1852. Our subject married for his 
 second wife Charlotte Warner, daughter of 
 Isaac Warner, a manufacturer of Middletown. 
 She reared the following children: Charles 
 W., an expert stenographer in New York City, 
 who married Arabella Wickstead, of that city, 
 and has two children, Howard and Clarence; 
 George H., an engraver in Waterbury, who 
 married Nettie Cook, and has seven children; 
 Walter, a market owner in Harwinton, resid- 
 ing next door to his father, who married 
 Nellie Fisher, and has three children — Maud 
 and Mabel, twins, and Walter; and Carrie, 
 who married Dennis Baker, of Waterbury, and 
 has one child, Addie. Mrs. Baker resides 
 with her father. Mrs. Charlotte W. Balch 
 died April 15, 1895. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Balch favors the Repub- 
 lican party. He takes an active interest in 
 town affairs, and has served as Justice of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 355 
 
 Peace at different times. With his children 
 he attends the Congregational church, of 
 which his wife was a member, and of which he 
 was Treasurer many years. Mr. Balch is a 
 man of unusual intelligence, and is a fine 
 workman, believing in the motto, "What is 
 worth doing at all is worth doing well." He 
 is one of the oldest residents of Harwinton, 
 and his life record entitles him to the respect 
 which is universally accorded him. 
 
 'AMUEL CLAYTON KINGMAN, 
 a highly esteemed resident of 
 Washington, this county, was born 
 in South Reading, Mass., May 15, 1830, son 
 of Samuel and Sarah R. (Pope) Kingman. 
 His first ancestor in America was John King- 
 man, who settled in Massachusetts; and his 
 son, John Kingman, Mr. Kingman's grand- 
 father, was born in that State. John Kipg- 
 man, second, reared a family of six children; 
 namely, George W., Abner, Hannah, Samuel, 
 Warren, and Sybil. Samuel Kingman was 
 born in Hingham, Mass. He learned the 
 tailor's trade, which he followed for many 
 years. He subsequently settled in South 
 Reading, Mass., and for the last twenty years 
 of his life was Postmaster of that town. 
 He was a Democrat in politics, and repre- 
 sented his district in the General Court of 
 Massachusetts for two terms. Aside -from his 
 political prominence, he was a progressive and 
 useful citizen. He died at the age of seventy- 
 eight years. His wife, Sarah R. Pope, who 
 was a daughter of Jesse Pope, of South Read- 
 ing, became the mother of eight children, as 
 follows: Abner A., who married Sarah King- 
 man; Samuel C, whose name heads this 
 sketch; William W. ; Charles E., who mar- 
 ried Martha Woodruff; Lucy E. ; Orlando P., 
 who married Eunice L. Lyman; Arthur H.; 
 
 and Evelyn, who is now Mrs. Sweetser. Mrs. 
 Samuel Kingman was a lady of more than or- „ 
 dinary intelligence, and was especially famil- 
 iar with the Scriptures. In 18 18, when a girl • 
 of ten years, she was awarded a prize for 
 being able to recite from memory the greatest 
 number of verses. She lived to reach the age 
 of eighty-two, dying in 1890. 
 
 Samuel C. Kingman, our subject, married 
 Emily Eustice Brooks, of Kingfield, Me. 
 They are the parents of five children ; Ella 
 P., wife of Horace L. Eames; Mary H., Mrs. 
 F. S. Buckingham; Carrie E., Mrs. H. B. 
 Loomis; Katie B., Mrs. E. S. Buckingham; 
 and Evely C, who resides at home. 
 
 ISAAC C. CROFUT, who owns and con- 
 ducts a productive farm in Washington,, 
 this county, was born in New Milford, 
 Conn., November 8, 18 18, son of Josiah and 
 Anna (Northrop) Crofut. Mr. Crofut's father 
 was a native of Danbury, Conn., and a farmer 
 by occupation. He was for some time a resi- 
 dent of New Milford,- but subsequently settled 
 in Kent, where for forty years he successfully 
 carried on farming. His death took place 
 when he was sixty-nine years old. His wife, 
 Anna Northrop, became the mother of ten 
 children, namely: George, who married Anna 
 Morehouse, and died, leaving five children; 
 Annis, who became Mrs. Flower, and had 
 three children; Israel, who married Lunna 
 Gunn; Clara; Be'tsey, who became Mrs. 
 Huntley; Isaac C, the subject of this sketch; 
 Chloe, who became Mrs. Cone, and had three 
 children; Harriet; Charlotte, who became 
 Mrs. Lane; and Elizabeth, who became Mrs. 
 Wedge, and had two children. The mother, 
 Mrs. Anna N. Crofut, died at the age of 
 eighty-five years. 
 
 Isaac C. Crofut removed with his parents 
 
3S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 from New Milford to Kent when quite young, 
 and received his education in the district 
 schools. In early manhood he learned the 
 mason's trade, an occupation which he fol- 
 lowed steadily for forty-six years, and was 
 widely and favorably known as a skilled and 
 reliable workman. He settled upon his pres- 
 ent farm in Washington in 1843, and has en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits with satisfactory 
 results. His life has been a busy and pros- 
 perous one, and to his industry and fore- 
 thought may be ascribed in a large measure 
 his success. 
 
 In 1843 Mr. Crofut was united in marriage 
 to Sally Carpenter; and they reared one 
 daughter, Ellen, who became the wife of the 
 Rev. Mr. Judd, a Methodist minister of Long 
 Island. Mrs. Crofut died January 26, 1891, 
 aged seventy-one years. Mr. Crofut is inde- 
 pendent in politics and a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 pAMES G. WELTON, a retired farmer 
 and prominent resident of Bridge- 
 water, Conn., was born in this town, 
 January 21, 1822, son of Horatio N. and 
 Anna A. (Treat) Welton. Mr. Welton is a 
 direct descendant of John and Mary (Upton) 
 Welton, who were the first ancestors of the 
 family in America. They emigrated from 
 England in 1667, and in 1669 located in 
 Waterbury, Conn., where they were among 
 the first settlers. 
 
 The descent continues through their son, 
 George Welton, whose son Peter was Mr. 
 Welton's great-grandfather. Peter's son, 
 George Welton, Mr. Welton's grandfather, 
 who was born in Waterbury, served as a pri- 
 vate in the Revolutionary War, and after retir- 
 ing from the service settled in Bridgewater. 
 He was a nail-maker by trade, an occupation 
 
 which he followed with success; and he also 
 did a profitable business in general black- 
 smithing and the making of points for the old- 
 fashioned ploughs used in those early days. 
 He bought a house lot at the Four Corners, in 
 the vicinity of Mr. Welton's present residence; 
 and he continued to add to his real estate 
 until he possessed a valuable farm. Grand- 
 father Welton was a prominent man of the 
 town and an active member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. In 1789 he married Elizabeth 
 Botsford, and had seven children, as follows: 
 Thirza, who married Stephen Treat; a son 
 who died in infancy; Minerva, who married 
 Curtis Warner; Harriet, who married David 
 Young; Horatio; George S., who married 
 Louisa Magraw; and Eliza, who died young. 
 George Welton died November 12, 1837, aged 
 seventy-six years. His wife, Elizabeth, died 
 at the age of sixty-two years. 
 
 Horatio N. Welton, Mr. Welton's father, 
 was born at the Four Corners, in Bridgewater, 
 October 21, 1798. He adopted agriculture as 
 an occupation, and settled upon a farm situ- 
 ated in the lower or southerly part of the town 
 of Bridgewater. He was a thrifty and suc- 
 cessful farmer and a worthy citizen. He died 
 at the age of seventy years. In politics he 
 was originally a Whig, but later joined the 
 Republican party, and held various town 
 offices, being a member of the School Com- 
 mittee for several years. His wife, Anna A. 
 Treat, whom he married November 20, 1820, 
 was a daughter of John H. Treat. They 
 reared three children, as follows: James G., 
 the subject of this sketch; Walter B., who 
 married Jane Foot; and Eli H., who married 
 Laura Jessup. The mother lived to 'reach the 
 age of sixty-eight years. 
 
 James G. Welton was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and at home early 
 began to take lessons in practical farming. 
 
JAMES G. WELTON. 
 
BiOGRAPHiCAL REVlfiW 
 
 359 
 
 At the age of twenty-two he bought the 
 Charles French farm of eighty-eight acres, 
 which he managed for m i:y years with profit- 
 able results. He remodelled the buildings, 
 improved the land, and by persistent labor 
 succeeded in making his farm a productive and 
 valuable piece of property. Besides devoting 
 considerable attention to running a dairy, he 
 was for some years engaged in butchering and 
 heavy teaming. He has now rented his farm 
 and retired from active labor, feeling that he 
 has earned a rest. In politics Mr. Welton 
 has always acted with the Republican party. 
 He has served with ability many years as 
 School Committee, and as Assessor for sixteen 
 years, at the expiration of his last term declin- 
 ing to remain longer in office, feeling that he 
 has done his part in the public service. 
 
 Mr. Welton and Eliza Castle, daughter of 
 Harvey H. and Lucinda (Young) Castle, were 
 united in marriage on December 25, 1844, 
 and became the parents of three children, as 
 follows: George H., who died at the age of 
 ten months; Julia E., who married Lester A. 
 Worden, a broker of Syracuse, N.Y., and has 
 four children, namely — G. Welton, Ruth W., 
 Jessie, and Frank B. ; and Annie L., who 
 married Phineas E. Clark, a prosperous farmer 
 of New Milford, and has two children, namely 
 — Sidney V. and Irving W. Mrs. Welton 
 died in January, 1892, aged seventy-two years. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Welton is here given. 
 
 iDSON B. LOCKWOOD, a farmer and 
 the First Selectman of Watertown, was 
 born in this town, September 23, 
 1855, son of Ezra and Julia E. (Beecher) 
 Lockwood. Mr. Lockwood's grandfather, 
 Ezra Lockwood, was a native of Stamford, 
 Conn., and a farmer by occupation. He set- 
 tled in Watertown, where he engaged in farm- 
 
 ing, became a large land-owner, and resided 
 until his death, which took place when he was 
 fifty-three years old. He was a prominent 
 and influential man in the town, and served as 
 a Selectman for several years. 
 
 Ezra Lockwood, Jr., Mr. Lockwood's father, 
 was born in Watertown in 1803. He was 
 reared to farm life, and resided with his par- 
 ents until he reached the age of twenty-one, 
 when he bought the farm which is now owned 
 and conducted by his sons. He followed agri- 
 cultural pursuits with energy and success, 
 making various improvements, thereby greatly 
 enhancing the value of his property. He died 
 in the prime of life, aged forty-eight years. 
 His wife, Julia E. Beecher, was a daughter of 
 Hezekiah Beecher. The latter was a native 
 and lifelong resident of Prospect, and died 
 there at the age of sixty-three years. He 
 married Temperance Bronson, who was born 
 in Waterbury, Conn., and reared ten children, 
 three of whom are still living, namely: Har- 
 riet, who became Mrs. Bristol ; Abigal, who 
 became Mrs. Gaylord; and Julia E., who mar- 
 ried Ezra Lockwood. The mother lived to 
 the age of eighty-seven. Mrs. Ezra Lock- 
 wood has reared a family of six children; and 
 of these there are three survivors: Ella M., 
 Edson B., and Charles E. The mother, who 
 has reached the age of seventy-one years, re- 
 sides at the homestead with her son, and is a 
 member of the Episcopal church. Her hus- 
 band was a member of the same church, and 
 served as a Vestryman for many years. 
 
 Edson B. Lockwood, having commenced his 
 education in the common schools, completed it 
 at the academy. When his father died, his 
 mother was left with four children, the eldest 
 of whom was but eight years old ; and he was 
 necessarily thrown upon his own resources at 
 an early age. He acquired by experience and 
 hard work a thorough knowledge of agricult- 
 
360 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ure, and in company with lais brother has 
 managed the farm with success. The prop- 
 erty, finely located, contains one hundred and 
 sixty acres of improved land. It is devoted 
 principally to dairying purposes, and is con- 
 ducted upon a liberal and progressive scale. 
 Mr. Lockwood for some years has acted as 
 local agent for several concerns engaged in 
 the manufacture and sale of agricultural im- 
 plements. In politics he is a Republican, and 
 his ability and aptitude for the public service 
 have placed him in a prominent position in 
 local affairs. He has been a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen for seven years, and for 
 the past three years has presided over the de- 
 liberations of that body. He is connected 
 with the Patrons of Husbandry, and is at the 
 present time Treasurer of the Watertown 
 Grange. 
 
 Charles E. Lockwood, who is jointly inter- 
 ested in managing the farm, is a capable and 
 progressive farmer, to whose ability and good 
 judgment is due a fair share of the success at- 
 tained by the Lockwood brothers. He is per- 
 severing, and is highly esteemed for this and 
 many other commendable qualities. In poli- 
 tics he supports the Republican party. He 
 has served with ability as a grand juror, and 
 he is connected with the Masonic fraternity. 
 He married Ruth Atwood, and has two chil- 
 dren; namely, Julia M. and Bronson E. 
 
 The Lockwood homestead has been in the 
 possession of the family for over one hundred 
 years, and the present residence was built by 
 the grandfather over ninety-five years ago. 
 They have for many years been identified with 
 the Episcopal church in Watertown, of which 
 Edson B. Lockwood was a Vestryman. Mrs. 
 Charles E. Lockwood is widely known and es- 
 teemed for her many womanly characteristics. 
 Her sprightly and intelligent children have a 
 promising future before them. 
 
 L. PEABODY, the genial proprietor 
 of the Wononsco House at Lakeville, 
 was born in Levant, Me., on Febru- 
 ary 28, 1863, son of William B. and Julia 
 (Bachelder) Peabody. 
 
 The history of the Peabody family in Amer- 
 ica begins a few years after the landing of 
 the Pilgrims on the shores of New England. 
 Lieutenant Francis Peabody was born in St. 
 Alban's, Hertfordshire, England, in the year 
 1614. He was one of the passengers in the 
 ship "Planter," Nicholas Travis Master, when 
 that vessel made its voyage to New England 
 in 1635, 3-S shown by the enrolment of his 
 name in the Augmentation Office in Rolls 
 Court, Westminster Hall, London. For three 
 years he lived in Ipswich, Mass. ; and then, 
 in 1638, he settled in Hampton, old Norfolk 
 County, where for about twelve years he was 
 engaged with the Rev. S. Bachelder and 
 others in their work. In 1651 he removed to 
 Topsfield, Mass., purchased a farm, and be- 
 came" one of the most enterprising and promi- 
 nent men of that town. He took the freeman's 
 oath in 1648, and the following year he was 
 chosen by the town of Hampton with two 
 others to "end all small causes" when the 
 State lines were surveyed. He lived to a 
 good age. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Mary Foster, died in 1705. They were 
 the parents of fourteen children. Of these 
 Sarah married a Mr. Howe; Hepsibah be- 
 came the wife of a Mr. Rea; Lydia, the wife 
 of J. Perley; and Mary married Samuel J. 
 Dearth. The others were: John, Joseph, 
 William, Isaac, Ruth, Damaris, Samuel, 
 Jacob, Hannah, and Nathaniel. 
 
 William Peabody, who was born in 1646, 
 established his home in Boxford, Mass. He 
 married Miss Hannah Hale, who was born in 
 Newbury, Mass., in 1648. Four sons and 
 three daughters were born of their union, as 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 361 
 
 follows: Stephen; Mary, who married J. 
 Simonds; Ephraim; Hannah, who married J. 
 Foster; John; Abiah, who became the wife of 
 J. Kimball; and Oliver. Their father died 
 in 1699 and their mother in 1733. Stephen, 
 the eldest child, was born in 1685. Like his 
 father, he spent his life in the town of Box- 
 ford, where he died in 1759. He married 
 Miss Hannah Swan; and the fruit of their 
 union was nine children, namely: Hannah, 
 who married J. Smith; Richard; Mary; 
 William, who married Rebecca Smith; Hep- 
 sibah, who became the wife of E. Dorman; 
 Priscilla, who married J. Hale; Francis; 
 Stephen; and Richard. Their mother died 
 in 1764, seventy-five years of age. 
 
 Richard Peabody, the great-great-grand- 
 father of E. L. Peabody, was born in 1731. 
 He was successfully engaged in farming in 
 Boxford. During the Revolutionary War he 
 was most zealous in the cause of freedom and 
 independence, and was Captain of a company 
 at Ticonderoga and Lake George. Not con- 
 tent with what he could do personally, he sent 
 his sons into the army as soon as they were 
 old enough to render service. His death oc- 
 curred June 7, 1820, in the eighty-ninth year 
 of his age. He married Miss Jemima Spof- 
 ford, of Rowley, who bore him eleven chil- 
 dren, eight of whom were sons. They were: 
 Hannah; Hepsibah; Stephen, who married 
 Miss Ann Killum ; J©hn, who joined the army 
 when but thirteen years old, and was married 
 in 1788 to Miss Molly Taylor; Richard, who 
 married Miss Dolly Kimball; Oliver, who 
 married Miss Peggy Stickney; William; Pris- 
 cilla, who became the wife of T. Townsend; 
 Francis, who married Miss Fanny Stickney; 
 Samuel, who married Miss Abigail Wood in 
 181 3; and Joseph, who married Miss Hannah 
 Foster. Their mother died December 19, 
 181 1, seventy-eight years of age. 
 
 William Peabody, born in 1768, studied 
 medicine, and became a successful physician 
 of Corinth, Me. He married Miss Sally 
 Bean ; and they reared a son and three daugh- 
 ters: Sally, Hannah, Nancy, and Lorenzo J. 
 Lorenzo J. was born in Corinth, Me., on Jan- 
 uary 27, 1812. He became a farmer. When 
 he started out for himself, he settled in 
 Levant, Me. ; but the last years of his life 
 were spent in Hermon, Me., where he died 
 at eighty-one years of age. He married Miss 
 Mary Borne, a daughter of Deacon R. Borne, 
 of Readfield, Me. She died in 1889, at the 
 age of sixty-seven years, leaving an only son, 
 William B., who was born on February 5, 
 1837, in Levant, Me. 
 
 William B. Peabody, who is now living 
 with his son in Lakeville, Conn., lived at one 
 time in West Corinth, Me. He was married 
 January i, 1859, to Miss Julia Bachelder, a 
 daughter of Nathaniel Bachelder. She died 
 in 1892, fifty-four years of age. The fruit of 
 their union was eight children; namely, Julia 
 I., Sarah L., E. L., Mary A., Lorenzo J., 
 Francis S., Bernice F., and George H. Julia 
 I. and Sarah L. are deceased; and Francis 
 S. married Hattie French. 
 
 E. L. Peabody received his early education 
 in the public schools of West Corinth, Me. 
 After attaining his majority, he attended 
 Lewiston Academy, and still later entered 
 Bates College. He at first engaged in teach- 
 ing, following that profession for about seven 
 seasons, after which he entered the hotel busi- 
 ness. Since 1891 he has resided in Lake- 
 ville, where he conducts the Wononsco House 
 and in connection therewith a livery stable. 
 This comfortable, homelike, and well-con- 
 ducted house, although kept open the year 
 round, is more especially a summer hotel. 
 Every summer the guests who gather there tax 
 it to its fullest capacity. The drives in the 
 
362 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 immediate vicinity are most delightful, and 
 present such a variety of scenery as to merit 
 the attention of all lovers of the picturesque. 
 The late Rev. Henry Ward Beecher wrote of 
 the town, "A week spent at Lakeville will 
 tempt you back again and again." 
 
 fWju 
 
 ILBERT N. CROSBY, a prosperous 
 Vp I farmer of Lanesville, New Milford, 
 who is now retired from active work, 
 was born in Patterson, Putnam County, N.Y., 
 February 6, 1821, son of Amaziah and Sally 
 (Perry) Crosby. His grandfather, James 
 Crosby, was born in Putnam County, New 
 York, February 17, 1763. He was a farmer 
 and a large land-owner, and was one of the 
 leading citizens of the town where he lived. 
 In political matters he favored the Demo- 
 cratic party. He died June 20, 1843. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Deborah Pad- 
 dock, was born October 27, 1767, and passed 
 from life November 21, 1837. Their union 
 was blessed by the following children: Ama- 
 ziah, father of Gilbert N., born June 5, 1790; 
 Mahala, who was born November 24, 1791, 
 and died December 24, 18 14; Betsey, born 
 August 25, 1796, wife of Stephen Perry; 
 Polly, born January 8, 1798, wife of Marvin 
 Wilson; David P., who was born April 30, 
 1 80s, and died August 26, 1826; and Daniel, 
 who was born May 4, 1808, and died Novem- 
 ber 15, 1836. 
 
 Amaziah Crosby learned the carpenter's 
 trade, and, when the War of 181 2 broke out, 
 went on call to New London, Conn., as an 
 army carpenter. Some time after his return 
 from army service he sold his property in Pat- 
 terson, N.Y., and removed to New Milford, 
 purchasing a farm. Politically, Mr. Crosby, 
 like his father, was a Democrat. He died 
 March 2, 1854. On February 9, 1814, he 
 
 was married to Sally, daughter of Simeon 
 Perry, of Putnam County, New York. Mrs. 
 Crosby outlived her husband many years, and 
 drew a pension from the government on ac- 
 count of his services in war-time. She died 
 in 1878, being then in her eighty-eighth year. 
 Eight children were born to Amaziah and 
 Sally (Perry) Crosby, namely: Emeline, born 
 January 4, 181 5; William J., born October 
 22, 1816, who married Catherine Shears; 
 Mary E., born February 4, 18 19, wife of 
 D. D. Marsh; Gilbert N., the subject of this 
 sketch; Francis P., born April 26, 1823, who 
 married Mary Camp; Frederick E., born Feb- 
 ruary II, 1826, who married Rachel Barnum; 
 Lydia A., born May 28, 1829, wife of Charles 
 Couch; and Calvin C, born December i, 
 1831, who married Abigail Williarns. 
 
 Gilbert N. Crosby, on reaching man's 
 estate, engaged in farming and cattle dealing. 
 Progressive and energetic, he soon developed 
 his business to large proportions, going West 
 to buy cattle, and selling them in Eastern 
 markets at a good advantage. His first vent- 
 ure in the line of real estate investment was 
 the purchase of the homestead which had be- 
 longed to his father. Seven years later he 
 bought the Wildman property. This was a 
 good farm of sixty-five acres, and Mr. Crosby 
 made many improvements. Later he bought 
 the Bristol place, a farm of one hundred and 
 thirty acres, which was his home for twenty- 
 two years. He built new barns, remodelled 
 many of the buildings, and made several radi- 
 cal changes for the better in the estate. In 
 1894 he rented his farms, and, moving to 
 Lanesville, took up his residence on the 
 Warner estate, with the intention of retiring 
 from active work; but his disposition is such 
 that rest is an impossibility, and he still finds 
 something to keep him busy. 
 
 March 18, 1844, Mr. Crosby was united in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 363 
 
 marriage with Martha, daughter of Joseph and 
 Sybil (Goodrich) Marsh, of Vergennes, Vt., 
 where Mrs. Crosby was born. She died Octo- 
 ber 19, 1892, aged seventy-two years, leaving 
 three children, as follows: George W., born 
 December 12, 1845, who lives on one of his 
 father's farms; Frederick E., born August 17, 
 1847, who has charge of another farm; and 
 Mary J., born April i, 1855, who superin- 
 tends her father's household. George W. 
 Crosby is unmarried. Frederick E. was mar- 
 ried May 13, 1869, to Amelia E. Osborne, 
 and has had three children: Maude, born July 
 7, 1870; Alberta M., born May 8, 1876; and 
 Lewis G., who was born November 28, 1880, 
 and died March 10, 1881. Mr. Crosby votes 
 the Democratic ticket. On religious matters 
 his views are liberal. Wise, energetic, and 
 industrious, he is a man who wins the respect 
 of. all with whom he comes in contact. 
 
 rOHN B. WHITEHEAD, of Washing- 
 ton, a veteran of the Civil War, who 
 now owns and conducts a valuable farm 
 situated in the vicinity of Washington Depot, 
 was born in New Milford, January 4,. 1824, 
 son of John B., Sr., and Emeline (West) 
 Whitehead. Mr. Whitehead's grandfather, 
 Hezekiah Whitehead, who was previously a 
 resident of Kent, moved from that town to 
 New Milford, where he passed the remainder 
 ot his life. He married Olive Buckley, and 
 raised^a family of four children, as follows: 
 John B., Sr. ; Sarah, who became Mrs. Hal- 
 lock; Lucinda, who is now Mrs. Soule; and 
 Turney, who married Jane Hallock. 
 
 John B. Whitehead, Sr., Mr. Whitehead's 
 father, was born in Kent, April i, i793- He 
 was a mason, and followed his trade through- 
 out the active portion of his life. He resided 
 in New Milford until 1849, when he removed 
 
 to Burlington, Pa., where he passed the rest 
 of his days, and died April 16, 1874. He 
 was a Whig in politics and a Congregational- 
 ist in his religious views. His wife, whose 
 family resided in Colebrook, was born August 
 19, 1798. She became the mother of eleven 
 children, as follows: Hezekiah, who was born 
 in 181 7; Hubbell, born in 18 19; Frederick, 
 born in 1821; John B., Jr., the subject of 
 this sketch; Jay, born in 1826; Lucy, born 
 in 1829; Samuel, born in 1830; Sally, born 
 in 1833; Mary, born in 1837; Bruce, born in 
 1840; and Henry, born in 1843. The mother 
 died December 16, 1854. 
 
 John B. Whitehead received his education 
 in the schools of his native town. After 
 finishing his studies, he learned the car- 
 penter's trade, which he followed during his 
 earlier years. At the age of twenty-one he 
 settled in Washington, where, not to count 
 one year during which he served in the Civil 
 War, he has since been engaged in farming 
 with success. He is prominent among the 
 leading farmers of his locality, and enjoys the 
 esteem of his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 In 1848 Mr. Whitehead was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary E. Frost, a daughter of Jareb 
 and Laura (Hine) Frost, of Washington. 
 Mr. Frost, who was a carpenter and wagon- 
 maker, an industrious man and a useful citi- 
 zen, died at the age of sixty-six. His chil- 
 dren are: Joseph Frost and Mrs. Mary E. 
 Whitehead. His wife lived to the age of 
 eighty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead 
 have reared seven children. They are: Edwin 
 C, who married Helen Fenn, daughter of 
 John Fenn, and has four children —Lucy F., 
 Joseph F., Philmon B., and Mabel V. ; Laura 
 H.; Lucy, who is now Mrs. Brague, and has 
 three children — Laura H., Charles B., and 
 Roy E. ; Louise, who is now. Mrs. Du Bois; 
 Sarah, who is now Mrs. Smith, and has four 
 
364 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children — Charles B., Mary E., Nelson S., 
 and Edwin I.; Jane B., who died at the age 
 of twenty-eight years; and Hattie, who is now 
 Mrs. Hine, and has one daughter, named 
 Jeanette. Mr. Whitehead is a Republican in 
 politics, and in his religious views he is a 
 Congregationalist. Edwin C, Mr. White- 
 head's son, is an active member of the Wash- 
 ington Grange, No. 11. 
 
 |RS. SARAH K. HINE, a highly 
 respected resident of Washington, 
 this county and State, and widow 
 of the late Edward J. Hine, was born in 
 Washington, Dutchess County, N.Y., Novem- 
 ber 3, 1836, and is a daughter of John and 
 Christiana (Thomson) Senior. Her father 
 was a native of Dorsetshire, England, who 
 came to this country, and settled in Danbury, 
 Conn. He was a son of William and Sarah 
 (Harvey) Senior, both of whom were natives 
 of England, and passed their last years in the 
 United States, Mrs. Senior attaining the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-two years. They reared 
 thirteen children; namely, William, Eliza- 
 beth, John, Sarah, George, Christopher, 
 Ann, Thomas, Christopher, second, Edward, 
 Louisa, Henry, and Joseph. John Senior, 
 Mrs. nine's father, removed from Danbury, 
 Conn., to Dutchess County, New York, where 
 he resided for some time, subsequently return- 
 ing to Connecticut. He later went to Penn- 
 sylvania, in which State he spent the rest of 
 his life, and died October 19, 1878. His 
 wife, Christiana Thomson, who was born in 
 New Jersey in 181 2, was a daughter of Alex- 
 ander and Jane (Crozier) Thomson, her father 
 being a native of Scotland, and her mother of 
 Ireland. Mrs. Senior's parents reared eight 
 children: Christiana, Agnes, John, Allen, 
 Isabella, Mary, Maria, and Jane. Mrs. John 
 
 Senior became the mother of four children, as 
 follows: Sarah K., the subject of this sketch; 
 Mary, who is now Mrs. Payne, and has one 
 daughter — Adah; Edwin T., who married 
 Sara Barnard, and has four children — Belle, 
 Mary, Bessie C, and Ada; and Belle, who 
 became Mrs. Shepardson, and died at the early 
 age of twenty-two years, leaving one son, 
 George by name. Mrs. John Senior still sur- 
 vives. 
 
 Sarah K. Senior was married in 1858 to 
 Edward J. Hine, of Washington, Conn. Her 
 husband was born at the Hine homestead in 
 Washington, March 5, 1831, only son of Jon- 
 athan N. and Jennet (Pond) Hine. His pater- 
 nal grandfather was Jonathan Hine; and his 
 immediate ancestors were prominent residents 
 of Washington, the family being an old and 
 highly respected one in that locality. Mr. 
 Hine died January 11, 1895. He and his 
 wife were the parents of three children, as 
 follows: Mary J., now Mrs. George Hurlburt; 
 Henry J., who married Harriet E. Whitehead, 
 daughter of John Whitehead, of Washington, 
 and hais one daughter, named Jennet; and 
 Christiana. 
 
 ELDEN MINOR, whose likeness is 
 here seen, is a prominent meat mer- 
 chant of Winsted and a man well 
 known to the sporting world as the owner and 
 breeder of fine horses. He was born in Plym- 
 outh, Hartford County, Conn., August 28, 
 1 841, son of Newell and Mary Ann (Hall) 
 Minor. His paternal grandfather was a 
 farmer in Wolcott, where he was born in 1760, 
 and died about 1850. He reared a family of 
 three daughters and four sons, all of whom 
 were long-lived, one son, Hiram Minor, liv- 
 ing to be ninety years of age. Newell Minor, 
 who was born in Wolcott in 181 1, was a well- 
 known drover, and at his death, which oc- 
 
SELDEN MINOR. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 367 
 
 curred in 1861, left an estate valued at forty 
 thousand dollars. He was married in 1833; 
 and his wife, who was born in 181 3, died in 
 1857, at the age of forty-four. They had four 
 children, namely: Emily, who married Ed- 
 ward Dailey, of Canton, Conn., one of the 
 firm of Dailey & Lincoln, wagon manufact- 
 urers, and died in 1878, leaving one son; 
 Harriet, who died in childhood; Selden, of 
 whom we write; George L., Chief of Police 
 in Westfield, Mass., for the past eighteen 
 years. The latter was a soldier in the Civil 
 War, enlisting at Meriden, Conn., and during 
 the three years of his sojourn seeing some 
 hard service. He spent ten days in the prison 
 pen at Andersonville, but was so fortunate as 
 to be exchanged at the end of that time. 
 
 Selden Minor received his education in the 
 district schools, and was reared to the stock 
 business, so that from early youth he has been 
 a connoisseur of fine animals. He has bred 
 and raised some fine-blooded and speedy stock, 
 among which may be named Avalon, four- 
 year-old, out of Modjeska by Royal Fear- 
 naught, sired by Alcantara; Lady Lancelot, 
 three-year-old, same dam, sired by Lancelot, 
 youngest son of Green Mountain Maid, mother 
 of Electioneer, who was the greatest sire liv- 
 ing. In 1890 Mr. Minor sold three of his 
 young trotters to one man for sixty-seven hun- 
 dred dollars. These were full-blooded rela- 
 tions, from three to four years old, and had 
 trotted in 2.ig and 2.23. He now has two 
 stud colts: Castaneum, two-year old, at the 
 Allen Farm, very promising and handsome; 
 and Lancelot, a yearling, own brother to the 
 above. Besides his horses Mr. Minor keeps 
 from three to five of the best fox hounds, 
 reputed to be the coldest-nosed and the most 
 tenacious of their kind, staying upon the trail 
 from twenty-four to thirty-six hours; and he 
 himself bears the reputation of a first-class 
 
 hunter, having inherited from his father a 
 love of field sports. He also owns a number 
 of working horses, employing them in connec- 
 tion with his meat business, in which he has 
 been engaged for thirty years. During the 
 past thirteen years he has been located in 
 Winsted, and before that he was employed in 
 Canton, New York City, and New Britain, 
 Conn. 
 
 Mr. Minor has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Fanny E., daughter of John Brain- 
 ard, of New Haven, died in 1875, at the age 
 of thirty, leaving a son, Newell B., and 
 daughter, Ella E., who live with their father, 
 the son having charge of the horses. In 
 June, 1877, Mr. Minor took to his home his 
 second wife, Mrs. Fannie Holcomb, daughter 
 of George Mills, of Canton. She had by her 
 first husband one daughter, Lillie Holcomb, a 
 beautiful young lady, who passed to the better 
 life in 1883, in her seventeenth year. 
 
 Mrs. Minor is a communicant of the Epis- 
 copal church. Mr. Minor settled in his pres- 
 ent home, 25 Wheeler Street, in 1890, and 
 has expended some four thousand dollars on 
 the estate, which he has greatly improved, 
 building a fine barn for his horses and fox 
 hounds. 
 
 'Crr)/lLLIAM 
 Wl/ well-ir 
 
 ILLIAM MOREY, who operates a 
 Improved and productive farm 
 in Kent, was born in Washington, 
 N.Y., September 26, 1838, son of Stephen 
 and Susan (Way) Morey. Mr. Morey's pa- 
 ternal grandfather was James Morey, a native 
 of Dutchess County, New York, where he re- 
 sided during his entire life, engaged in agri- 
 culture. He reared two sons, Stephen and 
 Silas. Stephen Morey, Mr. Morey's father, 
 was born in Washington, N.Y. He learned 
 the trade of a hatter, which he followed in 
 early manhood. During the Civil War he 
 
368 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was employed as overseer of a powder-house 
 at a military station ; and, after the close of 
 -the great fratricidal struggle, he went to New 
 Milford, Conn., where he resided for ten 
 years. He subsequently returned to Dutchess 
 County, New York, where he passed the re- 
 mainder of his life, dying at the age of 
 eighty-seven years. His wife, Susan Way, 
 became the mother of eleven children, as 
 follows: Collins, who married Rebecca Pot- 
 ter, and has two children — Francis and Mary; 
 Philinda, who became Mrs. Chinchbox, and 
 is the mother of twelve children; Truman, 
 who married Mary Gardner, and has two 
 children; Stephen J., who married Jane Grif- 
 fin, and has five children; John, who married 
 Mary Hitchcock, and has four children; 
 Elizabeth; Sarah, who became Mrs. Tuttle, 
 and has two children; Alonzo, who married 
 Ann Brown; Maria, who is now Mrs. Hub- 
 bard, and has four children; William, the 
 subject of this sketch; and Lydia, who be- 
 came Mrs. Tongue, and has two children. 
 Mrs. Stephen Morey, like her husband, lived 
 to reach the age of eighty-seven years. 
 
 William Morey acquired the rudiments of 
 learning in the common schools, and was 
 reared to agricultural pursuits. He has re- 
 sided in Kent for the past twenty-three years, 
 during which time he has gained a reputation 
 as a useful citizen and industrious man. He 
 is a skilled farmer, and makes a specialty of 
 dairying, in which branch of his calling he is 
 very successful. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Morey was united in marriage 
 to Ann Leek, daughter of Nelson Leek; and 
 he has five children, namely: Allie; Ida; 
 Charles, who married Ella Thomas; Nelson; 
 and William, Jr. Mrs. Morey died at the age 
 of forty-seven. Mr. Morey is a Democrat in 
 politics, and in his religious views a Congre- 
 gational ist. 
 
 ENRY B. BOSTWICK, a progres- 
 sive farmer of Merryall District, 
 ^ V^ , New Milford, was born in the 
 house in which he now lives, March 17, 1853. 
 He is a son of Isaac and Lavinia A. (Sher- 
 man) Bostwick, and grandson of Joseph E. and 
 Charity (Edwards) Bostwick, all natives of 
 this county. His first ancestor in this coun- 
 try was Arthur Bostwick; and from him the 
 line is traced through John, Joseph, and 
 Joseph E., Sr., the latter having been the 
 great-grandfather of Henry B. Bostwick. 
 Joseph E., Sr., who was born in Milford in 
 1728, settled in the Upper Merryall District, 
 which was then sparsely inhabited, upon about 
 four hundred acres of land purchased by him. 
 Here he established a forge, and was soon in 
 possession of a thriving business in forging 
 iron into such useful shapes as were needed by 
 his neighbors. He also erected a saw-mill, 
 and it was he who built the house where his 
 great-grandson was born. This last was com- 
 pleted in 1779, and was one of the finest houses 
 in the county at that time, boasting four 
 large fireplaces. He built spacious barns, as 
 he dealt somewhat in cattle. After a busy 
 life he died at the age of eighty-four. He 
 was twice married, his first wife leaving six 
 children: David, Elnathan, Joseph, Zachariah, 
 Ebenezer, and Charles. His second wife, 
 whose maiden name was Anna Hurd, bore him 
 four children: Joanna, Betsey, Andrew, and 
 Joseph E. Joseph E., the grandfather of 
 Henry B. Bostwick, was born on the home- 
 stead in 1774, and in course of time became 
 owner of the estate. He also kept a hotel, 
 which stood where L. Wilson's house now is; 
 and he dealt in iron ore and marble, there 
 being a marble quarry on the Bostwick estate. 
 A public-spirited citizen, he was an enthusi- 
 astic supporter of Whig principles, and took a 
 lively interest in the politics of the day. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 369 
 
 was a man of great nervous energy, who hardly 
 knew what it was to rest, until at the age of 
 seventy he was called to rest forever. His 
 wife, Charity (Edwards) Bostwick, was born 
 December 27, 1788, and died February 9, 
 1866. She was the mother of four children: 
 Betsey A., Evander, Isaac B., and J. Eliza. 
 
 Isaac B. Bostwick, the father of Henry B., 
 was born November 7, 1814. He received a 
 good education in the schools of his native 
 town; and, when a boy, he became familiar 
 with farm work. Succeeding to the ownership 
 of the homestead, besides carrying on general 
 farming, he worked the marble quarries to 
 even better advantage than his father had 
 done, burning the refuse for lime and cutting 
 and marking his own marble. He died Janu- 
 ary 19, 1892. On November 7, 1836, he was 
 married to Lavinia A., daughter of Justin and 
 Phebe (Maine) Sherman and grand-daughter of 
 Eli and Polly (Phelps) Sherman, all natives 
 of New Milford. Her grandparents were 
 early residents of New Milford. They were 
 engaged in farming. They subsequently 
 moved to Vermont; but Mrs. Bostwick's 
 father remained in New Milford, occupied in 
 agricultural pursuits up to the time of his 
 death, which occurred when he was fifty-three 
 years of age. His wife lived to be sixty-six 
 years old. They reared nine children: La- 
 vinia A., Eli, Lucy A., Henry D., Emily H., 
 Julia M., Polly O., Celia, and Rachel J. 
 Mrs. Bostwick is still living. Besides her 
 son, Henry B., the subject of this sketch, 
 she has one daughter, Marion B., born June 25, 
 1844, who married M. B. Healey, and has two 
 children, Lavinia A. and Henry B. She 
 resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. 
 
 Henry B. Bostwick received a good educa- 
 tion, attending school in his native town, in 
 Middletown, and in Bridgeport. His father's 
 health failing while he was pursuing his 
 
 studies, he was obliged to leave school, and re- 
 turn home to attend to the affairs of the home 
 stead, where he has since remained. He has 
 made many radical improvements on the es- 
 tate, remodelling the buildings and otherwise 
 using the land to the best advantage. He is 
 now successfully engaged in general farming, 
 making a specialty of tobacco and keeping a 
 first-class dairy. Mr. Bostwick is a well-in- 
 formed man, and pursues his calling according 
 to the best methods. He stands high in the 
 estimation of his neighbors, and ranks among 
 the most valued citizens of New Milford. 
 His political creed is Republican, while his 
 religious belief is Episcopalian. Mr. Bost- 
 wick is not married. 
 
 ILAS D. DAVIS, a highly esteemed 
 resident of Kent, was born in Wes- 
 ton, Conn., February 21, 1827, son 
 of Silas D. and Lucinda (Bronson) Davis. 
 His grandfather was Ebenezer Davis, a native 
 of Weston, who lived to reach the advanced 
 age of ninety years. 
 
 His son, Silas D. Davis, Sr., was a life- 
 long resident of Weston, where he was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in farming. He possessed 
 many estimable qualities, but died in 1827 in 
 comparatively early manhood, aged thirty-five 
 years. His wife, Lucinda Bronson, who was 
 a daughter of Silas Bronson, of Kent, became 
 the mother of three children, namely: Polly, 
 who became Mrs. A. Rolla Merwin, and was 
 the mother of three children; Betsey, who be- 
 came Mrs. Mansfield Morgan, and had six 
 children; and Silas D. , the subject of this 
 sketch. Mrs. Silas D. Davis, Sr., married 
 for her second husband Truman Hawley, and 
 by this union there was one son, Edward. He 
 was twice married, first to Susan Young, who 
 died leaving one daughter, Rosetta, and second 
 
370 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to Mrs. Dotha (Wedge) Harrington. Mrs. 
 Silas D. Davis, Sr., died in 1884, aged 
 eighty-six years. 
 
 Silas D. Davis came to Kent in early child- 
 hood, and received his education in the schools 
 of this town. When a young man, he learned 
 the harness-maker's trade, which he followed 
 for several years, including five years in New 
 Preston. He then for two years followed the 
 same occupation in New Haven, after which 
 he returned to Kent, where he has since re- 
 sided. He has most of his life been an active 
 and energetic man, but for the past few years 
 has suffered from disability. On January 24, 
 1853, Mr. Davis was united in marriage to 
 Amarinda Beardsley, daughter of Horace 
 Beardsley, of Kent. He has two children liv- 
 ing, namely: Scott, who married Flora Dwy, 
 daughter of Nelson Dwy, of Kent, and has one 
 son, Frank by name ; and John, who married 
 Cora Dwy, daughter of Nelson Dwy, and has 
 two children, named Raymond and Hattie, re- 
 spectively. Another child, the eldest, Hattie 
 A., born June 6, 1857, died September 9, 
 1863. Mr. Davis's wife died in 1892, aged 
 sixty-one years. 
 
 )EVI E. CURTIS, the hospitable pro- 
 prietor of the Woodbury Hotel, was 
 born in the town of Sherman, Fair- 
 field County, Conn., May 25, 1840. His par- 
 ents were Stiles and Amelia (Munrowe) 
 Curtis. William Curtis, the earliest known 
 ancestor, with his four children, Thomas, 
 Mary, John, and Philip, embarked from Eng- 
 land in the ship "Lion" on June 22, 1632, 
 and landed at Scituate, Mass., on December 
 16, 1632. He subsequently removed to Strat- 
 ford, Conn. Many of this name in New Eng- 
 land and other parts of the United States are 
 descendants of his. Stiles Curtis, the grand- 
 
 father, was born in Stratford, but settled in 
 early life in the town of Sherman, where he 
 was known as a progressive farmer. His wife 
 was Fanny (Paddock) Curtis; and they had six 
 children — Stiles, Abner, Ross, Hannah, 
 Phebe, and Mary. 
 
 Stiles Curtis, father of Levi E. Curtis, was 
 born in Sherman, and there became a cattle 
 dealer to quite an extent. Later he gave up 
 that business, devoting his time to farming in 
 New Milford, where he owned an excellent 
 farm. He married Amelia, a daughter of 
 David and Amelia (Munrowe) Munrowe. 
 They had two children : Levi, the subject of 
 this biography; and George H. Curtis. 
 
 Levi E. Curtis was educated in New Mil- 
 ford. At the age of twenty he began dealing 
 in cattle, which he fattened and butchered, 
 shipping the carcasses to the city market. 
 After spending four years in this business, he 
 engaged in the manufacture of hats, which 
 proved to be profitable. The confinement im- 
 posed upon him by this occupation became 
 objectionable, and after five years he began 
 dealing in horses. He handled a great many 
 fine roadsters each year, which he broke and 
 sold for fancy teams. This business he fol- 
 lowed for four years in Danbury, meeting with 
 much success. Mr. Curtis at the same time 
 carried on the produce business, buying and 
 shipping to the city market. In 1874 he 
 undertook the management of a hotel at Corn- 
 wall Bridge, where he continued for eight 
 years, until 1882, when he sold out. He then 
 bought the McMurtree estate, known as the 
 Woodbury Hotel, at Woodbury. This house 
 was built for a hotel in 1754 by Anthony 
 Stoddard. Mr. Curtis has remodelled it, and 
 erected an addition thereto, putting in modern 
 conveniences and refurnishing. The house is 
 very comfortable, and exceedingly well patron- 
 ized. The many city boarders who visit it 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 371 
 
 each season say that the management thereof 
 could not be better. Attached to the house 
 is a fine livery, supplied with first-class turn- 
 outs, which attract admiring attention from all 
 patrons of this popular establishment. 
 
 On November 3, 1870, Mr. Curtis and Eliza 
 Knapp were united in marriage. His wife 
 was a daughter of John and Minerva (More- 
 house) Knapp. Her father, a farmer in Pem- 
 broke, Conn., was a son of Levi and Lizzie 
 (Hamilton) Knapp. Levi Knapp was born 
 May I, 1777, and died at the age of ninety. 
 His wife was born in 1781, and lived to be 
 seventy-eight years of age. Their children 
 were: Florinda, Maria, Ann, Gregory, John, 
 Ruth, Laura, James, and Alexander. John 
 Knapp, the father of Mrs. Curtis, died at the 
 age of forty-one. The mother lived to the age 
 of fifty-seven years. Their children were: 
 George and Florinda, who were twins ; Susan ; 
 and Eliza. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have had 
 seven children: Levi, born August 23, 1874, 
 who died September 22, 1874; Grace E., born 
 September 10, 1875; Rossie, born June 19, 
 1878, who died March 9, 1881 ; Leah Edna, 
 born March 24, 1881; Edith Estelle, born 
 June 20, 1884; Tessie, born on September 5, 
 1886, who died July 19, 1887; and Johnetta 
 E., born January 12, 1889. Mr. Curtis is a 
 Republican. He is also interested in Ma- 
 sonry, being a member of King Solomon's 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 7, in this town. 
 He served twenty-three months in the Civil 
 War under General Banks, having enlisted in 
 1862 in the Twenty-eighth Connecticut Volun- 
 teer Infantry. 
 
 KREDERICK HOFFMAN, a prosperous 
 farmer of Washington, was born in 
 Rudolstadt, Germany, March S, '833. 
 son of John and Elizabeth (Souerbriei) Hoff- 
 man. His father, who was a native and life- 
 
 long resident of Rudolstadt, died at the age of 
 sixty-five years. He reared a family of five 
 children, namely : Herman, who married and 
 has two children — August and Emma; Fred- 
 erick, the subject of this sketch ; August, who 
 married and died at the age of fifty years, leav- 
 ing five daughters; Charles, who died when 
 twenty-two years old; and William, who is 
 married, and has four children. Mrs. John 
 Hoffman accompanied her sons William and 
 Charles to this country, and died at the age of 
 eighty-three years. 
 
 Frederick Hoffman received his education 
 in the national schools of Germany, and after 
 completing his studies he learned the trade of 
 shoemaking. At the age of twenty-five he 
 emigrated to the United States, landing in 
 New York City. After following his trade in 
 the metropolis for six years, he moved to 
 Marbledale, where he continued in the same 
 occupation for a similar length of time. He 
 then settled upon his present farm in Wash- 
 ington, where he has since remained. He is an 
 energetic and practical farmer with a constant 
 eye to the improvement of his property, culti- 
 vating his land with diligence and directing 
 all the business of his farm with foresight and 
 good judgment. He is esteemed by his fellow- 
 townsmen as an upright and useful citizen. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Hoffman was united in mar- 
 riage to Frederica Kuhn, a native of Germany 
 and daughter of Mathew Kuhn. Mrs. Hoff- 
 man's parents reared the following children : 
 Caroline, who became Mrs. Schonheit, and 
 has two daughters — Amelia and Henriette; 
 William, who is married and has two children ; 
 and Frederica, wife of Mr. Hoffman. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hoffman have two sons, namely : 
 Harmon A., who is a director of the Reform 
 School of Connecticut and Revenue Collector 
 at Waterbury. He married Martha Richards, 
 of Kent, and has four children — Charles, 
 
372 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Ella, Edward, and Kenneth. Charles F., the 
 other son, owns a fine farm in Washington. 
 He married Tillie Richards, of Kent, and has 
 three children — Florence, Herbert, and Eva. 
 Mr. Hoffman is a member of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity and of the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows. In his religious views he is an 
 Episcopalian. 
 
 ^\ETER DUFF, Jr., is one of the most 
 successful business men of Thomas- 
 - ton, Litchfield County, where he is 
 
 engaged in the grocery and feed business. He 
 was born on the farther side of the Atlantic in 
 Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, March 
 5, 1852, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth 
 (Dieck) Duff. 
 
 Peter Duff, Sr., who is still living, is a 
 native of the place in which his son was born. 
 He has followed farming all his life, and is 
 still hale and active, although seventy-three 
 years of age. His wife, Elizabeth Dieck, was 
 also born in Scotland. She has borne her 
 husband nine children, all of whom are now 
 living: William is in Australia; and Peter, 
 Jr., John, Mary, George, and James reside 
 here. Both parents are communicants of the 
 Presbyterian church. 
 
 Peter Duff, Jr., remained with his parents 
 only until reaching the age of nine years. He 
 then found employment, but continued to at- 
 tend school during the winters until he was 
 twenty years old. He then came to America 
 and settled in Thomaston, which has since 
 been his home. His first work in this country 
 was in a brickyard; but he had remained 
 there but a short time when he secured a posi- 
 tion as journeyman in the case department of 
 the Thomaston Clock Company, by which firm 
 he was employed for a dozen years. In 1885 
 he established his present business, beginning 
 at first in a very small way; but his trade has 
 
 steadily increased until reaching its present 
 satisfactory dimensions. He employs two 
 clerks, in addition to his daughter, who acts as 
 book-keeper. Mr. Duff carries an excellent 
 line of groceries and provisions, and also deals 
 in feed, grain, baled hay and straw. In 1877 
 he was joined in marriage with Miss Margaret 
 Band, of Perthshire, Scotland. A son and 
 daughter live to bless their union, namely: 
 Lizzie, a bright, intelligent young business 
 woman, who is of great assistance to her father 
 as book-keeper; and George, at present attend- 
 ing school. 
 
 Mr. Duff is a loyal Republican in his polit- 
 ical views. He is a man who takes a keen 
 interest in the welfare of the town, which he 
 has served as Constable for five years; he has 
 also been a member of the Board of Relief for 
 one year. He is prominently connected with 
 the secret societies, being a member of Union 
 Lodge, No. 96, A. F. & A. M. ; the Knights 
 of Pythias, in which Lodge he is treasurer, and 
 the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He 
 and his wife and daughter are useful and influ- 
 ential members of the Congregational church 
 of Thomaston, his wife and daughter being 
 actively interested in the Sunday-school. 
 
 HARLES S. BARBER, whose portrait 
 is herewith presented, is a prosperous 
 farmer of Harwinton, Conn., and a 
 veteran of the Civil War. He was born in 
 this town, October 13, 1835, son of William 
 B. and Bede M. (Frisbie) Barber. Mr. Bar- 
 ber's great-great-grandfather, Reuben Barber, 
 came from Windsor and settled in Harwinton 
 at an early date. Simeon, son of Reuben, was 
 born in Harwinton, and followed agriculture' 
 as an occupation. He was prominent in town 
 affairs, and served in the Revolutionary War. 
 His son, Norris Barber, Mr. Barber's grand- 
 
CHARLES S. BARBER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL 'REVIEW 
 
 375 
 
 father, a farmer and a lifelong resident of 
 Harwinton, who died in that town at the age 
 of sixty-seven, served in the War of 1812. 
 
 William B. Barber was born upon the farm 
 where his son now resides. He followed agri- 
 cultural pursuits until his death, which oc- 
 curred when he was but thirty years old. His 
 wife, Bede M. Frisbie, who died at the age of 
 forty-seven, was a daughter of Deacon Frisbie 
 of the Congregational church, a farmer and 
 nurseryman of Harwinton. Mr. and Mrs. 
 William B. Barber were the parents of three 
 children, as follows: Charles, S., the subject 
 of this sketch; Elizabeth, who married Shel- 
 don A. Barber; and Erosabeth, who married 
 Burnett Leavenworth. 
 
 Charles S. Barber was but eight years of 
 age when his father died. He lived with his 
 grandfather, and was educated in the district 
 schools and at the Harwinton Academy. At 
 the death of his grandfather he succeeded to 
 the ownership of the old Barber homestead, 
 which he has since carried on with energy and 
 success. The property, which is now known 
 as the Orchard Stock Farm, consists of two 
 hundred acres ; and it has been under cultiva- 
 tion for one hundred and seventy-five years. 
 Mr. Barber makes a specialty of stock-raising 
 and fruit growing, and has taken several prizes 
 for fine displays of stock and fruit at different 
 agricultural fairs in this locality. Early in 
 the Civil War Mr. Barber enlisted in the 
 Nineteenth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer 
 Infantry, from which he was transferred to the 
 Second Heavy Artillery, and was in active 
 service three years. After his discharge he 
 returned to the cultivation of his farm. He 
 was a Representative to the legislature in 1874, 
 being elected at that time as a Republican, 
 though now a Prohibitionist. He was one of 
 the organizers of the Harwinton Agricultural 
 Society, of which he was president for nine 
 
 years, and was president of the local insur- 
 ance company of Harwinton from 1872 to 
 1880. He was an active organizer of the 
 Grange, is a member of the Connecticut 
 Sheep-iaising Association, and also a comrade 
 of the Thomaston Post, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Barber was united in marriage 
 with Ellen Jones, a daughter of Julius Jones, 
 late a well-known farmer and a prominent citi- 
 zen of Harwinton, a lay reader in the Episco- 
 pal church. Mr. Jones died in Harwinton at 
 the age of sixty. His wife, Maria Scoville, 
 who was a native of Harwinton, died at the 
 age of seventy-two. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Barber have had five children. 
 William J., the only one now living, began 
 his education in the schools of his native town, 
 and after continuing his studies in Massachu- 
 setts pursued a course at the Normal College 
 in Connecticut. He then entered the New 
 York Medical College, but failing health 
 caused him to relinquish his studies, and he is 
 now assisting his father upon the farm. He 
 married Julia Ulrich, of Hartford, Conn. He 
 is at present Master of the Grange of Har- 
 winton. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Barber are members of the 
 Congregational church, and both have been 
 teachers in the Sunday-school. Mr. Barber 
 was a delegate to the Prohibitionist National 
 Convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, that 
 nominated Mr. Bidwill for President. 
 
 TT^HARLES E. TROWBRIDGE, one of 
 I Sr the largest and most successful farmers 
 
 V»2_— -^ and cattle dealers of Hotchkissville, 
 and an ex-member of the legislature, was born 
 near Weller's Bridge in the town of Roxbury, 
 May 8, 1835, son of Charles S. and Eliza 
 (Clark) Trowbridge. Mr. Trowbridge's grand- 
 
376 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 father, John Trowbridge, who was iDorn in 
 Bedford, N.Y., in 1752, settled in the south- 
 ern part of the town of Woodbury, Conn., in 
 1778. In 1793 he moved to Roxbury, where 
 he followed agricultural pursuits for the rest 
 of his life. He married for his first wife 
 Esther Strong, a daughter of Preserved and 
 Esther (Stoddard) Strong, of Woodbury. She 
 died in 1807, leaving eight children; namely, 
 James, Edward, Fanny, John, Anna, Mary, 
 Charles S. , and Caroline. John Trowbridge 
 married for his second wife Elizabeth Logan. 
 Charles S. Trowbridge, Mr. Trowbridge's 
 father, was born in Roxbury, November 19, 
 1798. At the age of fourteen he commenced 
 work in a saw and grist mill, an occupation 
 which he continued for twenty-eight years. 
 He then bought the Weller farm of two hun- 
 dred acres, situated at Weller's Bridge. Since 
 it came into his hands the property has been 
 much improved. The house, which he re- 
 paired, is still standing in a good state of 
 preservation, although it is now over one hun- 
 dred years old. He was one of the leading 
 farmers of his day, dealing largely in grain 
 and tobacco, and raising cattle both for market 
 and teaming. He made an ample fortune as 
 a progressive and successful farmer, and filled 
 a prominent position in the community. He 
 was a Democrat in politics, and served as a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen and in 
 other important offices. He died at the home- 
 stead in Roxbury in 1885. His wife was a 
 daughter of David Clark, a prosperous farmer 
 of New Milford. She became the mother of 
 ten children; namely, Charles E. , Mary M., 
 Esther E., James E., Henry C, Job A., 
 Esther (second), William F., Sarah H., and 
 Sarah. The mother, who is still living, has 
 reached the age of eighty-three years. She 
 has a strong constitution, being remarkably 
 bright and vigorous for one of her years ; and 
 
 she is held in sincere esteem by her many 
 acquaintances. 
 
 Charles E. Trowbridge received his educa- 
 tion in the district and select schools of his 
 native town. At an early age he began to 
 assist his father in the cattle business. In 
 1872 he bought the William Lambert farm 
 of two hundred acres, situated in District No. 
 8 in the town of Woodbury; and he proceeded 
 to make various improvements both upon the 
 land and buildings. He engaged extensively 
 in the cattle business. At first he bought 
 native stock from the farmers, collecting them 
 into droves; but later he went to Buffalo, 
 N.Y. , where he purchased grazing cattle by 
 the carload and shipped them to his farm. He 
 keeps an average of thirty-five head on hand. 
 He has also raised tobacco to some extent, and 
 has dealt in that product with success. He is 
 an able and .industrious business man, and his 
 prosperity is the result of steady perseverance 
 and upright methods. On June 11, i860, Mr. 
 Trowbridge was united in marriage to Sarah 
 M. Weller, daughter of Elisha Andrews and 
 Maria (Peck) Weller, of Roxbury, and has had 
 three children, as follows: Alice E., born 
 November 4, 1872, who died in 1891 ; Ger- 
 trude I., born July 6, 1876; and Fanny M., 
 born October 23, 1877. Mrs. Trowbridge is 
 a descendant of Thomas Weller, a native of 
 England, who emigrated to America and set- 
 tled at what is now known as Weller's Bridge 
 in the town of Roxbury. He cleared and im- 
 proved a large tract of land, and resided there 
 until his death, which was the result of old 
 age. His wife, Elizabeth Weller, who lived 
 to the age of seventy-nine, died in 1770. She 
 bore the following children : Daniel, Jerusha, 
 Rose, Mary, Abigail, Daniel (second), and 
 Zachariah. Daniel Weller, first son of 
 Thomas and Elizabeth Weller, who was Mrs. 
 Trowbridge's great-grandfather, inherited a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 377 
 
 part of his father's farm ; and he erected a 
 house that is still standing. He followed 
 agriculture during the active period of his life, 
 and died September 21, 18 10, aged eighty- 
 eight years. He married Jerusha Squires, and 
 raised a family of eight children; namely, 
 Margaret, Parnell, Jerusha, Experience, David, 
 Thomas, Matthew, and Daniel. The great- ^ 
 grandmother died May 18, 18 16, aged eighty- 
 four years. The will of Daniel Weller, which 
 was executed April 13, 18 16, divided his 
 property equally among his children. 
 
 David Weller, Mrs. Trowbridge's grand- 
 father, inherited the homestead, upon which 
 he resided during his entire life. He learned 
 the blacksmith's trade, which he followed as 
 an occupation in connection with farming. 
 He erected a new house, the nails and other 
 iron work of which he made by hand ; and this 
 building, which is now the property of Ade- 
 laide Northrop, is being remodelled. He was 
 a Lieutenant and later a Captain in the Thir- 
 teenth Regiment, State militia, an enter- 
 prising business man, and a worthy citizen. 
 He died April 2, 1845, aged seventy. He 
 married Lydia Andrews, and his family con- 
 sisted of Adeline, who married John Castle; 
 and Elisha A., Mrs. Trowbridge's father. 
 The grandmother died July 15, 1869, aged 
 eighty-seven years. 
 
 Elisha Andrews Weller inherited the farm, 
 and the present farm residence was erected by 
 him. Early in life he engaged in the manu- 
 facturing of hats, a business which he followed 
 successfully until i860, after which he devoted 
 his attention exclusively to farming, with good 
 results, and died in 1884. He was widely 
 known as a progressive business man and a 
 prominent member of the community, in the 
 general welfare of which he was actively inter- 
 ested. In politics he was a Democrat, and he 
 served upon the Board of Selectmen and repre- 
 
 sented his town in the legislature. His wife, 
 Maria (Peck) Weller, became the mother of 
 five children, as follows: Andrew, Emily, 
 Sarah M. (now Mrs. Trowbridge), Adelaide, 
 and Eva. The mother died in 1894, aged 
 seventy-eight years. 
 
 Both the Trowbridge and Weller families 
 are among the most prominent in that part of 
 the county, and their representatives are all 
 filling responsible positions in life. 
 
 IDNEY F. DICKERMAN, a suc- 
 cessful hardware merchant and 
 highly esteemed citizen of Winsted, 
 Conn., son of Nathaniel Dickerman, was born 
 in Guilford, Chenango County, N. Y., Septem- 
 ber 30, 1835. His paternal grandfather, John 
 Dickerman, who removed from Vermont to 
 Guilford in the early days of the century, 
 there successfully followed the trade of a 
 blacksmith, and in connection therewith de- 
 voted some time to agriculture. He died in 
 Unadilla, N. Y., in 1845, at upward of eighty- 
 four years of age. 
 
 Nathaniel Dickerman was born in Vermont 
 in 1798, but soon removed with his-parents to 
 Guilford, N. Y., and spent the remainder of 
 his life in that State. His wife, Mary Ann 
 Ferry Dickerman, was a daughter of Aaron 
 Ferry, of Chicopee, Mass., who afterward set- 
 tled in Masonville, Delaware County, N.Y., 
 where he died at nearly eighty years of age. 
 Eight children were the fruit of their union, 
 four sons and four daughters, of whom four are 
 now living, namely: Norris H. Dickerman, 
 who has retired from active business life and 
 resides in Cleveland, Ohio; Sidney F. ; Al- 
 bert Dickerman, an attorney-at-law, who was 
 formerly a judge in the State of Michigan, 
 from which place he went to Watsonville, 
 Cal., where he now lives; and Mary E., the 
 
378 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 wife of Charles E. Palmer, of Fostoria, Ohio. 
 Their father died about 1846. Their mother 
 was afterward married to Erastus S. Sebbins, 
 a prosperous farmer of Cleveland, Ohio, who 
 also followed the vocation of a carpenter. He 
 died in 1885, at seventy-eight years of age, 
 his wife having passed away several years pre- 
 vious, in 1859, at fifty-two years of age. The 
 remains of Mr. and Mrs. Dickerman rest in 
 Masonville, N.Y. 
 
 Sidney F. Dickerman received his early 
 education in the district school, and later 
 attended the Oxford Academy. He then en- 
 gaged in teachingfor a brief time in Sangamon 
 County, Illinois, and in Ohio, the latter State 
 being his home for ten years. Twenty-seven 
 years ago, in 1868, Mr. Dickerman began 
 trade in Winsted, Conn., where he bought an 
 interest in the hardware business with J. J. 
 Whiting, his wife's uncle, and under the 
 firm name of J. J. Whiting & Co. carried it 
 on successfully up to January i, 1873. At 
 that time Charles Jopp purchased Mr. Whit- 
 ing's interest, and during the succeeding 
 seventeen years the store was conducted under 
 the copartnership of Dickerman & Jopp. Mr. 
 Dickerman has since carried on the business 
 alone, his store being at 347 Main Street. 
 
 During the Civil War, in 1864, he enlisted 
 at Cleveland, Ohio, as a volunteer in the One 
 Hundred and Fiftieth Ohio Infantry, with 
 which he was in service one hundred days, 
 being stationed in the forts around Washino-- 
 
 o 
 
 ton. This regiment was made up for the most 
 part of doctors, lawyers, and other professional 
 men. Mr. Dickerman was married in Guil- 
 ford, N.Y., on October 16, 1867, to Miss 
 Adelaide L. Whiting, a daughter of Hiram L. 
 Whiting. The latter now resides in Winsted, 
 Conn., and although eighty-four years of age 
 is still active in mind and body. Mrs. Dick- 
 erman was ed.ucated at Norwich Academy. 
 
 In political affiliation Mr. Dickerman is a 
 Republican, and has served acceptably as Bur- 
 gess of Winsted, also as a member of the 
 Board of Relief. He is likewise a Director of 
 the Winsted Gas Company. He and his wife, 
 who are consistent and active members of the 
 Second Congregational Church, reside at their 
 pleasant home, which he erected in 1885, on 
 Hillside Avenue at the corner of East Monroe 
 Street. 
 
 W" 
 
 ILLIAM J. MORRIS, superintend- 
 ent of the skate department of the 
 Union Hardware Company's estab- 
 lishment at Torrington, has been connected 
 with the mercantile interests of the town since 
 early manhood, being in point of service one of 
 the oldest and most trustworthy employees of 
 the above-mentioned firm. A native of this 
 county, he was born in West Torrington, May 
 9, 1845. His father, Lewis A. Morris, was 
 born in this town; while his grandfather, 
 Alanson Morris, was a native of Naugatuck, 
 New Haven County. The latter was reared 
 and educated in New Haven County, and there 
 learned the cabinet-maker's trade. Subse- 
 quently coming to Torrington, he continued at 
 his trade here for a while, and then engaged 
 in the manufacture of flag-bottomed chairs, an 
 industry which he thereafter pursued while able 
 to work. The last years of his life were 
 passed at the home of his son Lewis, his 
 death occurring at the advanced age of ninety- 
 four years. 
 
 _ Lewis A. Morris worked at farming when a 
 boy; but, being of an ingenious turn of mind, 
 he engaged in the clock business, making cases 
 and movements. When familiar with the 
 work he went to Campville, where for a time 
 he made clocks on a contract. Subsequently 
 coming to this county, he was employed in 
 Edward Wooding's lock shop for several years; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 379 
 
 and after the death of Mr. Wooding he started 
 a jewelry store, being the pioneer jeweller of 
 this town. He conducted the business very 
 successfully for thirty-seven years, and then 
 disposed of it and retired from active occupa- 
 tion. His death occurred at the age of 
 seventy-six years. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Lucy Ann Hart, was one of seven 
 children, two of whom are still living, born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hart, of Northfield. 
 Mr. Hart was a prosperous agriculturist, and 
 passed the larger part of his life in this 
 county. He had farmed for a time in Ohio, 
 whither he had journeyed by an ox team, 
 subsequently returning to Northfield by the 
 same conveyance. Mr. Lewis A. Morris and 
 his wife reared a family of five children, one 
 of whom, Carrie A., wife of Harvey Fel- 
 lows, is deceased. The others are as follows: 
 Henry L. ; Julia A., wife of Louis Riggs; 
 William J., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Mattie S., wife of Charles Hucksford, of Tor- 
 rington. The mother, who lived to the age of 
 seventy-one years, departed this life in Tor- 
 rington. She was a most estimable woman 
 and a consistent member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 William J. Morris was educated in the Tor- 
 rington schools, graduating from the high 
 school. When a boy of seventeen years he 
 began work in the skate factory. He proved 
 himself very industrious, energetic, and faith- 
 ful, and was from time to time promoted, grad- 
 ually rising to his present position as superin- 
 tendent of the skate department. In this 
 capacity he gives entire satisfaction both to 
 the employers and the employed. His close 
 application to business at one time threatened 
 to undermine his physical constitution. To 
 avoid this danger he in 1889 travelled through 
 the West; and three years later he took an 
 ocean voyage, visiting London, Liverpool, and 
 
 some of the larger continental cities, after 
 which he returned to his work renewed in 
 physical and mental vigor. That his labors 
 are appreciated by the company is shown by 
 his long term of service with it. Only one 
 other man has been in the employment of the 
 company for the same length of time, while 
 none has been longer. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Morris was united in marriage 
 with Anna E. Way, who was one of two chil- 
 dren born to Henry and Caroline (Beers) Way. 
 Mr. Morris belongs to the Seneca Lodge of 
 Masons, to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows of Torrington, and is a member of the 
 Royal Arcanum. Politically, he upholds the 
 principles of the Republican party, having 
 been reared to that faith by his mother, who 
 was one of its stanchest advocates. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Morris are regular attendants of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, contributing gen- 
 erously to its support. 
 
 DWIN H. BEARDSLEY, a well-known 
 harness-maker of Washington, this 
 county, was born in New Preston, 
 Conn., October 13, 1850, son of Frederick and 
 Mary (Beardsley) Beardsley. Mr. Beardsley's 
 father was a native of Kent, Conn., where he 
 was born in 1809. He learned the trades of 
 tanning, currying, and harness-making, all of 
 which he followed at different times. He re- 
 mained in his native town until 1839, at which 
 time he moved to New PJeston and built the 
 shop now occupied by his son, Edwin H. 
 Here he carried on a successful harness-mak- 
 ing and tannery business until his death, 
 which took place when he was sixty-five years 
 old. He was actively interested and promi- 
 nent in public affairs, serving as Justice of the 
 Peace for about forty years, and also filling 
 other town offices. His wife, Mary Beardsley, 
 
38o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 who was a daughter of Jabez Beardsley, of 
 Kent, became the mother of three children, 
 namely: George W. , who married Harriet 
 Stokes, and died in 1863, at the age of twenty- 
 six, leaving two children — Theodora and 
 Emma; Charlotte, who became Mrs. Beeman, 
 and has four children — Abbie, Daniel, Flor- 
 ence, and Lillian; and Edwin H., the subject 
 of this sketch. Mrs. Frederick Beardsley 
 lived to reach the age of sixty-eight years. 
 Edwin H. Beardsley received his education 
 in the schools of his native town, and acquired 
 the trade of harness-maker from his father. 
 Since the latter's death he has conducted busi- 
 ness for himself with prosperous results, and 
 has acquired a wide reputation as a first-class 
 workman and reliable business man. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican, and has ably filled 
 several public offices. He served as grand 
 juror and Tax Collector, and was Postmaster 
 from 1889 to 1892. In 1876 Mr. Beardsley 
 was united in marriage to Mary Noble, daugh- 
 ter of Jarvis Noble, and has two children, 
 George N. and Raymond. He is a member 
 and Past Master of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 27, 
 of Washington Depot, A. F. & A. M., and 
 a member of Housatonic Chapter, No. 33, of 
 New Milford. 
 
 ■OSEPH H. NORTH, M.D., whose like- 
 ness is shown on the opposite page, for 
 over twenty-two years has been success- 
 fully engaged in the practice of his profession 
 in Goshen, Conn., where he has won the high- 
 est esteem of his fellow-citizens. He is a 
 native of Litchfield County, having been born 
 in Cornwall on January 15, 1846, son of 
 Joseph and Mary E. (Miner) North. 
 
 Dr. North is a descendant of John North, 
 who was born in England in 1615, came to 
 America at twenty years of age, and thereafter 
 made his home in Farmington, Conn. Thomas 
 
 North, son of John, served in the French and 
 Indian War, and for his services in the army 
 received a grant of land. Next, in line was 
 Joseph North, who was the first of the family 
 to settle in Goshen, and from 1744 was here 
 engaged in the practice of medicine. Joseph 
 North, Jr., who also became a physician, spent 
 his life in the successful practice of that pro- 
 fession in Cornwall, Conn. His death oc- 
 curred in the seventy-sixth year of his age. 
 He married Miss Abigail Loomis, of Torring- 
 ton. Conn., who bore him five children: 
 Ethel, Burt, Joseph, Loomis, and Mary. 
 Their mother lived to be eighty-four years of 
 age. Joseph North, third, was born in Corn- 
 wall. Not possessing a very rugged constitu- 
 tion, he chose the more healthful vocation of 
 an agriculturist, and purchased a farm in Corn- 
 wall, where he passed a useful and successful 
 life of sixty-eight years. His wife, Mary E. 
 Miner, was a daughter of Robert and Alura 
 (Spicer) Miner. She reared eight children, 
 namely: Mary E. Whiting; Joseph H. ; Fanny, 
 who died at eighteen years of age; Frederick; 
 George R. ; Anna (deceased); William; and 
 Ella. The mother is now seventy-one years 
 old, and is living in West Goshen. 
 
 Joseph H. North obtained his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools of Cornwall, 
 Conn., and later on attended a grammar school 
 in New York City. He then studied medicine 
 for a time with his uncle, and afterward en- 
 tered the Long Island College Hospital, from 
 which he was graduated in the class of 1873. 
 In the fall of that year he entered upon the 
 duties of his profession at Goshen, where he 
 has since remained, having an excellent prac- 
 tice. In 1 871 he was united in marriage with 
 Miss Mary C. Hurd, a daughter of Harry 
 Hurd, of Genesee, Pa. Two sons and a daughter 
 live to bless their union; namely, Joseph H., 
 Carrie, and Harry H. 
 
JOSEPH H. NORTH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 383 
 
 Dr. North takes much interest in political 
 matters and in the welfare and progress of his 
 town. In 1874 he was elected to the position 
 of Town Clerk, and has held the office contin- 
 uously since that time. He served as a Rep- 
 resentative to the State legislature in 1884. 
 He is a member of the Alumni Association of 
 Long Island Hospital and the Connecticut 
 Medical Society, also of the Litchfield County 
 Medical Association, of which he has served 
 as president one year. 
 
 JENAJAH P. BEACH, a retired car- 
 penter of Washington and formerly 
 a member of the Connecticut legis- 
 lature, was born in Woodbridge, Conn., No- 
 vember 27, 1820, son of Benajah and Clarissa 
 (Osborne) Beach. Mr. Beach's grandfather, 
 Benajah Beach (first), was born in Woodbridge 
 in 1752. He was a weaver by trade, and he 
 served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War 
 for seven years. He raised a family of thir- 
 teen children; namely, Anna, Isaac, Samuel, 
 Anson, Benajah (second), Betsey, Oliver and 
 Olive (twins), Calvin, Kneeland, Mary, Har- 
 riet, and Mabel. The grandfather died in 
 1816. 
 
 Benajah, second, Mr. Beach's father, was 
 born in Woodbridge, October 25, 1784. He 
 followed the shoemaker's trade for many years, 
 but his later days were spent in agricultural 
 pursuits. He was an industrious and worthy 
 member of the community, was highly es- 
 teemed by his neighbors, and died in 1867. 
 His wife, whom he married in 1809, was born 
 in 1782, daughter of Benjamin Osborne, who 
 was a native of New Haven County. She be- 
 came the mother of four children ; namely, 
 Eliza, Cornelia, Merritt, and Benajah P. 
 Eliza became Mrs. Lyon, and had five children : 
 Catherine, Mary Jane, William, Sarah, and 
 
 Emily. Cornelia became Mrs. Russell, and 
 had four children, as follows : Stephen, who 
 married for his first wife Delia Allen, and for 
 his second Louise Edwards; Elizer B. , who 
 married Maria Allen; William, who married 
 Martha Main ; and Lewis, who married Fanny 
 Lyon. Merritt married Mary E. Hollister for 
 his first wife, and Rebecca Canfield for his 
 second. The mother died in 1857. 
 
 Benajah P. Beach received his education in 
 the district schools, and when a young man he 
 learned the carpenter's trade. He settled in 
 Washington, where he followed his trade until 
 1890. He is widely and favorably known as 
 a skilful, industrious, and reliable mechanic. 
 He is well informed upon all important politi- 
 cal issues of the day, and supports the Demo- 
 cratic party. He has always been active and 
 prominent in public affairs. He represented 
 his town in the legislature during the session 
 of 1867, doing honor to his constituents, as 
 well as to himself, by his intelligent grasp of 
 legislative affairs. 
 
 In 1848 Mr. Beach was united in marriage 
 to Huldah A. Titus, daughter of Stiles Titus, 
 of Washington. They had two children, 
 namely: Ella A., who is now Mrs. Hine; and 
 Edna C. , who is now Mrs. Watts. Mr. Beach, 
 who retired from active labor in 1890, is pass- 
 ing his time 'pleasantly at his comfortable 
 home in Washington. The family attend the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 AMUEL F. BURGESS, who car- 
 ries on a thriving general mercan- 
 tile trade in West Morris, was born 
 at the Burgess homestead in Washington, this 
 county, June 5, 1839, son of Alanson A. and 
 Harriet I. (Frisbie) Burgess. Mr. Burgess's 
 grandfather, Asa, was a son of Eben Burgess, 
 and resided in Washington, where" he was en- 
 
384 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gaged in the manufacturing of Burgess's 
 scythe sharpeners, a business which he fol- 
 lowed with prosperous results during his active 
 life. He died at the age of eighty-four years. 
 His wife was Polly Allen; and they reared one 
 son, Alanson A., father of the subject of this 
 sketch. Mrs. Asa Burgess died at the age of 
 sixty years. 
 
 Alanson A. Burgess was born in the town of 
 Washington, and when a young man he entered 
 his fathers business and continued the produc- 
 tion of the Burgess scythe sharpeners for 
 many years. He iinally retired from the 
 enterprise, and passed the rest of his life on 
 the home farm, where he died at the age of 
 seventy-eight years. His wife, Harriet I. 
 Frisbie, was a daughter of Samuel Frisbie, of 
 Washington, and she reared two children : 
 Stanley, who died at the age of eight years; 
 and Samuel F. , whose name appears at the 
 head of this sketch. The mother died at the 
 age of forty-five years. 
 
 Samuel F. Burgess, after acquiring a fair 
 amount of practical knowledge in the district 
 schools of his native town, adopted the trade 
 of his father and grandfather, and engaged in 
 the manufacturing of scythe sharpeners, which 
 he followed for some time. He later operated 
 a saw-mill, and continued to reside at the old 
 homestead in Washington until 1877, when he 
 built a store in West Morris, and engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits. He now has a large and 
 profitable trade, and has gained the reputation 
 of being a thoroughly reliable merchant and a 
 liberal-minded, progressive citizen. In i860 
 Mr. Burgess was united in marriage to Ma- 
 tilda A. Emmons, daughter of Ithel E. Em- 
 mons, of Morris. They have one son, named 
 Walter S.,_ who married Millie Baldwin, of 
 New Haven. Mr. and Mrs. Walter S. Burgess 
 have one daughter, Gladys I. Mr. Burgess is 
 a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 27, 
 
 A. F. & A. M. ; Darius Chapter, No. 16; and 
 of Buell Council, No. 20. He is a prominent 
 citizen of this town, and has served as Post- 
 master for over ten years. 
 
 2EWIS H. IVES, who has charge of the 
 town farm in Kent, was born in that 
 ^^^ town December 28, 1841, son of 
 Joseph and Sally (Johnson) Ives. Mr. Ives's 
 grandfather, Joseph Ives, Sr. , passed his 
 childhood in Pennsylvania, and learned the 
 trade of a cooper, an occupation which he fol- 
 lowed through life. In early manhood he set- 
 tled in Kent, where he passed the rest of his 
 days, dying at the age of eighty-eight. He 
 married Polly Hall; and they had a family of 
 ten children, as follows: Lyman, Charry, 
 Rachel, Reuben, Morris, James, William, 
 Lois, Joseph, and Harriet. The mother of 
 these children died in her eighty-sixth year: 
 Joseph Ives, Jr., was born in Pennsylvania, 
 and, when a child, accompanied his parents to 
 Kent, this county. He early adopted farming 
 as an occupation, and followed that calling 
 until his death, which took place when he was 
 seventy-eight years old. His wife, Sally 
 Johnson, was a daughter of Eliphalet Johnson, 
 who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. 
 She reared but one son, Lewis H., whose 
 name commences this brief sketch. The 
 mother died aged sixty-eight years. 
 
 Lewis H. Ives was educated in the district 
 schools of Kent and was reared to farm life. 
 He succeeded to the ownership of the home- 
 stead, which is a well-improved and productive 
 farm, and enjoys a fair degree of prosperity as 
 the result of his industry. During the past 
 six years he has had charge of the town farm, 
 which his practical experience has enabled him 
 to manage in a satisfactory manner. In 1874 
 Mr. Ives was united in marriage to Miss Jen- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 38s 
 
 nie Beebe, daughter of Richard and Ann M. 
 (Palmer) Beebe, former residents of New York 
 State. Mrs. Ives's father was a prosperous 
 farmer, who died at the comparatively early 
 age of thirty-seven, his wife surviving him 
 and reaching the age of sixty-seven years. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Ives have one daughter, Josephine. 
 Mr. Ives is a Republican in politics, and both 
 he and his wife are Congregationalists in their 
 religious views. 
 
 •"Y^VT^ERRITT WALKER HILL, an 
 1 1 =jf enterprising real estate dealer and 
 gX &1« y^ ^ life and accident insurance agent 
 of New Milford, was born in that town, July 
 6, 185s, son of Marshall G. and Serina (Piatt) 
 Hill. Silas Hill, the great-great-grandfather 
 of Merritt W., was born in Sherborn, Conn., 
 in 1733. He afterward removed to New 
 "Fairfield, Conn., and thence to New Milford, 
 where in 1760 he purchased of John Prindle 
 several acres of land in that part of the town 
 known as Milford Plains. He served one year 
 in the French and Indian War, and at the 
 time of his death he was sixty-six years old. 
 He married Miss Sarah Leach, who died in 
 the fifty-sixth year of her age, leaving her hus- 
 band ten children. Of these Solomon, born 
 in 1759, who is the next in line, settled in 
 New Milford, where he became a large land- 
 owner and a progressive citizen. His death 
 occurred in the eightieth year of his age. 
 His wife, who before marriage was Miss Amy 
 Stone, lived to be seventy-three years old, 
 dying in 1836. Their union was blessed by 
 the birth of seven children, of whom Silas is 
 the next representative of this particular an- 
 cestral branch. He settled in the valley of 
 the Aspetuck River, on the east side of Long 
 Mountain, and spent his life there success- 
 fully engaged in general farming. He mar- 
 
 ried Miss Polly Piatt, and they became the 
 parents of iive children. 
 
 Marshall Gomer Hill, the second son of his 
 parents, was born on March 11, 1820. When 
 he started for himself, he purchased a portion 
 of his father's farm, about one hundred acres, 
 on which he erected a house and barns. 
 From that time until his death he was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in mixed farming and to a 
 limited extent in land speculation. He was 
 one of the most prosperous citizens of the 
 town. At his decease he owned in addition 
 to other property about two hundred acres of 
 land. In his political relations he was a 
 Democrat, and for a number of years he held 
 the office of Justice of the Peace. He died in 
 February, 1893. His wife, a daughter of 
 Walker Piatt, bore him three sons, as follows: 
 Edson P., who married Miss Jennie Buck; 
 Edwin M., born in 1848, who died at the 
 age of twenty-two years; and Merritt Walker. 
 Both parents were communicants of the Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 Merritt Walker Hill received his education 
 in the district schools, at Claverack College 
 in New York, and at the Business College of 
 Bridgeport, Conn. He then returned to his 
 "home, and worked for his father until 1882, 
 at which time he came to New Milford, and 
 purchased of C. Smith the New Milford 
 Creamery, in the northern part of the town. 
 After conducting that for two years, he built 
 another in the lower part of the town, and dur- 
 ing the next six years did a very successful 
 business. In 1890 he sold out, and in com- 
 pany with E. W. Hanke rented a building, 
 and began the manufacture of stiff hats. This 
 building was destroyed by fire January 10, 
 1892; but the firm immediately rented a new 
 factory near the depot, and continued the bus- 
 iness together until 1894. In this year Mr. 
 Hill sold his interest to his partner, who 
 
386 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 thereupon removed to Bridgeport. Since that 
 time Mr. Hill has engaged in the real estate 
 and insurance business, at which he is already 
 doing well. Being a man of unusual enter- 
 prise and prudence, his prospects of still 
 greater success in the future are most favor- 
 able. Mr. Hill's marriage with Miss Ida D. 
 Clark was performed October 9, 1878. She 
 is a daughter of Horace and Diana (Canfield) 
 Clark. Her father, who was born February 
 15, iBii, and died January 30, 1864, was a 
 successful agriculturist and shoemaker of 
 Marble Dale, Conn. His wife, born on April 
 10, 1819, was a daughter of Heth Canfield. 
 After Mr. Clark's decease she came to New 
 Milford, and purchased the place on West 
 Main Street where Mr. Hill now resides. 
 She died February 11, 1880, leaving four chil- 
 dren, namely: Heth C, born August 22, 
 1841; Catherine L., born July 18, 1844; 
 Horace, born October 25, 1851; and Ida D., 
 born April 12, 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Hill 
 have but one child, Maud S., born July 28, 
 1882. In political issues Mr. Hill casts his 
 vote with the Democratic party. He and his 
 wife are communicants of the Episcopal 
 church of New Milford. 
 
 |HARLES FISH WILLIAMS, drug- 
 gist, of Thomaston, a well-known and 
 popular member of the business 
 community of Litchfield County, was born in 
 Groton, Conn., April 24, 1842, son of Caleb 
 Miner and Sabra (Gallup) Williams. He is of 
 Welsh descent; and his family name, which is 
 very ancient, was originally spelled Wilyams. 
 Burke's Peerage states that Sir Robert 
 Williams, the ninth baronet of the house of 
 Williams of Penrhyn, was lineally descended 
 from Marchudel of Cyan, Lord of Abergelem 
 in Denbighshire, of one of the fifteen tribes of 
 
 North Wales, who lived in the time of Rod- 
 erick Maur (Roderick the Great), King of 
 the Britons (about a.d. 849). This most 
 ancient family of the principality of Wales 
 deduces its pedigree from Brutus, son of 
 Sylvius, posthumous son of Ascaneus, son of 
 Oomas. Brutus was the first king of Wales, 
 and began to reign iioo e.g. 
 
 The first ancestor of Mr. Williams in this 
 country was Robert Williams, who was born 
 in Great Yarmouth, England, in 1593, and 
 whose baptism is 'entered on the parish regis- 
 ter of St. Nicholas, Great Yarmouth, under 
 date of December 11, 1608, he being a son of 
 Stephen Williams. He married Elizabeth 
 Stalham, of Great Yarmouth; and they sailed 
 for America in the ship "Rose" from Yar- 
 mouth, landing April 15, 1635. Robert 
 Williams settled in Roxbury, Mass., and was 
 made a freeman in 1638. He reached the ad- 
 vanced age of one hundred years, dying in 
 Roxbury in 1693. He had four sons: Sam- 
 uel, born in 1632; Isaac, born in 1638; 
 Stephen, born in 1640; and Thomas, who 
 died young. 
 
 Isaac Williams, who was a weaver, settled 
 in 1660 on five hundred acres of land in New- 
 ton, then included in Cambridge. He seems 
 to have been a prominent man; for he com- 
 manded a troop of horse, represented Newtown 
 in the General Court of Massachusetts five or 
 six years, and he was a Deacon in the church. 
 In 1660 he was married to Martha Park, 
 daughter of Deacon William and Martha 
 (Holgrove) Park, the former a fellow-voyager 
 of Roger Williams. They had the following 
 children: Isaac, born in 1661 ; Martha, in 
 1663; William, in 1665; John, in 1667; 
 Eleazer, in 1669; and Thomas, in 1673. 
 
 John Williams died in 1702. His wife, 
 Martha, daughter of Isaac and Martha (Parker) 
 Wheeler, died in 1745, leaving seven chil- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 387 
 
 dren: Isaac, born in Stonington, Conn., in 
 1689; John, born in 1692; Martha, in 1693; 
 Deborah, in 1695; William, in 1697; Nathan, 
 in 1698; and Benadiah, in 1703. Isaac Will- 
 iams, who died in 1733, married Sarah Deni- 
 son, of Stonington, Conn. Their son Nathan, 
 who was born in 1720, married Elizabeth 
 Haley in 1744, and reared ten children, 
 namely: Prudence, born in 1745; Lucy, in 
 1747; Caleb and Joshua, twins, born in 
 1749; Isaac and John, twins, born in 1751; 
 Martha, born in 1754; Elizabeth, in 1756; 
 Catherine and Mary, twins, born in 1758. 
 Caleb Williams, son of Nathan and Elizabeth, 
 married Freelove Fanning, was a farmer, and 
 spent his life in Groton, Conn. They reared 
 a son Jesse, who also was a farmer of Groton. 
 Jesse Williams married Betsey Elizabeth 
 Avery, and the following children blessed 
 their union: Eliza, born December 22, 1803; 
 Caleb Miner, the father of our subject; 
 Alonzo, born June 26, 1808; Ebenezer, born 
 June 7, 181 1 ; Lydia, born May i, 1813; and 
 Frederick, born May 11, 1816. 
 
 Caleb Miner Williams was born in Groton, 
 Conn. Brought up on a farm, he followed 
 agriculture during a great part of his life, 
 and was also in business as a merchant in 
 Noank, Conn. He took an active interest 
 in public affairs, filling many positions 
 of trust in the town, and also represented 
 the district in the legislature. He died 
 in Groton at the age of eighty. He and 
 his wife, Sabra Gallup Williams, were both 
 members of the Baptist church. She was 
 born at Groton, Conn., November 11, 1809, 
 and died at Groton, November 27, 1884. 
 She was the eighth child of Gurdonand Sibell 
 Capron Gallup. Her father was born at 
 Groton, December 18, 1771. His wife, 
 Sibell Capron, was born at Preston, Conn., 
 their marriage taking place February 15, 1795. 
 
 The name of Gallup was originally Gollup. 
 As first appearing in England, the record 
 shows that they spring from Franco-German 
 ancestry, coming from Lorraine, the debatable 
 territory between France and Germany. John 
 Gallup, the ancestor of most of that name in 
 this country, came to America from the parish 
 of Mosterne, County Dorset, England, in the 
 year 1630. He was a son of John Gallop, 
 who was a son of Thomas and Agnes (Wat- 
 kins) Gollup, of North Bowood and Strode, 
 and whose descendants still own and occupy 
 the manors of Strode. He sailed from Plym- 
 outh, England, March 20, 1630, in the ship 
 "Mary and John," arriving at Nantasket, now 
 Hull, May 30, his wife and children follow- 
 ing in 1633. He went first to Dorchester, but 
 soon after to Boston. Coming to this country 
 in times of privation and peril, he rendered 
 important service to the infant colony. He 
 and his son John were distinguished for 
 bravery in the Pequot War and in King 
 Philip's War. He was the leader of the 
 friendly Mohegans in the fearful swamp iight 
 at Narragansett, December 19, 1675, where 
 he with several other captains was slain. 
 Gurdon Gallup, the grandfather of Mr. Will- 
 iams, was of the sixth generation in lineal 
 descent from John Gallup, the emigrant. 
 
 Eleven children were born to Caleb M. and 
 Sabra (Gallup) Williams, seven of whom are 
 living. These children were: Betsey Ann, 
 deceased, born in 1831; Gurdon, deceased, 
 born January 30, 1832; Lucy Elizabeth, de- 
 ceased, born April 18, 1833; Emily, born 
 January 30, 1835; John Coleman, April 24, 
 1836; Nancy, February 17, 1838; Jesse 
 Miner, October i, 1840; Charles Fish, the 
 subject of this sketch; William Ledyard, 
 October 18, 1843; Ellen Adelaide, deceased, 
 born in March, 1845; and Frank Edgar, born 
 July 15, 1849. 
 
388 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Charles Fish Williams received a good 
 common-school education. When eighteen 
 years of age, he went to work in the drug 
 store of Dr. Seth Smith, of New London, 
 Conn., remaining four years; and he was em- 
 ployed subsequently as clerk by Lee & Os- 
 good, of Norwich, and W. S. Tyler & Son, of 
 the same place. He was in partnership with 
 Mr. Tyler, of Greenville, a number of years, 
 and later opened a drug store in Ansonia, 
 which he conducted about nine years. In 
 1878 he bought the old Seth Thomas drug 
 store in Thomaston, Conn., one of the oldest 
 in the vicinity, and soon established a good 
 business, which has increased yearly under his 
 able management. 
 
 November 5, 1867, Mr. Williams married 
 Elizabeth C, daughter of Henry F. Reynolds, 
 a prominent farmer of Thomaston. They 
 have one son now living, Charles Henry, born 
 September 11, 1868. Another, Frederick, 
 born April 12, 1870, died August 26, 1870. 
 Charles Henry Williams was graduated from 
 the New York College of Pharmacy in 1889, 
 and has since been in business with his father. 
 He was married October 31, 1894, to Martha 
 Woodruff, daughter of Gideon Woodruff, of 
 Williamsport, Penn., where she was born. 
 
 Politically, Charles F. Williams is a Demo- 
 crat of the conservative type, voting as his 
 best judgment dictates. He has possessed 
 the confidence and esteem of his townsmen 
 wherever he has resided, and held various 
 ofSces of trust. In Greenville he was Post- 
 master, and filled other minor offices. In 
 Ansonia he served as Warden of the borough. 
 In Thomaston he was Selectman for several 
 years. Fire Commissioner, etc. He is one of 
 the Directors of the Thomaston National 
 Bank. In religious matters he was reared in 
 the Baptist faith. His wife is a member of 
 the Congregational church in Thomaston. 
 
 Mr. Williams is a man of superior intelli- 
 gence and genial disposition, and is a uni- 
 versal favorite. His wife, who is a most 
 estimable lady, belongs to one of the first 
 families of the town. 
 
 /^TeORGE F. MORRIS, an ex-member 
 Vp I of the legislature and a leading mer- 
 chant of Woodbury, whose extensive 
 general store is located in Hotchkissville, 
 was born in that village, September 21, 1844, 
 son of Hobart H. and Sarah M. (Hurd) 
 Morris. Mr. Morris's great-grandparents, 
 Matthew and Mehitable (Judson) Morris, 
 were residents of Woodbury. His grand- 
 father, Judson Morris, born in Woodbury, 
 who was a prominent farmer and large land- 
 owner, married for his first wife Mehitable 
 Peck, who died leaving six children; namely, 
 Almira, Eliza, Mehitable, Maria, Marcus, and 
 Sally. His second wife was Jerusha Hotch- 
 kiss, and by this union there were five chil- 
 dren; namely, Henry, Hobart H., Betsey, 
 Ruth, and Imogene. 
 
 Hobart H. Morris, Mr. Morris's father, was 
 born in Woodbury, May 24, 1817. In young 
 manhood he learned the trade of finishing 
 cassimeres, an occupation which he followed 
 for some time. He then engaged as a clerk 
 with Allen & Dayton, general merchants 
 of Hotchkissville. He continued to occupy a 
 responsible position in that store under its 
 different partnerships for twenty-eight years, 
 and was identified with the business until his 
 retirement. He died February 2, 1 891. He 
 was an able business man, thoroughly reliable 
 and of strict integrity, qualities fully appre- 
 ciated by his employers, and which won for 
 him the esteem and good will of his fellow- 
 townsmen. He was active in public affairs, 
 and served with ability as Justice of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 389 
 
 Peace, Postmaster, and in various town offices. 
 In his religious views he was a Congregation- 
 alist, and was a practical member of that 
 church. His wife, whom he married October 
 18, 1842, was a daughter of George and Sally 
 (Way) Hurd. George Hurd, who was a na- 
 tive of Monroe, followed the trade of a car- 
 penter and joiner, and died in the prime of 
 life, aged thirty-six years. He was the father 
 of six children; namely, Lewis C, Sarah 
 M., Harriet I., Margaret H., Frederick, and 
 Martha. Martha diid young. The widow 
 lived to the advanced age of ninety-five years. 
 Mrs. Hobart H. Morris reared one son, 
 George F., the subject of this sketch; and 
 she resides at her home in Hotchkissville. 
 
 George F. Morris received a good education 
 in the schools of his native town ; and at the 
 age of sixteen he entered the store of Allen & 
 Dayton as book-keeper, with whom he re- 
 mained for one year. He then went to Mar- 
 shall, Mich., where he clerked for a year 
 and a half, after which he returned home. At 
 the age of twenty -one he engaged in business 
 in company with R. J. Allen. This partner- 
 ship lasted three years, and then he was asso- 
 ciated with G. M. Allen for eleven years. 
 After a year spent in the employment of the 
 American Shear Manufacturing Company he 
 became a partner in the firm of Morris & Daw- 
 son, with whom he carried on a good general 
 trade in North Woodbury for nine years. On 
 November i, 1893, he purchased his present 
 store in Hotchkissville. He commenced busi- 
 ness upon a strictly cash basis; and, although 
 many pronounced the scheme as impracticable, 
 his experience of two years has proved the 
 contrary, as he now enjoys a large and profit- 
 able patronage. He carries a varied stock, 
 adapted to the wants of the locality, consist- 
 ing of family groceries and other staple goods, 
 ready-made clothing, boots and shoes, crock- 
 
 ery, hardware, carpets, paints and oils, etc. 
 He is enterprising and progressive, agreeable 
 and accommodating to his patrons, and mani- 
 festly capable of holding his own in business. 
 His stock tests the capacity of two floors and 
 a basement. His efforts to meet the conven- 
 ience of the public are fully appreciated by 
 his patrons. 
 
 Mr. Morris married Sophronia, daughter of 
 Francis Dawson, and has two children, 
 namely: Carrie L., who was born March 11, 
 1872; and Hobart D., who was born May 12, 
 1879. In politics he has always supported 
 the Republican party. He was for ten years 
 Town Clerk of Woodbury, was Auditor for 
 six years; and he represented his town in the 
 legislature with marked ability in 1881. He 
 served four years as Postmaster at North 
 Woodbury ; and five years in the same capacity 
 in Hotchkissville. He and his family occupy 
 a very pleasant residence, which he erected on 
 the main street in 1874. 
 
 RVIS GRIGGS, proprietor of the 
 turning works at Maple Hollow, in 
 the town of New Hartford, Conn., 
 was born in, Plymouth, a neighboring town in 
 the same county, on April 14, 1821. He is a 
 son of Solomon and Amanda (Plum) Griggs 
 and a great-grandson of a native of Scotland, 
 who emigrated to America, and became an 
 early settler in Plymouth. Solomon Griggs, 
 Sr., Mr. Griggs's grandfather, was born in 
 Plymouth, and was a lifelong resident of that 
 town, where he followed farming as an occu- 
 pation until his death, which occurred when 
 he had reached an advanced age. 
 
 Solomon Griggs, Jr., Mr. Griggs's father, 
 was born in Plymouth. He was brought up 
 on the home farm, and having grown to man- 
 hood continued to live with his parents, caring 
 
39° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for them during their declining years. Suc- 
 ceeding to the ownership of the homestead 
 after the death of his father, he conducted the 
 farm with prosperous results. He died at the 
 age of seventy-eight years. Solomon Griggs, 
 Jr., was an industrious farmer and a useful 
 citizen. He united with the Congregational 
 church, and was a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity. His wife, Amanda Plum, who 
 was a daughter of Solomon Plum, a well-to-do 
 farmer of Wolcott, died in Plymouth, aged 
 ninety-four years. She was a member of the 
 Congregational church. Three of their five 
 children are still living, namely: Orvis, the 
 subject of this sketch; Harriet, who married 
 John Burr, a wagon-maker of Plymouth; and 
 Ellen, who married Alanson Merriman, of 
 Meriden. 
 
 Orvis Griggs received his education in the 
 common schools, and resided with his parents 
 until reaching the age of fifteen, at which 
 time he commenced work in the clock factory 
 in Plymouth. In 1843 he settled in New 
 Hartford, purchasing his present residence 
 immediately upon his arrival, and soon after 
 buying the turning-mill, which he has con- 
 ducted with ability and success, being 
 probably at the present time the oldest 
 wood-turner in the county. Mr. Griggs is a 
 Republican in politics, and has been called 
 upon to serve in various positions of import- 
 ance. He has been a member of the Board 
 of Relief, a grand juror, Justice of the Peace 
 for twenty years, and in 1878 was a Repre- 
 sentative to the State legislature. 
 
 Mr. Griggs has been twice married. His 
 first wife, whom he married in 1848, was 
 Eleanor Kellogg, daughter of Truman and 
 Fanny (Marsh) Kellogg, the former of whom 
 was a prosperous farmer of New Hartford. 
 Mrs. Kellogg was a representative of one of 
 the oldest families of New Hartford. She 
 
 reared five children, three of whom are still 
 living, namely: Candace, Mr. Griggs's second 
 wife; Uria] ; and Franklin. Truman Kel- 
 logg died at the age of sixty-two, and his wife 
 aged eighty-four years. Mr. Griggs's first wife 
 died at the age of twenty-four years, leaving 
 two children, named Arthur and Fanny. 
 Arthur Griggs was formerly engaged in the 
 hardware, business, but is now a bicycle dealer 
 in New Haven. He married Addie Cadwell, 
 who is an accomplished musician, and is now 
 in charge of the musical department of the 
 public schools in Newark, N.J. They have 
 one daughter. Bertha. Fanny Griggs is an 
 artist, and resides in Shelton. 
 
 Mr. Griggs wedded for his second wife 
 Candace Kellogg, a sister of his first wife; 
 and the three children by this union are: 
 Ernest, who married Estella Spencer, of New 
 Hartford, and is now connected with the 
 hardware firm of N. J. Bushnell & Co., of 
 New Haven; Edith, who married E. W. Adt, 
 time-keeper at the Coe Brass Manufacturing 
 Company in Torrington, and has one daugh- 
 ter, Rachel; and Harriet, who married for her 
 first husband Ellsworth Miner, M.D., by 
 whom she has one son, Ellsworth, and married 
 for her second husband George Taft,.who is a 
 lawyer of Unionville, and has one son, Orvis 
 Griggs Taft. Mr. Griggs is an old and highly 
 esteemed resident of New Hartford, and is 
 popular among all classes. He has frequently 
 been solicited to run as a candidate for Select- 
 man, but has always declined. 
 
 T^ORNELIUS C. PARMELEE, an in- 
 \J\ fl"sntial citizen of Bethlehem, Conn., 
 
 ^ who is now engaged in general 
 
 farming, was born in this town on December 
 10, 1829. His parents, Timothy Judson and 
 Mahala (Stone) Parmelee, and his grandpar-' 
 
CORNELIUS C. PARMELEE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 393 
 
 ents, Lyman and Sarah (Judson) Parmelee, 
 were all residents of Bethlehem. 
 
 Lyman Parmelee was born in Roxbury, 
 Conn. In the earlier part of his active life 
 he was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and 
 later he was profitably engaged in butchering. 
 He died at the age of eighty in Pennsylvania, 
 where he passed the last few years of his life. 
 His wife also lived to be eighty years of age. 
 Lyman and Sarah (Judson) Parmelee reared 
 seven children : Arza, Revillo, Charles, Tim- 
 othy Judson, Mary, Sarah, and Susan. Timo- 
 thy Judson Parmelee was born in Bethlehem. 
 He established a reputation as an expert 
 builder of stone walls, and he was also a suc- 
 cessful farmer. He died in 1845, in his 
 forty-sixth year, his wife reaching the age of 
 fifty-seven. Four children were born to them, 
 namely: Cornelius C. and Cornelia, twins, 
 the former the subject of this sketch,, the 
 latter the wife of Joseph L. McKay, of 
 Waterford, Pa., and the mother of one child, 
 William McKay; Fidelia, who was born in 
 1 83 1, married George S. Guild, and died in 
 1887; and Sarah J., who died in childhood. 
 
 Cornelius C. Parmelee was reared and edu- 
 cated in Bethlehem. He learned the carriage- 
 making trade, and it was he who built the 
 first one-horse carriage used in Bethlehem. 
 For fifteen years he was engaged in stock 
 dealing, travelling constantly in the pursuit 
 of his business. He finally settled on the 
 farm in Bethlehem where he now resides, en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits, in which he is 
 eminently successful. He has a well-im- 
 proved estate, and is one of the most prosper- 
 ous farmers of the locality. 
 
 Mr. Parmelee 's first wife, whom he married 
 in 1851, Lucy Allen, daughter of Amos Allen, 
 of Bethlehem, died in 1859, ^^ the age of 
 thirty-one, leaving three children: Cornelia 
 E., wife of Edward Kaveney, who has one 
 
 child, Robert C. ; Martha A., wife of John 
 Summers, who has three children — George 
 Anson, Aner (deceased), and Homer; and 
 Mary E., wife of V. Dwight Judson, who has 
 one child; Vera F. In 1867 Mr. Parmelee 
 married Miss Caroline L. Thompson, daugh- 
 ter and only child of James and Laura 
 (Parker) Thompson, of Bethlehem. James 
 Thompson died in his seventy-eighth year, 
 and his wife attained the age of eighty-one. 
 By his second marriage Mr. Parmelee has one 
 son, James T., born in 1875. 
 
 In politics Mr. Parmelee is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. When a young man he was so enthu- 
 siastic in his support of John C. Fremont that 
 with three other men he vowed he would never 
 touch a razor to his face if Fremont should be 
 defeated. This vow he has religiously kept, 
 going unshaven since the election of James 
 Buchanan in 1857. A man of strong char- 
 acter and earnest convictions, he is highly re- 
 spected by his townsmen, who have elected 
 him to the positions of Constable, Assessor, 
 and Justice of the Peace. In religious matters 
 he favors the Congregational church. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Parmelee is presented 
 herewith. 
 
 RY D. HINE, a talented painter 
 and decorator of New Milford, was 
 born on Candlewood Mountain, New 
 Milford, January 19, 1852, son of William H. 
 and Elizabeth (Gaylord) Hine. He is a scion 
 of one of the oldest and most respected fami- 
 lies of the county, being descended from 
 Thomas Hine, mentioned in the old records as 
 an owner of land residing in Milford in 1646. 
 The name then was spelled Hind, Hine, and 
 Hinde. 
 
 Thomas Hine died in 1694, leaving ten 
 children. His son Stephen, who was a shoe- 
 maker, reared four children, one of whom. 
 
394 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Ambrose, was the direct ancestor of our sub- 
 ject. This Ambrose settled in Woodbridge, 
 Conn., where he and his wife Sarah reared five 
 children. Their son Stephen settled in Mil- 
 ford, and it is recorded that he built a house 
 for John Treat in Bridgewater — the first 
 frame house erected in the town — and re- 
 ceived his pay in common land. He lived to 
 be seventy years of age, and was three times 
 married, rearing nine children. His wife, 
 Elizabeth (Carrington) Hine, was the mother 
 of Stephen, the great-grandfather of Henry D. 
 Hine. Stephen, who was born in 1754, set- 
 tled on land given him by his father, and in 
 addition bought one hundred and thirty-eight 
 acres of John Treat on Candlewood Mountain, 
 thereby increasing his estate to three hundred 
 and fifty acres in all. As his first family resi- 
 dence he built a log house in primitive style, 
 furnished with only one window, and set about 
 clearing a farm with an energy that soon 
 showed results. In 1798 he purchased of N. 
 Taylor, Jr., a large tract of land, situated at 
 the mouth of the Rocky River, together with 
 a saw-mill, a flour-mill, a fulling-mill, and 
 a clothing store. At the time of his death he 
 was one of the wealthiest men in the county. 
 It is said that he was the owner of the first 
 two-horse wagon that appeared in the vicinity. 
 He served in the Revolutionary army when a 
 young man, and it was while the young repub- 
 lic was gaining a firm foothold among the 
 nations that he was establishing the fortunes 
 of his family. Stephen Hine died in 1833. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Naomi 
 Peck, bore him five children, each of whom 
 received from the father a competency with 
 which to start in life. Lyman Hine, son of 
 Stephen and grandfather of Henry D., was 
 born January 28, 1793. He spent his life on 
 the farm on Candlewood Mountain, devoting 
 his time and energy to agricultural pursuits. 
 
 in which he was very successful, and died in 
 1 88 1, in his eighty-ninth year. He married 
 Hannah Roberts, with whom he reared four 
 children: William H., -James, Louisa, and 
 George. 
 
 William H. Hine, father of Henry D., was 
 born June 19, 1816. He also spent his life 
 on the homestead, engaged in farming and, 
 with his brother George, in the manufacture of 
 fine fire brick, a business first started by his 
 father. In 1883 he abandoned brick -making 
 to take up the business of raising stock, in 
 which he was eminently successful. He 
 erected good buildings on the home estate, in 
 addition to other improvements, and left the 
 property in a fine condition. A leading citi- 
 zen of the town, a prominent person in the 
 Republican party, active in religious matters, 
 and for thirty years Deacon in the Congrega- 
 tional church, he died December 11, 1893. 
 His wife, Elizabeth (Gaylord) Hine, who was 
 a daughter of Nathan and Irene (Downs) Gay- 
 lord, of New Milford, is yet living. They 
 were the parents of three children : Henry D. ; 
 Mary E. ; and Helen, who died at the age of 
 two years. 
 
 Henry D. Hine attended school at Suffield 
 and Stamford, Conn., and finished his course 
 of study at Fort Edward, N.Y. He learned 
 the trade of painting and carriage-making, and 
 on his father's farm began the manufacture of 
 carriages and sleighs, and took contracts for 
 painting. In 1876 he purchased some land on 
 the corner of East Main Street and Whittlesey 
 Avenue, where he erected a beautiful house, 
 with a shop adjoining. The finishing of the 
 building, which is one of the most artistically 
 decorated residences in the county, was done 
 by Mr. Hine himself, including both wood- 
 work and frescoing. He is now actively en- 
 gaged in decorating and painting, and has 
 taken many important contracts. Samples of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 395 
 
 his handiwork are found in the Congregational 
 church of New Milford, the church of the same 
 denomination in Kent, the West Congrega- 
 tional in Cornwall, the New Congregational in 
 Sherman, the Congregational church in New 
 Preston, the church in Roxbury, St. Mark's at 
 Bridgewater, and in many of the fine resi- 
 dences of the vicinity, including Mrs. Black's 
 beautiful home. Mr. Hine keeps a large 
 number of men constantly at work. He is 
 very successful, his fine taste and carefulness 
 in attending to all the details of his contracts 
 insuring him a large and lucrative patronage. 
 He also deals in electric bells and electric 
 apparatus of all kinds for house fittings. 
 
 On October i, 1874, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Ella Beach, daughter of Bena- 
 jah P. and Huldah A. (Titus) Beach, of 
 Washington, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Hine have 
 no children. In politics Mr. Hine is a Re- 
 publican. He is Past Grand of Good Shep- 
 herd Lodge, No. 65, Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows, and a member of the Finance 
 Committee of the State Council of Connecti- 
 cut. In religious belief he is a Congregation- 
 alist, he and his wife being attendants of the 
 church in New Milford. The home of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hine is always open to receive 
 guests, and their hospitality and kindly cour- 
 tesy have won for them general good will 
 and esteem. 
 
 EUGENE C. FRENCH, M.D., a promi- 
 nent member of the medical profession 
 " in Watertown for many years, is a 
 
 native of this county, born in Northfield, Feb- 
 ruary f, 1854, son of George B. and Keturah 
 (Cowles) French. His grandfather, Hiram 
 French, was a prominent farmer in 'VVatertown 
 in the early days, and was regarded as a pillar 
 of the Methodist church. He attained the age 
 of eighty-six years. His wife, whose maiden 
 
 name was Fanny Baldwin, died in her sixty- 
 fifth year. They reared four children : George 
 B. , father of Eugene C. French; John, who 
 settled in Cheshire, Conn. ; Mary, who mar- 
 ried Nathan Abbott, a large contractor of Co- 
 lumbus, Ohio, and the originator of the tar 
 pavement; and Martha, wife of Charles Bald- 
 win, of Watertown. 
 
 George B. French was reared to agricultural 
 life. When he attained his majority he pur- 
 chased a farm in Northfield. This he subse- 
 quently sold, in order to purchase one in 
 Watertown, where he resided thirty-five years. 
 He then moved to Woodbury, and in that town 
 he is now living, retired from active pursuits, 
 on a small farm. Mr. French is seventy years 
 of age, has often officiated as road superintend- 
 ent; and his name appears on the list of the 
 grand jurors of the county. His wife is a 
 daughter of James Cowles, of Norfolk, a well- 
 to-do farmer and dairyman. She was the el- 
 dest of seven children, the others being Libby, 
 Dotha, Louise, Joseph, Loyal, and William. 
 Louise, who has been President of the Hol- 
 yoke Seminary for some time, has been con- 
 nected with the institution thirty years. Mrs. 
 French, who is now sixty-five years of age, is 
 a member of the Congregational church of 
 Watertown, to which her husband also belongs. 
 She reared five children, namely: Eugene C, 
 the subject of this sketch ; Ellen, wife of 
 Charles Curtis, of Woodbury ; Martha, wife 
 of Charles Holt, of Watertown ; Amelia, wife 
 of Mortimer Scott, also of Watertown ; and Wil- 
 bur H., who is living on the old homestead. 
 All but Dr. French are engaged in farming. 
 
 Eugene C. French received his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools of his native town. 
 He helped his father on the farm and taught 
 school in the district, working hard for a pro- 
 fessional education, which his parents could 
 not afford to give him. He spent three years 
 
396 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 at Ann Arbor University, Michigan, grad- 
 uating in 1882. His diploma, the tangible 
 realization of hopes long cherished, caused him 
 to feel that the battle of life was half won. 
 He opened his first office in Shelton, Conn., 
 but soon after removed to Watertown, where 
 he has since been engaged in active profes- 
 sional work. He is now the leading physician 
 of the town, while his admirable character 
 gives him an established place in the esteem 
 of his townsmen. He has been court physi- 
 cian since he located in Watertown, and has 
 acted as examining physician for several insur- 
 ance companies. He keeps in touch with the 
 medical world by active membership in the 
 county and State medical societies. 
 
 In 1882 he was united in marriage with 
 Mary, daughter of Lyman Sperry, of Water- 
 town, a prosperous farmer and dairyman, who, 
 besides Mrs. French, had two other children, 
 namely: Philo, who is a farmer and makes his 
 home with his parents; and a daughter Abby. 
 Dr. French has two children, Marion A. and 
 Berenice L. In politics he is a Republican. 
 He is a member of the Order of the Golden 
 Cross and of the Foresters. In religious be- 
 lief he is a Congregationalist ; and his wife, 
 who is a lady of rare intelligence and amiable 
 disposition, is active in the work of the Con- 
 gregational church and Sunday-school. Dr. 
 French is essentially a self-made man, and his 
 unmistakable success is the meed of a brave 
 struggle against adverse circumstances. 
 
 "TJRASTUS A. DEMING, a well-to-do 
 J OJ^ far mer and highly respected citizen 
 of Sharon, a western border town of 
 Litchfield County, Connecticut, was born on 
 the old homestead in this town on August 9, 
 1828, son of Dr. Ralph and Mary T. (Corn- 
 wall) Deming. He is a grandson of Daniel 
 
 Deming and a lineal descendant of John Dem- 
 ing, the first progenitor of this branch of the 
 Deming family in America, who came to this 
 country in 1635. 
 
 Ralph Deming began the study of medicine 
 under a private teacher, and in 1824 he was 
 graduated from the Yale Medical School. 
 Although he started out from home with only 
 a few changes of clothing tied up in a hand- 
 kerchief, he not only amassed^ wealth, but be- 
 came one of the leading men of the State. 
 He was prominent in the State Medical Asso- 
 ciation, and was well read on a variety of 
 topics, not confining himself to his profession. 
 From 1835 to 1839, also in 1867, he was a 
 member of the House of Representatives in 
 the State legislature; and in 1853-54 he served 
 as a State Senator. He resided two miles 
 south of Sharon village, where he owned a 
 well-improved farm, on which was an excel- 
 lent residence. His death occurred on July 
 21, 1877. His union with Miss Mary T. 
 Cornwall was solemnized on June 5, 1827. 
 She was a native of Patterson, N.Y., and 
 lived to be eighty-one years of age, dying on 
 October 10, 1878. They reared two sons and 
 two daughters, of whom but one son is living, 
 Erastus A. Samuel, the other son, died in 
 his twenty-third year. Eliza lived to be 
 sixty-one years old, and Martha died at four- 
 teen years of age. 
 
 Erastus A. Deming has spent nearly all his 
 life on the old homestead where he was born 
 and of which he is now the owner. He ac- 
 quired a good practical education in the pub- 
 lic schools of Sharon; and at an early age he 
 turned his attention to agriculture, in which 
 vocation he has been very successful. In 
 March, 1877, he was married to Miss Harriet 
 Lineberg, a daughter of Alfred Lineberg, of 
 Kent, Conn. ; and much of his success is due 
 to her sympathy and help. Their home has 
 
ERASTUS A. DEMING. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 399 
 
 been brightened by the birth of three sons and 
 two daughters; namely, Ralph, Erastus A., 
 Jr., Mary C, Isabel, and Alfred. 
 
 In political affiliation, like his father, Mr. 
 Deming is a stanch Democrat; and besides 
 serving in various town offices he was for 
 several terms a member of the State legis- 
 lature. Mr. Deming has been connected with 
 the Amenia Bank as stockholder. Director, 
 and Examining Committee for nearly twenty 
 years, his father before him having also been 
 identified with the bank as Director and stock- 
 holder. 
 
 As one of the representative men of Sharon 
 and an influential citizen of Litchfield County, 
 Mr. Deming is widely known and well re- 
 puted. His portrait, which is given on a 
 neighboring page, will be viewed with interest 
 by the readers of this volume. 
 
 rm^ 
 
 EORGE A. TOMLINSON, who con- 
 \ i> I ducts a thriving mercantile business 
 in Marble Dale, was born in Belle- 
 port, L. I., April 5, 1844, son of the Rev. 
 George and Anna M. (Taylor) Tomlinson. 
 Mr. Tomlinson's grandfather, Abijah Tomlin- 
 son, was a native of Derby, Conn., and a 
 stone cutter by trade. He settled in Marble 
 Dale, where he enjoyed considerable prosperity 
 at his trade. His place of business was 
 located near the present store of his grandson. 
 He lived to reach the age of eighty-one years. 
 He married Betsey Tomlinson, and reared 
 eight children; namely, George, Ruth A., 
 Giles, Eliza, Daniel, Agnes, Charles, and 
 Nancy. His wife lived to the age of ninety- 
 two years. 
 
 George Tomlinson, Mr. Tomlinson's father, 
 was born in Derby, and moved with his par- 
 ents to Marble Dale when quite young. After 
 fitting himself for college he entered Yale 
 
 University, from which he graduated in the 
 class of 1834. He subsequently continued his 
 studies at the Andover (Mass.) Theological 
 Seminary, and became a Presbyterian preacher. 
 His first pastorate was in Brattleboro, Vt., 
 where he remained for two years. From there 
 he went to Belleport, L. I., where he labored 
 for thirteen years. In 1852 he returned to 
 Marble Dale, and in 1854 he was called to 
 the pastorate of the Presbyterian church near 
 Lockport, N. Y., which he accepted, and la- 
 bored diligently in that field for the suc- 
 ceeding six years. He was then installed 
 as pastor of the Congregational church on 
 New Preston Hill. After two years of pas- 
 toral work here he was obliged, through fail- 
 ing health, to retire from the pulpit. He con- 
 tinued to reside in Marble Dale, where he is 
 still remembered for his many worthy traits of 
 character; and he died in 1876, aged seventy 
 years. His wife, who was a daughter of John 
 Taylor, of Warren, this county, reared but one 
 child, George A., the subject of this sketch. 
 She died in 1869, aged forty-nine years. 
 
 George A. Tomlinson received a good edu- 
 cation, and at an early age exhibited a natural 
 inclination for a business life. He cared for 
 his parents duriag their declining years, and 
 after the death of his father he succeeded to 
 the ownership of the homestead. In 1883 he 
 entered business at his present location in 
 Marble Dale, where he has since carried on a 
 large and profitable trade, earning a high repu- 
 tation for integrity. He is a Republican in 
 politics, and has acted as a Justice of the 
 Peace for some time. He was appointed Post- 
 master during President Cleveland's first 
 administration, and has since retained that 
 position, which he very ably fills. 
 
 On June 7, 1868, Mr. Tomlinson was 
 united in marriage to Sarah Noble, daughter 
 of Jarvis Noble, of Kent. He is a member of 
 
400 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Congregational church and superintendent 
 of the Sunday-school. He has served as chor- 
 ister of the New Preston Hill Church for the 
 past twenty-three years. Owing to this unu- 
 sually fine record, he has been asked to name a 
 salary that would induce him to accept a posi- 
 tion as chorister in a large city church. 
 
 jHARLES NORTHROP, one of the 
 jr oldest and most highly esteemed 
 
 ^i^ ^ farmers of Park Lane, in the town 
 
 of New Milford, son of Abner and Laura 
 (Camp) Northrop, was born April 8, 1814, 
 upon the farm where he now resides. Mr. 
 Northrop is a descendant of Joseph Northrop, 
 a resident of Milford, New Haven County, 
 Conn. ; and the line of descent continues 
 through Samuel and Sarah Northrop, Amos 
 and Mary (Gunn) Northrop, to Amos, Jr., and 
 Anna (Baldwin) Northrop, who were Mr. 
 Northrop's great-grandparents. 
 
 Amos Northrop, Jr., was born in Milford, 
 and was the first of the family to settle in New 
 Milford. On June 30, 1743, he purchased of 
 J. Terrill one hundred and ninety acres of land 
 situated at what is now known as Park Lane, 
 at the same time purchasing seventeen acres 
 more, now owned by his great-grandson. He 
 enclosed a large portion of his land with a 
 high fence and attempted to domesticate wild 
 deer, an experiment which proved a failure; 
 but he succeeded in giving the locality the 
 name Park Lane. A prosperous farmer and 
 a large land-owner, he died at the age of 
 seventy-two years, survived by his wife, Anna 
 Baldwin Northrop, who lived to reach the age 
 of ninety. Their children were : Amos, Solo- 
 mon, David, Lois, Anna, and Joel. 
 
 David Northrop, Mr. Northrop's grand- 
 father, was born in New Milford, July 27, 
 1746. He succeeded to the ownership of his 
 
 father's farm, inheriting a part and purchasing 
 the rest; and he became extensively engaged 
 in general farm-ing, being the fourth largest 
 tax-payer in the town in 1802, and occupying 
 an influential position among the leading 
 farmers of his day. He died at the age of 
 seventy years. He married Rachel Grant, and 
 reared eight children, as follows: F. Grant; 
 Betsey; John W. ; David; Solomon; Abner; 
 Nathaniel ; and Betsey, second. Grandmother 
 Northrop lived to reach the age of ninety 
 years. 
 
 Abner Northrop, son of David and Rachel, 
 was born at the homestead, September 7, 
 1 78 1. He inherited the farm and successfully 
 engaged in agriculture, becoming a prosperous 
 and leading citizen of the town. He improved 
 his property by repairing and remodelling the 
 buildings, erecting the present residence of 
 his son in 1824. His farm consisted of one 
 hundred and sixty acres; and he made a spe- 
 cialty of raising sheep, keeping an average of 
 three hundred head, and also dealt in cattle to 
 some extent. He was a Democrat in politics, 
 and in religion he was a Congregationalist. 
 He died July 19, 1847. His wife, Laura 
 Camp, became the mother of four children, 
 namely: David; Sophia; Charles, the subject 
 of this sketch; and Maria. Mrs. Laura C. 
 Northrop lived to reach the age of eighty 
 years. 
 
 Charles Northrop attended the district and 
 select schools, in which he acquired a good 
 education; and after completing his studies he 
 taught school for five winter terms, his sum- 
 mers being passed in farming. He succeeded 
 to the ownership of the homestead, where he 
 has always resided; and he has carried on his 
 farm with the most gratifying success. In his 
 earlier years he was connected with the State 
 militia, in which he worked his way forward 
 to the rank of Captain, and served six years in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 401 
 
 the field. He was Commanding Colonel of 
 the Fifteenth Connecticut Volunteer Regiment. 
 
 On October 27, 1847, Mr. Northrop was 
 united in marriage with Eraeline M. Bull, 
 daughter of Jackson T. and Mary (Phelps) 
 Bull. They have three children, as follows : 
 Charles B., a successful farmer and wagon- 
 maker, who was born February 14, 1850, mar- 
 ried Lorinda Lyons, and has two children, 
 Frank M. and Rena Emeline; Flora S. , who 
 was born January 2, 1855, and died at the age 
 of two years; and Wesley C, who was born 
 January 13, 1859, married Lydia A. Stuart, 
 and is engaged in mercantile business in New 
 Haven, Conn. 
 
 Mr. Northrop has always been an energetic 
 and industrious worker, which accounts for his 
 successful career as a farmer. Idleness ap- 
 parently is something unknown even to his 
 imagination ; and, although he- is now eighty- 
 one years old, he still continues active. Both 
 he and his wife enjoy the respect and good 
 will of their neighbors. They attend St. 
 John's Episcopal Church. 
 
 W: 
 
 ILLIAM G. FRENCH, a promi- 
 nent resident of Watertown and an 
 ex-member of the Connecticut legis- 
 lature, was born upon the farm where he now 
 resides, January 8, 1844, son of Smith M. and 
 Mary A. (Wheeler) French. The original an- 
 cestor in America, of whom Mr. French is a 
 direct descendant in the eighth generation, 
 emigrated from Essex, England, and settled in 
 Billerica, Mass., in 1635. Mr. French's 
 great-grandfather, David French, resided in 
 Woodbridge, and served as a soldier in the 
 Revolutionary War. He was a prominent man 
 in that town, serving as Trial Justice; and he 
 represented his district in the General As- 
 sembly for twenty years. He died at the age 
 
 of eighty. His son, Luther French, Mr. 
 French's grandfather, settled in Beacon Falls, 
 where he resided and engaged in agriculture 
 for the rest of his life. He was a prosperous 
 farmer and a worthy citizen, one who by his 
 qualities of heart and mind won the respect of 
 his neighbors. He and his wife died on the 
 same day, and were buried in one grave at the 
 same time. 
 
 Smith M. French, Mr. French's father, was 
 born in Bethany, Conn., and when very young 
 he went to live with an uncle, who later ap- 
 prenticed him to a blacksmith. He became 
 a thoroughly capable workman, and his most 
 imp9rtant engagement while following that 
 calling was with the Wheeler & Wilson Sew- 
 ing Machine Company in their factory at 
 Watertown, where he was employed for many 
 years. He finally abandoned his trade; and, 
 settling upon a farm of one hundred and thirty 
 acres of improved land, he cultivated it suc- 
 cessfully for the rest of his life, and died at 
 the age of sixty years. He was a Democrat in 
 politics, and took an active interest in public 
 affairs, but invariably refused office. He was 
 distinctively a self-made man, and he filled an 
 honorable place among the well-to-do residents 
 of Watertown. His wife was a daughter of 
 David Wheeler, a prosperous farmer and suc- 
 cessful carriage manufacturer of Watertown. 
 Mr. Wheeler raised a large family, among 
 whom was Nathaniel, who became one of the 
 projectors of the well-known sewing machine 
 company. Mrs. French became the mother of 
 two children; namely, Sarah J. and William 
 G. She died at the age of seventy-six. Like 
 her husband, she attended the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 William G. French commenced his educa- 
 tion in the common schools, and completed his 
 studies at the Watertown Academy. He as- 
 sisted in carrying on the farm ; and, succeeding 
 
405 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to the ownership of the property after his 
 father's death, he has since managed it, ob- 
 taining ample returns for the energy and abil- 
 ity he has displayed. He has been occupied 
 in general farming and in the breeding of 
 Devon stock, for which he has been awarded 
 several prizes at county fairs. He has been 
 connected with the Watertown Agricultural 
 and Horse Association since its organization 
 thirty years ago. He was for fifteen years its 
 president, during which time he did much to 
 develop its popularity and usefulness, was 
 mainly instrumental in incorporating it into 
 a stock company, and aided in bringing its 
 grounds to their present improved condition. 
 In politics he supports the Democratic party, 
 and has long been identified with public 
 affairs. He was first elected a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen in 1872, and has served in 
 that body in all sixteen years, eight of which 
 he has been chairman. Although Watertown 
 is strongly Republican, he has been elected to 
 represent it in the legislature, being the first 
 Democratic member from the town since 1846. 
 In the House of Representatives he displayed 
 an ability and capacity for legislative work 
 which gained for him a high reputation 
 throughout the State. He served as a member 
 of the Committee upon Engrossed Bills in the 
 session of 1875, and in that of 1883 he was 
 appointed to the Committee upon Contested 
 Elections. He has been a member of the 
 State Board of Agriculture for ten years and 
 a Director of the State Agricultural Society 
 for several years. He has filled an important 
 place upon the Democratic State Committee 
 for some time, and has been a Justice of the 
 Peace for a long period. He has taken an 
 active interest in the Patrons of Husbandry, 
 and is a charter member of Watertown Grange. 
 In his religious views he is an Episcopalian, 
 and is a liberal supporter of Christ's Church, 
 
 with which he has been officially connected as 
 a Trustee of the parish and a Vestryman at 
 different times. He is counted among the 
 foremost men of the town. 
 
 W^ 
 
 ILLIAM W. MINER, Secretary and 
 Treasurer of the New Process Nail 
 Company of Torrington, Conn., was 
 born in New London, Conn., September 27, 
 1841. He is the son of David C. and Abigail 
 (Mason) Miner, and comes of old Colonial 
 stock on both sides of the family. The 
 Miners were among the original settlers of 
 New London, locating there in 1638, when it 
 was called Pequot Harbor. According toCalk- 
 ins's History of Connecticut the first male 
 child born in New London was Manasseh 
 Miner, and from that time to the present the 
 succeeding generations were all born in New 
 London. Nathaniel Miner, the grandfather of 
 William W. Miner, was born in 1785. He 
 was a contractor and builder, and had a large 
 business, filling contracts in New London and 
 along the coast, including a considerable 
 amount of government work. He died in New 
 London at the age of eighty-three. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Elizabeth Thomas, 
 was a daughter of John and Elizabeth Thomas, 
 of New London. This family is one of the 
 oldest in the place, the earliest ancestors hav- 
 ing settled there in Colonial times. Grand- 
 mother Miner lived to be eighty-two years of 
 age. 
 
 David C. Miner was the third of eight 
 children. He was reared in New London, 
 was master or captain of different vessels, was 
 connected with the United States Navy, and 
 with the Naval Academy during the war. He 
 is now living in New London, retired from 
 business life, and, though seventy-nine years 
 of age, is still active. His wife was the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 403 
 
 daughter of Wilson and Mary (Davis) Mason, 
 of New London. Wilson Mason was a direct 
 descendant of John Mason, a prominent man in 
 New London in Colonial times, whose name 
 has passed into history on account of his diplo- 
 matic dealings with the Indians. Wilson 
 Mason served in the War of 1812, and other 
 members of the family took an active part in 
 the Revolution. He lived to be eighty-two 
 years of age, in that respect being no exception 
 to the general rule, as each member of the 
 family lived over eighty years. His wife also, 
 whose maiden name was Mary Davis, belonged 
 to one of the old families, her ancestors having 
 migrated from Long Island to New London in 
 1665. Mr. and Mrs. Mason were the parents 
 of seven children. Mrs. Miner died in New 
 London at the age of sixty-three, having reared 
 six children. Only two of them, the subject 
 of this sketch and George D., of Providence, 
 R.I., are now living. Both parents were 
 members of the Methodist church in New 
 London. 
 
 William W. Miner received his education 
 in the schools of New London, ending his 
 studies at the high school. At sixteen he 
 began to learn the machinist's trade. After 
 serving an apprenticeship of three years he 
 entered the army, enlisting in 1861 as a three 
 months' volunteer, under Captain Edward 
 Chapman, in the Second Connecticut Regi- 
 ment, commanded by Colonel Alfred H. 
 Terry, afterward General Terry. At the expi- 
 ration of his term of service Mr. Miner went 
 into business as a contractor for gun work in 
 the army, and was thus engaged until the close 
 of the war. He then returned to New Lon- 
 don, and, entering the employ of the New 
 London Horseshoe Nail Company, in the 
 course of time rose to the position of superin- 
 tendent, which he occupied two years. He 
 subsequently spent some time in Chicago in 
 
 the employ of the North-western Nail Com- 
 pany, and was ten years superintendent of the 
 Globe Nail Company in Boston. Mr. Miner 
 then went abroad for the purpose of establish- 
 ing horseshoe nail companies in Sweden, Rus- 
 sia, Germany, and England, returning to 
 forward machinery and men from Boston to 
 superintend the work. His next move was 
 to New Haven, where, associated with C. S. 
 Mersick, he became manager and part owner of 
 the New Haven Horseshoe Nail Company. 
 He subsequently sold this plant to a company 
 in Sweden ; and he then came to Torrington 
 and assisted in establishing the New Process 
 Nail Company of Torrington, the "new proc- 
 ess" of manufacturing a fine grade of horse- 
 shoe nails being his invention. Of this 
 company he is now secretary and treasurer. 
 Mr. Miner is secretary and treasurer of several 
 other companies, and a member of the firm of 
 Miner & Peck Manufacturing Company of New 
 Haven, Conn., who manufacture drop presses 
 and drop forging. 
 
 Mr. Miner was married in 1862 to Sarah 
 Gardner, of New London, Conn., daughter of 
 Roswell and Eunice (Harris) Gardner, natives 
 of New London. Mr. Gardner's parents be- 
 longed in Wickford, R. I. ; and Mrs. Gardner 
 belonged to one of the old families of New 
 London. They reared four chiMren. The 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Miner was blessed by 
 three children, two of whom are living, Louis 
 G. and Curtis A. The former is clerk in the 
 Colophitt Manufacturing Company of New 
 Haven, Conn. ; the latter is a clerk in the 
 employ of his father. Mr. Miner is a Repub- 
 lican in his political views. He is a member 
 of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Union 
 Lodge of New London, Conn., and also to the 
 Chapter and the Commandery and to Pyramid 
 Temple (Shrine) of Bridgeport. He is a 
 member of the association of Knights and 
 
404 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Ladies of Honor of Boston, and of the Ancient 
 Order of United Worl<men of New Haven. 
 With his family he attends the Congregational 
 church. Mr. Miner is well versed in me- 
 chanics, and, with ambition, good judgment, 
 and a remarkable capacity for business, he has 
 established a reputation that is world-wide. 
 
 -QHN H. HALL, one of the most pro- 
 gressive farmers of the Lower Mer- 
 ryall District in' the town of New 
 Milford, was born in New Marlboro, Berkshire 
 County, Mass., September 24, 1835, son of 
 George and Cynthia (Fargo) Hall. Mr. 
 Hall's father was a native and a lifelong resi- 
 dent of New Marlboro, where he was a pros- 
 perous farmer during the active period of his 
 life. He was energetic and industrious, an 
 intelligent and useful citizen, and a stanch 
 Republican in politics. He lived to the age 
 of seventy-three. His wife, who was a daugh- 
 ter of Moses Fargo, became the mother of 
 eleven children, namely : Merrick G. ; Will- 
 iam A. ; Caroline C. ; Wallace W. ; Jane M. ; 
 Abraham; Warren B. ; Milton D. ; Eleanor; 
 John H., the subject of this sketch; and 
 James M. The mother lived to the age of 
 seventy-four years. 
 
 John H. Hall received his education in 
 Monterey, Mass. ; and at the age of nineteen 
 he went to California, where he was success- 
 fully engaged in mining for nearly eight years. 
 He then returned East, and after his marriage 
 rented some land in Dover Plains, where he 
 was engaged in the cultivation of tobacco for 
 six years. For the succeeding seven years he 
 followed general farming and tobacco-raising 
 in the towns of Amenia and Kent, this county. 
 In 1876 he settled in New Milford and pur- 
 chased the farm of Captain F. Bennett, sit- 
 uated in the Lower Merryall District, which 
 
 consists of one hundred and fifty acres of finely 
 located land; and there he has since resided. 
 He has improved the property by erecting new 
 buildings and remodelling the old ones, and 
 by bringing his land to such a high state of 
 cultivation that he now produces some of the 
 best crops in the valley. He is interested 
 quite extensively in dairying. For this busi- 
 ness he keeps a herd of twenty-five choice Ayr- 
 shire cows; while his cooling-room and' other 
 facilities for producing a superior quality of 
 butter are of the latest improved design. He 
 is by nature a tireless worker; and during the 
 earlier part of his agricultural experience he 
 owned a thrashing machine, which he oper- 
 ated in his spar'e time for the farmers of his 
 locality. In politics he is a Republican. He 
 has always manifested a lively interest in pub- 
 lic affairs, and he is well qualified for public 
 office. He was a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen for two terms, besides holding 
 other town offices, in all of which he has 
 rendered able and valuable services to the 
 community. 
 
 On November 4, 1863, Mr. Hall was united 
 in marriage to Frances J. Clark, daughter of 
 William and Eunice Clark, and has seven 
 children, as follows: George C, who was born 
 October 22, 1864, married to Lucy Kendricks, 
 and has three children, named John H., Har- 
 old, and Eunice; Ellen A., born May 5, 
 1866, married to William Stone, and has three 
 children, namely — Anna F., Marion E., and 
 Clarence; Evelyn L., born January 16, 1869, 
 married to William Kenney, and has two chil- 
 dren, named Raymond and Elizabeth; Lillian 
 I., born September i, 1871, wife of William 
 Pomeroy; John H., Jr., born December 17, 
 1873, who married Kittie Barley; Milton D., 
 born March 12, 1879; and T. Susan, born 
 December 25, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Hall are 
 members of the Baptist church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 405 
 
 RSON E. CARTWRIGHT, an ex- 
 tensive farmer of Woodbury and a 
 self-made man, was born in Sharon, 
 Litchfield County, September 8, 1840, son of 
 David S. and Nancy (Howard) Cartwright. 
 The family is of early Colonial origin. Mr. 
 Cartwright' s grandparents were Anson and 
 Mary (Smith) Cartwright, the former of whom 
 was a native of Sharon, where he became a 
 prosperous farmer and stock dealer. He was 
 a Democrat in politics, and a Methodist in his 
 religious views. Both he and his wife lived 
 to an advanced age. Their children were: 
 Ansel, Watson, David S. , Laura, Matilda, 
 Mary, and Emily. 
 
 David S. Cartwright, Mr. Cartwright' s 
 father, was born in Sharon and reared to agri- 
 cultural life. When a young man he bought 
 a farm, and cultivated it successfully for many 
 years. In the course of time he increased its 
 extent to two hundred acres. At the age of 
 fifty-five years he sold it and invested his capi- 
 tal in Western land. He purchased a comfort- 
 able residence in Sharon, where he resided in 
 retirement for the rest of his life, and died at 
 the age of eighty-one years. He supported 
 the Democratic party in politics, and was 
 prominently identified with public affairs in 
 Sharon. He served as First Selectman for 
 several years, also as Justice of the Peace and 
 in other town offices; and he represented his 
 town in the legislature. His first wife became 
 the mother of eight children, namely: Caro- 
 line; Anson; Helen; Emily; Louise; Orson 
 E., the subject of this sketch; Mary, who died 
 young; and Nancy. She died at the age of 
 fifty-four, and he wedded for his second wife 
 Cynthia Rogers. He was a Universalist in 
 his religious views. 
 
 Orson E. Cartwright commenced his educa- 
 tion in the district schools of Sharon, and 
 completed his studies at the Amenia Semi- 
 
 nary. Beginning at the age of eighteen to 
 teach school in the locality, he followed that 
 occupation successfully for twenty-five winter 
 terms. He occupied his summers in farming, 
 and also engaged in burning charcoal in the 
 towns of Canaan, Salisbury, and Roxbury. 
 Later he became a pedler, selling merchandise 
 by wholesale to country store-keepers. In 
 1878 he settled in the town of Woodbury, 
 where he purchased the estate of B. Peck, a 
 farm of one hundred and fifteen acres. This 
 property he improved to a considerable extent, 
 erecting a new barn and creamery, and remod- 
 elling the other buildings. He subsequently 
 bought the Benjamin C. Peck property, erected 
 a new house upon it, and has since resided 
 there. The old farm is now occupied by his 
 son, Howard C. , with whom he is interested 
 in business. His chief occupation is dairying. 
 In his political views he is a Democrat. He 
 has held various important offices in the town, 
 and has been a School Visitor for some years. 
 He is a member of King Solomon Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., and was one of the founders 
 of the Grange in Woodbury, of which he was 
 the first Master. 
 
 On November 10, 1869, Mr. Cartwright was 
 united in marriage to Margaret F. Frost, 
 daughter of Alonzo C. and Sara J. (Peck) 
 Frost. Mrs. Cartwright' s grandparents, Lewis 
 and Abiah (Keeler) Frost, were among the 
 early settlers and prosperous residents of 
 Bridgewater, Conn. Her father, Alonzo C. 
 Frost, married for his first wife Sarah Bris- 
 tow, and for his second wife Sara J. Peck, 
 who was a daughter of Ephraim Peck. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Cartwright have two children,, 
 namely: Howard C, who was born September 
 13, 1872; and Edith M., who was born Sep- 
 tember 4, 1883. Howard C. Cartwright was 
 married on October 9, 1895, to Clara T. 
 Miner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
 
4o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Miner, of Woodbury, who are descendants of 
 original settlers of that town. Mr. Cartwright 
 is a man of much public spirit, and occupies a 
 prominent position among the well-to-do resi- 
 dents of Woodbury. Both he and his wife are 
 Episcopalians. 
 
 "AMILTON B. GRISWOLD, M.D., 
 prominent physician of New Mil- 
 ford and a veteran of the Civil 
 War, was born in Uxbridge, Mass., April 28, 
 1847, son of Ralph B. and Eliza (Butler) Gris- 
 wold. Horace Griswold, father of Ralph B. , 
 was born in Enfield, Conn., and was a prosper- 
 ous farmer of that town, where he passed his 
 entire life. He married a Miss Bidwell, by 
 whom he had seven children, as follows: 
 James, Allen, Ralph B., Gilbert G., Matilda 
 Maria, Delia, and Lora. 
 
 Ralph B. Griswold when a young man en- 
 tered the ready-made clothing business, which 
 he followed successfully in various places for 
 forty years. He then engaged in buying wool 
 through the Western States for the Boston 
 market, following that business profitably 
 until 1868, at which time he retired from 
 active pursuits, and now resides with his son. 
 He invested extensively in Western land, and 
 at the present time owns large tracts in Min- 
 nesota and Tennessee. He is a Republican in 
 politics, and has been a member of the Ma- 
 sonic fraternity since early manhood. His 
 wife, Eliza Butler, who was a daughter of 
 Berzalda B. and Catherine Butler, became the 
 mother of four children, as follows: Hamilton 
 B., the subject of this sketch; William 
 Arthur, who married Rosa Day, and resides 
 in Kent; Nellie, wife of Edward Allen, of 
 Newton ; and Lora, who died young. Mrs. 
 Eliza B. Griswold died at the age of fifty- 
 seven. 
 
 Hamilton B. Griswold attended the district 
 schools, where he obtained a knowledge of the 
 ordinary branches of education there taught. 
 In August, 1862, in his sixteenth year, he 
 enlisted as a private in Company K, Sixth 
 Connecticut Regiment, and served nine months 
 in the Civil War, at the expiration of which 
 time he returned home, and was thereafter en- 
 gaged with his father in the wool business 
 until 1872. He then began the study of medi- 
 cine with Dr. Kimball, of Lowell, Mass., 
 afterward pursuing a course at the Chicago 
 Medical College, later attending the medical 
 department of the University of Vermont, from 
 which he was graduated with the class of 1885 ; 
 and in 1887 he settled in Gaylordsville, 
 Conn., where he conducted a good practice for 
 two years. In 1889 he moved to New Mil- 
 ford, where he has since continued actively 
 and successfully engaged in the duties of his 
 profession, at the present time occupying an 
 office in the W. B. Allen Block on Bank 
 Street. He has recently purchased a valuable 
 lot at the corner of Main Street and Whittle- 
 sey Avenue, one of the most desirable loca- 
 tions in the village, where he has already 
 erected a barn, and contemplates building a 
 substantial residence in the near future. He 
 is a member of the State Medical Society; of 
 St. Paul's Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; of Housa- 
 tonic Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and of the 
 Knights of Honor, of which he is Medical 
 Examiner. 
 
 Dr. Griswold has been twice married. On 
 August 5, 1874, he wedded for his first wife 
 Mary McLaughlin, and by this union has had 
 two children, namely: Gertrude A., who died 
 at the age of seven years; and James A., who 
 was born in February, 1876. He married for 
 his second wife Cora H. Brown, daughter of 
 Lyman and Harriet Brown, and has had three 
 children, as follows: Frank, who died in in- 
 
H. B. GRISWOLD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 409 
 
 fancy; Elfreda H., born in 1893; and Mona, 
 born in 1895. 
 
 Dr. Griswold is an exceedingly busy practi- 
 tioner, having won an enviable reputation in 
 New Milford and the adjacent towns. His 
 likeness will be recognized on the page oppo- 
 site the beginning of this brief notice of his 
 family and of his professional career to the 
 present date. 
 
 rAMES F. MORRISSEY, a prosperous 
 farmer and a leading tobacco grower of 
 Gaylordsville, in the town of New Mil- 
 ford, was born in the locality' known as Stil- 
 son's Hill, March 11, 1851, son of Timothy 
 and Bridget (Welch) Morrissey. Mr. Morris- 
 sey's parents, who were natives of County Tip- 
 perary, Ireland, emigrated to the United States 
 in 1840, and settled in New Milford, where 
 they successfully engaged in agriculture. He 
 was a capable and industrious farmer, and won 
 the respect of his neighbors. He labored per- 
 severingly during the active period of his life, 
 and died in 1893, aged eighty-one years. His 
 first wife, Bridget (Welch) Morrissey, died in 
 1855, aged forty-five years, leaving five chil- 
 dren, as follows: John, Nora, James F., Mary 
 A., and Edward. He married for his second 
 wife Mrs. Mary Cavenaugh, who bore him two 
 children, namely: Julia (deceased) and Anna. 
 James F. Morrissey was reared to farming, 
 and in early manhood purchased a farm sit- 
 uated upon Long Mountain. ' He remodelled 
 the house, built a new barn, and otherwise 
 improved the property, upon which he resided 
 for four years. He then sold the farm and 
 bought the homestead of eighty acres which 
 was formerly the property of A. Gaylord, and 
 began the cultivation of tobacco. This branch 
 of agriculture proving profitable, he has since 
 added the farms of F. Sturgis and A. Knapp, 
 
 containing respectively fifty-five acres and one 
 hundred and thirty acres, making various 
 improvements upon the buildings. He has 
 spacious storage and dry houses, and is one of 
 the largest growers and packers of tobacco in 
 his section, disposing, as he does, of about 
 three hundred and fifty cases annually. He 
 conducts a large dairy, keeping about forty 
 cows; and he has five horses, besides several 
 oxen, all of which are employed about the 
 farm. 
 
 On April 7, 1880, Mr. Morrissey was 
 united in marriage to Kattie Rodgers, daugh- 
 ter of Patrick and Catherine (McBreen) Rodg- 
 ers, both natives of Ireland, who emigrated 
 to the United States in 1846. Patrick Rodg- 
 ers became engaged in teaming in New York 
 City, where he carried on a successful business 
 for some years. He later moved to Pawling, 
 N. Y., and from there to South Dover, where 
 he bought a large farm, which he conducted 
 for the remainder of his life. He died in 
 1893, aged seventy-five years. His wife be- 
 came the mother of eight children, namely: 
 Anna, Catherine, John, Mary E. , Charles, 
 Philip, Susan, and Kattie. The mother 
 died in 1889, aged sixty-one years. Mr. Mor- 
 rissey's energy and ability as a farmer are well 
 known throughout the community in which he 
 lives. He is now enjoying a good share of 
 prosperity as the result of his labor. He is 
 a Republican in politics, and attends the 
 Roman Catholic church. 
 
 W" 
 
 ILLIS G. FRENCH, of Thomas- 
 who is employed by the Plume 
 & Atwood Company as a caster of 
 rich metal, was born in Thomaston, July 26, 
 1857, son of Asahel and Huldah (Churchill) 
 French. 
 
 His father, who was a native of Oxford, 
 
410 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Conn., spent the early years of his life there 
 and in the town of Litchfield, receiving his 
 education in the common school. He was 
 first engaged to work on a farm by the month, 
 but later he purchased and cultivated a small 
 place in Northfield. Meeting with good suc- 
 cess he was able to rent, and subsequently in 
 1856 to buy, a larger farm on Walnut Hill in 
 Thomaston. From time to time he added to 
 this ]Dlace until he was the owner of over three 
 hundred acres at the time of his death. He 
 became prosperous, and came to be a well- 
 known and highly respected citizen of that 
 community. He died there at sixty-nine years 
 of age. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Huldah Churchill, was born in the western 
 part of Litchfield County, in the town of 
 Litchfield. Her father was one of the pioneer 
 settlers of that county. He was twice mar- 
 ried; and she was the only daughter born of 
 his union with her mother, who was loved 
 and respected by all who knew her. She bore 
 her husband four sons and three daughters, and 
 six are still living, namely: Hiram, a success- 
 ful agriculturist of Northfield, Conn. ; Han- 
 nah, who married Franklin Perkins; Asa, 
 residing in Northfield; Willis G., of this 
 sketch ; Ralph, employed as a caster by the 
 Plume & Atwood Company; and Martha, the 
 wife of B. Stone, of Torrington. The mother 
 is now making her home with her son, Ralph 
 French. She is an attendant of the Methodist 
 church. In political views he was a Demo- 
 crat, and took an active interest in all the 
 affairs of his town. He served as Selectman 
 for several years, and also as a member of the 
 School Committee. 
 
 Willis G. French lived with his parents 
 until he attained his majority, receiving a 
 practical education in the common school, but 
 devoting his attention to farm work out of 
 school hours. He then obtained a situation 
 
 with the Plume & Atwood Company as a yard 
 hand, after which he worked as a helper with 
 a caster for two and a half years. He next 
 engaged as a caster of brass, and then he be- 
 came a caster of rich metal, and now he makes 
 a specialty of German silver, plater's metal, 
 rivet wire, and similar products, all of which 
 rec|uire a high grade of workmanship. 
 
 On December 31, 1879, he was joined in 
 marriage with Miss Emma Warner P'oster, an 
 adopted daughter of Rufus Foster, of Van 
 Buren, Onondaga County, N. Y. , where her 
 father was one of the most successful agricult- 
 urists of that section. Their union has been 
 brightened by the birth of a son, Leroy 
 French, thirteen years of age. In political 
 issues Mr. F"rench casts his vote with the 
 Democratic party, but has never been a seeker 
 of official position. In 1892 he was elected a 
 Director of the Thomaston Savings Bank, and 
 he is also a Director of the Knife Company. 
 He is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, of which his wife is an active mem- 
 ber. They reside in the residence which he 
 erected in 1881, and which is located on Jud- 
 son Street, overlooking the village. 
 
 JEFaTHER T. F. BANNON, the priest 
 JJ'Ij, in charge of the Lakeville Catholic 
 Church, St. Patrick's of Falls Village, 
 and St. Joseph's at Canaan, Conn., was born 
 in Winsted, Litchfield County, Conn:, January 
 14, 1864. Timothy Bannon, his father, was 
 borfi in Ireland, whence he emigrated to 
 America many years ago. He married Miss 
 Catherine Garraghty, a daughter of James Gar- 
 raghty. Their union was blessed by the birth 
 of six children; namely, William,. James, 
 T. F., Mary, Rose, and Frank. 
 
 p-ather T. F. Bannon in his boyhood at- 
 tended the parochial schools of Winsted, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 411 
 
 taught by the Sisters of St. Francis. Subse- 
 quently deciding to enter the priesthood, he 
 took a theological course at the St. Bonavent- 
 ure College and Seminary, of Allegany, N.Y., 
 from which he graduated in 1889. That same 
 year he came to Lakeville as assistant to 
 Father Fox, and was continued as assistant to 
 the latter' s successor, Father Donahue. At 
 Father Donahue's death, in 1891, he took 
 charge of the Lakeville Church, also of St. 
 Patrick's at Falls Village, and St. Joseph's at 
 Canaan, Conn. Although the duties con- 
 nected with his charge are so numerous and 
 his parish extends over so large a territory, 
 everything is accomplished with commendable 
 despatch, ajid he is much esteemed and beloved 
 by his many parishioners. 
 
 ']r|GBERT T. BUTLER, of Norfolk, prin- 
 P cipal promoter of the Connecticut 
 Western Railroad, was born in Plym- 
 outh, Conn., December 21, 181 3, son of Cal- 
 vin and Rosanna (Phelps) Butler, and grand- 
 son of Nathan Butler. Mr. Butler's father 
 was born in Wolcott, New Haven County, and 
 after completing his education studied law. 
 He became a prominent lawyer of Plymouth, 
 where he practised his profession for over 
 forty years, and was a Judge for several terms. 
 He died in Plymouth, aged seventy-three 
 years. He married for his first wife Rosanna 
 Phelps, daughter of Jedediah Phelps, of Nor- 
 folk; and his children by this union were: 
 Mary, Charles, Ann, Calvin R., James A., 
 Egbert T., and Alonzo. His first wife died 
 at the age of thirty-four; and he wedded for 
 his second wife Mary Ann Nickelson, daugh- 
 ter of Angus Nickelson, of New Milford. 
 She died, having had six children ; namely, 
 Malcolm A., John A., Helen R., Robert H., 
 Malcolm N., and Margaret. 
 
 Egbert T. Butler was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of Plymouth. In 1841 he estab- 
 lished his residence in Norfolk, where he has 
 since resided, and has become a prominent 
 business man and a leading citizen. He rep- 
 resented his district in the legislature for sev- 
 eral terms. He is, perhaps, more especially 
 known for his connection with the building of 
 the Connecticut Western Railroad; and he has 
 been called the father of that enterprise. He 
 first agitated the scheme in 1866; and though 
 surrounded by many difficulties he at length 
 succeeded by his own personal efforts in secur- 
 ing a survey, which brought the project into 
 public notice and finally cleared the way for 
 the completion of the road. It is considered 
 by those best informed that to Mr. Butler's 
 -steady perseverance and persistent efforts is 
 due the ultimate success of the undertaking. 
 The citizens of Norfolk at a public meeting 
 held in the interests of the road on Sfeptember 
 12, 1870, manifested their appreciation of his 
 services by presenting him with a handsome 
 gold watch, suitably engraved. After he suc- 
 ceeded in procuring a survey, Mr. Butler was 
 sent to the legislature in 1866, for the purpose 
 of forwarding the interests of the road and 
 securing a charter, and during that session he 
 was appointed chairman of the House Com- 
 mittee upon Railroads. On October 20, 1869, 
 Mr. Butler broke ground for the road by up- 
 lifting the first shovelful of earth in Winsted. 
 He subsequently drove the last spike which 
 completed the road. He was a director of the 
 corporation from its organization, and for sev- 
 eral years his concentrated energies have been 
 devoted to the development and success of the 
 road. 
 
 Mr. Butler has been twice married. On 
 May I, 1839, he was wedded to Jeannette 
 Porter. She died December 23, 1862, leav- 
 ing one son and one daughter, namely : Egbert 
 
412 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 J., who resides in Buffalo, N.Y. ; and Harriet 
 R., who died November 17, 1877. On Janu- 
 ary 17, 1864, Mr. Butler married for his sec- 
 ond wife Celia E. Hall, of Sandisfield, Mass. ; 
 and the children by this union are: Jeannette 
 L. and Charlotte. Mr. Butler occupies one of 
 the finest estates in Litchfield County. It is 
 situated near the line which separates Litch- 
 field County from .Berkshire County, Massa- 
 chusetts, and it is elevated fourteen hundred 
 feet above the level of the sea. The house 
 was erected in 1792. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE H. JOHNSON, of East Mor- 
 Vp I ris, proprietor of the general store in 
 which the post-office is located, was 
 born in Morris, April i, 1869, son of Francis 
 and Statira (Judson) Johnson. Mr. Johnson's 
 grandfather, Henry Johnson, was a native 
 and lifelong resident of Watertown, Conn. 
 Throughout his life he was engaged in farm- 
 ing, which yielded him a good income. He 
 married Lydia Wattles, and raised a family of 
 three children, who were: Francis; Eliza, 
 who became Mrs. Hayes; and Lucy, who be- 
 came Mrs. Turkington. Francis Johnson, Mr. 
 Johnson's father, who was born in Watertown 
 in 1834, moved to Morris in 1867, and is now 
 engaged in farming, which has been the prin- 
 cipal occupation of his life. He is energetic 
 and industrious, and is prominent among the 
 successful farmers of Morris. His wife, a 
 daughter of Vincent Judson, of Woodbury, has 
 reared two children, namely: George H., the 
 subject of this sketch; and Sallie. 
 
 George H. Johnson received his education 
 in the public schools of his native town and 
 at the Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, Mass. 
 Upon the completion of his studies he entered 
 mercantile life as a clerk. He continued in 
 that capacity for a few years, when he seized 
 
 what he deemed a favorable opportunity to 
 enter business on his own account, by purchas- 
 ing a store in East Morris. This he has 
 profitably conducted since. He is a progres- 
 sive and careful business man, possessing a 
 good knowledge of what his customers want in 
 this line of general merchandise, and so able 
 to hold and increase the Hberal patronage he 
 has attracted. The post-office, which was es- 
 tablished in East Morris during President 
 Cleveland's first administration, was originally 
 located in this store, where it still remains. 
 Mr. Johnson is a Republican in politics, and 
 has served with marked ability as Town Clerk 
 since May, 1893. Fie is a member of St. 
 Paul's Lodge, A. F. & A. M. In 1892 Mr. 
 Johnson was united in marriage to Marion 
 Page, daughter of George Page, of Morris, 
 and has one daughter, named Mary Gladys. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson attend the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 "CJlBERT p. ROBERTS, of Litchfield, a 
 Jpl lawyer, notary public. Justice of the 
 Peace, Town Auditor, Registrar of 
 Voters, Secretary of the School- Committee, 
 and a grand juror, entered upon the stage of 
 life October 29, 1863, son of Elbert G. Rob- 
 erts, who was born in Cornwall, this county. 
 His paternal grandfather, Peter Roberts, who 
 was born in Cornwall and passed all his life in 
 that town, yvas a tavern-keeper and a prosper- 
 ous farmer. His farm was situated in a part 
 of the town known as "Roberts Hill," where 
 he resided until his death, at the age of forty- 
 six years. He married Johanna Wooster, the 
 daughter of pioneer settlers of Goshen. She 
 is still living, an active and bright old lady of 
 ninety-two years, making her home with her 
 grandson, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Elbert G. Roberts was the only child born 
 
WALTER BURNHAM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 41S 
 
 to his parents. He acquired his elementary 
 education in the district schools, and was sub- 
 sequently graduated from the Wesleyan Uni- 
 versity at Middletown. After his graduation 
 he went to his mother, then residing in St. 
 Louis, Mo., with her second husband. In 
 that city he entered business, first as a whole- 
 sale dealer and later as a retail dealer, and 
 met with success for some time. In 1861 he 
 returned to Litchfield County, settling in the 
 town of Litchfield, and engaging in the manu- 
 facture of cotton yarn for ten or more years in 
 Goshen. He died at the age of sixty-two 
 years. He married a Southern girl, Virginia 
 Kerr, the daughter of a large cotton planter, 
 and they reared a family of five children, as 
 follows: Helen, who resides with Elbert P.; 
 George, a graduate of Hobart College and of 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons at 
 New York, who is now a practising physician 
 at Attleboro, Mass. ; Anna, a teacher in 
 Duluth, in a school connected with the Chi- 
 cago University; John, an extensive farmer in 
 Illinois; and Elbert P., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother is still living with her 
 youngest son in Litchfield. She is a woman 
 of great personal worth, belonging to the Con- 
 gregational church, of which her husband was 
 also a member. 
 
 Elbert P. Roberts acquired his early knowl- 
 edge of books at the district schools, and after- 
 ward attended a well-known private school. 
 When quite young Mr. Roberts first studied 
 law with Chief Justice Andrews, and then 
 with Mr. Hickox, a prominent lawyer of 
 Litchfield. Having been admitted to the bar 
 in 1884, he has practised his chosen profession 
 in his native town with a good measure of suc- 
 cess, having won a fair share of patronage. In 
 addition to his law work he is also interested 
 in real, estate, doing a fair business in buying 
 and selling. Mr. Roberts affiliates with the 
 
 Democratic party, being an earnest advocate 
 of its principles and influential in its ranks. 
 He is a member of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 11, 
 A. F. & A. M. ; of Darius Chapter, No. 16, 
 Royal Arch Masons; and of Buel Council. 
 He attends the Episcopal chijrch. 
 
 "f'SjypjAJOR WALTER BURNHAM, a 
 F I I commercial traveller residing in 
 <-l 4L? V.__^ Washington, Litchfield County, 
 Conn., and a veteran of the Civil War, was 
 born in New Preston, Conn., August 19, 1832, 
 son of Daniel and Laura (Patterson) Burnjiam. 
 Mr. Burnham's father was born in East Hart- 
 ford, Conn., in 1802. He learned the trades 
 of blacksmith and stone cutter, and settling in 
 Washington when he was twenty-nine years of 
 age he followed these occupations for many 
 years. He finally engaged in the manufacture 
 of twine, which he conducted successfully in 
 New Preston during the remainder of his 
 active period. He died in 1886, aged eighty- 
 four years. His wife, Laura Patterson, who 
 was a daughter of Nehemiah Patterson, of 
 Washington, became the mother of three chil- 
 dren, namely : Walter, the subject of this 
 sketch ; Harriet ; and Dayton. Mrs. Laura P. 
 Burnham died at the age of sixty-two years, in 
 
 1873- 
 
 Walter Burnham began his studies in the 
 
 district schools of New Preston, and completed 
 his education at the New Britain Academy. 
 He was for some time engaged in the twine 
 business with his father; but in 1868 he be- 
 came a commercial traveller, and has since 
 been employed in that capacity, his business 
 headquarters being in Bridgeport, Conn. 
 Early during the Civil War of 1861-65 he en- 
 listed as a private in Company H, Nineteenth 
 Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, in 
 which he served three years, gaining a most 
 
4i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 honorable record, being promoted, step by 
 step, to the rank of Captain, and finally bre- 
 vetted Major. 
 
 In 1858 Major Burnham was united in mar- 
 riage to Edna Smith, daughter of Rufus and 
 Sally A. (Bacon) Smith, of Washington. He 
 is a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 26, 
 A. F. & A. M., and a comrade of Upton Post, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, of New Milford. 
 
 His portrait is herewith presented. 
 
 bj'RANK H. HOTCHKISS, the capable 
 Jjl, and efficient superintendent of the 
 movement department in the factory of 
 the Seth Thomas Company, Thomaston, was 
 born in Thomaston, on October 11, 1847, son 
 of Henry S. and Hannah A. (Trowbridge) 
 Hotchkiss. Thg first member of this family 
 to settle in this country was Samuel Hotch- 
 kiss, who came from Essex, England, to New 
 Haven, Conn., in 1641, being among the 
 earliest settlers of that community. For the 
 most part this family and their descendants 
 have resided in Connecticut, one branch mak- 
 ing its home in Sharon. 
 
 The great-great-grandfather, Gideon Hotch- 
 kiss, settled in Waterbury, Conn., in 1736. 
 He served as Captain in the Revolutionary 
 War, and also took part in the French and 
 Indian War. He was the father of nineteen 
 children, had one hundred and five grandchil- 
 dren, one hundred and fifty-five great-grand- 
 children, and lived to see four children of the 
 fifth generation. His son Asahel, the father 
 of Asahel A., became the head of the Sharon 
 branch of the family; and his son Augustus 
 was the father of the inventor of the well- 
 known Hotchkiss gun. Another son, Titus, 
 was the great-grandfather of Frank H., of 
 this sketch. William Hotchkiss, son of 
 Titus, was born in Prospect, Conn., in 1784. 
 
 He gave his attention to agricultural pur- 
 suits; and, on attaining his majority, he re- 
 moved to Watertown, Conn., where he spent 
 his life in farming. He died in 1858, 
 seventy-four years of age. Although he was 
 twice married, his five children were born of 
 his first union, which was with Miss Lucy 
 Atwood. 
 
 Henry S. Hotchkiss spent his early days on 
 his father's farm. He • subsequently went to 
 work in Hoadley's Clock Factory at Plym- 
 outh. After a time he left there to accept a 
 position in the case-making department of the 
 Seth Thomas Clock Company. This firm em- 
 ployed him up to the time of his death, in 
 1884, a period of between forty and forty-five 
 years. Fie was seventy-three years old when 
 he died. His wife was born in Cornwall, 
 Conn., where her father, Joel Trowbridge, 
 followed the twofold occupation of a miller 
 and cooper. Their union was blessed by the 
 birth of two sons, namely: William H., a 
 clock - maker in the factory of which his 
 brother is superintendent; and Frank H. 
 Their mother died in the fifty-seventh year of 
 her age. Both parents were connected with 
 the Congregational church of Thomaston. 
 
 Frank H. Hotchkiss has always lived in 
 the house where he now resides. He ob- 
 tained a good practical education in the com- 
 mon schools. When fifteen years of age he 
 went to work in the clock factory. In the 
 course of time, as he became familiar with the 
 various departments of the work, he was pro- 
 moted to the position of foreman of one of 
 the rooms. Finally, in 1884, having served 
 as foreman for ten years, he was given full 
 charge of the two factories which make up the 
 movement department of this great business 
 enterprise. He still holds this position, 
 which he has filled with credit to himself and 
 satisfaction to his employers. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 417 
 
 la November, 1870, he was joined in mar- 
 riage with Miss H. Abbie Todd, daughter of 
 Almon Todd, of Cornwall, where she was 
 born. They have two children: Eva F. and 
 Harold DeWolf. In politics Mr. Hotchkiss 
 is a Republican. Among the organizations 
 of which he is a member are: Union Lodge, 
 No. 96, A. F. & A. M.; Granite Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons; Franklyn Lodge, No. 
 42, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and 
 Columbian Encampment, No. 30, in which 
 he has held the various offices of the Lodge. 
 He and Mrs. Hotchkiss are communicants of 
 Trinity Episcopal Church of Thomaston, and 
 she is actively interested in the various socie- 
 ties of that body. 
 
 iDWIN E. CLARK, a business man of 
 New Hartford, was born in Winchester, 
 Conn., January 24, 1833, son of Joel 
 and Candace (Bown) Clark. Mr. Clark's 
 father was born in Bloomfield, Conn., and was 
 reared to agricultural pursuits. He resided 
 with his parents during his earlier years, but 
 later settled upon a farm in Winchester, 
 Conn., the cultivation of which yielded him a 
 comfortable income until his death, at the age 
 of sixty-five years. Joel Clark married Can- 
 dace Bown, daughter of Joseph Bown, of Tor- 
 rington. Joseph Bown, who was of English 
 birth, emigrated to America and settled upon 
 a farm in Torrington. Here he passed the re- 
 mainder of his life, and died at the age of 
 seventy-seven years, having raised a family of 
 ten children. Mrs. Joel Clark became the 
 mother of thirteen children, of whom ten grew 
 to maturity, and seven are now living, namely: 
 Lyman, a resident of Washington, Conn. ; 
 Marilla, widow of John Woodruff, of New 
 Hartford; Sidney, a resident of Dakota; Tru- 
 man P., who resides in Goshen; Sabra, who is 
 
 unmarried and. resides in Winsted; Edwin E. , 
 the subject of this sketch; and Amelia H., 
 wife of Luman E. Harris. The mother died 
 in Winchester, aged sixty-two. 
 
 Edwin E. Clark was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and resided with his parents until 
 he reached the age of seventeen. He then 
 went to Torrington, where he learned the trade 
 of a granite cutter and resided for some years. 
 He then worked in Plymputh for four years, 
 after which he went to Waterbury, where he 
 remained for a time. He next settled in New 
 Hartford, and engaged in the manufacture of 
 sugar hogsheads for the West India trade. 
 Having continued in that business some eight 
 years, he sold out and for the next eight years 
 was engaged in the carriage business in the 
 same town. He then became a travelling 
 salesman, in which capacity he was last em- 
 ployed by a water-wheel concern, representing 
 it through the Southern States. In all he 
 spent about eight years on the road. He 
 finally settled upon a farm in Norfolk, Conn., 
 which he cultivated successfully for twelve 
 years. He then sold his farm, and since 1892 
 has lived in the village of New Hartford. 
 Mr. Clark is a Republican in politics, and has 
 been ofificially connected with the Board of 
 Relief. He was made a Mason in New Hart- 
 ford when he was twenty-seven years old, and 
 formerly held some of the offices in the Lodge. 
 He later became a member of Western Star 
 Lodge of Norfolk. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Clark was united in marriage 
 to Ruth A. Benjamin, his first wife. She was 
 born in New Hartford, daughter of David 
 Benjamin, a carpenter of that town, who also 
 was engaged in agriculture. Mr. Clark's first 
 wife having died at the age of forty-six, he 
 subsequently wedded Mrs. Frank Loomis, 
 whose maiden name was Mary E. Pendleton. 
 She is a daughter of Hobart and Emeline 
 
4i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Bailey) Pendleton. Hobart Pendleton, who 
 was a native of Goshen, moved from that town 
 to Norfolk, where he was a prosperous farmer 
 for forty years, and died at the age of seventy- 
 nine. His second wife, also born in Goshen, 
 became the mother of three children, as fol- 
 lows: Schuyler, who enlisted as a private in 
 Company F, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Con- 
 necticut Volunteers, and was killed in the 
 Civil War at the age of twenty-four years; 
 George, who was a member of Company E, 
 Second Regiment, Connecticut Heavy Artil- 
 lery, and was also killed in the war at the age 
 of twenty-three; and Mary E., who is now 
 .Mrs. Clark. The mother died aged sixty- 
 eight years. Mrs. Clark's parents were mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Clark attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 JRY O. WARNER, an extensive 
 land-owner and tobacco dealer of 
 New Milford, Conn., was born in 
 this town, August i8, 1834. He is a son of 
 Henry S. and Eliza (Hill) Warner, and grand- 
 son of Orange and Lucy (Sanford) Warner, 
 whose history will be found in the sketch of 
 Stanley L. Warner on another page of this 
 volume. 
 
 He made his first acquaintance with text- 
 books and lessons in the district schools of 
 New Milford, and subsequently continued his 
 studies at Nine Partners, Dutchess County, 
 N.Y., and the high school at New Britain, 
 Conn. The responsibilities of life were early 
 thrust upon him, for at the age of sixteen he 
 was called upon to assist in the management 
 of his father's farm; and at seventeen and 
 eighteen he took charge of a school in the 
 winter seasons, attending to the work of the 
 farm in the summers. At his father's death 
 he became proprietor of one of the farms his 
 
 father had owned, and immediately took up 
 the culture of tobacco, devoting seven acres to 
 the profitable weed. He was eminently suc- 
 cessful in this branch of agriculture, and has 
 made great improvements on the farm, erect- 
 ing two large tobacco sheds, one one hundred 
 and twenty by thirty-six feet, and the other 
 ninety-six by thirty feet, and remodelling 
 many of the old buildings, besides building a 
 large basement barn three stories high, dimen- 
 sions eighty by thirty-six feet. In 1869 he 
 purchased the Dr. James Hine residence, one 
 of the best on Main Street, which he fitted 
 with modern conveniences, and, building a 
 large warehouse, he engaged in buying and 
 packing tobacco, at the same time conducting 
 another warehouse in Hartford. While living 
 on the farm he was extensively engaged in 
 stock-raising, breeding full-blooded Holstein 
 cattle and blooded horses. He owns some of 
 the finest trotting horses produced in the 
 county, more than one making a record of 
 2. I5>^ ; and at present he has some fine stall- 
 ions and roadsters. 
 
 November 13, 1854, Mr. Warner was mar- 
 ried to Mary J. Briggs, daughter of Willis and 
 Jane (Sherwood) Briggs, of Sherman, Conn. 
 Mrs. Mary J. Warner was born September 6, 
 1832, and died in her twenty-third year. July 
 
 14, 1856, Mr. Warner was married to his first 
 wife's sister, Sarah W., who was born March 
 
 15, 1838, and by this union he has three chil- 
 dren : Fred H., born September 21, 1861, 
 who lives on his father's farm, attending to 
 the stock-raising and tobacco growing, married 
 Minerva L. Irwin, and has two children — 
 Harry B. and Josephine; Mary J., born Feb- 
 ruary 20, 1868, who married C. F. Shoveling, 
 and has two children — Caroline W. and 
 Matilda D. ; and Charles B., born May i, 
 1866, with the firm of Joseph Meyer & Son, 
 tobacco dealers in New York City. 
 
SAMUEL F. CLARK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 421 
 
 Mr. Warner votes the Republican ticket. 
 Though very public-spirited, he has never 
 sought office, but was County Commissioner in 
 1892-93, and has served in various minor offi- 
 cial capacities in the town. He is a member 
 of St. Peter's Lodge, No. 21, A. F. & A. M., 
 which he has served as Master six years, be- 
 longs to the Chapter of New Milford, and is 
 now serving his second term as Most Worship- 
 ful Grand Master of State. 
 
 Mr. Warner is one of the most successful 
 business men of the county, and is a citizen of 
 whom New Milford may well be proud. 
 
 ^^^/Tlliam 
 
 ^^V stantia 
 
 ILLIAM S. WITHERELL, a sub- 
 ial and highly respected citi- 
 zen of Thomaston, Conn., employed 
 as foreman in the rolling-mill of the Plume 
 & Atwood Company at this place, was born in 
 Northampton, Mass., on April 27, 1830. 
 
 Mr. Witherell's father, Erastus Witherell, 
 son of John Witherell, was a native of 
 Chesterfield, Mass., and there spent his early 
 years on his father's farm; but, when he had 
 grown to manhood, he removed to Long 
 Island, and worked at the trade of a stone 
 mason. He afterward returned to Massachu- 
 setts, and settled on a farm in the town of 
 Northampton, where he followed the vocation 
 of an agriculturist throughout the remainder 
 of his active life. He died at seventy-eight 
 years of age. His wife, Phoebe Smith, was a 
 daughter of James Smith, a successful farmer 
 of Flushing, L.I., and was one of a family of 
 sixteen children. Nine children were the 
 fruit of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Erastus 
 Witherell, of whom seven grew to adult life; 
 namely, Miriam, William S., Benjamin, 
 Albert, John, Alphonso, and Eliza J. The 
 mother lived in Northampton up to the time 
 of her death, at seventy-five years of age. 
 
 She was a communicant of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 William S. Witherell spent his boyhood 
 days on a farm in South Hadley, Mass., where 
 he acquired a good common-school education. 
 He began life for himself by working on a 
 farm by the month, and later on he rented a 
 farm at shares. For two years after leaving 
 that place he worked in a paper-mill; and in 
 J 864 he settled in Thomaston, where he has 
 since been engaged in the rolling-mill. By 
 faithfulness and attention to his work he ad- ■ 
 vanced gradually from one department to 
 another until ten years ago he was made fore- 
 man, and has since acted in that capacity with 
 excellent satisfaction to his employers and 
 those under his supervision. 
 
 He was married in 1861 to Miss Emma 
 Smith, a daughter of Harry and Harriet 
 (Moody) Smith. She was born in South 
 Hadley, Mass., where her father, who lived to 
 be eighty-four years old, was a well-known 
 and successful farmer. Her union with Mr. 
 Witherell has been blessed and brightened by 
 the birth of four children, of whom two are 
 now living, namely: Hattie, who married 
 C. A. Dickinson, a successful farmer and 
 milkman of South Hadley, and has six chil- 
 dren—Harry Allen, Willie H., Esther A., 
 Lottie L., Ashley W., and Stanley B. ; and 
 Alice E. Witherell. 
 
 Mr. Witherell casts his vote with the Re- 
 publican party. He is affiliated with Union 
 Lodge; No. 96, A. F. & A. M., of Thomas- 
 ton; and he and his wife are active and in- 
 fluential members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 'AMUEL F. CLARK, a prosperous 
 merchant of Southville, Conn., who 
 has held the office of Postmaster for 
 the past thirteen years, was born in the town 
 
42 2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Bridgewater, August 4, 1834, son of Sam- 
 uel R. and Hetta P. (Evitts) Clark. Mr. 
 Clark's great-grandfather, Daniel Clark, who 
 was a native of Milford, Conn., settled in 
 Northville, * in the town of New Milford, 
 Litchfield County, where he bought a large 
 farm. He married Esther Piatt, and reared 
 six children; namely, Esther, Daniel, Han- 
 nah, Samuel, Abigail, and Sally. Mr. 
 Clark's grandfather, Samuel Clark, inherited 
 a part of his father's property, upon which he 
 settled. He erected a iiew house and other 
 farm buildings; but, after residing there for 
 some years, he moved to Bridgewater Society, 
 and purchasing a farm situated upon Second 
 Hill passed the remainder of his life there as 
 a prosperous farmer. He married Martha 
 Seeley; and their children were : Avis, Polly, 
 Minerva, Selah, Evelyn, Samuel R., Sarah 
 A., and Harriet M. 
 
 Samuel R. Clark was born on his father's 
 farm in New Milford, August 23, iSio. 
 When a young man, he bought the Daniel 
 Booth farm of one hundred acres, situated in 
 Bridgewater; and he erected new buildings- 
 thereon, and otherwise improved the prop- 
 erty. Pie carried on general farming and 
 tobacco-raising with good results, and also 
 engaged in other occupations in connection 
 with agriculture. He was a Democrat in pol- 
 itics, holding some of the minor town offices; 
 and, being a libera] and public-spirited man, 
 he was highly esteemed by all who knew him. 
 He died in 1886. His wife, Hetta P. Evitts, 
 who was born in 1815, daughter of Caleb and 
 Betsey (Thayer) Evitts, became the mother of 
 three children, namely: Samuel P., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Hattie M. ; and Walter 
 R. Mrs. Hetta P. Clark still resides at the 
 homestead, and is bright and active. 
 
 Samuel F. Clark received his education in 
 the district and select schools, and at the age 
 
 of sixteen years he engaged in manufacturing 
 hats in company with his father. After fol- 
 lowing that business for a short time, he 
 bought the Philo Beers farm of eighty-five 
 acres, adjoining his father's property; and for 
 the succeeding twenty years he was exten- 
 sively engaged in the nursery business. He 
 then rented a store in Southville, and in com- 
 pany with his son, David N., carried on mer- 
 cantile business in connection with farminsf 
 for four years. At the end of that time he 
 built a store on his farm, in which he dealt in 
 general merchandise and produce; and he also 
 ran a team through the surrounding country. 
 His store being destroyed by fire four years 
 later, he immediately purchased the J. S. 
 Beers store in Southville, which he has since 
 conducted with success. He rented his farm, 
 and, devoting his entire time and attention to 
 mercantile pursuits, has succeeded in estab- 
 lishing and maintaining a steady and profit- 
 able trade. 
 
 In politics he is a Democrat, and has long 
 been prominent in public affairs. He was a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen for eight 
 years, has acted as Justice of the Peace, and 
 held other town offices; and in 1886 he repre- 
 sented his town in the legislature, in which 
 capacity he displayed ability of a high order. 
 He has held the office of Postmaster for the 
 past thirteen years; and in this, as well as in 
 all other official positions which he has been 
 called upon to occupy, he has served the pub- 
 lic well and faithfully. 
 
 On April 9, 1852, Mr. Clark married Mary 
 A. Nettleton, who was born in Milford, 
 Conn., daughter of David Nettleton, a farmer 
 of that town. David Nettleton was born in 
 Milford, February 16, 1807, and was a son of 
 Samuel and Mary (Andrews) Nettleton, the 
 former of whom was a thriving agriculturist. 
 Mrs. Clark's father died at the age of sixty- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 423 
 
 two years. His wife, formerly Mehitabel 
 Piatt, was born July 2, 1806, and lived to 
 reach the age of fifty-seven years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Clark have reared four children: Addie 
 M., David N., S. Willis, and Minnie S. 
 Addie M. Clark, who was born July 9, 1853, 
 married for her first husband H. H. Hatch, 
 who died, leaving one son, named Frank M., 
 and she married for her second husband D. J. 
 Botsford, by whom she has two children, 
 namely — Mary E. and Frederick B.; David 
 N., born June 15, 1856, a hardware merchant 
 of Shelton, married Alice Smith, and has one 
 daughter, named Marguerite; S. Willis, born 
 March 25, 1861, a florist and seedsman of 
 Washington, D.C., married Anna Lawlor, 
 and has two children — Elsie and Mary A.; 
 Minnie S., born July 29, 1863, married Will- 
 iam B. Roe, and has one child, named Jessie 
 M. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are members of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Samuel F. Clark accom- 
 panies this sketch. 
 
 fOSEPH R. GILLETTE, a well-known 
 farmer of Bakersville, in the town of 
 New Hartford, and a member of the 
 Connecticut House of Representatives for 
 i»9S, was born in Ohio, March 28, 1848, son 
 of Harlow and Sophia (Field) Gillette. His 
 paternal grandfather, Joseph Gillette, for 
 whom he was named, was an early settler of 
 New Hartford. An extensive land-owner and 
 a man of energy and enterprise, he operated a 
 saw and grist-mill, and also engaged in wool- 
 carding. He occupied a- prominent position 
 in the community, and, living to reach an 
 advanced age, was a Deacon of the church at 
 Town Hill for many years. He was three 
 times married. 
 
 Harlow Gillette was his son by his first 
 
 wife. He was born in New Hartford, and 
 was reared on the home farm, learning to 
 make himself useful, as most farmers' boys 
 do. In early manhood he travelled through 
 the South, selling clocks, and later went to 
 Ohio, where he resided for a time, and from 
 there to Pennsylvania, where he acquired a 
 tract of land under the Homestead Act. He 
 finally returned to New Hartford ; and here 
 he engaged in farming until his death, which 
 occurred in 1870, at the age of sixty-two. 
 His wife, Sophia Field, a distant relative of 
 Cyrus Field, of Atlantic cable fame, was a 
 native of Westfield, Mass. She became the 
 mother of five children, four of whom grew to 
 maturity, namely: Rachel, who married John 
 A. Breck, of Ohio; Joseph R., the direct sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Julia, his twin sister, 
 who died at the age of twenty-two; and 
 George, a machinist of Torrington. Mrs. 
 Sophia F. Gillette lived to reach the age of 
 sixty-four. 
 
 Joseph R. Gillette passed his early child- 
 hood in Pennsylvania, and at the age of nine 
 years came to New Hartford. He was edu- 
 cated in the common schools, and at home 
 helped his father in carrying on the farm 
 until reaching the age of twenty-one, when he 
 bought the grist-mill property formerly owned 
 by his aunt. After operating the mill for 
 four years, he engaged for some years in team- 
 ing; and on relinquishing that occupation he 
 purchased his present farm of one hundred 
 and sixty-six acres in Bakersville, where he 
 has since given his attention to dairying, 
 with .good results. 
 
 On January 9, 1877, Mr. Gillette was 
 united in marriage with Isadore Risley, 
 daughter of Charles W. Risley, a teamster 
 and mechanic of Berlin, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gillette have one adopted son, named Edward. 
 Mr. Gillette is known as a man of intelli- 
 
424 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gence and sound judgment. He is a Repub- 
 lican in politics, and has filled with ability 
 the various public positions in which he has 
 been elected to serve. He was Constable 
 from 1880 to 1890, has been a member of 
 the Board of Relief since 1890, and is at the 
 present time, 1895, a Representative to the 
 State legislature. He is a member and a 
 Trustee of Amos Beecher Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., and is connected with Eureka Grange 
 of New Hartford, of which his wife also is a 
 member. Mr. Gillette and his family follow 
 the example of his parents and grandparents 
 in attending the Congregational church. 
 
 ILLIAM H. MORRISON, a highly 
 respected and much esteemed citi- 
 zen of Torrington, Conn., success- 
 fully engaged in business as a plumber, steam - 
 fitter, and tinsmith, was born in Thompson- 
 ville. Conn., November g, 1866. He is of 
 Scottish descent on both paternal and mater- 
 nal sides, being a son of William and Mary 
 (Hood) Morrison. 
 
 The father, William Morrison, was a son of 
 John Morrison, of Scotland, who, having left 
 his native land to establish for himself and 
 his descendants a home in America, settled in 
 Thompsonville, Conn., finding employment 
 in a carpet manufactory. He died in Thomp- 
 sonville at about fifty years of age. William 
 Morrison learned the trade of a machinist, 
 and, securing a position as foreman of one of 
 the carpet-mills in that town, there spent the 
 remaining years of his short life. His death 
 occurred in 1867, when he was in his twenty- 
 seventh year. His wife, Mary (Hood) Mor- 
 rison, daughter of David and Agnes Llood, of 
 Kilmarnock, Scotland, was left a widow with 
 one child, William H., the subject of this 
 sketch. She afterward remarried, becoming 
 
 the wife of Mr. George E. Roswell, of Wood- 
 bury, Conn., by whom she had two children: 
 Weston E. and Charles D. Mr. and Mrs. 
 David Hood were the parents of ten children, 
 of whom four are now living, narnely: John 
 Hood, foreman of the blacksmithing depart- 
 ment of the Holyoke Machine Company, Mas- 
 sachusetts; Helen McCaw; Elizabeth, Mrs. 
 J. P. Davis; and Mary, mother of Mr. 
 Morrison. 
 
 William H. Morrison was but eleven 
 months old at the time of his father's death. 
 He made his home with his mother until 
 eighteen years of age, acquiring a good prac- 
 tical education in the common school and in 
 the academy of Woodbury, Conn. He then 
 learned the trade of a tinsmith and plumber, 
 and for six and a half years worked at his 
 chosen vocation in Woodbury, after^ which he 
 secured a position in Waterbury, with Barlow 
 Brothers. A year later, in 1891, he came to 
 Torrington, where he was engaged to take 
 charge of the plumbing department for W. L. 
 & F. B. Judson; and, after remaining with 
 them a year, he purchased his present busi- 
 ness, which he has successfully conducted 
 alone, doing general plumbing, steam-fitting, 
 and tinsmithing. He has the contract for 
 laying the water pipes for the town, and 
 during the summer of 1896 will lay about 
 four miles of water pipe. 
 
 In June, 1892, Mr. Morrison married Miss 
 Ina M. Burton, one of three children of 
 Nathan and Jeannette Burton, of Woodbury, 
 the former of whom is a prosperous business 
 man and a wholesale lumber dealer. This 
 union has been blessed by the birth of a 
 son. Burton Hood Morrison. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Morrison is a firm 
 supporter of the Republican party. In fra- 
 ternal circles he is very popular, and favor- 
 ably known as a member of King Solomon's 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 425 
 
 Lodge of Woodbury, Cyrus Chapter of Tor- 
 rington, Knights of Pythias, and Harmony 
 Division of Torrington. The latter took the 
 two first prizes in 1893 and 1895 in competi- 
 tion with all others of the State. He is also 
 a member "of Ridley Lodge, Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of Torrington. Mr. 
 Morrison and his wife are communicants of 
 the Third Congregational Church of Torring- 
 ton, in which they take an active and promi- 
 nent part; and, while living in Woodbury, 
 he very acceptably filled the office of superin- 
 tendent of the Sunday-school, and also served 
 as President of the Young People's Society of 
 Christian Endeavor. 
 
 Y^TORACE MANVILLE, late a vener- 
 r^ able and highly esteemed citizen of 
 
 -lis ^ ^ Woodbury, Conn., who passed away 
 
 at his home in this town, November 15, 189S, 
 after rounding out a full century of existence, 
 was born March 19,. 179S, and was therefore 
 for almost five years of his life a contempo- 
 rary of Washington. He was of French ances- 
 try, his grandfather, John Manville, being 
 the first of the family to settle in America. 
 Mr. Manville's grandmother on the paternal 
 side was Elizabeth Weed. His parents were 
 Simeon and Electa (Benham) Manville, the 
 former of whom was a farmer. The mother 
 lived to the advanced age of ninety-seven 
 years. 
 
 Horace Manville received more than a com- 
 mon-school education, spending several terms 
 in the academy at Middlebury, COnn. He 
 early acquired a knowledge of farming, and, 
 when a young man, bought a farm near Ouas- 
 sapang Lake, in the town of Middlebury, in 
 this county. He then commenced operations 
 as a dealer in cattle, driving or shipping his 
 stock to New Haven, to be exported thence to 
 
 the West India market. He subsequently 
 sold that farm, and purchased another in the 
 west part of Middlebury, where he carried on 
 the same business for many years, but mak- 
 ing more of a specialty of sheep and small 
 stock. In 1870 he sold out, and bought a 
 small farm at North Woodbury. In 1893 he 
 sold that property, and retiring from busi- 
 ness rented a place on which he spent his 
 closing years. 
 
 Mr. Manville's century birthday celebration 
 was quite a notable event. More than one 
 hundred prominent residents of Woodbury 
 and neighboring towns called in person to pay 
 their respects, shaking hands with the venera- 
 ble centenarian and registering their names. 
 Each left as a present a silver dollar. Mr. 
 Manville was all his life a temperate man, 
 seldom using narcotics or alcoholic stimu- 
 lants. He was a man of Christian principles 
 and upright life, a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church seventy-nine years. He was 
 interested in public questions, and never 
 failed to cast his vote at each Presidential 
 election during his entire life after attaining 
 his majority. He enjoyed remarkably good 
 health to the last, having never been visited 
 by any serious sickness, and departing quietly 
 and without pain. 
 
 He was a Republican in politics, and held 
 many of the town offices during the long 
 period of his active existence. 
 
 Mr. Manville was married at the age of 
 twenty-one years to Katherine Bowers, a 
 daughter of Michael and Katherine Bowers, 
 formerly of Philadelphia. Mrs. 'Manville 
 died in 1879 ^^ the age of eighty-four years. 
 Their three children were: Maria E., who has 
 been married twice, and is now a widow; 
 Emily J,, who died at the age of twenty-six; 
 and Katherine Manville Parker, widow of 
 Orley M. Parker, of North Woodbury, who 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cared for her father in the last years of his 
 life. There are only two grandchildren liv- 
 ing and one great-grandson. Horace Manville 
 was the last of a family of eight children, 
 four sons and four daughters, the youngest of 
 whom died May 9, 1895. Their great-grand- 
 motlier lived to be one hundred and two years 
 old. 
 
 fHOMAS W. KIMLIN, of New Mil- 
 ford, one of the leading architects 
 and building contractors of Litchfield 
 County, was born at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on 
 April 7, 1844, and is a son of Richard and 
 Eliza J. (Smith) Kimlin. 
 
 Thomas W. Kimlin, having received his 
 education in the public schools of Poughkeep- 
 sie, learned the trade of a carpenter with 
 William Harlow, the first worTc on which he 
 was engaged being Vassar College in that 
 city. He came to New Milford in 1869, and 
 twelve years later started a general contract- 
 ing business, with a shop on Railroad Street 
 that is supplied with steam-power and 
 equipped with modern machinery for the plan- 
 ing and sawing of lumber and the manufacture 
 of special work required in his building. He 
 also carries a large and complete line of 
 builders' hardware. Among the numerous 
 buildings that he has erected are All Saints' 
 Memorial Episcopal Church, the David Hunt 
 Memorial Library at Falls Village, Mrs. 
 William D. Black's residence, the fine rectory 
 connected with All Saints' Church, Ingleside 
 School, Everett College, and many of the best 
 dwelling-houses in the village. He also does 
 quite an extensive business as a dealer in 
 brick, lime, and lumber. He has won a repu- 
 tation for thorough workmanship, and in 
 designing and executing anything of a special 
 nature he gives most excellent satisfaction. 
 Mr. Kimlin's union in marriage with 
 
 Miss Laura A. White, a daughter of Edwin 
 and Rhoda (Hodge) White, of Sherman, 
 Conn., has been blessed by the birth of two 
 children, namely: Frank R., who married 
 Miss Susie Walker, and is engaged as book- 
 keeper for his father; and Nellie M., who is 
 still in school at Ingleside. Mr. Kimlin is 
 an Independent Republican. He is a member 
 of St. Peter's Lodge, No. 21, A. F. & A. M. : 
 Housatonic Chapter, No. 33, Royal Arch 
 Masons; the Knights of Honor; and the Good 
 Shepherd Lodge, -Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows — all of New Milford. He and his 
 family occupy the fine residence that he built 
 on Treadwell Avenue in 1889. 
 
 KRANK DOUGLASS, Assistant Post- 
 master and general merchant of Oak- 
 ville, was born in Warren, August 13, 
 1870, son of Charles and Lizzie (Taylor) 
 Douglass. Mr. Douglass's grandfather, Silas 
 A. Douglass, who was born April 3, 18 10, 
 when a young man settled in Warren, where 
 he followed agriculture successfully for many 
 years. He spent the last years of his life in 
 Oakville, and died July 5, 1888. He mar- 
 ried Elvira Morgan, born in Kent, August 
 18, 18 1 2, who reared six children, three of 
 whom are living, namely: Jane, who married 
 William Weeks; Hattie, who married John 
 Youde; and Charles. 
 
 Charles Douglass, father of Mr. Douglass, 
 was born in Kent, April 22, 1844. He en- 
 tered business in Oakville, where he con- 
 ducted a thriving trade for several years. He 
 subsequeatly engaged in the coal and wood 
 business in Watertown, which he carried on 
 successfully until his retirement. He is now 
 a resident of Oakville, and is prominently 
 identified with public affairs. At the present 
 time he is a member of the Board of Select- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 427 
 
 men, is superintending the construction of 
 roads, and has been Postmaster since 1882. 
 He is a Democrat in politics. His long and 
 honorable business career has earned for him 
 the sincere respect of all who know him. 
 His wife, born August 2, 1852, is a daughter 
 of Daniel S. Taylor, a prosperous farmer of 
 Waterbury, Conn. She reared but one son, 
 Frank, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Doug- 
 lass's parents are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and his mother is a lady 
 distinguished by many admirable character- 
 istics. Her mother, whose maiden name was 
 Mary Jane Woodruff, was a daughter of 
 Leman Woodruff, of Washington, Conn., and 
 is still living, being now sixty-two years old. 
 Frank Douglass commenced his education 
 by attending the common schools, and com- 
 pleted his studies at the high schools of 
 Waterbury and Watertown. At the close of 
 his school days he entered the office of the 
 Connecticut Indemnity Insurance Company of 
 Waterbury, where he had charge of the claim 
 department for one year. He then engagecj 
 in mercantile business with his father in Oak- 
 ville. Since his father's retirement he has 
 continued the business with success, main- 
 taining by a personal attention to every detail 
 the high reputation for fair dealing and the 
 same liberal patronage accorded to his father. 
 He deals in general merchandise, including 
 groceries and dry goods. As Postmaster his 
 duties are performed with a courtesy that is 
 warmly appreciated by the entire community. 
 In politics he is a Democrat, and has served 
 as a member of the Board of Education and 
 as School Visitor for four years. He is a 
 member of Federal Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of 
 Watertown, and of the Royal Arch Chapter of 
 Waterbury. He is also connected with the 
 Red Men, the Order of the Eastern Star of 
 Waterbury, the Ancient Order of United 
 
 Workmen of Watertown, and was formerly a 
 member of the Good Templars of Oakville. 
 
 In November, 1891, Mr. Douglass was 
 united in marriage to Blanche Hurd. Mrs. 
 Douglass was born in La Harpe, 111., daugh- 
 te'r of Daniel Hurd, an extensive and success- 
 ful merchant of that town, who retired from 
 business in 1890, and is now living in Oak- 
 ville. Daniel Hurd's family consisted of two 
 children, Alice and Blanche. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Douglass are members of the Congregational 
 church in Watertown, and Mrs. Douglass 
 sings in the choir. 
 
 ,EV. FRANK B. DRAPER, rector 
 of All Saints' Memorial Episcopal 
 Church in New Milford, Conn., 
 was born in New York City, November 10, 
 1859, son of the Rev. George B. and Lucy B. 
 (Goodhue) Draper. The Rev. George B. 
 Draper, D.D., who was also a native of New 
 York City, was a graduate of Columbia Col- 
 lege in the class of 1845 ^-^d of the General 
 Theological Seminary in the class of 1849. 
 His first ecclesiastical duty was as assistant 
 minister of St. Clement's Church, New York, 
 in which capacity he served until 1850. He 
 was then called ta the rectorship of St. An- 
 drew's Church in the metropolis, and as such 
 became widely and favorably known as an able 
 preacher and a zealous, self-sacrificing Chris- 
 tian worker. He presided over St. Andrew's 
 parish until his death, which occurred Sep- 
 tember 24, 1876, his loss being keenly felt 
 by the citizens in general, as well as by all 
 members of his church. His wife, Lucy B. 
 Goodhue, who still survives, was born in Ver- 
 mont, daughter of Wells Goodhue, formerly 
 President of the First National Bank of Brat- 
 tleboro. She became the mother of six chil- 
 dren, as follows: George Wells, who died in 
 
428 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1888, at the age of thirty-seven years; Fred- 
 erick G.; Walter; Frank B., the subject of 
 this sketch; Laura, wife of William Corlies; 
 and Lizzie E., who married J. W. Merriam. 
 Frank B. Draper pursued a full course of 
 study at Columbia College, taking in his Jun- 
 ior year, after a competitive examination, the 
 scholarship in science, and in his Senior year 
 the Greek Seminary prize offered to those stu- 
 dents of the graduating class expecting to 
 enter the General Theological Seminary. 
 After graduating with the class of 1880 he 
 entered the General Theological Seminary, 
 from which he graduated three years later, 
 with the degree of B.D., and immediately 
 commenced his life work as assistant to Dr. 
 Thomas M. Peters at St. Michael's Church in 
 New York City, where he remained until 
 1886. He was then called to St. Luke's 
 Church in Matteawan, N.Y., to assist the rec- 
 tor, the Rev. Henry Bedinger; and he there 
 labored diligently until the spring of 1888. 
 His next post of duty was at St. Andrew's 
 Church in Emporia, Kan., where he was ac- 
 tively engaged for one year, when he received 
 and accepted a call to the rectorship of All 
 Saints' Memorial Church in New Milford. 
 This handsome church edifice was erected in 
 1882 and 1883 by Mrs. D. C. Sanford, in 
 memory of her husband, the late Judge D. C. 
 Sanford. It is built of limestone, and is 
 finely constructed. During the present year 
 there has been added a tower, sixty feet in 
 height, containing a chime of thirteen tubular 
 bells. This was erected in memory of Mrs. 
 Sanford's late brother, the Rev. Edward C. 
 Bull ; and the whole forms a beautiful and 
 imposing structure, such as is seldom seen 
 outside of large cities. Mrs. Sanford has also 
 presented the parish with a new rectory, 
 finished in 1895, and containing all modern 
 improvements, which greatly adds to the 
 
 beauty of the village. As rector of All 
 Saints' Memorial Church, Mr. Draper has 
 labored unceasingly for the general good of 
 the community; and his efforts are deservedly 
 appreciated. He is a gentleman of scholarly 
 ability and advanced culture, always in touch 
 with rational, progressive ideas; and he is, 
 above all, a forcible exponent of sound. Chris- 
 tian doctrine. 
 
 On September 25, 1889, Mr. Draper was 
 united in marriage with Isabel M. Coley, 
 daughter of John H. and Mary Mercein 
 (Everet) Coley, the former of whom was a 
 successful merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Draper 
 have had two children, namely: Marion 
 Coley, born December 4, 1890, who died aged 
 two years; and George Barnard, who was born 
 October 3, 1892. Mr. Draper is actively 
 interested in all matters relative to the moral 
 and intellectual improvement of the village, 
 and is Secretary of the New Milford Library 
 Association. 
 
 EYMOUR CUNNINGHAM, who 
 spends his summers in the town 
 of Litchfield, Conn., is a man of 
 sound mental training, and possesses good 
 financial and business tact. He was born on 
 September 13, 1863, in Troy, N.Y., son of 
 the late William Orr Cunningham and the 
 descendant of a prominent family of Belfast, 
 Ireland. 
 
 John Cunningham, the paternal grandfather 
 of the gentleman whose name we have placed 
 at the head of this sketch, was born in Ire- 
 land, in the city of Belfast, and emigrated to 
 this country with his parents when a boy. 
 He was reared to man's estate in the city of 
 Albany, and there became identified with the 
 industrial interests, being one of its most suc- 
 cessful contractors and builders and there 
 spending his declining years. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 429 
 
 William Orr Cunningham, son of John, was 
 born in Albany, and after becoming of age 
 engaged in the manufacture of paper with his 
 uncles, owners of a large factory in that city. 
 He subsequently became a member of the 
 well-known Troy firm of Orr & Co., owners of 
 the then largest paper manufactory in the 
 United States, who carried on an extensive 
 business, for many years supplying the paper 
 for the New York Tribune and the New York 
 Evening Post. Mr. William O. Cunningham 
 was a man of remarkable energy and business 
 capacity, being a director in several national 
 banks and very prominent in various enter- 
 prises intimately connected with the advance- 
 ment of the city. He was an indefatigable 
 laborer in business, public, and social life, 
 wearing himselt out by over-exertion, so that 
 before reaching the prime of manhood he died 
 at the age of forty-one years. He married 
 Jane Chester Knickerbacker, of Waterford, 
 N.Y., a daughter of John Knickerbacker, a 
 further notice of whom will be found in con- 
 nection with the sketch of William G. Wall- 
 bridge, elsewhere in this volume. They were 
 married in 1857, and had two children, of 
 whom Seymour was the only one to grow to 
 maturity. The mother, who spends her sum- 
 mers in Litchfield with her son, resides in 
 Washington, D.C., during the winter season. 
 She is a devout communicant of the Episcopal 
 church, to which her husband also belonged. 
 Seymour Cunningham acquired a practical 
 foundation for his future education in the 
 schools ot Troy, and was subsequently grad- 
 uated from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti- 
 tute in 1884 as a civil engineer. He has not, 
 however, followed his profession to any great 
 extent, having been too busily engaged in 
 looking after his interests in the oil regions 
 of Pennsylvania and Ohio and in other corpo- 
 rate properties. He owns and occupies one of 
 
 the most attractive residences in Litchfield, 
 the house, which he erected in 1893, being 
 located on South Street, near the site of the 
 old Parmelee house. Here he is at home in 
 the summer season, his winter residence being 
 at Washington, D.C. 
 
 On June 6, 1892, Mr. Cunningham was 
 united in marriage with Stephanie Whitney, 
 of Oakland, Cal., the daughter of the Hon. 
 George E. Whitney, formerly a brilliant 
 lawyer, a State Senator, and a well-known 
 politician of that State. Mr. Whitney died 
 at the home of his son-in-law in Washington 
 in the fifty-sixth year of his age, leaving as 
 a heritage an honorable record of a life well- 
 spent and an unsullied name, his public life, 
 as his private, being above reproach. His 
 widow, who before marriage was Mary Van 
 Swaringen, of Louisville, Ky., is a resident 
 of Oakland, Cal. Mrs. Cunningham is one 
 of a large family of children, and is a niece of 
 Justice Stephen D. Field, for whom she was 
 named. She has two children, Cecil and 
 Macklin. Mr. Cunningham is a stanch mem- 
 ber of the Democratic party, having strangely 
 deviated from the straight Republican paths 
 in which he was reared by his father. 
 
 'OMER BUCKINGHAM, a prosper- 
 ous farmer of New Milford, a native 
 i® V^ resident, son of Gilbert and Anna 
 (Gunn) Baldwin Buckingham, was born on 
 November 29, 1828. Mr. Buckingham's 
 great-grandfather on the paternal side was 
 Nathaniel Buckingham, of Milford, New 
 Haven County, who was an original proprie- 
 tor of New Milford. Abel Buckingham, son 
 of Nathaniel and Sarah Buckingham, was born 
 in Milford. He came to New Milford about 
 1773, and settled on land about a mile north- 
 east of Northville, where his grandson now 
 
43° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lives. Abel Buckingham died in 1827, aged 
 eighty-one. He married in 1773 for his first 
 wife Hannah Botsford, who died in 1801, and 
 for his second wife Sarah Barnum. His chil- 
 dren, all by his first wife, were: Nathaniel, 
 Abel, Jr., Joseph, Samuel, Ephraim, and 
 Gilbert. 
 
 Gilbert, the youngest son of Abel and Han- 
 nah Buckingham, was born July 25, 1798. 
 He grew to manhood on the ancestral farm, 
 and always resided at the homestead, which 
 he inherited after his father's death. Indus- 
 trious and thrifty, he set out fruit trees, and 
 otherwise increased the value of his property; 
 and in 1839 he built the house in which his 
 son Homer now resides. He was a Whig in 
 politics, holding some of the minor town 
 offices, and was liberal in his religious views. 
 He finally retired from active labor, and 
 passed his last years with his son. On 
 December 5, 1813, he married his first wife, 
 whose maiden name was Annis Stone. She 
 died June 8, 1824, leaving five children; 
 namely, John, IVIary, Royal, William, and 
 Orrin. His second wife,. Mrs. Anna (Gunn) 
 Baldwin, whom he wedded May i, 1825, was 
 born July 14, 1788, and died leaving three 
 children: Ralph; Homer, the subject of this 
 sketch ; and Annis. 
 
 Homer Buckingham, having begun in his 
 boyhood to assist in the labors of the farm, 
 became familiar with the various branches of 
 agriculture, and in early manhood took charge 
 of the farm, caring for his parents during 
 their declining years. He succeeded to the 
 ownership of the homestead by purchasing the 
 interests of the other heirs, and has since 
 effected many notable improvements in the 
 property. His buildings are kept in perfect 
 repair; and the maple-trees, which he set out 
 in his younger days, greatly assist in beautify- 
 ing the place. Mr. Buckingham is engaged 
 
 in dairying, which he conducts with the most 
 gratifying success, keeping a herd of thirty- 
 five choice cattle. 
 
 On November 11, 185 1, Mr. Buckingham 
 married Adeline Couch, daughter of William 
 and Urania (Northrop) Couch, both of whom 
 were natives of New Milford. William 
 Couch was born January 5, 1803. In young 
 manhood he learned the carpenter's trade, 
 which he followed in connection with farm- 
 ing; and he was well and favorably known as 
 an industrious and useful citizen. He was a 
 Whig in politics, holding both county and 
 town ofifices, and was a member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church. He died July 9, 
 188.5. His wife, Urania Northrop, who was 
 born October 18, 1804, died July 15, 1874. 
 Their three children were: Adeline, who is 
 now Mrs. Buckingham; Salmon; and Lemira. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham have four chil- 
 dren, as follows: Cora A., who was born 
 April 28, 1853, and married Stephen Beach; 
 Ida, born December 27, 1854, who married 
 C. B. Marsh, and has one son, named Clifford 
 H.; Urania, who was born February 27, 
 1861, married D. C. Feet, and has had one 
 son, named Clarence, now no longer living; 
 and Lotta, born April 26, 1864, who married 
 Edgar Buckingham, and has three children — 
 Grace, Ruth, and Florence. Mr. Bucking- 
 ham is a Republican in politics, and both he 
 and his wife are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 ff; 
 
 ILLIS A. STRONG, who was for 
 many years a well-known and suc- 
 cessful merchant of Woodbury, 
 Litchfield County, Conn., and was a member 
 of the legislature for three terms, was born in 
 this ancient town on February 22, 1827. He 
 was a son of Anthony C. and Julia (Lambert) 
 
WILLIS A. STRONG. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 433 
 
 Strong, and a lineal descendant of John 
 Strong, who emigrated from England to 
 America in 1638, and settled in Northampton, 
 Mass., in 1661. The first ancestor of the 
 family to settle in Woodbury was Adina 
 Strong, who purchased land here in the year 
 1700, and whose posterity have since become 
 prominent residents in the town. Mr. 
 Strong's grandparents, Anthony and Phebe 
 (Curtis) Strong, were old and highly esteemed 
 residents of Woodbury. Their children were: 
 Phebe, Anthony C, and Nathaniel. Grand- 
 father Strong served as a private in the Revo- 
 lutionary War. I 
 
 Anthony C. Strong was born September 7, 
 1792. He was engaged for some years in the 
 milling business with his father in Worthing- 
 ton, but later settled at the homestead in 
 Woodbury, where he was engaged in agricult- 
 ural labors for the rest of his life. His wife, 
 Julia Lambert, became the mother of four 
 children: Nathaniel L. ; Henry P.; Willis 
 A., the subject of this sketch; and Fred- 
 erick T. 
 
 Willis A. Strong began his studies in the 
 public schools of Woodbury, and completed 
 his education at Yale College. When a 
 young man, he established himself in mercan- 
 tile business in what is known' as the Hollow, 
 where he conducted trade. for six years. He 
 then moved to North Woodbury, where he 
 occupied the store which is now run by L. E. 
 Dawson; and he carried on a very successful- 
 business until 1877. He then sold out, and 
 built the Strong Block, in which, with N. M. 
 Strong, he fitted up a drug and hardware 
 store, and did a large and profitable business 
 until 1885, when he sold his interest to his 
 partner, and retired from active pursuits. 
 Aside from his high standing in the commu- 
 nity as a successful business man, he was 
 prominently identified with public affairs. 
 
 He supported the Republican party, was for 
 several years member of the Board of Select- 
 men, and was three times elected to the legis- 
 lature. He was a generous, public-spirited 
 man, always ready to assist in furthering any 
 improvement in the town, and, being pos- 
 sessed of sound judgment, was often called 
 upon for advice in business and personal mat- 
 ters. He was a member of King Solomon 
 Lodge, No,. 7, A. F. & A. M., and was one 
 of the founders of the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen in Woodbury. He be- 
 longed to the Congregational church. The 
 last years of his retirement were passed at his 
 comfortable home in Woodbury, his time 
 being occupied in raising fancy breeds of 
 poultry, in which he took considerable inter- 
 est. He died September 11, 1894. 
 
 On October 11, 1882, Mr. Strong married 
 Harriette C. Churchill, who was born in New 
 Haven, May 18, 1843, daughter of the Rev. 
 John and Caroline (Peck) Churchill. Her 
 father was a Congregational preacher in 
 Woodbury for nearly thirty years. He was 
 born in Litchfield, Conn., February 15, 181 1, 
 son of John Churchill, a shoemaker of that 
 town, a"hd was graduated from Yale College in 
 1839. His first pastoral charge was in 
 Watertown, Conn., where he remained but a 
 short time, being called on April 22, 1840, to 
 the pulpit of the chuixh in Woodbury. He 
 continued pastor of this church without inter- 
 ruption until 1869, when he retired. His 
 death took place in 1880. He and his wife, 
 Caroline Peck, who was a daughter of Nathan 
 Peck, reared two children, namely: Mrs. 
 Strong; and her brother, Nathan P. Church- 
 ill. Mr. and Mrs. Willis A. Strong had 
 three children, as follows: Caroline J., who 
 was born January 10, 1885: Willis A., who 
 was born May 19, 1887; and a third, who 
 died in infancy, unnamed. Mrs. Harriette 
 
434 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 C. Strong resides at her pleasant home on 
 North Main Street, which was erected by her 
 grandfather, ' Nathan Peclc, and presented by 
 him to her mother. She also owns some val- 
 uable real estate near by. Mrs. Strong is a 
 member of the Congregational church. She 
 has endeared herself to her large circle of 
 friends by her noble qualifies of heart and 
 mind, and she occupies a high position in the 
 community. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Willis A. Strong occu- 
 pies the page opposite the beginning of the 
 foregoing sketch. 
 
 -AMES H. SMITH, a thriving and 
 well-known farmer of the town of 
 Litchfield, was born in the house 
 which he now owns and occupies, July ii, 
 1819, son of Horace and Sally (Marsh) 
 Smith. He is a direct descendant of Thomas 
 Smith, who settled in East Haven, and in 
 1662 married Elizabeth Patterson. Most of 
 Mr. Smith's ancestors of whom there is any 
 record, previous to his grandfather, were sea- 
 faring men ; and several members of the fam- 
 ily rendered distinguished services to this 
 country during the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Mr. Smith's great-grandfather on the pater- 
 nal side was Thomas Smith, who was born in 
 East Haven, July 27, 1719, and whose four 
 sons — Thomas, Jacob, Enos, and Eli — were 
 all patriot soldiers in the struggle for indepen- 
 dence. Thomas, the third here named, was 
 one of those who volunteered to explode a 
 torpedo among the English fleet blockading 
 New York Harbor. Being discovered" by the 
 enemy, they applied a quick fuse instead of a 
 slow match; and in the explosion that fol- 
 lowed he lost his life. Enos Smith, while 
 serving with rank of Captain in the Conti- 
 nental army, was made prisoner of war, and 
 
 suffered many hardships during his captivity. 
 His daughter married Abiel Hart, and passed 
 her life in Litchfield. Jacob Smith settled in 
 Vermont, where he followed shoemaking in 
 connection with farming. He was a Lieuten- 
 ant in CoJonel Ethan Allen's regiment of 
 Green Mountain Boys, and assisted in the 
 capture of Burgoyne's army. 
 
 Eli Smith, the grandfather of our subject, 
 was born in East Haven, November 8, 1751. 
 When a young man, he settled in Farming- 
 ton, where he learned the trade of carpenter 
 and joiner. The shingles which still cover 
 the roof of the meeting-house were placed 
 there by him in 1774. He was an officer in 
 the militia, and as such took part in the 
 action with the British at Danbury, and also 
 in defending the villages along the Hudson 
 River, serving there six weeks with his com- 
 pany at the time of Arnold's treason. His 
 military rank was that of Ensign; but, as the 
 captain of the company was a Tory and the 
 lieutenant a coward, Governor Trumbull sent 
 all orders concerning the company to Ensign 
 Smith. He was officer of the day at the 
 battle of Long Island, when General Sullivan 
 was taken prisoner by the British. It was his 
 duty to place the sentry, which he did. On 
 making his rounds at the first watch, he found 
 the man gone, and appointed another to the 
 post. At the second watch this man also was 
 found missing. 
 
 Filling the vacant post with a third sentry. 
 Ensign Smith reported the circumstance to 
 General Sullivan, who said: "There is some- 
 thing wrong. I will go with you," and ac- 
 companied him to the spot, when they found 
 that the third sentry had disappeared. Day 
 was beginning to dawn; and General Sulli- 
 van, who was in the saddle, glanced through 
 his spy-glass at the British camp, and ex- 
 claimed, "They are all under march, and are 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 435 
 
 coming this way." He then wrote a note to 
 General Washington, whose headquarters 
 were then in Fulton Street, New York, and 
 gave it to Ensign Smith, saying, "Go to the 
 express boat, get across, take the first horse 
 you find in New York, and get this to Gen- 
 eral Washington as quickly as possible." 
 Having executed the commission, he returned 
 with Washington to the camp, the journey 
 being made in all haste. One of the first 
 objects that met their view was General Sul- 
 livan's horse, which trotted into their midst, 
 riderless. "That is General Sullivan's 
 horse," said Ensign Smith to Washington. 
 "It is the fortune of war," remarked Washing- 
 ton, thinking that Sullivan had been killed. 
 The story of the. battle is too well known 
 to need recapitulation. During the masterly 
 retreat that followed. Ensign Smith and an- 
 other Litchfield man, Benjamin Taylor, were 
 among the last to leave the island. He after- 
 wards used to relate that, as their boat cleared 
 the shore, the feet of the British were dis- 
 tinctly visible at the water's edge, so near 
 that he could have tossed a biscuit among 
 them, while their bodies were hid by the 
 dense fog. This was his last military experi- 
 ence, as he was soon after taken very sick 
 from cold and exposure, and incapacitated 
 for duty. 
 
 After the close of the war Ensign Smith 
 settled in Litchfield, where he followed his 
 trade, later removed to Milton, and ran a 
 forge for some time, but subsequently re- 
 turned to Litchfield. He was an extensive 
 land-holder in this town, and was prominent 
 in public affairs, serving as Selectman and in 
 other offices. His wife was Deborah Phelps, a 
 daughter of Edward, Jr., and Hannah (Marsh) 
 Phelps. Her grandfather, 'Edward Phelps, 
 Sr., was one of the earliest settlers of Litch- 
 field, and was in all probability the first sur- 
 
 veyor in the town. From this family have 
 come men eminent in law and letters and in 
 the diplomatic service of the country. En- 
 sign Eli Smith died in 1824, at the age of 
 seventy-two years. He and his wife reared 
 eleven children, ten of whom reached matu- 
 rity. Their names were as follows : Larinda, 
 born in 1779; Thomas Eli, Jr.; Sally; 
 David, who died in infancy; Horace; Eunice; 
 Phelps; Frederick R. ; George W. ; and Cla- 
 rissa, who was born in 1800. 
 
 Horace Smith, Mr. Smith's father, was 
 born in Litchfield, July 13, 1789. He 
 learned the trade of carpenter, which he fol- 
 lowed in connection with farming, and was a 
 well-known mechanic, being the first to intro- 
 duce modern window-frames in his locality, 
 and to change from the scribe to the square 
 rule in carpentry. He followed agriculture 
 with success upon the farm where his son 
 James H. now lives. He died in Litchfield 
 at the age of eighty-four. His wife, Sally 
 Marsh, was a daughter of Ebenezer, Jr., and 
 Elizabeth (Osborne) Marsh. Her ancestors 
 were the first settlers in Litchfield. Ebenezer 
 Marsh, Jr., and his wife had five children: 
 Sally, mother of the subject of this sketch; 
 Henry; Samuel; Lucy P.; and Eliza. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Horace Smith became the parents of 
 seven children, namely: Thomas, born July 
 I, 1810, died in Saginaw, Mich., October 5, 
 1846, leaving one daughter: he was one of 
 the first settlers in Saginaw; Eunice Eliza- 
 beth, born September 9, 18 13, died November 
 14, 183s ; Russell, born September 8, 181 6, 
 died from the effects of a fall, July 30, 1844: 
 he was twice married, and had a son by his 
 first wife and a daughter by his second; 
 James H. ; Charles H., born on the same day 
 as General Grant, April 27, 1822, died March 
 3, 1 831; Caroline, born October 17, 1824, 
 died October 25, 1843; Maria Louisa, died in 
 
436 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 infancy in 1832. James H. therefore has for 
 forty-nine years been the only survivor of his 
 father's family. Mrs. Sally M. Smith died 
 at the age of seventy. She was a member of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 James H. Smith passed his boyhood and 
 youth in assisting his father on the farm ; and 
 in early manhood he learned the carpenter's 
 trade, serving his apprenticeship with his 
 father and Captain David Winship, and be- 
 came a successful contractor and builder. He 
 cared for his parents during their declining 
 years, and, succeeding to the possession of the 
 homestead after his father's death, conducted 
 agriculture in connection with his trade. 
 His farm, which originally consisted of one 
 hundred and sixty-five acres, was devoted 
 principally to dairying, in which he made a 
 specialty of producing butter; and he also 
 sent milk to New York for nearly twenty 
 years. He recently sold a large portion of 
 the property, and is now living in retirement. 
 Mr. Smith cast his first Presidential vote for 
 General William Harrison, and of late he has 
 supported the Prohibition movement. He 
 was formerly a member of the Sons of 
 Temperance. 
 
 On November 12, 1843, Mr. Smith married 
 Sarah A. Munger, daughter of Samuel Mun- 
 ger, an old resident of Litchfield. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Smith have had eight children, seven of 
 whom are living, namely: Caroline E., who 
 married William S. Ward, of Plantsville; 
 Charles, who married Mary E. Thrall; Ed- 
 ward L., of Warehouse Point, who married 
 Sarah R. D. Palmer; Hattie C, who married 
 Samuel E. Tanner, and is no longer living; 
 Sarah L., who married Albert S. Jones, re- 
 sides in Torrington, and has a son, Horace 
 S., and a daughter, Bertha A.; Jennie G., 
 widow of Abdallah T. Palmer; Mary B., who 
 married William W. Welton, of Bridgewater; 
 
 and Flora Eunice, wife of Herbert R. Leach, 
 formerly of Newark, N.J., who is now con- 
 ducting the home farm, they having one son, 
 James H. Leach. Mrs. Smith died July 3, 
 1 89 1. She was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. Mrs. Ward has had five chil- 
 dren, three of whom are now living, namely: 
 Emma, who married Albert Botsford, and has 
 one child, named MayAlphret; William S. ; 
 and Ira A. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith 
 have had one child, now no longer living. 
 Mrs. Tanner left two children: Roy S. and 
 Herbert. Mrs. Palmer has four children; 
 namely, Arthur S., Clara, Ray, and Olive 
 Ruth. Mrs. Welton has one child, named 
 Kathleen L. 
 
 Mr. Smith united with the Congregational 
 church in Litchfield in 1843, and has since 
 continued to be an active member. He is a 
 highly respected citizen, cherishing the mem- 
 ory of his Revolutionary ancestors, and well 
 maintaining the family reputation for patriot- 
 ism. He has in his possession an interesting 
 family heirloom, a bed-spread which was made 
 by his great-grandmother in 1763. 
 
 USTIN R. HUMPHREY, a prosper- 
 ous farmer and public-spirited citizen 
 of Warren, Conn., a veteran of the 
 Civil War, was born in Crawfordsville, Ind., 
 August II, 1841, son of Hosea D. and Caro- 
 line (Starr) Humphrey. Mr. Humphrey's 
 grandparents were Lorin H. and Rhoda (Case) 
 Humphrey, the former of whom was a success- 
 ful farmer of Canton, Hartford County, 
 Conn., and a lifelong resident of that town. 
 His children were Harmon, Austin, Eunice, 
 Florinda, Hosea D., Eleanor, Warren, and 
 Susan. 
 
 Hosea D. Humphrey was born in Canton. 
 His life was devoted to education, his early 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 437 
 
 years being spent in mental discipline and 
 the acquisition of knowledge, his later in the 
 office of instruction and guidance. After 
 graduating from Amherst College, he applied 
 himself for a time to the study of law, and 
 then became a professor at Wabash College in 
 Crawfordsville, Ind., where he was engaged 
 until his death, which took place when he 
 was forty -two years old. His wife, Caroline 
 Starr, was a daughter of George and Lorain 
 (Carter) Starr. Her father was a well-to-do 
 farmer and a prominent resident of Warren, 
 well known as Squire Starr, being a highly 
 respected citizen, who filled various offices of 
 public trust. Both parents are now deceased. 
 Their children were: Caroline, Mrs. H. D. 
 Humphrey; Evylyn; Frank; and Sarah. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hosea D. Humphrey reared six chil- 
 dren, as follows: Henry, who married Lizzie 
 Pierce, and has had one son, named William; 
 George S., who married Laura Gilbert, and 
 has three children, named Frank, Burton, and 
 Alice; Frank, who was killed in the army 
 during the Civil War; Austin R., the subject 
 of this sketch; Flora, who died, aged nine- 
 teen; and Hosea D., Jr. 
 
 Austin R. Humphrey passed his boyhood 
 and youth in Canton, Conn., after his father's 
 death, and received his education in the com- 
 mon schools. At the commencement of the 
 Civil War he enlisted as a private in Com- 
 pany H, Second Regiment of Artillery, Con- 
 necticut Volunteers. He served three years, 
 during which time he was with the Army of 
 the Potomac and through the Shenandoah 
 campaign, and took part in many important 
 engagements. After his discharge he re- 
 turned to Warren, and settled upon his pres- 
 ent farm, which he has since conducted with 
 ability and success. 
 
 In politics a Republican, he has rendered 
 valuable service to the town as Assessor, Col- 
 
 lector, a member of the Board of Relief, and, 
 as a Representative to the legislature in 1876, 
 performed the duties of his. position with 
 credit both to himself and his constituents. 
 He is a charter member of Wichita Grange, 
 No. 132, of which he has been Master since 
 its organization; and he is a comrade of Post 
 Upton, No. 14, Grand Army of the Republic. 
 Mr. Humphrey and Frances Curtis, daugh- 
 ter of Erastus Curtis, of Warren, were united 
 in marriage in 1866, and have four children, 
 namely: Frank H., who married Ida Brad- 
 ford; Charles W. ; Fanny; and Ralph. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Humphrey attend the Congrega: 
 tional church. 
 
 tUSTIN H. 
 Town Cle 
 ^__ for more 
 
 GILLETT, who has been 
 Clerk of Bridgewater, Conn., 
 more than thirty years, was born 
 in the neighboring town of Washington, in 
 this county, March 30, 1834. His parents 
 were David L. and Catherine (Ludington) 
 Gillett, his father being a grandson of David 
 Gillett, who was an early settler in the town 
 of Roxbury, which joins both Bridgewater 
 and Washington, and was a prominent man in 
 the town, a Deacon of the Congregational 
 church. Deacon Gillett married Freelove 
 Maxim; and their children were: Daniel, 
 David, Electa, Eunice, and Lois. 
 
 Mr. Gillett's grandfather, David Gillett, 
 followed the trade of a blacksmith during his 
 early manhood. He moved from Roxbury to 
 Sharon, where he resided for a time, but later 
 returned to Roxbury, and engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits. During his lifetime he 
 bought and sold several farms. He was 
 drafted to serve in the War of 1812, but was 
 not called into service. In politics he was a 
 DemOjCrat, but later became one of the first 
 Abolitionists in this region, and held minor 
 town offices; and in religion he was a Congre- 
 
438 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gationalist. He lived to reach the age of 
 eighty-nine, and died in 1873. His wife, 
 Sarah Warner Gillett, died in 1859. They 
 reared the following children : Harvey, David 
 L., Thomas W., and Daniel M. 
 
 David L. Gillett was born in Roxbury in 
 1808. He learned the shoemaker's trade, 
 which he followed for a time; but, not liking 
 that occupation, he moved to Washington, 
 where he engaged in teaming, becoming 
 known as a man of energy and reliability. 
 He was accidentally killed at the age of 
 thirty-one years. His wife, Catherine Lud- 
 ington, whom he married in 1829, was born 
 in 1806, daughter of Jairus Ludington, and 
 died in 1876. She was the mother of one 
 son, Austin H., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Austin H. Gillett was educated in the 
 schools of his native town; and, when a young 
 man, he learned the hatter's trade. He fol- 
 lowed that occupation for twenty-eight years; 
 and at the end of that time he entered mer- 
 cantile business in Bridgewater, in company 
 with E. L. Peck — a partnership which con- 
 tinued for four years. He then sold his inter- 
 est, and eight years later he purchased a store 
 in company with H. D. Gillett; but, after 
 conducting a successful trade for five years, 
 he again sold out, and retired from business. 
 He bought the William Burnham homestead, 
 which he remodelled and otherwise improved 
 into a most pleasant and comfortable resi- 
 dence. In politics he has always actively 
 supported the Democratic party. He was first 
 elected to the position of Town Clerk in 
 1862, an office which he has since continued 
 to hold with the exception of three years; and 
 he has acted as Justice of the Peace for fifteen 
 years. 
 
 On November i, 1859, Mr. Gillett was 
 united in marriage with Emily A. Weller, 
 daughter of Elisha A. and Maria (Peck) Wel- 
 
 ler. Mr. and Mrs. Gillett have four children, 
 a brief record of whom is as follows: Andrew 
 W., the eldest, who was born January 2, 
 1 86 1, and who studied law, and was graduated 
 from the university in Denvi r, married Ger- 
 trude Raymond, of Denver, Col., and is now 
 residing in that city, where he was at one 
 time court stenograjDher; Frank A., born 
 February 19, 1865, who is now a machinist in 
 Philadelphia; Fred C, born February 14, 
 1867, who is now a well-known pianoforte 
 tuner in Boston; and Harry A., born Febru- 
 ary 14, 1872, who is now a clerk for Mallett 
 & I-Iatch. 
 
 Mr. Gillett is a member of St. Peter's 
 Lodge, No. 21, A. F. & A. M. He has led 
 a busy and useful life, ^rendering much val- 
 uable service to the town, and now has the 
 satisfaction of seeing his sons all well ad- 
 vanced upon the road to success. 
 
 ENRY H. DICKINSON, an exten- 
 sive farmer and tobacco grower of 
 Roxbury, was born in Cleveland, 
 Ohio, P,Iarch 14, 1841, son of Samuel and 
 Mary (Lee) Dickinson. Mr. Dickinson's 
 grandfather, Philip Dickinson, was a prosper- 
 ous farmer and a large land-owner of Cleve- 
 land previous to its expansion into a city. 
 He raised a large family of children, among 
 whom were Elisha, William, Edward, Sam- 
 uel, Philip, Delancy, and Phebe. 
 
 Samuel Dickinson, Mr. Dickinson's father, 
 was born in Cleveland in 18 15. He came 
 East in 1845; and, settling in Kent, this 
 county, he engaged in burning charcoal. In 
 1856 he bought a tract of land, containing 
 two hundred and fifty acres, situated in Falls 
 Village; and, as the property was well 
 wooded, he continued the production of char- 
 coal in large quantities for the rest of his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 441 
 
 life, and died in 1887, aged seventy -two 
 years. His prosperity was the reward of a 
 life of industry. His wife, Mary (Lee) Dick- 
 inson, whom he married in Connecticut, be- 
 came the mother of nine children, namely: a 
 son, who died in infancy; Eliza, who died 
 young; Eliza Ann; Henry H., the subject of 
 this sketch; Edward; Elmer; Mary; Walter 
 and Wallace, the two last-named being twins. 
 The mother, who is still living, has reached 
 the age of seventy years. 
 
 Henry H. Dickinson attended the schools 
 of Kent. After completing his studies, he 
 assisted his father until reaching the age of 
 twenty-one. He then engaged in the produc- 
 tion of charcoal upon his own account, and 
 carried it on successfully until 1885. In this 
 year he bought the Zachariah Warner farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres, situated in the 
 town of Roxbury, where he has since resided. 
 He has remodelled his residence, increased 
 his barn and storage capacity, and now owns 
 the finest set of farm bu-i-ldings in the town. 
 He has also improved hi's land, bringing it 
 to a high state of cultivation, and has raised 
 a crop- of seven acres of superior tobacco in 
 one season. He devotes considerable atten- 
 tion to dairying, keeping from twenty to 
 twenty-five cows; and he has an apple 
 orchard, planted with a large number of 
 grafted trees. He conducts his farm with 
 the progressive spirit which yields the best 
 results, availing himself of all the modern 
 facilities for executing agricultural work. 
 
 On February 21, 1862, Mr. Dickinson was 
 united in marriage to Phebe Newton, daugh- 
 ter of James and Ora (Calkins) Newton. 
 Her father, who was a prosperous farmer of 
 Cornwall, Conn., died in 1887, aged seventy- 
 six years. He was a prominent and useful 
 citizen, supported Democratic principles in 
 politics, and filled various town offices with 
 
 ability. His wife, who still survives him at 
 the age of seventy-five, and resides in Bran- 
 ford, has been the mother of twelve children, 
 ten of whom grew to maturity. They were : 
 Henry, William, George, Edward, Phebe, 
 Nancy, Frederick, Mary, John, and Charles. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson have had eight .chil- 
 dren, as follows: Lee S., a successful farmer, 
 who was born January 14, 1863, married Liz- 
 zie Warner, and has five children, namely — 
 Evadna, John, Bessie, William, and Flora; 
 Mary Isabelle, born March 14, 1865, who 
 died March 22, 1886; Frank J., born March 
 7, 1867, who married Minnie Root, and has 
 one daughter, named Phebe; Alice, born July 
 II, 1 87 1, who is now the wife of Frank 
 Pierce, a prosperous farmer; Robert H., born 
 April 21, 1873, who is now engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits; Daisy M., born August 4, 
 1875, who is now a teacher; Albert C, born 
 May 8, 1879, who resides at home; and Grace 
 E., who was born June s, 1883. Mr. Dickin- 
 son is a Democrat in politics, and, though he 
 does not seek political notoriety, has ably 
 filled some of the important town offices. He 
 is a member of Rising Sun Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., and attends the Episcopal church. 
 
 /^^TeORGE B. lewis, whose portrait 
 \ i> I is here seen, is the special subject of 
 the following brief memoir. Well 
 known in his day and generation as an enter- 
 prising and influential citizen of Litchfield 
 County, one who took a leading part in useful 
 activities, he has claims to honored remem- 
 brance. His death, which occurred on Octo- 
 ber 10, 1889, left a marked vacancy in the 
 business circles of Woodbury. 
 
 George B. Lewis was born in Roxbury, 
 Conn., in December, 1820, and was a son of 
 Abijah and Sally (Fairchild) Lewis. He 
 
442 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 assisted his father on the home farm until he 
 was sixteen years of age, when he started to 
 learn the tinsmith's trade in the shop of Tiit- 
 tle Dayton, of Woodbury. Six years later he 
 bought out Mr. Dayton, and, locating in the 
 Hollow, established a thriving business, carry- 
 ing in stock both tinware and hardware. 
 There he remained twenty-six years, success 
 attending all his efforts. He then built the 
 handsome business block on Main Street, now 
 owned by Mrs. Lewis, fitting it for stores and 
 offices. He also started a savings-bank asso- 
 ciation, of which he was President; and this 
 was a great success, meeting a long-felt want 
 in the town. Essentially a self-made man, 
 Mr. Lewis eventually became one of the 
 wealthiest residents of the county; and his 
 strict honesty in business matters made him 
 universally esteemed. A Republican in poli- 
 tics, he represented the town in the legisla- 
 ture, and held -many lo(ial offices of trust. 
 He was married on May 19, 1846, to Char- 
 lotte L. Hurd, who survives him. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis was born in Roxbury, Conn., 
 April 2, 1822, and is the daughter of Judson 
 and Charlotte (Leavenworth) Hurd. Her 
 father, who was born in Roxbury, January 27, 
 1776, was extensively engaged in farming, 
 and was one of the most public-spirited men 
 in the town. Casting his first vote with the 
 Whigs, he was afterwards affiliated with the 
 Democrats, and was a Deputy Sheriff for 
 Litchfield County, and held various impor- 
 tant town offices. Judson Hurd died July 22, 
 1862. His wife, who was a daughter of 
 Gideon and Lois (Hunt) Leavenworth, of 
 Roxbury, was born November 12, 1778, and 
 died April 14, 1858. Mr. and Mrs. Hurd 
 were members of the Congregational church. 
 They reared the following children: Cyrus 
 G., born April 23, 1797; Nelson, born Janu- 
 ary 14, 1799; Maria, born January 25, 1801 ; 
 
 Almira, born October 4, 1803; Sophia, born 
 April 20, 1806; Caroline, born September 24, 
 1808; Frederick W., born January 2, 181 2; 
 Catherine, born July 29, 18 14; James M., 
 born October 19, 181 7; and Charlotte L. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis is a lady of refinement and cult- 
 ure, eminently fitted to grace the beautiful 
 home so long occupied by herself and her hus- 
 band. This dwelling, which was formerly 
 the Merriam House, adjoins the bank on Main 
 Street, and is one of the handsomest resi- 
 dences in the locality. Mrs. Lewis has no 
 children. She is an esteemed member of the 
 Congregational church of Woodbury. 
 
 KiERT G. GAYLORD, a prosper- 
 )us farmer of Torrington, son of 
 Giles Loomis and Sarah Blake 
 Gay lord, was born upon the farm which he 
 now owns and occupies, on September 28, 
 1852. The Gay lords had their first home in 
 Chatian Gaillard in Normandy, France. Their 
 first migration was to Glastonbury, England, 
 whence they came to the United States. The 
 records of Windsor, Conn., show the name of 
 William Gaylord as one of the earliest set- 
 tlers of that ancient town. From there came 
 one of his descendants, Nehemiah Gaylord, to 
 settle upon the Torringford hills. He was 
 Deacon of the first church, and took an active 
 part in affairs of church and State. He be- 
 came a large land-holder, and was the original 
 possessor of the Gaylord farm. 
 
 Deacon Gaylord erected the present Gay- 
 lord residence for his son Joseph, who mar- 
 ried Ruth Bissell, and was the father of two 
 children: Elijah and Ruth. Elijah Gaylord 
 married first Esther Loomis. Their chiJdren 
 were: Fannie, who married Roderic Bissell; 
 Esther, who married John North; and Giles 
 L. Elijah married for his second wife Betsy 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 443 
 
 Comstock, by whom he had two children : 
 Ann, who married Porter Gibbs; and Mary 
 Louisa, who died in infancy. 
 
 Giles Loomis Gaylord was reared to an 
 agricultural life, and lived eighty-five years 
 in the old homestead. He was an active 
 member of the Congregational church, and 
 prominent in anti-slavery and temperance re- 
 forms. He was twice married. Pamelia 
 Preston, his first wife, left two children : 
 Caroline A., who mafried Carlos A. Phillips, 
 a merchant in Iowa, and died in California in 
 1887; and Esther Maria, who died in infancy. 
 Mr. Giles L. Gaylord's second wife was 
 Sarah Blake, daughter of Harry Blake, of 
 Winchester. Their children are Hubert G. 
 and his sister, Mary Loomis, who was edu- 
 cated at Iowa College and at a normal training 
 school in Boston, and is now a kindergartner 
 in that city. 
 
 Hubert G. gained his education in the com- 
 mon and high schools of Torrington, and, 
 when a young man, went to Iowa, where he 
 was some time employed in a store. Return- 
 ing to Torrington, he assisted in managing the 
 farm; and, after the death of his father, he 
 succeeded to the ownership of the property. 
 This is one of the oldest estates in Torring- 
 ton, and has always been kept up to a high 
 state of cultivation. In 1879 Mr. Gaylord 
 was united in marriage to Belle Waterman, 
 daughter of I. P. Waterman, of Torrington. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord have two children: 
 William Waterman and Bessie Blake. Mr. 
 Gaylord is a Republican in politics. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM A. SULLIVAN, a pros- 
 perous farmer and native resident 
 of New Milford, Litchfield County, 
 Conn., son of Henry and Maria (Smith) Sulli- 
 van, was born on July 3, 1820. Mr. Sul- 
 
 livan's father was a hatter by trade, and was 
 an expert workman upon silk hats. He fol- 
 lowed that occupation until his death, which 
 occurred at the age of forty-nine years, and 
 was caused by consumption. His wife, Maria 
 Smith Sullivan, who lived to the age of eighty 
 years, was the mother of ten children, as fol- 
 lows: William A., the subject of this sketch; 
 Betsey, who was born March 26, 1822; John 
 W., born June 24, 1824; Elmira J., born July 
 21, 1826; Mary, born in September, 1828; 
 Charles E., born in 1830; Angelina E., born 
 May 24, 1833; Olive, born August 7, 1835; 
 Harriet, born March 2, 1838; and Sarah, born 
 July 2, 1840. 
 
 William was the eldest of this large family. 
 His early opportunities for schooling must 
 have been limited, as, when only eleven years 
 old, he went to work for Nathan Peet, with 
 whom he remained until reaching the age of 
 seventeen. He then learned the mason's 
 trade, an occupation which he followed suc- 
 cessfully for some years, being a contractor. 
 He finally purchased the old Buckley farm of 
 fourteen acres, upon which he now resides; 
 and h'e later added a tract of ninety acres. 
 He enlarged his residence, built a new barn, 
 set out a large number of fruit trees, all of 
 which has greatly improved the appearance of 
 his place and enhanced its value; and he now 
 possesses one of the finest and best-managed 
 farms in this vicinity. He takes a great in- 
 terest in his stock, and owns some choice 
 cattle and sheep. He is a Democrat in poli- 
 tics, and has served as Assessor and member 
 of the School Board. 
 
 On December 25, 1846, Mr. Sullivan mar- 
 ried Ann Hallock, daughter of Adolphus and 
 Laura (Morgan) Hallock and a descendant of 
 Benjamin and Phebe (Prindle) Hallock, who 
 were the first of the family to settle in New 
 Milford. Her great-grandparents, William 
 
444 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and Lucy (Church) Hal lock, and her grand- 
 parents, Benjamin and Clarissa (Pease) Hal- 
 lock, who were prosperous farming people 
 and lifelong residents of this town, were all 
 active members of the Congregational church. 
 Mrs. Sullivan's father, Adolphus Hallock, 
 lived to reach the age of eighty-eight years. 
 His children were: Ann, Mrs. Sullivan; and 
 James M. Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan have had 
 nine children: the eldest, Henry, born No- 
 vember 7, 1847, died in 1851; Charles, born 
 February 26, 1849, married Anna Northrop, 
 and has four children, namely — Margaret, 
 Ada, Howard, and Lottie; Helen, born Janu- 
 ary II, 1852, married Gorge Marsh, and has 
 one child, named Mabel ; Henry, born Decem- 
 ber 27, 1855, died in 1865; William, born 
 October 14, 1856, married Mary Hoyt; Ella, 
 born October 27, 1857, married Frederick 
 Richmond, and has two children — Millie and 
 Leona; Minnie, born August 25, 1859, widow 
 of Orrin Plumb; James, born October 15, 
 1862, married Katie Fenn, and has four chil- 
 dren — Susie, George, Ruth, and Minnie; and 
 George, born June 8, 1867, married Lulu Cap- 
 well, and has two children — William and 
 Ethel. Mr. Sullivan is a progressive and en- 
 ergetic farmer, who by the exercise of sound 
 judgment and by practical painstaking has 
 made his agricultural operations a pronounced 
 success. Both he and his wife are communi- 
 cants of the Episcopal church. 
 
 T^APTAIN EDGAR B. VAN WIN- 
 V J| KLE, civil engineer, now living 
 
 ^. ■ practically retired from business 
 
 activities, spends his winters in New York 
 City, but during the warmer seasons of the 
 year occupies his beautiful residence in the 
 town of Litchfield, where he is highly es- 
 teemed, his enterprise, public spirit, and 
 
 generous interest in local improvements being 
 thoroughly appreciated by his fellow-towns- 
 men. Captain Van Winkle was born, March 
 
 4, 1842, in the city of New York, and is of 
 ancient Colonial stock, the emigrant progen- 
 itor of the family, Jacob W. Van Winckle, 
 having come from Holland, and settled in 
 Bergen, N.J., in 1636 (American Ancestry, 
 Vol. IV.). 
 
 Peter Van Winkle, of the prominent New 
 York mercantile firm of a former day. Van 
 Winkle & Antwerp, was the father of Edgar 
 
 5. Van Winkle and grandfather of the subject 
 of this biography. His wife was a daughter 
 of General Abraham Godwin, of Revolution- 
 ary fame. 
 
 Edgar S. Van Winkle was born in New 
 York, August 3, 18 10. At the age of four- 
 teen he decided upon the profession of law; 
 but, not having had a college education, the 
 term of his preparatory study was seven years. 
 He became a model lawyer, because he pos- 
 sessed qualities which are the foundation of 
 legal equipment; but he would have as readily 
 won laurel in other fields. His professional 
 standing was of the highest. His leading 
 clients were executors, guardians, and trus- 
 tees, banks, trust companies, and large com- 
 mercial houses, one bank retaining him as 
 counsel for half a century. At one time he 
 was associated as a partner with the illustrious 
 Daniel Webster. 
 
 Mr. Van Winkle inherited a large share of 
 the literary vein of the family, winning in his 
 youth a reputation as a writer of verse. He 
 was a contributor to the old New York Mirror; 
 and with his genial friend, Daniel Seymour, 
 he issued a paper called the Aspirant, which 
 was continued for some years. This paper is 
 described by Parke Godwin as overflowing with 
 merriment, racy humor, caustic criticisms, 
 and rollicking fun, all aimed at the flying 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 445 
 
 follies of the times. A book containing a 
 selection of his poetical writings, including 
 "An Indian Drama," was prepared for his 
 family in 1876, it being privately printed, not 
 published. Mr. Van Winkle was one of the 
 founders and the first Vice-President of the 
 Bar Association of the city of New York, and 
 for some thirty years one of the managers of 
 the House of Refuge for Juvenile Delinquents. 
 In 1846 he was one of the founders of the 
 Century Club, where he was greatly cherished 
 for his efficient aid in the social and literary 
 entertainments for which it has always been 
 distinguished. He was also deeply interested 
 in the patriotic aims and actions of the Union 
 League Club during the war. 
 
 The Hon. Benjamin D. Silliman says of 
 Mr. Winkle: "As a companion, he was, in- 
 deed, delightful ; and, as a friend, no man was 
 ever more faithful and affectionate. Intrinsic 
 excellence marked every phase of his char- 
 acter. He was not a man of professions, a 
 surface man; but sincerity and truth were the 
 law of his nature. His warm and honest 
 heart knew no guile. He was genial, refined, 
 and cordial, abounded in wit and humor and 
 good fellowship, while his stores of knowledge 
 were so rich and so varied that his conversa- 
 tion was always attractive and instructive." 
 Mr. Van Winkle wrote to a friend a few years 
 prior to his death, 
 
 " Before the fatal day — God grant it late 
 When thou and I must bow our heads to fate — 
 Before our last long sleep, oh, yield it Heaven ! 
 Some time for contemplation may be given." 
 
 His prayer was granted, his closing years being 
 blessed by a long period of serenity and peace. 
 In 1835 Mr. Edgar S. Van Winkle married 
 Miss Hannah Beach, daughter of Theron 
 Beach, of Litchfield, who for some time was 
 President of what is now the First National 
 
 Bank of Litchfield. The maiden name of 
 Mr. Beach's wife, the maternal grandmother 
 of Captain Van Winkle, was Hannah Starr. 
 She was born in Goshen, being a daughter of 
 Ephraim Starr and the lineal descendant of 
 Dr. Comfort Starr, who emigrated from Ash- 
 ford, County Kent, England, in 1636. At 
 the time of her union with Mr. Beach she was 
 the widow of Birdsey Norton, by whom she 
 had three children, one of -whom married a 
 Mr. Goddard. Edgar S. and Hannah (Beach) 
 Van Winkle became the parents of four chil- 
 dren, namely: Mary D. ; Hannah L., who 
 died at the early age of twenty years; Eliza- 
 beth Starr; and Edgar Beach. The mother 
 passed into the higher life at the advanced age 
 of seventy-three years. She was an esteemed 
 member of the Congregational church, while 
 her husband, like his father and mother before 
 him, was an attendant of the Dutch Reformed 
 church. 
 
 Edgar Beach Van Winkle was educated 
 in the University Grammar School of New 
 York City and at Union College, where he re- 
 ceived the degrees of A.B. and C.E. Among 
 the members of his class, that of i860, were 
 Warner Miller, the late Douglas Campbell, 
 the historian, Colonel Spraug, president of 
 the Ten Cent Savings Institution of New 
 York City, and Samuel Maclory, of the New 
 York Tribune. The young engineer began 
 the practice of his profession immediately 
 after his graduation, working as a rodman on 
 the Croton Water Works, under General 
 George S. Green, now the oldest living grad- 
 uate of West Point. In 1862 young Van 
 Winkle enlisted in the service of his country, 
 joining the Seventh" Regiment, N. G. S. N.Y., 
 as a private, and spending the three months of 
 his enlistment in Baltimore. On his return 
 to New York he became interested, as Acting 
 I Second Lieutenant, in the organization of a 
 
U6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 battalion of artillery. This undertaking not 
 being completed, a number of the officers be- 
 came supernumeraries in other organizations, 
 Second Lieutenant Van Winkle being made a 
 First Lieutenant in the One Hundred and 
 Third New York Infantry, receiving his ap- 
 pointment from Governor Morgan. 
 
 He served in that capacity until 1864, when 
 he was promoted to a captaincy in the One 
 Hundred and Third United States Volunteers, 
 both regiments having belonged to the Tenth 
 Army Corps in the Department of the South. 
 By his courageous and faithful attention to 
 duty he won the respect and confidence of the 
 brave soldiers under his command and the es- 
 teem of his superior officers. He took an ac- 
 tive part at the battle of Honeyhill, S.C, 
 where the Union forces lost eight hundred out 
 of a command of five thousand men. Captain 
 Van Winkle was with Sherman in his cam- 
 paign in the Carol inas immediately succeed- 
 ing the famous "March to the Sea," and was 
 personally known to that distinguished leader. 
 Among the most valued of the Captain's pos- 
 sessions are some autograph letters which he 
 received from General Sherman after the close 
 of the war. Captain Van Winkle was detailed 
 as staff officer at different times, serving on 
 the staff of General John P. Hatch and of 
 General Egbert L. Veele, both eminent com- 
 manders, and on that of General Q. A. Gil- 
 more, the prominent engineer officer. 
 
 On his return to his native city Captain 
 Van Winkle was again in the employ of the 
 Croton Aqueduct Department, being engaged 
 in the Bureau of Sewers for two years. Re- 
 signing this position, he spent the following 
 year travelling in England and on the conti- 
 nent of Europe, examining works of engineer- 
 ing, interested particularly in those relating 
 to sewerage. In London he actually traversed 
 the great sewer from St. Paul's to Fish Lane 
 
 Monument, a distance of more than a mile. 
 When he came home, he accepted a position 
 with the Erie Railway Company, making pre- 
 liminary surveys for a time and assisting in 
 building the New York & Fort Lee Railway. 
 Later he opened an office in New York City, 
 and was subsequently appointed division en- 
 gineer on the Shepaug Valley Railway, run- 
 ning from Litchfield to Hawleyville. Very 
 soon afterward Captain Van Winkle became 
 connected with the department controlling the 
 public parks of New York, and as surveyor 
 and civil engineer has laid out one-half of 
 that part of the city lying north of the Harlem 
 River, platting the land and constructing 
 streets, sewers, bridges, etc. — in brief, mak- 
 ing a city out of farm lands. To him was also 
 intrusted the preparation of the very perfect 
 tax maps for this section and those connected 
 with the condemning of property for the open- 
 ing of new streets. Becoming chief of this 
 department, he continued actively engaged 
 until after the death of his father, when he 
 was obliged to resign, having been appointed 
 sole executor of the paternal estate. He has 
 since confined his attention to looking after 
 the property under his charge, acting in his 
 profession simply as a consulting engineer. 
 For about eight years Captain Van Winkle 
 was connected with the National Guard of the 
 State of New York as division engineer, with 
 the rank of Colonel. 
 
 The marriage of Captain Edgar B. Van 
 Winkle and Miss Elizabeth Mitchell, a daugh- 
 ter of Judge William Mitchell, of the Supreme 
 Court of New York, took place in 1876. 
 Mrs. Van Winkle's mother descended from a 
 well-known Huguenot family. Her father 
 was son of the Rev. Edward Mitchell, an emi- 
 nent divine, who emigrated to New York 
 from Coleraine, County Ulster, Ireland, in 
 I79I- Judge William Mitchell was one of 
 
HUDSON J. PULVER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 449 
 
 the most esteemed jurists of his day, learned 
 in legal lore, with a keen perception that at 
 once grasped the salient points of the most 
 abstruse questions, and made him a leader in 
 his profession. He died while on a visit at 
 Morristown, N.J., in 1886, being then eighty- 
 six years of age. A very interesting memo- 
 rial, eulogizing his virtues, has been written. 
 Five children were born to Captain and Mrs. 
 Van Winkle, namely: Mary Starr; Elizabeth 
 Mitchell; Edgar Beach, Jr.; Grace Louisa; 
 and William Mitchell. 
 
 In 1889, accompanied by his wife and five 
 children, Captain Van Winkle made another 
 European trip, and, having visited many of the 
 important cities, located at Tours, France, 
 where they resided until 1891. With the ex- 
 ception of the years spent abroad Captain Van 
 Winkle has always passed his summers in 
 Litchfield, his first memories thereof being of 
 living in the old Sheldon house. Later the 
 family occupied the house beside that, which 
 had been built by his grandfather. In 1892 
 he began the excavation for his present resi- 
 dence, covering about one hundred feet by fifty 
 feet in dimensions and some three stories in 
 height, one of the finest in architectural con- 
 struction of any in the State, if not in New 
 England. The sewerage system of his place 
 is an entirely novel one, having been invented 
 by the owner, and is one of general interest 
 to engineers. 
 
 On August 8, 1894, at the age of forty- 
 eight years, Mrs. Van Winkle, the affectionate 
 and devoted wife and loving mother, passed to 
 the completer life beyond, leaving to her fam- 
 ily and friends the sweet memory of a noble 
 womanhood, the influence of her cheerful and 
 gentle spirit still hovering over the home, like 
 a peaceful benediction. She was a true 
 Christian and a devout communicant of the 
 Episcopalian church. 
 
 In politics the Captain is a Republican. 
 Socially, he is a man of prominence and in- 
 fluence, when in college belonging to the So- 
 ciety of Kappa Alpha. He is ore of the 
 oldest members, being No. 441 out of a mem- 
 bership of eighty-nine thousand, of the Mili- 
 tary Order of the Loyal Legion, having been 
 a Recorder of the New York Commandant for 
 two years, under General Schofield. He is 
 also a member of Lafayette Post, No. 140, of 
 New York, Grand Army of the Republic, of 
 the Sons of the Revolution, and is also one of 
 the oldest members of the Americaxi Society 
 of Civil Engineers, having served as a Direc- 
 tor of that society. He is a charter member 
 of the Holland Society of New York, and be- 
 longs to the Century Club, the United Ser- 
 vice Club, and the American Geographical 
 Society. Religiously, Captain Van Winkle 
 is connected with the Collegiate Dutch Re- 
 formed Church, the oldest religious organiza- 
 tion in New York City, the church with which 
 his father and grandfather were long identi- 
 fied. 
 
 1 ^ •^ y 
 
 UDSON J. PULVER, the most 
 prominent physician in Torrington, 
 i® V^ ^ _, Conn., was born in this town, De- 
 cember 24, 1859, son of Hiram and Jane 
 (Kimberly) Pulver. Hiram Pulver was born 
 in Copake, Columbia County, N.Y., and was 
 reared on a farm. When a young man, he 
 went to Salisbury, where he learned the' trade 
 of carriage-maker. He worked in Torrington 
 some years in the employ of the Alvord Car- 
 riage Company, and in 1850, at the time of 
 the gold fever, went to California. His stay 
 in that State lasted only two years; for, like 
 many of the Eastern men who went to the 
 gold region at that time, he keenly felt the 
 lack of the comforts and conveniences of civil- 
 ized life. In 1852 he returned to Torrington, 
 
45 c 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and started in business, prospering as years 
 passed until he was ranked as a leading car- 
 riage manufacturer in the locality. He mar- 
 ried Jane, daughter of David Kimberly, of 
 Torrington; and five children were born of 
 their union, four of whom are living, namely: 
 Stanley, a carriage painter in New Haven; 
 Albert H., in business with his father, of 
 whom a more extended notice will be found 
 elsewhere in this work; and Frank, now 
 studying medicine in the New York Homoeo- 
 pathic College. Mr. and Mrs. Pulver are 
 members of the First Congregational Church 
 in Torrington. Hudson J. Pulver received 
 his early education in the public schools of 
 Torrington, and attended Claverack College, 
 near Hudson, N.Y. He was graduated from 
 the New York Homoeopathic College in 1883, 
 and began to practise the same year. During 
 the twelve years devoted by Dr. Pulver to 
 healing the sick he has made a host of friends, 
 and established a reputation for professional 
 knowledge and skill, which is daily increas- 
 ing his visiting list. He is versed in the 
 latest and most approved theories of medical 
 practice, and answers the demands upon him 
 with unvarying promptness and courtesy. 
 Besides attending to his regular duties, he has 
 filled various official positions, serving on the 
 Board of Health nine years, and being at pres- 
 ent medical examiner for the Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen, the New England Lodge 
 of Protection, the North-western, the Masonic 
 Mutual, and the Connecticut Indemnity Insur- 
 ance Company. 
 
 Dr. Pulver was married in 1890 to Grace 
 C. Coe, daughter of Nelson W. and Caroline 
 (Workman) Coe. Her father, who was the 
 founder of the Coe Furniture Company, died 
 in Torrington in 1888. His family consisted 
 of two children, the only son being Frank E., 
 manager of the Coe Furniture Company, of 
 
 whom a sketch will be found on another page 
 of this volume. Mrs. Pulver is a graduate of 
 Vassar, and since her marriage has studied 
 medicine in Chicago, receiving her diploma 
 in 1894. She entered immediately on medi- 
 cal practice, and bids fair to rival her hus- 
 band, evincing delicacy of perception and a 
 savoir fairc which come to some physicians 
 only through years of experience. 
 
 In politics Dr. Hudson J. Pulver is a Re- 
 publican. He is prominent in Masonic 
 circles, belonging to Seneca Lodge of Tor- 
 rington and Cyrus Chapter, and to Clark 
 Commandery of Waterbury, and the Mystic 
 Shrine of Bridgeport. He is also a member 
 of the New England Order of United Work- 
 men. In religious views he is liberal, while 
 his wife is a communicant of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 UDGE JEROME F. GIBBS, a promi- 
 nent merchant of Kent, Town Clerk, 
 and formerly a member of the Connec- 
 ticut legislature, was born in Kent, May 19, 
 1836, son of Tillotson and Eunice (Cole) 
 Gibbs. The founder of this family was Giles 
 Gibbs, who with his brothers Francis and 
 Joseph came from Devonshire, England. It 
 is believed that Giles settled in Dorchester in 
 1633. He died in Windsor, Conn., in May, 
 1 741. Jacob was a son of Giles, and either 
 Samuel or Jacob was a son of Jacob; and this 
 son had a son Benjamin, who married Abigal 
 Marshall, September 16, 1708. They lived in 
 Windsor and Litchfield, Conn., and had: Ben- 
 jamin, born 1 710; Zebulon, born 171 1; 
 Henry, in 1713; Abigal, in 1715 or 1714; 
 Hannah, in 1716; William, in 1718— all in 
 Windsor, Conn. Then came Gersham, who 
 was the first white male child born in Litch- 
 field County, the event occurring July 28, 
 1721; Zadock, born 1722; Elizabeth, 1725; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 451 
 
 Sarah, 1727; Caleb, 1729; Justice, 1731; 
 and Remembrance, the last, in 1734. 
 
 Mr. Gibbs's great-grandfather, Gersham 
 Gibbs, his brother Benjamin, his sons Isaac 
 and Moore, were enlisted in a company of 
 volunteers organized in Litchfield, Conn., 
 and served in the Revolution. Gersham died 
 on board the convict ship "Grosvenor" in 
 New York Harbor on December 29, 1776. 
 Isaac, his son, died on same ship, January 15, 
 1777. Among the effects of Captain Beebe 
 was found the receipt following: — 
 
 Account of Gersham Gibbs. 
 
 Received of Captain Beebe three dollars 
 that belonged to my husband and son, which 
 was part of the inoney sent to them whilst 
 prisoners in New York. 
 
 Tabitha Gibbs. 
 
 Moore Gibbs, son of Gersham, went to South 
 Britain, Conn., and there married Patience 
 Skeel, June 29, 1786. Their children were: 
 Amos A., born April 4, 1787, died Septem- 
 ber 25, 1820, in Pennsylvania; Reuben Mar- 
 shall, born March 14, 1794; Tillotson Howe, 
 born May 2, 1796, died February 23, 1868; 
 Birdsey, born February 16, 1798; Phebe, born 
 May 18, 1803; Willis, born August 13, 1804, 
 died July 3, 1874; Rhoda, born March 17, 
 1807: Newton, April 20, 1809. 
 
 Tillotson Gibbs, Mr. Gibbs's father, whose 
 birth occurred in Litchfield, Conn., was 
 reared a farmer, and followed that occupation, 
 at the same time keeping a hotel in his native 
 town until he reached middle age. Then he 
 moved to Kent, where he passed the remainder 
 of his life, and died aged seventy-one. He 
 was widely and favorably known as a genial 
 and fair-minded man and a useful citizen. 
 On January 11, 1818, at Weston, Conn., he 
 married Eunice Cole, a daughter of Jonathan 
 Cole; and she became the mother of six chil- 
 
 dren, as follows: Catherine L., January 8, 
 1 8 19; Henrietta, October 16, 1822, died No- 
 vember 8, 1895; Frederick Baldwin, born 
 November 19, 1824; Willis, born May 24, 
 1828, died June 13, 1882; Mary Z., August 
 16, 1832; Jerome F., May 9, 1836. Cath- 
 erine's first husband, a Mr. Rigner, died; and 
 she married for her second husband Daniel 
 Trembley, by whom she had three children; 
 namely, Sarah, Isabella, and Daniel. Henri- 
 etta became Mrs. Welch, and reared two chil- 
 dren, Homer and Wallace. Willis married 
 Margaret Nevins, and reared four children, 
 namely: Mary, born March 28, 1851; George 
 W., born December 10, 1852; Henrietta, 
 born September 13, 1858; Frederick Howe, 
 born October 24, i860. Mary Z. became 
 Mrs. Henry Small. The mother lived to the 
 age of ninety -one years. Jerome F. Gibbs 
 received his education in the schools of Kent. 
 After completing his studies, he learned the 
 tinner's trade. This he followed as a jour- 
 neyman for four years, when in Kent he 
 started in the house furnishing business, 
 which he has since conducted with success. 
 He is an enterprising and progressive mer- 
 chant, fair and obliging to his patrons, and has 
 earned the long period of prosperity he has 
 enjoyed. In politics he is a Democrat, and 
 has for many years been closely identified 
 with public affairs. He has acted as Town 
 Clerk for the past thirty years, has presided 
 as Judge of the Probate Court for twenty-five 
 years; and in 1886 he represented his town 
 in the legislature. In the various positions 
 of public trust he has filled he displayed a 
 zeal and ability duly appreciated by his fellow- 
 townsmen, who are loud in their praises of 
 him. He is a member of St. Luke's Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., of Kent, and of Housatonic 
 Chapter, Royal Arch, of New Milford. In 
 i860 Mr. Gibbs was united in marriage to 
 
4S2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Emma F. Hoag, daughter of David Hoag, of 
 Dover. Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs attend the Epis- 
 copal church, of which Mr. Gibbs is a 
 Warden. 
 
 Y^AUREN J. HATCH, a highly es- 
 IJr teemed resident of Bridgewater, who 
 -*• — -^ died at his home on May 3, 1873, 
 was born upon the farm adjoining the one now 
 owned by his widow, October 6, 1831, son of 
 Charles C. and Anah C. (Judson) Hatch. 
 Mr. Hatch's great-grandparents were Joshua 
 and Phebe (Bennett) Hatch, the former of 
 whom was a prosperous farmer of Newtown, 
 Conn. Joshua died at about the age of 
 eighty, and his wife lived to the advanced age 
 of ninety-six years. Their children were: 
 Sarah, Polly, Hannah, Phebe, and Mark T. 
 Mark T., grandfather of Mr. Hatch, was born 
 in Newtown, July 11, 1772. When a young 
 man, he settled in Bridgewater, where he pur- 
 chased a tract of land, containing three hun- 
 dred acres, a part of which he sold, and the re- 
 maining portion he cleared and improved into 
 a good farm. He became a successful farmer, 
 and continued to reside in Bridgewater until 
 his death, which took place when he was 
 thirty-six years old. He married Hannah 
 Camp; and his five children were: Currence, 
 Harmon, Phebe, Charles C, and Mark T. 
 His wife died at the age of forty -eight years. 
 
 Charles C. Hatch, Mr. Hatch's father, re- 
 sided at home until he reached his majority, 
 when he went to Pennsylvania, where he 
 learned the manufacturing of woollen goods. 
 He returned to his native State; and, hiring 
 a building in Roxbury, he and his brother, 
 Mark T., engaged in the manufacture of 
 woollen goods, which they conducted for three 
 years. Charles C. Hatch then purchased his 
 father's farm, and in 1849 he erected the 
 house which now stands upon the property 
 
 adjoining the new residence. He was a pro- 
 gressive and successful farmer, and stood high 
 in the estimation of his fellow-townsmen. He 
 was a Democrat in politics, ably serving in 
 some of the town offices. He died April 27, 
 1879. His wife, Anah C. Judson, who was 
 born in 1812, became the mother of eight 
 children; namely, Lauren J., Esther A., 
 Phebe M., Charles C, Charles E., Mark T., 
 Currence J., and Henry H. Esther A. Hatch 
 married Edward Cowles, resided in Woodbury, 
 had three children, Julius, Imogene, and 
 Carrie, and died aged nineteen. Phebe M. 
 Hatch married Oliver Cowles, resides in 
 Woodbury, and has no children. Charles E. 
 Hatch married Helen Knowles, resides in 
 New Milford, and has four children: J. San- 
 ford, G. Winnifred, Lillie G., and Frederick 
 D. Currence J. Hatch married Daniel 
 Knowles, resides in Washington, and had four 
 children: Edith, who died aged twenty-four 
 years.; Minnie; Daniel, who died young; and 
 Wilbur. Henry H. married Annie Clark, 
 and had one child, Frank W. Henry, who 
 died aged thirty-four. The mother lived to 
 the age of seventy-four years. 
 
 Lauren J. Hatch attended the schools of his 
 native town. At the age of sixteen he com- 
 menced to learn the carpenter's trade. After 
 working as a journeyman for some time, he es- 
 tablished himself in business as a contractor 
 and builder; and during his long and success- 
 ful career he erected many handsome and sub- 
 stantial residences in New Milford and 
 Bridgewater. His work was always of the 
 most reliable character, and his word alone 
 was generally considered as a sufficient guar- 
 antee in his business transactions. A high 
 opinion of his judgment in business affairs 
 was entertained, and his advice was in fre- 
 quent request by his acquaintances. He was a 
 Democrat in his political views, and for many 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 453 
 
 years was a worshipper at St. John's Episcopal 
 Church. He died May 3, 1873; and his 
 memory is still fresh in the hearts of many 
 who knew and appreciated his true worth. 
 
 On December 20, 1845, Mr. Hatch was 
 united in marriage to Nancy B. Tuttle, daugh- 
 ter of Newton and Eliza (Wilcox) Tuttle. 
 The parents of Mrs. Hatch were prosperous 
 farming people of Southbury, Conn., and 
 passed their declining years with their daugh- 
 ter. Newton Tuttle died aged eighty-two, and 
 his wife at seventy-four years. Their chil- 
 dren were: Charlotte, Mary, and Nancy B. 
 Mrs. Hatch is the mother of one son, Charles 
 Newton, who was born November 20, 1863. 
 He is now engaged in the general merchandise 
 and produce business in Bridgewater, as a 
 member of the firm of Hatch & Mallett. On 
 December 25, 1888, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary E. Mallett. 
 
 In 1880 Mrs. Hatch carried out the inten- 
 tion of her deceased husband to build a new 
 residence upon his farm. It is a large and 
 handsome house of two stories. She made 
 other improvements besides this, and contin- 
 ued to conduct the farm until 1895, when she 
 rented the property, and purchased a cottage 
 in the village, in order to be near her son, 
 residing there. She has the friendship and 
 esteem of the majority of the leading resi- 
 dents of Bridgewater, and attends St. John's 
 Church. Mark T. Hatch, Mr. Hatch's 
 brother, was born at the homestead in Bridge- 
 water, December i, 1841. He inherited part 
 of his father's farm, and carries on general 
 farming with energy and success. He mar- 
 ried for his first wife Emily Beers, who died 
 at the age of thirty, leaving two children, 
 namely: Edna S., who is now a teacher; and 
 Bertha E. He married for his second wife 
 Sarah Botsford; and by this union he has had 
 six children, namely: Arthur V.; Clarence 
 
 T. ; Sarah E. ; Mary E., deceased; Mary J.; 
 and Howard M. 
 
 (sTrsAP 
 
 fsA sc 
 
 SAPH HALL, who is widely known in 
 scientific circles as an astronomer of 
 more than ordinary attainments, 
 was born in Goshen, Conn., October 15, 1829. 
 His parents were Asaph and Hannah C. 
 (Palmer) Hall. His grandfather, Asaph 
 Hall, first, who was born in Wallingford, 
 Conn., in 1735, was a farmer and a large land- 
 owner. During the Revolutionary War he 
 served in the Continental army, being present 
 at the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and con- 
 tinuing in active service as Lieutenant and 
 Captain until the surrender of Burgoyne. He 
 was a member of the Connecticut legislature 
 twenty-four sessions, and a member of the 
 State Convention which adopted the Federal 
 Constitution on January 9, 1788. He and his 
 wife, Esther McNair Hall, had one child, 
 Asaph Hall, second. Asaph Hall, first, died 
 in 1800. His widow, who afterward married 
 Seth Baldwin, died at the age of seventy-five. 
 Asaph Hall, second, father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born in Goshen, Conn. He 
 married Hannah C. Palmer, a daughter of 
 Robert Palmer, of Goshen ; and they had six 
 children, all of whom came to maturity : 
 Asaph; Hannah Fox; Adelaide and Adeline, 
 twins; Lyman; and Mary C. While in the 
 South, looking after his business interests, 
 Mr. Hall, the father, died in 1842. The fol- 
 lowing account of his son Asaph, whose name 
 appears at the head of this article, is taken 
 from the Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XLV: 
 
 Up to the time of his father's death Asaph's 
 life was that of a well-to-do country boy. He 
 had worked on the farm, and he had gone to 
 the village school. His father was far better 
 educated than most of the men of the place, 
 
454 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 so that many good books fell into the boy's 
 hands. Often his rainy days were spent in 
 the garret, fighting the battles on the plains of 
 Troy or following Ulysses in his wanderings. 
 
 When his father died, everything was 
 changed. Almost all the property was mort- 
 gaged. In a family council it was decided to 
 remain on one of the farms, and try to pay off 
 the mortgage. So Asaph and his mother set 
 to work, and for three years toiled with might 
 and main, carrying on the work of a large 
 farm almost entirely by themselves. Asaph's 
 mother was a tireless worker, and he helped 
 her as best he could; but, when the three 
 years were past, they found they had been 
 able to pay the interest on the mortgage, and 
 nothing more. Sticking to the farm did not 
 seem to pay, so Asaph decided to leave, and go 
 and learn the carpenter's trade. He per- 
 suaded his mother to move to a little place 
 she owned free from debt, and he apprenticed 
 himself to a local carpenter. He worked for 
 three years for sixty dollars a year. At the 
 end of that time he became a journeyman, and 
 worked for himself. He stayed in Litchfield 
 County, helping to build houses and barns 
 that are standing on the old farms to-day. 
 
 For six years he stuck to carpenter work, 
 but all that time he was full of ambition. He 
 saw that the men he worked with were a poorly 
 educated set. They knew how to make a 
 right angle by the three, four, five rule; but 
 they had no idea at all of the reason for it. 
 He was not satisfied to work in this blind rule- 
 of-thumb fashion. He wanted to know the 
 reasons of things. So he kept picking up 
 some knowledge of mathematics to help him 
 understand his business. In the summer he 
 was busy with carpenter work, but in the 
 winter he generally went home. He did the 
 chores on the farm in the early morning and 
 at night, and went to school besides. As he 
 
 learned more, he decided to study and become 
 an architect. He managed to spend one 
 winter in Norfolk, Conn., under the instruc- 
 tion of the principal of the Norfolk Academy. 
 There he went through algebra and six books 
 of geometry. 
 
 When he was twenty-five years old, he had 
 saved a little money from his carpenter work. 
 Through the New York Tribune he saw that 
 there was a college at McGrawville, N.Y., 
 where a young man could earn his living and 
 get an education at the same time. He de- 
 cided to go to this college. So in the sum- 
 mer of 1854 he set out for Central College, as 
 it was called. When he got there, he found it 
 was a very different place from what he had 
 expected. It was open to both sexes and all 
 colors, and was the gathering place of a queer 
 set of cranks of all sorts. The teaching was 
 poor, but still to the green country youth the 
 experience was of immense value. His views 
 were broadened and changed. He stayed at 
 the college only a year and a half. In that 
 time he went through algebra, geometry, and 
 trigonometry, and studied some French and 
 Latin. He soon proved himself to be by far 
 the best mathematician in the college. 
 
 One of the students was a young woman 
 named Angeline Stickney. She was a coun- 
 try girl of great sensibility and of fine mental 
 qualities. She was working her way through 
 college, and as a Senior she helped in the 
 teaching. Asaph Hall was one of her pupils 
 in mathematics. Many were the problems he 
 and his classmates contrived to puzzle their 
 teacher, but they never were successful. 
 When she was graduated, Asaph Hall was en- 
 gaged to her. He decided that he had stayed 
 long enough at McGrawville. His money was 
 about gone, and the college was poor. So in 
 1855 they set out together for Wisconsin. 
 Angeline Stickney had a brother there, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 455- 
 
 she stayed at his house while Asaph tramped 
 about the country in search of a school where 
 they could teach. No school was open for 
 them. They became tired of the fiat, sickly 
 country; and, when spring came, they decided 
 to leave. On the 31st of March, 1856, they 
 were married. Then they started for Ann 
 Arbor. Asaph entered the Sophomore and 
 Junior classes in Ann Arbor University, 
 studying mathematics and astronomy under 
 Professor Briinnow. He found he could do 
 good work in both these branches. His 
 teacher encouraged him greatly. It was from 
 him that he acquired his taste for astronomy. 
 Professor Briinnow was an excellent teacher; 
 but he had trouble with his classes, and his 
 work was so changed and broken up that 
 young Hall decided to leave after he had been 
 there but half a year. 
 
 He went with his wife to Shalersville, 
 Ohio, and took charge of the academy there. 
 They conducted it successfully for a year, pay- 
 ing "off all their debts and buying themselves 
 new clothes, of which they were much in 
 need. When the school was over, they had 
 no idea where to turn next. Hall wanted to 
 go back to Ann Arbor and study again; but 
 there was a great storm on the lakes at that 
 time, and his wife would not go. So they 
 started East. He had had an offer from Pro- 
 fessor Bond, who was in charge of the Harvard 
 College Observatory, of three dollars a week 
 as assistant. Finally, he decided to accept 
 it. He visited his old home in the summer; 
 and in the fall of 1857 he took his wife to 
 Cambridge, and began his career as an astron- 
 omer. 
 
 Very few young married men of this day 
 would like to start in a profession at the age 
 of twenty-nine on a salary of three dollars a 
 week. But young Hall expected he would be 
 able to pick up outside work. He thought he 
 
 could pursue his study in mathematics under 
 Professor Benjamin Peirce, then at Harvard. 
 So he entered on his new life full of hope. 
 He took a couple of rooms on Concord Ave- 
 nue, near the observatory, and began house- 
 keeping. He soon found he could not carry 
 out all his plans. There was some quarrel 
 between Professor Peirce and Professor Bond, 
 and he could not study with the former with- 
 out offending his employer. He had to give 
 up that plan. His work at the observatory 
 required long hours, but he managed to study 
 a little by himself. He studied mathematics 
 and German at the same time by translating 
 a German mathematical work. His little in- 
 come was all eaten up by simply the room 
 rent. In order to live, he had to do outside 
 work. By computing, making almanacs, and 
 observing moon culminations, he doubled his 
 salary, and managed to scrape along. His 
 wife worked by his side faithfully, encourag- 
 ing him, helping him in his studies, and 
 doing all the housework with her own hands. 
 Hall soon became a rapid, accurate, and skil- 
 ful computer. Soon his employers saw how 
 valuable he was; and they gradually increased 
 his pay, till at last he drew a salary of six 
 hundred dollars a year. 
 
 He stayed in the Cambridge Observatory 
 till the year 1862. At that time the war had 
 been going on for a year. The officers at the 
 Naval Observatory at Washington had gone 
 off into the service of either the North or the 
 South. Men were needed to fill their places. 
 Hall was recomm'ended to fill a position there. 
 It was a good opening. He went to Washing- 
 ton, passed an examination, and was offered a 
 place. In the fall of 1862 he went down to 
 Washington to begin his work. The city was 
 then in a ferment. Many of the office-holders 
 were from the South. All sorts of jealousies 
 and meanness were rife in the departments of 
 
45 6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the government; but he kept out of all dis- 
 putes, and settled down quietly to his work. 
 
 On January 2, 1863, he was appointed a 
 Professor of Mathematics in the United States 
 navy. After that his career was assured, for 
 his position was for life. Starting as a fa.rmer 
 boy, then turning carpenter, pursuing mathe- 
 matics with the idea of becoming an architect, 
 finally he had found the best field for his 
 labor in astronomy. Up to this time his 
 struggle was a hard one. He had never 
 known what it was to have a moment of relax- 
 ation. It was toil from morning till night, 
 and all that he did was for the personal bene- 
 fit of others. After his appointment at Wash- 
 ington he was able to do work that counted 
 for himself. So his public scientific career 
 really began in 1862. 
 
 From 1862 to 1866 he worked on the nine- 
 and-a-half-inch equatorial at the Naval Ob- 
 servatory under Mr. James Ferguson, making 
 observations and reducing his work. One 
 night, while he was working alone in the 
 dome, the trap-door by which it was entered 
 from below opened, and a tall, thin figure, 
 crowned by a stove-pipe hat, arose in the dark- 
 ness. It turned out to be President Lincoln. 
 He had come up from the White House with 
 Secretary Stanton. He wanted to take a look 
 at the heavens through the telescope. Pro- 
 fessor Hall showed him the various objects of 
 interest, and finally turned the telescope on 
 the half-full moon. The President looked at 
 it a little while, and went away. A few 
 nights later the trap-door opened again, and 
 the same figure appeared. He told Professor 
 Hall that after leaving the observatory he had 
 looked at the moon, and it was wrong side up 
 as he had seen it through the telescope. He 
 was puzzled, and wanted to know the cause. 
 So he had walked up from the White House 
 alone. Professor Hall explained to him how 
 
 the lens of a telescope gives an inverted 
 image, and President Lincoln went away 
 satisfied. 
 
 After 1866 Professor Hall worked as assist- 
 ant on the prime vertical transit and the me- 
 ridian circle. In 1867 he was put in charge of 
 the meridian circle. From 1868 to 1875 
 he was in charge of the nine-and-a-half-inch 
 equatorial; and from 1875 until his retire- 
 ment, on October 15, 1891, he was in charge 
 of the twenty-six-inch equatorial. It can 
 thus be seen that his practical experience as 
 an observing astronomer has been long and 
 varied. 
 
 During his stay at the observatory he was 
 sent on several expeditions for the govern- 
 ment. In 1869 he was sent to Bering Strait 
 on the ship "Mohican" to observe an eclipse 
 of the sun. In those days one had to go to 
 San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Pan- 
 ama. All the instruments had to be sent 
 the same way, so it was a big undertaking. 
 In 1870-71 he was sent to Sicily to observe 
 another eclipse. In 1874 he went to Vladi- 
 vostock, in Siberia, to observe a transit of 
 Venus. He visited China and Japan on the 
 way. In 1878 he headed an expedition to 
 Colorado to observe the eclipse of the sun, 
 and in 1882 he took a party to Texas to ob- 
 serve another transit of Venus. 
 
 Although on these expeditions he did valu- 
 able service, it has been at Washington with 
 the twenty-six-inch equatorial that he has 
 done his most important work. He has made 
 studies of many double stars, to determine 
 their distances and motions. He has also 
 given a great deal of time to the study of the 
 planet Saturn. He made an especial investi- 
 gation of the rings of this planet, and also 
 discovered the motion of the line of apsides of 
 Hyperion, one of Saturn's satellites. But by 
 far the most important discovery he has made, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 457 
 
 the one that will connect his name with 
 astronomy as long as the planets exist, was his 
 discovery of the satellites of Mars. It had 
 been thought by some old astronomer that 
 perhaps Mars had satellites, but no one had 
 been able to find them. In the fall of 1877 
 Mars was in a very favorable position to ob- 
 serve, and Professor Hall turned his big tele- 
 scope upon it. He searched night after night 
 without finding anything new. He began to 
 give up hope, but on the night of August 11 
 he discovered a little speck that turned out to 
 be the outer satellite. Six days later he dis- 
 covered the inner one. The discovery of 
 these two little bodies (the smaller one being 
 not more than fifteen miles in diameter) 
 spread cjuickly among the observatories. The 
 eager astronomers immediately began to find 
 enough extra moons to supply another solar 
 system. One observer insisted that there was 
 one more -moon at least, and Professor Hall 
 was blamed as stupid for not seeing it; but 
 after a thorough investigation it was shown 
 that Professor Hall had discovered the two, 
 and the only two, satellites of Mars. 
 
 This important discovery brought his name 
 at once before the world at large, and was not 
 slow in earning its reward. The Royal 
 Astronomical Society presented him with a 
 gold medal, and he was given the Lalande 
 prize from Paris. Since that time his work 
 has been recognized as it should. He has be- 
 come a member of the most important scien- 
 tific societies of this country and an honorary 
 member of the royal scientific societies of 
 England and Russia and of the French Acad- 
 emy. The universities of the country have 
 recognized his work, Yale and Harvard each 
 giving him the degree of LL.D. The very 
 last honor conferred upon him is the Arago 
 medal, just awarded to him by the French 
 Academy of Sciences. 
 
 Personally, Professor Hall is a fine-looking 
 man. He is tall and broad-shouldered. His 
 forehead is high and deep. His eyes are 
 clear and bright, in spite of years spent in 
 gazing at the stars. He has always been 
 strong and healthy. He is fond of the open 
 air, and has always taken exercise. So, in 
 spite of his long years of hard work, he is now 
 in perfect health. His success has not 
 changed him in the least. He is always 
 ready to help those who want to learn any- 
 thing from him. 
 
 His writings have appeared mainly in 
 astronomical magazines and in the government 
 reports of the work done in the Naval Obs^v- 
 atory. They are all the results of practical 
 astronomical work, and are mostly of a tech- 
 nical character. Consequently, Ihey are of 
 little interest to general readers. He has 
 often been asked to write something for popu- 
 lar reading; but up to this time he has never 
 consented to do so, thinking that there is al- 
 ready enough of such literature. 
 
 Professor Hall is a self-made man. His 
 life has not been an easy one. Every bit of 
 his education, every one of his successes, has 
 been gained by his own hard work. It was a 
 steady uphill pull from the time he was thir- 
 teen years old until his appointment at Wash- 
 ington. In his younger days he saw many 
 hard times. During a large share of that part 
 of his life he had only one good suit of clothes 
 in his possession. He and his wife were 
 obliged to save every penny. From his early 
 training and from such experience his habits 
 were formed. Naturally, they are of the 
 simplest kind. He does not care for the lux- 
 uries of modern life. The comforts of a plain 
 home are all he wants. He still lives almost 
 as simply as when he was earning three dol- 
 lars a week under Professor Bond. He has 
 never cared for society merely for its own 
 
458 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sake, but he has been prominent in scientific 
 circles. He is a quiet man, who never pushes 
 himself forward; yet, when he has anything 
 to say, people are glad to listen to it. 
 
 In his ideas on politics, science, and relig- 
 ion he is liberal and yet conservative; that is 
 to say, he has no objection to letting other 
 people have their own thoughts and live their 
 own lives. He can see no reason why science 
 and real religion cannot be reconciled. His 
 views on religion and politics are sound. He 
 does not care, however, to have anything to 
 do with politics. He hates its corruption, 
 meanness, and party quarrelling. He has al- 
 ways been a little conservative in his scientific 
 life. He has never been led into wild the- 
 ories of no value. His work has been solid, 
 earnest, and thorough, and will last forever. 
 He is a widely read man, fond of study. He 
 loves his work. So now, since his retirement 
 in 1 891, he continues his studies and investi- 
 gations. He lives a quiet, simple life at his 
 home in Washington, still advancing the 
 cause of astronomy. 
 
 rmc 
 
 EORGE W. MORRIS, one of Bridge- 
 \^J_ water's leading farmers and an ex- 
 member of the legislature, was born 
 in Roxbury, Conn., April 23, 1826. His 
 parents were VVinthrop and Cornelia (Sher- 
 man) Morris, his father being a son of Daniel 
 Morris, a native of Newtown, Conn., who set- 
 tled in Roxbury, where he acquired a large 
 tract of land, which he cleared and improved 
 into a good farm. Grandfather Morris was 
 one of those industrious and sturdy settlers 
 whose foresight and perseverance have resulted 
 in the development of the fertile agricultural 
 resources of Litchfield County, and he became 
 a prominent figure in the early history of the 
 town. He died when he was about eighty 
 
 years of age. He and his wife, formerly Eliz- 
 abeth Burritts, who lived to reach an ad- 
 vanced age, reared a family of ten children; 
 namely, Daniel, Israel, James, Gould, Sally, 
 Maria, Nancy, Betsey, Polly, and Winthrop. 
 
 Winthrop Morris inherited a part of his 
 father's property, his portion consisting of 
 one hundred and twenty-five acres; and he 
 successfully followed agricultural pursuits for 
 many years, or until his retirement from ac- 
 tive labor. He bought a house in Roxbury 
 Centre, where the declining years of his life 
 were passed; and he died at the age of 
 seventy-six. He was a Whig in politics, and 
 was actively interested in public affairs, ably 
 serving in various town offices; and he at- 
 tended the Episcopal church. His first wife, 
 Cornelia Sherman Morris, died young, leaving 
 seven children, namely: Daniel; Sally; 
 James; George W., the subject of this 
 sketch; Roxy; William; and Theodore. His 
 second wife was Amy Mallory. 
 
 George W. Morris received his education at 
 the Roxbury Academy, and in his early man- 
 hood applied himself to agriculture and the 
 manufacturing of hats. He finally purchased 
 the Thompson farm of one hundred and thirty 
 acres, situated in the town of Bridgewater, 
 and here engaged in general farming and to- 
 bacco growing. He remodelled his buildings, 
 erected new tobacco barns, and improved the 
 fertility of his land, which was made to pro- 
 duce large crops of a superior quality, and 
 thus realized handsome profits in return for 
 his labors. He has likewise conducted a dairy 
 with good results, but of late his attention 
 has been devoted to the fattening of cattle 
 for the markets. In addition to the above 
 farm Mr. Morris owns the old Morris home- 
 stead of one hundred and twenty acres in 
 Roxbury, on the Shepaug River. This farm 
 abounds with rich mines of garnet. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 459 
 
 Mr. Morris was united in marriage with 
 Sylvia B. Castle, daughter of John and Ade- 
 line Castle, on November 15, 1854, and has 
 had six children, as follows: Sylvia; John, 
 who married Bertha Armstrong; Susan L., 
 who is a teacher; Walter, who married Lettie 
 Stoddard; Fanny, who married George W. 
 Drakeley; and Martha Jane. Mrs. Morris 
 died in 1887, aged sixty years. 
 
 Mr. Morris has uniformly supported the 
 principles of the Democratic party, and has 
 served with ability in some of the important 
 town offices. In 1861 and again in 1880 he 
 represented the town in the legislature, labor- 
 ing faithfully for maintenance of good govern- 
 ment and the best interests of his constit- 
 uency. He has long held an influential place 
 among the leading residents of Bridgewater, 
 and is highly respected. 
 
 J STeORGE C. woodruff, editor of 
 \ i) I the Litchfield Inquirer^ was born in 
 Litchfield, Conn., June 23, 1861, 
 eldest son of George M. Woodruff, railroad 
 commissioner of Connecticut, and of Eliza- 
 beth Parsons Woodruff, formerly of Flushing, 
 L.I. His grandfather was the late Hon. 
 George C. Woodruff, of Litchfield; and his 
 grandmother Woodruff was a sister of the late 
 Origen Storrs Seymour, Chief Justice of the 
 State of Connecticut. 
 
 He fitted for college at Phillips Academy, 
 Andover, and entered Yale College in the fall 
 of 1 88 1. He entered Amherst College in the 
 fall of 1883, and graduated in 1885. He has 
 also received from Amherst College the degree 
 of M.A. in course. In the fall of 1885 he 
 entered Union Theological Seminary, New 
 York City, and graduated from that institution 
 in 1888. He was ordained to the ministry at 
 Litchfield in the early part of May, 1888. 
 
 From June, 1888, till October, 1889, he was 
 superintendent of the Congregational Sunday 
 School and Publishing Society of Boston for 
 the State of Colorado. He made his head- 
 quarters at Colorado Springs, but travelled 
 all over the State. 
 
 On November 5, i88g, he married in' Balti- 
 more Miss Lucy Este Crawford, of that city. 
 On January i, 1890, he took charge of the 
 Congregational church at Green Mountain 
 Falls, Col., also doing general missionary 
 work all over the State. This position he re- 
 signed in April, 1891, and came back to 
 Litchfield with his wife. December i, 1891, 
 he took charge of Faith Chapel, the South 
 Washington Mission of the New York Ave- 
 nue Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C. 
 July I, 1894, he gave up this charge, resigned 
 from the presbytery of Washington, and de- 
 mitted from the ministry, with the intention 
 of going into journalism. October i, 1894, 
 he bought the Litchfield Inquirer of C. R. 
 Duffie, Jr., and has since continued to publish 
 that old and well-known weekly. 
 
 In politics Mr. Woodruff is a Democrat, 
 though as an editor he never fails to score his 
 own party when he thinks it is needed as well 
 as his opponents. He has no children. Mr. 
 Woodruff is a member of Psi Upsilon College 
 Fraternity, and is also a Royal Arch Mason. 
 He has a brother, James P. Woodruff, Esq., 
 of Litchfield, and a sister, Mrs. Alexander 
 McNeill, of New York City. 
 
 LPloVd FROST HITCHCOCK, hard- 
 Plj ware merchant of Woodbury, was born 
 in Ansonia, Conn., November 6, 1844, 
 son of Edmund W. and Angeline (Terrill) 
 Hitchcock. He belongs to one of the old 
 Colonial families of Connecticut, being a 
 lineal descendant of Matthias ^litchcock, who 
 
460 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in the company of the Rev. John Davenport 
 landed at Boston July 26, 1637, and June 4, 
 1639, _formed with others a settlement at what 
 was afterward called New Haven, Conn. De- 
 cember 3, 185 1, an application being made 
 for a town grant, it was finally argued and or- 
 dered that William Andrews, Richard Berkely, 
 Matthias Hitchcock, Edward Patterson, and 
 Edward Hitchcock "shall have the neck of 
 land by the seaside beyond the cove and all 
 meadows belonging to it below the island 
 with a rock upon it. They are to have the 
 neck entire to themselves." The deed then 
 goes on to state the boundaries, and adds that 
 said grantees are to pay to the town "one 
 penny an acre for five hundred acres for every 
 rate and for their meadows, as other men do." 
 Later we find that fifteen pounds was offered 
 as a final settlement instead of the annual 
 rental. This was accepted, and used in part 
 payment for a bell purchased in Boston, which 
 is supposed to be the bell now in the court- 
 house in New Haven. According to this 
 agreement the town gave a deed to John 
 Thompson, Thomas Smith, James Denison, 
 and Eliakim Hitchcock, a son of Matthias, 
 including the east end of a pond by the 
 beach, called Black Pond. Matthias Hitch- 
 cock signed the plantation contract in 1639. 
 The town was at first called South End Neck, 
 and was renamed New Haven in 1640. 
 
 The children of Matthias Hitchcock were: 
 Eliakim, Nathaniel, John, and Elizabeth. 
 Nathaniel was married January 8, 1670, to 
 Elizabeth Moss, who bore him the following 
 children: Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Abiah, John, 
 Ebenezer, and Mary. Ebenezer, who was 
 born April 9, 1689, married Anna Perkins in 
 171 1, settled in Woodbridge, and their union 
 was blessed by five children: Timothy, 
 Ebenezer, Jonathan, Joseph, and Anna. 
 Ebenezer, Jr.,. reared seven children: Tim- 
 
 othy, Ebenezer, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Jesse, 
 Hannah, and Joseph. Timothy, who was the 
 great-grandfather of Floyd Frost Hitchcock, 
 was born December 7, 1748. He was a 
 teacher and also a farmer. A man of ability 
 and understanding, he held many offices of 
 trust in Woodbridge, Conn., where his life- 
 time was spent. He died August 6, 1820. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Abigail 
 Clark, was born in 1755, and died in 1854. 
 They were the parents of eight children: 
 Abigail, Denzel, Clark, Anna, Lydia, Timo- 
 thy, Elizabeth, and Bethiah. Clark Hitch- 
 cock, grandfather of Floyd Frost Hitchcock, 
 was born March 8, 1789, in Woodbridge, and 
 there received his education. In 1810 he 
 weint to Norfolk, Va., where he was success- 
 fully engaged in mercantile business for fif- 
 teen years. The dreaded cholera then devas- 
 tating the portion of the State where he was 
 living, he lost his wife and his property. 
 This wife, whose maiden name was Abigail 
 Perkins, was a daughter of Peter Perkins, of 
 Bethany, Conn. She left two children, Ed- 
 mund W. and Mary. Clark Hitchcock subse- 
 quently redeemed his fallen fortunes, and, 
 marrying again, spent the rest of his life on a 
 plantation in Virginia. 
 
 Edmund W. Hitchcock was born in Nor- 
 folk, Va., in 1813. He and his sister were 
 sent to Connecticut to be educated; and there 
 he learned the shoemaker's trade, at which he 
 worked in different places, remaining some 
 years in Bethany, Conn. While in that town, 
 he was appointed Captain of a company of 
 State militia, and took an active interest in 
 military matters. He died at the age of 
 sixty-two. His wife, who is now a well-pre- 
 served woman of seventy-nine, is a daughter 
 of Lyman Terrill, a farmer of Bethany. She 
 reared the following children: Virgil E., born 
 December 21, 1838; Homer S., born Decern- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 461 
 
 ber 23, 1839; Leonidas, born August 7, 1841; 
 Henry, born April 25, 1843; and Floyd F., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Floyd F. Hitchcock received a good com- 
 mon-school education. In 1862 he entered 
 the establishment of George B. Lewis, of 
 Woodbury, to learn the tinsmith's trade, and 
 remained eight years. He then bought the 
 business of Mr. Lewis in the Hollow, and 
 carried it on successfully for eight years, the 
 stock then consisting of stoves and tinware. 
 In 1878 he purchased the Woodruff Block on 
 Main Street, which he rebuilt on a larger 
 scale, and which is now one of the finest busi- 
 ness blocks in the town. It accommodates, 
 besides Mr. Hitchcock's establishment, a 
 meat market, a bakery, a harness shop, a 
 suite of dental rooms, and the printing-office 
 of the Woodbury Reporter. Mr. Hitchcock 
 occupies part of three floors of this block, 
 keeping in stock a first-class line of tinware, 
 hardware, and plumbers' fittings of all kinds, 
 also carriage-makers' and blacksmiths' sup- 
 plies. He has for his dwelling an old Colon- 
 ial house, most comfortably remodelled, ad- 
 joining his place of business. 
 
 June 10, 1869, he was united in marriage 
 with Eliza A., daughter of David and Sarah 
 Maria (Upson) Summers, of Woodbury; and 
 the following children have blessed their 
 union: Lottie E., born March 13, 1870; 
 Frank L., born June 15, 1872, manager of 
 the firm of F. E. Wheeler & Co., tinsmiths 
 and plumbers in Watertown, Conn. ; Henry 
 S., born June 6, 1875, a graduate of Yale in 
 the class of 189S, who is now book-keeper for 
 his father; and Willie C, whose span of life 
 embraced but five months. Politically, Mr. 
 Hitchcock is a stanch Republican. He has 
 been nominated for office several times, but 
 has generally refused, his business requiring 
 his time and attention. Being elected Judge 
 
 of Probate, however, in 1895, he entered upon 
 the duties of that important office. He and 
 his wife are members of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church of Woodbury. A self-made 
 man, Mr. Hitchcock has been remarkably 
 successful; and his honorable record has won 
 for him general esteem. 
 
 w. 
 
 ILLIAM H. PALMER, superintend- 
 ent of the Bantam branch of the 
 Echo Farm's dairy in Litchfield, 
 was born in Litchfield, Conn., October 16, 
 1836, son of Christopher C. and Rebecca 
 (Stone) Palmer. His grandfather was John 
 Palmer, who followed his trade of iron smelter 
 in Canaan, Conn., and subsequently in Litch- 
 field. He was the father of nine children, 
 and died in Goshen, Conn. 
 
 Christopher C. Palmer learned his father's 
 trade, and was employed in the iron industries 
 of Litchfield for many years. He was a well- 
 known and much respected citizen, and served 
 at different times as grand juror. He was a 
 Deacon of the Baptist church and an active 
 supporter of the church and Sabbath school. 
 He died in Litchfield, aged eighty-six years. 
 His wife, Rebecca Stone, was a native of 
 Litchfield and a daughter of Apollos Stone, a 
 prosperous farmer, who died in early man- 
 hood. Her. grandfather was an early settler 
 in the town, where he purchased land, upon 
 which he resided for the remainder of his 
 days. Mrs. Christopher C. Palmer reared two 
 children, namely: Mary, who married Homer 
 Pratt, and died at the age of twenty-two; and 
 William H., the subject of this sketch. The 
 mother died in Bantam, aged sixty-three 
 years. 
 
 William H. Palmer received his education 
 in the public schools. At the age of twenty- 
 one he found employment running a station- 
 
462 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ary engine, and subsequently worked at the 
 Litchfield Carriage Manufactory. In 1857 he 
 visited the State of Iowa, where he remained 
 for a short time. Returning then to Litch- 
 field, he engaged in the stock-trading busi- 
 ness. When the branch of the Echo Farm 
 Dairy was established in Bantam, Mr. Palmer 
 secured employment with that concern, with 
 whom he has since remained, in 1889 being 
 appointed superintendent of the branch. In 
 politics Mr. Palmer has always supported the 
 Democratic party. He has served the town 
 as Constable, performing the duties of that 
 ofifice with fidelity. He has advanced in 
 Masonry as far as the Blue Lodge, and is a 
 member of St. Paul's Lodge of Litchfield. 
 In 1858 Mr. Palmer was united in marriage to 
 Louisa J. Stone. Mrs. Palmer was a resident 
 of Iowa, and is a daughter of Ephraim K. 
 Stone, a settler in that State, who is said to 
 be the first man from Litchfield to reach Cali- 
 fornia by the overland route in 1849. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Palmer are both members of the 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 /^HAUNCEY A. BEERS, an extensive 
 I jp farmer and cattle dealer of 'Roxbury, 
 
 ^^ " Litchfield County, Conn., was born 
 
 in Newtown, Fairfield County, on January 20, 
 1816. His parents were Philo and Narcissa 
 (Botsford) Beers. Abraham Beers, father of 
 Philo, was a leading farmer of Newtown, who 
 with his wife Nancy lived to a good old ao-e. 
 They had three children: Anthony, Philo, 
 and Mary. 
 
 Philo Beers remained at home, and assisted 
 his father in farming until after his marriao-e 
 He then came to Bridgewater, where he 
 bought the Allen place; but later he sold 
 that, and bought the Captain Sherman farm. 
 He was a quiet, unobtrusive man, but by ex- 
 
 cellent management won success, being one 
 of the prominent farmers of his day. He died 
 on May 27, 1856, at the age of sixty-six, sur- 
 vived many years by his wife, who died on 
 June 3, 1878, at the advanced age of eighty- 
 five. Their children were: David, who died 
 in 1 84 1, at the age of twenty-two; Mary, who 
 lived to be forty years old; and Chauncey A., 
 now living in Roxbury. 
 
 Chauncey A. Beers in egrly manhood pur- 
 chased a tract of seventy acres of land in Rox- 
 bury, and has since added thereto, till he now 
 has over three hundred acres. In 1842 he 
 built the house and barns, and later, his busi- 
 ness having increased, built larger barns. 
 But this was after his farm, which had been 
 very much run down, had been rendered pro- 
 ductive — a change brought about through his 
 dealing in cattle, buying and fattening prin- 
 cipally steers, which he shipped to the New 
 York market. For several years he has 
 raised ten acres of tobacco, being one of the 
 largest -growers in this part of the State, and 
 also packing the tobacco himself. He usually 
 keeps from sixty to eighty fine steers, buying 
 from time to time, and selling the same as 
 soon as ready for market. Among other im- 
 provements Mr. Beers has built miles of stone 
 wall, besides other fences. He is a de- 
 servedly successful farmer, for all his business 
 transactions have been marked by the strictest 
 integrity. 
 
 In politics Mr. Beers has always been a 
 stanch Democrat; and, although his business 
 has not allowed him to accept the many town 
 ofifices which he has been urged to fill, he rep- 
 resented the town in the legislature in 1870. 
 His wife, whom he married on April 4, 1841, 
 was Laura Dunning, who was born in New 
 Milford, November 7, 1818. Her parents 
 were Northrop and Sally (Smith) Dunning. 
 The father was a native of Brookfield, where 
 
CHAUNCEY A. BEERS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 465 
 
 he was a progressive farmer. He was a Whig 
 in politics, and was also a respected member 
 of the Congregational church. He lived to 
 the age of ninety-four, surviving his wife, 
 who died at seventy-four. Their children 
 were: Sarah, Lorenzo, Laura, and Liverus. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs Beers have had fourteen chil- 
 dren, all of whom reached maturity, and were 
 well educated; and all but three are now liv- 
 ing. The following is a brief record: Sophia 
 married A. L. Patterson, a farmer; David 
 married Alice Welton, and after her death 
 married for second wife Frances Seifert, by 
 whom he has three children — David and Mar- 
 jorie, twins, and Alice; Philo died at the age 
 of twenty-eight; Henry, a farmer, married 
 Adelia Clark, and they have three children — 
 Nellie A., Herbert, and Clayton; George, 
 who is in the ice business in Danbury, Conn., 
 married Gertrude Nettleton, and they have 
 one child, Norman; Emily married M. Hatch, 
 and died, leaving two children — Edna and 
 Bertha ; Edgar died at the age of twenty-five ; 
 Chauncey, a grocer in Danbury, married 
 Hattie E. Godfrey, and they have one child, 
 Edith ; Smith, an ice dealer in Danbury, mar- 
 ried Mary E. Foster, and has one child, 
 Elsie; Eli is a Congregationalist minister in 
 Boston ; Ellen married Bennett Peck, a farmer 
 of Roxbury, and has one child, Howard; 
 Robert, a mechanic of Cold Springs, married 
 Luella Blanding; Laura married George Stur- 
 devant, of Danbury, and they have two chil- 
 dren — Isabella and Gertrude; Elmer assists 
 his father at home. The father and mother, 
 though advanced in age, are in the enjoyment 
 of good health, which is probably the result of 
 their cheerful dispositions and upright lives. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Beers have the respect of the 
 entire community. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Chauncey A. Beers will 
 be, seen on a neighboring page. 
 
 OHN HINSDALE, a well-known and 
 highly respected citizen of Winsted, 
 Conn., son of Hosea and Elizabeth 
 (Shepard) Hinsdale, was born here, on May 
 10, 1817. His earliest paternal ancestor in 
 this country of whom there is any record was 
 Robert Hinsdale, who was one of the founders 
 of the church at Dedham, Mass., in 1638. 
 Mr. Hinsdale's great-grandfather, John Hins- 
 dale, was married in Kensington, Conn., on 
 November 8, 1733, and died December 2, 
 1792, at eighty-six years of age. His son, 
 John Hinsdale, Jr., married Miss Philomela 
 Hurlburt, by whom he had five children, of 
 whom Hosea was the eldest. John Hinsdale, 
 Jr., died at Berlin, Conn., in 1795, in middle 
 life, his wife having passed away five years 
 previous, in 1790, at thirty-six years of age. 
 
 Hosea Hinsdale was born in Berlin, Conn., 
 February 15, 1775. He learned the trade of 
 tanner and currier in New Hartford, Conn. ; 
 and, when a young man, he removed to Win- 
 sted. He first settled on the east side of the 
 river; but about 1824 he purchased a farm of 
 seventy-five to one hundred acres on the west 
 side, where his son's residence now stands. 
 Here, in addition to farming, he established a 
 tannery, and did quite an extensive business 
 for that time. As a citizen, he took an active 
 interest in all public affairs. He is described 
 as a man of fine physical proportions, who 
 stood six feet two inches in height, and 
 weighed two hundred and twenty-five pounds. 
 (See Boyd Annals.) His wife, Elizabeth 
 Shepard Hinsdale, who was born in Hartland, 
 Conn., September 2, 1777, was a daughter of 
 Eldad and Rebecca (Seymour) Shepard, her 
 father being a hotel-keeper in New Hartford. 
 Mrs. Hinsdale bore her husband seven chil- 
 dren, two sons and five daughters, of whom 
 both sons and two daughters grew to maturity, 
 the younger son being the subject of the pres- 
 
466 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ent sketch. Three of the daughters died of 
 scarlet fever, two at about six years of age and 
 one when but a year old. Henry Hinsdale 
 was drowned October 14, 1846, at thirty-nine 
 years of age, leaving a widow and one child, 
 both of whom have since died. Julia Hins- 
 dale, who was born November 14, 1805, died 
 unmarried in 1872. Caroline, who married 
 Beebe B. Rockwell, died October 8, 1890, at 
 seventy-nine years of age, having been the 
 mother of one son and six daughters, of whom 
 the son and one daughter are deceased. The 
 wife of Hosea Hinsdale died January 25, 
 1861, aged eighty -four years; and he died on 
 October 21, 1866, at about ninety-two years 
 of age. 
 
 John Hinsdale was born within fifty rods of 
 his present dwelling, and as a boy assisted his 
 father in the lighter labors of the farm. He 
 attended the district school until about thir- 
 teen years of age, when he went to New 
 Britain, where he spent the succeeding two 
 years under the tuition of Elijah Burritt, a 
 strong anti-slavery man, who had come to that 
 place from Georgia. On leaving school, he 
 engaged as clerk in a leather store in Hart- 
 ford, and remained there from 1832 to 1837, 
 when, on account of the great financial panic, 
 which caused serious depression in business of 
 all kinds, he returned home. 
 
 On August 31, 1841, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Amanda Malvina Alvord, 
 who was born August 20, 1821, daughter of 
 Deacon James Alvord. They have enjoyed 
 fifty-four years of wedded life; and their 
 union has been blessed by the birth of two 
 children, namely: a daughter, Mary E. ; and 
 a son, John A. Mary E. Hinsdale is the 
 wife of Robert R. Noble, of Winsted. She 
 and her husband buried twin boys at nine 
 months of age, and have lost two other chil- 
 dren. John Alvord Hinsdale represents a 
 
 Boston house at their factory in Cambridge- 
 port. He married Miss Anna Mary Kings- 
 bury, of Albany, and has one daughter, Mar- 
 garet Stuart, who is nine years of age. They 
 live in North Cambridge, Mass. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Hinsdale may be 
 said to have been reared a Whig, and hence 
 he has naturally been a firm supporter of the 
 Republican party since its formation. He 
 rendered most eiificient service as Selectman 
 in i860 and 1861, a time when the office was 
 far from being a sinecure. He has also 
 served acceptably as Water Commissioner and 
 in other offices of public trust. Since 1843, 
 or over fifty-one years, he has been a member 
 of the Congregational church; and he was ac- 
 tive in the founding of the Second Congre- 
 gational Church of Winsted. 
 
 ■Yp)EROY UPSON, manager of the Stand- 
 |J[ ard Electric Time Company of Water- 
 •^^■-■^ bury, Conn., was born in Wolcott, 
 this State, January 14, 1840, son of Lucian 
 and Lois A. (Johnson) Upson. He is the 
 great-grandson of Captain Samuel Upson and 
 the grandson of Harvey Upson, a farriier of 
 Wolcott, whose life from the time of his birth 
 till his death, at eighty -five years of age, was 
 spent in that town. Lucian Upson, son of 
 Harvey, was reared on the homestead, and 
 chose farming as a life vocation, spending the 
 years of his manhood on the homestead where 
 he was born. He was a prominent citizen of 
 the town, which he twice represented in the 
 legislature. He died in his eighty-first year, 
 survived by his wife, a native of Wolcott, who 
 is now seventy-eight years old. Of their 
 three children two are living, Sophronia E. 
 and LeRoy. The daughter married a farmer, 
 who now has charge of the Upson homestead. 
 Mrs. Lois A. Upson is a member of the Con- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 467 
 
 gregational church, to which her husband also 
 belonged. 
 
 LeRoy Upson spent his early years on the 
 home farm, acquiring his elementary educa- 
 tion in the common schools and pursuing 
 higher studies at Lewis Academy at Southing- 
 ton, Conn., and the Hudson River Institute at 
 Claverack, N.Y., spending one term at each. 
 At the age of eighteen he began to teach 
 school, and continued teaching four seasons, 
 two in Wolcott and two in Southington. En- 
 listing in the First Connecticut Light Battery, 
 he served one year in the Civil War. When 
 twenty-three years of age, he left home to take 
 a position as salesman in the book and art 
 store of Abbott Brothers at Waterbury. He 
 was subsequently sixteen years in the employ 
 of the well-known Rogers Brothers, manu- 
 facturers of plated ware, as book-keeper and 
 assistant superintendent, five years with the 
 Waterbury Manufacturing Company, and five 
 years with the Waterbury Watch Company as 
 Assistant Treasurer. He is at present Secre- 
 tary, and manager of the Standard Electric 
 Time Company, which furnishes a simple and 
 perfect electric system of uniform time for 
 schools and other institutions where a stand- 
 ard time is necessary. The courteous mana- 
 ger of the company which produces this re- 
 markable invention is a capable business man, 
 who possesses rare tact in addition to his exec- 
 utive talent, and makes a favorable impression 
 on all with whom he has dealings. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Upson was married to Ardelia 
 M., daughter of Mark Tuttle, a farmer of 
 Wolcott and a representative of one of the 
 oldest families of the town. Mrs. Ardelia 
 M. Upson died at the age of thirty-two, leav- 
 ing three children, two of whom are yet 
 living: Addie M. and Herbert M. The 
 latter, who was educated in Waterbury, is a 
 clerk in the employ of the Waterbury Manu- 
 
 facturing Company. Mr. Upson subsequently 
 married Mrs. Esther P. Cook, a native of 
 Seymour, Conn., daughter of Hiram Upson, a 
 prominent manufacturer, and by this union 
 has one daughter, Helen Lois. 
 
 Mr. Upson is a Republican in politics, and 
 served four years in the Waterbury Common 
 Council. Socially, he is a member of the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen and of 
 Wadhams Post, No. 49, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. A gentleman of refinement and 
 scholarship, he was acting School Examining 
 and Visiting Comm-ittee in Wolcott when a 
 resident of that town, and still takes an ac- 
 tive interest in educational progress. In re- 
 ligious belief he is a Congregationalist, 
 attending with family the church in Water- 
 town, where they have had a pleasant home 
 since 1891. Mr. Upson is highly esteemed 
 in Watertown, and also in Waterbury, where 
 for so many years he has been an active factor 
 of the business life. 
 
 EV. FRANK A. JOHNSON, pastor 
 of the First Congregational Church of 
 New Milford, was born in Boston, 
 Mass., on April 26, 1845. He is a son of 
 Professor Artemus N. and Hannah S. (Ten- 
 ney) Johnson, and a descendant of early set- 
 tlers of Salisbury and Canaan, Litchfield 
 County. 
 
 Artemus N. Johnson, who was a son of 
 James and Anna (Ward) Johnson, was a na- 
 tive of Middlebury, Vt. After obtaining his 
 early school education, he took up the study of 
 music, first at Boston and later in Germany, 
 and became a noted instructor in music and 
 the author of a number of instruction and 
 church music books, which were extensively 
 used, his publications comprising thirty-six 
 books of vocal and instrumental music. The 
 
468 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 greater part of his life was spent in Boston, 
 and for sixteen years he acted as organist of 
 the Park Street Church in that city. He died 
 in 1892, at the age of seventy-four years, and 
 his wife in 1884, in the sixty-third year of 
 her age. They were the parents of but two 
 children, a son and daughter, the Rev. Frank 
 A. Johnson and Emma L. Johnson. 
 
 Frank A. Johnson acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Boston and 
 Chelsea, Mass., after which he attended Rome 
 Academy in Rome, N.Y., graduating in the 
 class of 1864. He is also a graduate of 
 Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., in the 
 class of 1868, and of the Union Theological 
 Seminary in New York City, in the class of 
 1 87 1. He was immediately ordained pastor 
 of the Congregational church at Lodi, Bergen 
 County, N.J., where he remained a little over 
 four years, during which time a new brick 
 house of worship was erected at a cost of ten 
 thousand dollars. From there he went to 
 Chester, N.J., and for three months over four- 
 teen years he served very acceptably as pastor 
 of the Congregational church; and on April 
 II, 1882, he founded the first society of Chris- 
 tian Endeavor ever organized in that State, 
 and one of the first in the world. The 
 Chester parish, while he was in charge, 
 erected a new chapel, and made quite exten- 
 sive alterations in the church. For eleven 
 years Mr. Johnson was Secretary of the New 
 Jersey Congregational Association. 
 
 In 1889 the Rev. Frank A. Johnson re- 
 ceived and accepted a call from the First Con- 
 gregational Church of New Milford, where he 
 has been installed as pastor since November 
 17 of that year. The first church building of 
 this society was erected on Town Hill in 
 1720. The second edifice was built in 1754, 
 and stood upon what is now the village green. 
 The present church building was completed in 
 
 1833. Since Mr. Johnson became its pastor, 
 the church has been remodelled and enlarged, 
 and a chapel and rooms for social purposes 
 have been built and furnished, all at a cost of 
 about eighteen thousand dollars. The church 
 has at the present time about three hundred 
 and eighty members. Mr. Johnson is a 
 zealous and faithful worker in his parish, and 
 is actively interested in various religious or- 
 ganizations. For four years he has served as 
 one of the State Committee of the Connecticut 
 Sunday School Association, and is now Presi- 
 dent of the Alumni Association of Union 
 Theological Seminary. 
 
 On September 18, 1872, he was joined in 
 marriage with Miss Mary P. Smith, of Wells- 
 ville, N.Y. Mrs. Johnson is a daughter of 
 George W. and Priscilla (Hoyt) Smith, and 
 is well qualified to help her husband in the 
 many ways that it is possible for a pastor's 
 wife to render efficient assistance. 
 
 OHN HATCH, a prominent farmer and 
 an extensive real estate owner of the 
 locality known as New Preston, in the 
 town of New Milford, was born in Sharon, 
 Conn., April 29, 1817, son of Philander and 
 Ruble Ruth Allen (Studley) Hatch. Mr. 
 Hatch's grandparents were John and Anna 
 (Wadhams) Hatch, the former of whom was 
 born in Sharon in December, 1760. He was 
 a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and later 
 became a very prosperous farmer in Sharon, 
 where he followed agricultural pursuits during 
 the remainder of his life. He was energetic 
 and progressive, and diligently applied him- 
 self to the task of improving and increasing 
 the value of his property. He was above all a 
 man of thrift, who by careful management was 
 able to add to his land property, which at 
 his death amounted to two hundred and fifty 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 469 
 
 acres. He died June 16, 1849. ^^^ first 
 viiie, Anna (Wadhams) Hatch, who was born 
 March 20, 1763, was a daughter of the Rev. 
 Noah Wadhams. Noah Wadhams was a Con- 
 gregational ministei% who became the first 
 pastor of the Stone Church. He owned the 
 farm where Mr. Hatch now resides. When in 
 his possession, it comprised seventy acres, 
 half of which he gave to his daughter. The 
 other half he subsequently sold to her hus- 
 band. He afterward moved to Susquehanna, 
 Pa., where he continued to fulfil his pastoral 
 duties for a number of years. By this union 
 John Hatch was the father of five children, as 
 follows: Samuel W., who was born May 15, 
 1786; Betsey and Calvin, twins, born No- 
 vember 2, 1788; Philander, born January 28, 
 1793; and John A., born May 16, 1797. 
 His first wife died December 5, 1799; and he 
 married for his second wife a Miss Wadhams. 
 Some time after her death he married for his 
 third Polly Straight. 
 
 Philander Hatch, Mr. Hatch's father, was 
 reared to agriculture. .When a young man, he 
 bought a large farm in Sharon, located in what 
 was known as the Ellsworth Society. He 
 also owned and operated a saw-mill, in con- 
 nection with which he transacted an extensive 
 business until 1836, when he traded the prop- 
 erty for his parents' homestead. He cleared 
 and improved .more land, constructed stone 
 walls, which are still standing, and erected a 
 fine stone dwelling from material found upon 
 the farm. He was a sturdy and ambitious 
 farmer, and many of his well-conceived im- 
 provements are plainly visible to-day. He 
 was originally a Whig in politics, but joined 
 the Republican party at its formation. He 
 died at the homestead September 13, 1868. 
 His first wife, who was the daughter of Joshua 
 Studley, became the mother of five children, 
 as follows: Abbie S., born September 26, 
 
 1815; John, the subject of this sketch; Lydia 
 A., borri April 23, 1819; Betsey C, born 
 November 28, 1820; and Clarissa, born Feb- 
 ruary 28, 1826. . Clarissa is the widow of the 
 late Benjamin F. Hamlin, of Sharon, where 
 she still resides. Abbie married John W. 
 Janes, of Salisbury, in September, 1837, 
 and died August 14, 1840, having had no chil- 
 dren. Lydia married Lemuel Hollister in 
 October, 1834, and died May 10, 1837, leaving 
 a son. Philander Hatch, whom his grandfather 
 educated and made a Congregationalist minis- 
 ter, and who died in Michigan, December 6, 
 1876. Betsey died April 13, 1 841. Philander 
 Hatch's second wife was before marriage Polly 
 S. Parsons, who died September 13, 1868, 
 having had no children. His third wife, 
 whose maiden name was Clarinda Lyman, 
 whom he married October 18, 1871, died in 
 1886 or 1887. The mother died January 15, 
 1828. Mr. Hatch's parents were members of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 John Hatch received his education in the 
 schools of Sharon. He adopted farming as an 
 occupation, and has followed it successfully 
 throughout his' lifetime. He succeeded to 
 the possession of the homestead by purchasing 
 the interests of the other heirs, and has con- 
 tinued in the same line of progress pursued 
 by his father. In 185 1 he demolished the 
 residence erected by the latter, and con- 
 structed a new one of stone. He also built 
 new barns, remodelled the old ones, and set 
 out a large number of fruit trees, thereby 
 greatly improving the appearance of the prop- 
 erty. He bought the Hill farm of one hun- 
 dred and fifty acres and a farm on Preston 
 Hill of forty acres, both of which, together 
 with the homestead property, make upward of 
 four hundred acres of valuable land. Since 
 then he has built a new house and barn on the 
 Preston Hill estate. Previous to the war he 
 
47° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was an extensive buyer of stock and produce, 
 for which he found a profitable marlcet in 
 Poughlceepsie, N.Y. ; while he has always 
 been interested in the cattle trade." He now 
 keeps twenty finely bred Jerseys, and has 
 raised some fine horses. He is a Republican 
 in politics. 
 
 On November 12, 1839, Mr. Hatch was 
 united in marriage to Diana L. Canfield, 
 daughter of Heth and Jerusha (Odell) Can- 
 field, well-known and highly esteemed resi- 
 dents of New Milford. Mr. and Mrs. Hatch 
 have had ten children, as follows: Calvin B., 
 born November 30, 1840, who in 1862 en- 
 listed for service in the Civil War in Com- 
 pany A, Nineteenth Regiment, and was killed 
 at the battle of Cold Harbor; John A., born 
 December 7, 1842, who now resides at home; 
 Bruce C, born January 4, 1845, residing in 
 Shelton, Conn., who married Kate Dayton, 
 and has one child, named Calvin D. ; Ruble 
 J., born February 20, 1847, who married Wat- 
 son G. Porter, resides in Geneva, N.Y., and 
 has five children, namely — Wilson W., 
 Lewis, Calvin, Ella, and Watson G.; Virgil 
 B., of New Milford, born April 14, 1849, 
 who married Sarah Woodin, and has three 
 children, namely— Clifford G., Mildred D., 
 and Laura; D. Liiella, born February 14, 
 1851, who married Horatio G. Sperry, and 
 lives in Colorado; Abbie E., born March 24, 
 1853, who married Joel B. Woodhull, and 
 died November 9, 1880, leaving two children, 
 Raymond and Florence; S. Adelia, born No- 
 vember 24, 1855, who married Joseph Whit- 
 telsey, and has two children, John H. and 
 Harold; Laura, born October 28, 1858, who 
 died at the age of nineteen years; and Phi- 
 lander, born July 25, 1861, who married Eloise 
 Norton, lives in California, and has one son 
 named John E. Both parents are members of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 /^TeORGE W. CATLIN, a well-known 
 y^J and highly esteemed resident of 
 Harwinton, Conn., and a veteran of 
 the Civil War, was born in this town, Febru- 
 ary 8, 1827, at the home of his parents, Dan 
 and Belinda (Bartholomew) Catlin. His 
 grandfather, Hezekiah Catlin, was a native 
 and a lifelong resident of Harwinton, where 
 he was for many years engaged in farming. 
 He died at an advanced age. 
 
 Dan Catlin, son of Hezekiah, was born in 
 Harwinton, April 7, 1793. He inherited a 
 part of his father's farm, and there made his 
 home until his death, which occurred in 1886, 
 at the age of ninety-three years. His wife, 
 Belinda Bartholomew, who died at Harwinton, 
 aged sixty-six, was a daughter of Heman Bar- 
 tholomew, a native of Harwinton, who moved 
 to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he died at 
 the age of ninety years. Mrs. Dan Catlin be- 
 came the mother of seven children, including 
 Sarah, now of Plymouth; Harriet and George 
 W., both of Harwinton; and Henry H., a 
 resident of Torrington. 
 
 George W. Catlin was reared on the home 
 farm, and continued to reside with his parents 
 until he was twenty-three years of age. Some 
 years later he enlisted as a private in Com- 
 pany F, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Connecti- 
 cut Volunteers, and served one year in the 
 Civil War, during which time he participated 
 in the siege of Port Hudson. After his dis- 
 charge from the service he returned to Harwin- 
 ton, and has since resided here. He is a suc- 
 cessful farmer, owning a farm of one hundred 
 and twenty-five acres, which is mainly devoted 
 to dairying interests. He has also engaged 
 in lumbering with profitable results, and owns 
 and operates a saw-mill. Mr. Catlin has al- 
 ways exhibited a deep interest in the general 
 welfare of the community. He was originally 
 a Whig in politics, later joining the Repub- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 47' 
 
 lican party; but at the present time he sup- 
 ports the Prohibition movement. 
 
 Mr. Catlin's first wife, whom he married in 
 1852, and who died in 1882, aged fifty-seven 
 years, was Marilla Hubbard, daughter of 
 William Hubbard, a prosperous farmer of 
 Newington, Conn. She was a member of the 
 Congregational church. By that union there 
 is one daughter, named Eliza M., who married 
 Joseph Van Tobel, a machinist of Torrington, 
 and has one son, Albert Eugene Tobel, who 
 is now a student at Yale College in the class 
 of 1896. Mr. Catlin's second wife, formerly 
 Mrs. Almira Bartholomew, is a daughter of 
 Anson and Ruth (Seldon) Strong. Her 
 father was a mechanic and builder of Haddam 
 Neck. He died at the age of eighty-two 
 years. Four of his five children are still liv- 
 ing, namely: Almira; Anson, a resident of 
 Winsted; Jacob; and James. 
 
 Mr. Catlin has been a member of the Con- 
 gregational church since he was sixteen years 
 of age, and has always been active in church 
 work. He was at one time superintendent of 
 the Sunday-school in Harwinton Centre and 
 also of the Mission School at East Litchfield. 
 He has served as a member of the Ecclesiasti- 
 cal Committee, and has earnestly assisted in 
 maintaining a religious spirit in the commu- 
 nity. Mrs. Catlin is also an active member of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 W". 
 
 'ILLIAM J. MUNSON, an exten- 
 sive farmer and progressive busi- 
 ness man of Watertown, was born 
 September 28, 1852, son of Joseph M. and 
 Sarah (Hawkins) Munson. Mr. Munson's 
 great-grandfather, Caleb Munson, was an 
 early settler and a prosperous farmer of 
 Middlebury, Conn. Caleb's son Joseph, Mr. 
 Munson's grandfather, was a native and life- 
 
 long resident of Middlebury, who followed 
 agriculture successfully, and died at the age 
 of eighty-four years. He raised a family of 
 eight children, the majority of whom became 
 school-teachers. Joseph M. and Thomas H. 
 are the only survivors. 
 
 Joseph M. Munson was born in Middlebury, 
 and was brought up to agricultural work. He 
 resided with his parents until his majority, 
 when he moved to Watertown, and settled 
 upon a farm owned by his wife's mother. 
 Having managed the property successfully for 
 many years, he relinquished active labor in 
 1890, and is now retired. His wife, Sarah, 
 was a daughter of William Hawkins, a pros- 
 perous farmer and wagon-maker of Watertown. 
 Mr. Hawkins was the first wagon-builder in 
 that locality. Mrs. Joseph M. Munson be- 
 came the mother of three children, as follows: 
 Sarah J., deceased, who married Hiram L. 
 Thrall; William J., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Harriet L. Both parents attend 
 the Episcopal church. 
 
 William J. Munson commenced his educa- 
 tion in the common schools, and completed 
 his studies at the academy. At the age of 
 twenty-three he engaged in the wholesale milk 
 business, in which he secured a large trade. 
 He also embarked in the coal, grain, and 
 lumber trade, all of whieh he has established 
 on a paying basis. Later he sold his interest 
 in these ventures, and engaged in the ice 
 trade. He also conducts a milk business, 
 running two milk wagons, which supply a 
 large quantity of milk to the local trade and 
 Waterbury. His ice business is in a flourish- 
 ing condition. He was formerly engaged as a 
 contractor and builder, and still deals in real 
 estate. His farms aggregate four hundred 
 acres. He is a Democrat in politics, and oc- 
 cupies a prominent position in public affairs. 
 He served as a Constable for several years, 
 
472 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was an Assessor one year, has served upon the 
 School Board, and in 1894 was a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen, declining a renomina- 
 tion for another term. Although the Repub- 
 licans are in the majority, he is exceedingly 
 popular with all classes, irrespective of poli- 
 tics; and in 1886 he represented the town in the 
 legislature. H^e is a member of Federal Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., and a charter member of the 
 Grange, of which he is at present Master. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Munson was united in mar- 
 riage to Marion A. Smith, of Thomaston. 
 She is a daughter of Abel W. Smith, a pros- 
 perous farmer, who had two other children, as 
 follows: Louisa L., widow of H. H. Hotch- 
 kiss; and Alice E., who married John H. Tay- 
 lor, of Watertown. Mr. Munson attends the 
 Episcopal church, and is now President of the 
 church club. 
 
 W: 
 
 ILBERT N. AUSTIN, the owner 
 and proprietor of the largest and 
 oldest established livery stable in 
 Thomaston, was born in Goshen, Conn., June 
 23, 1859, son of Theodore and Esther 
 (Roberts) Austin. His grandfather, Nelson 
 Austin, who was a native of Goshen, spent 
 his life there in agricultural pursuits, and 
 died on his farm in the northern part of the 
 town at the age of threescore years and ten. 
 
 Theodore Austin, one of Nelson's two chil- 
 dren, was born in Goshen, where he was a 
 farmer and cattle dealer. He remained on 
 the old homestead until 1873, when he re- 
 moved to Torrington, and there for three 
 years conducted a livery stable. He next 
 went to Plymouth, and purchased of William 
 A. Buell his livery business and stage route 
 from Terryville to Thomaston. He died in 
 Plymouth in 1883, at fifty years of age. His 
 wife, Esther, was a daughter of Stephen 
 Roberts, a successful agriculturist of Goshen. 
 
 In the latter part of his life Mr. Rpberts re- 
 moved to Sandisfield, Mass., where he died at 
 the age of seventy -five years. Mrs. Theodore 
 Austin died in Goshen when but thirty years 
 old, leaving two children: Wilbert N. and 
 Emma. The latter married Frank Bunnell, 
 of Plymouth. Their father was a communi- 
 cant of the Congregational church of Thomas- 
 ton, and their mother of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church of Goshen. 
 
 Wilbert N. Austin received a good educa- 
 tion in the common schools and high school 
 at Plymouth. After leaving school, he assisted 
 his father in the livery business until he was 
 twenty-one years old. He then started in 
 business for himself. Two years later, when 
 his father died, he and a Mr. Gregory under- 
 took to run the stage route and a stable in 
 Thomaston, both of which had been the prop- 
 erty of his deceased parent. They carried it 
 on together for three years,- after which, in 
 1893, Mr. Austin purchased Mr. Gregory's 
 interest, and has since conducted the business 
 alone. His fine large stable on Clay Street 
 was built to his order, and is provided with 
 modern conveniences and improvements. 
 F"or his livery business alone he keeps twenty 
 horses, and has also a number of boarders. 
 In 1892 he was married to Miss Minnie I. 
 Maltoon, a native of Plymouth, daughter of 
 Charles Maltoon, a stone mason of that 
 place, where she was born. Her father died 
 in 1880, fifty years of age, leaving eight chil- 
 dren. She has borne her husband two sons 
 and_ a daughter: Ellsworth, Arline, and 
 Rolland. In politics Mr. Austin is a Demo- 
 crat. In 1891 he served in the State legisla- 
 ture as a Representative from Plymouth. He 
 is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. He and his wife are active and 
 influential members of the Episcopal church 
 of Plymouth. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 473 
 
 /TT^HARLES LEE, a prominent farmer 
 I Sp of Kent and formerly a member of the 
 V»;£__- Connecticut legislature, was born 
 at the Lee homestead in Kent, August 13, 
 1853, son of Richard and Almira (Lane) Lee. 
 Mr. Lee's grandparents were Benjamin and 
 Esther (Lane) Lee, the former of whom was 
 an iron puddler of Kent, and resided there 
 until his death, which was caused by acci- 
 dent. He reared the following children: 
 William, Hezekiah, Ruth, Lucinda, Laura, 
 Elizabeth, Richard, and Mary. The grand- 
 mother died aged eighty-three years. 
 
 Richard Lee was born in Kent in 18 14. 
 In his early manhood he was engaged in the 
 iron industries of Kent, and continued to work 
 at the furnace until he reached the age of 
 forty years. He died April 4, 1894. In poli- 
 tics he was a Democrat, and for many years 
 was a prominent figure in local public affairs. 
 He served with ability upon the Board of Se- 
 lectmen during the Civil War, and also held 
 other important town offices at different times. 
 His wife, Almira, daughter of Daniel Lane, 
 of Kent, became the mother of four children, 
 as follows: Alice, who became Mrs. Newton, 
 and reared four children — Frank, Mary, 
 Carrie, and Mattie; Sarah, who also married 
 a Mr. Newton, and has two children, respec- 
 tively liamed Cora and Charles R. ; and 
 Martha, who became Mrs. Haskins, and reared 
 two children, respectively named Howard and 
 Clifford. The mother died at the age of fifty- 
 seven years. She and her husband attended 
 the Congregational church. Charles Lee lyas 
 educated in the schools of his native town. 
 He has always resided at the old homestead, 
 and has devoted his time and attention to his 
 farming interests, which he has conducted 
 with energy and good judgment. He is enter- 
 prising and progressive, and has been finan- 
 cially successful. He is a Democrat in poli- 
 
 tics, and has been called to serve in various 
 important town offices. In 1882 he repre- 
 sented the town in the legislature, and was 
 again elected in 1893, on both occasions ren- 
 dering valuable services. 
 
 On October 16, 1879, Mr. Lee was united in 
 marriage to Ida F. Phillips, who was born in 
 Clinton, la., and has four children; namely, 
 Richard, Harry S., Willard R., and Jessie 
 A. Mr. Lee is a member of St. Luke's 
 Lodge, TSTo. 48, A. F. & A. M.; and he- and 
 his wife attend the Congregational church. 
 
 fHOMAS JEFFERSON BRAD- 
 STREET, an enterprising citizen of 
 Litchfield County, Connecticut, long a 
 resident of Thomaston, was born in Topsfield, 
 Mass., April 7, 1807. He is a son of Dudley 
 Bradstreet, and traces his ancestry to sturdy 
 Puritan stock, numbering among his fore- 
 fathers Simon Bradstreet and Thomas Dudley, 
 governors of Massachusetts in Colonial times. 
 The Bradstreet lineage runs back to a non- 
 conformist minister, who died in 161 7, leav- 
 ing a son, Simon Bradstreet, who was born in 
 Horbling, Lincolnshire, England, in 1603. 
 Soon after the death of his father he was taken 
 under the patronage of the Earl of Lincoln- 
 shire, by whom probably he was sent to Cam- 
 bridge for his education, his name being 
 found on the college record of 161 7. Gradu- 
 ating in 1624, he took all the degrees, and 
 was employed for several years as steward by 
 the earl. There he became acquainted with 
 the family of Thomas Dudley, whose daughter 
 he married; and soon after the two families 
 sailed for America in the "Arbella" with 
 Winthrop in 1630, and assisted in the settle- 
 ment of Massachusetts Bay. Simon Brad- 
 street settled in Cambridge, and was subse- 
 quently a resident of Andover and of Salem. 
 
474 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He held many positions of public trust, was 
 one of the commissioners sent by the colonists 
 to plead their cause before Charles II., and 
 was Governor of Massachusetts prior to the 
 appointment of Sir William Phips. Unlike 
 Sir William, Governor Bradstreet was not a 
 believer in diabolism, and took no part in the 
 persecution of the witchcraft victims, which 
 has left such a stain on the annals of old Mas- 
 sachusetts. He was a man of good judgment 
 and great executive ability, and was in public 
 office by actual election more than sixty 
 years. He died in Salem in 1697, in his 
 ninety-fifth year, leaving several sons and 
 daughters. 
 
 His wife's father, Thomas Dudley, was also 
 Governor of Massachusetts, and served with 
 distinction many years. John Bradstreet, 
 fourth son of Governor Simon Bradstreet, set- 
 tled in Topsfield, Mass., on a portion of the 
 land granted to his father. Simon, second 
 son of John, married Elizabeth, daughter of 
 the Rev. Joseph Capen, of Topsfield; and 
 their son John, born March 2, 1718, was the 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He 
 also followed agriculture as a life pursuit, 
 tilling the soil of the farm in Topsfield. He 
 married Elizabeth Fisk, of Wenham, Mass.; 
 and several daughters, and one son were born 
 of their union. The son, Captain Dudley 
 Bradstreet, followed in the footsteps of his 
 ancestors, spending his life on the homestead. 
 He married Polly Porter, of Danvers, a de- 
 scendant of Governor Endicott; and they 
 reared a large family, Thomas Jefferson being 
 the sixth son. 
 
 Thomas J. Bradstreet's parents removed to 
 Danvers, Mass., in 1810; and there he re- 
 ceived his early education. In the fall of 
 1830 he entered Yale, with the intention of 
 studying law on the completion of his college 
 course; but during the winter of 1830-31 he 
 
 became interested in the subject of religion^ 
 and after graduating, in 1834, he entered the 
 Theological Seminary in New Haven to study 
 for the ministry. At the close of the usual 
 term of three years he accepted an invitation 
 to preach to a church and society newly organ- 
 ized in the part of Plymouth, Conn., now 
 called Thomaston. His health beginning to 
 fail after a brief period of labor, he was 
 obliged to rest for some time; and, when he 
 subsequently returned to his charge, he was 
 assisted by a young man, who had taken his 
 place during his absence. Mr. Bradstreet 
 later supplied the pulpit of the Congregational 
 church in Meriden, Conn., and in 1838-39 
 preached in the Second Congregational 
 Church of New London; but, his health con- 
 tinuing feeble, he finally decided to give up 
 his chosen profession. 
 
 About 1840 he entered the employ of Seth 
 Thomas, of Plymouth, Conn., as superintend- 
 ent of his cotton factory, in which capacity 
 he acted for fifteen years, then entering on the 
 duties of travelling agent for the Seth Thomas 
 Brass Company. At the commencement of 
 the Civil War he resigned his position, and 
 has since been engaged in various kinds of 
 business for himself, such as building, im- 
 proving his land near the village, conducting 
 farm work, running a saw-mill, grist-mill, 
 and a feed and flour store. A man of good 
 judgment in practical matters, possessed of 
 much executive ability, and furnished with a 
 liberal education, Mr. Bradstreet handles 
 understand ingly whatever he undertakes, and 
 is to-day one of the largest real estate owners 
 in the vicinity. 
 
 November 4, 1840, Mr. Bradstreet was 
 united in marriage with Amanda, daughter of 
 Seth Thomas, the manufacturer in whose em- 
 ploy he spent so many years. Of their chil- 
 dren Thomas Dudley Bradstreet is general 
 
JESSE BEANEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 477 
 
 manager of the Seth Thomas Clock Company; 
 Albert P., a graduate of Yale, 1871, is judge 
 of the District Court of Waterbury, and is 
 prominent in politics; George P. is general 
 manager of his father's business; Mary 
 Amanda married Mr. J. R. French, of New 
 Haven, a graduate of Yale, 1856; and Ed- 
 ward T. , a graduate of Yale, 1874, and of the 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons of New 
 York, is a practising physician in Meriden, 
 Conn. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bradstreet is a Republican. 
 He has taken an active part in all projects for 
 the advancement of the town, morally, intel- 
 lectually, and materially; and, though he is 
 eighty-nine years of age, his interest in the 
 common weal has not abated. He is univer- 
 sally esteemed, and his advice is often sought 
 in matters of moment. 
 
 m 
 
 ALTER F. BEANEY, an extensive 
 farmer and dairyman of New Hart- 
 ford, Conn., son of Jesse and Mary 
 (Spencer) Beaney, was born on May 30, 1842, 
 upon the farm which he now owns and oc- 
 cupies. Mr. Beaney's grandfather, John 
 Beaney, was a native of England, where he 
 resided the greater part of his life. He was 
 a mason by trade; but, after emigrating to the 
 United States, he settled in Ohio, and engaged 
 in farming. He died there at the age of 
 eighty-eight years, having been the father of 
 a large family. 
 
 Jesse Beaney, son of John, was born in 
 England, and came to this country in young 
 manhood. He settled in New Hartford, and, 
 after working as a farm assistant by the month 
 for some time, he purchased the farm now 
 managed by his son, Walter F., with whom 
 he now makes his home, and conducted it suc- 
 cessfully during the active period of his life. 
 
 He has reached the age of eighty-two years. 
 He married fer his first wife Jane Spencer, 
 daughter of Joel Spencer, who owned and con- 
 ducted an adjoining farm. She died, leaving 
 two daughters, namely: Celestia, who mar- 
 ried R. F. Kellogg, of Nepaug; and Jane, 
 who married William H. Tuttle, of Plymouth. 
 Mr. Beaney's second wife, Mary Spencer, a 
 sister of his first wife, died aged fifty years, 
 leaving two sons : Brainard S., a prosperous 
 farmer of New Hartford; and Walter F., the 
 subject of this sketch. Mr. Beaney's parents 
 worshipped in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church at Bakerville, of which his mother 
 was a member and he and his family are at- 
 tendants. 
 
 Walter F. Beaney received his education 
 in the common schools of New Hartford, and 
 resided at home until reaching his majority. 
 He adopted agriculture as an occupation, and 
 was employed as an assistant upon different 
 farms in his. neighborhood for three years, at 
 the expiration of which time he returned to 
 the homestead, where he now resides. Since 
 his father's retirement from active labor he 
 has managed the property, which consists of 
 one hundred acres; and this, together with 
 another farm of seventy-five acres and some 
 outlying land, he devotes exclusively to dairy- 
 ing. He keeps an average of twenty-five 
 cows, and has for many years been engaged in 
 shipping milk to New York City. 
 
 In politics he was formerly a Democrat, but 
 now votes independently, and supports the 
 candidates whoni he considers most capable 
 and trustworthy. Though not inclined to 
 accept public office, he has served as a mem- 
 ber of the local Board of Relief for some years 
 past. He is a charter member of the Grange, 
 of which he has been Master and Overseer; 
 and he is actively interested in its affairs. 
 
 On February 15, 1877, Mr. Beaney was 
 
478 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 united in marriage with Etta L. Root, daugh- 
 ter of Orrin Root, a well-known and prosper- 
 ous farmer of Barkhamstead. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Beaney have two children: Jesse A. and Win- 
 field C. This brief record of a highly re- 
 spected Litchfield County family is happily 
 accompanied by a faithful likeness of its ven- 
 erable progenitor, Mr. Jesse Beaney, who is 
 now in his eighty-third year. 
 
 
 'BIJAH L. PATTERSON, a success- 
 ful farmer and dairyman of Bridge- 
 water, was born in Roxbury, July 
 20, 1834, son of Seymour and Harriet (Reed) 
 Patterson. Mr. Patterson's great-grandfather, 
 Hezekiah Patterson, served as a soldier in the 
 Revolutionary War. Abijah Patterson, son of 
 Hezekiah, and Mr. Patterson's grandfather, 
 moved from Monroe, Conn., and settled in 
 that part of New Milford which has since 
 been incorporated as the town of Bridgewater. 
 He owned and occupied the farm which is 
 now the property of H. B. Bronson; and he 
 was engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 
 operated a mill until his death, which took 
 place when he was seventy-seven years old. 
 He married Phebe A. Morehouse, and reared 
 a family of eight children; namely, Heman, 
 A. Lory, Abijah, Phebe A., Fanay, Eliza, 
 Clarinda, and Seymour. 
 
 Seymour Patterson, Mr. Patterson's father, 
 learned the shoemaker's trade, which he fol- 
 lowed for a short time as an occupation. 
 Later he conducted a tanning and currying 
 business for a number of years in Roxbury. 
 He subsequently moved to Bethlehem, 
 where he engaged in farming and the cattle 
 business. In 1850 he sold his property; and, 
 returning to Bridgewater, he purchased his 
 father's farm. Since entering into possession 
 of this estate he has built a new barn and car- 
 
 riage house, besides effecting other improve- 
 ments and cultivating the land with success. 
 He has now reached the advanced age of 
 ninety-one years, and up to about a year ago 
 he was unusually active for his age. He is 
 an intelligent, well-read man; and in his busi- 
 ness career he has shown both ability and 
 good judgment. His wife died at the age of 
 thirty years, leaving two children, namely: 
 Abijah L., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Phebe A., who presided over her brother's 
 household until her death. 
 
 Abijah L. Patterson was educated in the 
 district schools, and at an early age he com- 
 menced to assist his father in attending to 
 the farm duties. He has always resided at 
 home, where he received the thorough agri- 
 cultural training which has enabled him to 
 manage the farm with success. He not only 
 carries on general farming, but conducts a 
 choice dairy, keeping a fine herd of Devon 
 cows; and he devotes considerable attention 
 to the raising of sheep. He has remodelled 
 the buildings, improved the land; and his 
 success in producing crops superior both as to 
 quality and quantity cannot be surpassed by 
 any farmer in the locality. 
 
 On April 16, 1862, Mr. Patterson was 
 united in marriage to Sarah S. Beers, daugh- 
 ter of Chauncey A. and Laura (Dunning) 
 Beers, the former of whom was a prosperous 
 farmer of Roxbury. Mr. Patterson is an 
 Episcopalian in his religious views and a 
 Democrat in politics. 
 
 HERMAN COGSWELL, a promi- 
 nent member of the farming com- 
 munity of Washington, was born on 
 the Cogswell homestead in New Preston, June 
 13, 1834, son of Charles and Asenath Hubbard 
 Cogswell. His grandfather, Ruel Cogswell 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 479 
 
 (see Jamieson's "Cogswells in America"), 
 spent most of his days engaged in farming in 
 Washington, and died in his fifty-ninth year. 
 He married Roxanna Smith; and they reared 
 the following children : Riley, Charles, Wash- 
 ington, Ruel, Elisha, Nancy, Mercy, Rhoda, 
 Lydia, Hannah, and Avis. As showing the 
 family tendency to longevity and, incident- 
 ally, the healthfulness of Litchfield County 
 air, it may be noted that of these children the 
 oldest lived ninety-five years and the youngest 
 sixty-eight. 
 
 Charles Cogswell, the father of Sherman, 
 was born July 4, 1793, on Tinker Hill, on a 
 rough hillside farm, a breezy situation, com- 
 manding a beautiful outlook on Lake Wara- 
 mang. Early in life he purchased a farm 
 about one-quarter of a mile from the village 
 of New Preston, where he spent the remainder 
 of his life. The farm faces the south and 
 east; and, though rough and stony, the land 
 is of the richest and most fertile quality in 
 the town. Charles Cogswell was a leading 
 farmer of the town ; and, being favored with a 
 strong constitution, he lived to the good old 
 age of eighty-five. His wife, Asenath, 
 daughter of Ithamar Hubbard, of Morris, 
 Conn., died at seventy-five. They reared six 
 children; namely, Robert, Egbert, Jeanette, 
 Sherman, Emeline, and Marinda. Sherman 
 Cogswell received his education in the schools 
 of his native town, making a special study of 
 music, for which he had a natural aptitude. 
 Reared in a farming community, he early be- 
 came familiar with farm work, and on the* 
 death of his father succeeded to the home- 
 stead. He has made that his home up to the 
 present time. For nearly four years he was 
 music teacher at the State Reform School, 
 Meriden, and assisting at the same time on 
 the farm connected with the institution. Mr. 
 Cogswell has taught music in the vicinity of 
 
 his home for some time, and has also taken 
 full charge of a school. Though giving his 
 chief attention to music, he is very suc- 
 cessful as a farmer. Under his hands the 
 rocks and brush which encumbered the home- 
 stead property have been removed, and the 
 farming machines of modern times can now 
 be used on it without hindrance. 
 
 Mr. Cogswell was married October 12, 
 1862, to Elizabeth Collins Curtiss, daughter 
 of Homer and Julia Upson Curtiss, of Meri- 
 den, Conn. They had two sons, Leonard 
 W. and Howard F. The former married Miss 
 Carrie E. Strong, and resides in New Haven. 
 He is one of the most expert stenographers in 
 the State, and for many years has been an 
 official stenographer of the Superior Court 
 and of the General Assembly. In politics 
 Mr. Cogswell is a Republican. He is not an 
 aspirant for office, believing that the best 
 public office a man can hold is that of a good, 
 honest, law-abiding citizen. He is a member 
 of Pomona Grange, No. 7, and also of the 
 State Grange. In religious belief he is a 
 Congregationalist; and he has been clerk of 
 the village church for thirty-three years, a 
 member of the choir for forty-two years, and 
 choir-master for twenty-five. One of the old 
 residents of the town, he is esteemed by all 
 who know him, and is a worthy representative 
 of an old and respected family. 
 
 URTON C. PATTERSON, a prom- 
 inent agriculturist and business 
 man of Torrington, Conn., and a 
 leading granger in this State, was born in 
 Cornwall, Litchfield County, on September 
 10, 1839. His parents were Sherman and 
 Polly (Gilbert) Patterson, the former of whom 
 was also a native of Cornwall. 
 
 Elhathan Patterson, the grandfather of 
 
480 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Sherman Patterson, was a direct descendant of 
 Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the De- 
 claration of Independence, also of Andrew 
 Patterson, the first Colonial Governor of Perth 
 Amboy, N.J., who was of Scottish parentage. 
 In early manhood he removed from the south- 
 ern part of Connecticut to Cornwall, where 
 he engaged in farming, living to an advanced 
 age. Silas Patterson, son of Elnathan, was 
 born in Cornwall, and like his father engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits, spending his life on 
 the old homestead. 
 
 Sherman Patterson, a son of Silas Patterson 
 and the father of the subject of this sketch, 
 was reared to manhood on the old homestead, 
 acquiring a good practical education in the 
 common schools and assisting his father in 
 the varied duties of the farm. On reaching 
 his majority, he built a house near the parental 
 home, and there spent his life. He took an 
 active interest in all that concerned the pub- 
 lic welfare. His wife, Polly Gilbert Patter- 
 son, was a native of Warren, Conn., and a 
 daughter of Samuel Gilbert. The latter in 
 his younger days followed the vocation of a 
 blacksmith and iron manufacturer, which he 
 carried on with success; but his last years 
 were spent on a farm in that town, where he 
 died at over eighty years of age. 
 
 Mr. Gilbert had one son. Burton Gilbert, 
 a well-known and prominent merchant of 
 Warren, who, though he began his business 
 career with the most meagre resources outside 
 of the energy and ability nature had bestowed 
 upon him, worked his way up step by step 
 until he acquired a competence. It was his 
 custom to go by night to Hartford with loads 
 of goods and return the following day, and his 
 dealings brought him many acquaintances and 
 friends in that place also. His whole life 
 was spent in Warren, where he died at eighty 
 years of age. Mrs. Polly Gilbert Patterson 
 
 taught school for several years previous to her 
 marriage. She bore her husband three sons, 
 all of whom are still living: Silas G., Burton 
 C, and Henry S. Her last years were spent 
 at the home of her son Burton, where her 
 death occurred at the age of seventy-six. 
 Both parents were active members of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 Burton C. Patterson passed his early years 
 on the farm of his father, receiving a good 
 practical education in the common schools. 
 After reaching his majority, he remained on 
 the home farm with his brothers until he and 
 Henry sold their interests to Silas, and in 
 1865 came to Torrington, and bought a por- 
 tion of the farm where he now lives. Seven 
 years later he purchased his brother's interest 
 in the place, and since that time has carried 
 on the farm alone. It contains two hundred 
 and seventy-five acres of land, being the 
 largest dairy farm in the town of Torrington, 
 and its owner one of the best known agricult- 
 urists in this section. Mr. Patterson keeps a 
 dairy of sixty cows, from which he supplies 
 a milk station in Torrington, that furnishes 
 milk for the retail trade. In addition to his 
 fanning he does quite an extensive business in 
 a mercantile way, being a wholesale and retail 
 dealer in grain, flour, and baled hay, agricult- 
 ural implements, wagons, carriages, sleighs, 
 fertilizers, and coal. He is also the purchas- 
 ing agent of the State Grange. 
 
 In February of 1872 Mr. Patterson was 
 joined in marriage with Miss Hattie M. 
 Beach, one of four children of Amazi Beach, 
 of Goshen, Conn., where her father is still 
 living, having retired from active business. 
 Mrs. Hattie M. Patterson died at thirty years 
 of age, leaving one son, Silas B. Patterson, 
 who graduated from Yale College, and is now 
 a civil engineer in Torrington. The mother 
 was a member of the Congregational church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 481 
 
 The union of Mr. Patterson with bis present 
 wife, Annie M. Merwin Patterson, daughter 
 of Samuel T. Merwin, of New Milford, Conn., 
 has been brightened by the birth of two sons : 
 Burton M., residing at home; and Edson B. 
 
 In politics Mr. Patterson is a stanch Repub- 
 lican, and his fellow-citizens have shown their 
 appreciation of his sterling character and 
 ability by electing him to various positions of 
 trust and responsibility. He was for three 
 years on the Board of Selectmen, on which he 
 held the position of First Selectman one year; 
 and in 1884 he served as a member of the 
 State legislature. Ever since the establish- 
 ment of the State Grange of the Patrons of 
 Husbandry, eleven years ago, Mr. Patterson 
 has been a prominent member of the Executive 
 Committee, and here his influence has been 
 especially felt; for, being a thoroughly prac- 
 tical and successful farmer himself, the papers 
 on agricultural topics which he has been 
 called upon to prepare for various gatherings 
 have attracted much attention. Mr. Patterson 
 has also rendered most acceptable service as 
 Director and Treasurer of the Patrons' Mutual 
 Fire Insurance Company of Connecticut since 
 the formation of that company. The other 
 fraternal orders with which he is associated 
 are the Ancient Order of United Workmen- and 
 the U. O. A. M., in which he has acted as 
 Trustee, but has declined all other offices. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are communicants of 
 the Congregational church, in whose welfare 
 they take a deep interest, and are active 
 workers in the Sunday-school. 
 
 (sft^DREyj A. BRADLEY, an old resi- 
 ^L dent and a highly respected business 
 ^ ® V^^ man of Thomaston, engaged in the 
 tin, stove, and general hardware business near 
 Thomaston depot, was born in Cheshire, 
 
 Conn., April 11, 1813, son of Andrew and 
 Mary (Sherman) Bradley. 
 
 Andrew Bradley came from either Bradford 
 or East Haven, Conn., and settled in Chesh- 
 ire. He devoted his attention to agriculture, 
 and before the War of 18 12 had accumulated a 
 goodly fortune; but the greater part of it was 
 lost in the financial crisis caused by that con- 
 flict. His death occurred in Cheshire in the 
 forty-fifth year of his age. His brother Eli 
 was in command at New Haven in the War of 
 1812, and another brother was killed at the 
 time of Admiral Perry's victory on Lake Erie. 
 His wife, Mary (Sherman) Bradley, was born 
 in Stratford, Conn. She reared him five chil- 
 dren, of whom Andrew A. Bradley, the young-^ 
 est, is now the sole survivor. She died in 
 Cheshire , when but thirty-three years old. 
 Mr. Bradley was a member of the Episcopal 
 church, and his wife belonged to the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 Andrew A. Bradley was only four years old 
 at the time of his mother's death; and, as his 
 father's death occurred six years later, he was 
 but ten years old when he was left alone to 
 battle with the world. The subsequent six 
 years were spent on a farm, during which time 
 he attended the district school. He then 
 went to New Haven, Conn., and spent two 
 years and a half learning the tinman's trade. 
 He then went to Meriden, and worked at that 
 business for the same period. The following 
 ten years were spent in Massachusetts, Indi- 
 ana, and at Baltimore, Md. In 1846 he en- 
 tered business for himself in Plymouth Hill. 
 Four years later he came to Thomaston, and 
 established himself in a small building, which 
 he erected for the purpose, on the site of his 
 present store. The steady growth of his busi- 
 ness caused him in 1862 to enlarge his ac- 
 commodations. He moved the old store to 
 the rear, and built his present fine building, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 which is thirty feet wide, sixty feet deep, and 
 two stories in height. He still carries on a 
 large and prosperous business, and enjoys the 
 distinction of being the oldest merchant in 
 Thomaston and one of the oldest in Litchfield 
 County. With three exceptions he is the old- 
 est citizen of the town, which he has seen 
 grow from a small farming community to a 
 prosperous village. He has been a resident 
 long enough also to note that but three of the 
 families that were in Thomaston and Plymouth 
 when he came now keep house in these places. 
 He was married in 1845 to Miss Harriet 
 Butler, daughter of Lemuel and Salina (Mer- 
 riman) Butler, of Meriden, where her father 
 was a farmer. Her parents reared five of . 
 their eight children, but the only one now liv- 
 ing is George Butler. Her father died at 
 seventy-eight years of age, and her mother at 
 the age of fifty-six. Both were communicants 
 of the Congregational church. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bradley had six children, of whom two are 
 now living: Edwin A. and Ella. Edwin A. 
 married Miss Nellie Scott, and is engaged in 
 the carriage business in Waterbury, Conn. 
 He was the builder of the horse-railroad in 
 that place, and served as superintendent up 
 to 1894. Ella married John Gross, an engin- 
 eer in the employ of the Watch Company, and 
 has three children: Dorothea, John A., and 
 Edwin Bradley. Of the deceased children of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bradley three died in infancy, 
 and one son, James, when thirty-two years of 
 age. Their mother died in 1893, in her 
 seventieth year. Mr. Bradley cast his vote 
 with the Republican party. For over forty 
 years he has served as Sealer of Weights and 
 Measures. It is now sixty years since he first 
 became a communicant of the Congregational 
 church, of which his wife was also a member. 
 Mr. Bradley resides in a fine residence erected 
 by him in 185 i. 
 
 ^AMES STUART HALPINE, a pros- 
 perous tobacco dealer and general 
 farmer of New Milford and a self-made 
 man, was born in New Milford, December 26, 
 1854, son of Thomas and Anna (McCauley) 
 Halpine. Mr. Halpine's father is a native of 
 Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. His parents 
 were Patrick Halpine and Catherine (Calanen) 
 Halpine, who were married in May, 18 19, and 
 whose family consisted of seven sons and one 
 daughter. Patrick Halpine's parents were 
 Michael Halpine and Mary McSheedy Mc- 
 Namara. His wife's parents were David 
 Calanen and Mary Hennessey Calanen. 
 
 Thomas Halpine emigrated to the United 
 States when a young man, landing in Boston. 
 After engaging for a time in farming, he was 
 employed at hat-making in Roxbury, and later 
 went to Lanesville, where he married. He 
 then purchased a farm in Bridgewater, which 
 he improved to a considerable extent by drain- 
 ing, cleaning off brush and timber, remodel- 
 ling buildings, and erecting a new barn. 
 After residing there for twenty years, he 
 traded the property for the Sanford farm on 
 Whisconier Hill, in the town of Brookfield, 
 Conn., where he now lives. His farm, which 
 consists of two hundred and thirty acres, finely 
 located, he has improved by the construction 
 of miles of tile and stone ditches, also erect- 
 ing a handsome residence at a cost of five 
 thousand dollars, with spacious barns and out- 
 buildings to match. He is one of the most 
 progressive farmers in his section, keeping a 
 large dairy, which he conducts according to 
 the latest improved methods. He is a Demo- 
 crat in politics, and has ably filled several of 
 the important town offices. 
 
 His wife, Anna McCauley, was born near 
 Belfast, Couiity Antrim, Ireland, daughter of 
 John and Catherine (Bambridge) McCauley. 
 John McCauley was a son of Francis and Jane 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 483 
 
 (MacQuelin) McCauley. Jane MacQuelin was 
 a daughter of Frank and Sarah (Currie) Mac- 
 Quelin, of Scotland (Highlands). 
 
 Catherine Bambridge, wife of John Mc- 
 Cauley, was a descendant of the Bruces of 
 Scotland. Her great-grandmother, Catherine 
 Bruce, a cousin of Sir Harvey Bruce, married 
 Alexander Stuart, of the Highlands of Scot- 
 land, and bore him four daughters and one 
 son. Their youngest daughter, Catherine 
 Stuart, married Robert Bambridge, a brother 
 of Commodore Bambridge, of England, and 
 removed to Ireland. They also had four 
 daughters and one son. Jane, the eldest 
 daughter, married John Noble, and emigrated 
 to Portland, Me., United States of America. 
 Robert married Rachael Lynn, and settled in 
 Brooklyn, N.Y., where he died. Nancy mar- 
 ried John Campbell, of Scotland, who, after 
 the death of her husband, removed to Oro- 
 ville, Butte County, Cal., where she spent her 
 remaining days with her sons, who- are among 
 the largest landed proprietors in the county. 
 Sarah married William McCord, of Ireland, 
 where both resided until their deaths. 
 
 Catherine and John McCauley were married 
 May 13, 1820. They had nine children; 
 namely, Jane, Sarah, Charles, Anna, William, 
 Francis, Catherine, Margarete, and John. In 
 1851 they emigrated with their children to 
 New Milford, Conn., and afterwards removed 
 to Danbury, Conn., where they la;tely died. 
 John, their youngest son, a gallant soldier 
 under Admiral Farragut, was killed on board 
 the "Lackawana," August 5, 1864, in an en- 
 gagement in Mobile Bay, and was buried at 
 Fort Powell. Francis served in the Twenty- 
 third Connecticut Volunteers, Company K. 
 He died from effects pf wounds received, and 
 was buried in Danbury, Conn. 
 
 Anna, who married Thomas Halpine April 
 3, 1853, has had thirteen children, as follows: 
 
 John James, who died when an infant; James 
 Stuart, the subject of this sketch; Catherine 
 A., who married John Francis, now deceased, 
 has one son John, and resides in Paris, 
 France; Mary J., who married Richard 
 Meaney, and has three children — ^ Vincent, 
 Charles, and Anna — • and resides in Danbury, 
 Conn.; William, a druggist of New York 
 City, who married Mary C. White, and has 
 one daughter, named Agnes; Thomas Bam- 
 bridge, an. undertaker in Bridgeport, Conn., 
 who died November 6, 1890; Margarete, who 
 died young; Sarah Elizabeth, who now re- 
 sides at home; Charles F., a doctor of dental 
 surgery, now of Brooklyn, N.Y. ; John M., 
 who resides at home; Margarete L., second, 
 who is a teacher; Francis Arthur, who died at 
 the age of four years; Anna, who died when 
 an infant. 
 
 James Stuart Halpine was educated in the 
 public schools of Bridgewater and at Newtown 
 Academy, Newtown, Conn., and subsequently 
 taught school for several winters in Newtown 
 and Brookfield, his summers being occupied 
 in farming. He was married in March, 1880, 
 and went to live on a rented farm near Gay- 
 lordsville, devoting his time during the sum- 
 mer months to the growing of tobacco, being 
 employed in a neighboring packing house dur- 
 ing the winter. In 1881 he engaged in the 
 tobacco buying and packing business for the 
 old established firm of H. Schubart & Co., 
 New York, packing about three hundred cases 
 that year, and has since that time bought and 
 packed all the Connecticut and Massachusetts 
 tobacco handled by that firm, besides buying 
 and packing several large packings for other 
 New York houses. 
 
 In April, 1883, he purchased the Monroe 
 Frost farm of one hundred acres, situated in 
 the south-eastern part of the town of New 
 Milford, and, since taking up his residence 
 
484 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 here, has added ninety acres more to his farm, 
 besides remodelling and improving his house 
 and barns, building a new barn, wagon house, 
 and other outbuildings. He has also built a 
 new tobacco warehouse, sixty-five by thirty- 
 six feet, and three stories high, one entire 
 floor being used as a sorting and packing 
 room. It is heated by steam, and is one of 
 the best lighted and most convenient assort- 
 ing rooms in the Housatonic valley. He 
 raises large crops of potatoes and grain, also 
 seven or eight acres of tobacco annually, 
 packs about eight hundred cases per year, and 
 has during the past year handled on commis- 
 sion over twelve hundred cases of sweated 
 tobacco. He also devotes considerable atten- 
 tion to dairying, keeping twenty grade Jersey 
 cows, besides fifteen head of valuable young 
 stock, supplying milk to special customers in 
 New Milford. His business necessitates the 
 employment of forty hands during the packing 
 season; and he retains several assistants the 
 year round, who are required in various capac- 
 ities about the farm and in operating a steam- 
 threshing machine. 
 
 On March 30, 1880, Mr. Halpine was mar- 
 ried to Miss Sarah J. Morrissey, of Gaylords- 
 ville. Conn., by whom he had eight children, 
 as follows: Sarah Agnes; Anna May; Ella 
 Cecilia, who died August 26, 1885; Mary 
 Cecilia; Genevieve; Stuart Francis; Thomas 
 Joseph ; and Sarah Grace, who died August 21, 
 1894. Mrs. Halpine died April 14, 1894, 
 aged thirty-three years. 
 
 Although specially eligible to public office, 
 Mr. Halpine has always declined to accept 
 political honors. He votes the Democratic 
 ticket. His success in life is the result of 
 his own exertions, as he embarked in business 
 without capital; and, although he has been 
 heavily burdened at times with obligations 
 which would have discouraged most men, he 
 
 has at last arrived at a safe business position, 
 and through persistent industry and good 
 management has secured a comfortable share 
 of this world's wealth. He attends the 
 Roman Catholic church. 
 
 TfTjILEY W. SMITH, a popular express- 
 I ^~^ man of Winsted, was born in Tolland, 
 i-^ V_ ^ Mass.. son of Lauren and Polly 
 (Tisinning) Smith and grandson of Theodore 
 and Rhoda Smith. Grandfather Smith was a 
 farmer in Colebrook, an upright man, a con- 
 sistent member of the Orthodox Congrega- 
 tional church, and lived to be eighty-two 
 years old. His wife laid down the burdens 
 of life about the year 1850, when well ad- 
 vanced in the seventies, some time previous 
 to her husband's death. They are resting in 
 the Riverton Cemetery, Barkhamsted. The- 
 odore and Rhoda Smith had four sons and two 
 daughters, who all grew up, married, had 
 families, and are now deceased, Lauren, the 
 father of Riley W. Smith, being the last to 
 die. 
 
 Lauren Smith tilled a farm in Tolland, 
 Mass., in his younger days, removing in 1836 
 to Barkhamsted, Conn., where he bought a 
 farm. This he sold in 1874, purchasing with 
 the proceeds a home in Riverton, where the 
 rest of his life was spent. He accumulated a 
 snug fortune, leaving a^ his death some eight 
 thousand dollars. He was a prominent man, 
 serving three terms in the legislature, and 
 acting as Selectman of the town for several 
 years. Mr. Smith was married in Tolland in 
 183 1, and our subject was his only child. 
 
 Riley Smith attended the common schools 
 in his boyhood, and helped his father about 
 the farm until he was twenty-six years of age. 
 He now does a large teaming business in 
 Winsted, employing four double teams. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 48s 
 
 also has near the town a farm of one hundred 
 acres in a fine st^te of cultivation. Mr. 
 Smith is a Republican, and is serving his 
 fourth year as Selectman of Winsted. He is 
 a Master Mason, and belongs to the Congrega- 
 tional church, which was the church of his 
 father and grandfather, and to which his wife 
 also belongs. Twenty-one years ago he 
 bought the house at 29 Front Street, which 
 has since been his home. 
 
 Mr. Smith's first wife was Anna (Cleve- 
 land) Smith, to whom he was married when 
 twenty-one years old. She lived but a short 
 time; and in i860 he was again married, his 
 bride being Anna E., daughter of George G. 
 and Belinda (Moore) Deming, the former a 
 livery man, who died May 15, 1873, when 
 about seventy-five years. Mrs. Deming lived 
 to be eighty-one, passing away in 1880. The 
 two are buried in Riverton. They had six 
 children, of whom one is deceased, having at- 
 tained the age of sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Smith have two children, namely: Lauren, 
 who is married, and is in business with his 
 father; and Sabina, unmarried, also in busi- 
 ness with his father. 
 
 / ^TeORGE p. ALLEN, a retired drug- 
 V i)l gist of North Woodbury, was born in 
 Bethlehem, Litchfield County, Janu- 
 ary 13, 1826, son of James and Clarissa (Way) 
 Allen. The family is of English origin; and 
 Mr. Allen is a direct descendant, in the 
 eighth generation, of James Allen, a black- 
 smith of Kempston, County of ' Bedford, Eng- 
 land, whose son, Roger, emigrated to New 
 England in 1638, and changed the spelling of 
 his name to Ailing. He is credited with being 
 the ancestor of all in this country thus named. 
 Roger Ailing was one of the first settlers of 
 New Haven, of which place he was a leading 
 
 spirit, being the first Treasurer of that colony 
 after its organization. An extensive land- 
 holder, a man of more than ordinary intelli- 
 gence and ability, he acted an important part 
 in the early history of the colony. He was a 
 Deacon of the first church, and was one of the 
 signers of "A Fundamental Agreement," 
 which was the first civil compact for the gov- 
 ernment of the colony. He was a member of 
 the court, was appointed " to gather the Col- 
 ledge Corne, " was "Collector for Customs and 
 Excise for Wine and Strong Liquors" for the 
 port of New Haven, was often an appraiser of 
 estates and damages, and was also a member 
 of the first military company. His death oc- 
 curred in 1674. His descendants have been 
 generally intelligent, industrious, and law- 
 abiding, most of them thriving and progres- 
 sive farmers. They have mostly been Congre- 
 gationalists in religion, though in recent 
 times some of them have entered the Metho- 
 dist and Episcopalian folds. Roger Ailing 
 and his wife, Mary Nash, were the parents of 
 seven children : Mary, Samuel,. John, Sarah, 
 Eliza, Susannah, and James. 
 
 Samuel Ailing, son of Roger, was born in 
 New Haven, November, 1645; and he con- 
 tinued to reside there until his death, which 
 took place in P707. By his first wife, Eliza- 
 beth Winston, who died in 1682, he had six 
 children: Samuel; James; Roger; Roger, 
 second; Theophilus; and Daniel. By his 
 union with Sarah Chedsey, his second wife, 
 he had four children : Sarah, Elizabeth, 
 Caleb, and Esther. Roger Ailing, second, 
 who was born in July, 1677, settled upon a 
 farm in West Hkven, Conn. He married 
 Susanna Holt; and his children were: Roger; 
 Elizabeth; Thomas; Samuel; John; Eliza- 
 beth, second; and Hannah. 
 
 Samuel Ailing, fourth child of Roger 
 Ailing, second, was Mr. Allen's great-grand- 
 
486 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 father. He was bom January 28, 17 16, mar- 
 ried Keziah ■ in 1737, and settled in the 
 
 west part of New Haven, i<nown as Wood- 
 bridge, where they reared a family of eleven 
 children, namely: Ruth; Roger; Samuel; 
 Amos; Cornelius and Keziah, who were 
 twins; Eleanor and Hannah, also twins; 
 Gideon; John; and Eunice. Amos Ailing, 
 Mr. Allen's grandfather, was born in Wood- 
 bridge, Conn., October 9, 174S, and with his 
 brothers Samuel and Cornelius settled a few 
 years before the Revolutionary War in that 
 part of " ancient Woodbury " called the 
 " North Purchase," afterward incorporated as 
 the town of Bethlehem. These three brothers, 
 as have all their descendants, changed the 
 spelling of their name to agree with their 
 first-known ancestor, James Allen, of Kemp- 
 ston, England. Amos Allen became a pros- 
 perous farmer and a large land-owner, and left 
 each of his children a farm as a start in life. 
 He died March 15, 1813, aged sixty-seven 
 years. His first wife, whom he married in 
 May, 1770, was Anna Rogers, who died in 
 1784, leaving two children, Keziah and Abner; 
 and he married for his second wife Susanna 
 Thompson, who died September 18, 1802* 
 leaving four children, named James, Noble, 
 Gideon, and Chester. 
 
 James Allen, Mr. Allen's father, was born 
 in Bethlehem in 1794. He inherited a farm, 
 located upon Carman Hill, where he settled, 
 and engaged in agricultural pursuits. By 
 careful management he succeeded in increas- 
 ing his estate, and at his death owned two 
 hundred and eighty acres of valuable land, 
 with a substantial set of farm buildings. He 
 was industrious, energetic, and progressive, 
 making the best of every opportunity offered 
 him for advancement; and he became a promi- 
 nent and useful citizen. He was a Democrat 
 "in politics, taking an active interest in public 
 
 affairs; and he not only rendered valuable ser- 
 vice to the town upon the Board of Selectmen, 
 but was twice elected to the legislature, 
 being a member of that body for the years 
 1836 and 1852. He was a man noted for his 
 integrity and good judgment, and was often 
 called upon to settle estates. He was a sol- 
 dier in the War of 18 12, and for his services 
 his widow received a pension. He died July 
 28, 1858, aged sixty-four years. His wife, 
 Clarissa Way, whom he married in 1817, was 
 born in 1799, and died March 10, 1881. She 
 was the mother of five children, namely: 
 Abner; Amos; James; George P., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Jabez. Of these chil- 
 dren Amos and Jabez died young. Abner 
 still lives (1896) on his large farm, with his 
 sons James H. and George G., at Union 
 Mills, la. He is seventy-seven years old, 
 hale and hearty, a thorough farmer and a 
 large-hearted, prominent, and honored citi- 
 zen. James followed the father on the pa- 
 ternal homestead, and was an energetic and 
 successful farmer, a benevolent, influential, 
 and beloved inhabitant of his native town. 
 He died January 11, 1893, aged seventy 
 years. 
 
 George P. Allen, our special subject, re- 
 ceived a good education at the district and se- 
 lect schools of his native town and other 
 places ; and at the age of twenty-four he asso- 
 ciated himself with T. M. Thompson for the 
 purpose of entering into mercantile pursuits. 
 They purchased the drug store in Woodbury, 
 which was kept by William C. Bristol; but 
 Mr. Allen bought his partner's interest one 
 year later, and he carried on the business 
 alone with profitable results for ten years, or 
 until i860, when he retired permanently from 
 the business. He bought the Daniel Bacon 
 homestead on North Main Street, which he re- 
 modelled and improved in connection with a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 487 
 
 small outlying farm that he owned until 1873, 
 when he sold his house and lot, and removed 
 to the Terrill homestead, where he still re- 
 sides. This house was built about one hun- 
 dred years ago, and is among the oldest and 
 most desirable estates in town. There is a 
 tree upon the premises which is said to have 
 been planted one hundred and seventy-five 
 years ago. The present owner has remod- 
 elled the house and beautified the grounds, 
 making the place one of the finest pieces of 
 property in the locality. 
 
 Mr. Allen was admitted to the communion 
 of the Episcopal church by confirmation in 
 1858, and for thirty-five years was an earnest 
 supporter, a regular communicant, officiating 
 as Parish Clerk, Vestryman, or Warden, and a 
 constant attendant upon its services. Owing, 
 however, to the recent introduction of ad- 
 vanced ritualistic ceremonial, Mr. Allen has 
 felt compelled to absent himself, and for the 
 past two years has attended the Congrega- 
 tional church. In politics a Democrat, he 
 served as Postmaster in Woodbury under the 
 Pierce and Buchanan administrations and dur- 
 ing the first of President Cleveland. He was 
 Selectman during the Civil War, during 
 which time he found the duties of that posi- 
 tion extremely annoying, and has since de- 
 clined to accept nominations for town office. 
 
 Mr. Allen was early taught, both by precept 
 and example, that the moderate use of intoxi- 
 cants was not harmful, but that the intemper- 
 ate use only was evil, and that the person 
 who thus indulged was unworthy of respect. 
 Though never a pledged total abstainer, he has 
 always been practically a temperance man, 
 and while in the drug business found the nec- 
 essary handling of spirits an incubus too heavy 
 and tedious to carry, this being one of the 
 chief reasons for his retirement from the drug 
 trade. He has. long since been convinced that 
 
 the use of intoxicants is unnecessary and 
 harmful, and the cause of so much degrada- 
 tion, suffering, and crime that the world 
 would be much better off without it than with 
 it. Hence he favors its extermination, and 
 advocates the suppression of the manufacture 
 and importation of spirits as the true remedy 
 for the blighting curse of drunkenness. 
 
 Mr. Allen's first wife, whom he married on 
 April 21, 1851, was Julia A. Finch, a daugh- 
 ter of Ebenezer Finch. She died February 3, 
 1883; and on February 28, 1885, Mr. Allen 
 wedded for his second wife Mrs. Wealthy A. 
 (Root) Hollister, daughter of Thomas Root 
 and widow of Deacon Seth Hollister. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Allen went to Florida in com- 
 pany with his first wife, for the purpose of 
 benefiting her health. While there, he 
 bought a tract of land, located in New Berlin, 
 upon which he built, in a beautiful situation 
 on the banks of the St. John's River, a com- 
 modious house, in which he has since spent 
 his winters. He has been an able and pro- 
 gressive business man, is well versed in the 
 important issues of the day, and is now pass- 
 ing his declining years as a well-to-do gentle- 
 man of leisure. 
 
 EREMIAH LILLIBRIDGE, a re- 
 spected citizen and a successful car- 
 riage repairer and blacksmith of Tor- 
 rington, was born in Willington, Tolland 
 County, Conn., May g, 1830, son of Burnham 
 and Polly (Mowry) Lillibridge, the former of 
 whom was also a native of Willington. His 
 great-grandfather, David Lillibridge, settled 
 early in life in Willington, Conn., where he 
 successfully engaged in agriculture. David 
 was also a Baptist minister, took an active 
 and prominent part in all church matters, and 
 established the first Baptist church of that 
 
488 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 town. After his death the church was moved 
 to Willington Centre. His son, Amos Lilli- 
 bridge, the grandfather of Jeremiah Lilli- 
 bridge, was born in Willington. He spent 
 his life in agricultural pursuits on a farm near 
 the old homestead, and died sixty-nine years 
 of age, leaving five children, three sons and 
 two daughters. 
 
 Burnham Lillibridge, son of Amos, lived 
 with his grandfather until the latter's death. 
 He succeeded to his grandfather's farm, which 
 he conducted with success. He died in the 
 town of Willington, eighty-two years of age, 
 for seventy-three years of which he lived in 
 one house. His wife was born in Smithfield, 
 R.I., daughter of Jeremiah and Content 
 Mowry. She reared her husband eleven chil- 
 dren, of whom six are still living, namely: 
 David; Jeremiah; Morton Mowry; Betsey, 
 married to Samuel Hammond; Fieeman C; 
 and Sherman. She died at the old homestead 
 seventy-three years of age. Both parents 
 were consistent members of the Baptist 
 church. 
 
 Jeremiah Lillibridge spent his early years 
 with his parents, receiving a good practical 
 education in the common schools. On leav- 
 ing home, he first engaged in the saw-mill 
 business, which he carried on with success in 
 the towns of Stafford and Simsbury, Conn. In 
 the mean time he learned the moulder's trade, 
 at which he was afterward employed for seven 
 years. Then, resuming his former occupa- 
 tion, he conducted a saw-mill up to 1872, 
 when he came to Torrington, having obtained 
 a position in the Union Hardware Company. 
 He was employed here for eleven years, when 
 in 1 88 1 he commenced the business, in which 
 he has since continued, on the estate in 
 Midgeon Avenue previously purchased by 
 him. He does general job work and all 
 sorts of carriage repairing. 
 
 Mr. Lillibridge was married June 10, 1855, 
 to Miss Mary A. Arnold, a native of Berlin, 
 Conn., daughter of a sea-faring man. Two 
 sons and two daughters were born to her par- 
 ents, who afterward removed to Rocky Hill, 
 Conn., where their last days were spent. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lillibridge have but one child, 
 Daniel C. He was born at the old homestead, 
 and received his early education in the schools 
 of Torrington, which was supplemented by a 
 course at Claverack Institute. On his return 
 from the latter he learned the trade of a black- 
 smith, and has since been connected with his 
 father in business. In December, 1884, he 
 was married to Miss J. E. Beebe, who was 
 born in West Stafford, Conn., daughter of 
 Warren Beebe. They have one son, Burnham 
 B. Lillibridge. In politics Daniel C. Lilli- 
 bridge is a Republican; and he is a member 
 of the Royal Arcanum Lodge, in which he oc- 
 cupies the Orator's chair. 
 
 Jeremiah Lillibridge was formerly a Whig, 
 but has supported the Republican party since 
 its formation. He is a member of the Order 
 of American Mechanics, all the offices of 
 which he has successively filled, and is now 
 serving as Treasurer. Mr. Lillibridge enter- 
 tains liberal views on religious matters, and 
 his wife is a communicant of the Congrega- 
 tional church. He has a large circ-le of 
 friends, who hold him in the highest esteem. 
 
 AMES HUNTINGTON, of Woodbury, 
 was born in Coventry, (South Coventry 
 Parish), Tolland County, Conn., June 
 4> 1833, son of Edward G. and Eliza (Clark) 
 Huntington. His paternal grandfather, 
 Joseph Huntington, who was a son of the 
 Rev. Joseph Huntington, D.D., was born in 
 Coventry, September 13, 1767, was graduated 
 at Dartmouth College, and admitted to the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 485 
 
 bar of Tolland County. Soon after he emi- 
 grated to Washington County, Georgia, where 
 he practised his profession until April, 1794, 
 when he removed to Charleston, S.C., where 
 he died August 19 of the same year. In 1788 
 he married Mirza Dow, of Coventry, a sister 
 of Lorenzo Dow, a Methodist minister of con- 
 siderable note as a traveller and writer in his 
 day. She died at South Coventry, January 
 30, 1856, at the age of eighty-four. 
 
 Edward G. Huntington was born in Wash- 
 ington County, Georgia, October 22, 1792, 
 and died at Coventry September 15, 1857. 
 His wife, who was born in Coventry, and died 
 at Woodbury March 11, 1866, was a daughter 
 of John Clark, a native of Lebanon, Conn. 
 He was a soldier in the Revolution, who at 
 the close of the war purchased a farm "at the 
 head of the pond " in Coventry, where he re- 
 sided the remainder of his life. He died Jan- 
 uary S, 1847, aged ninety-five years. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Ham- 
 mond, was born in Hampton, Conn., and re- 
 sided there until after her marriage. She 
 died October 24, 1848, aged eighty-eight 
 years. Mr. James Huntington's father and 
 mother, and nearly all his ancestors, the 
 Huntingtons, Clarks, and Dows, are buried in 
 the Nathan Hale Cemetery, South Coventry. 
 
 James Huntington from 1850 to the time of 
 his admission to the bar taught for several 
 terms district and select schools in his native 
 town. He attended the Wilbraham Academy 
 in 1852, the New York Conference Seminary 
 at Charlotteville, N.Y., during 1855 and 
 
 1856, and graduated from the State and Na- 
 tional Law School at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 
 
 1857. Then, to prepare himself for practice 
 in his native State, he entered the law office 
 of Waldo & Hyde at Tolland in 1858, and 
 was 'admitted to the bar of Tolland County 
 in April, 1859. Immediately thereafter he 
 
 opened an office in Woodbury, and has con- 
 tinued in the active practice of his profession 
 to the present time. From October, 1879, to 
 October, 1883, he had associated with him in 
 practice George F. Shelton, Esq., who is now 
 an attorney at Helena, Mont. His present 
 partnership with Arthur D. Warner began in 
 November, 1883. He was elected Judge of 
 the Woodbury District Probate Court in 
 April, 1 861, and held the office continuously 
 thereafter until January, 1895. He has been 
 State Attorney for Litchfield County since 
 June, 1874, is chairman of the Litchfield 
 County bar and President of the Bar Library 
 Association of the county. He represented 
 Woodbury in the legislature in 1874 and 1875, 
 and was Senator from the old Sixteenth Dis- 
 trict in 1887 and 1888. 
 
 Mr. Huntington has been twice married. 
 His first union was with Rebecca Huntley 
 Hurd, of Honesdale, Pa., January 6, 1863. 
 She was the daughter of Edward and Annis- 
 tine (Huntley) Hurd. Mrs. Huntington died 
 February 28, 1865, aged twenty-nine years, 
 leaving one daughter, Rebecca Annistine, 
 born February 18, 1865. By his second mar- 
 riage, June II, 1868, Mr. Huntington wedded 
 Helen Elizabeth Parker, of Woodbury, the 
 daughter of Norman and Eunice (Thompson) 
 Parker. They have one daughter, Eunice 
 Eliza, born July 19, 1873. A second daugh- 
 ter, Lucy Plammond, born June 21, 1875, is 
 no longer living. 
 
 I^TANLEY L. WARNER, a retired 
 farmer of Lanesville, in the town of 
 New Milford, Conn., was born in 
 New Milford, February 23, 1831. He mar- 
 ried Eunice P. Wanzer, a daughter of Dan- 
 iel and Hannah (Briggs) Wanzer, of Sher- 
 man, Conn., on November 7, 1853. His chil- 
 
49 o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren are: Henry D., born November 14, 
 1857; Harriet L., born November 30, 1861 ; 
 and Edith Warner, born September 23, 1870. 
 Henry D. Warner, now of Pawling, N.Y., 
 married Harriet A. Sabin, daughter of Charles 
 H. and Laura A. (Thorp) Sabin. His chil- 
 dren are: Mildred S., Charles H., Amy B., 
 and Madeline W. Harriet L. married John F. 
 Addis, of New Milford. They reside in New 
 Milford Village, and have one child, John S. 
 Addis. Edith Warner, a graduate of Ingle- 
 side Academy, New Milford, is now a teacher 
 there. 
 
 Mr. Stanley L. Warner is a representative 
 of the eighth generation in direct descent 
 from John Warner, of Hatfield, England, 
 father of Andrew Warner, the immigrant pro- 
 genitor of the Warner family in Connecticut. 
 The lineage is thus traced back to the earliest 
 American ancestor: Henry S. Warner, father 
 of Stanley L., was born in New Milford in 
 November, 1796. He married Eliza A. Hill, 
 daughter of Ebenezer and Philothete (Lacey) 
 Hill. His children are: Stanley L., Henry 
 O., and Mary E. 
 
 Orange Warner, second, father of Henry S. 
 and grandfather of Stanley L. Warner, was 
 born in New Milford in 1770, and married 
 Lucy, daughter of Samuel Sanford. His chil- 
 dren were: Samuel H., Henry S., Sally, 
 Polly, Hiram, and Minerva. Orange Warner, 
 second, died in April, 1863, aged ninety-three 
 years. 
 
 Orange Warner, first, great-grandfather of 
 S. L. Warner, was born in New Milford, Jan- 
 uary 18, 1745. He married Abigail Prindle, 
 daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Mead) 
 Prindle, of Sharon, Conn. Their children 
 were: Curtis; David; Orange, second; Cyrus; 
 Chloe; and Abigail. Curtis Warner married 
 Eunice Hull. David married Annis Noble. 
 Orange, second, married Lucy Sanford, as 
 
 mentioned above. Cyrus married first Polly 
 Wilier, second Hannah Peck. Chloe was un- 
 married. Abigail married Isaac Briggs. 
 
 John Warner, father of Orange Warner, 
 first (great-great-grandfather), was born in 
 Hadley, Mass., March 10, 1700. He came to 
 New Milford with his brother Joseph aboiit 
 1724. He was called Captain John, and was 
 the first settler at the South Farms, New Mil- 
 ford, so called. After establishing himself on 
 a farm of one hundred acres or more, he mar- 
 ried Mercy, daughter of Thomas Curtis, of 
 Farmington, Conn. He was a large land- 
 holder, and became very prominent in town, 
 ecclesiastical, and military affairs, was made 
 Captain of the Second Company of the Train 
 Band in New Milford in 175 1 and Lieutenant 
 of the Fifth Company in the Sixth Regiment 
 of the colony in May, 1754, and Captain of 
 same in 1756. He died in 1762, aged sixty- 
 two years. He left nine living children, 
 seven sons and two daughters. For each of 
 his sons he built a house, and gave to each a 
 farm. Some of the houses are still standing. 
 Captain Warner's eldest son, Oliver, born 
 October 12, 1729, died February 21, 1814, 
 aged eighty-five years. His wife was Lois, 
 daughter of Captain Joseph Ruggles. Lem- 
 uel, the second son, was born September 6, 
 1 73 1, died 18 14, aged eighty-two years; 
 Martin, the third son, was born January 11, 
 173s; Eleazar, or Elizur, fourth son, born 
 December 17, 1737; John, fifth son, born 
 October 27, 1739; Asa was the sixth son; 
 Solomon, the seventh son, born October 13, 
 I74i> died at Montreal, in the English army, 
 September 20, 1760; Orange, the eighth son, 
 as above mentioned, born January 18, 1745, 
 died in May, 1830, aged eighty-five years, 
 
 Jacob Warner, father of John, and Jacob's 
 father, Andrew Warner, went with the colony 
 from Hartford in 1659 to Hadley, Mass., and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 491 
 
 were among the first settlers of that town. 
 Jacob Warner married Elizabeth, daughter 
 of Richard Goodman. His children were 
 Rebecca, Jacob, Mary, John, and Joseph. 
 
 Andrew, father of Jacob, came from Eng- 
 land to Cambridge, Mass., about 1630, was 
 made freeman in 16.32, came through the 
 wilderness to Hartford with the Rev. Thomas 
 Hooker in 1636, went with first settlers to 
 Hadley in 1659. His first wife is unknown. 
 His second wife was Esther, widow of Thomas 
 Selden. His children were: first, Andrew; 
 second, Robert, who both died in Middle- 
 town, Conn.; Jacob; Isaac; and Daniel. 
 
 The line is thus carried back to Andrew 
 Warner's father, John Warner, who lived in 
 Hatfield, England. 
 
 bTREDERICK D. McNEIL, a retired 
 PJj, merchant of Litchfield, one of the fore- 
 most business men of this town for up- 
 ward of twoscore years, by industry, prudent 
 economy, and wise investment of his means 
 has acquired a competency enabling him to 
 pass his twilight years in quiet leisure. He 
 was born in Litchfield, July 28, 1823, being 
 the descendant of a family of Scottish origin 
 that lived for some time in the north of Ire- 
 land, engaged in mercantile pursuits, and in 
 religion stanchly upholding the Presbyterian 
 faith. 
 
 Mr. McNeil's great-grandfather, Archibald 
 McNeil, was born and reared in the north of 
 Ireland. When he was a young man, he and 
 his two brothers with their father and mother 
 started for America; but the vessel was ship- 
 wrecked, and both parents found a watery 
 grave. The three sons reached land, and for 
 a while were engaged in business in Boston. 
 In 1730 Archibald migrated to this county, 
 becoming one of the early settlers of Litch- 
 
 field. Buying a tract of land, he cleared off 
 the wood, and, having placed it in a tillable 
 condition, engaged in general farming until 
 his decease. He was a man of much impor- 
 tance in the management of local affairs, and 
 was familiarly known as Captain McNeil. 
 His wife, who died in 1785, aged seventy- 
 three years, was spoken of in highly eulogistic 
 terms in an obituary notice that appeared in 
 the Litchfield Monitor oi March 29, 1785. 
 
 Isaac McNeil, son of Archibald, was born 
 and bred on his father's farm in the eastern 
 part of this town, being one of a family of 
 eight children. After becoming of age, he 
 lived for a time in Stockbridge, Mass., but re- 
 turned to the pl^ce of his nativity, and, hav- 
 ing bought land in the north part of Litch- 
 field, engaged in agricultural pursuits during 
 the remainder of his earthly years. His death 
 at seventy-two years of age was caused by a 
 fall from a cart, his neck being broken. His 
 wife, Lois Baldwin, was descended from a 
 pioneer family of this place, where the larger 
 portion of her life was passed, although she 
 died in New York State, at the home of one 
 of her sons, being then ninety years of age. 
 She was the mother of eight children, of 
 whom Samuel, the father of Frederick D., 
 was one of the younger. 
 
 Samuel McNeil inherited in a niarked de- 
 gree those sterling virtues that characterized 
 his hardy Scottish ancestors. A farmer by 
 birth and breeding, he eventually succeeded 
 to the ownership of the paternal acres, and, 
 diligently devoting himself to general hus- 
 bandry, reaped the rewards of honest toil. He 
 lived to the age of fourscore and two years. 
 He married Lavinia Judson, a daughter of 
 Louis Judson, of Huntington, Conn., where 
 her birth occurred. Mr. Judson was also a 
 farmer, and served in the Revolutionary army, 
 being there subjected to exposures that caused 
 
492 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his death while yet a young man. His widow 
 subsequently became the wife of Lemuel 
 Wooster. Mrs. Lavinia Judson McNeil long 
 survived her husband, living to the venerable 
 age of ninety-two years. Both parents were 
 people of strong moral and religious prin- 
 ciples and valued members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. They reared five of the family 
 of eight children born to them, two of whom 
 are yet living, namely: Lavinia, the widow of 
 Levi Coe; and Frederick D. One daughter, 
 Louisa, who married Phineas W. Camp, died 
 in 1895, aged eighty years. 
 
 Frederick D. McNeil grew to manhood on 
 the home farm, acquiring the rudiments of his 
 education in the district schools and a select 
 school of this place, and afterward pursuing 
 his studies for a while at a more advanced 
 school in Wolcottville, now Torrington. He 
 assisted his father in the manual labor of 
 farming nntil attaining his majority, when he 
 entered into mercantile business as a partner 
 with a brother-in-law, first in Morris, where 
 they continued two years, and then in Litch- 
 field two years longer. Mr. McNeil in 1848 
 bought out the interest of his partner, and for 
 a time carried on the business alone. Will- 
 iam H. Braham was then admitted to the firm, 
 continuing as a copartner for three years. 
 From that time until 1865 Mr. McNeil again 
 carried on the business by himself, then tak- 
 ing in his wife's brother, Charles W. Hins- 
 dale, as a member of the firm. In January, 
 1894, Mr. McNeil disposed of his business, 
 and has since lived in pleasant leisure, well 
 won by his earlier years of toil, and enjoying 
 the respect and esteem of his associates and 
 friends. On closing out his business, Mr. 
 McNeil made a trip to Florida, where he has 
 a winter home, staying there until the follow- 
 ing May, and during the next season re- 
 mained in the same warm climate from Decem- 
 
 ber, 1894, until May, 1895. He has the dis- 
 tinction of being the oldest merchant in this 
 town and one of the oldest in the county, his 
 business record being one of the finest and 
 most honorable of any in the State. 
 
 Mr. McNeil's first wife, whom he wedded 
 in 1855, was Sarah, one of the two children of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott Hinsdale, of Harwin- 
 ton, the former of whom was a sea captain. 
 Five children were born of this union, three 
 of whom are now living, as follows: Charles 
 R., an architect, residing in New York City, 
 a graduate of Columbia College; and two 
 daughters, Mary H. and Ellen, who were edu- 
 cated at Temple Grove, Saratoga, N.Y., and 
 are both engaged as stenographers and type- 
 writers. Mrs. Sarah H. McNeil died in the 
 prime of life, at fifty-two years of age. A 
 woman of much force of character, of a kindly 
 and sympathetic nature, she was beloved by 
 all, and was a valued member of the Congre- 
 gational church. Mr. McNeil subsequently 
 married Virginia Wells, the daughter of Tom- 
 linson and Electa Wells, of Litchfield. Mr. 
 McNeil is one of the Board of Directors of 
 the Litchfield Savings Bank. In politics he 
 is a sound Republican. Religiously, he is 
 an active and esteemed member of the Con- 
 gregational church, having been Deacon for 
 many years and teacher of the Bible class. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM COTHREN, author of the 
 story of Ancient Woodbury, 
 Conn., was born in Farmington, 
 Me., November 28, 1819. He took up his res- 
 idence in 1844, and now after fifty years of 
 professional activity is still in full practice at 
 the Litchfield County bar. He is a son of 
 William and Hannah Cothren, and on the pa- 
 ternal side a descendant of the Cochranes of 
 Paisley, Scotland, being a great-grandson of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 493 
 
 William Cochrane, who came to America 
 about 1756, settled at Falmouth, Mass., 
 served one year in the Revolutionary War, 
 and was drowned in 1778. His son David, 
 Mr. Cothren's grandfather, moved from Fal- 
 mouth to Farmington, Me. Not liking the 
 Yankee pronunciation of his name, he changed 
 the spelling to the present form as borne by 
 his descendants, Cothren. Ancestors of Mr. 
 Cothren on the maternal side, descendants 
 of Thomas Palmer, of Rowley, Mass., were 
 conspicuous as patriots and defenders of 
 the colonies of New England during the 
 early days of their existence, the records 
 showing them to have participated in King 
 Philip's War in 1676, the French and In- 
 dian War of 1745. Others of his kindred 
 served in the Revolutionary struggle and the 
 War of 1812. 
 
 William Cothren fitted for his collegiate 
 course at the Farmington Academy, and was 
 graduated from Bowdoin College in 1843. 
 He received his second degree from that col- 
 lege in 1846, and received his degree of M.A. 
 {ad eundeni) at Yale tJniversity in 1847. 
 He settled in Woodbury the year after his 
 graduation, and, applying himself to the study 
 of law under the Hon. Robert Goodenough 
 and the Hon. Charles B. Phelps, was admitted 
 to the Litchfield County bar in October, 1845. 
 He immediately entered into the practice of 
 his profession in Woodbury, where he has 
 since maintained a large and successful gen- 
 eral law business; and he has long held a 
 prominent position among the foremost legal 
 representatives of the county. He has been a 
 close student, was admitted an attorney and 
 counsellor in the United States Circuit Court 
 in 185.6, and an attorney and counsellor of the 
 Supreme Court of the United States on March 
 8, 1865, and is familiar by practical experi- 
 ence with all forms of legal procedure. He 
 
 has taken an active interest in public affairs 
 ever since his settlement in Woodbury, his in- 
 tellectual attainments making him especially 
 eligible to positions of responsibility and 
 trust; and his political career has been a long 
 and honorable one. He was one of the or- 
 ganizers of the Republican party in his local- 
 ity, striving diligently to make known and 
 advance its principles; and he was mainly 
 instrumental in securing its early successes. 
 He was elected a County Commissioner in 
 185 1, was a State Senator from the old Six- 
 teenth District in 1855, served in the lower 
 house of the Connecticut legislature in 1882, 
 and has been a Justice of the Peace and Notary 
 Public during his entire professional life. 
 
 Since the age of twenty years Mr. Cothren 
 has contributed largely, both in prose and 
 verse, to the newspapers and magazines of the 
 day, has published numerous pamphlets upon 
 legal and historical matters; and, as a writer 
 upon New England history, genealogy, and 
 folk-lore, he has earned for himself a wide 
 reputation. In 1847 he was elected a corre- 
 sponding member of the New England Histor- 
 ical and Genealogical Society of Boston, in 
 1852 a member of the Connecticut Historical 
 Society, of which he was Vice-President for 
 several years, in 1854 was made an honorary 
 member of the Old Colony Historical Society 
 at Plymouth, Mass. ; and he is likewise corre- 
 sponding member of the Wisconsin, Vermont, 
 and Maine Historical Societies. 
 
 A short time after his arrival in Woodbury 
 Mr. Cothren turned his attention to the col- 
 lection of local historical data, the result of 
 which was the publication in 1854 of a his- 
 tory of the town of Woodbury from 1659 to 
 1854. This is an elaborate work, issued in 
 three volumes, being the first complete history 
 of a New England town ever published, and is 
 dearly cherished by every family in town. 
 
494 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Cothren and his family occupy a pleasant 
 home on Main Street. 
 
 On September 3, 1849, ^^- Cothren was 
 united in marriage with Mary Steele, a de- 
 scendant in the eighth generation from Gov- 
 ernor Bradford, of "Mayflower" fame, and has 
 had one child, who died young. Mr. William 
 H. Cothren has been a prime mover in all 
 matters relative to the welfare of the town, 
 and is widely known as a generous, public- 
 spirited man, who has rendered valuable ser- 
 vices to the community. He united with the 
 First Congregational Church in 1850, and he 
 i» a member and Past Master of King Solo- 
 mon Lodge, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Yp)AWRENCE CANFIELD, the most ex- 
 IJT tensive farmer in New Milford and a 
 '^-<. . r^ self-made man, was born November 
 6, 1825, upon the farm he now owns and oc- 
 cupies. His parents were Heth and Jerusha 
 (Odell) Canfield, his father having been a di- 
 rect descendant of Thomas and Phebe (Crane) 
 Canfield, who moved from Wethersfield to 
 Milford, Conn., in 1646. 
 
 Thomas Canfield became a very large land- 
 owner and a prominent man in the community, 
 and was a Representative to the General 
 Court in the years 1674 and 1676. He reared 
 a family of eight children, one of whom, 
 named Jeremiah, settled in New Milford in 
 1727, and purchased three land rights. Jere- 
 miah Canfield died on March 18, 1739-40, his 
 wife, Alice, having died in January the same 
 year. Samuel, one of their ten children, who 
 was born in 1701, came to New Milford pre- 
 vious to his father's settlement here, and pur- 
 chased land, upon which he resided for the 
 remainder of his life. He was a very success- 
 ful farmer, and bought a large tract of land, 
 which he divided among his children, a part 
 
 of that property being the farm now owned by 
 his great-grandson, Mr. Lawrence Canfield. 
 Samuel Canfield was a Representative for 
 several terms, served as a Justice of the Peace 
 for many years, and was a Deacon of the Con- 
 gregational church. He was one of the most 
 active men in the village, and few residents 
 of his day were held in higher regard. He 
 died in 1754, survived by his wife, Abigail 
 Peck Canfield, who died in 1764 at sixty-four 
 years of age. They had eight children; and 
 of these Heth Canfield, Sr., Mr. Canfield's 
 grandfather, who was born on January 7, 
 1742-43, was the youngest. He was a farmer 
 by occupation and a lifelong resident of New 
 Milford. His son, Heth, Jr., Mr. Canfield's 
 father, was the latest born of eight children. 
 He succeeded to the possession of the home- 
 stead, and was successfully engaged in farm- 
 ing until his death, which occurred in 1832. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Jerusha 
 Odell, had borne him eleven children, as fol- 
 lows: Sarah M. ; Alanson; Cornelia; Sally; 
 Nelson; Harry; Clara, Diana, twins; Bruce; 
 Lawrence, the subject of this sketch; and 
 Laura L. The mother died in June 6, 1862, 
 aged seventy-five; and it was said of her that 
 she had "as many children, grandchildren, and 
 great-grandchildren as she was years old." 
 
 Lawrence Canfield was a mere child when 
 his father died. He attended the schools of 
 his native town, and at an early age began to 
 assist in carrying on the farm. Having grown 
 to manhood, he acquired possession of the 
 homestead by purchasing the interests of the 
 other heirs, and assiduously continued the cul- 
 tivation of the soil and the improvement of the 
 property. His untiring energy being well di- 
 rected, his labors have been rewarded with 
 success; and he has added to his estate till 
 he now owns upward of six hundred acres 
 of finely located land. He has several acres 
 
LAWRENCE CANFIELD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 497 
 
 covered with the choicest kinds of fruit trees, 
 and he is the largest apple-grower in New 
 Milford. He occupies a handsome residence, 
 which he built in 1869, situated opposite the 
 old farm dwelling in which he was born, his 
 grounds being tastefully laid out and shaded 
 with evergreens. He has also built large and 
 convenient barns, and availed himself of every 
 modern appliance to facilitate his agricultural 
 operations. He keeps a herd of sixty fine 
 cows, the same number of sheep, and eleven 
 fiorses, and has made farming a financial suc- 
 cess. 
 
 ' Mr. Canfield and Sarah A. Marsh, daughter 
 of Chauncy Marsh, were united in marriage 
 in April, 1848, and have three children: 
 Mary L., Urania, and Heth. Mary L. resides 
 in Colorado with her husband, I. Phillips, and 
 their two children, named Edgar C. and Leon 
 J> Urania married Allen F. Hill. They re- 
 side in New Milford, and have five children : 
 Mamie; Joseph M. ; Mabel C. ; and Clara and 
 Carrie, twins. Heth married Louise Smith, 
 lives in Florida, and has six children: 
 Thomas, Lawrence, Leroy, Sarah A., Beth, 
 and Anna. 
 
 Mr. Canfield attends the Congregational 
 church, of which he is a liberal supporter. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has served 
 with ability in various town offices. He oc- 
 cupies a position of prominence among the in- 
 telligent and progressive farmers of New Mil- 
 ford; and, as his success in life is the result 
 of his own persevering industry, it is all the 
 more merited and noteworthy. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Canfield appears on an- 
 other page. 
 
 ■ — ■ 1 ■•» > 
 
 bpRANK P. MARBLE, a druggist and 
 JjIj apothecary of New Hartford, and Post- 
 master of that town, was born in West 
 Warren, Mass., January 14, 1854, son of 
 
 Leonard and Eliza (Barton) Marble. Mr. 
 Marble's grandfather was a farmer and a life- 
 long resident of Millbury, Mass., where he 
 died at the age of .seventy-nine. He raised a 
 family of eight children. 
 
 Leonard Marble, Mr. Marble's father, who 
 was born in Millbury, received his education 
 in the schools of his native town. After re- 
 siding with his parents until he reached the 
 age of twenty, he went to West Warren, where 
 he was employed in the scythe factory. Sev- 
 eral years after he moved to West Winsted, 
 and was there employed in another scythe fac- 
 tory for the remainder of his life, and died at 
 the age of seventy-eight. He was an Episco- 
 palian in his religious views, and was a Vestry- 
 man of that church for some years. His wife, 
 who was a native of Millbury, became the 
 mother of eight children, four of whom are 
 still living, namely: Fidelia, married to Cal- 
 vin Aldrich, Assistant Postmaster of New 
 Hartford; John W. , a resident of Beaver 
 Falls, Pa. ; Emma, who married Platner 
 Sweet; and Frank P., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother resides with her son in 
 New Hartford. 
 
 Frank P. Marble passed his early boyhood 
 in Winsted, and at the age of eleven came 
 with his parents to New Hartford. He re- 
 ceived a common- school and academic educa- 
 tion. At the age of sixteen he commenced 
 work in the scythe factory, where he remained 
 for four years. In 1873 he entered his pres- 
 ent business, which he has since conducted 
 with success. He was for many years the only 
 druggist in New Hartford, and is at the pres- 
 ent time the oldest business man in town. 
 He carries a full stock of drugs, chemicals, 
 patent medicines, druggist's sundries, and 
 toilet articles, stationery, and school books. 
 He makes a specialty of school books, being 
 the only dealer in town who handles them. 
 
498 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Marble is a Democrat in politics, and was 
 appointed Postmaster August 12, 1894. He 
 has been an Assessor and Tax Collector for 
 several years, Deputy Sheriff eight years, and 
 Town Auditor for twenty years. He has been 
 Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee 
 for many years; and, although his party is in 
 the minority, he is a popular man with all 
 classes, irrespective of politics. 
 
 He is a member of Amos Beecher Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., of New Hartford, of Clifton 
 Lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 and of the Unity Lodge of Knights of Pythias. 
 He is also a member of Waramaug Tribe of 
 the Order of Red Men of Winsted. In Janu- 
 ary, 1894, Mr. Marble was united in marriage 
 to Olive P. Ferriss, of Winsted, daughter of 
 Nathan Barden Ferriss. Mr. Ferriss, for- 
 merly a farmer of Winsted, now resides in 
 West Torrington, and is the father of five chil- 
 dren, all of whom are still living. Mr. Mar- 
 ble attends the Congregational church, and 
 Mrs. Marble is a member of the Methodist 
 church. 
 
 ILLIAM GEDNEY WALL- 
 BRIDGE, a prominent citizen of 
 Litchfield, a civil engineer by pro- 
 fession, was born on April 16, 1856, at Sara- 
 toga Springs, N. Y., son of Henry Thomas and 
 Esther Margaret (Knickerbacker) Wallbridge. 
 His ancestry on both sides includes many dis- 
 tinguished names, his kinsmen in different 
 generations having taken an active part in 
 military and governmental affairs. His first 
 paternal ancestor in this country was Henry 
 Wallbridge, an Englishman, one of the Duke 
 of Monmouth's men in the uprising of 1685, 
 and in 1702 an accepted inhabitant of Nor- 
 wich, Conn., where he died July 25, 1729. 
 He was married December 25, 1688, at Pres- 
 ton, Conn., to Anna Ames, by whom he had 
 
 five sons — William, Henry, Ames, Thomas, 
 and Ebenezer. 
 
 Ebenezer Wallbridge, son of Henry, was 
 born in Norwich, Conn., May 15, 1705. He 
 was twice married; and by his first wife, Mary 
 Durkee, of Norwich, to whom he was united 
 December 2, 1730, had seven children, two of 
 whom were sons— Ebenezer and Henry. His 
 second wife was Mrs. Elizabeth Hyde. 
 
 Ebenezer, son of Ebenezer and Mary (Dur- 
 kee) Wallbridge, was born in Norwich, De- 
 cember 20, 1738. He was one of the early 
 settlers of Northfield, Mass., and of Benning- 
 ton, Vt., and took an active part in current 
 affairs of historic moment. He assisted at the 
 capture of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, was 
 Lieutenant and Adjutant at the storming of 
 Quebec, and for his conduct at that time was 
 promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant by 
 Congress ; and at the battle of Bennington, 
 August 16, 1777, where his brother Henry was 
 killed, he was in action as an officer. He was 
 eventually made Brigadier-general, command- 
 ing the First Brigade. In the political affairs 
 of the time he was also prominent as a mem- 
 ber of the general conventions, a member of 
 the First and Second General Assemblies, 
 State Auditor, Censor of the State Constitu- 
 tion, and Councillor of State for ten years. 
 He died in Bennington, October 3, 1819. - 
 He was married in 1760 to Elizabeth, daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and Mary Stebbins, of North- 
 field, Mass., "and had ten children, six of 
 whom were sons. Of these, Ebenezer Will- 
 iam, the youngest, comes next in the line now 
 being traced. 
 
 Ebenezer William Wallbridge was born in 
 Bennington, Vt., October 28, 1779. He was 
 graduated from Williams College in 1800, was 
 admitted to the bar in 1804, and was for many 
 years in active professional work in Lansing- 
 burg, N.Y., where he was one of the leading 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 49^ 
 
 men, being President of the Lansingburg 
 Bank, village Trustee, Town Clerk for nine 
 years. School Commissioner ten years, and a 
 member of the New York legislature in 1819. 
 He died in Lansingburg, March 23, 1856. 
 He was twice married, his first wife, Sally 
 Morgan, to whom he was united January 12, 
 1805, being the grandmother of Mr. William 
 G. Wallbridge. She was a daughter of En- 
 sign Jonas and Sarah (Mott) Morgan, and 
 grand-daughter of Major Edward Mott, who 
 was Chairman of the Connecticut Committee 
 sent to Bennington April 28, 1775, with plans 
 and funds for the capture of Ticonderoga and 
 Crown Point, it being by his order that, when 
 their design was accomplished. Colonel Ethan 
 Allen was officially placed in command of 
 Ticonderoga. Four children were born to 
 Ebenezer W. and Sally (Morgan) Wallbridge 
 . — -Ann, Henry Thomas, William Morgan, and 
 John. 
 
 Henry Thomas Wallbridge was born in 
 Lansingburg, N.Y., August 25, 1819. He 
 was for many years in the real estate and in- 
 surance business, and spent the greater part of 
 his life at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., where he 
 died November 12, 1885. He was married 
 May 29, 184s, to Esther Margaret, daughter 
 of John and Caroline (Chester) Knickerbacker, 
 of Schaghticoke and Waterford, N. Y. She 
 was a direct descendant through her grandpar- 
 ents, Thomas and Esther Margaret (Bull) 
 Chester, of Wethersfield and Hartford, Conn., 
 of Leonard Chester, armiger, of Blaby, Eng- 
 land, and was a great-grand-daughter of John 
 Knickerbacker, Colonel of the Hoosick and 
 Schaghticoke regiment from 1775 to 1778, 
 which was active in the defeat of Burgoyne. 
 Mrs. Wallbridge was the mother of six chil- 
 dren : John Henry; Thomas Chester; Caroline 
 C. ; William Gedney, the subject .of this 
 sketch; Louisa Chester; and Louie C. 
 
 William Gedney Wallbridge graduated in 
 1877 at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 
 of Troy, N. Y., and for some years was em- 
 ployed on United States geographical surveys 
 in the South-west, in making river surveys on 
 the Hudson and Missouri, and at Philadelphia. 
 Since 1890 he has been a resident of 
 Litchfield. 
 
 October 11, 1881, he was united in marriage 
 with Esther, daughter of William Lehman and 
 Mary Warren (Dorr) Schaffer, of Germantown, 
 Pa. Mrs. Esther S. Wallbridge died in 1885, 
 leaving one son, William Knickerbacker Wall- 
 bridge, born in Germantown, August 11, 
 1882. Mr. Wallbridge was again married on 
 September 11, 1890, the cerernony taking 
 place at Litchfield, and the bride being Mar- 
 garet Ewing, daughter of William Alexander 
 and Mary (Creed) Ritchie, and great-grand- 
 daughter of William Telfair, who in 1783 was 
 Governor of Exuma, a West Indian Island, and 
 whose brother, Edward Telfair, was Governor 
 of Georgia in 1786 and from 1789 to 1793. 
 In politics Mr. Wallbridge is a Republican, in 
 religion an Episcopalian. 
 
 UMPHREY H. WILSON, a prosper- 
 ous farmer of Harwinton, was born 
 
 ^ ' in that town, September i, 1837, 
 
 son of William and Amoret (Humphrey) Wil- 
 son. Mr. Wilson's grandfather, Stephen Wil- 
 son, was an early settler in Harwinton. He 
 was a blacksmith by trade, which he followed 
 for a living as well as farming. He died at 
 the age of forty-eight years, having raised a 
 family of six children. 
 
 William Wilson, Mr. Wilson's father, was 
 born in Harwinton, and attended the schools 
 of his native town. He became familiar with 
 farm work at an early age. After the death of 
 his father he succeeded to the ownership of 
 
500 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the farm, which was a part of the estate origi- 
 nally owned by Stephen Wilson. He con- 
 ducted it successfully during his long life, and 
 died at the age of eighty-six years. He was 
 an active member of the Congregational 
 church, and served upon the Parish Committee 
 for many years. His wife was a daughter of 
 Dudley Humphrey, of Simsbury. Dudley 
 Humphrey was brought up a farmer, but pre- 
 ferred to sell clocks through the South. He 
 finally settled in Ohio, where he passed the 
 remainder of his life. Mrs. William Wilson 
 became the mother of three children, as fol- 
 lows: Humphrey H., the subject of this 
 sketch; Caroline, who died at the age of 
 twenty-four; and William S., who was a sol- 
 dier in the Civil War, and died in Alexandria, 
 Va., at the age of nineteen years. The 
 mother was sixty-two years when she died. 
 Humphrey H. Wilson received his educa- 
 tion in the district schools and at the Plarwin- 
 ton Academy. He resided with his parents, 
 assisting his father on the farm until his mar- 
 riage, at which time he purchased an adjoining 
 farm, where he resided for three years. He 
 then returned to the homestead, which he in- 
 herited at his father's death, and has since 
 resided there. He has a fertile and well- 
 improved farm of ninety acres, which is sit- 
 uated about three-quarters of a mile from the 
 village. He is engaged in general farming, 
 which his industry and carefulness have made 
 a success. Mr. Wilson is well known and 
 highly respected. He possesses a fund of gen- 
 eral information, and is weil posted upon the 
 important issues of the day. He is a Repub- 
 lican in politics, and has served with ability 
 as an Assessor. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage 
 to Antoinette Brown, of Harwinton. She is 
 a daughter of Samuel and Melinda (Church- 
 ill) Brown. Mrs. Wilson's father was an 
 
 early settler in Harwinton, and died in that 
 town, aged sixty-six. His wife, Melinda 
 Churchill, was a native of Massachusetts, 
 daughter of Asa Churchill, who was a black- 
 smith, and resided the greater part of his life 
 in Bristol, where he died in 1834, aged fifty- 
 four years. Mrs. Wilson's parents reared five 
 children, as follows: Ellen M., Antoinette, 
 Edgar ]., Belden S., and Juliet. Ellen M. 
 married John Lewis, and is now deceased; and 
 Juliet married Dewitt Hull, of Seymour. 
 The mother died in Seymour, April 21, 1888, 
 aged seventy-six. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have 
 two children ; namely, Marion and William 
 H. William H. Wilson, who resides at home 
 and assists his father in managing the farm, 
 commenced his education in the public schools 
 of Harwinton, and completed his studies at the 
 Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, Mass. He 
 is a young man of intelligence, possessing an 
 energetic and progressive nature, and has a 
 promising future before him. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wilson attend the Congregational church, of 
 which Mrs. Wilson is a member. 
 
 ESSE B. BURTON, a prominent resi- 
 dent of North Woodbury, and one of 
 the most active and successful business 
 men of the county, was born in the town of 
 Bethlehem, March 5, 1825, son of Daniel B. 
 and Zeruah (Hayes) Burton. Mr. Burton's 
 grandparents were Nathan and Sarah (Beards- 
 ley) Burton, the former of whom was a soldier 
 in the Continental army during the Revolu- 
 tionary War, and resided in Bethlehem. 
 
 Daniel B. Burton, Mr. Burton's father, was 
 born in Bethlehem ; and in young manhood he 
 engaged in milling at Garnseytown, where he 
 was located for a number of years. He then 
 bought a farm, upon which he settled and fol- 
 lowed agriculture successfully in addition to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S°i 
 
 tanning deerskins for manufacturers of gloves, 
 mittens, and other articles. He was quite 
 extensively engaged in the latter occupation, 
 and for several years he conducted a profitable 
 business. He resided in Bethlehem until 
 1845, when he sold his farm, moved to Wood- 
 bury, and lived there until his death, which 
 took place in 1848, at the, age of sixty-one 
 years. He was an industrious and energetic 
 man and a highly esteemed citizen. In poli- 
 tics he was a Whig, and a Congregationalist 
 in his religious views. His wife, who was a 
 daughter of Jesse Hayes, a veteran of the 
 Revolutionary War, became the mother of 
 seven children; namely, Clem B., Jesse B., 
 Hester E., Mary Z., Lyman, Henrietta S., 
 and Nathan B. The mother lived to the age 
 of seventy-four years. 
 
 Jesse B. Burton was educated in the schools 
 of Bethlehem. When a young man, he en- 
 gaged in any suitable employment that pre- 
 sented itself. He carefully husbanded his 
 earnings, and at the age of twenty-three he 
 rented the William H. Bacon farm. He cul- 
 tivated the propertyindustriously, with a view 
 of getting a start in life. By practising the 
 most rigid economy, he eventually paid in full 
 for the farm. He then associated himself 
 with his brother, Nathan B. Burton ; and they 
 bought the old Downs mill property in Minor- 
 town, which was sold at a bargain on account 
 of its bad condition. They repaired it, and set 
 the mill to work. After doing custom busi- 
 ness in sawing and grinding for a time, they 
 erected new mills, and began to handle grain 
 by the carload upon their own account. Later 
 they became quite extensive dealers in grain, 
 flour, lumber, and coal. They then built a 
 store in Watertown, which was run as a 
 branch, and subsequently purchased land, and 
 built two feed and grain stores in North 
 Woodbury, all of which turned out profitable 
 
 ventures. The firm continued in the grain 
 and lumber business for twenty-five years, at 
 the end of which time they sold their stores 
 and mill property, and turned their attention 
 to timber. They invested heavily in Western 
 timber lands, speculating in the States of 
 Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where 
 they bought large tracts. These they cleared, 
 and shipped the timber to New York and other 
 Eastern markets, making a specialty of sup- 
 plying railroads. They have handled over 
 thirty thousand acres of timber land, by which 
 they have amassed a handsome fortune ; and 
 they own valuable property, consisting of real 
 estate in Buffalo, Danbury, Woodbury, and 
 contiguous towns. Although Mr. Burton is 
 now well advanced in years, he is to all 
 appearances in perfect physical condition, and 
 is still actively engaged in business pursuits. 
 Some years ago he bought the Horace Curtis 
 homestead, one of the finest estates in North 
 Woodbury; and he has since resided there. In 
 politics he supports the Republican party, but 
 his extensive business has prevented him from 
 taking any active part in public affairs. 
 
 On March 15, 1848, Mr. Burton was united 
 in marriage to Sarah J. Fox, daughter of Philo 
 and Asenath (Hine) Fox, prosperous farming 
 people of Woodbury. Mrs. Burton was 
 brought up by William H. Bacon, of whom 
 Mr. Burton purchased his first piece of real 
 estate. Philo Fox died at the age of seventy 
 years. He raised a family of eight children; 
 namely, Sarah J., Mary A., Lewis, Emily, 
 Russell, Nancy, John, and Lucy. His wife 
 lived to the age of eighty-four years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Burton have two sons, as follows : Will- 
 iam B. , a leading farmer of Watertown, born 
 November 30, 1849, married to Harriet M. 
 Atwood, and the father of four children — Jen- 
 nie M., Mary, Edna, and William J. ; and 
 Daniel B. , a successful farmer of Woodbury, 
 
502 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born March 14, 1851, married to Fanny T. 
 Kimball, and mother of five children — Flor- 
 ence, Arthur B., Jesse B. , Clayton, and 
 Nathan B. Mr. Burton possesses a business 
 record of which he may well be proud. He 
 has been a tireless worker; and he is a self- 
 made man in every particular, his prospersity 
 being the result of his own efforts. Both he 
 and his wife are members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. 
 
 'HJARNEST L. PRATT, a successful jew- 
 Jpl elry merchant of Litchfield, was born 
 in Irondale, Dutchess County, N.Y. , 
 March 8, 1859, son of William L. and Martha 
 J. (Potter) Pratt. Mr. Pratt's father was a 
 native of Connecticut. In early manhood he 
 settled in Irondale, N. Y., where he followed 
 the occupation of a miller for the remainder of 
 his life, and died at the age of forty-eight 
 years. His wife was a native of Connecticut. 
 Her parents raised a family of six children; 
 namely. Homer, Oscar, Eugene, Alfred, 
 Abbie, and Martha J. Homer is a physician 
 in Des Moines, la. ; and Abbie married 
 George Ryan. Mrs. William L. Pratt became 
 the mother of five children, four of whom are 
 still living, namely: Loda, who married C. M. 
 Gannung, of Litchfield ; Eva, wife of E. K. 
 Loomis; Earnest L., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Etta, who married Dr. William 
 Simons, of Brooklyn, N.Y. She died in 
 Litchfield, aged forty-eight years. Both par- 
 ents attended the Methodist church. 
 
 Earnest L. Pratt passed his youth in Iron- 
 dale. He received his education in the com- 
 mon schools, and assisted his father in the 
 mill until he reached the age of nineteen, at 
 which time he came to Litchfield, and took a 
 position in the drug store of Buell & Wheeler. 
 He remained about nine months in this em- 
 
 ployment, and was next engaged as a clerk in 
 the grocery store of Gannung & Elmore for a 
 year. After this he worked in a grist-mill for 
 the same length of time, in Wessell & Gates's 
 drug store for six months, and operated a 
 steam-mill for another year. At the expira- 
 tion of that time he sold the mill, and returned 
 to the store of Wessell & Gates, where he 
 worked for another six months. He then 
 entered the jewelry store of F. A. Shepard 
 for the purpose of learning that business. 
 After working for three years and a half, dur- 
 ing which time he became skilled in the trade, 
 he purchased the establishment of his em- 
 ployer, and, in company with his brother-in- 
 law, Mr. Gannung, conducted the store for 
 four years. At the end of that time he bought 
 his partner's interest, and continued alone. 
 On January 4, 1895, the block in which his 
 store was located, including his large stock of 
 goods, consisting of watches, jewelry, and dia- 
 monds, toys and Japanese wares, was destroyed 
 by fire. Although his loss footed up to twelve 
 thousand dollars, he was able to recover; and 
 upon the completion of the new block in 
 the following May he reopened his establish- 
 ment. He carries a large and varied stock, 
 and enjoys a liberal patronage. He makes a 
 specialty of repairing, and in this particular 
 branch he is very successful. Mr. Pratt is a 
 Republican in politics. He is a member of 
 St. Paul's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and of the 
 local fire company. 
 
 On February 26, 1895, Mr. Pratt was united 
 in marriage to Isabella A. Beach. She is a 
 daughter of the late Dr. Beach, who was for- 
 merly a well-known and highly esteemed phy- 
 sician of Litchfield, where he had a large 
 practice for many years. Dr. Beach died in 
 Litchfield, November 5, 1892, aged forty- 
 eight years. His wife, who before her mar- 
 riage was Emma J. Strickler, is still living 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 503 
 
 in Litchfield. She js the mother of three 
 children, two of whom are still living, 
 namely: Willis A., a jeweller of New Mil- 
 ford; and Isabella A., who is now Mrs. Pratt. 
 Mr. Pratt attends the Episcopal church, of 
 which Mrs. Pratt is a member. 
 
 r(7>1l'ARVEY BARNES, a retired manu- 
 facturer and mechanic of Torrington, 
 where he is well known and equally 
 respected, was born in Cornwall Hollow, 
 Litchfield County, Conn., February 18, 1838, 
 son of Edward and Rebecca (Bonney) Barnes. 
 Edward Barnes was a native of Canaan, Litch- 
 field County, and was the son of Thomas 
 Barnes, who was born in Southington, Hart- 
 ford County, Conn. 
 
 The great-grandfather, Aaron Barnes, came 
 from Southington to Norfolk about the close 
 of the eighteenth century, and spent his last 
 years in the latter town. His son Thomas, 
 grandfather of Harvey Barnes, was an anchor- 
 smith by trade, and was known as a skilled and 
 reliable workman. He died in Canaan at the 
 age of sixty-two years. 
 
 Edward Barnes early in life acquired a 
 knowledge of farming, which occupation he 
 followed for some time in Cornwall Hollow, 
 being also engaged in other business pursuits 
 on his own account until 1836, when he re- 
 tired from active business life, but still con- 
 tinued to follow agriculture to some extent 
 until his death, which occurred in 1854, at the 
 age of fifty years. His wife, Rebecca Bonney, 
 daughter of Joshua Bonney, was born in Corn- 
 wall, Conn., and was one of a family of eight 
 children. Her grandfather took a patriot's 
 part in the Revolutionary War, being engaged 
 in active service with the Continental army 
 from the commencement to the close of that 
 great struggle. Mrs. Edward Barnes became 
 
 the mother of five children, of whom she 
 reared three. Two of these are still living: 
 Harvey, the subject of this sketch ; and Seth, 
 at present of Bristol, in whose home the 
 mother now resides, she having previously 
 made her home with her son Harvey. Edward 
 Barnes was a class leader of the Methodist 
 church for many years. He was a man of sound 
 Christian character, being noted for his pleas- 
 ant disposition and equable temper, which he 
 was seldom or never known to lose. His wife 
 was and is a member of the same church, and 
 is a woman who has faithfully fulfilled life's 
 duties. 
 
 Harvey Barnes remained at home until the 
 age of sixteen, at which time he began to learn 
 the sash and blind business. In 1854 he 
 entered the clock shop; but after his father's 
 death, which occurred November 24 of that 
 year, he went to work for the estate of Edward 
 Wooden in the lock-shop. The following 
 spring he found work as a carpenter, and re- 
 mained so engaged for eight years. On the 
 organization of the Union Hardware Company 
 he took a contract to make skate woods, finding 
 employment in this line for about ten years, 
 and then becoming foreman of the wood-room, 
 a position which he held for nineteen years, 
 or until 1893, at which time he retired from 
 active work, having been in the service of the 
 above-named company for about thirty years — 
 a strong proof of his fidelity and efficiency. 
 During the time he remained with the com- 
 pany he saw the original force of fifteen men 
 increase to two hundred and fifty. 
 
 Mr. Barnes was married February 18, 1875, 
 to Imogene I. Catlin, a daughter of Samuel 
 Catlin, of Harwinton. Mr. Catlin was a very 
 prominent man in his town, holding at differ- 
 ent times most of the local offices and also 
 serving as a member of the legislature. He 
 died when his daughter Imogene was but seven 
 
504 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years old. His wife, Mary E. Frost, was a 
 native of Torrington, where members of her 
 family were among the earliest settlers. Mrs. 
 Barnes has been the mother of two children, 
 one of whom survives — Clara E., born July 
 2, 1876, a young lady of good intellectual 
 ability, a graduate of the Torrington High 
 School, and now about to enter Mount Holyoke 
 College. She and her mother are members of 
 the Third Congregational Church, which her 
 father attends and to the support of which he 
 contributes. 
 
 Mr. Barnes is a Democrat in politics, is a 
 member of Seneca Lodge, A. F. & A. M., 
 Darius Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Litch- 
 field, and Buell Council, and was largely in- 
 strumental in obtaining a charter for Cyrus 
 Chapter, of which body he was a charter mem- 
 ber, and served as First High Priest. The 
 family stands high socially in the town, and 
 may be justly regarded as representative of the 
 best elements of citizenship. 
 
 flMOTHY C. BACON, a retired farmer, 
 who is passing his declining years at 
 his pleasant home in North Woodbury, 
 where he has long been a highly respected and 
 influential citizen, was born in the eastern part 
 of the town of Woodbury, March 25, 1823. 
 Mr. Bacon's grandfather, Josiah Bacon, a 
 native of Middletown, Conn., when a young 
 man engaged in business as a clofhier. He 
 also carried the mail from Litchfield to New 
 Haven, making the journey on horseback. He 
 was a well-known man in his day, a Democrat 
 in politics. He lived to the age of eighty-two 
 years; and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Abigail Hall, reached the age of eighty-one. 
 They reared seven children — William, David 
 C, Ward, Timothy P., Lucy, Dolly, and 
 Abby. 
 
 David C. Bacon, Mr. Bacon's father, was 
 born in Woodbury, and passed his boyhood and 
 youth on his fathers farm. At the age of 
 twenty-one he started out as a pedler of dry 
 goods and notions, a business which he fol- 
 lowed for five years. He then bought a farm 
 situated in the eastern part of the town of 
 Woodbury, upon which he settled, and engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits. In 1873 he sold his 
 farm, and moved to the village, where he owned 
 a house and some land, and resided there until 
 his death, which took place when he was 
 eighty-four years old. He was an able and 
 far-sighted business man, possessing good 
 judgment as to the relative value of property; 
 and he owned several good farms, aggregating 
 three hundred acres in all. He supported the 
 Republican party in politics, served with abil- 
 ity for some years as a Selectman and in other 
 town offices; and he represented his town in 
 the legislature. His first wife, Sarah ' 
 Wheeler, who was the mother of five children 
 — Harriet, Simeon, Timothy C. , Adeline, 
 and David C. , Jr. — died at the age of forty- 
 eight years. By his union with his second 
 wife, Susan Jackson, there are no children. 
 Mr. Bacon's parents were members of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 Timothy C. Bacon in his boyhood attended 
 the schools of his native town, and was brought 
 up by his parents to be a farmer. When a 
 young man, he conducted the home farm in 
 company with his brothers for three years, and 
 then bought a farm which he carried on upon 
 his own account. In addition to his agricult- 
 ural labors he made a specialty for some time 
 of dealing in real estate, buying and selling 
 various farms until 1875, when he purchased a 
 house with a small farm adjoining in the vil- 
 lage of North Woodbury, where he has since 
 resided, and is now enjoying a well-earned 
 retirement. He has always actively supported 
 
TIMOTHY C. BACON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S°7 
 
 the Republican party, having long been iden- 
 tified with public affairs; and he has rendered 
 valuable services to the town as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen and as Superintendent 
 of Roads, in which his efforts were greatly 
 appreciated by the community. In 1862 he 
 was elected to the legislature, and ably repre- 
 sented the town in that body. 
 
 On November 5, 1845, Mr. Bacon married 
 Catherine Camp, his first wife, who was a 
 daughter of Calvin and Salome (Stone) Camp. 
 She died September 15, 1887, aged sixty-two 
 years; and he wedded for his second wife Mrs. 
 Mary Strong, widow of Nathaniel Strong, and 
 daughter of Alfred and Betsey (Hungerford) 
 Bryan, the former of "whom was a prosperous 
 farmer of Watertown. 
 
 Mr. Bacon has led a busy and successful 
 life, his career having been marked by an 
 industrious application of his ability and re- 
 sources both as a public official and as a busi- 
 ness man. He has an honorable record, and 
 enjoys the esteem and confidence of his fellow- 
 townsmen. Mr. and Mrs. Bacon are members 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 See portrait on preceding page. 
 
 W- 
 
 ALLACE CASE, a prominent resi- 
 dent and first Selectman of Bark- 
 hamsted, was born in Canton, 
 Conn., February 19, 1844, son of Osman and 
 Ann (Tiffany) Case. Mr. Case's grandfather. 
 Freeman Case, was a native of Granby, Hart- 
 ford County, Conn., and passed his earlier 
 years in that town. He later owned a good 
 farm in Canton, where he resided for the re- 
 mainder of his life,- and died at the age of 
 seventy- five. 
 
 Osman Case, Mr. Case's father, was born in 
 Granby, and was reared to an agricultural life. 
 He resided at home until he reached the age of 
 
 thirty, when he bought a farm in West Hart- 
 land. This he conducted successfully for 
 twenty years, and then moved to Barkhamsted, 
 where he resided until his death, which oc- 
 curred when he was seventy-three years old. 
 He was a prominent man in the community, 
 entertaining pronounced and decided views 
 upon the important issues of the day; and he 
 cast the first Republican vote in Hartland, 
 being at the time the only supporter of that 
 party in the town. He was School Visitor in 
 Hartland for some years, and was an active 
 member and a Deacon of the Congregational 
 church in Barkhamsted. His wife was a 
 daughter of Joel Tiffany, a representative of 
 one of the oldest families of Barkhamsted. 
 She reared nine children, as follows: Wallace, 
 the subject of this sketch; Joel, an inventor, 
 who resides in Bristol, Conn. ; Nelson, now 
 deceased ; Anna, who married Monroe Hart ; 
 Emma, who married Burton Tiffany; George, 
 also deceased; Frances, who married Brownell 
 C. Gidman; Julia, who married George 
 Oriatt, of Bristol; and Alice. The mother 
 died at the age of seventy-three. 
 
 Wallace Case passed his youth in Hartland, 
 and received his education in the common 
 schools of that town. At the age of twenty- 
 two, in company with his father, he purchased 
 the large saw-mill in Barkhamsted, which he 
 still operates. Twenty years later he engaged 
 in farming upon his present property, compris- 
 ing over two hundred acres. In this, as well 
 as in the other enterprise, he has been very 
 successful. He is an energetic and thoroughly 
 able business man. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican, and has been long identified with 
 public affairs. He has served as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen for several years, and 
 has been first Selectman for the past two years. 
 In this latter office one of his duties is to care 
 for the public roads, and they are kept in the 
 
So8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 best of condition. He was elected to the Con- 
 necticut House of Representatives in 1887, 
 and rendered able service to his town and 
 State in that capacity. He is a member of 
 the Grange, of which he has been Master and 
 Overseer; and he is at the present time acting 
 as its Chaplain. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Case was united in marriage to 
 Sarah Talmadge, born in Barkhamsted, daugh- 
 ter of Eliott Talmadge, a prosperous farmer of 
 that town, who died at the age of eighty-five 
 years. Mr. Talmadge raised a family of four 
 children, three of whom are living; namely, 
 Hiram, Adeline, and Sarah. His wife, who 
 still survives, resides with Mr. Case, and is 
 bright and active at the age of eighty-five 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Case have one son, 
 named George, who is a machinist, and resides 
 with his uncle Joel in Bristol. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Case and their son are members of the Congre- 
 gational church. Mr. Case has been superin- 
 tendent of the Sunday-school, and his wife has 
 been a teacher therein for many years. 
 
 'LMON E. FULLER, a furniture dealer 
 and undertaker of Litchfield, was born 
 in New Milford, Conn., March 3, 
 1843, son of Jonathan E. and Julia A. (Beach) 
 Fuller. Mr. Fuller's grandfather, Joseph 
 Fuller, was a native of New Milford, and 
 followed the trade of a shoemaker in that 
 vicinity. He was over eighty years of age 
 when he died. 
 
 Jonathan E. Fuller, Mr. Fuller's father, 
 was born in New Milford, and received his 
 education in the schools of that town. He 
 acquired the trade of a blacksmith ; and, after 
 carrying on the business in New Milford for a 
 time, he moved to Litchfield, where he en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of wagons and car- 
 riages, an industry which he successfully con- 
 
 tinued for the remainder of his life. He died 
 in 1875, aged seventy-one years. His wife, 
 who was a native of New Milford, was twice 
 married; and by her first husband, whose name 
 was William L. Gillette, she had one son, 
 Henry S., who died July 17, 1895, aged 
 seventy-two years. By her union with Jona- 
 than E. Fuller she had four children, three of 
 whom are still living, namely: Azariel C. , a 
 resident of Danbury, Conn. ; Granville B., 
 who resides in Colorado; and Almon E., the 
 subject of this sketch. The mother died in 
 Litchfield, August 13, 1889, aged eighty-five 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Fuller were 
 attendants of the Congregational church. 
 
 Almon E. Fuller accompanied his parents 
 to Litchfield at an early age. He was edu- 
 cated in the public schools and at a private 
 school in Litchfield. After completing his 
 studies, he became connected with his father in 
 business, and was later admitted as a partner, 
 the firm name being then made J. E. Fuller & 
 Son. They had a large and profitable business 
 in building carriages and wagons, which were 
 shipped to various cities. In 1872 they sold 
 the business, and Mr. Fuller established him- 
 self as a furniture dealer on South Main 
 Street. Three years later he purchased the 
 stock and trade of his only opponent in that 
 line, D. C. Buckley, the oldest dealer in 
 town, and, in company with George H. Trow- 
 bridge, established the firm of Fuller & Trow- 
 bridge. Business was carried on under this 
 name until May, 1891, when Mr. Fuller 
 bought his partner's interest, and thereafter 
 continued the business alone. The store is 
 spacious, and centrally located in the Granniss 
 and Elmore Block. It has an extensive and 
 varied stock of goods, and, as it is the only 
 furniture store in the town, it receives a lib- 
 eral patronage. Mr. Fuller also deals in up- 
 holstery goods; and is besides an undertaker. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 509 
 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has served 
 as clerk of the Board of Burgesses for some 
 years. He is President of the Village Im- 
 provement Society, a member of the village 
 police force, and has been a member of the 
 fire company since its organization. He is a 
 Director of the Savings Bank, and is actively 
 interested in all matters relative to the welfare 
 of the town. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Fuller was united in marriage 
 to Louise E. Buel. She was born in Litch- 
 field, daughter of Charles S. and Elizabeth 
 ' (Barber) Buel, the former of whom was a pros- 
 perous farmer and lifelong resident of that 
 town. His wife, who was also born in Litch- 
 field, became the mother of two children, 
 namely : Elizabeth, who married Levi Curtis, 
 a carpenter, of Harwinton ; and Louise E. 
 Mrs. Fuller's mother died in Harwinton. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fuller have two children ; 
 namely, Almon B. and Frederick H. The 
 family attend the Congregational church, and 
 Mr. Fuller is clerk of that society. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM F. TROWBRIDGE, a 
 prominent member of the farming 
 community of Roxbury, who has 
 taken many first premiums for fine cattle at 
 public fairs, was born in the house which is 
 now his home, March 22, 1848, son of Charles 
 Strong and Elizabeth G. (Clark) Trowbridge. 
 He comes of a family known and respected in 
 England as far back as the year 1135. (See 
 History of' Ancient Woodbury, Conn.) His 
 first ancestor in this country, Thomas Trow- 
 bridge, left Taunton, Somersetshire, England, 
 in 1636, and settled in Dorchester, Mass. He 
 subsequently moved to New Haven, Conn., 
 where he was in business as a merchant, and 
 became a large land-owner. 
 
 John Trowbridge, the grandfather of Will- 
 
 iam F., was born in Bedford, N.Y., in 1752. 
 He was living in Woodbury, Conn., in 1778; 
 and in 1793 he removed to Roxbury, settling 
 near his grandson's present home. A success- 
 ful farmer and cattle dealer, he occupied a 
 prominent position in the town. He died 
 May 5, 1826. His first wife was Esther, 
 daughter of Preserved Strong, of Woodbury. 
 She died in 1807, at the age of forty- five, leav- 
 ing eight children ^ — James, Edmund, Fanny, 
 John, Anna, Mary, Charles S. (father of the 
 subject of this sketch), and Caroline. John 
 Trowbridge's second wife was Elizabeth Logan. 
 Charles S. Trowbridge was born November 
 19, 1798, in Woodbury, Litchfield County. 
 He began to work in a mill when fourteen 
 years of age, and for thirty years thereafter 
 was connected with mill work. At the end of 
 that time he purchased the farm now occupied 
 by his son. It was then known as the Weller 
 farm, having been built by Samuel Weller in 
 1790. Mr. Trowbridge gradually added to his 
 land till he owned two hundred acres. Much 
 of this he devoted to general farming. The 
 rest was used for grazing cattle, the raising 
 and fattening of which he made a specialty. 
 He made many changes for the better on 
 the homestead, enlarging and remodelling the 
 buildings. He was regarded as one of the 
 most enterprising .and successful men in that 
 part of the county. In politics he was a Dem- 
 ocrat, and was elected by his party to the 
 State legislature. He served the town as Se- 
 lectman and in other capacities. He died in 
 1885, at the age of eighty-six. His wife, who 
 was blessed with a strong constitution and was 
 a tireless and thrifty helpmeet, is yet living, 
 making her home with her son, the subject of 
 this sketch. Ten children were born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Trowbridge; namely, Charles 
 Edwin, Mary Marinda, Esther Elizabeth, 
 James Edward, Henry C, Albert J., Eliza- 
 
51° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 beth, William F. , Sarah, and Sarah (second). 
 Of these, Esther E. , James E. , Henry C, 
 Albert J., and Sarah are deceased. 
 
 William F. Trowbridge, being the youngest 
 son, remained at home after the others had 
 gone. He assisted his father about the farm, 
 and while yet a boy became a connoisseur of 
 cattle. After his father's death he bought the 
 homestead, on which he has since made many 
 improvements, enlarging many of the build- 
 ings. He is now prosperously engaged in 
 general farming, raising a great deal of 
 tobacco. He also raises cattle, of which he 
 usually has about twenty head. He makes a 
 specialty of fine steers, of good pedigree and 
 well broken, for which he takes first premium 
 at every agricultural fair. In political matters 
 he follows his father's teaching, and votes the 
 Democratic ticket, but as yet is unharassed by 
 the cares of office. He is unmarried, his 
 mother still occupying the seat of honor at his 
 table. 
 
 < -•»»> 
 
 / ^^^)eORGE H. ATKINS, factory super- 
 V^J intendent of the Turner-Seymour 
 plant at Torrington, a large estab- 
 lishment for the manufacture of upholstery, 
 hardware, and general brass and iron goods, 
 was born in Durham, March 28, 1852, son of 
 Henry G. and Mary A. (Evans) Atkins. His 
 grandfather was a farmer in Meriden, Conn., 
 owning his farm and occupying a prominent 
 position among his townsmen. He lived to an 
 advanced age, and reared a large family. 
 
 Henry G. Atkins, the father of George H., 
 was born in Meriden, and spent his early life 
 on the farm. When he attained his majority, 
 he sought for work elsewhere, and found it in 
 the shipping department of the Meriden Bri- 
 tannia Company, as a packer of hollow ware. 
 He was in this employment until 1862, when 
 he enlisted in the service of his country. 
 
 Joining the ranks as a private, he was in time 
 promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and shared 
 in some of the most important engagements of 
 the war. When his term of service ended, he 
 returned to Meriden, resumed his work, and is 
 still in the employ of the Meriden Britannia 
 Company, his connection with the firm cover- 
 ing more than thirty years. He married Mary 
 A., daughter of Thomas Evan.s, of Atlanta, 
 Ga. , a harness-maker, who removed to Wal- 
 lingford. Conn., and there worked at his busi- 
 ness some years. Mr. Evans spent the latter 
 part of his life in Middletown. His wife, who 
 was a Miss Pauline Holcomb, also died in 
 Middletown. They reared nine children, seven 
 of whom are still living. The youngest died 
 at the age of thirty-eight, in the year 1894. 
 Mrs. Atkins, who is now living in Torrington, 
 reared but one child, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 George H. Atkins's childhood was spent in 
 Meriden, where he attended the common 
 schools. He was fourteen when his parents 
 removed to Torrington ; and he entered the 
 high school there, but did not take a full 
 course of study. At fifteen he -entered the 
 general store of Workman Brothers as clerk, 
 and two years later went to work for the con- 
 cern with which he is now connected. This 
 firm was then doing business under the name 
 of Turner, Seymour & Judd, and had but a 
 comparatively small establishment. His first 
 work was burnishing. As time went on, he 
 steadily advanced to more important positions, 
 until finally he was made factory superintend- 
 ent. Mr. Atkins has been connected with 
 the manufactory since May i, 1868, and in 
 that time its pay-roll has increased from forty 
 names to three hundred. The factory, which 
 was built in 1894, is one of the finest equipped 
 in the State. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Atkins was united in marriage 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S" 
 
 with Mary A. Glazier, daughter of Merritt 
 Glazier, a spoon-maker in Hartford ; and the 
 union has been blessed by two children — 
 Alice E. and Merritt S. The former is the 
 wife of John N. Brooks, son of John Brooks, 
 the banker of Torrington, who is assistant 
 cashier in his father's bank; and she is the 
 mother of tvyo children — Laura and Elizabeth. 
 Politically, Mr. Atkins favors the Republi- 
 can party. He is Treasurer of the Torrington 
 Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows, and of the local branch of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen ; and he is a mem- 
 ber of the Royal Arcanum. He and his fam- 
 ily are members of Trinity Church. His wife 
 is a teacher in the Sunday-school, and is con- 
 nected with the parish societies; while his 
 daughter has been a choir singer for years, and 
 is also a Sunday-school teacher. Mr. Atkins, 
 who has attained his present important posi- 
 tion solely by merit, is ungrudgingly accorded 
 the esteem to which he is entitled. 
 
 '-r'TlC^ICHAEL McNAMARA, proprietor 
 p I =» of the New Milford Elevator, the 
 gi 4L' V,»^ Brookfield Mills, and dealer in 
 flour, grain, and feed, was born in Kinderhook, 
 N.Y., in the year 1848, son of Daniel and 
 Bridget (Gilligan) McNamara. Mr. McNa- 
 mara's father, a native of Timoleague, County 
 Cork, Ireland, was a miller by trade, which 
 had been the occupation of his ancestors for 
 ten generations. He emigrated to the United 
 States, and settled in Kinderhook, where he 
 was engaged in milling until his death, which 
 took place in 1887, at the age of sixty-seven 
 years. He was an industrious and energetic 
 man, who possessed a thoroughly practical 
 knowledge of his business. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Bridget Gilligan, was born 
 in MulTingar, County Meatb, Ireland. She 
 
 became the mother of five children; namely, 
 Michael, Edward, Daniel, James, and Mary. 
 She died in 1885, aged sixty-five years. 
 
 Michael McNamara was educated in Kinder- 
 hook, and graduated from Chatham Academy in 
 that town. Afterward, while employed in the 
 factory of the Howe Sewing Machine Com- 
 pany, he studied mechanical draughting at the 
 Bridgeport Night School. He worked in the 
 sewing machine factory for nine years, during 
 which time he saved from his earnings the 
 sum of nine thousand dollars. When the gen- 
 eral depression in the sewing machine business 
 occurred, he went to Brookfield, and worked 
 with his father at milling for about four years, 
 thereby becoming familiar with the trade. 
 He then engaged in the manufacture of hats 
 with L. H. Johnson, but soon abandoned that 
 business. Subsequently he purchased the 
 business of John Hurd at Trumbull's Mills. 
 Later he bought successively the New Milford 
 Elevator, the Brookfield Mills, and the Aspe- 
 tuck Mills. He had the latter mills in opera- 
 tion up to a recent date. For the past four 
 years he has been President of the Aspetuck 
 River Mills Association, which owns and con- 
 trols the water-power of Waramaug Lake. 
 While his enterprises have been most profit- 
 able to himself, they have also greatly bene- 
 fited the localities in which they have been 
 carried on. In politics he is a Democrat, and 
 is a leading spirit in local public affairs. He 
 is a member of the Executive Committee for 
 the Citizens' League, and also of the Relief 
 Committee for the distribution of funds to the 
 poor of the town. 
 
 On August 15, 1882, Mr. McNamara was 
 united in marriage to Theresa Crowe. She is 
 a daughter of Dennis Crowe, and a graduate of 
 Kinderhook Academy, having been valedicto- 
 rian of her class. They have five children, as 
 follows: Mary, who was born June 20, 1883; 
 
512 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Daniel, born October 23, 1886; William, 
 born August 29, 1891 ; and two others who died 
 in infancy. The family attend the Roman 
 Catholic church. 
 
 Mr. McNamara is a self-made man, like the 
 large majority of those who are justly regarded 
 as typical Americans. His prosperity is the 
 logical result of a life of industry and perse- 
 verance. Held in the highest estimation for 
 his business capabilities, he is also respected 
 for his firm adherence to all manly principles. 
 His generosity to the needy has frequently 
 elicited hearty commendation from his fellow- 
 townsmen. He actively supports the temper- 
 ance cause, and has rendered substantial aid in 
 reforming victims of intemperance. 
 
 ILLIS L. POND, a successful young 
 business man who has a grocery 
 store on Main Street, Torrington, 
 and conducts a dry-goods and boot and shoe 
 store at West Torrington, was born in the for- 
 mer place April 19, 1864, son of Lyman R. 
 and Francis Irene (Rouse) Pond. His grand- 
 father, Lyman Pond, spent the greater part of 
 his life in the occupation of an agriculturist in 
 the town of Northfield, Conn., and died in 
 Campvijle in the same State. 
 
 Lyman R. Pond, son of Lyman Pond, was 
 reared on the old homestead and early became 
 acquainted with the various duties of a farm 
 life. He also learned the trade of a shoe- 
 maker, which he followed for a time. After 
 he reached his majority, he removed to a farm 
 situated about two miles west of the village of 
 Torrington. Here he resided until April i, 
 189s, when he sold out to his son and removed 
 to another farm about a mile and a half east of 
 the village. His wife, Frances Irene (Rouse) 
 Pond, who was born in Great Bend, Pa., was 
 a daughter of Norman B. and Eliza (Brownson) 
 
 Rouse. Four children were born to her par- 
 ents, of whom two still survive — Wellington 
 E. and Mary burette. Mrs. Pond bore her 
 husband nine children ; namely, Lucy Ann, 
 Norman R., Mary E., Frances G. , F"rederick 
 R., Willis L., Miles A., Lewis H., and Eli- 
 jah R. Lucy Ann married for her first hus- 
 band E. S. Andrus, and later became the 
 wife of Levi Brown. Mary E. married Leslie 
 Galpin, and afterward became the wife of Ful- 
 ton Christopher. Frances G. married Will- 
 iam H. French. Norman R. and Frederick 
 R. are successfully engaged in agriculture. 
 Miles A. is an assistant professor in Yale Col- 
 lege. Elijah R. has charge of Willis L. 
 Pond's store at West Torrington. Their 
 mother died in Torrington sixty-three years 
 of age. She was a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. The father is also a 
 communicant of that body, having had previ- 
 ous connection with the Congregational church 
 at West Torrington, of which he served as 
 Deacon for several years. In politics he is 
 a Prohibitionist. He has rendered accepta- 
 ble service as Selectman at different times, 
 and also in other responsible offices. 
 
 Willis L. Pond lived at home until he was 
 fifteen years old. From that time until his 
 eighteenth year he was employed by the month 
 by various farmers in the vicinity. He next 
 worked for his brother on a milk route, and 
 later on conducted it on his own account. On 
 April 20, 1884, he entered the Coleman Busi- 
 ness College of Newark, N.J., and graduated 
 August 20 of the same year. He then re- 
 turned home, where he assisted his brother in 
 his store until he secured a situation as clerk 
 in the Torrington Co-orperative Company, and 
 later took a position with J. N. Hawkins & 
 Son, of Milford, Conn. On leaving the latter 
 place, he was again engaged in his brother's 
 store for a short period, until he obtained a po- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S^3 
 
 sition as delivery clerk for Mr. W. S. Lewis. 
 In this capacity he worked a year, and was then 
 employed by him as book-keeper, continuing as 
 such until Mr. Lewis went out of the grocery 
 business, March 5, 1892. Mr. Pond went 
 directly from the latter place into the office of 
 the Turner Seymour Manufacturing Company, 
 with whom he remained until he engaged in his 
 present business, October 3, 1893, purchasing 
 the stock of J. B. Reed, who had carried on 
 business at that stand for several years. On 
 December i, 1894, he established a store at 
 West Torrington, which he stocked with a sup- 
 ply of dry goods, boots and shoes ; and on 
 April I, 189s, he purchased his father's farm, 
 all of which he conducts with success. 
 
 Mr. Pond was joined in marriage April 19, 
 1892, to Miss Sarah M. Mills, who was born 
 in Unionville, Conn., daughter of Edward M. 
 and Angeline Z. (Hill) Mill.s. Her father 
 was formerly a merchant in that place, but at 
 the present time is a travelling salesman. He 
 has been twice married, and Mrs. Pond is one 
 of the three children born to his first wife. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Pond's union has been blessed 
 by the birth of two daughters — Ruth Esther 
 and Frances Irene. In politics Mr. Pond is 
 a supporter of Prohibitionist principles. He 
 and his estimable wife are active members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he 
 holds the office of Steward and is one of the 
 church board. Starting in business as he did 
 during the severe financial depression of 1893, 
 pluck and perseverance have put Mr. Pond in 
 a position that justifies in looking forward to 
 the future as full of promise for him. 
 
 LfRED E. KING, M.D., a leading and 
 
 P J successful medical practitioner of New 
 
 Milford, was born in Covert, Seneca 
 
 County, N.Y., August i, 1855, son of Harvey 
 
 and Philena (Belknap) King. Dr. King's 
 father was a New York farmer, industrious 
 and progressive in his calling, and a useful 
 citizen in his community. He lived to reach 
 the age of eighty-four years. Dr. King's 
 mother died at the age of fifty. 
 
 Fred E. King received the elementary 
 branches of his education in Trumansburg, 
 N. Y. , and subsequently entered the Buffalo 
 Medical Institute, where he pursued a full 
 course of study, and was graduated with the 
 class of 1876. In July, the same year, he 
 located in Bridgewater, Conn., where he con- 
 ducted a good practice for four years. In 
 1880, being favorably impressed with the fut- 
 ure prospects of the town of New Milford, he 
 came here, and has since practised his profes- 
 sion in this locality with gratifying success. 
 Soon after his arrival in New Milford he pur- 
 chased a valuable piece of property situated 
 on Bridge Street, consisting of a substantial 
 house and a large lot of land, which was 
 known as the Marietta Smith place. He has 
 since improved and thoroughly fitted up this 
 property as a comfortable residence. He also 
 erected a convenient office adjoining the dwell- 
 ing; and in 1885, as an investment, he built 
 a double tenement-house upon the unoccupied 
 portion of his land. Fle is well skilled in 
 his profession, and possesses the esteem and 
 confidence of the entire community. In poli- 
 tics Dr. King was formerly a Democrat. He 
 has served as Secretary of the School Board for 
 several years. He is also Medical Examiner 
 of the town, and has performed the duties of 
 that office with ability since its establishment. 
 He is a member of St. Peter's Lodge, No. 21, 
 A. F. & A. M., of New Milford, and of 
 Housatonic Chapter, No. 33. On October 8, 
 1887, Dr. King was united in marriage to 
 Sarah N. Bostwick, daughter of Edwin N. and 
 Mary E. (Doty) Bostwick. Mrs. King's 
 
514 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 father was born in New Milford, and is a 
 descendant of Arthur Bostwick, who emigrated 
 from England and settled in Stratford, Conn., 
 in the year 1650. Dr. and Mrs. King have 
 one daughter, Sarah E. , who was born in 
 1891. Dr. King is a Baptist in his religious 
 views. 
 
 |ARSHALL J. GRILLEY, super- 
 intendent of the brass rolling-mill 
 of Plume & Atwood, at Thomas- 
 ton, Conn., and the oldest man in point of ser- 
 vice in the employ of the firm, was born in 
 Waterbury, New Haven County, November 
 23, 1822, son of Manley and Betsie Marie 
 (Olds) Grilley. His family has been well 
 and favorably known in Waterbury for many 
 years, his grandfather having been a resident 
 of that town and his father a native. Manley 
 Grilley was a stone mason, and worked at his 
 trade in different parts of the State, making 
 his home in early life in Waterbury and later 
 in Torrington. He died in Watertown at an 
 advanced age. His wife lived to attain her 
 ninety-fourth year. They were the parents of 
 six children, three of whom are living, 
 namely: Marshall J.; Albert, in Waterbury; 
 and William, in Boston. 
 
 Marshall J. Grilley received a fair common- 
 school education, although he left home in 
 boyhood, wheii but eight years of age, and went 
 to work on a farm. When he attained his 
 majority, he obtained employment in the 
 works of the Waterbury Brass Company at 
 Torrington, where he got an insight into the 
 brass manufacture. When Plume & Atwood 
 started their establishment about 1854, he en- 
 tered their employ ; and for some forty years he 
 has been intimately connected with their inter- 
 ests, his term of service being broken by one 
 year, when he was in the Fifty-ninth New 
 York Regiment Band in the army at the time 
 
 of the Civil War. On his return he was in 
 their Waterbury establishment for a while, and 
 then removed to Thomaston and took charge of 
 the branch of their business in this town, 
 where he has been ever since. Beginning at 
 the lower round of the ladder, he has worked up 
 to the highest position in the establishment, 
 and is probably the only man who is at the 
 head of two distinct departments in a brass 
 foundry — the wire works and the brass manu- 
 factory. He has two hundred and fifty men 
 under his charge, and is an efficient and fair- 
 minded superintendent. 
 
 When Mr. Grilley was sixteen years of age 
 he began to practise on the flute ; and, having 
 a natural talent for music, he soon attained 
 such proficiency that he was called upon to 
 play in churches and other public places. He 
 subsequently mastered the violin and learned 
 to play brass instruments, and for twenty years 
 was leader of a band in Thomaston. He has 
 also acted as leader of an orchestra, has taught 
 music, and has acquired some fame as a 
 composer. 
 
 Mr. Grilley has been twice married. In 
 1853 he was united to Amanda Leach, of Tor- 
 rington, who left two children — Myron and 
 George. Myron is a wire drawer and brass 
 worker in the mill under his father's charge. 
 He is married, and has one child, Ernest. 
 George is a music dealer, of Thomaston, and 
 is a composer of some note and a performer on 
 different instruments. Mr. Grilley married 
 for his second wife Amelia F. Daniels, 
 daughter of David F. Daniels, of Torrington, 
 where she was born. She has two children : 
 a daughter, Anna L. ; and a son, Luther F., 
 who died at the age of fourteen years. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Grilley favors the 
 Republican party. He is a Mason, belonging 
 to Union Lodge, No. 96, A. F. & A. M., and 
 a member of the Grand Army connected with 
 
MARSHALL J. GRILLEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S17 
 
 Russell Post, No. 68, of which he has been 
 
 Vice-Commander and is now Commander. He 
 
 and his family attend the Congregational 
 
 church. A resident of Thomastpn for many 
 
 years, he is esteemed by his townsmen, and 
 
 occupies a unique place in the community 
 
 through his connection with the business life 
 
 of the town and his prominence in musical 
 
 circles. 
 
 <*•* > 
 
 Y^AWRENCE C. CAMP, one of the lead- 
 Ijr ing farmers of New Milford, owns and 
 -*~^ -^ occupies the homestead where he 
 was born on December 30, 1859. He is the 
 youngest son of the late Henry Camp, who 
 died on May 9, 1895, and his wife, Laura L. 
 (Canfield) Camp. 
 
 Mr. Camp's great-great-grandparents, Enos 
 and Martha (Baldwin) Camp, natives of Mil- 
 ford, Conn., settled in New Milford about the 
 year 1740. They raised a family of five chil- 
 dren, of whom Enos, Mr. Camp's great-grand- 
 father, who was born April 3, 1742, was the 
 eldest. Enos, the second, purchased and 
 cleared a large tract of land situated on the 
 Chestnut Land district, and became a well-to- 
 do farmer. He eventually divided his prop- 
 erty, of which the present farm of Lawrence 
 C. Camp formed a part, giving each of his 
 sons a portion as a start in life. He was 
 three times married. His first wife, Sarah 
 Botsford, died, leaving one child, Sarah ; and 
 he married for his second wife Lois Wheeler, 
 who was the mother of four children : Samuel ; 
 Abigail; Gideon, first; and Gideon, second. 
 His third wife, Eunice Phipenny, became the 
 mother of one son, Enos, who was Mr. Camp's 
 grandfather. 
 
 Enos, the third, born January 17, 1780, re- 
 ceived a part of his father's estate as a heri- 
 tage. A very prosperous farmer and land- 
 owner, he built a new house and made various 
 
 other improvements on the property. He was 
 a Congregationalist in religion, and a Demo- 
 crat in politics. He married Laura Whittle- 
 sey, the ceremony taking place on April 17^ 
 1804, and she became the mother of six chil- 
 dren, as follows: Samuel O. , who was born 
 May 6, 1806; Eunice E. , born October 2, 
 1808; Rebecca A., born February 26, 1811; 
 Ralph E. , born November 28, 181 2; Gideon, 
 born November 28, 18 14; and Henry, Mr. 
 Camp's father, who was born April 16, 1817. 
 Enos Camp, the third, died on October 22, 
 1859, his wife having passed away July 26, 
 1849. 
 
 Henry Camp bought the old homestead, 
 where he continued to reside, cultivating his 
 farm with the most gratifying results. He 
 invested in land until he owned about four 
 hundred acres, and was for many years one of 
 the most prominent general farmers and dairy- 
 men in the town. He retired from active 
 labors some fifteen years previous to his death, 
 placing his property in charge of his sons. In 
 politics he was a Republican, and at different 
 times held most of the important town offices, 
 being a Justice of the Peace for many years. 
 He died May 9, 1895. His wife, Laura L. 
 Canfield, whom he married October 21, 1841, 
 was born June 16, 1823, daughter of Heth and 
 Jerusha (Odell) Canfield. She became the 
 mother of five children, namely: Hannah A., 
 who was born April 22, 1843, married An- 
 drew Bristol, and has two children — ^ H. Wil- 
 bur and Gideon C. ; James W. , born February 
 20, 1845, and died in infancy; Henry, Jr., 
 born August 31, 1846, and married Eliza A. 
 Millard; John W., born December 6, 1855, 
 married Ida SimpS'on, and has six children — 
 Henry G., Eloise, Clarence, Leonard, Laura, 
 and Rebecca; and Lawrence C. , the subject of 
 this sketch. Mrs. Laura L. C. Camp, who 
 still survives, is residing at the old homestead. 
 
Si8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lawrence C. Camp was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and has always fol- 
 lowed agriculture as an occuJDation. He is 
 now the owner of the home farm, and he ranks 
 among the most active and progressive farmers 
 in New Milford. He has remodelled his farm 
 buildings and otherwise improved his estate, 
 which is one of the most valuable in the local- 
 ity. Mr. Camp married Carrie J., Peck, and 
 has one daughter; namely, Mary L. He is a 
 Republican in politics. 
 
 (^OHN W. COLLINS, a successful gen- 
 eral farmer of Washington, Conn., was 
 born in Cornwall, Litchfield County, 
 February 6, 1857. Mr. Collins is of Irish 
 ancestry. 
 
 In his boyhood he attended the schools of 
 his native town, acquiring a knowledge of the 
 common branches of useful learning there 
 taught, and early became a practical agricultu- 
 rist. About seven years ago he purchased his 
 present farm in Washington, which consists of 
 one hundred and thirty acres of land, finely 
 located and well improved. He here carries 
 on general farming with an energy and ability 
 productive of good results. 
 
 tTREDERICK G. BENNETT has been 
 \^\^ a lifelong resident of New Milford, 
 where nearly forty years ago he estab- 
 lished his present undertaking and furniture 
 business, in which he receives his full share of 
 patronage. He is a son of Orrin and Martha 
 (Baldwin) Bennett, and was born on October 
 6, 1822. 
 
 His great-grandfather, Caleb Bennett, was 
 a native of Stratfield, Conn., whence, about 
 1746, he came to the town of New Milford 
 and purchased the excellent farm near Warau- 
 
 maugos Meadow, now owned by John Hall, 
 and engaged in farming. He married Miss 
 Abigail Fowler, and they reared an even dozen 
 of children, among whom was Gershom Ben- 
 nett, the grandfather of Frederick G. He was 
 born in New Milford on August 15, 1765. 
 His two brothers, Samuel and James, served 
 in the Revolutionary War, in which Samuel 
 lost his life. James, who was commissioned 
 as Lieutenant, returned home after the war 
 was over, and subsequently became a member 
 of the Cincinnati Society of Connecticut. 
 Gershom Bennett inherited the old homestead, 
 and became one of the most enterprising and 
 progressive citizens of his town, which he 
 served acceptably in office. He was twice 
 married, and by his first wife, Polly Bishop, 
 a daughter of Eber Bishop, had a son and three 
 daughters; namely, Lucy, Orrin, Sally, and 
 Aurelia. His second union was with Miss 
 Sarah Noble. 
 
 Orrin Bennett remained at the paternal 
 homestead, and after he was old enough as- 
 sisted his father in the care of the farm. At 
 his father's death he inherited the estate, and 
 continued to carry on husbandry with success 
 throughout his life. He was drafted for ser- 
 vice in the War of 181 2, but was not summoned 
 for duty. He, however, served as Captain of 
 the State militia, and held various town 
 offices, including that of Selectman for a num- 
 ber of years. He died in 1858, at sixty-nine 
 years of age. To him and his wife, whose 
 maiden name was Martha Baldwin, six chil- 
 dren were born, namely: Frederick F., who 
 died in early life; Myron; James M. ; Fred- 
 erick G. ; Franklin; and Harriett A. 
 
 Frederick G. Bennett acquired his education 
 in the district school and in the Amenia Semi- 
 nary at Amenia, Dutchess County, N.Y. At 
 seventeen years of age he went to Litchfield, 
 Conn., to gain a practical knowledge of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 5t$ 
 
 wagon-maker's trade; and, becoming skilled in 
 that branch of mechanics, in 1844, in com- 
 pany with Albert Judd, he purchased the lot 
 opposite the depot, now occupied by Mr. Mc- 
 Mahon's store, and erected a building in 
 which they opened a general blacksmithing 
 and wagon and carriage ironing business. 
 Two years later Mr. Judd sold his interest to 
 Royal Buckingham, who continued until 1856, 
 when Mr. Bennett bought him out and carried 
 on business alone for a number of years, em- 
 ploying several men in the different depart- 
 ments. After he became sole proprietor, he 
 changed the business and put in a stock of fur- 
 niture and undertaker's supplies. In 1871 
 he took his son, Willis F. Bennett, into part- 
 nership with him ; and, under the firm name of 
 F. G. Bennett & Son, they are still doing a 
 good business. 
 
 In 1845, on October 7, Mr. Bennett married 
 Miss Harriet E. Baldwin, daughter of Noble 
 and Mary (Hinman) Baldwin. Mrs. Harriet 
 E. Baldwin Bennett was born on August 31, 
 1820, and died on May 2i, 1882, leaving a 
 son and a daughter, namely : Charlotte, born 
 November 14, 1846, who lives at home with 
 her father; and Willis F., born October i, 
 1848, who married on June 24, 1875, Miss 
 Minnie A. Lum, and has two children — ^Fred- 
 erick L. , born May 10, 1877; and Edith D., 
 born January 13, 1879. 
 
 In political affiliation Mr. Bennett is a Re- 
 publican. He has always shown much interest 
 in the progress and improvement of the vil- 
 lage, and is one of the most highly respected 
 citizens. 
 
 (WTo 
 
 EORGE E. JONES, President of the 
 V i> I First National Bank of Litchfield, is 
 one of the solid business men of this 
 section of the county, and is intimately identi- 
 fied with its financial, agricultural, social, and 
 
 political interests. A native of this town and 
 of pioneer ancestry, Mr. Jones was born March 
 31, 1849, son of Charles Jones, whose birth 
 occurred here in 1797. 
 
 His paternal grandfather, Eaton Jones, a. 
 native of New London, Conn., was one of the 
 early settlers of Litchfield. After partly 
 clearing one tract of land, he purchased in 
 1802 a timbered tract on East Chestnut Hill, 
 from which he cleared and improved quite a 
 farm. He subsequently erected a saw-mill, 
 and engaged in milling in connection with his 
 agricultural labors. He took a leading part in 
 building up the town, and held several of the 
 more important offices of trust, being in many 
 ways connected with the advancement of the 
 town's prosperity. He was one of the board 
 that was instrumental in founding the Episco- 
 pal church in this place, of which he was a 
 member, and one of the most generous sup- 
 porters until the time of his decease, at an 
 advanced age. He married Mary McNeil, and 
 was the father of five children, who grew to 
 maturity. 
 
 Charles Jones was very young when his par- 
 ents removed to East Chestnut Hill, where he 
 grew to a vigorous manhood, receiving his 
 education in the pioneer schools, and obtaining 
 a practical knowledge of the various branches 
 of agriculture on the home farm, which he as- 
 sisted in reclaiming from the forest. In 1825, 
 or later, his parents moved to the village, 
 spending their last years in retirement; and he 
 then came into possession of the old home- 
 stead. He carried on mixed husbandry for up- 
 ward of half a century, when he, too, removed 
 to the village, where his death occurred at the 
 venerable age of ninety-two years. He was a 
 Captain in the State militia, was an uncom- 
 promising Democrat in his political views, 
 and well known in Masonic fraternities, hav- 
 .ing been one of the five or six members who 
 
S26 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 carried St. Paul's Lodge, No. ii, through the 
 trying situations of the anti-Mason period. 
 His grandfather was a charter member of that 
 lodge, which was organized in 1780. Captain 
 Jones was buried with Masonic honors, being 
 the oldest Mason in Litchfield County, and 
 one of the oldest in the State. His wife, 
 Maria Buell Jones, a daughter of Jonathan 
 Buell, of this town, and one of a family of 
 nine children, is still living, being an active 
 woman of eighty years. She has one sister 
 yet alive, Mrs. Mary Ann Hemingway, widow 
 of the late General Hemingway, of Watertown. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jones reared but two 
 children, namely — Mary M. and George E. 
 The mother is a devout communicant of the 
 Episcopal church, of which her husband was a 
 regular attendant. 
 
 George E. Jones acquired a good common- 
 school education while an inmate of the pa- 
 rental household. Wheii fifteen years old, he 
 went to Hartford, and studied for two years, 
 being one year at Bryant & Stratton's Busi- 
 ness College, where he taught book-keeping 
 when but sixteen years old, assisting J. M. 
 Carpenter, one of the corps of instructors. 
 The following five years Mr. Jones was in the 
 office of the Traveller's Insurance Company as 
 auditor of accounts. Returning to Litchfield 
 after continuing his studies another year, in 
 1872 he accepted a position as book-keeper in 
 the bank. He proved himself a very correct 
 accountant, systematic and faithful in his 
 work, and in 1874 was made bank cashier. 
 That position he filled until 1893, when he 
 left it to accept the office of President. He is 
 also a stockholder and one of the directors of 
 the bank, and as a financier has the entire 
 confidence of the people, being a judicious 
 manager of the funds intrusted to his care. 
 
 Mr. Jones married in 1874 Eva F. Colvo- 
 coresses, a daughter of George M. Colvocor- 
 
 esses, a Captain in the United States navy. 
 She was born in New Hampshire, one of a 
 family of four children. She died thirteen 
 months after her marriage^ leaving one daugh- 
 ter, Eva C. , who was educated at Ingleside, 
 New Milford. Mr. Jones subsequently mar- 
 ried Miss Mary C. Braman, a daughter of 
 William H. Braman, one of the leading dry- 
 goods merchants of this town. Mrs. Mary C. 
 Jones was born in Litchfield, and on the ma- 
 ternal side is a descendant of the well-known 
 Kilbourn family. 
 
 Mr. Jones has identified himself politically 
 with the Democratic party, serving his constit- 
 uents in many offices of trust, having been 
 Warden of the borough two terms, and for the 
 past ten years has been custodian of the county 
 treasury. He was a member of the grand 
 jury several years, and a Burgess three terras. 
 He has always taken an active interest in vil- 
 lage improvements. He was the prime mover 
 in establishing the water-works, of which he 
 located the reservoir; and he is a director of 
 the company. Deeply interested in agricult- 
 ural progress, he is the owner of a valuable 
 farm near the lake, known as Lakeside Park, 
 where he raises much fine stock, including 
 Jersey cattle and the famous breed of Dorset 
 Horn sheep, and is considered authority on all 
 questions concerning stock-raising. He is a 
 director of the Jersey Cattle Association, of 
 which he has been President, and is a member 
 of the Dorset Horn Sheep Association and of 
 the American Jersey Cattle Club. 
 
 Mr. Jones is a prominent Mason, being Past 
 Master of the Litchfield Lodge, Treasurer of 
 Darius Chapter, No. 16, Royal Arch Masons, 
 and belonging to Buell Council. He is also 
 an influential and active member of the Re- 
 form Club of New York, the great Democratic 
 Club of the Central and Western States. He 
 and his wife and daughter are members of St. 
 
CHARLES W. KIRTLAND. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 523 
 
 Michael's Church, of which he is one of the 
 most liberal supporters. 
 
 TTSHARLES W. KIRTLAND, a pros- 
 I V^ parous farmer and an old resident of 
 \ ^ ^ Woodbury, son of Wheeler and 
 Phebe (Miner) Kirtland, was born in- this 
 town February i, 1814. His grandfather, 
 Ezra Kirtland, born in Saybrook, Gonn., 
 March 13, 1753, settled at Golden Hill, Fair- 
 field County, and there became a large land- 
 owner, but later moved to Bridgeport. He 
 died December 27, 1799. He married Sarah 
 Wheeler, who was born April 11, 1753, and 
 died January 5, 1837. 
 
 Their son, Wheeler Kirtland, was born in 
 Bridgeport, August 29, 1780. At an early 
 age he came to reside in Woodbury, where he 
 learned the tailor's trade; and he later con- 
 ducted business upon the site of the present 
 town house. He owned the Harriett Judson 
 homestead, and occupied it until his death, 
 which took place January 27, 1822. He was 
 aii industrious man, a^d highly esteemed as a 
 worthy citizen. His wife, Phebe Miner, who 
 was born July 24, 1785, daughter of Deacon 
 Matthew and Charlotte (Mallory) Miner, be- 
 came the mother of seven children, namely: 
 Wheeler, who was born October 17, 1806; 
 Cornelia, born February 18, 1809; Sarah, 
 born March 20, 181 2; Charles W., born Feb- 
 ruary I, 1814; Lewis, born April 27, 1817; 
 Eliza, born April 15, 1819; and Benjamin, 
 who was born March 15, 1821. Mrs. Phebe 
 M. Kirtland married for her second husband 
 Deacon Upson. 
 
 Charles W. Kirtland was but eight years 
 old, when, shortly after his father's death, he 
 went to live with Matthew Miner, his maternal 
 grandfather. He was educated in the public 
 schools of Woodbury ; and, when he was sixteen 
 
 years old, he went to New Haven, where he 
 learned the trade of a shoemaker with S. I. 
 Baldwin. He followed that occupation in 
 Woodbury for some time, and later, moving to 
 Bridgewater, there continued in that business, 
 finally becoming a partner in the firm of 
 Meeker & Company, manufacturers of calf 
 boots. They conducted an extensive enter- 
 prise, employing a force of one hundred work- 
 men ; and Mr. Kirtland at length went to San 
 Francisco, Cal., and opened a branch store for 
 the sale of their products, the goods being 
 shipped to him direct from' the factory. He 
 carried on a large and successful business there 
 until 1857, when he sold his interest in the con- 
 cern, and, returning: to Woodbury, bought the 
 R. Stiles farm of one hundred acres, situated 
 on South Main Street, upon which he has since 
 resided. He has found agriculture to be an 
 agreeable and profitable occupation, as well as 
 healthful and independent, and his comfortable 
 home the source of much enjoyment. He has 
 been an energetic and successful business man ; 
 and, aside from purchasing his farm property, 
 he has invested to good advantage in industrial 
 enterprises, owning at the present time some 
 stock in the Union Woollen Manufactory of 
 Hotchkissville. 
 
 On p-ebruary 22, 1854, Mr. Kirtland was 
 united in marriage with Elizabeth A. Stiles, 
 daughter of Roderick and Cleora S. (Curtis) 
 Stiles. He is a Republican in politics, and is 
 a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 Mr. Kirtland's portrait is here given. 
 
 LI CLARK, a prosperous Litchfield 
 County farmer, was born on March 25, 
 181 7, in New Milford, where he con- 
 tinues to make his home. His grandfather, 
 Thomas Clark, came from Milford, New 
 Haven County, to New Milford, and settled in 
 
S24 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Chestnut Land district, where he became 
 a successful farmer and a large land-owner. 
 Both he and his wife lived to reach an ad- 
 vanced age. They reared a large family of 
 children, among whom were: James, who set- 
 tled in Vermont; Phineas, Mr. Eli Clark's 
 father; and Marcia. 
 
 Phineas Clark inherited the homestead, and 
 lived thereon until 1837, when he sold it, and 
 went to a farm situated on Long Mountain, 
 there devoting himself to agricultural labors 
 until his retirement from active pursuits. He 
 died at the age of seventy years. He and his 
 wife Eunice, who was the daughter of Joseph 
 Titus, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, 
 were the parents of seven children — Irene, 
 Horace, Diantha, Rebecca, Eli, Harmon, and 
 Eliza. The mother died at the age of eighty- 
 six. She was a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 Eli Clark, when seven years old, went to live 
 with Calvin Calhoun. He acquired his educa- 
 tion in the district school, and at the age of 
 seventeen learned the carpenter's trade, which 
 was his principal occupation until 1856. In 
 that year he purchased the L. Northrop farm, 
 where he now resides. The property origi- 
 nally contained sixty acres; but by the addi- 
 tion of an adjoining farm, which he bought 
 later, he now owns one hundred and sixty acres 
 of well-located land. The old Northrop dwell- 
 ing-house, which was built one hundred and 
 forty years ago, and is now occupied by his 
 son, has been thoroughly repaired by Mr. 
 Clark, who has also erected a new barn and 
 otherwise improved the property. He has 
 given much attention to dairying interests, 
 keeping some fine specimens of Devonshire 
 and Holstein stock, which have been very 
 carefully bred. His farm, which commands 
 a fine view of Mount Tom and the Berkshire 
 Hills, has long been a favorite resort for sum- 
 
 mer boarders, many of whom have taken the 
 occasion to speak highly of Mr. Clark's home 
 and the hospitality which they received at his 
 hands. 
 
 Mr. Eli Clark and Louise M. Geer, daughter 
 of Welcome and Sylvia (Bishop) Geer, were 
 united in marriage on February 27, 1843. 
 Mrs. Clark was born February 27, 1824. Her 
 father, who was a prosperous farmer of Kent, 
 was a "Whig in politics, and was very promi- 
 nently identified with public affairs and also 
 with the State militia. He died in 1833, 
 aged thirty-five. His wife died at the age of 
 sixty-one. She was a daughter of Deacon 
 Bishop. They had seven children, as follows: 
 Nathaniel, Davis, Evelyn, Mary, Louise M., 
 Charlotte, and Sylvia. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Clark have had three children, 
 namely: George, who was born in i860, and 
 died in infancy; Sidney, who died at the age 
 of four years and six months; and Phineas E., 
 born October 23, 1865. Mr. Clark is a Re- 
 publican in politics, and both he and his wife 
 are members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Phineas E. Clark occupies a part of his 
 father's farm. He has paid particular atten- 
 tion to fruit culture, and, besides planting a 
 large peach orchard, has set out apple and pear 
 trees and grape-vines. He is the Connecticut 
 agent for the Jones Lock Wire Fence, of 
 which he has sold thousands of miles. He 
 married Anna Welton, daughter of Granville 
 Welton, of Bridgewater, and has two children, 
 namely: Sidney, who was born September 11, 
 1892; and Irving W., born July 13, 1895. 
 
 DWARD P. CHENEY, a retired printer 
 and prominent resident of Litchfield, 
 was born on October 31, 1815, in the 
 house which he now occupies. His father, 
 Silas E. Cheney, a native of Manchester, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 525 
 
 Conn., was one of a family of five children. 
 He learned the trade of a cabinet-maker, and 
 settLed in Litchfield, where he followed that 
 occupation, being for many years the only 
 mechanic in that line of work in the county. 
 In 1798 he bought the homestead where his 
 son, Edward P. Cheney, now resides, and was 
 here domiciled for the remainder of his life. 
 He conducted a successful business, becoming 
 well and favorably known both as a reliable 
 business man and a useful citizen ; and he 
 always displayed a deep interest in the general 
 welfare of the community. When business 
 affairs called him to New York, as was often 
 the case, he was in the habit of going to New 
 Haven by team, and from there to the metrop- 
 olis by sailing sloop. Contracting a severe 
 cold upon one of these trips, he died of typhus 
 fever, September 6, 1820, aged forty-four 
 years. His wife, Polly Youngs, was the only 
 daughter of Thomas Youngs. 
 
 Her father, who was a native of Sterling, 
 Scotland, came to America when a young man, 
 and served as a soldier on the British side dur- 
 ing the Revolutionary War. While on a for- 
 aging expedition in Bethlehem, Conn., he was 
 taken prisoner by Captain Strong, who caught 
 him stealing potatoes in his garden. ' He 
 eventually married Captain Strong's daughter. 
 His wife, dying after the birth of one child, 
 Mr. Youngs went to Waterbury, New Haven 
 County, and married Hepsibah Porter, by 
 whom he had one daughter, Polly, above 
 named. When she was six years old, he 
 started for Scotland, word having come to him 
 that his father was dead; and his family here 
 never heard from him after. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Silas E. Cheney reared four children, as fol- 
 lows: Charlotte M., who lived to reach the 
 advanced age of seventy-four; Mary, who be- 
 came the wife of Horace Greeley, the famous 
 editor and proprietor of the New York Trib- 
 
 une; Edward P., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Silas E. , Jr., a broker of Litchfield, who 
 died July 9, 1894. The mother's life was one 
 of those examples of longevity which occasion- 
 ally, though not often, occur. She lived to 
 reach the remarkably advanced age of one hun- 
 dred years. Mr. Cheney's parents were Pres- 
 byterians in their religious faith, and were 
 members of Dr. Lyman Beecher's church. 
 
 Edward P. Cheney attended the district 
 school of his native town, where- he pursued 
 the elementary branches ; and he continued 
 his studies at a private school in Litchfield 
 and in Orange County, New York. After 
 completing his education, he began to learn 
 the printer's trade in Litchfield, where he 
 worked for some time, going thence to New 
 York City, where he was employed as a jour- 
 neyman in different offices for about twelve 
 years. He was then employed for a while by 
 his brother-in-law, and later went South, and 
 followed his trade in various cities, including 
 Milledgeville, Ga., New Orleans, La., Natchez, 
 Miss., Columbus, Miss., Macon, Ga., where he 
 held the position of foreman for two years, and 
 Mobile, Ala., whence he returned to Litch- 
 field. After a. short sojourn at home he went 
 to New York City, and secured a position as 
 clerk in a dry-goods store at the corner of 
 Broadway and Grand Street. He later en- 
 gaged in various business enterprises, among 
 which was the New England agency for patent 
 medicines. He next entered the office of the 
 register of deeds in Freehold, N.J., as re- 
 corder, in which capacity he remained for one 
 year; and then, purchasing a patent surgical 
 appliance, he travelled through the United 
 States for the purpose of introducing it to 
 public notice. In the years immediately fol- 
 lowing he was variously engaged, first as man- 
 ager of Horace Greeley's farm in Clymer, 
 N.Y., then as agent for Horace Greeley's 
 
52^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 work entitled "The American Conflict," and 
 subsequently in running a stationary engine in 
 New Haven and in farming upon a piece of 
 property wliicli he owned in Madison, Conn. 
 He finally settled at the old family homestead 
 in Litchfield, and has since resided here. He 
 is a Republican in politics, and served as Con- 
 stable in Litchfield for several years. He 
 was formerly a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, and was also connected 
 with the "Know Nothings" and the Lone 
 Star. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Cheney married Jennie Black- 
 man, of Woodbury, daughter of Charles and 
 Lorinda (Jaynes) Blackman, the former of 
 whom was a shoemaker by trade and a lifelong 
 resident of that town. Mrs. Cheney's paternal 
 grandfather was Beecher Blackman, a native 
 of Newtown, Conn., who settled in Woodbury. 
 He lived to the age of eighty years; and his 
 wife, Mary Cogshaw, lived to the age of 
 eighty-one. She was a daughter of Daniel 
 Cogshaw, of Litchfield, who was of English 
 descent, was an early settler in Litchfield, and 
 became a prominent farmer and an extensive 
 real estate holder. Charles Blackman's wife, 
 Lorinda Jaynes, who was born in Wallingford, 
 Conn., and died at the home of Mr. Cheney, 
 aged eighty-one years, was the mother of eight 
 children, six of whom are still living, namely: 
 Mary, wife of Jacob Tanner; George Beecher; 
 Jennie, now Mrs. Cheney; Charles; Bella, 
 who married John Blake; Flora, now Mrs. 
 Horton; Lucy, now Mrs. Kelsey; and Hattie, 
 Mrs. Clarke. Mr. and Mrs. Cheney have one 
 daughter, Inez E. J. Cheney. The family 
 attend the Episcopal church. 
 
 Mr. Cheney has had a long and varied busi- 
 ness career, during which he has filled many 
 responsible positions. He has been energetic 
 and industrious; and, aside from his private 
 occupation, he has rendered valuable services 
 
 in a public capacity. He was eiigaged in tak- 
 ing the United States Census of 1850, and was 
 appointed to convey the electoral vote of the 
 State of Connecticut to Washington, D.C., 
 after the re-election of Abraham Lincoln. He 
 is now enjoying a well-earned rest, spending 
 a part of his time at the Cheney homestead 
 in Litchfield and the remainder at his resi- 
 dence in Asbury Park. The Cheney family 
 is an old and highly respected one, and the 
 late Mrs. Horace Greeley was widely known 
 and loved for her many estimable traits of 
 character. 
 
 i^aLUMB brown, an extensive farmer 
 ^*^ of Norfolk and an ex-member of the 
 - Connecticut House of Representa- 
 
 tives, was born in this town on October 11, 
 1822. His father, Edmund Brown, was born 
 in Manchester, Hartford County, Conn., and 
 was a son of Benjamin Brown. Edmund 
 Brown came to Norfolk when twelve years of 
 age, and resided with his uncle Edmund, 
 whose farm of seventy-five acres he inherited. 
 He became a prosperous farmer, and by pur- 
 chasing more land increased his farm to four 
 hundred acres. Energetic and enterprising, 
 he erected a new residence, brought a great 
 part of his farm to a good state of cultivation, 
 and also built a saw-mill, which he operated 
 in connection with farming. Edmund Brown 
 died aged eighty-seven years. His wife, 
 Mabel H. Norton, was a daughter of Ebenezer 
 Norton, of Norfolk ; and they became the par- 
 ents of five children — Sarah, Ralph, Plumb, 
 Abigail, and Harriet. The mother died at the 
 age of fifty-four years. 
 
 Plumb Brown, who was the second son, was 
 reared to agricultural pursuits, and, hayi«g- 
 grown to manhood, continued to reside at the 
 homestead, assisting in carrying on the farm. 
 After the death of his father the property 
 
PLUMB BROWN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 529 
 
 passed into his hands, and he has since con- 
 ducted general farming with good results. 
 Mr. Brown is a Republican in politics, and 
 has always been active in public affairs. He 
 was a member of the Board of Selectmen for 
 several years, and has served as an Assessor 
 and as a member of the Board of Relief. In 
 1857, and again in 1883, he represented the 
 Norfolk District in the State legislature. On 
 September 11, 1861, Mr. Brown was united in 
 marriage to Olive Crissey, daughter of Benja- 
 min Crissey, of Norfolk. Mrs. Brown died at 
 the age of forty-nine, having been the mother 
 of five children, namely: Edmund; Benjamin; 
 Sarah, now Mrs. Scoville; Plumb, Jr. ; and 
 Mabel Eunice. 
 
 Edmund Brown is a civil engineer by pro- 
 fession, and is at the present time engaged in 
 constructing the water-works in Norfolk. He 
 also runs a lumber yard in the town, and is 
 engaged in the coal trade. He married Mabel 
 Shaw, and has one son, Edmund Brown, Jr. 
 Benjamin is engaged in farming at the home- 
 stead. He married Harriet Comstock, and has 
 two children — Crissey and Olive. Sarah, 
 Mrs. Scoville, has one son, named Harold. 
 Plumb Brown, Jr., married Rebecca Bassett, 
 and is a practising physician in Springfield, 
 Mass. Mrs. Brown belonged to the Congre- 
 gational church, of which Mr. Brown is also a 
 member. 
 
 A good likeness of this worthy and influen- 
 tial citizen will be seen on another page of the 
 "Review." 
 
 ^''RANK E. COE, manager and secretary 
 P , of the Coe Furniture Company of Tor- 
 rington, Conn., was born in this town 
 February i, 1872. He is a grandson of 
 Henry Coe, who was a pioneer furniture man- 
 ufacturer here about seventy-five years ago. 
 Nelson W. Coe, son of Henry and father of 
 
 Frank E., was born on the old Coe homestead, 
 was brought up to the furniture trade, and 
 became a well-known dealer and manufacturer. 
 He designed and put upon the market the 
 famous Coe table, which gained speedy popu- 
 larity and met with a wide sale. For many 
 years he kept the only furniture store in Tor- 
 rington, and was one of the leading merchants 
 of the town. He was a man of good business 
 qualifications, and served acceptably as Select- 
 man for three years. He died in Torrington 
 at the age of fifty-one, and is survived by his 
 wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Work- 
 man, and who is one of the si){ children of 
 Samuel Workman, four of whom are still liv- 
 ing, the others being Ann, George, and John. 
 Mrs. Nelson W. Coe is an Episcopalian in 
 religion, as was her husband. 
 
 Their son, Frank E. Coe, acquired his pre- 
 paratory education in the public and high 
 schools of his native town, and at the age of 
 eighteen went West, and for a year pursued 
 more advanced studies in the Doone College at 
 Crete, Neb. He then returned home, and 
 took a permanent position with the Coe Furni- 
 ture Company, for which he had previously 
 worked at intervals after the age of sixteen. 
 By attention to business and faithful and intel- 
 ligent service, he rose quickly froin a sub- 
 ordinate position to that of manager and 
 secretary. The firm has been very successful. 
 Starting in a small way, they gradually in- 
 creased their trade until its volume necessi- 
 tated new and more commodious quarters ; and 
 in 1894 they built their present fine store, 
 which is three stories in height, seventy-five 
 feet front, and one hundred and ninety-eight 
 feet deep. This building was erected under 
 the personal supervision of Mr. Coe, and is 
 one of the finest of its kind in the State, being 
 well lighted throughout by electricity and 
 heated by steam. Its location in the central 
 
53° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business part of the town on the main street is 
 all that could be desired. They carry a full 
 line of household and office furniture of the 
 latest style and most original designs, both 
 the store and stock being the largest and most 
 complete in that line of business in the county. 
 The prosperity of the firm is largely due to 
 Mr. Coe's admirable business qualities, so 
 conspicuously manifested since he entered the 
 employ of the company. 
 
 On April 3, 1895, Mr. Coe was married to 
 Miss Jennie Ford, of Thomaston. He and his 
 wife are among the bright and intelligent 
 young people of Torrington, and stand high in 
 social circles. 
 
 'BEL S. BEECHER, an extensive 
 farmer and large land-owner of New 
 
 ''^'V.^ Milford, Conn., son of Stephen G. 
 and Ella E. (Whitmore) Beecher, occupies the 
 homestead where he was born on July 26, 
 1 861. Mr. Beecher is a descendant of Deacon 
 Eleazar Beecher, who came from Milford, 
 Conn., to New Milford in 1726, bought a tract 
 of five hundred acres, and built a house which 
 stood within sight of the present residence. 
 He became a prosperous farmer, and was for 
 many years a Deacon of the Congregational 
 .church. He died in 1797, aged ninety years. 
 
 His wife, Frances Oviatt, whom he married 
 October 30, 1729, became the mother of six 
 children; and of these Eleazar, Jr., was the 
 second son. He was born September 17,- 
 1732, inherited the homestead, and resided 
 here during his entire life. He married Eliza 
 Bristol, by whom he had a family of eight 
 children. Among them were Eleazar and 
 John, twins, born August 8, 1773, who re- 
 sembled each other both in appearance and 
 disposition, and, having grown to manhood, 
 carried on business together. They married 
 sisters, and were familiarly known about town 
 
 as the Twin Beechers. Eleazar Beecher, third, 
 who was known as Elder Beecher, married 
 Mary Barbour; and his only child was Stephen, 
 who was born September 8, 1796. Stephen 
 Beecher inherited his father's estate, and suc- 
 cessfully followed farming. He likewise en- 
 gaged in the manufacturing of brick upon his 
 own premises, and erected the present brick 
 dwelling. He married Diantha Barbour, 
 whose birth occurred upon the same day and 
 year as his own, and their children were: 
 Mary Ann; and Stephen G., Mr. Beecher's 
 father. 
 
 Stephen G. Beecher was born at the home- 
 stead in New Milford, December 9, 1832. 
 He pursued his studies at the Housatonic In- 
 stitute and Sufifield College, with the intention 
 of fitting himself for the Baptist ministry; 
 but, failing health causing him to relinquish 
 that design, he returned to the homestead, 
 where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
 He gave considerable attention to dairying, 
 keeping an average of twenty choice cows, and 
 likewise continued the manufacturing of brick, 
 besides conducting a profitable business as a 
 general insurance agent. He exhibited a great 
 deal of energy in his various business vent- 
 ures, but did not permit outside matters to 
 prevent him from properly attending to the 
 cultivation of his farm, in which he took a 
 special pride, and which he greatly improved 
 by completely remodelling the buildings. 
 His death occurred July 2, 1894. His wife, 
 Ellen E. Wetmore, was a daughter of A. S. 
 Wetmore. The following is a brief mention 
 of their four children : Henry W. married Liz- 
 zie Loomis, who died leaving two children — 
 George L. and Helen; Mary A. died young; 
 Abel S. is the subject of this sketch; Bertha 
 L. married J. M. Bennett. 
 
 Abel S. Beecher acquired his education in 
 the schools of his native town and at the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 531 
 
 Upton Seminary. When he became old 
 enough to make himself useful, he helped his 
 father in attending to both the farming and 
 business operations; and at length he suc- 
 ceeded to the possession of the homestead. 
 His farm consists of one hundred and ninety 
 acres of well-improved land, and is devoted to 
 general husbandry and dairying, a herd of 
 twenty-five choice cattle being kept. Mr. 
 Beecher is active and progressive, and occupies 
 a prominent position among the leading 
 farmers of New Milford. 
 
 Mr. Beecher married Elbie A. Batchelder, 
 daughter of Cyrus Batchelder, and has had two 
 children, namely: Charles H., who died aged 
 one year; and Clarence H., who was born 
 November 29, 1892. Mr. Beecher is a mem- 
 ber of the Royal Arcanum and the Knights of 
 Honor, and politically is a Republican. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Beecher attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 bpRANCIS S. SKIFF, M.D., a practis- 
 plj ing physician of Falls Village, Conn., 
 was born in Sharon, in this county, 
 October 5, 1866, and is the younger son of 
 Giles and Lucy (Skiff) Skiff. Dr. Skiff's 
 grandfather, Luther Skiff, was a native of New 
 York State, but passed a greater portion of his 
 life in Kent, where he was engaged in agrir 
 culture. He died at the age of sixty-five 
 years. His family consisted of eleven chil- 
 dren, as follows: Paul C, Elijah, Peter, Sam- 
 uel, Edward, Giles, Margaret, Ann, Hannah, 
 Helen, and Mary. 
 
 Giles Skiff, wlio was born in Kent, settled 
 in Sharon, Conn., where he now owns and 
 conducts a farm of three hundred acres, and is 
 an intelligent, energetic, and prosperous citi- 
 zen. His wife, Lucy Skiff, is the only daugh- 
 ter of Gibbs and- Abigail (St. John) Skiff. 
 Gibbs Skiff died in November, 1894, at the 
 
 age of eighty-four. His wife died aboat ten 
 years before, at the age of seventy -three. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Giles Skiff have two children, 
 namely: Clarke E., a successful farmer; and 
 Francis S., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Francis S. Skiff received his early educa- 
 tion in the schools of Sharon, after which he 
 attended Amenia Seminary, at Amenia, N.Y., 
 and the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, 
 Mass. He first began the study of medicine 
 with the late Dr. Charles H. Shears, of 
 Sharon, Conn.; and in 1885 he entered the 
 New York University Medical College, from 
 which he was graduated with the class of 1887, 
 He served in the hospital in New York for a 
 short time; and late in 1887 he located his 
 office for practice in West Cornwall, Litchfield 
 County, Conn. In 1889 he pursued a post- 
 graduate course at the New York Polyclinic 
 Institute; and, after spending six months in 
 studying abroad, he .established his residence 
 in Falls Village, where he has since devoted 
 himself assiduously to the duties of his profes- 
 sion, answering calls from near and from far. 
 
 In 1 89 1 Dr. Francis S. Skiff was united in 
 marriage to Jennie Brewer, daughter of Lewis 
 Brewer, of Ulster County, New York. Dr. 
 Skiff is highly esteemed, both profession- 
 ally and otherwise. He is the medical ex- 
 aminer " and health officer for the town in 
 which he resides. He has held the office as 
 one of the Board of Pension Examining Sur- 
 geons appointed by Commissioner Lochren, of 
 Washington, D.C. In this locality he is the 
 medical examiner for the New York Life In- 
 surance Company, the Mutual Life of New 
 York, Berkshire Life of Pittsfield, and the 
 Hartford Life and Annuity of Hartford. As 
 a citizen, Dr. Skiff is actively interested in all 
 important political issues. He served as rep- 
 resentative to the legislature from the Corn- 
 wall District in 1891. 
 
532 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 -rrVjTVESSRS. FLYNN & DOYLE, the 
 r~ I I well-known and successful carriage 
 H -I-' v.^ manufacturers of Litchfield, are 
 the founders of one of the most important in- 
 dustries in that town. They came to Litchfield 
 as young men ; and after working as journey- 
 men for a time, during which they carefully 
 saved their earnings, they united their capital 
 in 1878, and purchased the business which 
 they have since conducted. With the enter- 
 prise that has since characterized their business 
 career, the new firm immediately took the nec- 
 essary steps to enlarge their facilities, with a 
 view of developing the industry. It became 
 distinctly apparent to them that there was still 
 a field for the introduction of strictly first- 
 class hand-made carriages. Acting upon this 
 conviction, they commenced, as a specialty, the 
 manufacture of that particular work which has 
 since acquired for them a reputation extending 
 far beyond the limits of the State. 
 
 Flynn & Doyle manufacture vehicles of 
 every description, both for fashionable driving 
 and for road use ; and every carriage that leaves 
 their factory is guaranteed. The material for 
 their work is selected with care, none but the 
 choicest being used; and, as both members of 
 the firm are expert workmen, the best of work 
 is assured. Their patterns, many of which are 
 unique, are made from their own patented 
 designs. They are extensive dealers in heavy 
 farm wagons, which they buy from the best 
 manufacturers of that class of work, and also 
 conduct a harness-making and a horseshoeing 
 department. The factory is located in the vil- 
 lage of Bantam; and the buildings, which have 
 all been erected by the present firm, are of the 
 following dimensions: office and trimming 
 department, fifty by twenty feet, and two 
 stories high; wood-working and painting de- 
 partment, eighty by fifty feet, and three sto- 
 ries high, with basement used as a blacksmith 
 
 shop; and the repository building is one hun- 
 dred and thirty by eighty feet. The firm 
 employ a permanent force of twenty - five 
 workmen. 
 
 Charles F. Flynn was born in the town of 
 Morris, Conn., and received his education in 
 the common schools. He was reared to agri- 
 culture, but in early manhood learned the 
 trade of a carriage-maker in his native town. 
 After perfecting himself in this trade, he came 
 to Litchfield, and worked as a journeyman until 
 1878, when, in company with Mr. Doyle, he 
 embarked in his present business, as already 
 described. Mr. Flynn is superintendent of 
 the mechanical department, and has a general 
 oversight of every department, so that, when a 
 carriage reaches the repository, he is sure of its 
 completeness in every particular. 
 
 William H. Doyle was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of the town of Litchfield. His 
 youth was also passed upon a farm ; but, pre- 
 ferring a different occupation, he acquired the 
 carriage-maker's trade. After working as a 
 journeyman in Litchfield, he formed a partner- 
 ship with Mr. Flynn, as before stated. He 
 attends to the business department of the con- 
 cern, for which he is especially well adapted. 
 He is a successful salesman. 
 
 The firm, which has added much to the in- 
 dustrial importance of Bantam, fully merits 
 the long period of business prosperity it has 
 enjoyed. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM BRYANT, of Harwinton, 
 who before the extension of rail- 
 roads in Connecticut was a popular 
 stage-coach driver, and is now engaged in 
 farming and dairying, was born in Trenton, 
 Oneida County, N.Y., August 29, 1821, 
 shortly after the death of his father. His par- 
 ents were both natives of New York State, 
 where their lives were spent, his father being 
 
CARSTEN D. JANSSEN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 535 
 
 a farmer. He and his wife, Amy Hiclcs, had 
 but two children : Amy, who died in New 
 York State; and William, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 William Bryant attended the common 
 schools of his native town, receiving a fair ed- 
 ucation. In 1836 he went to work for monthly 
 -wages on a farm in New Britain, Conn. He 
 was engaged in farming and driving team for 
 four years, then worked for a short time at the 
 Retreat for the Insane at Hartford, and finally 
 obtained employment as a stage-driver, his 
 route for three years being the Albany turn- 
 pike from Hartford. He subsequently drove 
 the stage-coach between Wolcottville, now 
 Torrington, which was then a small village, 
 and Hartford, a distance of twenty-six miles. 
 Mr. Bryant was driver for twenty years on this 
 route, and his regular appearance was looked 
 for as an important event in the life of the lo- 
 cality. He made the journey three times a 
 week, another stage-driver alternating with 
 him. After the extension of the railroads he 
 carried the mail from Torrington to Harwin- 
 ton, and later to Burlington, Unionville, and 
 Plainville, to meet the trains for Hartford — 
 a twenty-mile trip, the journey being made 
 thrice each week. The mail route, which he 
 owned, he sold in 1867, purchasing the farm 
 where he now makes his home. This is a fine 
 property of fifty acres, and is devoted by Mr. 
 Bryant to general farming and dairying, yield- 
 ing a comfortable income. 
 
 In January, 1854, Mr. Bryant was united in 
 marriage with Ann Seymour, daughter of H. 
 Seymour, a carpenter and joiner of Hartford. 
 They have one child living. Amy B., who 
 married L. A. Burt, of New Britain, and has 
 one son. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bryant is a Republican. 
 He is not an office-seeker, but has filled ac- 
 ceptably the position of Postmaster three years 
 
 and Selectman two years. He attends the 
 Congregational church of Harwinton, of which 
 his wife is a member, A resident of Harwin- 
 ton for nearly thirty years, Mr. Bryant has 
 won a host of friends by his fine social quali- 
 ties, and is esteemed by all for his sterling 
 character. 
 
 T^ARSTEN D. JANSSEN, architect 
 I J| and builder, also dealer in lumber 
 
 ^»i ^ and building materials, with a yard 
 
 and mill located at Torrington, is an impor- 
 tant factor in the manufacturing and building 
 interests of Litchfield County. He is of 
 honored German ancestry, and was born, De- 
 cember 31, 1849, in Lehe, near the seaport 
 of Bremerhafen. That town was also the 
 birth-place of his father, Carsten Bernhardt 
 Janssen. His paternal grandfather was Deid- 
 rich Janssen, the son of a large land-holder in 
 Waldenburg. Deidrich grew to manhood in 
 that town, but after his marriage removed to 
 Lehe, where he bought a large flour mill, and 
 for many years was engaged in milling. 
 
 Carsten Bernhardt Janssen was one of four 
 children born to his parents, with whom he 
 resided until attaining man's estate. He was 
 educated in architecture at Breslau, and later 
 was a superintendent of buildings at Copen- 
 hagen and in different cities in Germany. At 
 the age of thirty years he returned to the pa- 
 rental roof, and after his marriage established 
 himself in business as an architect, contrac- 
 tor, and builder. He was shortly elected 
 Mayor of the city, a position which he hefd 
 until his death, seven years later, faithfully 
 performing his duties to the corporation, be- 
 sides attending to his large private interests. 
 His early death was hastened by undue ex- 
 posure and overwork at the time of a great fire 
 at Siwern, a small village about fifteen miles 
 from Lehe. He exerted himself in transport- 
 
S36 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing hose, men, and engines to assist in extin- 
 guishing the flames, and afterward furnished 
 lumber to erect temporary homes for the dis- 
 tressed people, working heroically and un- 
 ceasingly for three days. The physical and 
 mental strain proved too much for him, bring- 
 ing on a severe illness, which caused his death 
 four years later, his life being sacrificed for 
 humanity's sake. 
 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Metah 
 Timmerman, was born in Lehe, being the 
 daughter of a large land-owner and the de- 
 scendant of an old and well-known family. 
 While yet young, she was suddenly left a 
 widow, with four little ones to care for, 
 Carsten D., then nine years of age, being the 
 eldest. The others were Bernhardt, Andrew, 
 an employee in the brass foundry at Torring- 
 ton, and Lewis, who died at Bakersville from 
 an accident received while visiting a friend. 
 He was an exceptionally fine young man, 
 measuring six feet in height, and was but 
 twenty years of age when summoned to the life 
 beyond. The mother devoted herself to edu- 
 cating and rearing her children, spending her 
 days on the old homestead in Germany, where 
 she departed this life at the age of forty-nine 
 years. Both she and her husband were con- 
 scientious members of the German Lutheran 
 Church. The father stood very high in the 
 order of Free Masons, and was buried with 
 Masonic honors — an especial mark of distinc- 
 tion at that time in that country. 
 
 Carsten D. Janssen received his preliminary 
 education in the schools of his native town, 
 afterward studying architecture at Nuremberg 
 and Hanover in private and polytechnic 
 schools. He subsequently served in the 
 French and German war, acting as Second 
 Corporal for one year, and shortly after emi- 
 grated to America, locating in New York 
 City. For a year he worked as a carpenter in 
 
 Brooklyn, being engaged as a builder in the 
 summer and as a draughtsman in the v^^inter 
 season. The following year Mr. Janssen 
 travelled throughout the United States, study- 
 ing the various styles of architecture and the 
 customs and business methods of the people. 
 Returning to New York, Mr. Janssen built a 
 fine floating bath-house for the East River 
 Bathing Company, working for that and other 
 firms some six years. Then, being ambitious 
 to enlarge the horizon of his architectural 
 knowledge, he returned to Germany, and pur- 
 sued his favorite study in Hanover for a year. 
 He next located in Torrington, intending to 
 establish a manufactory in Burrville, where 
 he bought property and erected some build- 
 ings. Obliged to abandon that project, Mr. 
 Janssen settled in this village, accepting a 
 position with E. C. Hotchkiss, of whom a 
 biographical sketch may be found on another 
 page of this work, and engaged in carpenter- 
 ing under him, remaining with him several 
 years, and becoming foreman of his carpenter 
 work. Mr. Janssen's superior skill becoming 
 well known, he had several flattering offers 
 from architects and contractors, but finally de- 
 cided to start in business on his own account. 
 In 1890, forming a partnership with a Mr. 
 Beckley, of Thomaston, he established his 
 present stand. At the end of their first 
 year's work the partners found themselves 
 several thousands of dollars in debt. Noth- 
 ing daunted, liowever, they continued their 
 labors, and through sheer persistency and 
 judicious management met with success during 
 the next year. The partnership having been 
 dissolved in 1892, Mr. Janssen has since con- 
 ducted the business alone, and is now rated as 
 one of the most prosperous and substantial 
 business men of the place. Many of the finest 
 buildings of the locality have been erected 
 under his supervision, and are standing monu- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S37 
 
 ments to his skill and taste, among them 
 being the handsome church of the German 
 Lutherans, of which he was also the designer. 
 He has a finely equipped mill, and manufact- 
 ures most of his own building material, in 
 this industry likewise conducting an extensive 
 business. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Janssen was married to Doro- 
 thy Ellerhorst, a native of Lehe and the de- 
 scendant of a prominent family. Her father 
 was a large cattle dealer, and [in his earlier 
 years shipped cattle to the London markets. 
 Afterward forming partnership with a friend, 
 he shipped produce and beef to the same city. 
 He is now living retired from active business, 
 making his home with a daughter. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Janssen have a fine family of boys, four 
 in number: Bernhardt, Deidrich, August, and 
 Edward. Both he and his good wife are es- 
 teemed members of the Congregational church. 
 Politically, Mr. Janssen is a sound Republi- 
 can. Socially, he belongs to the Knights of 
 Honor and to the Sons of Hermon. 
 
 A fine portrait of Mr. Janssen, taken at the 
 age of thirty years, is placed opposite the be- 
 ginning of the above sketch of his successful 
 career. 
 
 /^TeORGE B. ACKLEY, a prominent 
 V i) I farmer of New Milford and second 
 Selectman of the town, was born 
 there, August 12, 1836, son of Leman and 
 Rinda (Benedict) Hubbell Ackley. Mr. Ack- 
 ley's grandparents were Hezekiah and Jemima 
 (Whittlesey) Ackley, residents of Washing- 
 ton, the former of whom was a prosperous 
 farmer of that town. His children were: 
 Abbie, Sally, Eliza, Mary, Dolly, Chester, 
 Leman, Fanny, John, and three others who 
 died young. 
 
 Leman Ackley, Mr. Ackley's father, was 
 born in Washington j and at an early age en- 
 
 tered mercantile pursuits. He was in busi- 
 ness with Deacon Patterson, and for a time 
 was engaged in peddling clocks. Later he 
 purchased a farm of two hundred and thirty 
 acres, situated in Kent Hollow, in New Mil- 
 ford, which he cultivated with success. He 
 erected new buildings, and otherwise im- 
 proved his property, and resided there for the 
 remainder of his life. They were the parents 
 of the following children: Mary E., wife of 
 Edwin Beeman, who is now dead; John C, 
 who died February 16, 1888, aged fifty-eight 
 years; ,and George B. , our subject. 
 
 George B. Ackley commenced his education 
 in the district schools of his native town, and 
 continued his studies at the Cooperstown 
 (N.Y.) Institute. After leaving school he 
 turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, 
 and for two years was a clerk in a store in 
 Farmington, Conn., after which he finished 
 his education. He then went to Omaha, 
 Neb., where he secured a position as clerk, 
 and resided there for two years. His next 
 move was still further West to Colorado. In 
 i860 he bought teams, which he loaded with 
 merchandise, and once more started West, 
 with Pike's Peak as his point of destination. 
 He stopped near Julesburg, Col., and estab- 
 lished a trading post, where a post-office was 
 soon located; and he was appointed the first 
 Postmaster in that locality. He conducted a 
 good business until 1863, when he went to 
 Virginia City, and later to Montana, where he 
 followed mining for a time. Later he engaged 
 in raising sheep there, owning as many as 
 three thousand five hundred at one time. In 
 1 87 1 he returned to his native State, and two 
 years later settled upon the old Sperry farm 
 of one hundred and sixty acres, where he now 
 resides. He has greatly improved the prop- 
 erty, and has since conducted it with gratify- 
 ing results, being at the present time one of 
 
538 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the leading farmers in his locality. He is a 
 Republican in politics, and is now serving as 
 second Selectman, a position which he fills 
 with marked ability, his long and varied 
 business experience making him of special 
 value to the town as a public official. 
 
 On :March i8, 1873, Mr. Ackley was united 
 in marriage to Caroline Averill Sperry, daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Horatio G. and Eliza (Tomlin- 
 son) Speriy, and has one son: John D., born 
 November 24, 1879, who is attending the 
 Hopkins Grammar School at New Haven, 
 Conn. : Mr. and Mrs. Ackley are members of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 Deacon Horatio G. Sperry was born in New 
 Milford, September 6, 1806, son of Wilmot 
 and Dolly (^Averill) Sperry. His great-grand- 
 parents were Gilead and Mercy (Boardman) 
 sperry, the former of whom emigrated from 
 \\ale5. first settling in Xew Haven, Conn., in 
 174?. In 1750 he moved to New Milford, 
 where he continued to follow the carpenter's 
 trade as an occupation during the remainder 
 of his life. His children were: Jared, Es- 
 ther, Penelope, IMercy, and Mabel. Jared, 
 Deacon Sperr)' s grandfather, was born in 
 New MilforJ, December 25, 1750; and, when 
 a young man, he settled in the upper Merryall 
 D:-trict, where he became a prosperous 
 fanner, and resided until his death. He mar- 
 ried for his first wife Mrs. Amy Wheaton, 
 who died, leaving one son, named Wilmot. 
 His second wife was Esther (Camp) Sperry. 
 Wilmot Sperry was born in New Milford, and 
 was educated for the ministry in the Episcopal 
 fold. He preferred the Congregationalist doc- 
 trine, however, and settled at the old home- 
 stead, where he became a successful farmer. 
 He also entered mercantile pursuits, and in 
 partnership with Elijah Bennett conducted a 
 store in the Merryall District for some years. 
 His first wife, Dolly Averill, was a daughter 
 
 of Colonel Perry Averill, of Washington, 
 Conn. ; and she died, leaving four children, 
 as follows: Horatio G. ; Amy, who married 
 John Angevine; Flora, who married Harvey 
 P. Terrell; and Dolly M., who married Har- 
 vey Whittlesey. Wilmot Sperry married for 
 his second wife Anna, daughter of Captain 
 Joseph Whittlesey; and his children by this 
 union were: Jared, Orlo, Walter D., George, 
 and Harriet. 
 
 Deacon Horatio G. Sperry received a good 
 education, and in early manhood he was en- 
 gaged as a teacher in Connecticut and New 
 Jersey. He later entered into mercantile 
 pursuits in Marble Dale, where he carried on 
 a prosperous trade, and also conducted the old 
 home farm, upon which he resided until 
 lately. He is a well-known and highly re- 
 spected citizen and a deservedly prominent 
 man in the community. In politics he is a 
 Republican. He is a Deacon of the Congre- 
 gational church of New Preston Hill. He 
 still survives at the advanced age of eighty- 
 nine. His wife, Eliza Tomlinson, died 
 April 16, 1884. They reared six children as 
 follows: Anna H., wife of John C. Ackley; 
 Caroline, who is now Mrs. George B. Ack- 
 ley; Jared B. ; Charles T. ; Eliza T., wife of 
 Irwin J. Beardsley; and Horatio G., of Colo- 
 rado. Mr. and Mrs. George B. Ackley now 
 occupy the Sperry homestead, which has been 
 in the possession of her family for so many 
 years. 
 
 / ^ EORGE A. ADAM, an intelligent 
 \^J and progressive young farmer of East 
 Canaan, Litchfield County, Conn., 
 son of the late Dr. George Adam, whose por- 
 trait is here given, was born in this town, on 
 July II, 1872. His paternal grandfather, 
 Samuel Forbes Adam, was a grandson of Sam- 
 uel Forbes. 
 
GEORGE ADAM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S4I 
 
 George Adam, son of Samuel F. Adam, hav- 
 ing acquired his elementary education in the 
 schools of his native town, made further ad- 
 vancement in learning in Lenox and West- 
 field, Mass., and subsequently pursued his 
 medical studies in New York City. After 
 practisiag for some time in the hospitals of 
 the metropolis, he settled in Canaan, where 
 he became known as a skilful physician, and 
 conducted an extensive practice for many 
 years. Dr. George Adam died in Canaan at 
 the age of eighty-one years. He was twice 
 married. His first wife, whose maiden name 
 was Rosanna Mills, died young, leaving three 
 children, as follows : Joseph S. ; Samuel F. ; 
 and Mary E., who is now the wife of the 
 Rev. Mason Noble. Dr. Adam's second wife, 
 Mary (Geikie) Adam, who still survives, is 
 a native of Scotland, a daughter of the Rev. 
 Archibald Geikie. She accompanied her 
 father with the rest of the family to Canada, 
 later coming to the United States. Her three 
 children are: George A., the subject of this 
 sketch; Catharine Isabella; and John G. 
 Adam. Mrs. Adam now resides on the old 
 home farm known as the " Squire Forbes place, " 
 the house having been built by Squire Forbes 
 about one hundred and seventy years ago. 
 
 At the age of eleven years George A. Adam 
 became a pupil at the Sedgwick Institute in 
 Great Barrington, Mass., where he completed 
 a seven years' course. Since leaving school 
 he has resided at the homestead and managed 
 the farm. The property is well improved, 
 and Mr. Adam conducts general farming with 
 good results. He is a Republican in politics. 
 On June 7, 1893, Mr. Adam was united in 
 marriage to Lena B. Hatch, daughter of Ed- 
 ward Hatch, of Gaylordsville, Conn., and has 
 one- son, named Kenneth A. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Adam are members of the Pilgrim Congrega- 
 tional Church at Canaan. 
 
 T^^HARLES COOK, an enterprising and 
 I jr'^ prosperous dairyman of Morris, Conn., 
 ^^__^ was born June 26, 181 7, in Dover, 
 N.Y., the native place of his parents, Joshua 
 and Lowinda (Cummins) Cook. His grand- 
 father, Horace Cook, who was a shoemaker by 
 trade, served in the Revolutionary army, 
 bravely meeting the dangers and enduring the 
 privations which were the lot of the ill- 
 equipped soldiers of the Continental army. 
 His son Joshua also learned the trade of shoe- 
 making, and worked at it for some time, but 
 later devoted himself wholly to agricultural 
 labors. He died at the age of seventy-two 
 years of age, and his wife at seventy. They 
 reared the following children: George, who 
 married Louisa Hubbell, and has one child, 
 Willis; Charles, whose name heads this ar- 
 ticle ; and Jane, wife of Royal Treat, of New 
 Milford, who has one child, Elizabeth. 
 
 Charles Cook was reared and educated in 
 Dover, N.Y., acquiring in boyhood a practical 
 knowledge of the science of agriculture. He 
 was thrown on his own resources, and obliged 
 to go to work when quite young, and, being 
 thrifty and industrious, gradually saved en.ough 
 to make a good start in the world, prospering 
 increasingly as he grew older. He settled in 
 Morris in 1854, and for over forty years has 
 been an esteemed member of the farming com- 
 munity of this town. He makes a specialty 
 of dairy products. Mr. Cook is a self-made 
 man, his prosperity being due to his own 
 efforts; and he is highly respected by his 
 townsmen. 
 
 Mr. Cook married his first wife, Sylvia 
 Bostwick, daughter of David W. Bostwick, of 
 Sharon, Conn., in 1841. She died at the age 
 of thirty-three, leaving four children, namely : 
 Mary, who died in her eighteenth year; Sarah 
 J., who married Milo L. Judd, and has two 
 children — Florence M. and Edna C. ; Charles 
 
542 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 W. and Sylvia, twins. Cliarles Cook married 
 Nancy Judd, and has six children : Robert, 
 Jessie I., Justice M., Mary B., Hobart J., and 
 Lester H. Sylvia died at the age of ten 
 years. Mr. Cook was again married August 
 14, 1855, his second wife being Anna M. 
 Woodruff, daughter of Solomon and Lavina 
 (Ensign) Woodruff, of Morris. Mr. Woodruff 
 died in his fifty-seventh year, but his wife 
 attained the advanced age of eighty. They 
 were the parents of three children: Jacob, who 
 married Penila Wilson, and reared two chil- 
 dren — Ensign W. and Mrs. Abigail Kenney, 
 the latter the mother of two children, Mrs. 
 Jane T. Abbott and Edward, who married Ella 
 Baird; Anna M.; and Edward, who married 
 Hannah Kilbourn, and has one daughter, 
 Lucy M. 
 
 In politics Mr. Cook is a Democrat. He 
 is a prominent member of Morris Grange, No. 
 119. In religious belief he and his wife are 
 Methodist and Congregationalist, respec- 
 tively. 
 
 « • ■ > > . 
 
 Yp)YMAN B. MUNSON, superintendent 
 IJT of the iron foundry department of the 
 "^■-^-"^ Turner - Sz: Seymour Manufacturing 
 Company of Torrington, Conn., was born in 
 Plymouth. His parents were Horace and 
 Betsey (Benham) Munson. His paternal 
 grandfather, David Mun.son, who was a native 
 of Massachusetts, was a carpenter, and worked 
 at that trade in various places in the Bay State 
 when a young man, but spent the latter part 
 of his life in Plymouth, engaged in farming. 
 He lived to.be over fourscore. 
 
 Horace Munson learned his father's trade, 
 and established a reputation as a carpenter 
 and builder in the vicinity of Plymouth and 
 Bristol, where the greater part of his life was 
 spent. He died at the age of seventy-four. 
 His wife, Betsey Benham, who was born in 
 
 Burlington, Conn., became the mother of sev- 
 eral children, namely: Ralph, deceased; Mary 
 Ann; Lydia; Eugene; Alphea, who married 
 Cyrus T. Gaylord; Adella, Mrs. Hall; Sarah, 
 who married Edward Ham; and Lyman B., of 
 Torrington. Mrs. Munson died in Bristol, at 
 the age of forty-five. She and her husband 
 were members of the Episcopal church. 
 
 Lyman B. Munson acquired a fair education 
 in the common schools of his native town. 
 As a first attempt at earning a livelihood, he 
 hired himself out for monthly wages on a farm 
 in the vicinity, and subsequently worked with 
 his father for a while at carpentry. About 
 1863 he engaged in the moulding business, 
 entering the employ of A. Terry, of Plym- 
 outh; and four years later he obtained a posi- 
 tion as moulder for the Turner & Seymour 
 Company, in whose employ he has remained 
 up to the present time, gradually working his 
 way to the superintendency. This position he 
 has held for a quarter of a century, and during 
 that time has been identified with the prosper- 
 ous growth of the manufactory, which from a 
 small establishment has come to be one of the 
 largest of the kind in the world. Mr. Munson 
 now has seventy-five men under his charge, 
 and has the general oversight of the whole 
 iron-moulding department. He is a man of 
 intelligence and good judgment, fully qualified 
 to fill the position which he has held so long. 
 
 Mr. Munson was married in 1864 to Sarah 
 Pratt, of Harvvinton, daughter of Samuel and 
 Betsey (Perkins) Pratt. Her father, who was 
 a farmer, died at the age of seventy, her 
 mother having previously passed from earth at 
 the age of fifty-three. They reared nine chil- 
 dren. Mr. and Mrs. Munson have but one 
 child, a son named William, who is a moulder 
 in the employ of the Turner & Seymour Com- 
 pany. The family attend the Episcopal 
 church. Politically, Mr. Munson favors the 
 
FREDERICK J. PARTREE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S4S 
 
 Democratic party. He has been a member of 
 the Masonic fraternity twenty years, and now 
 belongs to Seneca Lodge, of Torrington. 
 
 TpREI 
 
 'REDERICK J. PARTREE, an influ- 
 p* ential citizen of Watertown, whose 
 well-cultivated farm is situated on 
 the Middlebury road, was born in Watertown, 
 March 29, 1827. His home is near the farm 
 on which his paternal grandfather, John Par- 
 tree, Sr., a native of Nova Scotia, who had 
 resided in Milford, Conn., for a time, settled 
 about 1790. Grandfather Partree there de- 
 voted himself to agriculture for the rest of his 
 life. He died in 1825, aged seventy-five 
 years. His wife, Abigail Piatt, of Milford, 
 also lived to reach the age of seventy-five. 
 They reared a family of six children. 
 
 John Partree, son of John and Abigail 
 (Piatt) Partree, was born in Milford. In his 
 boyhood he acquired his education in the 
 district schools, and at home early made him- 
 self useful on the farm. At the age of 
 twenty-one he purchased the farm that is now 
 owned and occupied by his son William W. ; 
 and he carried it on with marked success, 
 being an industrious and capable farmer. He 
 resided there for forty-five years, and died at 
 the age of sixty-six. His wife, Manarcy 
 Welton, who was a daughter of Johnson F. 
 Welton, a prosperous farmer of Watertown, 
 became the mother of seven children, four of 
 whom are still living, namely: Robert; Fred- 
 erick J. ; Sarah E. ; and William W., who 
 occupies the old homestead. Mrs. Manarcy 
 W. Partree lived to reach the age of seventy- 
 eight years. Both she and her husband were 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Frederick J. Partree acquired his element- 
 ary education in the district school, 'and sup- 
 plemented it by a course at the academy, after 
 
 which he taught school for six years in Water- 
 town and in an adjoining village. He then 
 worked at farming by the month for a time, 
 later hiring a farm and engaging in agricult- 
 ural labors on his own account until 1855, 
 when he moved to his present farm, which 
 originally consisted of one hundred and fifteen 
 acres. He made various improvements upon 
 the land and buildings, and erected his fine 
 brick residence, the material for which was 
 the product of home industry. Some time 
 since he sold fifty acres of his land, the re- 
 maining portion being all he could work; and 
 he has here conducted general farming with 
 an energy and ability resulting in the most 
 gratifying success. In politics he has always 
 voted with the Republican party, and has long 
 been identified with local public affairs, hav- 
 ing rendered valuable services as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen at different times, as 
 an Assessor, and a member of the Board of 
 Relief. His broad and clear conception of 
 the needs and general interests of the commu- 
 nity and the practical sagacity he has dis- 
 played in furthering measures calculated to 
 promote the general welfare have been heartily • 
 appreciated. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Partree was united in mar- 
 riage with Elizabeth Scovill, a daughter of 
 Seabury Scovill, a former resident of Water- 
 town, who moved to Central New York, where 
 he became a pioneer and a prosperous farmer. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Partree were the parents of 
 three children, rikmely: Cora E., who died in 
 1891, aged thirty-one years; Ella Maria; and 
 Bertha Scovill, who married Arthur D. Noble, 
 a travelling salesman for the Waterbury Man- 
 ufacturing "Company. Mrs. Partree died in 
 1883, aged fifty-four years. 
 
 Mr. Partree and family are members of the 
 Congregational church, in which he has served 
 upon the church committee, been superin- 
 
S4<5 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tendent of the Sunday-school, but declined to 
 hold the office of Deacon. His daughter is a 
 teacher in the Sunday-school. Mr. Partree 
 is regarded by his fellow-townsmen as a man 
 of rare intelligence and high moral principles. 
 He has been frequently called upon to act 
 as an appraiser and to settle estates, and his 
 good judgment and strict impartiality in such 
 cases have always resulted in securing satis- 
 factory adjustments. 
 
 "irXANIEL L. PEIRCE, of Canaan, 
 I ——J Litchfield County, Conn., was born 
 (~*Zmy in that town January i, 1824, son of 
 William and Polly (Loveland) Peirce. Mr. 
 Peirce's great-grandfather, Amos Peirce, set- 
 tled in Canaan in 1744, and died in 1791, at 
 the age of ninety-two years. He was the father 
 of twelve children, as follows: Keziah, born 
 February 4, 1727; Thomas, July 2, 1729; 
 Ichabod, March 12, 1731; Mary, July 24, 
 1733; Lucy, September 12, 1735; Ruth, July 
 2S> 1737; Silas, October 9, 1739; Amos, 
 September 6, 1742; Elizabeth, September 6, 
 1744; Esther, January 16, 1747; Edward, 
 January 24, 1749; and Phinehas, January 24, 
 1751. 
 
 Amos Peirce, Jr., the grandfather of Daniel 
 L., was a lifelong resident^ of Canaan, where 
 he died on February 13, 1807. He married 
 Miss Lois Fellows, and their union was 
 blessed by the birth of ten children, whose 
 record is as follows: Mary, born April 14, 
 1773, died February 12, 1793; Ichabod and 
 Edward (twins), born November 12, 1775, the 
 former of whom died in September, 1848, and 
 the latter on February 24, 1802; Anna, born 
 October, 1778, died April 12, 1828; Steven, 
 born June 15, 1780, died in boyhood; Samuel, 
 born March 27, 1783, died May 3, i860; 
 Betsy, born April 8, 1785, died August 23, 
 
 1836; William, born February 25, 1787, died 
 October 19, 1864; Laura, born August 3, 
 1789, died March 30,1826; and Candace, born 
 on October 14, 1792. 
 
 William Peirce, father of our special sub- 
 ject, was born in Canaan, February 25, 1787. 
 He was trained to agriculture, becoming a 
 prosperous farmer, and died October 19, 
 1864, at the age of seventy-seven years. 
 His wife, Polly Loveland, born October 2, 
 1792, was a daughter of Daniel Loveland, of 
 Sandisfield, Mass. She became the mother of 
 five children, namely: Amos, born November 
 12, 1814, was married on May 13, 1841, to 
 Miss Miriam Butler, who bore him two chil- 
 dren; he died February 13, 1883. William 
 G., born November 27, 1816, was married 
 May I, 1843, to Miss Jane Adam; his death 
 occurred on September 30, 1887. Mary, born 
 December 24, 18 18, became the wife of John 
 R. Elton on January 20, 1840; she died 
 October 16, 1888. Laura, born April 29, 
 1821, died December 16, 1855. The young- 
 est child was Daniel L., whose name appears 
 as the caption of this sketch. Mrs. William 
 Peirce died November 23, 1855. 
 
 Daniel L. Peirce was trained to farming, 
 which he followed as an occupation until 1869, 
 when he moved to Canaan village, and en- 
 gaged in lime burning. In 1871 he built his 
 first kiln, and has since followed the business 
 with success, having an extensive trade and 
 shipping his product to various parts of the 
 country. At the present time he is the senior 
 partner of the firm of Peirce & Freeman. 
 Among the heirlooms in his possession is a 
 deed given by Thomas Peirce to Amos Peirce, 
 his brother, the great-grandfather of Daniel L. 
 Peirce. This document bears date of 1724, 
 having been given "in the tenth year of his 
 Majesty's reign." Mr. Peirce is independent 
 in politics. In 1881 he represented his dis- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 547 
 
 trict in the legislature, and was again called 
 to serve in the same capacity in 1890. He is 
 a member of Housatonic Lodge, No. 61, A. F. 
 & A. M. 
 
 On June 5, 1850, Mr. Peirce was united in 
 marriage to Ann Eliza Rood, daughter of Dor- 
 rance Rood, of Avon, Conn., and has had seven 
 children, namely: Ellen, who on March 3, 
 1880, was married to Clarence E. Vroman, a 
 lime dealer of Brookfield, Conn. ; Mary Elton 
 (deceased) ; Minnie E. ; Mary E. ; Alice L. ; 
 Burton A., who married on June 22, 1892, 
 Miss Mabel Spaulding, and has one child, 
 Ruth L. ; and Robert D., who on August 31, 
 1893, married Miss Emily D. Newton, and 
 has one child, Doane L. Mr. and Mrs. Peirce 
 are members of the Congregational church. 
 
 TTALARENCE M. ELY, an extensive 
 ( Sr^ lumber contractor of Harwinton, was 
 V,i^_-^ born in this town on June 18, 1855, 
 son of Albro and Philorhena (Thompson) Ely. 
 His paternal grandfather, Eli Ely, was a son 
 of Jacob Ely, who was an early settler in Har- 
 winton. Eli Ely moved from Harwinton to 
 Bristol in 1845, and was there engaged in 
 farming until his death. He reared a family 
 of seven children. 
 
 Albro Ely, Mr. Ely's father, was born in 
 Plymouth, and came to Harwinton when he 
 was two years of age. In early manhood he 
 engaged in selling dry goods through the east- 
 ern part of Connecticut, and, after following 
 that business for nineteen years, settled upon 
 the farm where his son Clarence M. now re- 
 sides, which was formerly the property of his 
 father. He became a successful farmer and 
 a prominent man in public affairs, an-d was a 
 Representative to the legislature in 1871. 
 Albro Ely died in 1887, aged seventy-nine. 
 He was a member of the Congregational 
 
 church. His wife, Philomena Thompson Ely, 
 who is still living, was born in Dansfield, 
 Tolland County, Conn., daughter of James 
 Thompson, a farmer of that town. She be- 
 came the mother of five children, as follows: 
 lone, wife of Henry Coe; Walter A., who is 
 in the wholesale charcoal business in To- 
 ronto, Canada; Eli T. and Clarence M., who 
 are in business together in Harwinton ; and 
 Jessie H. Mrs. Albro Ely is a member of 
 the Baptist church in Willimantic. 
 
 Clarence M. Ely acquired his elementary 
 education in the schools of his native town, 
 and supplemented it by a course of study at 
 the Connecticut Normal School in New Bri- 
 tain. After teaching school in Willimantic 
 for three years, he returned to Harwinton, 
 where for the next three years he was engaged 
 in assisting his father on the farm. He then 
 went to Danielsonville, Conn., where he was 
 employed in his uncle's store for two years, 
 since which time he has been engaged with 
 his brother, Eli F., in taking large contracts 
 for furnishing lumber and telegraph poles. 
 They do an extensive business in this line, 
 and among their various enterprises is the fur- 
 nishing of over six hundred miles of tele- 
 graph poles between Boston and Baltimore. 
 
 Mr. Ely resides at the homestead of his 
 father in Harwinton, and still conducts the 
 farm with good results. He is a Republican 
 in politics, and was a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen for two years. He served upon the 
 School Committee and upon the Board of 
 Visitors for six years, and represented the 
 town in the legislature in 189 1. He is a 
 member of the First Baptist Church in Willi- 
 mantic. 
 
 Mr. Ely is a stirring and energetic business 
 man, progressive in his ideas, and much es- 
 teemed as a highly intelligent and useful 
 citizen. 
 
548 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 T^YRUS W. MARSH, a respected resi- 
 I ji dent of Cornwall, son of Dr. William 
 x,^_^ and Emeline Bradford, was born in 
 Goshen, Litchfield County, Conn., June 13, 
 1824. His paternal grandfather was Nathan- 
 iel Marsh, a native of Harrington, Conn., and 
 a farmer by occupation. He resided all his 
 life in his native town, and came to an un- 
 timely and lamentable end by being frozen to 
 death during a severe spell of cold weather. 
 He and his wife, whose maiden name was De- 
 light Wilson, were the parents of four chil- 
 dren — Eunice, Mary, Cyrus, and William. 
 
 William Marsh was born in Harrington, 
 and received a good education, studying medi- 
 cine at the Hartford Medical College. He 
 successfully practised his profession in North 
 Goshen, and was regarded as one of the most 
 skilful physicians of his time in this vicinity. 
 Dr. Marsh died at the age of forty-five years. 
 His wife, Emeline Bradford, who was a daugh- 
 ter of James Bradford, of Cornwall, surviving 
 him, died at the age of fifty-two. They reared 
 the following children: Julia E., Cyrus W., 
 Alvin I., Mary E., and William L. 
 
 Cyrus W. Marsh, after acquiring a plain but 
 practical education, began at the age of sixteen 
 years to learn the carpenter's trade, which he 
 has followed throughout his life with a fair 
 measure of worldly success. He has gained a 
 good reputation as a capable and trustworthy 
 workman, and is besides highly respected as a 
 man of sound moral character, who performs his 
 full duty as a citizen. In 1850 he was mar- 
 ried to Elizabeth F. Policy, daughter of Cush- 
 man Policy, of Canaan, Columbia County 
 N.Y. 
 
 The following is a brief record of the chil- 
 dren of Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus W. Marsh. 
 Emily F, died at the age of thirty-seven. 
 William E. married Mary J. Millard, of Ca- 
 naan, Conn. Their children are: Charles W. 
 
 Cyrus E., William B., and John M. Mary J. 
 married William L. Millard, of Canaan, Conn. 
 Their children are: William R. and Elizabeth 
 May. Charles C. married Inez Studley, of 
 Cornwall, Conn. Their children are: Marion 
 L. and Emily E. Hattie J. married John C. 
 Curtis, of Denver, Col. Elizabeth C. died in 
 infancy. Mr. Marsh is a member of the Con- 
 gregational church, and takes a great interest 
 in temperance reform, being a strong Pro- 
 hibitionist. 
 
 Y^EWIS A. CANFIELD, who died in 
 IJT 1893 at his home in Washington, 
 — ^ Litchfield County, Conn., was a 
 native and a lifelong resident of this town. 
 He was born in 1809, son of Leman and Ruth 
 (Piatt) Canfield. His father was a carpenter 
 and joiner by trade. He died at the age of 
 seventy-three years, and his wife when in her 
 seventy-seventh year. They were the parents 
 of four children; namely, Aurelia, Lewis, 
 Daniel, and Julia. Aurelia became the wife 
 of John N. Gunn ; and Daniel married Irene. 
 Lemmon, and hks one child, Florence, now 
 Mrs. Kinney. 
 
 Lewis A. Canfield acquired his father's 
 trade, which he followed until reaching the 
 Scriptural limit of threescore years and ten. 
 The last fourteen years of his life were spent 
 in retirement. He was a man greatly re- 
 spected by reason of his many admirable per- 
 sonal qualities, maintaining an unblemished 
 character for integrity, and possessing a con- 
 siderable fund of self-acquired knowledge. 
 He was always keenly solicitous for the wel- 
 fare and advancement of his town, and kept 
 himself well informed upon public events. 
 His death was much regretted by a wide circle 
 of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Canfield 
 married Amaryllis Gunn, daughter of Sheriff 
 Gunn and his wife Polly Ford. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
LEVI PHELPS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 551 
 
 Gunn were the parents of eight children, as 
 follows: John N. , who married Lora Smith; 
 Louisa, Mrs. Andrews; Susan, Mrs. Fenn; 
 Abigail, Mrs. Logan ; Lewis, who married 
 Charlotte Barber; Sarah, Mrs. Pike; Ama- 
 ryllis, who became the wife of the subject of 
 this sketch; and Frederick, who married Abi- 
 gail Brinsmade. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis A. Canfield were the 
 parents of one daughter, May E. Canfield, now 
 a resident of Washington. Mrs. Canfield died 
 in 1879, at the age of sixty-eight years. 
 
 Lewis A. Canfield was one of the first Abo- 
 litionists in the town, and his house was one 
 of the stations on the "underground railroad " 
 leading fo Canada. He was much interested 
 in political questions, and remained to the last 
 an ardent Republican. 
 
 /^TeORGE C. gilbert, the present 
 VST proprietor of the old Seth Thomas 
 farm in Thomaston, where he is suc- 
 cessfully engaged in general farming, was born 
 on High Street, in the village of Thomaston, 
 on July 2, 1858, and is a son of George W. 
 and Elizabeth (Thomas) Gilbert. 
 
 George Gilbert, the grandfather of George 
 C, was a native of Belchertown, Hampshire 
 County, Mass., and there spent the early years 
 of his manhood in the successful pursuit of 
 agriculture. In the latter part of his life he 
 made his home in Thomaston, attaining the 
 age of eighty-one years. His son, George 
 W., was reared to farm life; but later on he 
 went to work in the Seth Thomas Clock Com- 
 pany's shop, and he continued in their employ 
 as long as able to engage in active labor. He 
 died in Thomaston at sixty-seven years of age. 
 He was a member of the Congregational 
 church, as is his wife, formerly Elizabeth 
 Thomas. She is still living at their old home 
 
 on High Street, and at sixty-three years of age 
 is strong and active. They had but two chil- 
 dren, namely : Mary, who married Dr. Haney, 
 and died at twenty-six years of age; and 
 George C. The mother is a daughter of Seth 
 Thomas, the founder of the Clock Company, 
 and the man to whom the town of Thomaston, 
 which was named for him, owes the origin. of 
 its present prosperous condition. Of the six 
 children of Mr. Thomas, the two surviving 
 are: Mrs. Elizabeth T. Gilbert; and her 
 brother, Aaron Thomas. 
 
 George C. Gilbert grew to manhood in his 
 parental home, acquiring a good practical com- 
 mon and high school education, which was 
 supplemented by a two years' course in a busi- 
 ness college at Hartford and two at New 
 Haven, Conn. At twenty-two years of age 
 he went on to the place formerly carried on by 
 his grandfather, Seth Thomas, and on which 
 his mother was born. It is a productive farm 
 of one hundred acres, and he is profitably en- 
 gaged in mixed husbandry. In 1880 he 
 was united in marriage with Miss Eliza W. 
 Judd, of Watertown-, Conn., where her father, 
 G. B. Judd, is engaged in farming. She has 
 borne her husband three children, two of whom 
 are living — George B. and Charles H. 
 
 In political issues , Mr. Gilbert takes the 
 side of the Republican party. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, and is highly 
 respected throughout the community. Mrs. 
 Gilbert is a communicant of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 |EVI PHELPS, a well-to-do farmer of 
 Norfolk, Litchfield County, Conn., 
 was born in this town, September 
 29, 1 81 8, son of Augustus and Lucy (Petti- 
 bone) Phelps. Augustus Phelps, who was 
 also a native of Norfolk and was a son of Jede- 
 diah Phelps, was a prosperous farmer, and 
 
S52 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 passed his entire life of fourscore years in that 
 town. He was a Whig in politics, and a 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 wife, Lucy Pettibone, of Norfolk, became the 
 mother of three children, namely; Augustus, 
 Jr.; Levi, the subject of this sketch; and 
 Margaret. Mrs. Augustus Phelps died in 
 Norfolk, aged fifty-eight years. 
 
 Levi Phelps was reared to agricultural pur- 
 suits, and resided with his parents, assisting 
 in carrying on the farm until 1852, when he 
 jf)ined the great rush for the gold fields of 
 California, where he engaged in mining and 
 other employment for about eight years. He 
 was fairly successful ; and after his return East 
 he succeeded to the possession of the home- 
 stead, upon which he has since resided. The 
 farm originally consisted of one hundred and 
 eighty acres; but he has added to its extent by 
 purchasing adjoining land, and now owns three 
 hundred acres of valuable agricultural prop- 
 erty. Intelligent and progressive, he conducts 
 general farming with good results. Mr. 
 Phelps is a Republican in politics, and has 
 always been actively interested in public 
 affairs, representing his district in the State 
 legislature with ability in 1876. 
 
 Mr. Phelps and Ora Ann Graham were 
 united in marriage on December 24, 1863, and 
 haye had two children, namely: Lucy P., who 
 was born November 5, 1864, and resides at 
 home; and Edith, who was born June 22, 
 1866, and died November 21, 1890. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Phelps are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 Ancestors of the Phelps family were among 
 the early settlers of Connecticut. The lineage 
 includes many of the name who have won dis- 
 tinction in various walks in life. The accom- 
 panying portrait of Mr. Levi Phelps will be 
 recognized as a good likeness of this worthy 
 scion of good old New England stock. 
 
 KRANKLIN WATSON, an extensive 
 farmer of New Hartford, Conn., was 
 born in this town, near Bakersville, on 
 April 21, 1832, son of William and Melissa 
 (Cadwell) Watson. His great-grandfather 
 Watson was an early settler and an extensive 
 land-owner in New Hartford, where he reared 
 a large family, the sons becoming very pros- 
 perous farmers. One of them, named Alvin, 
 a native of New Hartford, was the next repre- 
 sentative of the line now being traced. He 
 married, and lived to an advanced age; but his 
 son William, Mr. Watson's father, was the 
 only one of his children who reached maturity. 
 William Watson succeeded to the ownership 
 of the homestead, and resided here during his 
 whole life of seventy-two years. He was a 
 sturdy and industrious farmer and a prominent 
 citizen, serving as a Selectman for many years, 
 and representing his town in the legislature. 
 He and his wife, Melissa Cadwell, daughter 
 of Aaron Cadwell, of Bloomfield, were the 
 parents of five children, three of whom are 
 living, namely: Franklin, the subject of this 
 sketch ; Gaylord, who was for some years in 
 the map business in New York City, and is 
 now residing in the West; and Chloe, who 
 married James Humphrey, of St. Paul, Minn. 
 The mother died at sixty-two years of age. 
 She and her husband were both members of the 
 Congregational church, and his father was a 
 Deacon for many years. 
 
 Franklin Watson received his education in 
 the schools of New Hartford and East Hamp- 
 ton, and began at an early age to assist in con- 
 ducting the farm, which he inherited after his 
 father's death. Previous to that event he had 
 purchased an agricultural estate in the vicinity 
 of the old farm, and this he leased for a time; 
 but at present he oversees the cultivation of 
 both. His landed property aggregates about 
 five hundred acres, and is mostly devoted to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS3 
 
 dairying interests, to which he gives his prin- 
 cipal attention. He keeps a large number of 
 cows, their milli being disposed of at the 
 creamery; and he finds this branch of agricult- 
 ure to be the most agreeable and profitable 
 employment. 
 
 In politics Mr. Watson is a Republican ; and 
 he has occupied a prominent position in public 
 affairs for several years, having served with 
 marked ability as a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen, as an Assessor, a member of the 
 * Board of Relief, and as a representative in the 
 State legislature in 1880. He is connected 
 with the Grange, and for some time acted as 
 its Secretary. 
 
 Mr. Watson and Caroline Holcomb, daugh- 
 ter of Friend Holcomb, a prosperous farmer of 
 New Hartford, were married in 1854, and 
 have five children, as follows: William, a 
 machinist of Torrington, who married Alice 
 Jones, of New Hartford, and has two children, 
 named Mabel and Vincent ; Sarah, who resides 
 at home; Caroline; Lillian; and Henry, who 
 is a book-keeper in Bridgeport. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Watson are members of the Congregational 
 
 church. 
 
 f ■ I — ^ 
 
 " 'AMES M. BENTON, keeper of the 
 Litchfield County jail, was born in 
 Watertown, Conn., April i, 1836. He 
 is a son of Seth and grandson of Ebenezer Ben- 
 ton, of Morris, Conn., and comes of an old and 
 respected family, whose genealogy was pub- 
 lished in 1 88 1. Seth Benton was born on the 
 homestead in Morris. He was an enterprising 
 man, successfully managing a hotel in New 
 Haven for some time, then taking an interest in 
 the oyster trade in Albany, and finally return- 
 ing to New Haven, where he died at the age of 
 seventy-two. He was twice married. . His 
 first wife, Eleanor Martin, daughter of Samuel 
 Martin, died at the age of twenty- nine, leav- 
 
 ing two children — Mary F. and James M., 
 the subject of this sketch. His second wife, 
 Mrs. Eliza Cooper Seeley, left one daughter, 
 Ellen, who married John J. Phelps, and reared 
 three children — Mrs. Nellie Smith, Hattie, 
 and John J. 
 
 James M. Benton received a common-school 
 education, supplemented by a course at the 
 Gunnery in Washington, Conn., and at a pri- 
 vate school in New Haven. He was for some 
 time successful!)' engaged in agriculture, leav- 
 ing the plough to enlist at the time of the 
 Civil War, and remaining in the army three 
 years, first as a member of the Nineteenth In- 
 fantry and later in the Second Connecticut 
 Heavy Artillery. At the close of his term of 
 service he returned to his farm, where he re- 
 mained till appointed keeper of the jail in 
 1895. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Benton- was united in marriage 
 with Margaret Walker, daughter of Theodore 
 W. and Maria (Percy) Walker, of Woodbury, 
 Conn. Mr. Walker lived to the advanced age 
 of eighty-two."^ His wife died in her forty- 
 sixth year, leaving four children: Frances, 
 widow of C. J. Miner, who, by a former mar- 
 riage with S. B. Miner, had three children, of 
 whom one, Jesse, is now living; Maria, widow 
 of W. H. Corning, who has one daughter, 
 Helen (now Mrs. Skinner) ; Josephine, wife 
 of C. L. Hall, who has two children — Mary 
 (Mrs. Peck) and Charles; and Margaret, the 
 wife of Mr. Benton. Mr. and Mrs. Benton 
 have reared but one child, Walter P., who 
 married Hattie Morgan, and has five children 
 
 . Frank M., Percy W., Eleanor M., Ebenezer 
 
 B., and James W. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Benton favors the 
 Republican party. He represented the dis- 
 trict in the legislature in 1878, and has held 
 various local offices, serving as Justice of the 
 Peace for twenty years. He is a member of 
 
SS4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 St. Paul's Lodge, No. ii, A. F. & A. M., and 
 belongs to Seth F. Plumb Post, No. 80, Grand 
 Army of the Republic. In religious belief 
 Mr. and Mrs. Benton are Congregationalists. 
 Mr. Benton is a man of conservative judgment 
 and considerable executive ability, who is emi- 
 nently qualified for the responsible position 
 which he holds. A member of the Grand 
 Army, his courage is unimpeachable; and he 
 holds the full confidence of the government. 
 
 KRANK B. MUNN, a lawyer, notary 
 public, and judge of probate of New 
 Hartford, and a member of the law firm 
 of Smith & Munn, of Winsted, was born in 
 West Stockbridge, Mass., November 16, i860, 
 son of James B. and Eliza (Boughton) Munn. 
 Mr. Munn's paternal grandfather was Israel 
 Munn, a native of New Marlboro, Mass. He 
 followed the trade of a blacksmith during the 
 greater part of his life, and moved from New 
 Marlboro to West Stockbridge, where he died 
 at the age of eighty-five years. James B. 
 Munn was born in New Marlboro, and passed 
 his boyhood in that town. He was reared to 
 agriculture, but in early manhood went to the 
 State of New York, where he was employed 
 upon the Erie Canal, and also in the construc- 
 tion of a railroad. After a sojourn in Canada 
 he purchased a farm in West Stockbridge in 
 1856, and resided in that town until his death, 
 which occurred in 1878, when he was fifty-six 
 years old. He was a member and Deacon of 
 the Congregational church, and was otherwise 
 officially connected with the church and soci- 
 ety. His wife, Eliza Boughton, who was a 
 native of Devonshire, England, became the 
 mother of five children, three of whom are 
 still living, namely: Frank B., our special 
 subject; Cora, who married Marvin Peck, of 
 Stockbridge, and now resides in Bridgeport, 
 
 Conn. ; and Augusta, a teacher in the public 
 schools pf Pittsfield, Mass. Mrs. James B. 
 Munn resides with her daughter in Pittsfield. 
 
 Frank B. Munn began his education in the 
 schools of West Stockbridge, and, after grad- 
 uating from the high school, entered Dartmouth 
 College, from which he was graduated in the 
 class of 1887 with the degree of A.M. He 
 then became principal of the New Hartford 
 High School, a position which he ably filled 
 for three years ; and at the expiration of that 
 time he began the study of law with Welling- 
 ton B. Smith, of Winsted. He was admitted 
 to the bar in 1892, and in company with Mr. 
 Smith has since continued to practise his pro- 
 fession. Mr. Munn is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and was elected Judge of Probate in 
 1894. He is a member of Masonic Lodge of 
 New Hartford, of which he is Junior Deacon, 
 and of the Knights of Pythias, of which he is 
 Past Chancellor. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Munn was united in marriage 
 to Marie Widner, daughter of Jacob Widner, a 
 merchant in New Hartford. Mrs. Munn at- 
 tends the Congregational church. 
 
 /George S. weeks, a prosperous 
 yPj grocery merchant and highly re- 
 spected citizen of Torrington, Conn., 
 was born in the adjoining town of New Hart- 
 ford on March 16, 1847. His father, Fred- 
 erick Weeks, was a son of Ezra Weeks. 
 The latter passed the greater part of his long 
 life in the towns, of Litchfield and Morris, 
 Conn., being for many years successfully en- 
 gaged in farming. He was over one hundred 
 years old at the time of his death. 
 
 Frederick Weeks grew to manhood on his 
 father's farm, and after he attained his major- 
 ity he cultivated a farm, which he purchased 
 for- himself in New Hartford; but he after- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sss 
 
 ward sold that, and removed to Litchfield, 
 where the remainder of his life was spent in 
 the same occupation. His death occurred at 
 fifty-two years of age. He and his wife,- 
 Hulda L. Beach Weeks, who was a daughter 
 of Lyman Beach, reared four children, all of 
 whom are still living, namely: Sarah A., the 
 wife of H. A. Weeks; George S. ; M. J. 
 Weeks; and Wilbur A. Weeks. Their 
 mother, who afterward married David Tal- 
 madge, is residing at the present time in 
 Litchfield, Conn. She is a communicant of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. George S. 
 Weeks lived in New Hartford until he was 
 seven years old, when he removed with his 
 parents to a farm in Litchfield, where he ac- 
 quired a good practical education in the dis- 
 trict schools. He assisted his father in agri- 
 cultural labors on the home farm up to eigh- 
 teen years of age, and then for nine years held 
 a position as clerk in a general store. In 
 company with John Workman he next opened 
 a general store, which they successfully con- 
 ducted under the firm name of Workman & 
 Weeks. On retiring from this business, he 
 took a position as book-keeper, where he 
 remained five years, or up to 1889, at which 
 time he erected the building on the principal 
 street of Torrington in which he established 
 his present thriving business. He carries a 
 well-selected line of groceries of various kinds, 
 and has a good trade, having been engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits as long as any one in 
 Torrington. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Weeks was united in marriage 
 vrith Miss Eliza A. Glazier, who was born in 
 Watertown, Conn., daughter of Merritt and 
 Nancy (White) Glazier, the former of whom 
 was engaged in the silver-plating works of 
 Watertown. The five children born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. "Glazier were: Eliza A.; Mary A., 
 who married George Atkins; Alice E., the 
 
 wife of Wallace Blakely; Charles; and John. 
 Both, parents were communicants of the Epis- 
 copal church. The father died in 1869, but 
 the mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Weeks's union has been blessed by the birth 
 of two daughters — Mary A. and Carrie E. 
 
 In political views Mr. Weeks is a Democrat, 
 and he has served acceptably as grand juror 
 for many years. He is a Mason, and a member 
 of Seneca Lodge. Mrs. Weeks is a consistent 
 and influential member of the Episcopal 
 church, of which Mr. Weeks is an attendant. 
 
 DWIN D. BENEDICT, an influential 
 and highly respected citizen of Corn- 
 wall Bridge, Conn., was born in 
 Bethel, Fairfield County, on January 14, 1839. 
 He is a son of Edwin and Polly S. (Carter) 
 Benedict, and grandson of John and Lydia 
 (Peck) Benedict. 
 
 John Benedict in connection with agricult- 
 ural labors engaged in the manufacture of 
 lime. He died at his home in Fairfield County 
 at sixty years of age, having reared seven chil- 
 dren, namely: Eli; Herman; John; Baldwin; 
 Elizur; Abel; and Edwin, who became the 
 father of Edwin D., of Cornwall. 
 
 Edwin Benedict was born in Danbury, 
 Conn., in 1803. When fifty-two years old, he 
 came to the town of Cornwall, and settled on 
 the farm which his son now occupies. His 
 wife, Polly, who was a daughter of Deacon 
 Abel Carter, of Cornwall, died at sixty-nine 
 years of age, leaving two sons and three daugh- 
 ters, as follows: Abel C, a successful physi- 
 cian; Edwin D. ; Minerva J., who married 
 Swift B. Smith; Mrs. Lydia E. Kellogg; and 
 Sarah L. 
 
 Edwin D. Benedict, having acquired his 
 education in the conimon and select schools 
 of Cornwall, taught school for four seasons. 
 
SS6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and subsequently engaged in fanning, taking 
 charge of the old homestead. He is still the 
 owner of this excellent farm of one hundred 
 and forty acres, and is profitably engaged in 
 mixed husbandry and dairying, living in the 
 house erected by his maternal grandfather, 
 Abel Carter, in 1810. In 1861 he was joined 
 in marriage with Miss Sarah R. Clark, a 
 daughter of William L. and Harriet J. (Cal- 
 houn) Clark, of Cornwall. 
 
 The Clark ancestry in this country is traced 
 to James Clark, Sr., a native of England, who 
 was one of the early settlers of New Haven, 
 Conn. His son, James Clark, Jr., removed 
 from New Haven to Stratford, Conn., where 
 he married in 1662 Deborah Peacock, a daugh- 
 ter of John Peacock. Their children were 
 James, Sarah, John, Deborah, Phoebe, Isaac, 
 Ephraim, Nathan, and Mary. Ephraim 
 Clark, born in 1681, at twenty-two years of 
 age married Hester Belden, a daughter of 
 Daniel Belden. During the Indian massacre 
 at Deerfield in 1696 a maternal uncle of Miss 
 Belden and two young sisters met their death, 
 while she, her father, and a sister were carried 
 captive to Canada. Ephraim Clark and his 
 wife were the parents of nine children: Deb- 
 orah; Samuel; Hester; Abigail and Elizabeth, 
 twins; Ephraim; Ruth and David, twins; 
 and Nathan. 
 
 David Clark, whose birth occurred in 1716, 
 always resided in Stratfo,rd, as his father had 
 done before him. In 1741 he married Sarah 
 Heacock, of Norwalk, Conn., who died two 
 years later, leaving one son, Silas, born in 
 1742. In 1743 David Clark formed a second 
 marriage with Abigail Peck, of Milford, 
 Conn., by whom he had seven children: 
 Esther; Sarah; David, Jr.; Abigail; Heze- 
 kiah; Martha; and Hester. Silas, David, 
 Jr., and Hezekiah all removed to Cornwall. 
 David Clark, Jr., born in 1748, married Miss 
 
 Elizabeth Nodine, of Stratford; and their 
 union was blessed by the birth of the following 
 children: Mary P., who married Eben Jeffers; 
 David; Elizabeth, who became the wife of 
 Theron Colton; Mrs. Nancy Ives; Mrs. Doro- 
 thy Jennings; Mrs. Tabitha Mallory ; Mrs. 
 Hannah Beardsley; William; Mrs. Catherine 
 Dayton; Mrs. Anna Hopkins; and Charlotte. 
 Both parents died in 181 1. 
 
 William Clark, who was born in 1788, when 
 twenty years of age was joined in mar- 
 riage with Miss Rebecca Northrop. Eleven 
 Children were the fruit of their union, namely: 
 Mrs. Catherine R. Rogers, born in 1809; 
 William L., born in 181 1; David, born in 
 1 81 2, who married Alfreida Cooper; Harriet 
 E., Mrs. Harvey Whedon, born in 1814; 
 Frederick D., born in 1816, who married 
 Mary Carr; Mrs. Nancy Rogers, born in 
 1818; Clarissa A., Mrs. Frederick Munson, 
 born in 1821; Hiram N., born in 1825, who 
 married Virginia C. Harris; Samuel, born in 
 1825, who married Eliza Thompson; Mrs. 
 Mary Childs, born in 1828; and Nelson I., 
 born in 1831, who married Mary E. Ives. 
 Their mother died in 1832; and the following 
 year their father was married to Patience Hol- 
 lister, who bore him one daughter, Sarah T., 
 born in 1834. William Clark died in 1852. 
 
 William L. Clark's first wife, Emeline 
 Moore, whom he married in 1832, died in 
 1836, leaving one son, Leavitt Walter, born in 
 1833. His second wife, Harriet J. Calhoun, 
 bore him three daughters, namely: Sarah R., 
 now Mrs. Benedict; Harriet E. Clark; and 
 Mrs. Clara L. Kellogg. 
 
 Leavitt W. Clark married in 1855 Charlotte 
 J. Page, and is now living in Hartford, Conn. 
 Their only child, a daughter, now Mrs. Minnie 
 Alton, has two children — Charlotte and Caro- 
 lan. Mr. and Mrs. Benedict have four chil- 
 dren—Harriet C, Edith L., Walter C, and 
 
SILAS A. GRIDLEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 559 
 
 Sarah Faye. Harriet C. is the wife of Will- 
 iam A. Wadhams, and has two sons and a 
 daughter — Edith, Moses A., and Dwight B. 
 Wadhams. 
 
 Mr. Benedict has ever been active in town 
 affairs, and has served very acceptably as 
 Selectman and Constable, also as a member of 
 the School Board. He is a member of the 
 Congregational church, and for many years has 
 held the office of Deacon. 
 
 'ILAS ALFRED G R I D L E Y, a 
 prominent farmer and dairyman of 
 Harwinton, was born in the house 
 where he now lives, August 21, 1839, son of 
 Lyman and Lois (Alfred) Gridley. The Grid- 
 ley family has been prominent in Harwinton 
 for many generations, our subject's great- 
 grandfather, Abel Gridley, who was a native 
 of Southington, having been one of the first 
 settlers and the proprietor of the farm now 
 owned by his great-grandson. Silas Gridley, 
 son of Abel, resided on that farm, and there 
 spent the greater part of his life, leaving the 
 homestead only to serve in the Revolutionary 
 War. He lived to be over fourscore, and re- 
 ceived a pension for his services as a member 
 of the Continental army. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Elizabeth Benton, was called 
 to rest at the age of fifty. 
 
 Lyman Gridley, one of the four sons of 
 Silas, was reared on the home farm, and there 
 spent his life, succeeding his father as owner 
 of the property. He made many improve- 
 ments on the estate, in 1838 building the 
 house which is now the home of his son. In 
 politics a Republican, he was a leader in his 
 district, and served in the State legislature 
 during the administration of Governor Jewell. 
 He lived to be seventy-seven years of age. 
 
 He married Lois Alfred, daughter of Ely 
 
 and Elizabeth (Beebee) Alfred. Her grand- 
 father, Alexander Alfred, was one of the first 
 settlers of Harwinton. He devoted his life to 
 agriculture, as did his son Ely. Mrs. Lois 
 Gridley is still living, at the advanced age 
 of ninety-two, and resides with her son, the 
 subject of this sketch. She is a member of 
 the Congregational church at Terryville. 
 Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lyman Gridley, namely: Elizabeth, Mrs. 
 Allen; Corydon, deceased; Angeline, Mrs. 
 Baldwin; Cornelia, Mrs. Thomas; Silas Al- 
 fred; Charles B. ; and two who died in infancy. 
 Silas Alfred Gridley received a good educa- 
 tion in the common schools of Harwinton. 
 He came into possession of the home farm on 
 the death of his father, and has been actively 
 engaged in farming, lumbering, and dairying 
 for years. The estate comprises one hundred 
 arid thirty-five acres, and Mr. Gridley uses 
 every rood of it to the best advantage. He 
 makes a specialty of choice butter, for which 
 he has taken many prizes, receiving a medal 
 and diploma at the World's Fair. One estab- 
 lishment has been supplied with butter from 
 the Gridley farm for forty years, buying first 
 of Lyman Gridley, now of Silas. He keeps 
 eighteen full-blooded Jerseys, and is well 
 known as a breeder of fine milch cows. 
 
 Mr. Gridley was married in 1882 to Sara 
 Cooke, daughter of Augustus and Mary Cooke, 
 of Litchfield. She comes of a distinguished 
 family, her great-great-grandparents on her 
 father's side being Aaron and Hannah (Wads- 
 worth) Cooke, the latter a daughter of Captain 
 Joseph Wadsworth, who seized the charter of 
 Connecticut at the time when Sir Edmund 
 Andros demanded its surrender, and hid it in 
 the hollow oak; and her great -grandparents 
 were Joseph and Lucretia (Post) Cooke, the 
 former a prominent man in the early days of 
 Connecticut and a member of the General 
 
560 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Court. Her paternal grandparents were 
 Nathan and Abigail (Beckwith) Cooke, the 
 former a native of Harwinton, the latter of 
 Southington. Her father spent his life in 
 Litchfield, engaged in farming, and serving as 
 Selectman of the town for several years. Lie 
 died at the age of sixty-seven, and his wife at 
 the age of fifty-three. Mr. and Mrs. Augustus 
 Cooke were members of the Episcopal church. 
 They reared ten children, Sara, Mrs. Gridley, 
 being the youngest. She graduated from the 
 Hartford Female Seminary, and was for many 
 years a successful and highly esteemed teacher 
 in that city. 
 
 In politics Mr. Gridley is a Republican. 
 He was a member of the State legislature in 
 1885, is now treasurer of the town deposit 
 fund, and has served as Justice of the Peace. 
 He possesses the full confidence of his towns- 
 men, by whom he has been appointed adminis- 
 trator and trustee of several estates. He is at 
 the present time acting as conservator and 
 trustee of an estate that the former trustee 
 defaulted on. He is a leading member of the 
 Harwinton Grange. Mr. Gridley belongs to 
 the Congregational church, having been reared 
 a Congregationalist, and his wife is a commu- 
 nicant of the Episcopal church, of which her 
 parents were members. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Gridley is herewith 
 presented. 
 
 ARL SWENSON, an accomplished and 
 r enterprising florist, living in Winsted, 
 • • Conn., and one of the most exten- 
 sive dealers in floral goods in the State, was 
 born in Sweden in 1853. He is the son of 
 Jacob and Anna Eliza Swenson, both natives 
 of Sweden. His father, who was born in 
 1 82 1, was overseer or game-keeper for Baron 
 Oscar Dixon, a Swedish millionaire, in whose 
 employ he travelled extensively. Jacob Swen- 
 
 son reared ten children, all but one of whom 
 are now living. Four daughters and two sons 
 came to this country, and one of the daughters 
 died in Chicago. 
 
 Carl Swenson received a fair education, and 
 at the age of eighteen entered a floral school, 
 where he spent six years perfecting himself in 
 the various branches of horticulture and flori- 
 culture, and for some years was the head 
 gardener. He subsequently went to England 
 to work for a nursery firm in Herefordshire. 
 Returning to Sweden, he embarked for Amer- 
 ica early in 1880, landing at New York, and 
 going thence to Newport, R.I., where he 
 was employed for about six months. In the 
 autumn of that year he came to Winsted, and 
 took charge of Mr. M. G. Wheeler's floral 
 work, remaining somewhat over four years. 
 He then went to Naugatuck to superintend a 
 fine private garden for a wealthy resident, and 
 later occupied a similar position on the estate 
 of Hon. L. W. Coe, at Torrington. He 
 speaks in glowing terms of the rare beauty of 
 the plants in Mr. Coe's conservatory and the 
 fine traits of his employer. On November 5, 
 1 891, Mr. Swenson returned to Winsted, and 
 leased the property of Mr. Wheeler. The 
 business has been established eighteen years, 
 and under Mr. Swenson's management it has 
 materially increased. He has worked up a 
 large trade in the surrounding country, and 
 fills orders for three States, Connecticut, Mas- 
 sachusetts, and New York, his traffic being 
 principally in cut flowers, of which he buys 
 and sells large quantities; but he also has ex- 
 tensive greenhouses, in which are produced 
 the most beautiful flowers and plant forms. 
 On April 17, 1884, Mr. Swenson married 
 Miss Fredanna Galpin, of Roxbury, Conn., 
 only daughter of John and Frances A. (Smith) 
 Galpin, of Winsted Mr. and Mrs. Swenson 
 have a bright little daughter, Maud Louise, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S6i 
 
 born February 7, 1888; and they have buried 
 an infant son. In politics Mr. Swenson is 
 independent, rather favoring the Republican 
 side. He belongs to the Odd Fellows, and is 
 a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. 
 
 1 mmm i 
 
 kEV. CORNELIUS R. DUFFIE, 
 D. D., rector emeritus' of the Church 
 of the Epiphany, New York City, is 
 greatly beloved and venerated in Litchfield, 
 where he has made his summer home for the 
 past twenty years. He needs no introduction 
 to the readers of this biographical volume, but 
 the rehearsal of a few of the more salient 
 points of his life will bring pleasure to many. 
 The Rev. Dr. Duffie was born in New York 
 City, August 6, 1821, and has therefore seen 
 many years of life; but his mind is still vig- 
 orous, his heart warm and sympathetic, his 
 rich experience with the activities of the 
 world having but intensified those innate qual- 
 ities which have made him influential in his 
 profession, and won for him the esteem and 
 confidence of his fellow-men. 
 
 The immigrating ancestor of the Duffie fam- 
 ily was born and reared in the vicinity of 
 Edinburgh, Scotland's metropolis, whence he 
 came to America in the early part of the 
 seventeenth century, settling in New York 
 City. One of his descendants was John 
 Duffie, a lifelong resident of New York City, 
 who died in 1808. He was an officer in the 
 Revolutionary army, serving as Commissary 
 and Major during the entire period of the 
 war, and winning distinction for his bravery. 
 He subsequently became a pioneer in the salt 
 business, being the original importer of that 
 commodity. He married Maria Roosevelt, who 
 belonged to one of the oldest Knickerbocker 
 families; and their son, Cornelius R., Sr., born 
 in 1789, was the father of Dr. Duffie. 
 
 Cornelius R. Duffie, Sr., entered Columbia 
 College when but sixteen years of age, 'and 
 was graduated in 1809. While a student there, 
 he founded the Peithalogian Society. In the 
 War of 1812-15 he was commissioned, by Gov- 
 ernor Enos Clinton Lieutenant in the State 
 militia, and was made a regimental paymaster. 
 He was for some time a Vestryman of Trinity 
 Church. Having pursued a course of theologi- 
 cal study, he was ordained Deacon in 1823 by 
 Bishop Hobart, and was appointed first rector 
 of St. Thomas's Church, holding that position 
 until his death, August 20, 1827. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Helena Bleecker, was 
 born in that part of the city through which 
 Bleecker Street, named in honor of one of her 
 kinsmen, now extends. Her progenitors were 
 among the earliest and most prominent settlers 
 of Manhattan, locating there in 1668. Her 
 grandfather Beache, who was a very influential 
 citizen, serving in many official capacities, as 
 President of the Chamber of Commerce re- 
 ceived General Washington on his entrance 
 to the city. James Bleecker, her father, 
 was a Commissary in the War of 1^812, and 
 paid off the troops. He was an Episco- 
 palian, and for many years a Vestryman in 
 Trinity Church. 
 
 Cornelius R. Duffie, the second, was born 
 on Chambers Street, then a fashionable resi- 
 dential portion of New York, and has taken a 
 genuine interest, sadness mingling with its 
 pleasure, in watching the rapid strides of busi- 
 ness through these former aristocratic thor- 
 oughfares, driving the select four hundred to 
 seek residence on Murray Hill. And, as new 
 avenues, streets, bays, institutions, have been 
 laid out, discovered, or founded, more than fifty 
 of them have been named for him or for some 
 of his ancestors. The early years of the fut- 
 ure Doctor of Divinity were spent in prepar- 
 ing for his professional life, attending private 
 
S62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 schools, and subsequently Columbia College, 
 where he was graduated in 1841. The follow- 
 ing year he began the study of theology in the 
 general theological seminary, and after his 
 graduation in 1845 was ordained Deacon. In 
 1846 he was elected assistant of Trinity 
 Church in New York City, and in 1848 as- 
 sumed the position of rector of St. John 
 Baptist Church, which he was instrumental in 
 organizing and with which he has since been 
 connected. In 1857 he was honored by being 
 chosen chaplain of Columbia College — a posi- 
 tion in which he has continued to exert a 
 strong and helpful influence. For several 
 years the Rev. Dr. Duffie was a Trustee of the 
 New York Theological Seminary. He has 
 been for many years Vice-President of the 
 New York Bible and Common Prayer Book 
 Society. Dr. Duffie is well known as a 
 gentleman of scholarly attainments, and has 
 published several sermons. 
 
 His first wife, whom he married in 1863, 
 Sarah B. Clarke, a daughter of Joel Clarke, 
 was also of historic ancestry, her grand-uncle 
 having been a signer of the Declaration of 
 Independence. She reared four children, the 
 following being a brief record: Cornelius R., 
 a resident of Litchfield; Cornelia, deceased; 
 Antoinette, who married Edward H. Cahill, 
 and has one child, Helen; and Archibald B. 
 Bleecker, who married Antoinette Lerocque 
 Roe, and resides in New York City. The 
 mother of these children passed to the larger 
 and fuller life when in the prime of a noble 
 womanhood, at forty-three years of age; and 
 the Doctor subsequently married Miss Lillie 
 A. Pelton. In politics Dr. Duffie is in sym- 
 pathy with the principles of the Republican 
 party, but, with the courage of his convictions, 
 votes for the man he thinks the more honest. 
 
 Cornelius R. Duffie, the eldest son of Dr. 
 Duffie, was reared in New York City. He 
 
 completed his education in Columbia College, 
 and was thereafter employed three years as a 
 clerk in the Chemical Bank. Being especially 
 endowed with musical talent, he then took 
 private lessons in his favorite study, and was 
 subsequently engaged as assistant organist at 
 St. Thomas's Church and at St. Bartholomew's 
 Church in his native city, and at St. George's 
 Church in Flushing, R.L In 1891 Mr. Duffie 
 came to Litchfield, and took up journalism, 
 purchasing the Litchfield Enquirer, which he 
 conducted successfully until October i, 1894, 
 when he sold out. Since that time he has 
 been somewhat interested in real estate. He 
 owns two fine dwelling-houses, one of which 
 he rents, the other, a beautiful residence, he 
 has just completed and furnished for himself 
 and family. In 1888 he was united in the 
 holy bonds of matrimony with Edith N. Lang- 
 don, a native of New York City and a collat- 
 eral descendant of William Penn. Their 
 union has been brightened by the birth of two 
 children — Dorothy and Archibald Duncan. 
 In politics Mr. Duffie is a stanch member of 
 the Republican party. 
 
 T^HARLES L. CALHOUN, a promi- 
 I jp nent farmer of New Preston, town of 
 
 ^.. — ^ Washington, was born on Calhoun 
 Street in Washington, this county, December 
 9, 1839. He is the son of David and Fanny 
 R. (Lemon) Calhoun, and is of Scotch de- 
 scent, his lineage running back to the Colque- 
 houns of Scotland, who intermarried with the 
 family of the Lairds of Luss, and were wealthy 
 land-owners. The original form of the name, 
 Colquehoun, is retained in Scotland, England, 
 and Ireland; but it is pronounced Cahoon. 
 The family removed from Scotland to Ireland 
 on account of persecution, and later from Ire- 
 land to America, three brothers — James, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 563 
 
 John, and David — coming to this country in 
 1 7 14. David, who settled at Stratford, Conn., 
 whence he removed to Woodbury, was the 
 direct ancestor of our subject. James Cal- 
 houn, the grandfather of Charles L., was a 
 farmer in Washington ; and in the home on 
 Calhoun Street, that town, his son David, the 
 father of our subject, was born. He also de- 
 voted his life to agriculture, knowing no other 
 home than the house of his nativity during 
 the seventy-eight years of his life. His wife, 
 who was a daughter of Charles Lemon, a 
 farmer of Washington, is now living on the 
 homestead, and is in her seventy-.seventh year. 
 They reared the following children : Charles 
 L., the subject of this sketch; Ellen, de- 
 ceased ; Frances, who married Thomas W. 
 Beech; Lucy, who married Henry R. Jones, 
 and has two children ^ — Clarence and Charles; 
 and George, who died in infancy. 
 
 Charles L. Calhoun received a practical 
 education in the schools of Washington, at an 
 early age becoming familiar with farm work, 
 to which his life has since been devoted. His 
 property is in a fine state of cultivation, and he 
 receives a comfortable income from the prod- 
 ucts of his land. 
 
 On January 28, 1866, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Melissa Case, daughter of Harlow 
 and Loly B. (Adams) Case, of Barkhamsted, 
 and five children have blessed their union, 
 namely: George, deceased; Ellen A.; Eve- 
 lyn L. ; Fanny B. ; and Henry E. 
 
 In politics Mr. Calhoun is a Democrat. He 
 is a man of conservative judgment and keen 
 intelligence, and has served for many years as 
 Justice of the Peace. He has also served as 
 a member of the grand jury. In religious 
 belief he favors the Congregational church. 
 One of the old residents of Washington, he is 
 also an honorable representative of an old and 
 distinguished family. 
 
 EROME BERRY, of Kent, belongs to 
 a family of ancient and honorable de- 
 scent, which numbers in its ancestral 
 line many of the leading men and high officials 
 of County Devon, England. The farm on 
 which he resides is the home in which s.ix 
 generations of this branch of the family have 
 lived, his children representing the sixth gen- 
 eration of those who have dwelt in Kent and 
 the ninth from the first American progenitor. 
 The parents of Jerome Berry are John C. and 
 Ann (Marsh) Berry; and he was born in Kent, 
 February i, 1845. 
 
 William Berry, the first one of the family 
 to leave England, came hither in a sailing 
 vessel, commanded by Captain Mason ; and 
 on his arrival in 163 1 he settled at Ports- 
 mouth, N.H. Although then but twenty-one 
 years of age, he soon became prominent in 
 that community and an owner of land in dif- 
 ferent towns. As early as 1632 he resided at 
 Sandy Beach. It is said that he was one of 
 the first settlers in the town of Rye, N.H. ; 
 and he was one of the grantees of Newbury, 
 Mass. His wife, Jane Berry, who was nine 
 years his junior, was born in 1619. Their 
 son, Joseph, lived for a time in Portsmouth, 
 but later on removed to Greenland, N.H., 
 where his last days were spent. Joseph's son, 
 Nathaniel Berry, removed to Mansfield, 
 Conn., where he became a large land-owner. 
 He died in 1718, leaving a widow, Elizabeth 
 Berry, and several children, one of whom, 
 Nathaniel, Jr., became the founder of the 
 Berry settlement in Kent. He was born in 
 New Hampshire about the year 1700, and is 
 first mentioned in his father's will, dated 
 1718. About three years latet he settled in 
 Tolland, Conn. The first grant of the town 
 of Kent, which was made in May, 1731, and 
 enlarged and confirmed in 1747, was to Na- 
 thaniel Berry and others. In 1738 his name 
 
5^4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 appeared among the original proprietors; and 
 the following year he moved his family to that 
 town. In 1743, at the meeting of the General 
 Assembly, a petition signed by Nathaniel 
 Berry and others to have the land lying on the 
 west side of the town annexed to it was 
 granted. In that same year he was appointed 
 to collect taxes on unimproved land in Kent 
 and to pay the same to the Selectmen of Kent, 
 to be applied toward building a house for di- 
 vine worship and paying the minister's salary. 
 The grand list of 1745 shows that he was the 
 largest land-owner in the town, his property 
 being valued at one hundred and fifteen pounds 
 sterling. His name also appears among the 
 list of Connecticut men who obtained grant of 
 land from the six nations of Indians on the 
 Susquehanna River in 1754. His will bears 
 the date of September 30, 1757; and his death 
 occurred soon after. He was one of the 
 charter members of the First Church of Kent, 
 which was incorporated in 1741. In 1740, at 
 the meeting of the General Assembly at Hart- 
 ford, he was appointed Ensign of the Kent 
 militia. In 1745 he was promoted to the 
 rank of Lieutenant, and five years later he was 
 advanced to the position of Captain. His 
 wife, Rebecca Berry, died May 2, 1783, 
 eighty-three years of age. They reared eight 
 children; namely, Marah, Jonathan, Joseph, 
 Rebecca, Elizabeth, Ann, Nathaniel, and 
 Ebenezer. 
 
 Nathaniel Berry, third, who was born in 
 Tolland, Conn., in 1736, came to Kent with 
 his parents, being but a small boy at that 
 time. In 1804 and 1805 he was a member of 
 the General Assembly. He spent an active 
 and useful life, although in his later years he 
 lost his sight. He is supposed to have been 
 present at the massacre by the Indians in 
 Wyoming Valley, as his grandson, John C. 
 Berry, repeating statements of his grandfather, 
 
 alleged that he (the grandfather) at one time 
 had been barricaded by the Indians and forced 
 to run the gauntlet, but succeeded in making 
 his escape with slight injuries after running a 
 distance of five miles. He died on January 7, 
 1827. His wife, Hannah (Caswell) Berry, 
 to whom he was married in 1759, lived to be 
 but fifty years of age, dying January 2, 1794. 
 They were the parents of eight children, of 
 whom Abijah, born January 4, 1767, contin- 
 ued to live on the old homestead during his 
 life. He died October 3, 1821, fifty-four 
 years of age, six years prior to his father's 
 death and when his children were small. His 
 wife, Deidamia (Beardsley) Berry, was a 
 daughter of David Beardsley, of Stratford, 
 Conn. She lived to the advanced age of 
 ninety-seven years, dying on November 9, 
 1867. Their three children were: Caroline; 
 Patty Wells; and John C, the latter born 
 August 24, 1806. 
 
 Like his predecessors, John C. Berry was 
 one of the leading citizens of the town; and 
 for a number of years he served as Major in 
 the Kent militia. He married Miss Ann 
 Marsh, who was born February 28, 1807, a 
 daughter of Elihu and Urania (Stilson) Marsh. 
 She was a descendant of William Marsh, of 
 Plainfield, Conn., who was wounded at the 
 Narrangansett Swamp fight. They reared 
 eight children; namely, Nathaniel, Edwin, 
 Frederick N., John, Sophia, Charles W., 
 Jerome, and Caroline. The first-named, Na- 
 thaniel, married Johanna Dwight; and they 
 had four children: William G., Eleanor, 
 Lillian, and Sophia. Edwin married Lucy 
 Ames, but both are now deceased. They left 
 one child, John A. Frederick N. married 
 Adaline Northrup, both now deceased. 
 Sophia became the wife of a Mr. Gunn, and 
 had two children — Catherine and Charles. 
 Charles W. married Maria Bank; and they 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 565 
 
 have one child, Helen. Caroline also mar- 
 ried, and has one son, Henry B. The name 
 of the other child, Jerome, appears at the head 
 of this sketch. John C. Berry died April 26, 
 1885, aged seventy-eight years, and his wife 
 December 11, 1887, when over eighty years 
 old. He was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and was a Deacon for many 
 years. 
 
 Jerome Berry, the present owner of the old 
 homestead, which has been in the possession 
 oi the family for upwards of a century and a 
 half, is one of the leading agriculturists of 
 Kent and a highly respected citizen of that 
 place. On October to, 1871, he was joined 
 in marriage with Miss Flora E. Smith, daugh- 
 ter of Chauncey and Rebecca (Spooner) 
 Smith, of Kent. Her father died at the age 
 of seventy-eight, and her mother when thirty- 
 nine years old. They left five children, 
 namely: Margaret F., now Mrs. Stanton, who 
 has three children — William H., Curtis H., 
 and Samuel W. ; William R., who married 
 Ida Thomas, and has five children — Mary L., 
 Flora E., Chauncey, Joseph, and Jessie; 
 Elizabeth S., now Mrs. Dorty, who has two 
 children — Alice and Charles ; Flora E. ; and 
 Charles S. One of Mrs. Berry's ancestors, 
 Elizabeth Robinson, came to this country in 
 the "Mayflower." Mr. and Mrs. Berry are 
 the parents of four children; namely, Fred- 
 erick M., Caroline B., Margaret P., and 
 Mary R. 
 
 «^«^i 
 
 JYRON W. PEASE, M.D., a promi- 
 nent physician and highly esteemed 
 citizen of Thomaston, Conn., where 
 he has been engaged in practice since com- 
 pleting his medical studies, a period of nearly 
 twenty-five years, was born in Burlington, 
 Conn., on September 29, 1838. He is a son 
 of Sylvanus H. and Emeline (Roberts) Pease, 
 
 and grandson of Henry Roberts, of Torring- 
 ford. Conn. 
 
 Sylvanus H. Pease, whose birth occurred in 
 the town of Summers, in State of New York, 
 received a common-school education, and early 
 acquired a practical knowledge of mechanics. 
 When a young man, he came to Connecticut, 
 and went to work at his trade in Burlington. 
 He there contracted marriage. Later on he 
 secured a position in the Gilbert Clock Shop 
 at Winsted, Conn. He worked many years in 
 this clock shop and for the Union Chair Com- 
 pany at Robertsville, Conn. He owned a 
 small place about a mile from Winsted vil- 
 lage, near Robertsville, but in the town of 
 Winchester. In 1864 he sold this place, and 
 purchased a farm in West Granville, Mass., 
 upon which he lived until by reason of age 
 he became unable to work it. Going back to 
 Robertsville, he resumed work in the chair- 
 shop; but, his health failing, he moved to 
 Winsted, and passed the remainder of his days 
 with his son Robert, near by his old place. 
 He died in the eighty-second year of his age, 
 and was buried in Burrville Cemetery, Con- 
 necticut. His wife, Emeline Roberts, was a 
 daughter of Henry Roberts, a successful agri- 
 culturist of Torringford, whose parents were 
 among the early settlers of that locality. 
 Mrs. Pease and her husband reared six manly 
 sons, all of whom were in service in the War 
 of the Rebellion at one time, and all are still 
 living. Henry R. Pease, the eldest, at the 
 time of his enlistment in Ellington, Conn., 
 where he was studying law with Judge Brock- 
 way, was appointed Orderly Sergeant in Com- 
 pany F of the Twenty-fifth Connecticut Regi- 
 ment, but was afterward detached and commis- 
 sioned as Captain; and, after several months 
 spent in the detached service, he became as- 
 sociated with the Freedmen's Bureau. At the 
 close of the war he took up his residence in 
 
S66 
 
 BtOGRAPttlCAL REVIEW 
 
 Mississippi, where he held the public posi- 
 tions of State Superintendent Public Educa- 
 tion during the reconstruction period, Post- 
 master at Vicksburg, and United States 
 Senator. Later he was appointed Receiver of 
 Public Moneys at Watertown, So. Dak., where 
 he is now serving as State Senator. 
 
 Luman Pease, the second son, entered the 
 Thirteenth Connecticut Regiment, Depart- 
 ment of the Gulf. Franklin Pease, the fourth, 
 served in the Eleventh Connecticut Regiment, 
 Department of the Potomac. Horton, the 
 fifth son, enlisted in Company F of the 
 Twenty-fifth Connecticut Regiment, and is at 
 present living in Thomaston, Conn., an ex- 
 Postmaster and respected citizen thereof; and 
 Robert Pease served in the Army of the Po- 
 tomac. Each of these four brothers acted as 
 musician in their respective positions through- 
 out their service. The sixth son, but the third 
 in order of birth, was Byron W. Pease, the 
 special subject of this sketch. Their mother 
 continued to live in Winsted and with her son 
 Franklin in Barkhamsted, Conn., until just 
 before her death, which occurred at the home 
 of Horton Pease in Thomaston. She lived to 
 be eighty-three years old. Their father was 
 a Universalist in religious belief, and in po- 
 litical views an ardent Democrat. 
 
 Byron W. Pease remained with his parents 
 only until he was nine years old, going at that 
 time to live with his uncle. Nelson Roberts, 
 in Torringford, Conn., where he remained 
 until he was fourteen years of age. He ob- 
 tained his early education in the common 
 schools of Winsted and at the high school of 
 Ellington, Conn. He taught school when 
 only seventeen years of age at Colebrook 
 River, Conn., and later at Riverton and 
 Pleasant Valley, also at Morristown, N.J. In 
 i860 he entered the Ellington school to pre- 
 pare for college. Under the call for nine 
 
 months' volunteers he enlisted as a private 
 in Company F, Twenty-fifth Connecticut, his 
 brothers Henry and Horton, together with 
 several other students, enlisting at the same 
 time in this company and regiment. 
 
 Upon arrival in New Orleans, La., Byron 
 W. Pease was detached from his regiment, 
 and placed on duty as chief clerk in the 
 Quartermaster Department at General Auger's 
 headquarters. Baton Rouge, La. Later he 
 was appointed Hospital Steward, and served 
 as such until expiration of his term of enlist- 
 ment. Returning North, he resumed the 
 study of medicine with Dr. H. B. Steele, of 
 West Winsted, Conn., with whom he had 
 studied about a year before entering the 
 Ellington school. He entered Bellevue Hos- 
 pital Medical College, New York City, and 
 took a full course in the session of 1863. In 
 the spring of 1864 he was commissioned As- 
 sistant Surgeon, and reported to N. P. Banks, 
 general commanding Department of the Gulf, 
 and' was assigned to an engineer regiment at 
 Brazos, Santiago, Tex., was mustered in, and 
 put in charge of a hospital at Brownsville, 
 Tex. Later, although the youngest surgeon 
 in the deparment, he was placed in charge of 
 the post hospital at Brazos, Santiago, where 
 he remained until his regiment was consoli- 
 dated with another. 
 
 He was mustered out of service at New Or- 
 leans, and, taking a contract, was placed on 
 duty at the Marine Hospital as Contract Sur- 
 geon, and as such served until June, 1866, 
 when he returned North, bringing with him 
 a wife, one of New Orleans's most beautiful 
 flowers, a daughter of Thaddeus and Margaret 
 (Nelson) Quinn, who formerly lived in Provi- 
 dence, R.I., where this daughter, Marianne 
 L., was born. Her father was a Southern 
 planter. He fell a victim to cholera a few 
 years before the war, in the forty-second year 
 
ABEL CALHOUN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 569 
 
 of his life. Her mother died at thirty-five 
 years of age. Both parents were members of 
 the Presbyterian church. Upon his return to 
 the North the Doctor settled in Plymouth 
 Hollow, now Thomaston, Conn., and engaged 
 in the drug and grocery business at the old 
 Seth Thomas stand, which he carried 01; suc- 
 cessfully until 1873. Selling out, he then re- 
 sumed the study of medicine, and graduated 
 at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New 
 York City, in 1875, since which time he has 
 been engaged in the full practice of medi- 
 cine, with a large and increasing patronage. 
 He was Assistant Postmaster for several years, 
 has been Justice of the Peace and Fire Com- 
 missioner, and is one of the substantial citi- 
 zens of Thomaston. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Pease have had five children. 
 Two died in infancy. Walter B., the eldest, 
 died at twenty-three years of age. He was a 
 medical student in Bellevue Medical College 
 at the time of his death in October, 1893. 
 The two daughters now living are Jessica B. 
 and Ruth C. Pease. Jessica B., the older, is 
 a piano teacher in Thomaston ; and Ruth C. 
 is in the Gilbert School in Winsted, Conn., 
 preparing for Wellesley College, which she 
 expects to enter in 1897. 
 
 In political affiliation Dr. Pease is a stanch 
 Republican. Among the fraternal orders 
 with which he .is connected are the Union 
 Masonic Lodge, No. 96, of which he is Past 
 Master; Granite Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, 
 No. 36, of which he is Past High Priest; and 
 Clark Commandery, Knights Templars, No. 7, 
 of Waterbury. He is Past Standard Bearer of 
 the last named, and has taken the thirty-third 
 degree in the Scottish Rite of Masonry, and 
 is also a member of the Council in Water- 
 bury. In Franklin Lodge, No. 42, Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows, of Thomaston, he 
 is Past Noble Grand, and has been a promi- 
 
 nent member of the Knights of .Pythias. Dr. 
 Pease is a man of fine intellect, courteous and 
 affable in manner, and a worthy representa- 
 tive of the independent practice of medicine. 
 He is an attendant of the Congregational 
 church, of which his wife and daughters are 
 members, taking an active part in all church 
 work, the daughters being especially interested 
 in the Christian Endeavor Society. 
 
 BEL CALHOUN, a progressive farmer 
 of Washington, Conn., was born on 
 the farm which he now cultivates, 
 July 29, 1822. He is the younger son of 
 Reuben and Hannah (Beers) Calhoun, both 
 natives of Washington, and comes of an an- 
 cient and illustrious family, tracing, his lin- 
 eage to the Colquehouns of Scotland, the 
 Lairds of Luss. The original name, Colque- 
 houn, is still retained in Scotland, England, 
 and Ireland, and is pronounced Cahoun. 
 
 Buchanan says in his "Inquiry into the 
 Genealogy of Ancient Scottish Surnames " : 
 "The ancestor of the surname of Colquehoun 
 was Humphry Kilpatrick, in whose favor the 
 Earl of Lenox granted a charter of the lands 
 of Colquehoun, in the reign of Alexander II., 
 about the year 1200. The meaning of the 
 town Colquehoun is a sea-coasting common, 
 or port. The first who assumed the name 
 Colquehoun was Ingram, the successor of the 
 above-named Kilpatrick. Three or four gen- 
 erations after, in the year 1374, Humphrey 
 Colquehoun married the daughter of Godfrey, 
 Laird of Luss. Andrew Calhoun, the father 
 of the late William B. Calhoun, of Spring- 
 field, Mass., and the Rev. Simeon Calhoun, 
 D.D., a former missionary in Asia Minor, 
 now deceased, was born in the north of Ire- 
 land in the year 1764, and emigrated to 
 America in 1790. He informed his sons that 
 
57° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVl£W 
 
 many of his relations in Europe still retained 
 the name of Colquehoun; and the following 
 is found in a letter from the Rev. Dr. Simeon 
 Calhoun: 'There are some Calhouns in Ken- 
 tucky who are nearly connected with our fam- 
 ily, having emigrated to this country about 
 the time of the Revolution.' In the same 
 letter it is stated that the writer's great- 
 grandfather, whose name was William, emi- 
 grated from Scotland to Ireland on account of 
 persecution. 
 
 "David Calhoun was born in Scotland about 
 1690. He with his father's family removed 
 from Scotland to the north of Ireland on ac- 
 count of persecution, and settled near London- 
 derry. It is not unlikely that he was brother 
 of William Calhoun, grandfather of the Hon. 
 William B. Calhoun and the Rev. Dr. Simeon 
 Calhoun, and of the ancestor of the Calhouns 
 of Kentucky. At least, they must have been 
 nearly allied. The persecutions which the 
 family experienced in Scotland followed them 
 to Ireland, and caused James, John, and 
 David to emigrate to America in 1714. 
 David Calhoun settled at Stratford, Conn., 
 where he married Mrs. Catherine (Coe) Fair- 
 child, and in 1732 moved to Washington, 
 Litchfield County, and here on the farm now 
 occupied by his great-grandson, Mr. Abel 
 Calhoun, lived till his death, about the year 
 1766, at the age of eighty or eighty-five. 
 His brother James settled in Maryland, and 
 his brother John in South Carolina. A son 
 of James was for a long time Mayor of Balti- 
 more. Two of John's sons were members of 
 Congress, and one a member of the Senate. 
 The Hon. 'J. C. Calhoun is a grandson of 
 John." 
 
 The sons of David and Catherine Calhoun 
 were Joseph, David, James, John, Ebenezer, 
 and George. James Calhoun was a farmer in 
 Washington, where he died at the age of 
 
 seventy-five. He married Mary Guthrie; and 
 they reared eight children, four of whom were 
 sons — namely, Reuben, James, William, and 
 Elijah. Reuben Calhoun, son of James and 
 Mary, was born on the homestead, and was 
 content to follow the occupation of his father, 
 rounding out a long life of ninety-four years. 
 He and his wife, Hannah Beers, were the par- 
 ents of two sons. Burr and Abel, the latter 
 being the special subject of the present 
 sketch. 
 
 Abel Calhoun received a fair education in 
 the district schools of his native town. 
 Reared in a farming district, he was early ini- 
 tiated into the science and practice of agri- 
 culture, and succeeded his father as owner and 
 manager of the home farm. He is very suc- 
 cessful in his chosen pursuit, and occupies 
 a leading position in the community. Mr. 
 Calhoun was married in 1849 to Mary R. 
 Judson, daughter of Harlow and Sally (Pren- 
 tice) Judson. One child blessed their union, 
 a daughter named Mary A., who died in her 
 twelfth year. In politics Mr. Calhoun is a 
 Republican. He is a well-informed man, 
 possessed of good judgment and clear under- 
 standing. In religious belief he is a Congre- 
 gational ist. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. Calhoun will be found on 
 a preceding page. 
 
 7) 
 
 URTON H. MATTOON, a promi- 
 nent business man of Watertown, 
 where he is engaged in the real 
 estate and insurance business, was born in 
 Watertown, Conn., October 15, 1850. He is 
 a son of Henry J. and Miranda (Fenn) Mat- 
 toon, and on the paternal side belongs to one 
 of the oldest families in the town, his great- 
 great-grandfather having been one of the first 
 to clear a farm here from the wilderness. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 571 
 
 His sqn, Amasa, was born on this farm, and 
 also devoted his life to agriculture, dying in 
 Watertown at an advanced age. David Mat- 
 toon, the son of Amasa and grandfather of 
 Burton H., was born in Watertown, Decem- 
 ber 23, 1781, and followed in his father's 
 footsteps, gaining a comfortable livelihood by 
 tilling the soil. He lived to a good old age, 
 having passed, the allotted threescore years 
 and ten at the time of his death. 
 
 Henry J. Mattodn, the father, of our subject, 
 was born on his father's farm in Watertown 
 in 1826. On reaching his majority, he left 
 home, and went to work for the American 
 Suspender Company, subsequently finding em- 
 ployment with the Wheeler & Wilson Manu- 
 facturing Company. In 1871 he went into 
 business in Watertown, and was owner of 
 a general store, which he sold to his sons, 
 and then engaged in the sale of feed and coal. 
 In 1885, having acquired a competency, he 
 retired from active business; and he is now 
 living in Watertown, enjoying the fruits of a 
 well-earned prosperity. Politically a Repub- 
 lican, he has taken an active part in town 
 affairs, serving as Town Treasurer, Collector, 
 and- in other capacities. His name appears 
 also on the grand jury list. In religious be- 
 lief an Episcopalian, he has been for some 
 time a Vestryman of Christ Church, and is a 
 prominent member of the parish. He was 
 twice married. His first wife, Miranda Fenn, 
 whose father was a -farmer of Plymouth, was 
 born in Plymouth, Conn. She died in 1858, 
 at the age of thirty-two, leaving two children: 
 Alfred H., now a farmer in Watertown; and 
 Burton H. She was a member of the Metho- 
 dist church. The second Mrs. Mattoon, who 
 is yet living, was before marriage Mary M. 
 Scott, of Watertown. 
 
 Burton H. Mattoon received a good educa- 
 tion, attending the common schools and the 
 
 academy at Watertown, and leaving home at 
 the age of fourteen to take a course of study 
 at the Stamford Seminary of Stamford, Dela- 
 ware County, N.Y. On graduating from this 
 institution, he returned home, and went into 
 business with his father and brother, and sub- 
 sequently managed a large general store for 
 twenty-one years, witnessing many changes 
 in the business life of the town, which 
 increased materially during that period. In 
 1892, when he disposed of his business, he 
 had been in trade longer than any other mer- 
 chant in Watertown, and had a successful rec- 
 ord to look back upon. At the present time, 
 besides his real estate and insurance business, 
 he is interested in many other enterprises. 
 He is Secretary and Treasurer of the Water- 
 town Savings Bank, and is Treasurer of the 
 ■Specialty Manufacturing Company, which has 
 offices in Watertown, New York, and Provi- 
 dence, and is engaged in the manufacture of 
 a valuable heat regulator. 
 
 October 10, 1875, Mr. Mattoon was united 
 in marriage with Estelle M., daughter of 
 Henry G. Scott, a respected citizen of Water- 
 town, a mason by trade. Six children com- 
 plete Mr. Mattoon's family circle: B&rtha 
 Estelle, Linus Fenn, Sarah Miranda, Mary 
 Scott, Frank Hiram, and Henry Amasa. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Mattoon favors the Repub- 
 lican party. He has been Town Treasurer 
 since 1885, Town Clerk since 1888, and was 
 in the legislature in 1893. Socially, he is a 
 Mason, belonging to Federal Lodge, No. 17, 
 of Watertown, and Eureka Chapter, Royal 
 Arch Masons, No. 42, of Waterbury, and a 
 Knight of Pythias, belonging to Columbia 
 Lodge, No. 12, in which he has held nearly 
 all the offices. He is a member of General 
 A. H. Terry Council, No. 60, Order of United 
 American Mechanics, and Court Merritt 
 Heminway, No. 48, Foresters of America. 
 
S72 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In each of these associations he has held 
 office, being Past Master of Federal Lodge, 
 Past Councillor of General A. H. Terry 
 Council, Past Chief Ranger of the Order of 
 Foresters, and Past Chancellor of Knights of 
 Pythias. He is a Vestryman of Christ Church 
 (Episcopal), and his wife and family also are 
 members of that church. 
 
 13 
 
 |OYAL"B. LAKE, a prominent citizen 
 of Bethlehem, Conn., was born in 
 that town, January 20, 1849, ^^^ 
 of Walter and Alma C. (Nettleton) Lake. 
 His great-grandfather, Peter Lake, was an im- 
 portant member of the farming community of 
 Newtown, Conn. ; and in that place our sub- 
 ject's grandfather, Amos Lake, was born. 
 He located in Bethlehem when a young man, 
 and, clearing a tract of land, devoted the rest 
 of his life to its cultivation. In religious be- 
 lief he was an Episcopalian, and the first re- 
 ligious society of Bethlehem was organized in 
 his house. He was twice married, his first 
 wife, whose maiden name was Catherine 
 Blackman, leaving three children: Catherine, 
 Norman, and Julia. His second wife, Mary 
 A. Bennett, was the mother of seven: Mary, 
 Walter, Benjamin, Horatio, Peter, Sarah, and 
 Caroline. Walter Lake, father of Royal B., 
 was born on his father's farm in Bethlehem, 
 and reared to agricultural pursuits. He set- 
 tled on a farm about a mile and a half north 
 of the homestead, and engaged in general 
 farming, deriving a comfortable living from 
 the products of the soil. His wife, Alma C. 
 Nettleton, died at the age of twenty-eight, 
 leaving two children: Royal B., the subject 
 of this sketch; and Amos C. Mr. Lake sub- 
 sequently married Mrs. Julia (Stone) Potter, 
 of Bethlehem, who is still living. They 
 are both members of the Episcopal church. 
 
 Royal B. Lake acquired his preliminary 
 education in the district school, and finished 
 his studies at Suffield Academy. On leaving 
 school, he taught for three seasons, and then 
 settled down to farming, in which he has been 
 very successful. He is progressive in his 
 methods, and his sound judgment and steady 
 industry have met with their natural reward. 
 He is one of the leading farmers of the local- 
 ity, and is a member of Bethlehem Grange, 
 No. 121. In 1879 Mr. Lake was united in 
 marriage with Josephine Bacon, daughter of 
 Amaziah Bacon, a well-to-do farmer of Bethle- 
 hem; and three children have brightened 
 their home: Edna, Robert, and Eva. Mr. 
 Lake is a Democrat in politics. Both he and 
 his wife are members of the Episcopal church. 
 Representatives of two of the old families of 
 Bethlehem, they are well known and respected 
 in the town, where many of their kindred have 
 lived and died. 
 
 ^TTdWARD NORTON, son of Deacon 
 Jpl Lewis M. Norton, the historian of 
 Goshen, and of his wife, Laura Foote, 
 of Canton, Conn., was born in Goshen, Conn., 
 on February 20, 1820. Of Mr. Norton's four 
 brothers one alone remains living, and of his 
 three sisters only one is left. A further rec- 
 ord of his ancestry is appended to this sketch. 
 In Mr. Norton's childhood and youth there 
 was the usual variety of busy days of toil upon 
 the farm, pleasant school-days and happy home 
 life. This last was all that faithful parents 
 and the companionship of four brothers and 
 three sisters could make it. The school-days, 
 always pleasant while in the district and se- 
 lect schools, were far more so during the years 
 spent in Goshen Academy, an institution 
 somewhat famous in its early time, where 
 many young men were fitted for college. Here 
 compositions and declamations were much 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 573 
 
 enjoyed, but the climax was reached at the 
 time of the exhibition in the, spring at the 
 close of the winter term. He does not re- 
 member ever hearing his parents tell him to 
 be sure to improve all his time either in work 
 or school. It would have seemed as super- 
 fluous as telling him to get -ready to go to 
 church when Sabbath mornings came round, 
 for no question was ever raised in regard to 
 that. While he thus pursued the even tenor 
 of his way until manhood, like many others 
 he inherited a taste for what are called hob- 
 bies; and it would be correct to say that his 
 hobbies were music and, later in life, time- 
 keeping as connected with astronomy. Per- 
 haps the first was cultivated by attending the 
 old-time singing schools, so attractive in those 
 days, and by singing in the choir for sixty 
 years, from 1835 to 1895, and also by re- 
 hearsals and chorus singing with singers from 
 neighboring towns at their annual concert. 
 The other hobby found expression in middle 
 life in taking some castaway relics of time- 
 pieces of the past century and making of them 
 regulators good for another century. 
 
 In 1849 he married Mary A. Wooster, of 
 Huntington, Conn. Their home life has been 
 brightened by the six children given them: 
 three sons, Wilbert W., Edward M., and Eu- 
 gene P., and three daughters, Mary Alida, 
 Anna L., and Louise W., besides another 
 daughter, who died in infancy, Florence. The 
 six children have all become members of the 
 Congregational church here, of which their 
 faither has been a Deacon since 1868, twenty- 
 seven years. One son is a Deacon in a neigh- 
 boring church, and one son an Elder in a Pres- 
 byterian church. Of these children the three 
 sons and one daughter are married, the daugh- 
 ter and two of the sons having children. 
 
 About two years before his marriage Mr. 
 Norton formed a partnership with his father, 
 
 who had a little earlier established the first 
 cheese factory in this country where they made 
 pineapple cheese. Continuing in company 
 with his father until the death of the latter in 
 i860, he has since that time carried on the 
 business alone, although for many years he 
 has been ably assisted by his two elder sons, 
 the youngest son having for some years been 
 engaged in the same business in Western 
 New York. For some years one million 
 pounds of milk or more have been converted 
 into these cheeses, making forty-five to forty- 
 eight thousand cheeses annually. 
 
 Mr. Norton was a member of the legislature 
 for the years 1870 and 1871. In 1873, having 
 an appointment at the Exposition at Vienna, 
 he went abroad, and spent some time there, 
 greatly enjoying his stay in Great Britain and 
 the countries of Europe where once dwelt his 
 ancestors in the far past. The double claim 
 of Mr. Edward Norton to be — in common with 
 some other true born Americans whose pedi- 
 grees have been published — of royal descent 
 • is ingeniously set forth in the condensed par- 
 agraphs below, the first tracing his father's 
 ancestry and the second his mother's through 
 various male and female lines to William the 
 Conqueror, the third naming the progenitors 
 of the far-off queen-mother, Matilda of 
 Flanders, for fifteen generations: — 
 
 Lewis Mills Norton was son of Ebenezer 
 Norton and Charity Mills; he, son of Colonel 
 Ebenezer Norton and Elizabeth Baldwin; she, 
 daughter of the How. Nathaniel Baldwin and 
 Elizabeth Parmelee ; he, son of Abigail Bald- 
 win and Samuel Baldwin; she, daughter of 
 Mary Bruen and John Baldwin ; she, daughter 
 
 of John Bruen, Esq., and Margaret ; he, 
 
 son of Lady Dorothy Holford and John Bruen ; 
 she, daughter of Jane Booth and Thomas Hol- 
 ford; she, daughter of Sir William Booth and 
 Lady Ellen Montgomery; he, son of Katherine 
 
574 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Montford and Sir George Booth ; she, daughter 
 of Robert Montford; he, son of Sir William 
 de Montfort and Margaret de Peche; he, son 
 of Lady Margaret Clinton and Sir Baldwin de 
 Montfort; she, daughter of Lady Idones de 
 Saye and Sir John Clinton; she, daughter of 
 Maud de Beauchamp and Geoffrey de Saye; 
 she, daughter of Alice de Toni and Guy de 
 Beauchamp; she, daughter of Ralph de Toni 
 and Alice de Bohun; she, daughter of Matilda 
 de Exodun and Humphrey de Bohun; she, 
 daughter of Alix and Ralph de Exodun; she, 
 daughter and heir of Henry de Eu and Matild 
 Marshall; he, son of John de Eu and Alice 
 de Alliney; he, son of Henry de Eu and Mar- 
 garet de Sullis; she, daughter of William de 
 Blois and Agnes de Sulli (William took his 
 wife's name); he, son of Adela and Stephen, 
 Count of Blois; she, daughter of William the 
 Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. 
 
 Laura Foote was daughter of John Foote 
 and Louis Mills; he, son of Captain John 
 Foote and Rosanna Humphrey; she, daughter 
 of Jonathan Humphrey and Mercy Ruggles; 
 she, daughter of the Rev. Benjamin Ruggles 
 and Mercy Woodbridge; she, daughter of the 
 Rev. John Woodbridge and Abigail Leete, 
 daughter of Governor Leete; he, son of the 
 Rev. John Woodbridge and Mercy Dudley; 
 she, daughter of Governor Thomas Dudley (of 
 
 Massachusetts) and Dorothy ; he, son of 
 
 Roger Dudley, of Northamptonshire, England ; 
 he, son of John Dudley, of London; he, son of 
 
 Thomas de Dudley and Threlkeld; he, 
 
 son of Maud Clifford and Sir Edmund Sutton; 
 she, daughter of Thomas Lord Clifford and 
 
 Elizabeth ; she, daughter of Elizabeth 
 
 Mortimer and Henry Percy; she, daughter of 
 Phillippa and Edward, Earl of Marshe; she, 
 daughter of Prince Lionel and Elizabeth 
 Burgh; he, son of Edward HL (king) and 
 Phillippa; he, son of Edward H. and Princess 
 
 Isabelle of France; he, son of Edward L and 
 Queen Eleanor; he, son of Henry HL and 
 Eleanor of Provence; he, son of John (of 
 Magna Charta fame) and Isabella; he, son of 
 Henry H. and Eleanor of Aquitaine; he, son 
 of Geoffrey Plantagenet and Matilda; she, 
 daughter of Henry L and Matilda of Scot- 
 land. Henry L (Beauclerc) was son of Will- 
 iam the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. 
 
 Matilda of Flanders was daughter of Bald- 
 win v.. Count of Flanders, and Adela, Prin- 
 cess of France; he, son of Baldwin IV. and 
 Ogivia of Luxemburg; he, son of Arnold II. 
 and Rosalie, Princess of Italy; he, son of 
 Baldwin III. and Matilda of Provence; he, 
 son of Arnold I. and Adela of Vermandois; 
 he, son of Baldwin II. and Elstruda, Princess 
 of England, daughter of Alfred the Great; he, 
 son of Baldwin I. and Judith, widow of Ethel- 
 wolf, King of England; she, daughter of 
 Charles II., King of France, and Ermentrude 
 of Orleans; he, son of Louis I. and Judith, 
 daughter of Guelph, ancestor of Victoria; he, 
 son of Charlemagne and Hildegarde; he, son 
 of Pepin (the Short) and Bertha, daughter of 
 Charibut; he, son of Charles Martel and 
 Rotrude; he, son of Pepin de Heristel and 
 Alpaide; he, son of Ansigise and Begga, 
 called St. Begga; he, son of Arnold, Duke of 
 Austrasia and Dodo of Saxony. 
 
 Arnold died, it is said, 640 a.d., or twelve 
 hundred and fifty-six years ago. This would 
 allow thirty-one years for each of the forty 
 generations succeeding him, as above repre- 
 sented. Mr. Norton, it may be added, con- 
 siders both lines "free from all uncertainty." 
 
 M 
 
 R. HARMON W. SHOVE, late of 
 ^ . Woodbury, who was at one time a 
 prominent physician in the county, 
 was born in Warren, this county, July 30, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 57S 
 
 1823. He was the son of Cyrus and Salome 
 (Young) Shove, and a descendant in the fourth 
 generation of the Rev. Seth Shove, who came 
 to this country from England about the year 
 1700, and became pastor of the First Congre- 
 gational Church of Danbury, Conn. His 
 sons, Seth and Levi, went to Warren, where 
 they engaged in farming. Seth, who was the 
 grandfather of Dr. Shove, reared but one son, 
 Cyrus. Cyrus Shove also followed agriculture 
 for a livelihood. He died when comparatively 
 young, leaving seven children. 
 
 Harmon W. Shove attended the Howard 
 Academy in Warren for three years, finishing 
 his course when about eighteen years of age. 
 He then taught in New Jersey four years, 
 in New York two years, and in Connecticut 
 two years. In 1849 he began to study medi- 
 cine with Drs. Beckwith and Seymour, of 
 Litchfield, and also attended lectures. He 
 subsequently took one course at Yale Medical 
 College, from which he graduated in the 
 spring of 1852, and two courses at the College 
 of Physicians and Surgeons of New York 
 City. While pursuing his studies, he was 
 surgeon's steward in the United States Navy. 
 After graduating, he opened an office in Wood- 
 bury, Conn., where he spent the rest of his 
 life, steadily devoting himself to his profes- 
 sion, and never relaxing his studious habits. 
 He kept well abreast of medical progress, 
 and established a large and successful prac- 
 tice, acquiring therefrom a handsome fortune. 
 No physician in Connecticut ever obtained a 
 firmer hold on the confidence and esteem of 
 the people. Dr. Shove was a member of the 
 Litchfield Medical Society and of the Ameri- 
 can Medical Association. He was examining 
 physician since 1861, and took an active in- 
 terest in the schools of Woodbury, acting as 
 President of the School Board for nineteen 
 years. A self-made man, Dr. Shove was a 
 
 good example of what may be accomplished by 
 faithful application, self-denial, and patient 
 courage. He died January 24, 1892, mourned 
 by all who knew him. 
 
 Mrs. Susan B. Shove, the widow of Dr. 
 Shove, whom he married July 30, 1861, is a 
 native of Woodbury, daughter of the Hon. 
 Thomas and Susan (Sherman) Bull. Her 
 father, who was born December 9, 1801, was a 
 farmer, was intrusted with the settling of 
 many estates, and was Judge of Probate for 
 several terms. 
 
 Mrs. Shove's marriage was not blessed with 
 children; but Helen, the daughter of her hus- 
 band's brother, Burton, lived with her and the 
 Doctor from early childhood, and was the 
 light of their beautiful home on Main Street. 
 Helen Shove was married August 20, 1895, to 
 Professor Edward S. Boyd, Principal of the 
 Parker Academy of Woodbury. 
 
 Professor Edward S. Boyd was born in Shel- 
 burne Falls, Mass., September 8, 1867, son of 
 the Rev. Pliny S. and Mary J. (Allen) Boyd. 
 His grandfather also — Thomas P. Boyd, a na- 
 tive of Shelburne Falls — in addition to 
 being a farmer, was a teacher, who taught 
 until he was sixty years of age, having charge 
 of a private school in the State of Florida for 
 many years. He married Anna Steele, and 
 they reared seven children; namely, Almira, 
 Louisa M., Myron H., Ella M., Pliny S., Ed- 
 ward E., and Hattie. Pliny Boyd, the father 
 of Professor Boyd, was born in York, N.Y., 
 May 18, 1836. He graduated from the New 
 York State Normal School at Albany, from, a 
 preparatory school at Oberlin, Ohio, in i860, 
 from the Oberlin College, and from the Theo- 
 logical Seminary at Andover, Mass., in 1865. 
 He then took charge of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church at Shelburne Falls, remaining 
 something over three years, and was afterward 
 pastor at Ridgefield, Conn., Amesbury, Mass., 
 
576 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and Granby, Conn., where he died in 1887. 
 His wife, the mother of Professor Boyd, is 
 living in Woodbury. Six children were born 
 to them; namely, Herbert W., Willard P., 
 Edward S., Maurice C, Charles A., and 
 Pliny A. Professor Edward S. Boyd received 
 his first schooling in Amesbury, Mass. 
 When seventeen years of age, he entered 
 Arms Academy at Shelburne Falls, from 
 which he graduated in 1886; and in 1890 he 
 received his diploma from Amherst College. 
 On leaving college, he was elected Principal of 
 Haverhill Academy, New Hampshire, but was 
 soon obliged to resign on account of failing 
 health. When again able to resume work, he 
 accepted a position as assistant at Upson Sem- 
 inary, New Preston, Conn. In 1892 he 
 bought the personal effects of Professor E. H. 
 Grout, and rented the Parker Academy. Pro- 
 fessor Boyd commenced with twenty-eight 
 scholars, and under his management the at- 
 tendance has increased to sixty. He is uni- 
 versally esteemed, his broad knowledge win- 
 ning the respect of his pupils and his courteous 
 manners making many friends. In 1893 Am- 
 herst College conferred upon him the degree 
 of M.A. in recognition of his work in the 
 classics. Professor Boyd and his wife reside 
 with Mrs. Shove in the handsome residence on 
 Main Street erected by the Doctor. The fam- 
 ily attend the Congregational church. 
 
 jDWARD S. MINER, merchant, Assist- 
 ant Postmaster, and station agent of 
 ■^ Burrville, was born in Torrington, 
 Conn., June 18, 1844, son of Darius and Mary 
 (Wadsworth) Miner. His paternal grand- 
 father was Darius Miner, who was a native of 
 Stonington, Conn. He settled upon a farm 
 in Cornwall, which he managed successfully, 
 and also kept a hotel in that town for some 
 
 years. He was the father of a family of seven 
 children. His death took place at the home 
 of his son Darius when he had reached the 
 venerable age of ninety-two years. Darius 
 Miner, Jr., was reared to agricultural life. In 
 1844 he moved to Torrington, where he settled 
 upon a farm, and later purchased his present 
 property, which consists of one hundred and 
 ten acres. His wife, Mary Wadsworth, is a 
 daughter of James Wadsworth, formerly a 
 well-to-do farmer of Cornwall, who died at the 
 age of eighty-five years. Mrs. Miner became 
 the mother of two children, namely: Edward 
 S. ; and Nellie, who married William Durand, 
 of Torrington. The parents of our subject are 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Edward S. Miner commenced his education 
 in Torringford, and, after attending the high 
 school there, continued his studies in Goshen, 
 Conn., and New Marlboro, Mass. He resided 
 with his parents until reaching the age of 
 twenty-one, when he purchased his present 
 store in Burrville, an old established grocery 
 business, which was formerly conducted by 
 Lewis Johnson. Shortly after this he was ap- 
 pointed Assistant Postmaster and station agent 
 at- Burrville, and up to the present time has 
 well performed the duties of both positions. 
 Mr. Miner is a Republican in politics. He 
 has been a member of the Board of Selectmen 
 for one year, and was a Representative to the 
 legislature in 1883. He is now a member of 
 the School Board, and for some years has held 
 the office of Constable. He is a member of 
 Seneca Lodge, No. 55, A. F. & A. M., of 
 Torrington, and also of the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen of Winsted. In 1867 Mr. 
 Miner was united in marriage to Josephine 
 Clinton, a daughter of Lyman C. Clinton, 
 formerly a manufacturer of agricultural imple- 
 ments in North Haven, Conn. Mrs. Miner's 
 father is no longer living. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
RICHARD CARROLL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 579 
 
 Miner have had five children, three of whom 
 survive, namely: Nellie, who married John 
 Brader, of Springfield, N.J.; Anson, who is 
 engaged in business with his father; and 
 Stiles, who resides at home. Mr. Miner at- 
 tends the Congregational church, of which 
 Mrs. Miner is a member. 
 
 m 
 
 RICHARD CARROLL, who for many 
 years has been connected with the 
 Union Hardware Company of Tor- 
 rington. Conn., was born in the County of 
 Tipperary, Ireland, in the year 1825, son of 
 Thomas and Margaret (Burns) Carroll. Mr. 
 Carroll's grandfather, John Carroll, was a na- 
 tive of County Limerick, Ireland, and there 
 followed agricultural pursuits all of his life. 
 His son, Thomas Carroll, was reared to agri- 
 culture, and in early manhood moved to 
 County Tipperary, where he married, and be- 
 came the possessor of a small farm, which he 
 cultivated with good results. He died at the 
 age of eighty-four years. His wife, Margaret 
 Burns, who was a native of Tipperary, as were 
 also her ancestors for many generations, was 
 a daughter of Richard Burns. They reared 
 eight children, all of whom became the heads 
 of families; and a majority of them emigrated 
 to the United States. Briefly named, they are 
 as follows: John settled in Torrington, where 
 he worked for the Seymour & Turner Manu- 
 : facturing Company, and died at the age of 
 sixty-five years; Richard, the subject of this 
 sketch; Andrew; Bridget, wife of Michael 
 Conners, of Torrington; Honora, wife of 
 Michael Hayes, of Torrington; Mary, who 
 still resides in Ireland; Margaret, now de- 
 ceased; and Winifred, who married David 
 McNamara, of Torrington. The mother died 
 in Ireland, at the age of eighty-five years. 
 Richard Carroll passed his boyhood in Tip- 
 
 perary, assisting his father upon the farm. 
 He received his education in a private school, 
 and followed agricultural pursuits until 1851, 
 in which year he emigrated to the United 
 States. Immediately after landing in New 
 York City, he came to To.rrington, where he 
 worked for a short time on the track of the 
 Connecticut River Railroad. He was next 
 employed in handling stone; but in the 
 autumn of 1852 he secured work with Edward 
 Wooding, a manufacturer of pocket-books and 
 trunk locks. On the death of Mr. Wooding 
 the business was purchased by Mr. Wadhams, 
 with whom he continued. Mr. Wadhams was 
 also engaged in the manufacture of skates, aa 
 industry that was purchased by A. F. Migeon, 
 and soon developed into the Union Hardware 
 Company, with which Mr. Carroll has since 
 been connected. During the forty years in 
 which he has labored for that concern Mr. 
 Carroll has confined himself to one particular 
 branch, that of grinding and polishing; and 
 this long and uninterrupted period of service 
 in the interests of one company speaks for it- 
 self as to his ability as a workman and his 
 character as a man. His efforts have been 
 attended with prosperous results financially; 
 and he now occupies a substantial and beauti- 
 ful residence, situated on Migeon Avenue, the 
 principal residence thoroughfare of the town, 
 which he erected in 1872. He is a Democrat 
 in politics, and has been one of the Burgesses 
 of the borough and a Collector of school taxes 
 in his district. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Carroll was united in marriage 
 with Julia Condon, daughter of James Condon, 
 a native of County Tipperary, Ireland. Mrs. 
 Carroll's mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Carroll are the parents of eight children, 
 seven of whom are living, namely: Margaret; 
 Thomas; James, who married Catherine 
 Doyle, of Litchfield, and has four children — 
 
S8o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Richard, Arthur, Mary, and Irene; Nellie R.; 
 Julia B. ; Andrew; and John, who is in col- 
 lege, preparing for the priesthood. Three of 
 Mr. Carroll's sons are employed by the Union 
 Hardware Company. His daughter, Julia B., 
 is a graduate of the public schools of Torring- 
 ton and of St. Joseph's Seminary of Hartford, 
 and is now taking a course in vocal and instru- 
 mental music in New York City. Margaret 
 was educated in the convent at Winsted, 
 Conn. The family attend the Roman Catho- 
 lic church. Mr. Carroll has made the best 
 of life's opportunities, and his success is 
 merited. 
 
 On another page may be seen a portrait of 
 this esteemed citizen, who so worthily bears a 
 name that holds an honored place in the annals 
 of our country, and will be remembered as 
 long as the story of the struggle for American 
 independence. 
 
 Yp)ESLIE I. BALDWIN, an influential 
 Ijr citizen of Torrington, Conn., a pro- 
 '^•^—^ gressive and successful business 
 man, engaged in the manufacture and sale of 
 tombstones and monumental work, was born 
 in Washington, Conn., September ii, 1854, 
 son of Hiram J. and Mary A. (Barlow) Bald- 
 win. 
 
 Isaac Baldwin, father of Hiram, spent a 
 portion of his life in the town of Delhi, Dela- 
 ware County, N.Y., where he was a prosperous 
 farmer, but passed his declining years in Con- 
 necticut, and died in the town of Washington. 
 Hiram J. Baldwin learned the trade of a 
 marble-cutter in New Preston, Conn., and fol- 
 lowed his chosen vocation in that town for 
 many years, but afterward removed to Torring- 
 ton, where he established the business which 
 is now carried on by his son, the leading sub- 
 ject of this biography. His wife, Mary A. 
 Barlow Baldwin, was born in Kent, Conn., 
 
 daughter of Elisha Barlow, who was a tailor. 
 She reared two children: Lydia A., the wife 
 of Fred C. Coggswell, of Torrington; and 
 Leslie I. Mrs, Henry J. Baldwin is now liv- 
 ing in the town of Torrington. She is a con- 
 sistent member of the Advent church, to 
 which her husband belonged. 
 
 The childhood and early youth of Leslie I. 
 Baldwin were passed in the towns of Wash- 
 ington and New Preston, Conn., where he ac- 
 quired a district school education, and later 
 attended a select school. At fifteen years of 
 age he secured a position in a store, in which 
 he was employed for three years. About two 
 years later he came to Torrington with his 
 father, and, learning the marble business, con- 
 tinued engaged in it with his father until the 
 latter's death, when he assumed the manage- 
 ment of the business, which has now been es- 
 tablished about twenty years, and is the only 
 enterprise of the kind in the town. Mr. Bald- 
 win was married in 1877 to Miss Emily Bee- 
 man, of New Preston, Conn., a daughter of 
 Marvin S. Beeman, a prosperous merchant of 
 that place. Mrs. Baldwin is one of two chil- 
 dren of her parents who grew to maturity. 
 Her union with Mr. Baldwin has been blessed 
 by the birth of two sons : Fred and Frank. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin is a stanch Republican; and 
 his townsmen have shown their appreciation 
 of his character and ability by electing him 
 to various offices, among which may be men- 
 tioned that of Town Constable, which he held 
 twelve years. Borough Sheriff and Chief of 
 Police for six years, and Deputy Sheriff, to 
 which he was appointed in 1895 for a four- 
 year term. He is a member of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen, and for fifteen 
 years has been connected with the Torrington 
 Band. Mr. Baldwin and his estimable wife 
 are liberal in their religious views, and both 
 are prominent and popular in social circles. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S8t 
 
 'AY J. BULL, a prosperous farmer and 
 dairyman of Morris, was born in Kent, 
 Conn., April 28, 1836, and is a son of 
 Jackson T. and Mary (Phelps) Bull, the 
 former a native of Kent, the latter of New 
 Milford, Conn. Jackson T. Bull was a well- 
 to-do farmer in Kent. He did not attain such 
 an advanced age as is common to members of 
 farming communities, but died in his fifty- 
 ninth year. His wife outlived him many 
 years, reaching the age of seventy. They 
 •reared the following children: Betsey, who 
 was twice married, changing her name first to 
 Hunt, then to Nettleton, and had two children 
 by her first marriage — Henry and Sabrina 
 Hunt; Washburn; Esther, who became Mrs. 
 Shelden; Ralph, who married Sarah Waddles, 
 and has one child — Eugene; Emeline, who 
 married Charles Northrop, and has two chil- 
 dren — Charles and Wesley; Henrietta, who 
 became the wife of Miles Stuart, and has four 
 children — James, Mary, David, and Ida; 
 Adaline, who was twice married, had one 
 child, Frederica, by her first husband, Fred- 
 erick Howland, and two, Henry and Addie, 
 by her second, Wanzer Murray; and Jay J., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Jay J. Bull spent his boyhood and youth in 
 Kent, acquiring a fair education in the public 
 schools and a knowledge of agricultural labors 
 on his father's farm. In 1863 he removed to 
 Morris, where he has since been engaged in 
 general farming, making a specialty of dairy 
 products. He manufactures a fine grade of 
 butter, which is in demand in the market, and 
 which, in conjunction with other products of 
 his farm, brings him a comfortable income. 
 His homestead, which is near the centre of 
 the town, is one of the best improved farms in 
 the locality, its general appearance speaking 
 well for the thrift and good management of its 
 owner. 
 
 December 29, 1859, Mr. Bull was united in 
 marriage with Cornelia Murray, daughter of 
 Ezra and Charlotte (Merwin) Murray, of New 
 Milford, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Murray 
 had two children, namely: Cornelia, Mrs. 
 Bull ; and Orange B., who married Sarah 
 Benedict, and has two children. Mrs. Murray 
 married a second husband, William S. Hurd, 
 by whom she had four children, as follows : 
 Louisa E., who married Edward Brennan, and 
 has three children; William, who married 
 Lena Merwin, and has a son and a daughter; 
 Sarah, wife of Frederick L. Bull, who has 
 three children; and Charles, who married 
 Julia Hendricks, and has one child. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bull have two daughters, who 
 are both married : Alice, wife of Frederick 
 Gillett, who has a son and a daughter— Flor- 
 ence and Raymond; and Emily, wife of Henry 
 Goslee, who has one child, named Bessie May. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bull is a Democrat, casting 
 his ballot when occasion requires, but not as- 
 piring to the cares of office. In religion he 
 favors the Congregational church, of which his 
 wife is a member. 
 
 UBERT A. STEELE, a well-known 
 farmer residing upon Town Hill, in 
 
 New Hartford, is deserving of 
 
 honorable mention in this biographical vol- 
 ume, both as a useful and respected citizen of 
 Litchfield County, doing his part in the work 
 of to-day, and a veteran of the Civil War. 
 He was born in New Hartford, September 16, 
 1829, son of Isaac P. and Laura (Phelps) 
 Steele. Mr. Steele's grandfather, Isaac 
 Steele, settled upon a tract of land in this 
 town at an early date. 
 
 Here was born Isaac Steele's son, Isaac P. 
 Steele, who was reared to an agricultural life, 
 and on his father's demise succeeded to the 
 
S82 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ownership of the Steele homestead, in his turn 
 becoming a prosperous farmer. He was prom- 
 inent in public affairs, and served as assessor 
 and tax collector for several years. Isaac P. 
 Steele, Jr., died at the age of fifty-eight years. 
 He was an energetic and useful citizen, and 
 enjoyed the respect and esteem of his fellow- 
 townsmen. His wife, Laura Phelps, was a 
 daughter of Lynde Phelps, a farmer of Burling- 
 ton. She became the mother of nine children, 
 live of whom are still living, namely: Catha- 
 rine, wife of James Woodard; Hubert A., the 
 subject of this sketch; Angeline; Caroline, 
 who married Alford Humphrey, of Oregon ; 
 and Cora, who married Seth C. Paine, of New 
 Hartford. Mrs. Laura P. Steele died at the 
 old home, aged eighfy-five years. She and 
 her husband were members of the Presbyterian 
 church. 
 
 Hubert resided with his parents, and as- 
 sisted in carrying on the farm until he was 
 twenty years of age, when he went West, and 
 engaged in operating a steam saw-mill on the 
 Mississippi River. In 1861 he enlisted as a 
 private in the First Regiment, Illinois Vol- 
 unteer Cavalry, and served one year as a de- 
 fender of the imperilled Union. Upon being 
 discharged from the service, he returned to 
 New Hartford, where he resumed agriculture 
 as an occupation. After the death of his 
 father he came into possession of the home- 
 stead ; and he occupied it for a time, but later 
 removed to his present farm of one hundred 
 and forty acres. He here carries on general 
 farming and dairying with satisfactory results. 
 
 Mr. Steele's first wife, whom he married in 
 1854, was Ellen Barber, of New Hartford. 
 She died at the age of twenty-five, leaving one 
 son named Hiram, who is now a sailor. Mr. 
 Steele wedded for his second wife Mary 
 Royce, daughter of Daniel Royce, a thriving 
 farmer of New Hartford, who formerly occu- 
 
 pied the farm where Mr. Steele and his family 
 now live. Mr. and Mrs. Steele have had four 
 children, three of whom are living, namely: 
 Anna, who married George Jester, a farmer, 
 and has two children — Florence M. and Har- 
 old S. ; Walter- Dewitt, who is engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits with his brother-in-law; 
 and Fanny, who was educated at the North End 
 High School, and is now a teacher in Bark- 
 hamsted. Mr. Steele is a Republican in pol- 
 itics. The family attend the Presbyterian 
 church. 
 
 VERETT ST. JOHN DUNBAR, de- 
 ceased, was a native of Sharon and a 
 son of Horace and Ann Jeannette 
 (Lord) Dunbar. The genealogical record of 
 the Dunbar family goes back six generations 
 to John and Temperance Dunbar, whose son, 
 Aaron Dunbar, first, was born in 1748 and 
 died in 1820. Aaron Dunbar married Miss 
 Mary Potter, whose birth occurred in 1751. 
 She survived her husband seven years; and 
 the eight children born of their union were: 
 Daniel, Mary, Aaron, Asaph, Keturah, 
 Lyman, Hall, and Lyman, second. Aaron 
 Dunbar, Jr., was born in 1779, and lived to 
 be seventy-three years old. He married Miss 
 Polly Dumner, who was eight years his senior. 
 She died in 1844, leaving seven children: 
 Nathan, Henrietta, Thaddeus, Elam, Mary, 
 Esther, and Horace. 
 
 Horace Dunbar, who was born in Plymouth, 
 Conn., was a man who took a very active in- 
 terest in political matters; and, besides serv- 
 ing in various town offices, he was chosen in 
 185s as a Representative to the State legisla- 
 ture. Formerly a Whig, after the organiza- 
 tion of the Republican party he cast his vote 
 with that political body. His wife, Ann 
 jeannette Lord, was a daughter of Erastus 
 Lord. She died seventy-six years of age, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 583 
 
 he lived to be seventy-eight years old. They 
 reared five children; namely, Esther C, Mrs. 
 Jane L. Everett, Everett St. J., Erastus L., 
 and Phila M. 
 
 Everett St. John Dunbar was a veteran of 
 the late war. In November, 1861, he enlisted 
 in the Thirteenth Regiment of Connecticut 
 Volunteers. He was elected First Lieutenant 
 of Company C, which took part in the follow- 
 ing engagements : Georgia Landing, Irish 
 Bend, Port Hudson, Cane River, Mansura, 
 ^Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. 
 He received his honorable discharge in 1865. 
 During the last years of his life he was em- 
 ployed as a commercial agent in New York 
 City. He married Miss Harriet Per Lee, a 
 daughter of John and Eunice (Boyd) Per Lee. 
 He died in 1892, leaving three children, as 
 follows: Julia P.; Horace M., who married 
 Miss Ellen Everett, and has two children — 
 Everett S. and Alice May; and Walter P. 
 Like his father, Mr. Dunbar took a keen inter- 
 est in public affairs. He was a charter mem- 
 ber of Gregory Post, No. 59, Grand Army of the 
 
 Republic. 
 
 — < ■■ ■ I 
 
 'GRACE D. TAFT, A.M., Head 
 Master of Mr. Taft's school at 
 lis V^^^ Watertown, Conn., was born in 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, December 28, 1861, son of 
 Alphonso and Louise M. (Torrey) Taft. His 
 grandfather, Peter R. Taft, who was a native 
 of Massachusetts, was a prosperous farmer and 
 prominent citizen of Jamaica, Vt., serving as 
 a Justice of the Peace and representative in 
 the legislature from the district. His last 
 years were spent in Cincinnati with his son 
 Alphonso, his only child, at whose home he 
 died, in his eighty-third year. 
 
 Alphonso Taft was |3orn in Jamaica, Vt., in 
 1810. He graduated from Yale in 1833, 
 taught school for a year at Ellington, Conn., 
 
 and then returned to Yale as tutor. While in 
 New Haven, he studied law, and, after being 
 admitted to the bar, went to Cincinnati, where 
 with a few interruptions he practised his pro- 
 fession with distinguished success for forty 
 years. He was for six years Judge of the Su- 
 perior Court in Cincinnati. He was a mem- 
 ber of President Grant's second cabinet, hold- 
 ing first the position of Secretary of War and 
 afterward that of Attorney-general. In Pres- 
 ident Arthur's administration he was Minister 
 to Austria for two years and Minister to 
 Russia for one. A fever which he contracted 
 while in Russia undermined his health, and 
 within six years from the time that he was 
 taken ill he died. This was in 1891, and he 
 was eighty years old. Judge Taft was twice 
 married, the mother of Horace being his 
 second wife. She was a daughter of Samuel 
 D. Torrey, of Boston, a merchant in the West 
 India trade, who for many years after his re- 
 tirement from business lived at Millbury, 
 Mass., where his children grew up. Five of 
 his children are now living, one son by his 
 first wife and three sons and a daughter by his 
 second wife. Of these Charles is editor and 
 proprietor of the Cincinnati Times-Star, and 
 is a member of Congress; William H. is a 
 Judge of the United States Circuit Court of 
 Appeals; Henry W. is a lawyer in New York 
 City, counsel for the New York & New Haven 
 Consolidated Railroad; and Frances L. is the 
 wife of Dr. William A. Edwards, of San 
 Diego, Cal. 
 
 Horace D. Taft prepared for college at the 
 Woodward High School of Cincinnati, and, 
 entering Yale in 1879, graduated in 1883. 
 He then went abroad with his father, who was 
 at that time Minister to Austria, and on his 
 return took up the study of law in Cincinnati, 
 being admitted to the bar in 1885. He prac- 
 tised one year, and after a brief stay in Kansas 
 
584 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 City was appointed tutor of Latin at Yale, re- 
 maining three years. He tiien opened a pre- 
 paratory school for boys at Pelham Manor, 
 N.Y., which he successfully conducted for 
 three years. In 1893 he moved the school to 
 Watertown. The school building is one of 
 the handsomest structures in the State, and 
 was formerly known as the Warren House. 
 The institution is designed to fit boys for col- 
 leges and scientific schools, and has a regular 
 attendance of something over forty. In 1892 
 Mr. Taft was united in marriage with Wini- 
 fred S. Thompson, a native of New Bedford, 
 Mass., daughter of Edwin P. Thompson, of 
 Niagara Falls, N.Y. 
 
 In politics Mr. Taft is a Democrat. So- 
 cially, he is a member of the Watertown 
 Grange and of the Skull and Bones Society of 
 Yale. 
 
 Y^^pVORTIMER D. MERRELL, one 
 F I =/ of the most enterprising and pro- 
 «4 <?Ji? ^^_^ gressive farmers of New Hart- 
 ford, son of Dan C. and Charlotte (Butler) 
 Merrell, was born in the village of Nepaug, 
 September 25, 1868. His great-grandfather, 
 Asher Merrell, was a pioneer agriculturist of 
 New Hartford. Asher Merrell's son, Cama- 
 ralzaman Merrell, named for the young prince 
 in the Eastern story, was born in New Hart- 
 ford, grew to manhood on his father's farm, 
 and in tiine succeeded to its possession and 
 management. He died at seventy-eight years 
 of age. He and his wife, Mary North, a na- 
 tive of Colebrook, reared a family of four 
 children, as follows: Margiana, who married 
 James M. Henderson; Dan C, father of the 
 subject of this sketch; Mary N., wife of 
 Henry Merrell; and Mercy, a resident of 
 New Hartford. 
 
 Dan C. Merrell was born in New Hartford, 
 January 4, 1835. An only son, he easily 
 
 learned to make himself useful on the home 
 farm, and continued to reside with his parents 
 until reaching the age of thirty-two years, 
 when he purchased a farm which adjoined his 
 father's property. After conducting it suc- 
 cessfully for some*years, he retired from active 
 labor, but still resides in New Hartford. He 
 is a Democrat in politics, and has served as a 
 Selectman for eight years and Assessor for 
 three years. On January i, 1868, he married 
 Charlotte Butler, whose father, Roman Butler, 
 who is no longer living, was a prosperous 
 farmer of New Hartford. Mr. and Mrs. Dan 
 C. Merrell are the parents of three children, 
 as follows: Mortimer D. ; Flora, who married 
 William C. Haury, a merchant of Collins- 
 ville; and Clara, who resides at home. 
 
 Mortimer D. Merrell received his education 
 in the district schools of his native town. At 
 an early age he gave his attention to agricult- 
 ure, which has since been his occupation;- and, 
 in company with his father, he is now manag- 
 ing two large farms with ability and success. 
 He is one of the leading farmers of the town, 
 energetic and enterprising, raising large and 
 superior crops and keeping his buildings in 
 the best repair. 
 
 A Democrat in politics, like his father, Mr. 
 Merrell, although frequently solicited to ac- 
 cept public office, has always declined nomi- 
 nation. He has, however, rendered efficient 
 service as a member of the Democratic Town 
 Committee, a position which he has held for 
 some years. He is a member of Amos 
 Beecher Lodge, A. F. & A. M., the Knights 
 of Pythias, and the Eureka Grange, No. 62, of 
 New Hartford, with which he has been offi- 
 cially connected. He is a bright and intelli- 
 gent young man, fully up with the times in all 
 matters relating to agriculture, and is very 
 popular socially. He attends the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
J. LeROY BUCK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S«7 
 
 LEROY BUCK, a prosperous busi- 
 ness man and substantial citizen of 
 New Milford, Conn., son of David 
 D. M. and Susan (Hill) Buck, was born on 
 the old homestead in this town on January 21, 
 1842. 
 
 His grandfather, David S. Buck, was for 
 some time a teacher in Litchfield County, em- 
 igrated to Bath, N.Y., where there were then 
 but few settlers, and purchased, a large farm 
 that he carried on with excellent success. He 
 died on April 25, 1842, aged fifty-eight years, 
 six months, and fifteen days. He married 
 Miss Susan Marsh, and they reared a family 
 of eight children; namely, Harmon, Daniel, 
 --^Seralpha, Sherman, David D. M., Susan, 
 Harriet, and Willis. Mrs. Susan M. Buck 
 survived her husband four years, dying August 
 24, 1846, aged fifty-nine years, nine months, 
 and seven days. 
 
 David D. M. Buck, who was born at Bath, 
 Steuben County, N.Y., on January 3, 1813, 
 began in early life, in company with his 
 brother Harmon, the manufacture of woollen' 
 goods. He afterward came to New Milford, 
 and purchased a farm of one hundred and fifty 
 acres, on which he erected new buildings and 
 made other improvements. He died here 
 on December 13, 1878, at sixty-five years of 
 age. He was a public-spirited citizen, and 
 among the town offices which he ably filled 
 was that of Selectman. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Susan Hill, was born on 
 December i, 1814, and is a daughter of 'Silas 
 and Polly Hill. She is still living. A son 
 and two daughters were the fruit of their 
 union, as follows: Mary, who died at eighteen 
 years of age; Jane, who married John Mattis, 
 and lives on the old homestead; and J. Leroy 
 Buck. Both parents were communicants of 
 the Episcopal church. 
 J. Leroy Buck received a good education at 
 
 the public schools of New Milford and at the 
 New Milford Academy. He remained with 
 his parents, and at his father's decease he pur- 
 chased the old homestead. He has since 
 bought another farm that contains two hundred 
 and seventy-eight acres, and has there erected 
 new buildings and repaired the old ones. 
 With the aid of help he carries on both farms, 
 keeping a dairy on each, about forty head all 
 together, of choice short-horn cows, the milk 
 going to the creamery, in which he owns a 
 share, and of which he is the manager. He is 
 also trustee for three different parties owning 
 farms, amounting in all, including his own, to 
 eight hundred acres. In addition to this care 
 he runs a feed store, feed-mill, and saw-mill 
 at Lanesville, in the town of New Milford. 
 
 On November 11, i86g, Mr. Buck married 
 Miss Elizabeth Bostwick, daughter of Solo- 
 mon E. and Adaline (Booth) Bostwick and 
 grand-daughter of Solomon and Anna (Wells) 
 Bostwick. She represents the ninth genera^ 
 tion from the first progenitor of the Bostwick 
 family in this country, Arthur Bostwick, who 
 came thither from England, and settled in 
 Stratford, Conn., in 1650. Of his son and 
 grandson, John and Zachariah Bostwick, but 
 little is known. His great-grandson, Ben- 
 jamin Bostwick, first, was one of the twelve 
 pioneer settlers of New Milford and a signer 
 of the first petition of the plantation to the 
 General Court in 171 1. He married Miss 
 Zeruiah Johnson, who was the first bride of 
 New Milford. Their son, Benjamin Bost- 
 wick, second, inherited his father's homestead, 
 which was on what is now known as Grove 
 Street. He and his wife, Rachel Bostwick, 
 had a son whom they named Benjamin, and 
 who became a large land-owner of New Mil- 
 ford, and had one of the finest residences in 
 the village. Benjamin Bostwick, third, mar- 
 ried Miss Olive Judson. Their grandson. 
 
BlOGkAPllICAL REVIEW 
 
 Solomon E. Bostwick, the father of Mrs. 
 Buck, was for twenty years a prosperous mer- 
 chant of New Milford; and later on he en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of ivory buttons. 
 When the History of the Town of New Mil- 
 ford was compiled, he rendered valuable as- 
 sistance in the way of giving facts relative to 
 the town and the people. His wife, Adeline 
 Booth, bore him two sons and a daughter, 
 namely: Henry E., born May 6, 1835, who 
 married Miss Alice C. Merwin; Elizabeth, 
 born February g, 1837, now Mrs. Buck; and 
 Walter B., born August 26, 1840, who mar- 
 ried Miss Alice G. Marsh. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Buck have two daughters; namely, Adaline 
 LeRoy and Alice Bostwick. 
 
 Mr. Buck casts his vote with the Demo- 
 cratic party. For six years he has served his 
 town very acceptably as Selectman, and has 
 held minor official positions. He and his 
 wife are communicants of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 A portrait of Mr. J. LeRoy Buck appears 
 on another page of this volume. 
 
 'AMES B. SPENCER, a well-to-do 
 farmer and prominent citizen of New 
 Hartford, Conn., residing in the vil- 
 lage of Nepaug, was born upon the farm he 
 now owns and occupies, April 14, 1836. His 
 father, Elijah Spencer, and his grandfather, 
 Ashbel Spencer, were natives and lifelong 
 residents of this town. The latter, who was a 
 prosperous farmer, died a middle-aged man. 
 Two members of the Spencer family, emi- 
 grants from England more than two hundred 
 and fifty years ago, were among the original 
 proprietors of Hartford, Conn. 
 
 Elijah Spencer was reared to farm life, and 
 succeeded to the possession of the homestead. 
 He was an industrious and thrifty farmer, and 
 
 resided here until his death, which occurred 
 when he was seventy -four years old. His 
 wife, Rebecca Bartholomew, was born in Har- 
 winton. Conn., daughter of James Bartholo- 
 mew, a native of Massachusetts, who settled 
 in this State. She reared six children, two of 
 whom are living, namely: James B., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Caroline, who married 
 George Raymond, of Winchester, Conn. Mrs. 
 Rebecca B. Spencer lived to reach the age of 
 seventy. Mr. Spencer's parents attended the 
 Congregational church, of which his father 
 was a member. 
 
 James B. Spencer received a common-school 
 education in his native town, and on the home 
 farm early gained experimental knowledge of 
 different branches of agriculture. He event- 
 ually succeeded to the ownership of the home- 
 stead, and has since continued to carry on the 
 land and reap the products of the soil. His 
 farm, which consists of one hundred well-im- 
 proved acres, is pleasantly located, and under 
 his skilful management is made to produce 
 abundant crops of a superior quality. He is 
 energetic and industrious, possessing rare 
 judgment in matters relating to agriculture; 
 and he has made general farming a financial 
 success. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Spencer was united in marriage 
 to Julia A. Millard, daughter of Samuel Mil- 
 lard, of Otis, Mass., and has three children, 
 as follows: Estella R., who married Earnest 
 Griggs, a clerk in New Haven; Carroll A. and 
 James A., who reside at home. Mrs. Spencer 
 died in 1884, aged thirty-nine years. Mr. 
 Spencer is a member of the Congregational 
 church, as was his estimable wife; and his 
 children are connected with the church and 
 Sunday-school. 
 
 He has long held a prominent position in 
 the community politically and socially, and 
 is highly respected by all. He is a Republi- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S% 
 
 can in politics, for fourteen years was a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Assessors, and represented 
 his town with marked ability in the legisla- 
 ture during the session of 1885. Mr. Spencer 
 is connected with Eureka Grange of New 
 Hartford, and takes an active interest in all 
 matters relating to agricultural improvements. 
 
 If; 
 
 'ILLIAM A. ARMOUR, assistant 
 superintendent in the watch factory 
 of the Seth Thomas Clock Company 
 at Thomaston and a prominent young man_ in 
 this community, was born in Wakefield, 
 Mass., on September 19, 1863, son of William 
 E. and Anna (Whittaker) Armour. 
 
 William E. Armour, who was of Scottish 
 descent, was born in old England. Learning 
 the basket-maker's trade, he followed that vo- 
 cation in his native land until after his mar- 
 riage; and, when he came to this country, he 
 settled in Providence, R.I., and established a 
 basket factory. He was subsequently induced 
 by the late Mr. Cyrus Wakefield to accept the 
 position of foreman in his factory in South 
 Reading, Mass., now Wakefield, where he was 
 one of the first to introduce the use of rattan 
 in place of willow, the material formerly used. 
 He died in 1874, when but forty-seven years 
 of age. His wife, Anna Whittaker, was of 
 English parentage and a daughter of William 
 H. Whittaker, who was twice married. She 
 had but one brother, now deceased; and he 
 was a well-known musician in England, where 
 he viti-s engaged in many different churches as 
 leader and organist. Mrs. Armour bore her 
 husband six children, five of whom were born 
 in this country, and four are still living, 
 namely: Mary, the wife of William Biggs; 
 Margaret J., who married William B. Daniels; 
 Sarah E., whose home is in Waltham, Mass. ; 
 and William A. Their mother died on Sep- 
 
 tember 14, 189s, at sixty-eight years of age. 
 Both parents were members of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 William A. Armour, the only son, was left 
 fatherless when but eleven years of age. For 
 three years after he remained with his mother, 
 and continued his attendance at the grammar 
 school in Wakefield. He then entered the 
 employ of the Wakefield Rattan Company, and 
 three years later went to work for the Smith & 
 Anthony Stove Company in their machine de- 
 partment; but not long after he secured a po- 
 sition in Hartford, Conn., with the Cushman 
 Chuck Company. From the time he left the 
 last-named place until 1884 he was in Boston, 
 in the employ of G. M. Stevens, a manufact- 
 urer of tower clocks and fire-alarm strikers. 
 He then came to Thomaston, and went to work 
 in the machine-room of the watch department 
 of the Seth Thomas Clock Company, where 
 three years afterward he was placed in charge 
 of the pinion department, eighteen months 
 later was given entire charge of the machine- 
 room, and still later was promoted to the posi- 
 tion of assistant superintendent of the factory, 
 in which capacity he is now serving. 
 
 He was married in 1890 to Miss Martha J. 
 Baldwin, a native of Thomaston and the only 
 child of Harvey W. and Cynthia (Todd) Bald- 
 win, the former of whom was born in Corn- 
 wall, Conn. Her grandfather," Phineas Bald- 
 win, was born in Milford, Conn., on January 
 10, 1828. As a young man, he removed to 
 Cornwall, where he followed the trade of a 
 carpenter and joiner, living to be eighty-five 
 years of age. Harvey W. Baldwin, son of 
 Phineas, spent his early years on thff farm in 
 Cornwall, coming to Thomaston in i860, and 
 obtaining a situation with the Seth Thomas 
 Clock Company, by whom he has since been^ 
 employed. His wife, Cynthia Todd, was born 
 in Cornwall, and is a daughter of Almon and 
 
59° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lydia (Ford) Todd. A maternal aunt of Mrs. 
 Armour married F. H. Hotchkiss, of Thomas- 
 ton. Mr. and Mrs. Armour have one child, 
 Charlotte Baldwin. 
 
 Mr. Armour from his boyhood has had an 
 unusually successful career, and, although still 
 a young man, is already higher up on the lad- 
 der of success than many much older. He is 
 Worshipful Master of Union Lodge, No. 96, 
 A. F. & A. M., of Thomast<3n. In religion 
 he is an Episcopalian, and Mrs. Armour is a 
 communicant of the Congregational church. 
 
 'OHN A. DOLAN, M.D., a young and 
 rising medical practitioner of Gay- 
 lordsville, Litchfield County, was born 
 in that village, September 15, 1866. He is 
 a son of John and Maria A. (Fitzsimmons) 
 Dolan, natives of County Waterford, Ireland, 
 who emigrated to the United States, and set- 
 tled first at Naugatuck, Conn., where for three 
 years they were engaged in farming. John 
 Dolan, Sr., then found employment on the 
 railroad, and came to Gaylordsville as division 
 foreman. He purchased a residence in the 
 village, and subsequently bought one hundred 
 acres of land, but finally retired from active 
 labor. He died in 1894, at the age of sixty- 
 six years. His wife, Maria A. Fitzsimmons, 
 was the mother of eight children, as follows: 
 Ellen, wife of M. O'Riley, who resides in 
 Norwalk, Conn., and has ten children; Eliza- 
 beth, now Mrs. J. F. Murphy, of New Mil- 
 ford; Thomas, who died at the age of thirty- 
 two years; Hannah, wife of T. Morrissey, now 
 residing in Illinois; Edward, who died at the 
 age of twenty-one years; John A., the subject 
 of this sketch; Frank and Albert, who reside 
 at home. The mother, who still survives, re- 
 sides at the homestead in Gaylordsville. 
 
 John A. Dolan acquired the elementary 
 
 branches of his education in the public schools 
 of his native town, and pursued his medical 
 studies at the College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons in Baltimore, from which he graduated 
 with the class of 1893. His professional life 
 was commenced in Winsted, Conn.; but, after 
 a short residence there, he decided to locate in 
 Rockport, Me., where he remained about one 
 year, after which he concluded to settle in his 
 native town. He established his office at his , 
 mother's pleasant residence in the village, and 
 has since enjoyed a large and increasing gen- 
 eral practice, which extends over a wide sec- 
 tion of the surrounding country. 
 
 Dr. Dolan is a young physician of ability 
 and promise, who is thoroughly devoted to his 
 profession ; and he has already acquired an 
 enviable reputation for the care which he be- 
 stows in the treatment of all cases intrusted to 
 his charge. He is energetic and ambitious, 
 aiming to reach the highest degree of excel- 
 lence in his profession; and his many com- 
 mendable qualities have won for him the es- 
 teem and confidence of the general public. In 
 politics he is independent, and in religion a 
 member of the Roman Catholic communion. 
 
 DWARD C. ROOT, a successful gen- 
 eral merchant of Thomaston, son of 
 Barnabas and Caroline P. (Hinman) 
 Root, was born in the adjoining town of Plym- 
 outh on February 27, 1842. Mr. Root's pa- 
 ternal grandfather was a prosperous farmer of 
 Woodbury, Conn., where he passed the greater 
 part of his life; and his son Barnabas, Mr. 
 Root's father, was born in that town. 
 
 Barnabas Root worked for some time as a 
 journeyman tailor in Southbury, where he 
 learned the trade. He later settled in Plym- 
 outh, and conducted business in that town for 
 several years, a part of which time he was as- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 591 
 
 sociated with a Mr. Harrington. He resided 
 in Plymouth for the remainder of his life, and 
 died at the age of fifty-nine, having been for 
 many years a Deacon of the Congregational, 
 church. His wife, Caroline P. Hinman Root, 
 was a daughter of Curtis Hinman, a well- 
 known lawyer of Southbury, where she was 
 born. She died in Plymouth, aged fifty-nine 
 years. 
 
 Edward C. Root is now the only survivor of 
 the three children born to his parents. He 
 attended the common schools of Plymouth; 
 and, after completing his studies, he learned 
 the carriage-trimmer's trade, which he fol- 
 lowed as an occupation until he was thirty 
 years old. He then bought an interest in a 
 furniture and undertaking business conducted 
 by a Mr. Cadwell, with whom he remained for 
 some years, next entering into partnership 
 with R. T.' Andrews in Thomaston. This 
 firm carried on business for six years, and was 
 then dissolved, Mr. Root establishing himself 
 in business at his present location as a dealer 
 in dry goods and notions, toys, gentlemen's 
 furnishings, wall papers, paints and oils, glass, 
 etc. He is also well and favorably known as 
 an undertaker, having had much experience as 
 an embalmer. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Root married Amelia M. Ren- 
 frell, who was born in Middlebury, Conn., 
 daughter of Alfred B. Renfrell. Her father 
 was of English ancestry, and was a prosperous 
 farmer. He spent his last years in Plymouth. 
 Mrs. Root died at the age of forty-three years. 
 She was a highly esteemed member of the 
 Congregational church, with which Mr. Root 
 is still connected. Of the six children born 
 to Mr. Root and his wife, four are yet living to 
 brighten the father's home, namely: Lena C, 
 who has just been graduated from Mt. Holyoke 
 College at South Hadley, Mass. ; Fanny M. ; 
 Grace M. ; and Theodore Edward. 
 
 Mr. Edward C. Root has been connected 
 with the Masonic fraternity for twenty-eight 
 years, being a member of Union Lodge in 
 Thomaston. He is also a member of the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is 
 known as a citizen of intelligence and char- 
 acter, in politics a Republican. 
 
 "ClDWARD H. PERSONS, dealer in dry 
 Fl goods, notions, carpets, oil-cloths, and 
 wall papers, is an important factor in 
 the mercantile interests of Litchfield County, 
 carrying on a substantial business in Winsted. 
 He is a native of Berkshire County, Massa- 
 chusetts, born in 1850, in the town of Sandis- 
 field, the place of nativity of his father, Torrel 
 Persons, whose birth occurred in 1799. The 
 paternal grandfather of Mr. Persons was 
 Elihu Persons, a shoemaker and tanner and a 
 man of enterprise and progress. Both he and 
 his wife, whose maiden name was Polly Clapp, 
 rounded out a full period of years; and after 
 death their bodies were interred in the rural 
 cemetery at Sandisfield. They had a family 
 of five sons and two daughters, one of whom, 
 Timothy Persons, a retired tanner, is spending 
 his declining years at Colebrook River. He 
 and his brother Elihu were engaged as tanners 
 together, one living in Connecticut and the 
 other in Massachusetts, although their houses 
 were but a few yards apart. 
 
 Torrel Persons was a farmer by birth and 
 occupation and a lifelong resident of Sandis- 
 field, where he departed from earthly scenes in 
 1878, leaving a good farming estate. He was 
 a man of decision and integrity, exerting a 
 good influence in the community, and served 
 acceptably as Selectman for many years. In 
 1830 he married Sylvia Bristol, who bore him 
 eight children, three of them being daughters, 
 two of whom have passed into the other life, 
 
S92 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 namely; Maria, at thirteen years of age; and 
 Romania, at twenty-two. The record of the 
 living children is as follows: Aurora is the 
 wife of Andrew Washburn, of Colebrook; 
 Byron J. resides on the old homestead in 
 Sandisfield, the mother, who celebrated the 
 ninetieth anniversary of her birth in June, 
 1894, making her home with him; Bruce is in 
 the grocery business in Winsted ; Wallace J. 
 is here engaged in the boot and shoe trade; 
 Dallas is a mechanic in the employ of the 
 New England Pin Company; Edward H., the 
 youngest, is further mentioned below. 
 
 After finishing his studies in the district 
 school, Edward H. Persons was a pupil in the 
 Marlboro High School two terms, where he im- 
 proved his opportunities for obtaining knowl- 
 edge, being an ambitious and diligent pupil. 
 When eighteen years of age, he began his 
 mercantile career by working as a clerk for 
 C. S. Norton, being in his employ three and 
 one-half years. Mr. Persons was then en- 
 gaged as a salesman for O. D. Hunt until 
 1874, when he and a fellow-clerk, Gilbert L. 
 Hart, were admitted into partnership with 
 their employer, the firm name being O. D. 
 Hunt & Co. After carrying on a successful 
 business for twelve years, the firm was 
 changed, Mr. Hunt retiring, the business 
 being continued by the firm of Hunt & Persons 
 until 1891, when Mr. Hunt left; and the 
 junior member of the firm formed a copartner- 
 ship with Mr. Baldwin, the new firm name 
 being Persons & Baldwin. In 1894 another 
 change was made, Mr. Persons taking the dry 
 goods and Mr. Baldwin the grocery business. 
 Mr. Persons has been invariably successful in 
 business matters, his ability and tact, together 
 with his prompt and cheerful attention to his 
 customers, winning him an extensive and fine 
 trade. His ample store is well stocked with a 
 complete and modern assortment of the best 
 
 goods in his line of trade, his sales from them 
 amounting to upward of twenty thousand dol- 
 lars per year. He employs three clerks, who 
 are efficient assistants, attending well to the 
 interests of their employer and of his patrons. 
 Mr. Persons is a man of enterprise, and* has 
 made wise investments of his money, being a 
 stockholder in the turning establishment for 
 the manufacture of articles from foreign woods, 
 besides being identified with other enterprises. 
 In politics he affiliates with the Democratic 
 party, but has steadily declined official 
 honors. 
 
 On September 17, 1878, Mr. Persons was 
 united in marriage with Miss Mary Cook, a 
 daughter of the late George B. and Cornelia 
 (Trowbridge) Cook, respected residents of 
 Winsted. Mr. Cook died in October, 1894, 
 aged sixty-five years, leaving his wife and two 
 children, namely: Mary, now Mrs. Persons; 
 and William A. Cook, of this city. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Persons reside at 21 Wheeler Street, 
 where they settled in 1888, their house mark- 
 ing, besides a happy home, a centre of attrac- 
 tive and generous hospitality. They have 
 one child, Helen Cornelia, a bright little 
 girl of four years. 
 
 Y^UDWIG LINER, a successful farmer of 
 IJT Cornwall, Conn., was born in Ger- 
 '^•^—'■^ many, November 14, 1830, son of 
 Ludwig Liner, who was also a native of Ger- 
 many. Mr. Liner's father emigrated to the 
 United States about thirty years ago, and died 
 in Sharon Conn., at the advanced age of 
 ninety-two years. His first wife became the 
 mother of five children, as follows: Marilla, 
 Abby, Ludwig, Philip, and Jacob. She died 
 at the age of thirty-five; and he married for 
 his second wife Elizabeth Smith, who died 
 aged fifty years, leaving five children, namely: 
 
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 LUDWIG LINER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S9S 
 
 Catherine; Philip, second; Peter; John; and 
 Margaret. 
 
 Ludwig Liner was educated in the schools 
 of Germany, and in 1848 he emigrated to the 
 United States. After remaining in New York 
 City for eight months and in Poughkeepsie, 
 N.Y., for the same length of time, he went to 
 Amenia, N.Y., where he resided for eight 
 years, and then settled upon his present farm 
 in Cornwall. His property, which consists of 
 two hundred and thirty acres of land, located 
 in the fertile Housatonic valley, is exceedingly 
 productive; and he conducts general farming 
 with prosperity and success. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Liner was united in marriage 
 with Ann M. Beisel, daughter of John G. and 
 Ann M. (Smith) Beisel, the former of whom 
 was born in Germany. Mrs. Liner's parents 
 reared five children: George Adam, Ann M., 
 George P., John G., and Adam S. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Liner have eight children, namely: Mary 
 E., who is the wife of Carl B. Lorch, and has 
 three children — Mary, Carl, and Fred ; Jacob, 
 who married Maggie E. Barrett, daughter 
 of Michael Barrett, of Warren, Conn.; Ma- 
 tilla L. ; Ludwig, who was killed at the age 
 of twenty-three; John; Ida; Sophia, who is 
 the wife of Charles F. Parent; and Henry. 
 
 Mr. Liner is active and industrious, and is 
 prominent among the well-to-do farmers of 
 Cornwall. His friends and neighbors will be 
 pleased to recognize his portrait herewith pre- 
 sented. 
 
 "ENRY A. BIDWELL, a representa- 
 tive of one of the oldest families 
 
 of Thomaston, Conn., and a man 
 
 highly esteemed by those with whom he comes 
 in contact, socially or in the way of business, 
 has since 1884 been in the employ of the 
 Seth Thomas Clock Company, and is now 
 in charge of their, supply department, He 
 
 was born in this town on April 8, 1841, 
 and is a son of Chauncey and Emily (Love- 
 land) Bidwell. 
 
 The Bidwell family are of English descent, 
 and were among the pioneer settlers in this 
 country. Grandfather Bidwell, who was a na- 
 tive of Watertown, Conn., spent his life in 
 that place. Chauncey Bidwell passed his boy- 
 hood on a farm in Watertown; but, on attain- 
 ing his majority, he came to Thomaston, 
 which at that time could boast of no more than 
 a dozen houses, and entered the employ of the 
 Seth Thomas Clock Company, with whom he 
 continued for half a century, for many years 
 being foreman of their finishing department. 
 He lived to be eighty-eight years old, and was 
 active up to within a short time of his death. 
 His wife, Emily Loveland, daughter of Ashbel 
 Loveland, an early settler of Watertown, 
 Conn., lived to the age of eighty-two years. 
 They reared one son, Henry A. Both parents 
 were honored members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Henry A. Bidwell grew to manhood in the 
 village of Thomaston, where he attended the 
 village school until eighteen years of age, and 
 then entered the academy at Watertown, and 
 subsequently became a student of the Episco- 
 pal Academy at Cheshire, Conn. After, com- 
 pleting his education, he secured a position as 
 clerk in a store in New Britain, which he left 
 three years later to accept a similar situation 
 in Hartford, where he remained for four years. 
 He next, established himself in business in 
 a general country store at Windsor, Conn., 
 which he conducted with good results for nine 
 years. He then sold out, and went to New 
 York City as clerk in a large store, and con- 
 tinued in that place until 1884, when he re- 
 turned to Thomaston, and went to work for 
 the Seth Thomas Clock Company, as above 
 mentioned. 
 
596 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Bidwell has been married twice. His 
 first wife, whom he wedded in 1865, was Miss 
 Emily Wolcott, a daughter of Nelson Wolcott, 
 of South Windsor, Conn., where she was born 
 on her father's farm. She died when but 
 twenty-eight years of age, leaving one daugh- 
 ter, Ida, who lives with her father. Mrs. 
 Emily W. Bidwell was a member of the Con- 
 gregational church. Mr. Bidwell's second 
 union was with Mrs. Martha (Foster) Johnson, 
 a daughter of Frederick Foster, of Goshen, 
 and now the sole survivor of a family of three 
 children. Mr. Foster was born at Pough- 
 keepsie in 1816, settled in Goshen in his 
 younger days, and resided there until 1866, 
 since which time he has made his home with 
 his daughter in Thomaston. His wife, Sarah 
 Davidson, was born in Cornwall, where her 
 father, Asa Davidson, spent .the greater part of 
 his life. She died at seventy-four years of 
 age. Mrs. Martha F. Bidwell has borne her 
 husband one daughter, Jennie, now a young 
 lady of sixteen years. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bidwell is a loyal adherent 
 of the Republican party, but has never been 
 an aspirant for official position. He is a 
 member of Union Lodge, No. 96, A. F. & 
 A. M., of Thomaston, and was formerly con- 
 nected with Union Lodge of Windsor, where 
 he served as Treasurer a number of years. He 
 and his wife are attendants of the Congrega- 
 tional church, toward the support of which he 
 is a liberal contributor. 
 
 W' 
 
 ALTER S. FYLER, a successful 
 mechanic and highly respected citi- 
 zen of Torrington, Conn., son of 
 Carlton C. and Louisa (Barber) Fyler, was 
 born here on March 14, 1873. His father 
 was born in Newfield, which is a part of the 
 town of Torrington, 
 
 His paternal grandfather, Harlow Fyler, a 
 practical farmer, was a lifelong resident of 
 Torrington. He was the father of five chil- 
 dren, of whom Orsamus, Florimond, and Carl- 
 ton C. are now living. Carlton C. Fyler grew 
 to manhood under the parental roof, assisting 
 his father in the varied duties of the farm; 
 and, when he started in life for himself, he 
 continued his agricultural labors, and in addi- 
 tion thereto he engaged in speculative invest- 
 ments. He remained in Torrington and vicin- 
 ity up to 1880, when he removed to Dakota; 
 and later he went from Dakota to California, 
 where he now resides. His wife, Louisa 
 Barber Fyler, who was born in the town of 
 Torrington, is a daughter of Orson Barber, 
 late a successful farmer and a worthy represen- 
 tative of one of the oldest families of the 
 town. Mrs. Louisa B. Fyler has reared three 
 children, namely: Carlton C. and Sheridan, 
 both of whom live in California; and Walter 
 S., with whom she resides on a pleasant place 
 four miles from the village. She is an es- 
 timable and highly intelligent woman, and a 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 Walter S. Fyler spent his early years with 
 his mother, acquiring his education in the 
 public schools, and then worked for some time 
 by the month on a farm. He next secured a 
 position in a grocery store, where he remained 
 one year; and the following year he was em- 
 ployed by the Union Hardware Company. 
 Later on he was engaged by Mr. Green in the 
 flour and feed business, and from the latter 
 place entered his present position with the 
 Eagle Bicycle Company, where he is employed 
 as an assembler of wheels. On November 21, 
 1894, he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Marion Drake, who was born in Winchester, 
 Conn., but early removed with her parents to 
 Torrington, where she received her education. 
 She has one sister, Elma Drake. Their 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 597 
 
 father, Miner Drake, is a representative 'of 
 one of the oldest families of Torrington. In 
 politics Mr. Fyler is a stanch supporter of Re- 
 publican principles. 
 
 rOHN A. BUCKINGHAM, a retired 
 business man, who occupies a pleasant 
 residence situated opposite to the com- 
 mon in Watertown, was born in Waterbury, 
 New Haven County, April i, 1839, son of 
 Scovill M. and Charlotte A. (Benedict) 
 Buckingham. Mr. Buckingham's grandfather, 
 John Buckingham, was a native of Oakville, 
 and was there for many years engaged in the 
 manufacturing of plated ware and daguerreo- 
 type materials, also conducting a farm. He 
 resided in Oakville a greater part of his life, 
 but passed his latter years in Waterbury, 
 where he died at the age of eighty-two years. 
 
 Scovill M. Buckingham, son of John, was 
 born at the homestead in Oakville. In young 
 manhood he engaged in the industry which 
 his father had established. Later moving to 
 Waterbury, he was connected with the Scovill 
 Manufacturing Company for many years, being 
 an able and successful business man and a 
 worthy citizen. He died in Waterbury at the 
 age of seventy-nine years. His wife, Char- 
 lotte Benedict, who passed onward at seventy- 
 seven, was a daughter of Aaron Benedict, a 
 member of the manufacturing firm of Benedict 
 & Barnum of Waterbury. Her father lived 
 to the age of eighty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Scovill M. Buckingham reared but one son, 
 John A., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 John A. Buckingham received his education 
 in the schools of Waterbury, and at the age of 
 seventeen went to New York City, where he 
 was for eight years employed as a salesman 
 for the Scovill Manufacturing Company. He 
 then spent two years travelling in Europe; 
 
 and upon his return to the United States 
 he engaged in business in New York City, 
 becoming an active and successful operator 
 among the financiers of' Wall Street. After 
 fifteen years of prosperity in the metropolis, 
 he relinquished business pursuits, and six 
 years ago retired to his home in Watertown, 
 where he occupies the old Warren place, so 
 called, which is one of the most desirable 
 pieces of residence property in this vicinity. 
 He is both a prominent and popular citizen, 
 interested in the growth and development of 
 the town, enjoying the respect and good will 
 of the community. Aside from his valuable 
 real estate holdings here, he owns a large 
 piece of farm property in Middlebury. He is 
 a Republican in politics, and is actively in- 
 terested in public affairs, but has never as- 
 pired to political honors. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Buckingham was united in 
 marriage with Anna McLean, daughter of 
 Samuel McLean, an extensive dry-goods im- 
 porter of Brooklyn, N.Y., and has two chil- 
 dren, namely : Scovill McLean, who is now a 
 student at Yale College; and Charles Bene- 
 dict. Mr. Buckingham is an Episcopalian in 
 religion, as were his parents, and is a liberal 
 supporter of Christ's Church. 
 
 T^HARLES P. LYMAN, a prominent 
 I \r merchant of Washington and ex-mem- 
 
 V»^_^ ber of the Connecticut Senate, was 
 born in New Preston, Conn., May 9, 1858, son 
 of Dr. Edward and Sarah (Lemmon) Lyman. 
 His father was born in Salisbury, Conn., and 
 received a liberal education. After graduat- 
 ing from Yale College, where he pursued a 
 thorough course of medical studies, he located 
 in New Preston, where he became known as a 
 skilled andreliable physician, his practice ex- 
 tending over a period of forty years. He oc- 
 
598 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cupied a prominent position among the leading 
 men of the town, serving as a member of the 
 legislature; and, although a consistent Re- 
 publican, he was free from party prejudice. 
 He was a highly esteemed and useful citizen, 
 possessing many admirable qualities of heart 
 and mind. He died in 1882, at the age of 
 sixty-one years. His wife, Sarah Lemmon, 
 was a daughter of Charles C. and Fanny R. 
 Lemmon. She reared but one son, Charles 
 P., the subject of this sketch. She lived to 
 reach the age of fifty-eight years, her death 
 occurring in 1880. 
 
 Charles P. Lyman received a good educa- 
 tion, and at the age of eighteen went South, 
 where for six years he was engaged in business 
 with his uncle. He then returned to New 
 Preston, and entered into Mercantile pursuits,' 
 in which line of business activity he has since 
 continued with gratifying results. He con- 
 ducts a large general store, in which he carries 
 an extensive and varied line of goods; and his 
 business ability and enterprise have placed 
 him in the front rank among the solid mer- 
 chants of his locality. In politics he is a 
 Democrat, and has several times been called 
 upon to serve in public office. He was a 
 member of the Connecticut House of Repre- 
 sentatives for two terms, and was elected to 
 the Senate in 1891. During his term of ser- 
 vice in both houses he faithfully guarded the 
 interests of his constituents. He was Post- 
 master in this town during President Cleve- 
 land's first administration, and was a cour- 
 teous and obliging official; and in 1893 he 
 served as. County Commissioner. 
 
 Mr. Lyman was united in marriage in 1883 
 to Nellie Sperry, daughter of Walter D. 
 Sperry, of Washington. They have three 
 children: Edward P., Henry L., and Eveline. 
 The family are attendants of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 OHN QUANE, a successful dairyman of 
 Goshen, was born in Templederry, Ire- 
 land, September 25, 1831, son of John, 
 Sr., and Mary (Hickey) Quane. Mr. Quane's 
 grandparents, Richard and Alice (Hunt) 
 Quane, natives of Ireland, died at the respec- 
 tive ages of seventy and eighty years. The 
 children reared by them were: Mary, Alice, 
 Jane, John, and William. 
 
 John Quane, Sr., Mr. Quane's father, was 
 born in Templederry, Ireland. He emigrated 
 to the United States in 185 1, and settled in 
 Litchfield, Conn. His wife, who was a native 
 of Ireland and daughter of James Hickey, be- 
 came the mother of one son, John, Jr., the 
 subject of this 'sketch. 
 
 John Quane, Jr., emigrated to the United 
 States with his parents, and engaged in farm- 
 ing. In 1859 he bought his present farm in 
 Goshen, where he has since resided. He de- 
 votes his eighty acres of land entirely to the 
 purposes of dairying, in which he has been 
 most prosperous. In 1856 Mr. Quane was 
 united in marriage to Hannah Ryne, daughter 
 of Michael Ryne, a native of Ireland. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Quane have one son, Richard, who 
 wedded Anna Ryne, and has four children, 
 named respectively John, Martin, Joanna, and 
 Eddie. Mr. Quane is a progressive farmer 
 and an intelligent and useful citizen. In 
 politics he is a Democrat, and his religion is 
 the Catholic. 
 
 OHN LINER, the genial proprietor of 
 the Brookside Hotel of Sharon, where 
 during the past two years he has pro- 
 vided excellent accommodations for travellers, 
 was born on the other side of the Atlantic on 
 February 19, 1849. 
 
 Ludwick Liner, father of John, left his 
 transatlantic home about thirty years ago to 
 come to America, accompanied by his sons. 
 
JOHN LINER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6oi 
 
 They settled in Sharon, Litchfield County, 
 Conn. ; and here the father continued to live 
 until his death, which occurred in the nine- 
 tieth year of his age. 
 
 John Liner, one of the sons who made the 
 trip to the United States in search of a broader 
 field of action, spent the first years of his resi- 
 dence here at work on different farms in 
 Sharon; but after his marriage he purchased a 
 farm south of the village, and during the fol- 
 lowing fourteen years he was successfully en- 
 gaged in general farming. His next business 
 venture was the purchase of Pleasant View 
 Hotel in Sharon Village, of which he re- 
 mained proprietor and manager for a half- 
 dozen years, conducting the business of inn- 
 keeping with good results. In 1890 he pur- 
 chased a one-hundred-and-fifty-acre farm half 
 a mile north-west of the village, and for three 
 years he combined the vocation of a farmer 
 with his other calling of entertaining the 
 travelling public. Two years ago, in 1893, 
 he sold the Pleasant View Hotel, and bought 
 the Brookside Hotel. Here he is doing a 
 thriving business, and his many friends and 
 patrons wish him a still further measure of 
 success than he has already attained. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Liner was married to Miss 
 Mary Klebes, a daughter of Lawrence Klebes, 
 of Smithfield, N.Y. ; and during the years that 
 have followed two sons and two daughters have 
 been born into their household — namely, 
 Hannah, Charlie, Lawrence, and Mabel. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Mr. John Liner 
 will be of interest to numerous friends and ac- 
 quaintances. 
 
 j^jEV. ELIJAH W. WOODRUFF, an 
 old and esteemed citizen of Washing- 
 ton, Conn., was born in this town, 
 February 26, 1830. He is a son of Elijah 
 and Zillah (Warner) Woodruff, and grandson 
 
 of John Woodruff, one of the early settlers of 
 Washington, who was born and reared in 
 Farmington, Conn. John Woodruff was a nat- 
 ural mechanic, but devoted the greater part of 
 his time to farming. He died in Washington 
 on September 6, 1806, at the age of seventy- 
 two. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Sarah Baker, passed to the other life on No- 
 vember 2, 1822, aged eighty-three. They 
 reared a large family, as follows: Lois, born 
 in 1756; Samuel, in 1758; Thoday, in 1762; 
 Eunice, in 1764; Sarah, in 1767; John, in 
 1 771; Elijah, March 14, 1775; and Truman, 
 on Septembers, 1778. 
 
 Elijah Woodruff, son of John, was a native 
 of Washington. In his youth he learned the 
 shoemaker's trade, at which he continued to 
 work at intervals, also tilling a farm. This 
 combination of occupations was very common 
 in those days, before the time of shoe facto- 
 ries ; and many an old farm-house standing 
 to-day has a small shop in the rear, where in 
 early times might have been heard the patter 
 of the shoemaker's hammer on the lapstone. 
 Elijah Woodruff died June 16, 1859, having 
 been twice married. His first wife, Cathe- 
 rine Wildman, who was born in 1781, died in 
 1826, aged forty-six years. His second wife, 
 Zillah Warner, attained the advanced age of 
 eighty-eight, being called to rest on November 
 10, 1883. The following children were born 
 to her: Elijah W., whose name begins this 
 sketch; Charles T., who was twice married, 
 his first wife, Charlotte Geer, of Kent, dying 
 August 7, 1 879, at the age of forty-seven, and 
 who by his second wife, Mary E. Clark, has 
 two children— Clifford C. and Nellie W. 
 Woodruff; Sarah F. ; and Merritt S., who mar- 
 ried Anna Cogswell. 
 
 Elijah W. Woodruff tdok his first steps in 
 learning's way at the district school of his 
 native town, and afterward attended the acad- 
 
602 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 emy, where he mastered the more advanced 
 branches. He studied theology, but never 
 was physically strong enough to take full 
 charge of a parish, though retaining his con- 
 nection with evangelical work, acting as sup- 
 ply minister for the Congregational church for 
 the past twenty years. He is also well known 
 as a correspondetit of many of the leading 
 newspapers of the day. 
 
 In politics Mr. Woodruff is a Republican, 
 and was one of the first fourteen who voted 
 that ticket in the State of Connecticut. He is 
 regarded with esteem by all who know him, 
 not only for his scholarship and culture, but 
 also for his sterling character and amiable 
 
 disposition. 
 
 < ■ ■> > ■ 
 
 OHN R. BOSTWICK, a retired business 
 man and a highly esteemed resident of 
 New Milford, was born in that town, 
 January 9, 1820, son of Jared and Ann (Cop- 
 ley) Bostwick. Mr. Bostwick is a descendant 
 of Arthur Bostwick, who with his son, John 
 Bostwick, emigrated from England, and settled 
 in Stratford, Conn., in 1650. They were the 
 first of the family to settle in America. 
 
 John, second, son of John and Mary (Brins- 
 mead) Bostwick, settled in New Milford in 
 1708. He owned a large tract of land, and 
 the Boardman homestead on Main Street was 
 a part of his property. He married Mercy 
 Bushnell; and his eighth son, Daniel Bost- 
 wick, had the distinction of being the first 
 white male child born in the town. The first 
 John Bostwick died in New Milford, aged 
 eighty years; and the descent continued 
 through John (second) and Mercy (Bushnell) 
 Bostwick, the former of whom was born in 
 1689. He settled upon the land now occupied 
 by John R. Bostwick, and died at the age of 
 fifty-two years. Mr. Bostwick's great-grand-, 
 parents were Samuel and Anna (Fisk) Bost- 
 
 wick. Samuel Bostwick, born August 3, 
 1723, and died in 1789, built the first frame 
 house in the town, a portion of which is still 
 standing, attached to the rear of the present 
 brick dwelling of Mr. J. R. Bostwick, the 
 latter dwelling being erected by Elisha Bost- 
 wick in 1 78 1. He was a very prominent man 
 in the community, serving as Town Clerk for 
 over fifty years, and as a Representative to 
 the legislature for thirteen consecutive terms. 
 He owned large tracts of land, which he culti- 
 vated by the aid of slaves. A fact worthy of 
 note is that he freed his slaves long before 
 Connecticut permitted such a thing, by selling 
 each to the other for twenty-five cents. He 
 was the wealthiest resident in New Milford in 
 his day, was active in religious affairs, and a 
 member of the Congregational church. Elisha 
 Bostwick, grandfather of John R., was born 
 about 1747, and died in 1833, aged eighty-six 
 years. His wife was Betsey Ferris. She 
 died in the same year as her husband, being 
 sixty-six years old at the time of his death. 
 They were prominent and highly respected 
 residents of the town. Their children were: 
 Betsey A., Jared, and Samuel R. 
 
 Jared Bostwick, Mr. Bostwick's father, suc- 
 ceeded to the possession of the homestead; and 
 he resided there during his life. He was 
 active and progressive, making various im- 
 provements in the property, and was very pros- 
 perous. He occupied a prominent position in 
 the town, of which he was Clerk for eighteen 
 years, besides holding other ofifices of trust. 
 He was a liberal supporter and a member of 
 the Congregational church ; and he died in Jan- 
 uary, 1868. His wife, Ann Copley, became 
 the mother of five children, as follows: Stan- 
 ley G., George H., John R., Mary A., and 
 Frederick E. The mother died November 21, 
 1869. 
 
 John R. Bostwick was educated in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 603 
 
 schools of his native town ; andy when a young 
 man, he learned the trade of a harness and 
 trunk maker. He relinquished that occupa- 
 tion, and on December 11, 1840, became a 
 brakeman on the Housatonic Railroad. He 
 was soon advanced to the position of a conduc- 
 tor. After nine years of service he resigned, 
 and became the first conductor upon the Hud- 
 son River Railroad, in which capacity he re- 
 mained for ten years. He was subsequently 
 made superintendent of this railroad. Having 
 held that position for a time, he resigned, and 
 engaged in the hotel business in New York 
 City, as proprietor of Bostwick's Murray Hill 
 House, situated at the corner of Fortieth Street 
 and Sixth Avenue. In i860 he went South, 
 and visited Washington, New Orleans, and 
 other cities. In 1868 he entered mercantile 
 business in Bridgeport. Two years later he 
 returned to New Milford, and started in the 
 meat and provision business, which he con- 
 ducted successfully for eleven years. Since 
 1888 he has resided at the old homestead, 
 where since his retirement he has devoted his 
 spare time to dairy keeping and the care of 
 bees. He has always taken an active interest 
 in the growth and improvement of the town. 
 
 On December 25, 1844, Mr. Bostwick was 
 united in marriage to Ann L. Porter, daughter 
 of Jared Porter, who was a representative of a 
 very prominent family of Monroe. He is a 
 member of St. Peter's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., 
 of which his grandfather was the first Master 
 in 1793. He has had a long and varied busi- 
 ness career, during which he has also served 
 the public in positions of responsibility. 
 
 'OHN F. WELLS, a highly intelligent 
 and practical farmer of Bridgewater, 
 Conn., is a native of New York State, 
 born in the town of De Kalb, St. Lawrence 
 
 County, August 20, 1848. He is a son of 
 Laurel and Minerva (Wall) Wells, and a 
 grandson of Russell and Chloe (Paddock) 
 Wells. 
 
 Russell Wells was born in Vermont in the 
 year 1795. In 1826 he settled in De Kalb, 
 St. Lawrence County, N. Y. , where he pur- 
 chased about one hundred acres of timber land, 
 and settled down to the life of a farmer. He 
 married Chloe Paddock, a native of his town, 
 in the year 18 16. Five children were the 
 fruit of their union ; namely, John F., Loren 
 P., Lucy, Laura, and Laurel. The last two 
 were twins. The father died in his seventy- 
 fifth year, and the mother at the age of 
 fifty-six. 
 
 Laurel Wells was born in the year 1820. 
 His early years were passed at home. In 
 1842 he became a teacher in the public 
 schools. He purchased one hundred and fifty 
 acres of wild timber land, and at once built 
 a small log house, eighteen by twenty feet. 
 Then he began to clear a farm. In this he 
 was so successful that when, in 1845, the 
 eventful day of his marriage came, but twenty- 
 five dollars remained to be paid on his farm. 
 He continued in the occupation of farmer 
 throughout his life, and became a prominent 
 man in the community. In his political views 
 he was a Republican. Like all good citizens, 
 he took an active interest in the welfare of his 
 town, and was often called upon to fill positions 
 of responsibility and trust. He died February 
 10, 1892, at the age of seventy-two years. 
 His wife, Minerva Wall before marriage, is 
 still living, and is now sixty-nine years old. 
 They were the parents of eight children, as 
 follows: John F., Charles, Edwin A., Milton, 
 Chloe, Martha, Estella, and Josie. 
 
 John F. Wells received his education in 
 the district and select schools. When twenty 
 years old, he engaged in teaching, and received 
 
6o4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 as his pay for one winter the sum of one hun- 
 dred dollars. He was then of age, and desired 
 to start for himself. Although his father was 
 unwilling that he should leave home, he gave 
 him fifteen dollars ; and with that as his capital 
 he went to New Milford, and engaged in farm- 
 ing for B. W. Buckingham one season. At 
 the end of that time he returned home, and 
 subsequently taught in Gouverneur, N.Y., for 
 a year. After this he went back to Mr. Buck- 
 ingham's in New Milford, for whom he worked 
 during the summer and taught in the winter 
 for the next three years. Then he purchased 
 from the heirs the farm that had belonged to 
 his wife's father. He has since added to it 
 by the purchase of ten acres, so that he now 
 has a farm of seventy acres. He has remod- 
 elled the buildings and greatly improved the 
 land, and is successfully engaged in general 
 farming and tobacco raising. After his mar- 
 riage he continued to teach school for a num- 
 ber of winters. He is now living with his 
 second wife. His first marriage was in 1871, 
 on September 20, to Miss Mary E. Bronson, 
 a daughter of Henry C. and Elizabeth Bron- 
 son. She died August 31, 1873, when but 
 twenty-three years of age. She left one child, 
 Mary C, who married Christopher Dickinson 
 in 1892. On September 17, 1874, he was 
 again married, this time to Miss Alida Wil- 
 son, a daughter of James and Ellen (Fuller) 
 Wilson. Four children are the fruit of this 
 union; namely, Lilly, Ara F., Golda, and 
 Laur,el W. 
 
 Mr. Wells is an adherent of the Democratic 
 party. He has served his town as Assessor, 
 and he now holds the office of Selectman and 
 of Justice of the Peace. He and his family 
 attend the Congregational church. Mr. Wells 
 is a man of remarkably steady habits, never 
 having drunk a drop of liquor in his life, 
 and by his upright dealings with all has 
 
 gained the respect of a large circle of friends 
 and acquaintances. 
 
 T^HARLES S. BIRGE, a farmer and 
 \^J\ lumberman of Harwinton, son of 
 V»l£_^' David and Helen (Sperry) Birge, 
 was born in this town, Litchfield County, on 
 September 30, 1853. Mr. Birge occupies the 
 farm on which his grandfather, Allen Birge, 
 settled when he came here from Bristol, a 
 young man of twenty years, and where he 
 died at the age of sixty-one, after a life of 
 toil in forest and fields. Allen Birge's wife, 
 Lucy Hotchkiss Birge, of Burlington, by 
 whom he had five children, lived to the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-four years. 
 
 David Birge, son of Allen, was born and 
 bred on his father's farm in Harwinton. He 
 eventually became the owner of the homestead, 
 and resided there until 1890, when he retired 
 from active labor, he is now living in Bristol. 
 David Birge has for many years been an active 
 member of the Congregational church, and 
 much of the time officially connected with 
 both the church and society. Flis wife, whose 
 maiden name was Helen Sperry, died in 1889, 
 aged sixty-one. She was born in Burlington, 
 daughter of Timothy and Flora (Smith) 
 Sperry, both of whom were natives and life- 
 long residents of that town. Mr. and Mrs. 
 David Birge reared three children, as follows: 
 Charles S., the subject of this sketch; Ella, 
 wife of Wilbur L. Barber, formerly of Har- 
 winton, but now a resident of Milford, Conn., 
 where he is a prosperous farmer; and John, a 
 coal dealer of Milford. 
 
 Charles S. Birge received his education in 
 the district schools and at the Harwinton 
 Academy. He began at an early age to help 
 in the work of carrying on the farm, and has 
 always resided at the old homestead. Since 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 60S' 
 
 his father's retirement he has conducted the 
 farm alone, and is successfully engaged in 
 general husbandry. He also devotes consider- 
 able attention to lumbering, a business which, 
 when well managed, is productive of good 
 profits. Mr. Birge is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and has been called upon to serve in 
 important positions of public trust. He was 
 for five years second Selectman, and the pres- 
 ent year he is serving as first Selectman. He 
 has been a director in the town insurance com- 
 pany,' and in 1893 he was a Representative to 
 the legislature. 
 
 On January 11, 1877, Mr. Birge married 
 Martha A. Frisbie, who was born in Harwin- 
 ton. Her parents are Henry and Sarah (Bat- 
 terton) Frisbie, the former of whom is a native 
 of Harwinton, and the latter of Danville, Ky. 
 Their children are: Mary, wife of Darius 
 Beach, of Thomaston; Irene, wife of Justin 
 K. Hollister, a farmer of Glastonbury, Conn. ; 
 and Martha A., now Mrs. Birge. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Birge have one daughter, named Elsie A. 
 They are members of the Congregational 
 church, Mrs. Birge being also a member of 
 the Ladies' Aid Society, which is active in 
 many good works. 
 
 TARVIS E. THOMPSON, a well-to-do 
 farmer of Bethlehem, Litchfield 
 County, Conn., son of Major Edwin L. 
 and Julia (Gibbs) Thompson, was born in this 
 town, July 8, 1845. Mr. Thompson's paternal 
 grandfather, Levi Thompson, a native of and 
 a lifelong resident of Bethlehem, was an ener- 
 getic and industrious farmer and a worthy citi- 
 zen. He died at the age of sixty-five years. 
 He married Polly Orton ; and they reared a 
 family of six children, as follows: Julia; Pau- 
 line; Egbert; Edwin L. ; Abiel, who died at 
 the age of eight years; and Harriet. Mrs. 
 
 Polly Orton Thompson lived to reach the age 
 of seventy-three. 
 
 Edwin L. Thompson, son of Levi, was born 
 at the homestead in Bethlehem in 18 16. As 
 he grew to manhood, he acquired a practical 
 knowledge of farming, which he continued to 
 follow as his occupation for life. Aside from 
 his ability as a farmer, he possessed a natural 
 genius for mechanics, and was thus enabled to 
 attend to all his own blacksmithing and re- 
 pairing, keeping his buildings as well as his 
 tools and implements in the best of order, the 
 energy and good judgment with which he man- 
 aged his affairs securing an ample reward for 
 his labor. He was a Democrat in politics, 
 being prominent in public affairs for many 
 years; and he ably represented his town in the 
 legislature for two terms. He held a commis- 
 sion for some time as Major in the State mili- 
 tia. Julia B. Gibbs, who became the wife of 
 Major Thompson in 1838, was born in Bland- 
 ford, Mass., daughter of Captain Lester E. 
 and Mary (Boise) Gibbs. Captain Gibbs was 
 a prosperous farmer, who died at the age of 
 fifty-five, having been the father of nine chil- 
 dren, namely: Julia B. ; Jarvis; David; Sam- 
 uel; Russell; Belle; Maria; and Edward and 
 i Edson, twins. Their mother died at the age 
 of seventy - three years. Mrs. Edwin L. 
 Thompson became the mother of seven chil- 
 dren, as follows: Tracey R., who married 
 Addie Brewer; Sarah, who died at the age of 
 thirty-five; Mary, who was Mrs. Thompson; 
 Jarvis E., the subject of this sketch; Augusta, 
 who is now Mrs. King, and has one daughter, 
 named Julia T. ; Isabella, who became Mrs. 
 Randall, and has five children — Edwin, 
 Mary, Isabella, Frederick, and Dorothy; and 
 Dora, who became Mrs. Thompson, and has 
 three children — Julia C, Harold, and Welton. 
 
 Jarvis E. Thompson received his education 
 in the schools of his native town. He has 
 
6o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 always resided at the homestead ; and, being an 
 able and progressive farmer, he enjoys a good 
 share of prosperity, occupying a leading posi- 
 tion among the well-to-do residents of Bethle- 
 hem. On November i8, 1875, he was united 
 in marriage with Emma M. Judson, daughter 
 of Harmon W. Judson, of Woodbury, and has 
 four children, namely: Sarah E. ; Gertie E. ; 
 Erwin L., who died at the age of nine years; 
 and Isabella J. Mr. Thompson is an Episco- 
 palian in religion, and a Democrat in politics. 
 He is well and favorably known in this vicin- 
 ity as a reliable and useful citizen, and is a 
 member of Federal Lodge, No. 17, A. F. & 
 A. M., of Watertown. 
 
 T^HARLES E. GRIFFING, of New 
 I jp Milford, Conn., manufacturer of the 
 
 ^^_„-^ well-known Housatonic Valley 
 Lime, was born in Danbury, Fairfield County, 
 January 24, 1847, son of Martin H. and Mari- 
 etta (Hoyt) Griffing. Mr. Griffing's father 
 was an extensive coal merchant in Danbury, 
 where for many years he conducted a success- 
 ful business. 
 
 Charles E. Griffing received a good educa- 
 tion; and at the age of twenty-one he engaged 
 in business with his father, later conducting 
 the enterprise alone. In 1886 he purchased 
 land at Sanford Station, which contained a 
 lime quarry; and, constructing kilns, he en- 
 gaged in the manufacturing of lime, doing a 
 good business for several years. When the 
 deposit of a superior quality of lime was dis- 
 covered upon the land of M. Marsh in New 
 Milford, he immediately bought the rights; 
 and, moving his machinery to the new quarries 
 in 1892, he opened business with one kiln. 
 The Housatonic Valley Lime (this name being 
 his trade-mark) soon became so widely known 
 as to demand increased production; and he has 
 
 since been adding to his plant, which now 
 consists of four large kilns. His quarry is 
 the largest in the State, and, although it is 
 now being worked at a level forty feet below 
 the surface, continues to produce rock of the 
 finest quality. Mr. Griffing has constructed a 
 railway, one and one-half miles in length, di- 
 rect from the quarry to the line of the Housa- 
 tonic Railroad Company, and has availed him- 
 self of all modern improvements in the way of 
 machinery to facilitate the manufacture and 
 shipping of his product, which amounts to five 
 thousand barrels per month, the casks being 
 made on the premises. Besides the forty 
 hands directly engaged at the lime-works, 
 many others are employed in cutting and 
 hauling the wood used in supplying the kilns. 
 
 Mr. Griflfing married Martha Northrup, 
 daughter of Andrew Northrup, a representative 
 of one of the most prominent families in this 
 part of the State, and has one son, Andrew N. 
 Griffing, who was born June 10, 1872. He is 
 a young man of ability, now filling the posi- 
 tion of superintendent for his father, having 
 the management of the business. He and his 
 wife, Minnie Greene Griffing, have one son, 
 named Ralph A. Mr. Charles E. Griffing has 
 erected a handsome cottage upon land adjoin- 
 ing the quarries, the grounds being beautifully 
 laid out; and he has also built a spacious barn 
 near by, this place, together with his fine resi- 
 dence and other valuable property in Danbury,, 
 presenting ample evidence of his business 
 prosperity and success. 
 
 In Masonry Mr. Griffing is well -advanced, 
 being a member of Danbury Commandery, 
 Knights Templars, and of the Mystic Shrine. 
 He is a self-made man, highly esteemed in 
 both business and social circles, and has done 
 much toward developing the industries of New 
 Milford. Politically, he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. 
 
U. p. BARTHOLOMEW. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 609 
 
 G^s|TRI P. BARTHOLOMEW, station 
 ir\ agent for the Shepaug, Litchfield & 
 V».^»"~^ Northern Railroad at Bantam, in 
 the town of Litchfield, Conn., was born in 
 Goshen, near by, March 29, 1830, son of Milo 
 and Millia (Holbrook) Bartholomew. Mr. 
 Bartholomew's grandfather, Samuel Bartholo- 
 mew, a native of Guilford, New Haven 
 County, became an early settler in the town 
 of Goshen, where he engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits until his death. Milo Bartholomew, 
 son of Samuel, was reared to farm life, and 
 succeeded to the possession of the farm after 
 his father's death. He conducted agriculture 
 successfully, and erected the present farm 
 residence in 1849. He became prominent in 
 public affairs, and was originally a Whig, but 
 later a Republican in politics. He served as 
 a Selectman for many years, and represented 
 his district in the legislature two terms, being 
 a useful and highly esteemed member of the 
 community. He died at the age of seventy 
 years. His wife, Millia Holbrook, was born 
 in Goshen, and in that town was a lifelong 
 resident. She was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. Her father, Sylvanus Hol- 
 brook, was a native of Stonington, and during 
 his early manhood there followed the trade of 
 a shoemaker. Later, moving to Goshen, he 
 settled upon a small farm, which he cultivated 
 for some years. He died at the residence of 
 his daughter. Mrs. Milo Bartholomew was 
 the mother of three sons, two of whom are 
 still living, namely: Uri P., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Samuel A., who now resides 
 at the old homestead. 
 
 Uri P. Bartholomew commenced his educa- 
 tion in the schools of Goshen, and completed 
 his studies at a seminary in Suffield, Conn. 
 He assisted his father in carrying on the farm, 
 and resided at home until reaching the age of 
 twenty-five years, when he went to Milton, in 
 
 the town of Litchfield, where he remained for 
 a short time, after which he returned to 
 Goshen, and engaged in the milling and team- 
 ing business for some years. He was foreman 
 of the knife manufactory for four years; and 
 in 187s he came to Litchfield, where he en- 
 gaged in operating a flouring mill for Mr. Mc- 
 Neil for seven years. Then, establishing 
 himself in mercantile business at Bantam, he 
 successfully conducted a country store for nine 
 years. Mr. Bartholomew was appointed sta- 
 tion agent of the Shepaug Railroad Company 
 at Bantam in 1882; and in 1888 he rented his 
 store, in order to devote his time and attention 
 to the duties of that position and also to the 
 building interests and other business in which 
 he is engaged, he being likewise express and 
 weighing agent, carrier of the United States 
 mail, and quite an extensive dealer in lumber 
 and coal. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Bartholomew was united in 
 marriage with Lucelia S. Dudley, a daughter 
 of Deacon S. H. Dudley, who was for many 
 years a prosperous farmer of Litchfield. He 
 now resides with Mr. Bartholomew, and is 
 still bright and intelligent at the advanced age 
 of ninety-one years. He has been a Deacon 
 of the Congregational church for more than 
 fifty years, and was formerly a Justice of the 
 Peace and a very prominent man in the com- 
 munity. Mr. Bartholomew's first wife died, 
 leaving one son, Milo D., who is foreman of 
 his father's building operations, and is an ex- 
 cellent mechanic. He married Ida Bennett, 
 of Bristol, Conn., daughter of Charles Bennett, 
 who now resides at their home in Bantam. 
 They have one daughter, named Grace L. 
 
 Uri P. Bartholomew married for his second 
 wife Cornelia E. Dudley, a sister of his first 
 wife. Mr. Bartholomew is a Republican in 
 politics, but has never sought for political 
 honors. Mr. and Mrs. Bartholomew are mem- 
 
6io 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bers of the Congregational church at Milton, 
 but attend the Episcopal church in Bantam, in 
 which Mr. Bartholomew is a Vestryman and a 
 member of the choir. 
 
 'HERMAN KIMBERLY, a well- 
 known and prosperous farmer of 
 Goshen, Conn., was born upon his 
 present farm, May 8, 1831, son of Henry and 
 Sylvia (Curtis) Kimberly. Mr. Kimberly's 
 great-grandfather was Jacob Kimberly, who 
 emigrated from England, and settled near 
 New Haven, Conn. He served in the Con- 
 tinental army during the Revolutionary War, 
 one of his brothers being a soldier in the Eng- 
 lish ranks. Mr. Kimberly's grandfather, 
 Hubbard Kimberly, was born in West Haven, 
 and in early manhood settled upon a farm in 
 Goshen. In 1812 with his wife and children 
 he made the journey from Connecticut to Ohio 
 with an ox-team, and after a short residence 
 there returned to Goshen in the same manner. 
 He was engaged in farming during the re- 
 mainder of his active life, and died at the 
 home of his son Henry, aged seventy-eight 
 years. His wife died at about the same age. 
 
 Henry Kimberly, father of our subject, was 
 born in Goshen, and reared to agriculture. 
 He lived with his parents until attaining his 
 majority, at which time he purchased the farm 
 where his son Sherman now resides, and died 
 there at the age of fifty-four years. He was a 
 Whig in politics, and served several years on 
 the Board of Selectmen. His wife, Sylvia 
 Curtis, was born in Winchester, and was a 
 daughter of Jared Curtis, a farmer of that 
 town. She became the mother of nine chil- 
 dren, all of whom grew to maturity, four 
 being now living, namely: Sherman, whose 
 name appears at the head of this sketch; Ed- 
 ward, who resides in Florida; Sylvia, who be- 
 
 came the wife of Elmer Burrell, of Colebrook; 
 and Delia, wife of Samuel Reed, of West 
 Torrington. Three sons — Henry, Uri, and 
 Daniel — were killed in the Civil War. Mrs. 
 Henry Kimberly died at the residence of her 
 son Sherman, having attained the venerable 
 age of ninety-three years. 
 
 Sherman Kimberly acquired the rudiments 
 of his education in the common schools, com- 
 pleting his studies in Chicopee, Mass. He 
 assisted in carrying on the farm, and after his 
 father's death succeeded to the owner^ip of 
 the property. He has since devoted his time 
 and energies to general farming with the most 
 satisfactory results. He has a thorough prac- 
 tical knowledge of agriculture, and is consid- 
 ered a high authority upon all matters rela- 
 tive to the farm and garden. In politics Mr. 
 Kimberly supports the Populist movement. 
 He has always taken an active interest in the 
 Patrons of Husbandry, being the first State 
 Deputy and first Master of the State Grange; 
 and both he and all his family are members 
 of the Grange in Torrington. 
 
 On April 27, 1856, Mr. Kimberly was mar- 
 ried to Lorette E. Pendleton, who was born 
 in Norfolk, Conn., and is a daughter of Abel 
 and Zeruah (Egleston) Pendleton. Her 
 father, who was a thrifty farmer of Norfolk, 
 was born in Rhode Island, February 16, 181 1, 
 and died at the residence of his daughter, at 
 the age of seventy-one years. Mrs. Kim- 
 berly's great-grandfather was a farmer of 
 Westerly, R.I., her grandfather, Ethan Pen- 
 dleton, being born in that town. He later 
 settled in South Norfolk, where he became a 
 prosperous farmer and an extensive real estate 
 holder, owning over six hundred acres of land. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Kimberly have had 
 four children, as follows: Nellie, who married 
 O. E. Wadhams, a farmer of Torrington, and 
 is the mother of three children — Eugene, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6ii 
 
 James, and Erland; Ellora, who married 
 Fessenden L. Ives, a farmer of Goshen, and 
 has one child, named Fessenden E. ; Kerrill 
 K., a farmer; and Karmi. 
 
 KRANK W. ETHERIDGE was born in 
 Montville, Conn., on March 31, 1858. 
 He was educated at the Hartford High 
 School, and subsequently entered the office of 
 the late Hon. Elisha Johnson" and the Hon. 
 Samuel C. Prentice. Both members of the 
 firm were men 6i prominence and ability, the 
 former being at one time one of the most in- 
 fluential citizens of Plymouth, the latter now 
 occupying the bench as a Judge of the Su- 
 perior Court. Mr. Etheridge, after complet- 
 ing a thorough course under the supervision 
 of these able gentlemen, began to practise his 
 profession in the spring of 1880, coming to 
 Thomaston immediately after his admittance 
 to the bar. Here he opened an office in 
 Morse Block, and in the fall of same year en- 
 tered into a partnership with Judge Albert P. 
 Bradstreet, of Thomaston, Judge of the Dis- 
 trict Court of Waterbury. This firm is still 
 in existence. Mr. Etheridge is Judge of the 
 Probate District Court of Thomaston and 
 Town Clerk of Thomaston, having occupied 
 both positions for several years. He also 
 holds a number of minor positions. He has 
 served on the Board of Education, of which he 
 was Secretary for five years ; and for the last 
 ten years he has been a Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Early in the year 1892, upon the death of 
 Mr. C. James, the editor of the Thomaston 
 Express, Judge Etheridge became the pro- 
 prietor and editor of that paper. The Express 
 is a strong advocate of all progressive move- 
 ments, and has just entered upon its sixteenth 
 year with good prospects for the future. 
 
 Judge Etheridge is deeply interested and 
 
 takes an active part in all enterprises tending 
 to the advancement of his town and people. 
 He is a member of Franklin Lodge, ladepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Colum- 
 bian Encampment of the same order. On 
 December 20, 1882, he married Miss Ellen 
 Mathews ; and four children were the issue of 
 this union: Frederick W., Clara May, Jesse 
 R., and Florence M. 
 
 ELVINA BOSTWICK, a highly 
 esteemed resident of New Milford 
 
 and a representative of one of the 
 first families of this town, was born at the 
 Bostwick homestead, June 15, 18 14, daughter 
 of Marshall and Polly (Evetts) Bostwick. 
 Miss Bostwick is a lineal descendant of Arthur 
 Bostwick, a native of the city of Chester, 
 Cheshire, England, who with his only son, 
 John Bostwick, emigrated to New England, 
 and settled in Stratford, Conn., about the 
 year 1650. They resided in Stratford for the 
 remainder of their lives; and John Bostwick, 
 who married Mary Brinsmead, left a good es- 
 tate. 
 
 Their son John settled in New Milford in 
 1708, and became a large land-owner. He 
 lived to the age of eighty years. He was the 
 second settler in the locality; and it is said 
 that his eighth son, Daniel Bostwick, was the 
 first white male child born in the town. 
 Major John Bostwick, eldest son of John, 
 second, and Abigail Bostwick, was born in 
 Stratford in 1689, and became a prominent 
 resident of New Milford, where he died at the 
 age of fifty-two. He married Mary Bushnell, 
 and reared a family of five children, one of 
 whom was Benajah, Miss Bostwick's great- 
 grandfather, who was born on February 8, 
 1 71 8, was a lifelong resident of the town, 
 and died at the age of fifty-nine. He married 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Hannah Fisk, and his two children were 
 David and John. 
 
 David, Miss Bostwick's grandfather, was 
 born in New Milford, August 3, 1742. He 
 bought a large tract of land in the Upper 
 Merryall District, and became a very enter- 
 prising business man of his day. Aside from 
 his agricultural interests, he introduced vari- 
 ous industries, carrying on flax and woollen 
 mills, a distillery, a blacksmith shop, and a 
 scythe factory, in all of which he was finan- 
 cially successful and acquired wealth. He 
 was a progressive and public-spirited man, 
 who had at heart the general good of the com- 
 munity; and he was a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. He and his wife, Hannah 
 Hill Bostwick, had three children: Deming; 
 Joel; and Marshall, the father of Miss Bost- 
 wick. 
 
 Marshall Bostwick was born in the house 
 which his daughter now occupies. He con- 
 tinued to conduct the scythe factory estab- 
 lished by his father, and also engaged exten- 
 sively in agricultural pursuits, paying partic- 
 ular attention to the raising of cattle and 
 sheep. He was well and favorably known as 
 an enterprising and successful business man. 
 In politics he was a Whig, and for many years 
 was a prominent figure in local public affairs, 
 serving with ability as a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen and acting as a Justice of the 
 Peace. In his religious views he was origi- 
 nally a Congregationalist, but later became 
 an Episcopalian. Polly Evetts became the 
 mother of seven children, namely: Hannah; 
 Josephine; Marietta; Marinda; Marshall; 
 Jerome; and Melvina, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Melvina Bostwick succeeded to the posses- 
 sion of the homestead, and has here passed 
 the greater part of her life; but of late she 
 has spent the winters in Brooklyn, N.Y., 
 
 with a niece, Mrs. George P. Haskell, using 
 the old home as a summer residence. Al- 
 though Miss Bostwick has reached the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-one years, she is still 
 blessed with good health, and enjoys the so- 
 ciety of her large circle of friends and ac- 
 quaintances, by whom she has always been 
 held in the highest respect. 
 
 Mrs. George P. Haskell, Miss Bostwick's 
 niece, who was previous to her marriage Mary 
 Frances Woodin, is a daughter of Sheldon G. 
 and Mary F. (Bostwick) Woodin. Her father 
 was born in the Lower Merryall District in 
 1 8 12. In early manhood he went to Rock 
 Island, 111., where he acquired a large tract of 
 land, which he cultivated with prosperous re- 
 sults, and resided there for the remainder of 
 his life. In i860 his daughter, Mary Frances, 
 married George P. Haskell, who was born in 
 Monroe, Mich., July i, 1839, son of Norman 
 and Elizabeth (Folsom) Haskell. Mr. George 
 P. Haskell is connected with the New York 
 Life Insurance Company. He owns and with 
 his family occupies a pleasant residence in 
 Brooklyn. He is well known among insur- 
 ance men, and for some years past has taken 
 charge of Miss Bostwick's property. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Haskell have two children, namely: 
 Alice I., who was born August 13, 1861; and 
 Norman R., born February 5, 1864. 
 
 YgTENRY VOLKMANN, a highly intel- 
 f^ ligent citizen and well-known hotel- 
 -L^ V^^ keeper of Torrington, who died on 
 September 26, 1895, was born on September 
 22, 1835, in Bavaria, Germany, of which 
 county his parents, Carl and Kunigunda 
 (Griesbach) Volkmann, were both natives. 
 
 Carl Volkmann was a baker by trade, and 
 he continued in that line of business through- 
 out his life. His wife, Kunigunda Griesbach 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 613 
 
 Volkmann, bore him seven children, of whom 
 six are still living: Ernest, residing in New 
 Britain, Conn. ; Pauline, the wife of John 
 Miiller; Henry; Margaret, widow of Andrew 
 Spoerl ; Martin ; and Charles, a barber in Tor- 
 rington. Mrs. Henry Volkmann came to 
 America, and spent her last years with her 
 children, her death occurring at the age of 
 seventy-five. She and her husband were con- 
 sistent members of the German Lutheran 
 church. 
 
 Henry Volkmann acquired a good practical 
 education in the schools of his native town, 
 and then engaged as a weaver. At thirty-two 
 years of age, in 1867, having saved sufficient 
 money to pay his passage to America, he em- 
 barked on a sailing vessel ; and after a voyage 
 of fifty-two days he landed in New York with 
 but twenty-five cents in his pocket. He first 
 secured work on a farm in Torrington, Conn., 
 and later on obtained a position in the wool- 
 len mill at Rockville, Conn., where he re- 
 mained two and one-half years. He next 
 returned to Torrington, and during the suc- 
 ceeding three years was employed in the spoon- 
 shop. After that, being forced on account of 
 failure of the parties who owned this industry 
 to seek another position, he worked for the 
 Union Hardware Company until he secured 
 a situation in New Britain, Conn., where he 
 remained a year. Mr. Volkmann then again 
 came back to Torrington, where he first en- 
 gaged in the vocation of a barber, and later 
 obtained a position in the skate-shop, in which 
 he was employed two years and a half. Hav- 
 ing by that time accumulated sufficient prop- 
 erty to enable him to erect a house, he estab- 
 lished himself in the hotel business on South 
 Main Street, remaining there eight years. 
 He then went into the building next to where 
 the present hotel now stands ; and later on, as 
 his patronage continued to increase, desiring 
 
 more commodious and attractive quarters, he 
 purchased the old building which stood on the 
 site adjoining, and here in 1888 he erected 
 the present three-story structure, the finest on 
 the street, in which he conducted a German 
 inn, known as the Germania Hotel. He also 
 owned two houses on South Main Street. 
 
 On August 8, 1865, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Johanna Dhus, a daughter of 
 John Dhus, of Bavaria, where the ceremony 
 was solemnized. She was born in the same 
 town as Mr. Volkmann, in which place her 
 father was successfully engaged as a carpenter 
 and wood-turner. Mr. Dhus was twice mar- 
 ried, having by his first wife one child, and by 
 his second wife four children, of whom Mrs. 
 Volkmann is one; and she and a half-brother 
 residing in Saxony are the only survivors. 
 Her mother died in Germany at sixty-eight 
 years of age, and her father in his seventy-first 
 year. Mrs. Volkmann bore her husband six 
 children, four of whom are living: Charles 
 W. ; Charles C, who married Miss Emily 
 Bickel, of Newark, N.J., daughter of Charles 
 Bickel, a brewer; Louisa J. ; and Ernest A. 
 The two eldest were born in Germany, and 
 came with their mother to America in 1870. 
 The children have received the full advantages 
 of the schools of Torrington ; and all are still 
 at home, the two sons being engaged in the 
 hotel business. After coming to this country, 
 Mr. Volkmann and his family twice visited his 
 native land ; and he also travelled quite exten- 
 sively in the country of his adoption, spending 
 with his wife two winters in Florida, besides 
 making various other trips to different places. 
 In politics Mr. Volkmann was a supporter 
 of Republican principles. Fraternally, he 
 was a member of the D. O. H., a German 
 Lodge, of Torrington, and was formerly a 
 member of the Mannie, a higher degree of this 
 lodge in Winsted. The family are all mem- 
 
6i4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bers of the German Lutheran church. Start- 
 ing in life with very meagre pecuniary 
 resources, Mr. Volkmann by persevering in- 
 dustry and good business ability acquired a 
 comfortable competence. 
 
 'ENRY GAY, a citizen of Winches- 
 ter, Conn., was born in Salisbury, 
 Conn., April 5, 1834, and, after 
 acquiring a rudimentary education in the dis- 
 trict schools, pursued his studies for two terms 
 in the Salisbury Academy. He left school 
 at the age of thirteen to accept the position of 
 clerk in a country store in Lakeville under 
 R. B. Mitchell, with whom he remained for 
 four years. He then served as clerk in the 
 Iron Bank of Falls Village, Conn., coming 
 to Winsted in 1854 to take a position as book- 
 keeper in the Winsted bank, of which George 
 Dudley was then President. He remained 
 with this institution until 1868, at which 
 time the bank wound up their business, paying 
 their stockholders in full with some eleven 
 per cent, profit. During Mr. Gay's connec- 
 tion with the institution he filled the positions 
 successively of cashier and President. In 
 1874 Mr. Gay was elected cashier of the Hurl- 
 but National Bank at Winsted; and in 1889 
 he succeeded William L. Gilbert as President, 
 Mr. Gilbert's death occurring in that year. 
 Besides filling this position, Mr. Gay is inter- 
 ested in other prominent business enterprises, 
 among them the George Dudley & Son Com- 
 pany, in which he is a director, the Richards 
 Hardware Company, the Edge Tool Company, 
 Metaliform Company, Winsted Optical Com- 
 pany, Winsted Yarn Company, New England 
 Knitting Company, Morgan Silver Plate Com- 
 pany, and the W. L. Gilbert Clock Company. 
 He is also one of the Trustees of the Gil- 
 bert Home, and holds other similar positions, 
 
 Mr. Gay is a Republican in politics, and has 
 served the town as Treasurer for six years. 
 He has also held various minor offices, and 
 has represented his town six terms in the 
 legislature, in all these varied positions show- 
 ing good business ability and fidelity to the 
 public interests. 
 
 On November 20, 1857, Mr. Gay was mar- 
 ried to Miss Charlotte Watson, daughter of 
 Thomas and Emeline (Curtis) Watson, of 
 Winsted. Mrs. Gay's parents are no longer 
 living. Mr. and Mrs. Gay have one child, 
 Mary, now the wife of Dr. Edward L. Pratt, 
 of Winsted. She is the mother of one son, 
 Henry Gay Pratt. 
 
 ~fp)TENRY J. TUCKER, a prosperous 
 r^\ farmer of New Hartford, and a com- 
 _Ls ^ rade of the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, was born in this town, August 12, 
 1843, son of Benjamin, Jr., and Rosalia 
 (Avery) Tucker. Mr. Tucker's great-grand- 
 father, Ephraim Tucker, was an early settler 
 in New Hartford, and followed agriculture 
 as an occupation. His son Benjamin, Mr. 
 Tucker's grandfather, who was born and bred 
 in New Hartford, became an extensive farmer 
 and land-holder, and also engaged in lumber- 
 ing and the construction of roads. He died 
 in New Hartford at the age of eighty years. 
 His son, Benjamin Tucker, Jr., was born at 
 the old homestead on West Hill. On reach- 
 ing his majority, he purchased a farm in that 
 locality, which he cultivated with good results 
 until his death, which occurred at the age of 
 seventy-six. His wife, Rosalia Avery, lived 
 to the age of eighty-one. She was a daughter 
 of Amos Avery, of Barkhamsted. Of their 
 seven children, the following lived to reach 
 maturity, namely : Ann, who married Warren 
 N. Jones; Sophia, who is no longer living; 
 
H. R. ADKINS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 617 
 
 Betsey, who married Leonard Tucker ; Frank- 
 lin B. ; and Henry J., the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Henry J. Tucker received his education in 
 the district schools of his native town, and re- 
 sided at home until reaching the age of eigh- 
 teen. He enlisted in 1861 as a private in 
 Company D, Thirteenth Regiment Connecti- 
 cut Volunteers, and served two years in the 
 Civil War, taking part in several important 
 battles. Wounds received at the battle of 
 Irish Bend caused him to be confined in the 
 hospital from April 14 to October 29, 1863, 
 when he was honorably discharged from the 
 service. He returned to his native State, and 
 was employed for a year in the rule factory at 
 Riverton. During the four succeeding years 
 he resided at the old homestead in New Hart- 
 ford, and then purchased an adjoining farm, 
 which he has since cultivated with substantial 
 success. This is one of the finest pieces of 
 agricultural property in New Hartford, is well 
 improved, and devoted principally to the dairy- 
 ing interests. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Tucker was united in marriage 
 to Julia A. Root, daughter of Orrin Root, of 
 Barkhamsted. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have had 
 two children, namely — Eugene H. and Harry 
 O. Eugene H. Tucker married Caroline I. 
 Sims, daughter of Henry Sims, of Hebron, 
 and has one son, named Dwight B. Eugene 
 H. is now a student at Yaile University Law 
 School. Harry O. Tucker is a student at an 
 agricultural college, and will graduate in 1896. 
 A Democrat in politics, Mr. Tucker has 
 served as an Assessor and a Selectman for sev- 
 eral years, being at one time Chairman of the 
 Board. Besides being connected with the 
 society of the veterans of the Civil War, he is 
 a member of Amos Beecher Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., of the Knights of Pythias, and of the 
 local Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. 
 
 Mr. Tucker attends the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. He is known and esteemed as an en- 
 ergetic farmer, a useful and intelligent citizen, 
 and able public official, one who while in 
 office has always sought to administer public 
 affairs for the best interests of the town. 
 
 ENRY R. ADKINS, harness-maker, 
 is one of the oldest and best known 
 ^ * residents of Winsted, where he has 
 
 lived close on forty years. He was born in 
 Plymouth, Conn., January 30, 181 5, and is 
 the son of Mason and Amanda (Weed) Adkins. 
 His paternal grandfather, David Adkins, was 
 born November 12, 1759, and, though only six- 
 teen when the war opened, became a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier. He was bred on a farm, and 
 also learned to make shoes — a common custom 
 in those days before the time of factories and 
 sewing-machines. He had a farm in Plym- 
 outh, Conn., but in the latter part of his life 
 was very lame, being obliged to use a staff as 
 support, and confined his work to the shoe- 
 maker's bench. He died November 21, 1844. 
 His wife, Cornelia Cleaver, born April 14, 
 1 76 1, became the mother of eleven children, 
 six daughters and five sons. One of them, 
 Jonathan, died at sixteen : the others lived to 
 a good age. 
 
 Mason Adkins, son of David, was born Jan- 
 uary 29, 1788. He also was in early life a 
 farmer and shoemaker, but devoted his last 
 years to farming alone. He died on May 29, 
 1874. His wife, Amanda Weed, whom he 
 married on May 4, 1814, was born July 2, 
 1790, and lived through the joys and sorrows 
 of over sixty years of wedlock, dying on June 
 18, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Adkins were Ortho- 
 dox Congregationalists. Their remains are 
 resting in the burial-ground at Thomaston, 
 now adjoining the church which they often at- 
 
6i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tended. They had seven children, and reared 
 three sons and three daughters. One son, 
 Seth, died at fifteen; and a daughter is now 
 a widow, living . at Ormond, Fla. Charles 
 Adkins was a farmer at the old homestead, 
 where he cared for his parents in their old age. 
 He died at the age of sixty, leaving four chil- 
 dren, namely : two daughters who married, one 
 being now deceased; and two sons, who are 
 living on the home farm. 
 
 Henry R. , the eldest son of Mason Adkins, 
 attended the district school until seventeen 
 years of age. He then went to learn the har- 
 ness-maker's trade, binding himself to an 
 apprenticeship of four years, three months of 
 the first year to be given in which to attend 
 school. He opened his first shop at Bakers- 
 ville, where he could have all the stock he 
 wanted on time. He has worked at his trade 
 constantly since his seventeenth year, and at 
 one time sold all the goods he could manufact- 
 ure, keeping six good workmen continuously 
 busy. He still carries on his business, though 
 eighty years old, employing two men. 
 
 Mr. Adkins married Ruth Ann Baker, a 
 native of Connecticut, and has had two chil- 
 dren. The elder, Courtney Buckland, died in 
 1872, leaving a widow; his sister, Anna Ger- 
 trude, became the wife of Howell Button, 
 and died April 20, 1876, at the age of twenty- 
 five. Two grandchildren have likewise gone 
 before, Mr. Adkins's son and daughter having 
 each lost a child in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Adkins has been a Republican, but is 
 now independent in politics. With his wife 
 he attends the Congregational church, of which 
 he has been a Deacon for many years. He 
 came to Winsted in 1857, and since that time 
 — during thirty-eight years — he has lived in 
 his present cosey home. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Mr. Adkins 
 will be of interest to the general reader as 
 
 well as to his friends and neighbors, by whom 
 he is held in much esteem as a man and a 
 citizen. 
 
 "iCVpNOSES LYMAN, of honored mem- 
 1= I =y ory, formerly a prosperous merchant 
 ^ <^J}3 ^^^^ q£ Goshen and West Cornwall, 
 and later prominently identified with the iron 
 industries of Litchfield County, was born in 
 Goshen, Conn., on October i, 1810, and died 
 in 1883. 
 
 In his youth Moses Lyman partially fitted 
 for college under the instruction of the Rev. 
 Timothy Cooley, of Granville, Mass., and at 
 Goshen Academy; but his eyes not proving 
 strong enough for continued study, and his 
 tastes inclining him in other directions, he 
 turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, at 
 sixteen years of age entering the store of M. 
 and E. Lyman, and from that time forward, 
 to use his own words, he "took care of him- 
 self." During the early days of the Housa- 
 tonic Railroad he did a large and jarosperous 
 business in both Goshen and West Cornwall 
 with John P. Porter, under the firm name of 
 Lyman & Porter. About 1844, in company 
 with Samuel S. Robbins, of Salisbury, Conn., 
 Lee Canfield and the Hunts, of Canaan, he 
 was one of the founders of the Hunts-Lyman 
 Iron Company in Canaan. A few years after, 
 relinquishing his mercantile business, he be- 
 came still more largely interested in the 
 manufacture of charcoal pig iron from the 
 celebrated Salisbury (Conn.) and Richmond 
 (Mass. ) ores, and so continued to the close of 
 his life. In 1867 he made a trip to Florida, 
 where he purchased lands in Orange County 
 and developed a .portion of his purchase for 
 raising oranges. There in the midst of his 
 groves, which are now in full bearing, sur- 
 rounded by beautiful lakes, he erected his 
 charming home, "Onoro," where for abftut ten 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 619 
 
 years he spent his winters. The rapid devel- 
 opment in that section of the State proves that 
 as a pioneer he anticipated the future with 
 wisdom. He was one of the incorporators of 
 the Cayuta Wheel and Foundry Company of 
 Waverly, N. Y., which was organized in 1872, 
 and continued to serve as president of the 
 company until 1877, when he was prostrated 
 by illness, from that time until his death, in 
 1883, being obliged to give up all active 
 business. 
 
 On the 6th of May, 1834, he married Miss 
 Mary Ann Holley, a daughter of John Milton 
 and Sally (Porter) Holley, of Salisbury, 
 Conn., who still survives him, and is now liv- 
 ing in Goshen, Conn. Their union was 
 blessed by the birth of five children :■ Moses, 
 Mary, Alice, Richard, and Holley P., the two 
 younger of whom died in childhood — Richard 
 at four years of age, and Holley at eleven. 
 Moses, who was a graduate of Brown Univer- 
 sit)', served in the Civil War as First Lieuten- 
 ant in the Fifteenth Regiment of Vermont 
 Volunteers in 1862-63. After the war was 
 over, he engaged in the lumber business for a 
 few years; and, when the Cayuta Wheel and 
 Foundry Company was incorporated at Wav- 
 erly, N. Y., he became its treasurer, and later 
 was its general manager. On December 31, 
 1863, he was united in marriage with Miss 
 Ellen A. Douglass, of Mauch Chunk, Pa., 
 who died in 1871, at thirty-one years of age, 
 leaving three children: Moses, Jr., who mar- 
 ried Miss Florence Van Fleet, of Williams- 
 port, Pa. ; Isabelle, the wife of Lewis D. 
 Atwater, a banker at Wayerly, N.Y. ; and 
 Harriet D., who died at the age of four years 
 and six months. For his second wife, in 
 1873, he married Miss Sarah H. Beebe, a 
 daughter of Philip S. Beebe, of Litchfield, 
 Conn., by whom he has one daughter, Mary 
 Alice. 
 
 Mary Lyman married on June 15, 1865, 
 Philip Wells, a banker of Brattleboro, Vt., 
 who died at Amenia, N.Y., in January, 1872, 
 leaving her without children. Several years 
 later she married the Rev. Lyman Phelps, an 
 Episcopal clergyman, who went to Florida for 
 his health. They now reside in a beautiful 
 home on a part of the land first improved by 
 her father, surrounded by orange groves and 
 every semi-tropical attraction. She has no 
 children. Alice Lyman is the wife of J. T. 
 Sawyer, a banker of Waverly, N. Y., and has 
 one daughter, Ellen. 
 
 Moses Lyman was a man of sound judgment, 
 unwearying energy, and strictest integrity. It 
 was his pride, though not a boast, that his 
 word was never dishonored. He was for many 
 years a member of the Congregational church 
 in Goshen, and he ever lived a consistent 
 Christian life. He has left a stainless record 
 in business and in. private life, and he be- 
 longed to a class of men who in character and 
 generation are rapidly passing away. 
 
 T^HARLES B. MATTOON, a leading 
 I jp farmer and dairyman of Watertown 
 
 ^^ ^ and an ex-member of the State leg- 
 islature, was born upon his present farm, De- 
 cember 23, 185 1, son of Dayton and Ruhamah 
 (Wakeman) Mattoon. His fafher, Dayton 
 Mattoon, was born in Vienna, Oneida County, 
 N.Y., August 20, 181 1. William Mattoon, 
 our subject's grandfather, dying when Dayton 
 was but six years old, the latter resided in 
 Watertown with his uncle until reaching the 
 age of sixteen. He then worked out by the 
 month, but four years later returned to his 
 adopted home. He managed the farm during 
 his uncle's declining years, and eventually 
 succeeded to the ownership of the property, 
 becoming one of the most prominent farmers 
 
620 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Watertown. His death took place October 
 15, 1888, when he was seventy-seven years 
 old. He was a Republican in politics, and 
 for many years was actively interested in 
 local affairs, serving upon the Board of Relief 
 as Assessor, as member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen, and as Highway Inspector for Water- 
 bury and adjoining towns, the latter a posi- 
 tion which he filled most capably for thirty 
 years. He had the full confidence of the com- 
 munity in which he resided, and was often 
 selected to settle large estates. His wife, 
 Ruhamah Wakeman, whom he married Febru- 
 ary 23,^1831, was born October 19, 1812, and 
 was a daughter of Eli Wakeman, a farmer of 
 Watertown. She became the mother of six 
 children, of whom Charles B., the subject of 
 this sketch, is the only one now living. She 
 still survives at the age of eighty-three years, 
 residing with her son, Charles B. Mr. Mat- 
 toon's father and mother were members of the 
 Congregational church, of which his father 
 was a Deacon for many years. 
 
 Charles B. Mattoon acquired his prelimi- 
 nary education in the common schools, com- 
 pleting his studies at the Watertown Acad- 
 emy. He was trained to agriculture, and in 
 1878 took charge of his father's farm, which 
 he conducted on shares. He also engaged ex- 
 tensively in dairying, and purchased a large 
 herd of cows, besides equipping several 
 wagons for retailing milk. A few years later 
 he purchased his father's interest in the prop- 
 erty, and has continued the enterprise upon a 
 still more progressive scale, keeping at the 
 present time seventy cows and supplying the 
 people of Waterbury with six hundred quarts 
 of milk per day. His farm, which consists 
 of two hundred and ten acres of well-improved 
 land, is devoted entirely to this business. 
 Mr. Mattoon is a Republican in politics; and, 
 although his business interests have compelled 
 
 him to decline many important offices, he 
 takes an intelligent interest in public affairs. 
 He has served as a mernber of the Board of 
 Relief, and in 1885 he represented his town 
 in the legislature. In 1878 Mr. Mattoon was 
 united in marriage to Alice M. Kellogg, of 
 Baraboo, Wis. Her father was Albert F. 
 Kellogg, who was born March 20, 1824, and 
 died October 16, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Mat- 
 toon attend the Congregational church. They 
 are both highly respected in this town for 
 their many admirable personal qualities. 
 
 ATHER LEO, an esteemed clergyman 
 of the Roman Catholic church in Win- 
 sted, where he has been in charge of a 
 parish for thirty years, was born in Southern 
 Italy, August 15, 1833. His father, Leo 
 Rizzo, was born in 1796, and was an infant in 
 his mother's arms at the time when Napoleon 
 was harassing Italy, and when that ruthless 
 invader despoiled Rome, Parma, and Modena 
 of their priceless treasures of art, which he 
 caused to be carried to Paris. On attaining 
 manhood's estate Leo Rizzo became a mer- 
 chant. He died July i, 1842. His wife, 
 who before marriage was Maria Paladino Fo- 
 restieri, died in 1876, and is buried with her 
 husband in the Franciscan Church of Saracena, 
 Italy. They had two sons and three daugh- 
 ters, of whom only Father Leo and his sister 
 Anna, the latter residing in Saracena, are now 
 living. 
 
 Father Leo was educated in Cosenza and 
 at Rome, and was ordained September 20, 
 1856. He commenced his clerical life in 
 Saracena, and later lived as a friar at Cosenza. 
 During his childhood and youth Italy was con- 
 tinually the scene of warfare, and kept at boil- 
 ing heat by Mazzini and Garibaldi. Assassi- 
 nations were frequent; and the head of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 621 
 
 Roman Catholic Church, Pius IX., was at one 
 time obliged to leave Rome disguised as a 
 common priest. In i860 Father Leo came to 
 America as ,a missionary. He was in the 
 Union army at the time of the Civil War, 
 serving for a time as chaplain in the Ninth 
 Connecticut Volunteers. When he came to 
 Winsted, there was a small parish, comprising 
 not more than one thousand souls. There are 
 now over two thousand, and through the efforts 
 of the zealous pastor some fine buildings have 
 been erected. Latterly, by order of Rome, 
 the Franciscan Monastery has been raised to a 
 house of Franciscan studies; and Father Leo 
 has been' appointed Superior and Director of 
 the young friars preparing for the priesthood. 
 The edifice, which is a three-story brick build- 
 ing, fifty-five by thirty-five feet, was built in 
 1866. The convent, which is of the same 
 dimensions, was erected about ten years ago. 
 The church, measuring one hundred by fifty- 
 five feet, has been standing since 1855, but 
 has been remodelled. The parish school is 
 in a flourishing condition, employing eight 
 teachers, with an average attendance of three 
 hundred pupils. There are nine teachers in 
 the convent. Father Leo at one time also had 
 charge of Torrington, Litchfield, Norfolk, and 
 Colebrook parishes, each of which has now a 
 resident pastor. 
 
 (sTrRTHUR E. KNOX, editor and owner 
 £a of the Woodbury Reporter, was born 
 ^ " V..^ in the town of Bethlehem, Litch- 
 field County, Conn., September 15, 1855. 
 His grandfather was Anson S. Knox, and his 
 grandmother Sarah ' (Thompson) Knox. His 
 parents were Levi T. and Julia (Crane) 
 Knox. 
 
 Anson S. Knox came from Illinois to Con- 
 necticut, and made his home in the town of 
 Bethlehem, where he became a merchant, and 
 
 was also engaged in teaming. He moved to 
 Woodbury, but continued in his old business, 
 living to the advanced age of eighty-six. His 
 first wife, Sarah (Thompson) Knox, died when 
 she was about forty years old, leaving one 
 child, Levi T. Knox, the father of the sub- 
 ject of this biography. Sarah (Roberts) 
 Knox, second wife of Anson S. Knox, left two 
 children, George A. and Frederick Knox, 
 both of whom are now living. 
 
 Of the childhood and youth of Levi T. Knox 
 little has been told, but it is evident by the 
 way he increased his property that he was a 
 man of great energy and enterprise. For a 
 time he was engaged in the manufacture of 
 straw-board at the Hutchkinsville paper-mill, 
 but subsequently entered the mercantile field, 
 and in partnership with Albert Judson carried 
 on a thriving business in the town of Bethle- 
 hem. He died at his home in 1864, only 
 thirty-two years of age, having accomplished a 
 great deal in his short but useful life. His 
 first wife, Julia Crane Knox, died in 1856, 
 only twenty-two years old, leaving him one 
 child, Arthur E., above named. There is 
 something very sad in the record of these un- 
 timely deaths. By his second wife, formerly 
 Emily L. Lord, he had three children: Her- 
 bert A.; Emma L., who died in 1886; and 
 Bennet S. Mrs. Emily L. Knox died in 
 1887. 
 
 Arthur E. Knox early showed his taste for 
 editorial work, and began his career as a 
 newspaper man by purchasing in 1876 a small 
 printing-press and a few fonts of type, and in 
 January, 1877, boldly launching upon the sea 
 of journalism the first number of the Wood- 
 bury Reporter, a little six by nine sheet, 
 which from the first met with a hearty recep- 
 tion from the public. He had received a fair 
 education at the district school, and that was 
 his preparation for his life-work. Mr. Knox 
 
622 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 worked hard to achieve success in his first 
 venture in his chosen calling, and in a few 
 years the Woodbury Reporter had a circulation 
 of seven hundred copies a week. After estab- 
 lishing his paper on a good basis, he sold it 
 to W. W. Wisegarver, and accepted the posi- 
 tion of foreman in the Waterbury Republican 
 job department for the term of one year. 
 After this he became foreman of the Connect- 
 icut Home Printing Company at Willimantic, 
 holding the place for two years and a half. 
 He next was foreman of the Meriden Gravure 
 Company at Meriden, Conn., and then was 
 editor of the Groton Revieiv, which he had 
 bought; but after two years' work on the 
 Revietv he sold it, to resume charge of the 
 Woodbury Reporter, which he repurchased 
 in 1893. He has made of this a very spicy 
 and entertaining local paper, which he still 
 edits. 
 
 Arthur E. Knox married Julia E., daughter 
 of Chauncey Barto and his wife, Julia Bishop 
 Barto. The three children born of this union 
 are: Edna E., who died^at the age of sixteen; 
 Frank E., who was born February 2, 1881; 
 and Julia E., who was born December 18, 
 1885. Mr. Knox is a Prohibitionist in poli- 
 tics. His wife and he are both members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 B 
 
 AVID L. SOMERS, the present rep- 
 resentative of Woodbury in the 
 State legislature, is a native of the 
 town which has chosen to delegate him to 
 this high office. He was born on July 24, 
 1 86 1, and is the seventh in lineal descent 
 from Henry and Mary (Wheeler) Somers. 
 
 Henry Somers emigrated to New Haven 
 from England in the early days of the colony. 
 He was the father of ten children: Samuel, 
 Henry, John, Sarah, Hannah, Mary, Abigail, 
 
 Pacent, Martha, and Joseph. This patriarch's 
 grave is in Bridgeport burial-ground, within 
 the neighborhood where so many of his de- 
 scendants now live. Samuel, his eldest child, 
 was born in New Haven in 1669, and settled 
 in Newtown, Conn. He was a comb-maker 
 by trade. To him and his wife, Rebecca, ten 
 children were born: Samuel, Abigail, David, 
 Martha, Deborah, Sarah, Daniel, Hannah, 
 Ruth, and Jabez. 
 
 Samuel, the second of the name, who was 
 born in 1724, made a home for himself in 
 New Milford, owning a farm in the Bridge- 
 water Society. The children of Samuel, 
 second, and Sarah Somers were: John, An- 
 drew, David, Oliver, Louis, Hannah, Mark, 
 Samuel, and Wheeler. David, the third son, 
 was born at the Bridgewater farm. He was a 
 private in the ranks of Washington's army in 
 the War of the Revolution, and at Jersey on 
 one occasion was detailed with a boy fourteen 
 years of age to throw into the river all the 
 planks from the bridge over which the Brit- 
 ishers intended to pass. By this simple de- 
 vice the enemy's forces were thwarted in their 
 attempt to advance, and the Continental regi- 
 ment saved from an attack which might have 
 proved fatal. 
 
 David and Sarah (Treat) Somers's son, 
 Lyman, was born on November 11, 1784. 
 In 1809 Lyman Somers, then twenty-five 
 years of age, settled upon the farm now 
 owned by his son, David C. Somers, father of 
 the subject of this sketch. The farm pur- 
 chased in Woodbury comprised only twenty- 
 five acres of land, but in the course of time its 
 thrifty owner extended its limits by the 
 purchase of surrounding acres until it as- 
 sumed the proportions of quite an estate. 
 Here he died at sixty-six years of age. Ly- 
 man Somers married Desire Titus, a daugh- 
 ter of Noah Titus, a man of quick wit, a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 623 
 
 ready rhymer, and the father of a literary fam- 
 ily. The raising of a barn in the neigh- 
 borhood drew forth the following lines from 
 Mr. Titus: — 
 
 " Hay is scarce in this place, 
 Cattle are out at grazing ; 
 Stephen Treat, to make complete. 
 Has had a winkum raising." 
 
 Mrs. Desire T. Somers died aged forty- 
 eight, she and her husband having been the 
 parents of three children, namely: Laura P., 
 born October 21, 18 16; Charles A., born Jan- 
 uary 4, 1819; David C, born December 15, 
 1 82 1. Lyman Somers was in political faith a 
 Democrat, in religious belief an Episcopalian. 
 His wife was a member of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 David C. Somers, having acquired a good 
 district school education, became a teacher at 
 eighteen years of age, and followed his pro- 
 fession for thirty-three years. He inherited 
 in part the home farm, which he improved 
 greatly by adding lands, erecting a new dwell- 
 ing-house in 1853, and by remodelling and 
 otherwise extending the out-buildings. In 
 184s he married Minerva Barnes, the daughter 
 of Mr. Merritt W. Barnes, a gentleman of 
 Watertown. Their two children were: 
 Marion D., born March 17, 185 1, who mar- 
 ried Mr. Charles Hill, of Wallingford, Conn. ; 
 and David L. Somers, of Woodbury. Mr. 
 David C. Somers held various town offices, 
 discharging the duties thereof with signal 
 ability, being a Justice of the Peace thirty 
 years, and School Visitor twenty-five years. 
 He was a prolific writer, contributing poems 
 and articles of interest to the local papers and 
 magazines. He and his wife were members of 
 the Congregational church, in whose work he 
 was an active participant, being for many 
 . years a Sabbath-school teacher, having charge 
 
 of one class of young men for twenty-three 
 years and two classes of ladies. 
 
 David L. Somers, like his father, began his 
 active career as a teacher at twenty-one years 
 of age, first assuming the duties of a guide and 
 instructor of youth, for which he was evi- 
 dently competent, as he continued to engage 
 in educational work for sixteen years. Young 
 Somers was full of energy and industry; and, 
 instead of spending his summer vacations in 
 amusing himself, he devoted these months to 
 practical farming, assisting in the manage- 
 ment of the estate he was one day to own in 
 conjunction with his father. On October 13, . 
 1886, Mr. Somers married Anna S. Curtiss, 
 a daughter of Mr. James G. and Mary J. 
 (Stiles) Curtiss. 
 
 In reviewing Mr. Somers's life, one is im- 
 pressed with the conviction that success is 
 more frequently the result of earnest and sus- 
 tained effort than the world is ready to admit. 
 The community, which had followed the career 
 of the faithful teacher and active young 
 farmer, attested its esteem and confidence 
 when it gave him in 1894 the largest majority 
 of votes for the legislature ever given any 
 candidate of the town. Besides attending to 
 his manifold duties at home and in the inter- 
 est of the public, Mr. Somers is Secretary of 
 the Order of U. A. Mechanics, and is Master 
 of the Grange of Woodbury. His experience 
 as a teacher rendered him peculiarly fit for the 
 office of School Visitor, a position he filled 
 for ten years. He is a zealous and vigorous 
 Republican in politics and a member of the 
 Congregational church, fulfilling the two es- 
 sential conditions of true citizenship, to serve 
 God aftd the State. 
 
 The following hymn, written by Mr. Somers 
 while under treatment in a hospital at New 
 Haven for a cataract on the eye, was sung at 
 the communion in the church July, 1887: — 
 
624 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 COMMUNION. 
 
 Tune, — " Martyn." 
 
 Sitting at thy table, Lord, 
 We are feasting on thy word : 
 Sacred wine and holy bread 
 From thy bleeding hands we're fed. 
 Cruel crown, the cross, the spear, 
 Scourgings, raockings, do we hear ; 
 Piercings, agonies, and pain. 
 Rocks and mountains torn amain. 
 
 " Eloi, eloi," hear that cry, 
 Darkness veils the mid-day sky. 
 Hiding veil now rent in twain ; 
 Jesus dies, for sinners slain. 
 Laid away in new-made tomb. 
 Angels guard that sacred room. 
 Lo ! he rises from the dead. 
 Death is now a captive led. 
 
 Opened graves, dead saints arise. 
 Rub the dust from off their eyes. 
 Long-slept saints with friends now meet, 
 Jesus his disciples greet. 
 See ! ascending up on high, 
 Myriad angels fill the sky, 
 Gabriel's startling voice proclaims, 
 " Like this He will come again." 
 
 Two loved youth join us to-day. 
 Angels bear the news away ; 
 Parents, grandsires, children, come, 
 Sweet foretaste of heaven's harvest home. 
 Christians, can you meet that day ? 
 Heaven and earth must rrielt away; 
 Sinner, come, with us sit down. 
 Bear the cross and win the crown. 
 
 |ISS ADALINE GIBBS, a retired 
 school-teacher of Litchfield, Conn., 
 was born in Norwich, Chenango 
 County, N.Y., September i, 1820, daughter 
 of Elias and Deborah (Hawkens) Gibbs. Miss 
 Gibbs is a descendant of Benjamin Gibbs, who 
 was born in Windsor, Conn., in 1675, and 
 moved to Litchfield in 1721, becoming one of 
 
 the first settlers, and being the original owner 
 of the Gibbs estate. He improved the farm, 
 and resided here until his death, which oc- 
 curred May 10, 1767, at the advanced age of 
 ninety-three years. His son, William Gibbs, 
 Miss Gibbs's great-grandfather, succeeded to 
 the possession and management of the farm, 
 and erected the present residence in 1776. 
 
 Solomon Gibbs, son of William and father 
 of Elias Gibbs, jvas born in Litchfield in 
 1760. He inherited the homestead, and be- 
 came a prosperous farmer. Although but a 
 youth in his teens at the opening of the deci- 
 sive struggle with the mother country, he 
 served in the Revolutionary War. He was 
 formerly a Congregationalist in religion, and 
 was a member of the church of which the Rev. 
 Dr. Lyman Beecher was pastor; but in his 
 latter years he attended the Episcopal church. 
 Solomon Gibbs died in Litchfield, aged eighty- 
 three years. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Honor Marsh, and who was a native of 
 Litchfield, became the mother of six children, 
 of whom the last survivor, Frederick, died in 
 1893. 
 
 Aaron Gibbs, another son of Solomon and 
 Honor Gibbs, studied medicine with Dr. 
 Abbey, of Litchfield, and became a physician 
 of note in Chicago, being also a well-known 
 politician and a strong Abolitionist. He mar- 
 ried Miss Catherine Gulliver, of Chicago, who 
 died at the age of sixty-eight. For a number 
 of years Dr. Gibbs passed his summers with 
 his niece at the old home in Litchfield. He 
 died in 1890, at the venerable age of eighty- 
 four years, leaving three sons, all residents 
 of Chicago, namely: William B., a lawyer; 
 Frederick G., a real estate agent; and George,' 
 also a lawyer, who married Belle Smith, of 
 that city. 
 
 Elias Gibbs, Miss Gibbs's father, was born 
 at the homestead in Litchfield in 1792. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 625 
 
 was reared to agriculture, and resided at home 
 until attaining his majority, when he went to 
 Chenango County, New York, and settled as a 
 pioneer upon a tract of forest land. He built 
 a log cabin, and cleared and improved a farm, 
 upon which he resided until 1843, and then, 
 selling the property, removed to Putnam 
 County, Indiana,' where he died in 1856, aged 
 sixty-four years. His wife, Deborah Haw- 
 kens, was a native of Rhode Island, and of 
 Welsh ancestry. She became the mother of 
 five children, of whom but two are now living, 
 namely : Adaline, the subject of this sketch ; 
 and Caroline, who married Lindley Evans, of 
 Iowa. Mrs. Gibbs died in Medina, N.Y., in 
 1838, aged forty-two years. She was a mem- 
 . ber of the Baptist church. 
 
 Adaline Gibbs received a good education, 
 and became a school-teacher in Indiana, where 
 she taught successfully for many years. In 
 1 861 she came to Litchfield, and has since re- 
 sided here at the old Gibbs homestead. Miss 
 Gibbs is a lady of marked intellectual ability 
 and attainments, being exceedingly well read, 
 and is particularly interesting as a conversa- 
 tionalist. 
 
 Yp)TENRY A. KELLOGG, a retired trav- 
 l-^ elling salesman, who is now engaged 
 
 Jls ^_ in farming in New Hartford, Conn., 
 
 his native place, was born on March 20, 181 7, 
 son of Horace and Anna (Steele) Kellogg. 
 Mr. Kellogg is a descendant of Isaac Kellogg, 
 a native of Hartford, who settled in New 
 Hartford, where he followed agricultural pur- 
 suits for the remainder of his life. He was 
 a prominent man in his day, and was the first 
 representative from this town to the legisla- 
 ture in New Haven. 
 
 His son, Abraham Kellogg, Mr. Kellogg's 
 great-grandfather, was born in New Hartford, 
 and here spent his active life in farming, at- 
 
 taining the advanced age of eighty-five years. 
 Abraham Kellogg, Jr., son of the first Abra- 
 ham, was born in New Hartford, January 27, 
 1750, and was a lifelong resident of the town. 
 He owned and occupied a farm in the locality 
 known as Town Hill, where his grandson now 
 resides, and conducted general farming with 
 good results. He died April 29, 1812, aged 
 sixty-two. Of his six children, Horace, Mr. 
 Kellogg's father, was the fourth-born. 
 
 Horace Kellogg was born October i, 1780, 
 at the homestead on Town Hill. He was 
 reared to farm life, and settled upon land in 
 the vicinity of his son's present residence. He 
 • was an industrious and practical farmer, and 
 ■ a worthy citizen, who took a deep interest in 
 church work. He was a member of the Con- 
 gregational-church, and was connected with 
 the Sunday-school for many years. He died 
 'June 27, 1859, at the age of seventy-nine. 
 He was twice married; and , by his second 
 wife, Anna Steele, who was a daughter of 
 -Isaac Steele, a prosperous farmer of New 
 Hartford, had four children, two of whom are 
 still living, namely: Henry A., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Orpah Ann, who married 
 Elijah Woodward, a well-known farmer of 
 Torrington. Mrs. Anna S. Kellogg died on 
 June 16, i8S7, aged sixty-nine. 
 
 Henry A. Kellogg received an academic 
 education, and, after completing his studies, 
 taught school for a short time. At the age 
 of eighteen he engaged in selling dry goods 
 through his section of the State; and in 1837 
 he went to Illinois, where for a year he fol- 
 lowed the business of selling clocks. He then 
 travelled through the Southern States for two 
 years, during which time he was very success- 
 ful in his business, and in 1840 engaged in 
 the sale of clocks in New York State. After 
 transacting a profitable business there for some 
 time, he returned to New Hartford, and pur- 
 
626 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 chased his present farm, which he cultivated 
 successfully until 1857, with the exception of 
 one year spent in the South. A portion of the 
 time from 1857 to 1872 he travelled in the 
 interest of the Beardsley Scythe Company of 
 West Winsted ; and he then went to New 
 Haven, where he was engaged in business with 
 his son for a short time. His last business 
 enterprise was as jobbing agent for the Eagle 
 Scythe Company, of Riverton, Conn., in whose 
 interest he travelled as far West as Kansas. 
 Since 1875 he has resided at his home in New 
 Hartford, enjoying the healthy and indepen- 
 dent life of a farmer. 
 
 On September 29, 1841, Mr. Kellogg mar- 
 ried Loraine E. Butler, daughter of William 
 Butler, a well-known merchant and prominent 
 citizen of New Hartford. Mr. and Mrs. Kel- 
 logg have two children — Alfred A. and Cyrus 
 W. Alfred A. Kellogg is an extensive dealer 
 in sporting goods in New Haven, having been 
 established there for many years. He married 
 Harriet L. Lane of that city. Cyrus W. Kel- 
 logg is engaged in his brother's store as a 
 clerk, but is also interested in other business 
 enterprises. He married Fannie G. McLean, 
 of East Haven, and has had three children, as 
 follows: Annie Loraine, who died at the age 
 of six months; Raymond M. ; and Harrison B. 
 
 Mr. Henry A. Kellogg is a Republican in 
 politics, and has been prominent in public 
 affairs. He has served as Treasurer and Col- 
 lector, a member of the District School Com- 
 mittee, a Justice of the Peace, and a grand 
 juror; and in 1883 he represented his town 
 in the legislature with marked ability. He 
 has been an energetic and successful business 
 man, and, since retiring to his farm, has con- 
 ducted agriculture with the same spirit of per- 
 severance and progress which characterized his 
 mercantile career. Although fast approaching 
 his fourscore years, he is still active and in- 
 
 dustrious, and is well up with the times. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg are members of 
 the Congregational church, and are • connected 
 with the Sunday-school. 
 
 ETH PRATT, proprietor of the 
 Pratt Stables, the Pratt Drug Store, 
 and the Pratt Block, the largest 
 block in the town of Litchfield, is a self-made 
 man in every sense implied by the term, hav- 
 ing by his own enterprising energy and practi- 
 cal business ability accumulated much wealth, 
 and won a place among the solid and influen- 
 tial citizens of this section of the county. He 
 was born in Sheffield on Christmas Day, 1844, 
 son of Martin and Harriet (Beach) Pratt. 
 
 Martin Pratt was a native of Litchfield 
 County, born in the town of Cornwall, where 
 he worked during his earlier years in a wool- 
 len-mill, becoming familiar with the business. 
 Later he went to Sheffield, and, after being 
 engaged there for some time, removed to this 
 town in 1847, the same year erecting a wool- 
 len-mill. From that time until his death in 
 1850, at the age of fifty-seven years, he was 
 engaged in manufacturing. His wife, the 
 descendant of one of the oldest and most re- 
 spected families of this town, was one of a 
 large family of children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Enos Beach, her father having been a prosper- 
 ous farmer and shoemaker. She survived her 
 husband, living in widowhood for many years, 
 passing from earthly scenes at the age of 
 seventy-three. Strongly imbued with Chris- 
 tian faith, she and her husband were members 
 of the Methodist church, she being a commu- 
 nicant for half a century. She reared fourteen 
 children, four of whom are now living, 
 namely: Edwin; Riley; David; and Seth, the 
 latter being the youngest member of this large 
 family. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 627 
 
 Seth Pratt can scarcely remember any home 
 excepting Litchfield, he having been a little 
 fellow of three years when his parents removed 
 from Sheffield, three years before a shadow was 
 cast over his young life by the death of his 
 father. He received a good common-school 
 education, and, on attaining his majority, 
 started out for himself, opening a small livery 
 stable in the village. With the exception of 
 a very short period Mr. Pratt has continued 
 in this business, enlarging it from time to 
 time, having now the largest and finest 
 equipped stables in the State of Connecticut, 
 and carrying on a business unsurpassed by any 
 person similarly engaged. He makes a spe- 
 cialty of buying and selling horses, purchasing 
 them by the carload in the West, dealing 
 mostly in thoroughbred driving horses, and 
 selling to New York gentlemen, who appre- 
 ciate the good qualities of a fine roadster. 
 For twenty years or more Mr. Pratt has made 
 this traffic especially successful, his experience 
 and shrewd insight rendering him competent 
 to vie with other large dealers. For the past 
 six years he has also owned the largest drug 
 store in the town, carrying on a profitable 
 business in the sale of drugs and medicines, 
 and has further shown his enterprise and versa- 
 tility by dealing in oats, hay, and grain, and 
 in handling real estate to some extent. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Pratt was united in marriage 
 with Emma G. Blake, who was born in Litch- 
 field, and is a daughter of the well-known den- 
 tist. Dr. E. G. Blake. Two children have 
 been born of their union — Clarissa and Julia 
 C. In politics Mr. Pratt is a sound Republi- 
 can. He held the office of Postmaster four 
 years under the administration of Benjamin 
 -Harrison, and was Burgess of the borough one 
 term. He has besides served his constituents 
 with fidelity in the legislatiire, having been 
 Representative in 1887 and a member of the 
 
 Senate the following year. Socially, he is a 
 prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, 
 and, religiously, he and his family are valued 
 and active members of the Episcopal church. 
 As a citizen, Mr. Pratt is held in high esteem, 
 being closely identified with the progress and 
 prosperity of the town and county. 
 
 /2)eORGE STODDARD, a prosperous 
 \ [5 I farmer of Morris, who now occupies 
 the old Stoddard homestead, was born 
 in this town on March 11, 1833, a son of Jas- 
 per and Sophia (Hubbard) Stoddard. Mr. 
 Stoddard's father, Jasper Stoddard, settled in 
 Morris when it was included in the town of 
 Litchfield, of which he was a native. He 
 owned a good farm, which he cultivated suc- 
 cessfully, and was an industrious and useful 
 citizen. He died on February 5, 1873. His 
 wife, Sophia Hubbard, bore him fifteen chil- 
 dren, as follows: Lavallette, Lydia, Mary 
 Ann, Abbie, Marina, Jeannette, Catherine, 
 Eliza, Jane, Ellen, Truman, Marette, Lucien, 
 George, and Dewitt. 
 
 George Stoddard received his education in 
 the public schools of Morris, and after the 
 completion of his studies he engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits at the old homestead. He 
 has managed his farm With energy and good 
 judgment, and now occupies a prominent posi- 
 tion among the leading farmers of this 
 neighborhood. 
 
 Mr. Stoddard was united in marriage in 
 1853 with Julia Hayes, daughter of Ephraim 
 Hayes, of Morris. Mrs. Julia H. Stoddard 
 died in 1887, aged sixty-eight years, leaving 
 six children. Mr. Stoddard was again married 
 on September 3, 1889, to Mrs. Mary E. 
 Smith, of Oxford, Conn., who by a former 
 husband, George Smith, had had two children 
 — Walter (deceased) and Lula Smith. The 
 
628 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children of Mr. Stoddard, all by his first wife, 
 are as follows: Charles, who married Anna 
 Emmons, and has nine children — namely, 
 Edna, Irville, Ralph, Frank, Julian, Hattie, 
 Ruth, Thaddeus, and Mary; Wilbur, who mar- 
 ried Carrie Curtis, and has three children — 
 Bert, Howard, and Laura ; Joseph, who mar- 
 ried Katie Derby, and has one son, named 
 Clifford; Delia (deceased), who was the wife 
 of Caleb Morse, and had three children — 
 Mabel, Mildred, and Harold; Birdie, who is 
 now Mrs. Charles Nobles; and George Stod- 
 dard, Jr. 
 
 |RS. ALICE B. ADAMS, principal 
 of the primary department of the 
 public schools of Litchfield, 
 Conn., is a daughter of Norman B. and Sophia 
 (Davis) Perkins, and was born in this town. 
 Her father, who is a native of Litchfield, was 
 born upon the farm he now owns and occupies, 
 June 2, 1822, son of Harvey and Berthena 
 (Morse) Perkins, the former of whom was born 
 in Bethany, Conn. 
 
 In early manhood Harvey Perkins engaged 
 in farming in his native town, but later moved 
 to Litchfield, and settled upon the present farm 
 of his son Norman B. , which is situated about 
 three miles east of the village. He followed 
 agriculture successfully for the rest of his life, 
 attaining the age of seventy-four years. At 
 nineteen he married a Miss Russell, of Beth- 
 any, by whom he had seven children; namely, 
 Julia, Lewis, Orrin, Henry, Edwin, Abigail, 
 and Eliza. For his second wife he married 
 Berthena Morse, who bore him five children — 
 Norman B. , Delia A., Harriet, Harvey B., 
 and one that died soon after its birth. 
 
 Norman B. Perkins, Mrs. Adams's father, 
 is the only one of the family now living. In 
 his youth he assisted in carrying on the home 
 farm; and, on reaching his majority, he bought 
 
 a farm near by, to which he devoted his atten- 
 tion till after the death of his father, when 
 he returned to the parental homestead. His 
 mother here passed her declining years, dying 
 at an advanced age. Mr. Perkins is a success- 
 ful farmer, and well known as an industrious 
 and worthy citizen. At the breaking out of 
 the Civil War (though leaving a wife and 
 seven children), he enlisted as a private in 
 Company A, Nineteenth Regiment, Connecti- 
 cut Volunteers, and served three years, receiv- 
 ing wounds which caused him to be laid up in 
 the hospital for some time. After being hon- 
 orably discharged from the service, he returned 
 to Litchfield, and resumed his regular oc- 
 cupation. 
 
 He is a Republican in politics, and has 
 served in some of the town ofifices with ability. 
 He is a comrade of Seth Plumb Post, Grand 
 Army of the Republic, of Litchfield, and is a 
 pensioner. Mr. Perkins married on November 
 25, 1847, Sophia Davis, a native of Torring- 
 ton. Conn., and daughter of Jabez and Cyn- 
 thia (Twing) Davis, of that town, both of 
 whom are now deceased. The last years of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Davis were passed on a small 
 farm of their own, situated in the vicinity of 
 the Perkins homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Nor- 
 man B. Perkins have reared a family of nine 
 children, as follows: Frederick A., who died 
 at the age of forty years; Frank H. ; Alice B., 
 the subject of this sketch; Albert L. ; Charles 
 D. ; Ella E. , who married Chauncey Lincoln; 
 Almon N. ; Arthur V.; and Mary A., who 
 married Myron Webster. Mrs. Adams's par- 
 ents attend the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Alice B. Perkins was educated in the public 
 schools of Litchfield and at the Connecticut 
 State Normal School. She made rapid prog- 
 ress in her studies, and at the age of fourteen 
 began the work of teaching, in which vocation 
 she has had a long and successful experience, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 629 
 
 being possessed of special qualifications, nat- 
 ural and acquired, for the training of children. 
 In 1876 Miss Perkins was married to Or- 
 ville L. Adams, a prosperous farmer of Litch- 
 field, who later became proprietor of a laun- 
 dry. The untimely death of Mr. Adams in 
 1882 closed a business career of much promise. 
 Mrs. Adams since 1884 has been, until 
 quite recently, at the head of the primary de- 
 partment of the Litchfield public schools, a 
 position which she most ably filled, and she is 
 here well known and highly esteemed. In 
 December, 1895, she resigned her position in 
 Litchfield to accept a more remunerative one 
 in the Torrington schools. Mrs. Adams has 
 had two children, one of whom survives; 
 namely, Alice S., who since the resignation 
 of her mother has been appointed a teacher in 
 the primary room of the public school of Litch- 
 field. Mrs. Adams is a member of the Con- 
 gregational church, but she has been organist 
 and has sung in the choir for several years 
 past in the Methodist Episcopal church of 
 Litchfield. 
 
 2IEUTENANT DAVID E. SOULE, 
 a retired lumber dealer of New Mil- 
 .■^ ford, Conn., and a worthy represen- 
 tative of one of the oldest New England fami- 
 lies, was born on Long Mountain in the town 
 of New Milford, March 4, 1838, and is a son 
 of John and Lucinda (Whitehead) Soule. 
 
 George Soule, the progenitor of the family 
 in America, came from England in the "May- 
 flower" in 1620, and settled in Duxbury, Mass. 
 John Soule, a descendant of George, was a 
 native of Danbury but after his marriage 
 he settled on 'Long Mountain in Litchfield 
 County, .where he owned a large tract of land, 
 which he cultivated to some extent, and also 
 engaged in blacksmithing, having learned that 
 trade when a young man. Toward the close of 
 
 his life he sold his farm, and, moving to New 
 Milford village, spent the last years of his life 
 in retirement. He died there in 1894, at 
 ninety-three years of age. "His wife, Lucinda 
 Whitehead, who died in the seventy-third year 
 of her age, reared the following children : 
 Olive, Henry W. , Turney, Olive L., David 
 E., Mary J., and Sally A. 
 
 David E. Soule obtained a good practical 
 common-school education in the schools of 
 New Milford and Gaylordsville, and at seven- 
 teen years of age he learned the trade of car- 
 penter. Working at that vocation until Au- 
 gust, 1862, he thei) enlisted in Company H of 
 the Nineteenth Regiment of Connecticut Vol- 
 unteers ; and when, after several weeks spent 
 in drilling, that regiment was ordered to Wash- 
 ington, D.C., he was promoted to the rank of 
 Corporal. They remained at Alexandria a 
 year and a half, engaged in picket duty, and 
 were then transferred to the Second Heavy 
 Artillery Regiment. At the time the powder 
 magazine was blown up,- Mr. Soule, in charge 
 of one hundred and fifty men, was detailed to 
 rebuild it. > He was advanced to the rank of 
 Sergeant, and about three months later became 
 Color Sergeant. In May, 1864, his regiment 
 was ordered to join the Army of the Potomac 
 at Fredericksburg; and during the long 
 marches of General Grant's army (of which 
 they were then a part) to Cold Harbor and 
 James River he acted as Color Bearer with 
 honor, although the colors were well riddled 
 with bullets and the spear of the shaft shot 
 away. His regiment then went to the Shenan- 
 doah Valley with Sheridan. After the valley 
 campaign they returned to Petersburg, and 
 took part in several battles. Lieutenant Soule 
 was with his regiipent in every engagment in 
 which it participated, but escaped unwounded, 
 and enjoyed good health. He received his 
 honorable discharge in September, 1865. 
 
630 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Shortly after his return home he resumed 
 his trade, and in company with his brother 
 Turney went into a lumber and contracting 
 business, which they conducted with excellent 
 success. Later on they added a tobacco ware- 
 house, and dealt extensively in that article. 
 He has been the contractor on several fine 
 buildings in New Milford, among them the 
 residences of Dr. Hine, T. J. Murch, and Mrs. 
 Noble, also the St. John's Church ; and he was 
 one of the largest stockholders in the erection 
 of the Meantinaug Hotel. He employed as 
 many as seventy-five men in the building busi- 
 ness. In 1882 he retired from the lumber 
 business. 
 
 On January 11, 1866, Mr. Sou le was united 
 in marriage with Miss Sarah M. Sullivan, a 
 daughter of Henry Sullivan. Their union was 
 blessed by the birth of three children, namely: 
 Frank E. , a book-keeper, who married Miss 
 Ola Beers; Florence A., still in school; and 
 Willie L., a clerk. Mrs. Sarah M. Soule 
 died in 1891 ; and in March, 1892, Mr. Soule 
 married Miss Carrie Hine, a daughter of Major 
 Edward and Mary Hine. Her father was a 
 successful farmer and highly respected citizen 
 of New Milford. 
 
 Mr. Soule has always manifested much in- 
 terest in the progress and improvement of 
 his town. He is an honored member of vari- 
 ous fraternal organizations, among which may 
 be mentioned St. Peter's Lodge, No. 21, 
 A. F. & A. M. ; Housatonic Chapter, No. 33, 
 Royal Arch Masons; Hamilton Commandery, 
 Knights Templars, of Bridgeport, Conn. ; 
 Pyramid Temple, of the order of the Mystic 
 Shrine, also of Bridgeport; Good Shepherd 
 Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in 
 which he is Past Grand ; and Upton Post, No. 
 14, Grand Army of the Republic, which he 
 served as Commander for five years, and is now 
 Past Commander. In i88i he purchased of E- 
 
 Boardman a piece of land on which stood a 
 house that was built by D. Everett in 1782. 
 Here he erected, from plans made by himself, 
 one of the largest and finest residences in the 
 town. It is supplied with modern improve- 
 ments, finished in a first-class manner through- 
 out, and is a model of convenience and com- 
 fort. 
 
 ENRY S. KARRMANN, M.D., a 
 successful physician of North Wood- 
 
 -^ ^, ^ bury. Conn., was born in Leeds, 
 
 Mass., March 11, 1855, son of Sebastian and 
 Elizabeth (Winters) Karrmann. Dr. Karr- 
 mann's father was born at Frankfort-on-the- 
 Main, Germany, in 1806. He acquired the 
 trade of a cloth-maker in his native country; 
 and at the age of twenty-six he emigrated to 
 the United States, settling first in New Haven, 
 Conn., where he followed his occupation for 
 some time. He was an expert workman, and 
 during his active period was employed at vari- 
 ous places, his skill and thorough knowledge 
 of the business being widely known and always 
 in demand. He was finally retired from active 
 labor, and passed the closing years of his life 
 in Torrington, Conn., where he died at the 
 age of seventy-seven years. By his wife, 
 Elizabeth Winters, he had eleven children, 
 namely: Catherine; George; Elizabeth; 
 Charles; Mary; Albert; Ellen; David; Ed- 
 ward; Henry S., the subject of this sketch; 
 and William. The mother lived to reach the 
 age of seventy-six. 
 
 Henry S. Karrmann fitted for college at the 
 high school in New Haven, and subsequently 
 took a three years' course at Yale University. 
 His professional studies were pursued at the 
 New York University Medical School, from 
 which he graduated in 1876; and during the 
 same year he located in Woodbury. He has 
 since continued to practise in this town, his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 631 
 
 skill as a general physician being greatly ap- 
 preciated by the citizens. He is likewise 
 constantly in demand throughout the adjoining 
 towns, where he conducts an equally large 
 practise. He resides in North Woodbury, 
 having purchased the Anson Root place, and 
 remodelled the house and otherwise improved 
 the property, which now has a most attractive 
 appearance; and he occupies pleasant office 
 quarters in Strong Block. In 1881 Dr. Karr- 
 mann was united in marriage with Lottie I. 
 Hurd, daughter of Charles R. Hurd, of Rox- 
 bury. They have six children ; namely, Ruth, 
 Charles, Marguerite, Milton, Henry, and 
 Sarah. 
 
 Dr. Karrmann is a Democrat in politics, and 
 has rendered valuable service to the town in 
 some of the important offices. He is a mem- 
 ber of King Solomon Lodge, A. F. & A. M., 
 and of the Royal Arch Chapter, and is also 
 connected with the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. He is at the present time Post- 
 master of North Woodbury. Aside from his 
 professional standing, he is very popular so- 
 cially; and he and his family occupy a promi- 
 nent position among the leading residents of 
 the town. 
 
 EEWIS S. NORTHROP, a well-known 
 and prosperous farmer of the town of 
 «»^ Kent, was born upon the farm he 
 now owns and occupies, February 24, 1843, 
 son of Agur C. and Lucy (Swift) Northrop. 
 Mr. Northrop's grandparents were Thomas G. 
 and Ann (Curtis) Northrop, the former of 
 whom came from New Milford and resided 
 in Kent for the rest of his life. His trade 
 of tanning and currying formed his prin- 
 cipal employment; but he also did shoemak- 
 ing and some farming, varying his labors ac- 
 cording to the season and circumstances. 
 Thomas G. Northrop died at the age of 
 
 seventy-nine. He and his wife reared five 
 children, as follows: Anna, Thomas W., Agur 
 C, Birdsey G., and Henry M. Their mother, 
 Mrs. Ann Curtis Northrop, died at fifty-four 
 years of age. Birdsey G. Northrop, LL.D., 
 third son of Thomas G., is widely known, 
 both for his many years of labor in the inter- 
 est of the public schools of Connecticut and 
 Massachusetts, he having served in each of 
 these Commonwealths as Secretary of the 
 State Board of Education, and for his lectures 
 on "Village Improvement." During the past 
 year, 1895, at seventy-eight years of age he 
 made a very enjoyable trip to Japan, via Cali- 
 fornia and Honolulu, being gone six months. 
 He was in Japan in time to witness the jubila- 
 tions over the return of their victorious armies 
 from China. 
 
 Agur C, Northrop, second son of Thomas, 
 was born in Kent in 18 12. He always re- 
 sided upon the home farm, which he cultivated 
 with good results until his death, that event 
 occurring in the forty-sixth year of his age. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Lucy 
 Swift, became the mother of three children, 
 namely: Lewis S., the subject of this sketch; 
 Harriet, who was born in 1844; and Charles 
 C, who died at the age of two years. Harriet 
 Northrop married George Stockwell, and had 
 two children: Mary and Lewis N., deceased, 
 the former of whom is now Mrs. Pixley, 
 and has a daughter, Lucy Northrop Pixley. 
 Mrs. Lucy S. Northrop, who has now reached 
 the age of eighty years, is residing with 
 her son. 
 
 Lewis S. Northrop received his education 
 in the schools of his native town, and was 
 reared to the life of a farmer. He owns a 
 good farm, which is well improved; and he 
 here conducts general husbandry with energy 
 and ability, his labor being productive of the 
 mpst gratifying results. He is a Republican 
 
632 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in politics, and has served as a member of the 
 Board of Assessors for several years. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Northrop was united in mar- 
 riage with Abby Barnum, daughter of Milo C. 
 and Amanda (Thorp) Barnum, of Kent. Mrs. 
 Northrop's grandparents were Andrew and 
 Sally (Chapman) Barnum, the former of whom 
 was born in Bethel, and the latter in Redding, 
 Fairfield County. Andrew Barnum lived to 
 reach the age of seventy-nine. His wife died 
 aged fifty-nine. They had eight children; 
 namely, Milo C, Joshua, Daniel, Lucinda, 
 Sarah, Mary, Andrew, and John. Milo C. 
 Barnum, Mrs. Northrop's father, was born in 
 Bethel, and followed agricultural pursuits in 
 that town a number of years, moving thence to 
 New York State, later coming to Kent, and en- 
 gaging in farming until his death, which took 
 place when he was fifty-seven years old. His 
 wife, who was a native of Danbury, Conn., 
 lived to the age of eighty years. She was the 
 mother of two children: Lucy E., who is now 
 Mrs. Hall, and has one daughter, named Anna; 
 and Sarah Abby, who is now Mrs. Northrop. 
 
 "ERBERT NOEL CUNNINGHAM, 
 M.A., rector of Christ Church, 
 1'^ * Watertown, Conn., was born in 
 
 Hampshire, England, April 23, 1851. He is 
 the son of the Rev. Francis M. and Alice 
 (Poore) Cunningham and the grandson of the 
 Rev. John William Cunningham, his father 
 and grandfather having been prominent clergy- 
 men in the English Church. He was educated 
 at Haileybury and Oxford. He was ordained 
 at Oxford in 1877, and, after serving as a 
 curate and vicar of St. George's, Tylehurst, 
 England, received a call from America to take 
 charge of the parish of St. George Le Mars in 
 Iowa. This he accepted, and remained in 
 Iowa three years. In 1884 he was placed in 
 
 charge of the Episcopal church in Westfield, 
 Mass., subsequently taking charge of the 
 parish in Easthampton, that State; and in 
 1886 he became pastor of Christ Church in 
 Watertown. Mr. Cunningham married Ger- 
 trude N. , daughter of the Rev. Gilbert Brad- 
 ley, vicar of St. Edmund's, Dudley, England, 
 and niece of Archdeacon Farrar. Mr. Cun- 
 ningham is a Mason, belonging to Federal 
 Lodge of Watertown. 
 
 J^XARWIN S. MOORE. If ever in 
 —J democratic America thetime shall 
 ^ come when ancestry will be held in 
 the same esteem that it commands in other 
 countries, there will be no prouder lineage to 
 claim than that which springs from the old 
 New England settlers. They were sturdy, 
 rugged, self-reliant men; and many a culti- 
 vated field on rocky slope or barren hill-top 
 bears silent witness to their hard and honest 
 work. Of the way in which those hardy 
 pioneers conquered the wilderness, and 
 brought up their children to love and to cling 
 to the homes which they, the fathers, had 
 founded in an adopted land, the family history 
 of Darwin S. Moore, a prominent merchant 
 of Winsted, affords a typical illustration. 
 
 Mr. Moore's great-grandfather, Marvin 
 Moore, came from Durham, Scotland, and 
 took up a tract of wild land in Tolland, 
 Hampden County, Mass. He cleared this 
 land, and made of it the nucleus of a fertile 
 farm, which now exceeds four hundred acres 
 in extent. It passed into the possession of 
 his son. Deacon Elizur Datus Moore, who be- 
 came an influential man in the community, 
 was for many years Town Clerk, and repre- 
 sented his town in the legislature during the 
 term of 1866. He married the daughter of 
 Daniel Wadsworth, for many years a merchant 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 633 
 
 of Tolland. Mr. Wadsworth had removed to 
 that place in 1808 from Hartford, Conn., 
 where he had also been a merchant, and where 
 he had married the daughter of the Rev. John 
 Eels, a distinguished clergyman of that city. 
 
 After his marriage to Miss Wadsworth 
 Deacon Moore continued to occupy the old 
 homestead, and there his five children were 
 born. One of these children, John W., set- 
 tled in California, Mo., and became prominent 
 among the legal fraternity of the West. He 
 has been State attorney of Missouri, and is 
 now circuit judge. The second son, Renold 
 S., is a market gardener near Washington, 
 D.C. Another son, Bennett E. Moore, was 
 born in 1828, and has spent the greater part 
 of his life on the farm bequeathed him by his 
 father, which has now been in the possession 
 of the family over one hundred and fifty years. 
 He married a Winchester girl, Jennie Flora, 
 the daughter of Samuel W. Starks, whose 
 wife. Flora Murray, was the daughter of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Daniel Murray, a couple who lived 
 to the good old ages of eighty-six and ninety- 
 three years respectively. 
 
 Such, then, is a rapid sketch of what we 
 have referred to as a typical New England an- 
 cestry. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett E. Moore, the 
 third generation living on the old Tolland 
 farm, have had a family of eight children, 
 seven sons and one daughter: one of the sons 
 died in infancy; another, Frederick M., one 
 of the most promising and popular young men 
 in Winsted, died in January, 1895, at the age 
 of nineteen; Charles B. Moore is married, and 
 is a resident of Winsted, John W. is a rising 
 young merchant, and Burton E. a stock dealer 
 in the same city; Adelaide, a graduate of the 
 Westfield Normal School, is a teacher in 
 Winchester; and Samuel, the youngest, is a 
 student at the Gilbert School in Winsted, liv- 
 ing with his parents. On account of the re- 
 
 moval of so many of their children to Win- 
 sted Mr. and Mrs. Moore have at length left 
 the ancestral farm in Tolland for that of Mr. 
 Moore in Winchester. 
 
 The remaining son, Darwin S. Moore, with 
 whom this article is more particularly identi- 
 fied, was born in February, 1864, and was a 
 boy of thirteen when he left the common 
 school in Tolland to help his father on the 
 home farm. In 1883 he entered the store of 
 Wilbur F. Coe, of Winsted, as a clerk. He 
 spent seven years in this and other stores. In 
 April, 1 89 1, he opened a store of his own at 
 363 Main Street, and, notwithstanding vigor- 
 ous competition, made his business a success. 
 He eventually sold this business, that of hats 
 and gentlemen's furnishing goods, to his 
 brother John W.', and has lately bought the 
 book and stationery business of W. H. Gil- 
 lette, which he has greatly enlarged, and will 
 conduct on a much more extensive scale than 
 formerly. 
 
 Mr. Moore is one of the younger business 
 men to whom Winsted is looking to maintain 
 the prestige it has always held in North-west- 
 ern Connecticut. He takes great interest in 
 all local affairs, and, although a firm believer 
 in the principles of the Republican party, 
 places good citizenship above all partisan 
 claims. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, 
 the Royal Arcanum, and other societies. He 
 is also active in church and Sunday-school 
 work, being a regular attendant with his wife 
 at the Second Congregational Church, of 
 which he is one of the society committee. 
 
 Mr. Moore was married October 7, 1891, to 
 Celia L., daughter of Charles S. Webster, of 
 Winsted. Mrs. Moore is a graduate of the 
 Winsted High School, and before her mar- 
 riage was a teacher of music. She has one 
 sister, Lilian, who for the past nine years has 
 been book-keeper for the Winsted Optical 
 
^34 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Company. Mr. and Mrs. Moore live in a 
 pleasant residence on Williams Avenue, into 
 which they moved in the winter of 1893. 
 
 fOUIS E. DAWSON, a thriving mer- 
 chant of Woodbury, was born in 
 ^^^ Hotchkissville, Conn., May 26, 
 1864. He was the son of Francis and Eliza- 
 beth A. (Merriam) Dawson, grandson of 
 Hugh F. and Nancy (Persall) Dawson and 
 great-grandson of John and Elizabeth (Max- 
 field) Dawson. 
 
 John Dawson was an Englishman by birth, 
 though he became a naturalized citizen of 
 America in after years.- He was born in Eng- 
 land, June 24, 1779, and was evidently a man 
 of education and culture, as he graduated at 
 Oxford University, England. He first came 
 to America in the British army as a foe, dur- 
 ing the War of 1812, but was so favorably im- 
 pressed with this country that he determined 
 to make it his home, and chose Philadelphia 
 as an abiding-place. He married Elizabeth 
 Maxfield in Monroe, Fairfield County. He 
 subsequently left Pennsylvania for New York, 
 settling in Greene County. His fine educa- 
 tion, which was unusual at that time in this 
 country, gave him great influence in his com- 
 munity; and he was an active worker for the 
 interests of the people and town where he 
 lived. All important matters and affairs that 
 required judgment and knowledge were de- 
 cided by him, such as the settlement of es- 
 tates. He remained in Greene County, and 
 spent his last years in the locality where he 
 was so highly esteemed, dying there in 1818. 
 His wife was born in 1784, and died in 1844. 
 Their children were: John, Francis, Betsy, 
 Prudence, Hugh F., Polly, Richard, Cathe- 
 rine, and Hawley. 
 
 Hugh F. Dawson was born April 26, 1792, 
 
 and made his home in New Haven County, in 
 the Shepaug valley, where he followed agri- 
 culture. When after some years he changed 
 his residence to Greene County, New York, he 
 engaged in the tin business, but did not give 
 up farming. He must have been a man of 
 wonderful energy and enterprise; for, in addi- 
 tion to his other work, he kept a number of 
 wagons on the road. He died June 11, 1862. 
 His wife, who was born March 14, 1792, 
 died March 24, 1850. Their children were: 
 Betsy, Francis, William, Henry, 'Maria, 
 Polly, Louis, John, and Patty. 
 
 Francis Dawson was born January 19, 1818, 
 in Greenville, Greene County, N.Y., and ob- 
 tained his education in the place of his birth. 
 His first business enterprise was peddling tin 
 and other articles of merchandise; but he did 
 not continue in this long, for, when about 
 thirty years old, he moved to the State of Illi- 
 nois, where he purchased a farm, and tried 
 agriculture for a few years. Apparently dis- 
 satisfied with this employment, he moved to 
 Hotchkissville, Conn., where he engaged with 
 his brothers in the manufacture of woollen 
 cloth, and spent much of his time travelling 
 through different States, selling the products 
 of their manufacture. He also dealt some- 
 what in real estate, and loaned money. He 
 was very successful, accumulating a large 
 fortune. He retired from active life in 1845, 
 and came to North Woodbury, where he has 
 lived for some years. He owns property in 
 the town of Woodbury, in the adjoining town, 
 and in the State of Illinois. Francis Dawson 
 was twice married, his first wife being a Miss 
 Halsted, who died at the age of forty, leaving 
 three children, namely: Sephronia, who mar- 
 ried George F. Morris; Carrie, who became 
 the wife of Mr. H. Minor; and Nancy, who 
 married Mr. F. Jackson. His second wife, 
 whom he married September 7, 1859, was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 63s 
 
 Elizabeth A., daughter of Erastus and Maria 
 (Wattles) Merriam. By her he is the father 
 of Louis E., our special subject; and Erwin 
 C. Dawson.. The latter, born May i, 1871, 
 is a boot and shoe dealer in North Woodbury. 
 Mr. Dawson is a Republican in politics, a 
 member of a Congregational church, and be- 
 longs to King Solomon's Lodge, No. 7, 
 A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Louis E. Dawson was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools, and commenced his business career 
 in North Woodbury as clerk in the house of 
 A. A. Root. He gained some knowledge and 
 experience in this first effort, and then de- 
 cided to prepare himself thoroughly for the 
 mercantile life. He took the business course 
 at Yale, but did not go into mercantile life 
 immediately after leaving college, as he took 
 charge of his father's farm for a time; but, 
 his taste not inclining to agriculture, he left 
 the farm, and went to Waterbury, where he 
 obtained the position of clerk with W. H. 
 Upson. He was also for some time a clerk 
 for Meigs & Trott; but, not satisfied with a 
 subordinate place, and determined to embark 
 in business for himself, he united in 1884 
 with G. F. Morris in the purchase of W. A. 
 Strong's property, and established himself as 
 a merchant. After a time Mr. Dawson and 
 Mr. Morris divided the stock, Mr. Morris 
 going to Hotchkissville with his portion and 
 Mr. Dawson remaining in Woodbury, where 
 he is now conducting business. He keeps a 
 good stock of general merchandise, including 
 ready-made clothing, groceries, paper, and, in 
 fact, every article that is likely to be called 
 for in a general store. Mr. Dawson purchased 
 the Walker house and lot, and in 1895 erected 
 a very handsome house on the latter. The 
 house is modern, and has all the lateimprove- 
 ments necessary for health and comfort. In 
 addition to -the property mentioned he owns 
 
 three acres and a half of valuable land in the 
 town, which he intends dividing into building 
 lots. He also owns building lots in Bristol, 
 Conn., and in the State of Washington. Louis 
 E. Dawson was married April 15, 1885, to Miss 
 Louise Stone, a daughter of James and Carrie 
 (Caswell) S'tone. Four children were born of 
 this marriage: Winfred Eugene; Morton Har- 
 rison; Henry, who died young; and Clyde. 
 
 Mr. Dawson is a Republican in politics, as 
 his father was before him, and holds the posi- 
 tion of Assistant Town Clerk. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church. A glance at 
 his career shows him to possess both strength 
 and intellect in an unusual degree, and he is 
 a man whose influence will be felt wherever 
 he lives. 
 
 QVLA? 
 f=A a I 
 
 LANSON L. WEIRS, for more than 
 quarter of a century an active busi- 
 ness man of Winsted, where he 
 died, after a protracted retirement, on January 
 25, 1887, aged sixty-eight years, esteemed 
 and lamented, was a native of East Glaston- 
 bury, Hartford County, Conn. 
 
 He was a son of Walter Weirs, and was of 
 Scottish ancestry, his great-grandfather hav- 
 ing come from Scotland, and established a 
 home in the then wilds of Connecticut. The 
 present dwelling, standing on the site of the 
 primitive log house erected by him, where 
 four generations of his descendants have 
 grown to youth and manhood, is still owned 
 by a member of the Weirs family. Walter 
 Weirs was twice married, and by the two 
 wives had a family of nine children, all of 
 whom have since died. Alanson L. Weirs 
 was one of the three sons born of his union 
 with Hannah Hurlburt, the other two being 
 Albert and Henry. The graves of their father 
 and mother are in East Glastonbury. 
 
 Alanson L. Weirs, who began life as a poor 
 
636 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 boy, learned the trade of a cabinet-maker. 
 He came to Winsted, Conn., over forty years 
 ago, and started in business as a furniture 
 dealer and an undertaker, and for quite a long 
 time was the only one in the town engaged in 
 either line. His continued diligence was re- 
 warded with success. He managed well his 
 affairs; and, having acquired a competence, 
 he sold out to a Mr. Oatman, and retired from 
 active pursuits some eighteen years prior to 
 his death. Toward the close of his life he 
 was stricken with slow, or creeping, paralysis, 
 which rendered him almost entirely helpless, 
 requiring the most constant and tender care 
 at the hands of his devoted wife, Amelia 
 Knight Weirs, by whom he is survived. His 
 first wife, whose maiden name was Ruba S. 
 Hale, died on February 20, 1878, at fifty -four 
 years of age, leaving no children. Mr. Weirs 
 was a firm believer in Republican principles, 
 but never sought or held office. He was a 
 member of no social or religious body, al- 
 though a constant attendant of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 Mr. Alanson L. Weirs and Miss Amelia 
 Knight were united in marriage on October 
 28, 1879, at Stoneham, Mass., by the Rev. 
 William J. Batt, pastor of the Congregational 
 church. Mrs. Weirs is a daughter of Timothy 
 C. and Betsy (Moore) Knight, both of whom 
 were natives of Thetford, Vt., where they 
 spent their lives, her father being a prosper- 
 ous farmer. By a former wife Thomas Knight 
 had three children. His union with Betsy 
 Moore was blessed by the birth of five chil- 
 dren, all of whom are living, their names 
 being George W., Sarah A., Martha J., 
 Etta, and Amelia. George W. Knight, now 
 residing at Post Mills, in the town of Thet- 
 ford, Vt., served in the Civil War, where he 
 received injuries which have rendered him a 
 cripple. Sarah A. is the widow of William 
 
 H. Tyler, who was also engaged in the late 
 war, but was killed by a boiler explosion after 
 his return. Mrs. Weirs in her girlhood re- 
 ceived a good education, pursuing her elemen- 
 tary studies in the district schools, and later 
 being initiated into higher branches of learn- 
 ing at Thetford Academy. She resides at 1 1 
 Park Place, her three sisters making their 
 home with her in the pleasant dwelling 
 erected by her husband opposite the beautiful 
 park. 
 
 (S>r-RTHUR D. WARNER, attorney-at- 
 jiiA law, of Woodbury,, Conn., was born in 
 
 y»ls\^ _ Southbury, New Haven County, 
 August 2, 1848, son of Sherman B. and Lydia 
 A. (Hall) Warner. Mr. Warner's great- 
 grandfather, Ard Warner, moved from Hart- 
 ford to Waterbury, where he resided for the 
 rest of his life, becoming a prosperous farmer 
 and an extensive land-owner. He bequeathed 
 to each of his children a good farm. His son, 
 Ard Warner, Jr., Mr. Warner's grandfather, 
 was born in Waterbury, and reared to agricult- 
 ural pursuits. He cultivated his farm with 
 good results, and, by adding more land to his 
 inherited property, became the owner of a 
 large estate. He occupied for many years a 
 substantial residence, situated upon North Main 
 Street in Waterbury, and was widely known as 
 an energetic, far-sighted man and a worthy 
 citizen. He lived to the age of eighty-three 
 years, surviving his wife, Maria Bronson War- 
 ner, who died at sixty-one. They reared six 
 children ; namely, Charles, Abraham, Sherman 
 B., Mary, Nancy, and Mercia. 
 
 Sherman B. Warner, third son of Mr. Ard 
 Warner, Jr., was born in Waterbury. When a 
 young man, he learned the trade of a button 
 burnisher, becoming an expert workman in 
 that calling, which he followed as an occupa- 
 tion for several years, and then engaging in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 637 
 
 the drug business for a time. Later, selling 
 out, in company with L. Lane he erected a 
 factory in Waterbury, and carried on the man- 
 ufacture of buttons with profitable results for 
 a number of years. He finally retired from 
 the enterprise and moved to Southbury, where 
 he purchased a farm, and resided there until 
 his death, which took place in February, 1891. 
 An able and progressive business man, for 
 many years he was actively interested in the 
 industrial development of Waterbury. He 
 was one of the founders of the Waterbury 
 American, for which enterprise he furnished 
 the capital, while his associate, Mr. Cook, was 
 the industrial partner ; and he was a very 
 public-spirited citizen. In politics he was a 
 Democrat, and, aside from holding some of the 
 important offices of the town, be acted as Trial 
 Justice for several years. His wife, Lydia A. 
 Hall Warner, who is now in her seventy-fourth 
 year, is a daughter of Eli and Irene Hall, and 
 the mother of two children, namely: Arthur 
 D., the subject of this sketch; and Irene H., 
 who was born September 10, 1858. 
 
 Arthur D. Warner, having acquired his 
 elementary education in the district schools, 
 continued his studies at Brookfield under the 
 charge of Professor H. D. Noble, and later at 
 Professor T. M. Thompson's Academy, where 
 he was graduated in 1869. He then began the 
 study of law with the Hon. James Huntington, 
 of Woodbury, and, being admitted to the bar in 
 1872, entered into the practice of his profes- 
 sion in West Cornwall, remaining there for 
 over ten years, or until November 14, 1883, 
 when he returned to Woodbury, and formed a 
 partnership with his former preceptor, the 
 Hon. James Huntington. Mr. Warner has 
 since been here, engaged, in legal practice. 
 On April 5, 1893, he was elected Judge of the 
 Court of Common Pleas for Litchfield County, 
 which position he now holds. 
 
 On October 14, 1874, Mr. Warner was 
 united in 'marriage with Julia J. Sherman, 
 daughter of Lewis G. and Jennette E. Sher- 
 man, who were prosperous farming people of 
 Bethlehem. Mr. and Mrs. Warner have had 
 one daughter; namely, Gracie, who died at 
 the age of four months. 
 
 m 
 
 ALTER D. MUNSON, proprietor 
 of a steamship line running from 
 New York City to Cuba and Mex- 
 ico, is a summer resident of Litchfield, Conn., 
 spending the remainder of the year in New 
 York City, his place of business being at 80 
 Wall Street, his residence at 664 Lafayette 
 Avenue, Brooklyn. He is a native of Con- 
 necticut, born February 18, 1843, in West 
 Cheshire. His father, Barnabas Munson, son 
 of Obadiah Munson, was born and brought up 
 in Bethlehem. 
 
 Barnabas Munson was a dealer in clocks, 
 and for several years before his death had a 
 good trade in the South, through which he 
 travelled extensively. He departed this life 
 in 1846, being then a comparatively young 
 man. His widow, whose early name was 
 Delia Canfield, was a native of Morris Centre, 
 being one of a large family of children. She 
 bore her husband four children — Martha, 
 Cynthia, Walter D., and Amelia. Martha 
 married Frederick Storrs, of Bridgeport, 
 Conn. ; Cynthia is the widow of Dr. Charles 
 S. Wood; and Amelia, the wife of Charles 
 Sloper, of Meriden, Conn. After the death of 
 her first husband Mrs. Munson became the 
 wife of David W. Wood, a prosperous farmer 
 of this locality, and the owner of the summer^ 
 home of the subject of this sketch, where she ' 
 spent her remaining years, dying in 1882, at 
 the age of seventy-three years. 
 
 Walter D. Munson was but three* years of 
 
638 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 age when his father died. Two years later he 
 came with his mother to Litchfield, and, after 
 living two years in that part of the town then 
 called Bantam, went to Morris Centre, where 
 he stayed two years. He then came to Litch- 
 field, and here devoted himself to his studies 
 for some years, finally completing his school 
 life at the Hudson River Institute at Claverack, 
 N.Y. In August, 1861, Mr. Munson enlisted 
 as a private in Company E, Eighth Connecti- 
 cut Volunteer Infantry, and served for four 
 years and nine months, being mustered out in 
 March, 1866, with the rank of Captain, having 
 passed through the intermediate grades of 
 Lieutenant and Quartermaster. He was in 
 the quartermaster's department during service 
 in Texas, and also acted for a time as Assist- 
 ant Adjutant-general. At the close of the 
 war he went to Havana, Cuba, where he re- 
 mained for fourteen years, engaged in refining 
 petroleum, being a pioneer in this branch of 
 industry in that country. During this period 
 he made a visit every summer to the North, 
 visiting Litchfield, and remaining usually 
 about two months. On his return to the 
 United States in 1882, he located in New 
 York City, although he still continues to 
 spend his summers in Litchfield, and estab- 
 lished his present steamship line, which he 
 has conducted with signal success. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Munson was united in marriage 
 with Miss Emily Wood, a native of Broome 
 County, New York, born in the town of Ves- 
 tal, where her parents, David W. and Beulah 
 (Beach) Wood, were then living. Their 
 wedded pathway has been pleasantly marked 
 by the birth of five children, namely: Delia, 
 who married John Coyle, of Brooklyn, N.Y., 
 and has two children — Walter Wensley and 
 Emily Beulah; Carlos W., who married Mabel 
 Williams, and resides in Havana, being in 
 partnership with his father; Frank C. , a re- 
 
 cent graduate of the Brooklyn Adelphi Acad- 
 emy; and Beulah and Mabel, both at home, 
 pursuing their studies at the Adelphi Acad- 
 emy. A man of inborn sagacity and great 
 native business instinct, Mr. Munson has 
 taken advantage of every favorable opportunity 
 for pushing his enterprises to a successful 
 issue, and has rarely been disappointed in his 
 efforts. A broad and liberal-minded man, 
 with decided views on the leading questions of 
 the time, Mr. Munson has not tied himself to 
 any particular creed in religion or politics, but 
 votes for the men and measures he deems most 
 conducive to the public good, and believes in 
 the divine love and goodness and in humanity. 
 Socially, he is a member of the George C. 
 Strong Post, No. 534, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. 
 
 Mrs. Munson's father, David W. Wood, was 
 the eldest of the five children born to his par- 
 ents, Nathan and Lorana (Shove) Wood, the 
 former a lifelong farmer of Warren, this 
 county. Having acquired a fair education, he 
 began when very young to teach school, and 
 continued in that occupation for many years. 
 He first became a land-holder in this town, but, 
 after carrying on farming here for a while, dis- 
 posed of his first purchase, and subsequently 
 was the owner of farms in various places, 
 being one of the most thrifty and prosperous 
 agriculturists of Litchfield County. In 1845 
 he bought the present home of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Munson, it having been previously known as 
 the Pierce farm, although it was originally 
 school land, belonging to the State. The 
 house, which is substantially built, and has 
 always been kept in excellent repair, was 
 erected a century ago. Here Mr. Wood spent 
 the last three decades of his life, dying in 
 187s, aged seventy-four yeans. The maiden 
 name of his first wife was Beulah Beach. She 
 was born in Litchfield, being one of a family 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 639 
 
 of twelve children, nine girls and three boys, 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Enos Beach. She lived but 
 forty-seven years; and after her decease Mr. 
 Wood was united in marriage with Mrs. Delia 
 (Canfield) Munson, the widowed mother of the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 All of the children of Mr. Wood were born 
 of his first marriage, being ten in number, 
 seven of whom are still living. The, record of 
 these children is thus chronicled : Annie, who 
 married Edward Gould, died at the age of 
 sixty-seven years; Charles S., who was a grad- 
 uate of the Philadelphia Medical College, 
 served as a surgeon in the army, afterward 
 having charge of a hospital in Sacramento, 
 Cal., and finally locating as a practitioner in 
 New York City, where his death occurred 
 February i, 1891, aged sixty-five years ; Frank 
 D., a photographer in Bradford County, Penn- 
 sylvania; Almon N., an insurance agent in 
 New Haven, Conn. ; Lois, who married, and 
 is now a widow; Jane, the widow of Henry 
 Payne; Susan, widow of Lyman Marvin; 
 Emily, the wife of Mr. Munson; Lucy, the 
 wife of Whitman S. Osborn, of Litchfield; 
 Marcus M. , the youngest son, although not the 
 youngest child, was educated for the medical 
 profession at the Philadelphia College, and 
 had an extensive practice in Greene, Che- 
 nango County, N.Y., where he departed this 
 life October 5, 1894, at the age of threescore 
 years. Mrs. Munson and her children are 
 members of the Third Unitarian Church of 
 Brooklyn. 
 
 SCAR E. BEEMAN, proprietor of 
 a saw-mill in the town of Washing- 
 ton, was born in Kent, Conn., in 
 1827, son of Harley W. and Mary (Young) 
 Beeman. His paternal grandfather was Lem- 
 uel Beeman, who was a resident of Kent for 
 the greater part of his life. In early manhood 
 
 he followed the occupation of blacksmith, but 
 the latter years of his life were devoted to 
 agriculture. He served seven years as a drum- 
 major in the Revolutionary War. He was 
 accidentally drowned in Lake Waramaug, when 
 seventy-eight years old. His wife by maiden 
 name was Lydia Cogswell, and they reared a 
 family of six children, namely: Reuben; 
 Havila; Lemuel, Jr.; Elisha; Harley W. ; 
 and Asenath. 
 
 Harley W. Beeman was born in Kent. He 
 learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol- 
 lowed successfully for many years, becoming 
 widely known as a skilful and reliable work- 
 man. Most of his life was spent in the town 
 of Washington, where he resided until his 
 death, which was the result of an accident, and 
 took place when he was fifty-four years old. 
 He was a Whig in politics, and held various 
 town offices. In his religious views he was a 
 Methodist. His wife, Mary Young, who was 
 a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Segar) 
 Young, became the mother of four children, as 
 follows-: Oscar E., the subject of this sketch; 
 Esther (Mrs. Payne), who died in 1882; 
 Martha, who became Mrs. Knapp, and has 
 three children; and Elizabeth, now Mrs. 
 Smith, who has four children — namely,- Hat- 
 tie, Mary, Edith, and Myron. Mrs. Harley 
 W. Beeman, who is still living, has reached 
 the age of eighty-five years. 
 
 Oscar E. Beeman, after attending the 
 schools of his native town, began at the age of 
 seventeen to learn the carpenter's trade, of 
 which he soon acquired a thorough knowledge. 
 He then worked as a journeyman until 1875, 
 when he built the saw-mill which he is now 
 operating. In addition to this he conducts a 
 wagon-shop and is engaged in the manufacture 
 of cider. By close application he has built up 
 a profitable business that monopolizes his 
 entire time and attention. In 1853 Mr. Bee- 
 
640 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 man was united in marriage to Jeanette Cogs- 
 well, a daughter of Charles Cogswell, of 
 Washington. They have one son, Henry W. , 
 who married Helen Marvin, and has two chil- 
 dren — ^ Claude and Harold. Mr. Beeman is a 
 Republican in politics, and has performed the 
 obligations of citizenship by serving as a 
 grand juror. 
 
 Tt^ALPH E. ALFORD, of Winsted, 
 I ^^ Conn., a well-known dealer in horses, 
 J-? V_ ^ was born in Avon, Hartford County, 
 in 1857, son of Emerson and Sarah (Pratt) 
 Alford. His paternal grandfather was Daniel 
 Alford, a resident of Virginia, who was in 
 business in the South in ante-bellum days, 
 employing a number of men upon the road, 
 selling clocks and tinware. He married a 
 Miss Mills, of Canton, Conn. ; and they had 
 four sons and four daughters, all of whom 
 married and had families. Of these children 
 three daughters and two sons are still living. 
 Emerson Alford, above named, one of the sons 
 of Daniel, was born in Virginia in 1825. He 
 spent the greater part of his life in agricult- 
 ural pursuits. He and his wife, Sarah Pratt, 
 had four children, as follows: Clara Alford, 
 living at Plainville, at one time a school- 
 teacher, but now retired; Ephraim, who died 
 at two years of age; Ralph E. , of Winsted; 
 and Frank J., a farmer in West Simsbury. 
 
 Ralph was early initiated in the duties of 
 farm life, at the same time acquiring a fair 
 education in the district schools at Avon and 
 at Williston Seminary. At twenty years of 
 age Mr. Alford took charge of a school in his 
 own district, and he continued to teach for 
 eight terms. Then, with a partner, he started 
 in trade as a dealer in general merchandise at 
 Canton Centre, and later engaged in the same 
 business in Winsted, where for five years he 
 was one of a firm conducting a large variety 
 
 store. This store was burned in 1889, and 
 Mr. Alford lost his all. He then decided to 
 begin life anew as a salesman, and would have 
 done so but for a voluntary offer of help from 
 one of Winsted's best men, a large-hearted 
 capitalist, who loaned him money with which 
 he opened a horse market at his present stand, 
 177-182 Main Street, with a partner, the firm 
 name being Lamphier & Alford. Their prin- 
 cipal business was buying and selling horses, 
 importing largely from the West. Mr. Lam- 
 phier retired on September 14, 1892, since 
 which time Mr. Alford has conducted the 
 business alone, carrying on a large trade, 
 and winning an enviable reputation for hon- 
 esty and square dealing. Mr. Alford has also 
 been engaged in growing tobacco; but, find- 
 ing the business unprofitable, he sold his 
 interest. 
 
 In May, 1882, he was married to Addie L. , 
 daughter of Giles A. and Caroline (Higley) 
 Sisson. Two sons were the fruit of their union, 
 both of whom died young. Mr. Alford is a 
 Democrat in politics. His entering his pres- 
 ent business was much opposed by his honest 
 old father, he thinking that honesty and horse- 
 trading were incompatible; but Ralph E. Al- 
 ford has conclusively proved that a man may 
 be a successful horse-trader without infringing 
 on the Decalogue. 
 
 DGAR R. LA PLACE, a druggist and 
 apothecary of Salisbury, was born in 
 Deep River, Conn., May 30, 1868, 
 son of Gilbert R. and Emma U. (Lord) La 
 Place. Mr. La Place's grandfather, Francis 
 La Place, was a native of France. He emi- 
 grated to the United States in early manhood, 
 and, landing on Long Island, came up the Con- 
 necticut River to Hamburg, Conn., where he 
 settled, and resided there for the remainder of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 641 
 
 his life, engaged in operating a saw-mill. He 
 died at the age of sixty years. His children 
 were named -respectively, as follows: John, 
 Timothy, Frank, Henry, Roswell, Elizabeth, 
 and Gilbert R. Gilbert R. La Place was born 
 in Hamburg, Conn. He learned the trade 
 of a ship carpenter, which he followed for 
 some time, subsequently taking charge of the 
 saws in the finishing department of a piano 
 factory in Deep River, Conn., where he now 
 resides at the age of sixty-two years. His 
 wife, Emma U. Lord, is a daughter of Will- 
 iam Lord, of Deep River, Conn. ; and she be- 
 came the mother of four children, namely: 
 William; Edgar R., the subject of this 
 sketch; Fanny; and Harold. Mrs. Gilbert 
 La Place is still living, being now about fifty 
 years old. 
 
 Edgar R. La Place acquired a common-school 
 education, and was employed in a drug store 
 for several years. He then entered the Col- 
 lege of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, from which 
 he was graduated with the class of 1891. He 
 was engaged as hospital pharmacist for nine 
 rhonths, and for a similar length of time had 
 charge of a drug store in New London, Conn. 
 In 1892 he came to Salisbury, and has since 
 been successfully engaged in the drug busi- 
 ness in this village. On July 25, 1893, Mr. 
 La Place was united in marriage to Sarah 
 Champion, daughter of Alonzo and Mary 
 Champion, of New London, Conn. 
 
 "ON. ALBERT P. BRADSTREET, 
 who is now serving his third term 
 
 as Judge of the District Court of 
 
 Waterbury, was born in the town of Thomas- 
 ton, formerly a part of Plymouth, Conn., June 
 9, 1846. He is the son of Thomas J. and 
 Amanda (Thomas) Bradstreet, and is of Puri- 
 tan ancestry, being descended on the paternal 
 
 side from Simon Bradstreet and Joseph Dud- 
 ley, governors of Massachusetts in Colonial 
 times. His father, Thomas Jefferson Brad- 
 street, who is now living in Plymouth, is one 
 of the leading men of the town, a large real 
 estate owner. His mother is the daughter of 
 Seth Thomas, at one time one of the leading 
 manufacturers of Connecticut, whose name is 
 perpetuated in the Seth Thomas Clock 
 Company. 
 
 Albert P. Bradstreet spent his boyhood in 
 attending school in his native town and work- 
 ing on his father's farm. In 1867 he entered 
 Yale College, from which he graduated in 
 1 87 1 with the degree of A.B. ; and in the fall 
 he entered Columbia College Law School, in 
 New York City, graduating in 1873, with the 
 degree of LL. B. After spending a few months 
 in the law office of Webster & O'Neill, of 
 Waterbury, he opened an office for himself in 
 Thomaston, where his career has been one of 
 marked success up to the present time. 
 
 A Republican in politics, in 1877-78 he 
 represented Thomaston in the legislature, and 
 was Senator from the Sixteenth District in the 
 sessions of 1881-82, serving the latter year as 
 Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. In 
 1879 he was elected Deputy Judge of the Dis- 
 trict Court of Waterbury, and in 1883 was 
 elected Judge, being re-elected in 1887 and in 
 1893. He was Town Clerk of Thomaston con- 
 tinuously from 1875 to 1 891, and Judge of 
 Probate for the Thomaston District from 1882 
 till 1890. Untiring and energetic in the pur- 
 suit of his legal work, he is liberal in his 
 ideas and careful in his judgment; and no 
 decision of his while upon the bench has ever 
 been reversed. A loyal friend to every good 
 enterprise, he is an untiring foe of sham 
 and fraud; and this fact, with his exhaustless 
 fund of good nature, makes him universally 
 respected. 
 
642 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 T^TENRY H. FENN, D.D.S., one of 
 r^l Litchfield's cherished sons, was born 
 
 -L^ V . August 19, 1868. His father, 
 
 Henry E. , and his paternal grandfather, were 
 both born in this county, and spent the greater 
 part of their lives within its limits. Grand- 
 father Fenn was a farmer and speculator, and 
 passed a few years in the West, but returned 
 to the scenes of his boyhood some time before 
 his decease, which occurred after a long life 
 of fourscore years. He reared a large family 
 of children, four of whom are still living, 
 namely : Lucinda, the wife of Leonard Stone, 
 formerly a contractor in this town, but now 
 retired from active labor, owing to impaired 
 health; Addie M., wife of William Wilson, 
 of Westport, Conn. ; Henrietta, the wife of 
 William Rogers, of Wisconsin; and George, 
 of Preston, Conn. 
 
 Henry E. Fenn acquired a good common- 
 school education, and began the activities of 
 life by engaging in the livery business in 
 Litchfield, in which he was very successful. 
 Later, in connection with that, he became 
 agent here for the Adams Express Company. 
 He subsequently formed a partnership with 
 Henry Botsford, a prominent business man 
 well known in this locality, continuing with 
 him as long as able to pursue active labor. 
 His earthly term was comparatively brief, his 
 career being ended when but forty years old. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Rosalind 
 Slocomb, was born in Cornwall, where her 
 father, Seneca Slocomb, was a farmer and 
 drover. Mr. Slocomb married a Miss Nicker- 
 son, who bore him five children, none of whom 
 are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. 
 Fenn were the parents of four children, as fol- 
 lows : Henry H. ; George L., a graduate of 
 the University of Pennsylvania, who has prac- 
 tised dentistry in different States, and is now 
 an assistant of Dr. Roberts in Springfield, 
 
 Mass. ; William S., a jeweller in this town in 
 company with Mr. Pratt; and Kitty A., a 
 graduate of the Litchfield High School, and 
 one of the most successful teachers of this 
 vicinity. 
 
 Henry H. Fenn received his elementary 
 education at the district and high schools of 
 this village, afterward taking a course at 
 Storr.s-'s Agricultural College in Mansfield. 
 Returning to Litchfield, he soon began the 
 study of dentistry with Dr. Sage, of Bridge- 
 port, and afterward entered the University of 
 Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 
 1888. He began the practice of his profession 
 in New Haven, remaining there a few months, 
 then opening his present ofifice in Litchfield, 
 where he has built up a large and increasing 
 practice. Dr. Fenn has made rapid advance 
 in his professional career, and keeps himself 
 well informed of the later methods of dental 
 surgery, bending his energies to keep pace 
 with the leading members of his profession. 
 
 On January 14, 1890, the Doctor was mar- 
 ried to Miss Leva T. Thompson, a native of 
 Unionville, Hartford County, Conn., daughter 
 of Almon Thompson and his wife, the late 
 Jane E. Woodruff Thompson. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Thompson reared five children, three of whom 
 are living, as follows: Emma, the wife of 
 Edson Perkins; Edward; and Leva T., Mrs. 
 Dr. Fenn. Both parents united with the Con- 
 gregational church when young, the father 
 being still a communicant. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Fenn are the parents of two bright and active 
 children — Ethel T. and George Newell F. 
 The Doctor is a firm advocate of the princi- 
 ples of the Republican party, and is quite 
 influential in social organizations, belonging 
 to the Knights of Honor, to the United Order 
 of American Mechanics, and to the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen. He is a member 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 643 
 
 "GRACE O. ADAMS, shoe merchant, 
 an esteemed citizen of Winsted, son 
 li® V,^, of Joseph and Almira (Johnson) 
 Adams, was born in Butternuts, Otsego 
 County, N.Y., in 1834. His paternal grand- 
 lather, Samuel Adams, was a Connecticut 
 farmer, the greater part of whose life was spent 
 in the town of Bristol, Hartford County. He 
 bore arms in the Revolutionary War, and in the 
 time of peace that followed lived upon his farm, 
 there rearing his two sons and two daughters. 
 Joseph Adams, son of Samuel, was born on 
 Fall Mountain, Bristol, Conn., in 1791, and 
 was reared to farm life. Some time previous 
 to 1 8 16 he went to Otsego County, New York, 
 and, taking up a farm in that new country, soon 
 had a home prepared for his bride-elect, Al- 
 mi-ra Johnson, for whom he returned to her 
 home in Harwinton, Conn. They made their 
 wedding trip in an ox-cart to New York State, 
 and here remained until 1859, when they sold 
 their farm, and returned to Connecticut, in 
 which State they both died, Joseph Adams in 
 1874. His wife, who was a woman of amiable 
 character and a conscientious member of the 
 Presbyterian church, had passed away six years 
 before. Their graves are in the cemetery at 
 Plainville. They had eight children — six 
 sons and two daughters. The third daughter 
 was fatally scalded when three years old ; but 
 the others reached maturity, and four are yet 
 living, namely: Charles J., in Wisconsin; 
 Susan L., in Plainville, Conn. ; James N., a 
 clock-maker in New Haven; and Horace O., 
 in Winsted. Joseph Nelson Adams, a Baptist 
 clergyman, died in Orange County, New 
 York; S. Luke Adams died in Gilbertville 
 in 1852, at the age of thirty, leaving one son; 
 and Lucy Ann, the wife of John Woodruff, 
 died in Plainville, leaving five children. 
 
 Horace O. Adams is a carriage-maker by 
 trade, and for fifteen years worked at that 
 
 business. When the demand for concrete 
 pavements became universal, he took contracts 
 for concreting, and for twenty-five years fol- 
 lowed that line successfully. He is an able 
 business man; and in 1892 he entered the shoe 
 trade, purchasing the business which his son had 
 established three years before. Here he carries 
 a good line of stock, and has a thriving trade. 
 Mr. Adams was married in 1856 to Mary, 
 daughter of Eli and Mary P. (Fenn) Curtis, of 
 Terryville. Mrs. Curtis died in 1832, at the 
 age of twenty-five, leaving this daughter; and 
 subsequently Mr. Curtis married his wife's 
 sister, who bore him one daughter, now de- 
 ceased. Mr. Curtis died in 1840. His widow 
 is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have a 
 son and a daughter. The son, Albert W., is 
 in business with his father, and has a wife and 
 one son. The daughter. Bertha L., is the wife 
 of Charles J. Bowen, and lives in Winsted. 
 Mr. Adams is a Republican in politics, and he 
 and his family are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. He has lived in Winsted for 
 thirty years, the family home for the greater 
 part of that time being at i Adams Street, 
 where Mr. Adams built in 1877. 
 
 OHN CHESTER ACKLEY, late of 
 New Milford, son of Leman and Rinda 
 (Hubble) Ackley, was born on April 
 9, 1830, in the house in which his widow, 
 Mrs. Anna H. Sperry Ackley, now resides. 
 Leman Ackley owned and carried on a valu- 
 able farm of two hundred and thirty acres, sit- 
 uated in Kent Hollow, and was also engaged 
 in mercantile business. 
 
 John Chester Ackley adopted agriculture as 
 an occupation, and purchased the Ackley home- 
 stead, which he improved by remodelling the 
 residence and other buildings. He engaged 
 in the raising of tobacco upon an extensive 
 
644 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 scale, and for the proper facilitation of the 
 enterprise he erected buildings especially de- 
 signed for the drying and storing of his prod- 
 ucts. He became prosperous; and, increasing 
 his acreage by the purchase of more land, he 
 devoted considerable attention to dairying in- 
 terests, keeping a herd of Jersey and Holstein 
 cows. He was a man of intelligence and 
 sound judgrnent, well acquainted With business 
 and legal affairs, and was called ujDon to settle 
 many estates, a work for which his ability and 
 strict integrity made him especially qualified. 
 He was a Republican in politics, and most 
 faithfully served in various important offices of 
 public trust. He was a genial, noble-hearted 
 country gentleman, who always had a kind 
 word for every one; and he enjoyed the high- 
 est respect and esteem of his fellow-towns- 
 men. By his immediate family and relatives 
 he was regarded with the most sincere affec- 
 tion ; and his death on February i6, 1888, left 
 a vacancy in their midst which can never be 
 filled. In religion he was a Congregational- 
 ist, and for many years he was an active mem- 
 ber of that church. 
 
 On October 10, 1855, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Anna Helen Sperry, daughter of 
 Deacon Horatio G. and Eliza (Tomlinson) 
 Sperry, the former of whom was a prominent 
 citizen of New Milford. Mrs. Ackley's father 
 was born on September 5, 1806, in New Mil- 
 ford, where his earliest American ancestor, 
 Gilead Sperry, a native of Wales, settled in 
 1748, establishing a family whose descendants 
 have since been identified with the growth and 
 development of this town. Mrs. Ackley's 
 great-grandparents on the Sperry side were 
 Jared and Amy (Whittlesey) Sperry, and her 
 grandparents were Wilmot and Dolly (Averill) 
 Sperry. Horatio G. Sperry was well edu- 
 cated, and in early manhood he taught school 
 in Connecticut and New Jersey. He finally 
 
 settled in Marbledale, Litchfield County, 
 where he engaged in mercantile pursuits in 
 connection with farming. He was a well- 
 known figure among the leading citizens of his 
 day, a Republican in politics, and for many 
 years a Deacon of the Congregational church. 
 His wife, Eliza Tomlinson, has now reached 
 the advanced age of eighty-nine years. Mrs. 
 Anna H. Ackley has two sisters and three 
 brothers, namely: Caroline, wife of George B. 
 Ackley; Jared B. ; Charles T. ; Eliza T., who 
 married Erwin J. Beardsley; and Horatio G. 
 
 Mrs. Ackley is the mother of three children 
 — Mary E. , Orinda, and George E. Mary E. 
 was born July 2, 1856. She married Dr. 
 Woodhow, a successful medical practitioner of 
 Poland, N.Y., and has two children — R. 
 Helen and Clarence E. Orinda was born May 
 I, i860, and is the wife of Professor William 
 McAfee, who for twenty-seven years was Prin- 
 cipal of Claverack College, but on account of 
 failing health is now living in retirement. 
 They have three children — Helen C, Eliza- 
 beth S., and William A. George E., Mrs. 
 Ackley's only son, born October 8, 1869, is 
 now engaged in conducting the home farm, 
 which he has purchased, and is recognized as 
 one of the leading farmers of New Milford. 
 He is bright and active, possessing a full 
 share of manly qualities, and is progressive in 
 his ideas, which is the best assurance of future 
 success. He married Grace I. Nichols. 
 
 Mrs. Ackley resides with her son at the 
 old homestead amid the most pleasant and 
 comfortable surroundings, enjoying the esteem 
 of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. 
 
 ENRY MARTIN KNIGHT, M.D., 
 late superintendent of the School for 
 Imbeciles at Lakeville, Conn., was 
 born at Stafford, Conn., August 11, 1827, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 64s 
 
 was the fifth son of Joseph and Ruba Knight. 
 His father was pastor of the Congregational 
 church at Stafford, and was known far and 
 wide among the clergy as Father Knight. Al- 
 though suffering severely from a distressing 
 malady, he never neglected a duty during a 
 long ministry, and would often preach while 
 seated in a chair, being unable to stand, the 
 congregation assembling at his house. 
 
 "This steadfast adherence to duty at any 
 cost was transmitted fully to his son," it is 
 said of him in a neat memorial of Dr. Knight, 
 prepared by Dr. Gurdon W. Russell at the 
 request of the Directors of the School for Im- 
 beciles. "Amidst these influences his boyhood 
 was passed, in the healthful atmosphere of 
 the country at Stafford, and later among the 
 hills of Granby and Peru, Mass. The strict 
 economy of a country minister's home, with a 
 large family to provide for from a small salary, 
 early fostered energy, self-reliance, and perse- 
 verance in the face of apparently discouraging 
 circumstances. His education was acquired 
 by his own efforts, energy, and self-denial. 
 At the age of sixteen he entered Williston 
 Seminary in Easthampton, Mass., already a 
 celebrated institution. His vacations were 
 occupied in teaching school. This led him 
 at one time to Norfolk-, where he became 
 acquainted with his future wife. Miss Mary 
 Phelps." 
 
 In 1847 he began to study medicine with 
 Dr. Smith, of Munson, Mass., and afterward 
 studied with Dr. Miner, of South Braintree. 
 He graduated at the Berkshire Medical Col- 
 lege, Pittsfield, in 1849, and in 185 1 entered 
 into partnership with Dr. Benjamin Welch, a 
 well-known practitioner of Lakeville, Conn. 
 Dr. Knight was actively engaged in the work 
 of his profession for some years in Lakeville, 
 and, as has been said, "fairly earned the title 
 of 'the beloved physician,' responding readily 
 
 to all calls from suffering humanity and know- 
 ing no difference between rich and poor." In 
 1854 he was elected to the legislature, and was 
 appointed one of a committee to ascertain the 
 number of imbecile children in Connecticut. 
 This changed the current of his life-work; and 
 the knowledge acquired while a member of the 
 committee, together with previous study and 
 observation, inspired him with the idea of 
 founding a school for the weak-minded. In 
 1856 he presented plans to the legislature, 
 asking that Connecticut should establish a 
 school for imbeciles similar to those in Massa- 
 chusetts and Pennsylvania. The measure 
 passed the House, but was defeated in the 
 Senate by one vote. In 1858, despairing of 
 State aid. Dr. Knight gave up his general 
 practice, and opened his own house for the re- 
 ception of feeble-minded patients. 
 
 To quote again from Dr. Russell : "His en- 
 deavors to enlist the co-operation of the State 
 were not successful for some time. His projects 
 were regarded as too visionary for contribu- 
 tions of public money. Nothing could be 
 done with these people, it was thought.; and 
 why waste upon them either money or time, 
 which were better spent elsewhere and on 
 other objects? I met him on one occasion, 
 just as the legislature had adjourned without 
 granting him aid. His pleas before the com- 
 mittees were patiently listened to, but he 
 obtained no help. While a few wished him 
 success, the majority were against him. The 
 appropriations were needed for other objects. 
 It was the old story, 'Go thy way for this 
 time. ' There is brought before me vividly as 
 I write now, many years after the event, the 
 subdued tone and sadness of his countenance. 
 He was as one exceedingly fatigued by his 
 labors. But, though disappointed, he was not 
 discouraged, and felt sure that the time would 
 come when his expectations would be realized, 
 
646 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and he should receive that public recognition 
 which he deserved. It was especially noticed 
 (and it was a beautiful trait in his character) 
 that he was not now, nor at any time, as far as 
 I know, loud in his blame of those who were 
 not in accord with him. He recognized fully 
 that new propositions must be examined from 
 all sides by men of divers ways of think- 
 ing, and that, after prolonged discussions, the 
 right conclusion would generally be reached; 
 and so he said, 'I will be patient,' and went 
 again to his individual work." A few faith- 
 ful friends cheered and supported him; his 
 townsmen admired his energy, and were proud 
 of him ; and his professional brethren, who 
 always sympathize with humanitarian work, 
 gave him their cordial encouragement. He 
 developed his methods of care and instruction; 
 and the number of his patients increased, so 
 that six years after he had made an asylum of 
 his home he was enabled to build the main 
 wing of the present large building. Public 
 sympathy and interest were finally aroused, 
 and a law was enacted to aid and support a 
 limited number of children — "the State's sad 
 and helpless ones who had found in him a 
 friend and advocate." At the time of his 
 death he had under his supervision about one 
 hundred of them. 
 
 Dr. Russell says: "From that humble be- 
 ginning in his own home there arose the Con- 
 necticut School for Imbeciles. The contrast 
 between these early efforts, which I first saw 
 in 1858, and the extended establishment at 
 the time of his death, was very great. It was 
 the natural outcome and positive accomplish- 
 ment of a man who was earnest in his convic- 
 tions and resolute in his actions. . . . What 
 a wonderful enthusiasm he possessed ! To see 
 him take his 'children ' in his arms or upon 
 his knees and talk to them in evident pleasure, 
 one would say: 'Now this man is in earnest. 
 
 They are pleased with these attentions, and 
 appreciate that kindness of heart which is so 
 devoted to them.' It did not disturb him if, 
 as sometimes happened, no immediate recogni- 
 tion was shown, or if the dull and listless 
 countenance gave no indication that any im- 
 pression was made. But in all my acquaint- 
 ance with him he showed no sign of disgust 
 nor gave any utterance of disappointment or 
 peevishness if his advances were not readily 
 noticed. And in that patience and firm belief 
 in faithful teaching lay the great difference 
 between our friend and most of the world. 
 His brother well says of him, . . . 'His work 
 . . . enlisted his soul and whole being in a 
 religious sense. ' " 
 
 Dr. Knight's two recreations were music 
 and horsemanship. In music he was unusually 
 gifted, and gave to it a devotion which would 
 have brought him fame, were it not for his all- 
 absorbing life-work. He was an omnivorous 
 reader, devouring poetry, fiction, works on art, 
 farming, everything; but his favorites were 
 history and biography, and of sacred history 
 he was an ardent student. In his conversation 
 his hobbies were "the children," as he called 
 the unfortunates under his care, and religious 
 subjects, upon which he dilated with a warmth 
 and charm peculiarly his own. He was a 
 practical as well as theoretical farmer, and 
 could mend anything. He was a zealot in 
 temperance, and was often enlisted as a 
 public speaker. His brother says : "In 1874, 
 while speaking at Plantsville on the Physical 
 Effects of Alcohol, at the invitation of a well- 
 known friend of temperance, he was seized 
 with intense pain in the head and spine, so 
 intense that while concluding he could not see 
 the faces of his audience. This was the be- 
 ginning of his ill-health. This attack was the 
 commencement of spinal irritation, and for 
 many months he was an invalid. After rest 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 647 
 
 and travel in this country and in Europe he 
 was mainly restored to practical business abil- 
 ity, although his health never fully recovered. 
 Continually in pain, much of the time confined 
 to his room, he nevertheless conducted the 
 affairs of his institution, and was at his post 
 in the Sunday-school whenever possible, and, 
 although strictly forbidden by his physicians, 
 still spoke occasionally in public on subjects 
 dear to his heart. The latter part of Decem- 
 ber last (1879) he left his home to spend the 
 winter in Florida, hoping for a comfortable 
 season, but was taken with severe symptoms at 
 Fernandina, and died on the 22d of January, 
 of rupture of the gall-duct." 
 
 Dr. Knight was married in 1849 to Miss 
 Mary Phelps; and at the time of his death a 
 promising family was growing up about him, 
 aiding and taking an interest in his work. 
 
 rpTVEV. JAMES L. R. WYCKOFF, the 
 I ^\ popular pastor of the North Congrega- 
 -C^ Y^^^^ tional Church of Woodbury, Conn., 
 seems tX) have come to his vocation by heredi- 
 tary instinct as well as individual choice, as 
 his father, whose name he bears, became an 
 earnest laborer in the ministerial service 
 before being twenty-one years of age. The 
 young parson must have had more than usual 
 endowment; for he was a graduate of Prince- 
 ton College, New Jersey, at twenty years of 
 age, and accepted the pastorate of a church in 
 Sparta, N.Y., immediately after receiving his 
 diploma. From Sparta, where he remained 
 eight years, he went to Dover, in the same 
 State ; and there during a period of ten years 
 he faithfully discharged the arduous duties of 
 a settled pastor. The life, given in its first 
 freshness and vigor to the service of God and 
 to the spiritual needs of his fellow-men, was 
 cut off in the midst of its usefulness by one of 
 
 those mysterious dispensations of Providence 
 that some call fate. Nathaniel Hawthorne 
 wrote on a window-pane in the Old Manse at 
 Concord these words: "Men's accidents are 
 God's purposes"; and the comfort of this 
 thought should come to all who have suffered 
 from some sudden calamity. The Rev. James 
 Wyckoff fell down a flight of steps, and re- 
 ceived an injury which led to spinal trouble, 
 and finally caused his death at thirty-eight 
 years of age. His wife, Mary (Campbell) 
 Wyckoff, survived him many years, dying in 
 1862, aged sixty years. Their children were: 
 Abbie; Joseph C. ; Mary; and James L. R. 
 Wyckoff, whose name stands at the head of 
 this biography. 
 
 James L. R. Wyckoff prepared for Prince- 
 ton College at the Collegiate Institute of Mt. 
 Holly, under Dr. Miller, and was also a stu- 
 dent of the Alleghany Seminary of Pennsyl- 
 vania. He was graduated from Princeton in 
 1862, and immediately afterward became an 
 instructor in a female institute in Salineville, 
 Ohio, of which Dr. Bailey was principal. 
 Six years later he began preaching in 
 Wellsville, Ohio, where for two years he 
 was engaged in pastoral work. Returning 
 from the West in 1 869, the Rev. Mr. Wyckoff 
 became pastor of the North Congregational 
 Church in Woodbury, Conn. 
 
 The house of worship of this society, which 
 was built in 18 16, and dedicated upon Christ- 
 mas Day of that year, was full of the historic 
 associations of the century, but was not 
 adapted for the uses of modern times. Since 
 Mr. Wyckoff's settlement the old building has 
 been entirely remodelled, the lawn about it 
 graded, and many improvements been made. 
 But, while the material and exterior condi- 
 tions have been greatly advanced, the spirit- 
 ual progress of the church has been no less 
 marked, the membership having increased to 
 
648 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 two hundred and fifty during the ministry of 
 the present pastor, who has won the love of 
 his parishioners, the respect, esteem, and con- 
 fidence of the entire community. Practical 
 evidence of his executive ability is shown in 
 the various improvements he has inaugurated, 
 and his long continuance in this charge is a 
 proof of the affection of his people. 
 
 Mr. Wyckoff was first married to Miss Mary 
 A. Pooler, daughter of Amasa Pooler, of Rut- 
 land, Vt. She died leaving four children, 
 namely: Ada F., who became the wife of 
 William F. Tyler, of Middlebury, and has 
 two children — Carleton and Raymond F. ; 
 Maud H., who became the wife of Professor 
 E. H. Farrington; Herbert J., now studying 
 in the Law School at New Haven; and Nor- 
 man, who died in childhood. Mr. Wyckoff 
 married for his second wife Miss Emma Cogs- 
 well, a daughter of William Cogswell, of 
 this town. 
 
 Y^EVERETT W. TIFFANY, of Win- 
 |JT sted, general manager of the New 
 — -' England Knitting Company, was 
 born in Barkhamsted, one of the eastern 
 towns of Litchfield County, on September 21, 
 1850. He is the son of William Tiffany and 
 grandson of Joel Tiffany, a carpenter and 
 joiner of Barkhamsted, who lived to be over 
 eighty years of age. Grandfather Tiffany's 
 later days were darkened by a great affliction, 
 he having lost his sight ten or fifteen years 
 before his death. Grandmother Tiffany, who 
 before marriage was a Miss Wilder, lived to a 
 good old age. They had seven children, five 
 sons and two daughters, all of whom married, 
 and had families. William Tiffany, the 
 father of our subject, was born in 1818, and 
 about 1845 married Elizabeth, daughter of 
 George Cornish, of Simsbury. They had five 
 children, as follows: Frances E., who married 
 
 William Taylor, and now lives in Tennessee, 
 about fifty miles from Chattanooga; Leverett 
 W. ; Ellen J., who is at the old home; Mary 
 E., wife of Wilbur S. Ailing, at Norwich, 
 Conn. ; and Dwight B., a lumber manufact- 
 urer in Barkhamsted. 
 
 Leverett attended the common schools in 
 his boyhood, spending in a saw-mill much of 
 the time not devoted to his studies. At nine- 
 teen he embarked as a dealer in general mer- 
 chandise with his brother-in-law, William 
 Taylor, and was thus engaged for three years 
 in Barkhamsted. They then removed their 
 business to New Hartford, where they were 
 in trade till 1882, when the Winsted Hosiery 
 Company started at East Winsted, with Mr. 
 Taylor as agent and Mr. Tiffany Secretary 
 and Treasurer. The capital at the beginning 
 was fifty thousand dollars; and the factory was 
 a frame structure of two and a half stories, 
 fifty by one hundred feet. In 1885 Mr. 
 Tiffany becoming a salesman on the road, only 
 part of his time thereafter was spent in the 
 mill. In 1888 the New England Knitting 
 Company was started, with a capital stock of 
 fifty thousand dollars, Mr. Tiffany being gen- 
 eral manager. This company has a large es- 
 tablishment, including a seven-set mill and a 
 four-set mill, closely connected, and employs 
 one hundred and fifty hands. 
 
 Mr. Tiffany and Kate E. Freeman, of 
 Canterbury, Conn., were married in Novem- 
 ber 6, 1873. They have had four children, 
 three of whom are living, one son having 
 died in infancy. Mabel F. is a young lady, 
 living with her parents. Helen F. is six 
 years old, and Margaret three years. The fam- 
 ily attend the Congregational church. They 
 have a pleasant home in the comely residence 
 built by Mr. Tiffany in 1890, one of the mile- 
 stones in his business career, which has been 
 one of steady advance since. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 649 
 
 ,AVID D. WALTER, proprietor of 
 a well-patronized meat market in 
 
 C^imy Canaan and a veteran of the Civil 
 War, was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, 
 January 25, 1850, son of Samuel and Rachel 
 Walter. Mr. Walter's father was a native of 
 Pennsylvania and a brick-layer by trade, fol- 
 lowing that occupation until his death, which 
 occurred at the age of forty-two years, and was 
 the result of a fall from a building. His 
 wife, Rachel, was the mother of five children: 
 David D., Samuel A., Adam A., Daniel C, 
 and Mary C. 
 
 David D. Walter commenced the battle of 
 life as a farm laborer at the age of twelve 
 years, and continued in that employment until 
 entering the army during the Civil War, when 
 he enlisted as a private in Company F, One 
 Hundred and Ninety-fifth Regiment, Pennsyl- 
 vania Volunteers. After his discharge from 
 the service he was for three years engaged in 
 railroad teaming. He subsequently settled in 
 Canaan, and was employed at the marble- 
 works for seven years, at the expiration of 
 which time he established himself in the meat 
 business, in which he has since enjoyed a 
 profitable trade. His market is constantly 
 supplied with the best that can be procured, 
 and his pleasing manners and strict attention 
 to business have gained for him the confi- 
 dence and esteem of his many patrons. 
 
 Mr. Walter married Charlotte E. Beebe, a 
 daughter of Richard Beebe, of East Canaan. 
 He is a comrade of D. S. Cowles Post, No. 
 61, Grand Army of the Republic. 
 
 IRVING R. FENTON, an enterprising 
 business man of Lime Rock, Conn., a 
 member of the insurance firm of N. E. 
 McNeil & Co., was born April 19, 1855, in 
 Greenwich, N.Y., son of Joseph and Mar- 
 
 garet (Howland) Fehton. His father was for 
 many years a cabinet-maker in Greenwich, 
 N.Y., and still resides in that place, being 
 now sixty-nine years of age. Mrs. Joseph 
 Fenton, who is a daughter of Cortland How- 
 land, is now in her sixty-fourth year. They 
 have reared four children, namely: Irving R. ; 
 William H. ; Alice, Mrs. Swartwout; and 
 Edna, Mrs. Crandall. 
 
 Irving R. Fenton finished his school edu- 
 cation at Washington County Academy, and 
 commenced work at the age of fifteen years, 
 obtaining employment in a store at two dollars 
 a week. He remained thus engaged for two 
 years, and subsequently worked at insurance a 
 year and in the Fallkiln National Bank three 
 years. He then took up the insurance busi- 
 ness again, associating himself with Mr. Mc- 
 Neil, who was at that time located at Miller- 
 ton, N.Y. ; and in 1878 they moved to Lime 
 Rock, Conn., where they are now conducting 
 a thriving business under the firm name of 
 N. E. McNeil & Co. In 1885 Mr. Fenton 
 was united in marriage with Clarinda Ensign, 
 daughter of Sidney Ensign, of whom a sketch 
 will be found elsewhere in this work. The 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Fenton has been 
 blessed by four children; namely, Alice M., 
 Sidney E., Harriette L., and Cortland H. 
 
 TT^HARLES KELLOGG HUNT, a well- 
 I V^ known telephone and insurance man 
 
 VJ^ ^ in Winsted, Conn., a leader in the 
 Republican party, was born at Huntsville, in 
 the neighboring town of Canaan, this county, 
 October 8, 1845, son of Chauncey L. and 
 Rutheda (Peck) Hunt. He comes of a noted 
 family in these parts, being descended from 
 Russell Hunt, who had four sons that en- 
 gaged in iron manufacture at Huntsville, mak- 
 ing a great number of anchors for the United 
 
6so 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 States government. David M. Hunt, a 
 wealthy pig-iron manufacturer of a later gen- 
 eration, at his death bequeathed his property 
 to his sisters, who generously endowed a pub- 
 lic school and a library at Falls Village. 
 Amos Hunt was one of the four sons of Rus- 
 sell Hunt. He married a Miss Lowney, by 
 whom he had one daughter and five sons. 
 Their son, Chauncey L,, who was born in 
 1808, being a man of fine business talent, ac- 
 quired a large property, and was President of 
 the Housatonic Railroad for many years. At 
 his death he left a widow and several children, 
 of whom we record the following: one son 
 died in infancy; Isaac was one of the early 
 three-year men in the Civil War, enlisting in 
 an Illinois regiment at Bristol, being wounded 
 at Vicksburg and captured by the rebels, in 
 whose lines he died, his brief span of life 
 covering but twenty- one years; Charles K. is 
 the subject of this sketch; Lester C. is a lo- 
 comotive engineer at Ashley, Ind. ; Olive P., 
 the wife of J. H. Ferris, an editor at Joliet, 
 111., is a lady of talent, an able assistant in 
 her husband's journalistic work; Caroline M. 
 is the wife of Murray A. Brown, a merchant 
 of Lenox, Mass., and with her mother makes 
 her home; Edward J. is in the telephone busi- 
 ness in Winsted. 
 
 Charles K. Hunt received a common-school 
 education, living from the time he wa,s nine 
 years of age with his uncle, Charles Kellogg, 
 and at sixteen entering his uncle's store. 
 Subsequently he acted as Assistant Post- 
 master; and, when the telephone was intro- 
 duced, he was much interested, and soon ac- 
 quired a practical knowledge of the invention 
 and its working. At twenty he left his uncle, 
 and became a telephone operator at Albany, 
 in the employ of the American Telephone 
 Company; and at the end of "a year he was en- 
 gaged in the same capacity by the Housatonic 
 
 Railroad Company, being stationed for a while 
 at Bridgeport, Conn. In 1868 he took up 
 book-keeping, working in a grocery store at 
 Bridgeport till 1874, when he came to Win- 
 sted, and engaged in insurance. Here he was 
 the first to make use of the opposition tele- 
 phone, introducing it in February, 1894, about 
 a week after the Bell patent died. In both 
 branches of his business, telephone and insur- 
 ance, he keeps four men constantly employed. 
 The insurance covers fire, life, and accident 
 policies, and was firriily established when Mr. 
 Hunt succeeded to it, having been started in 
 1854. It is the oldest insurance company in 
 this part of Connecticut. 
 
 Mr. Hunt married Eliza L., only daughter 
 of Albert N. and Sarah A. (Trafford) Beach. 
 Mrs. Hunt's father was a dealer in stoves and 
 tinware, and was Mr. Hunt's predecessor in 
 the insurance business, taking him as associate 
 when he first came to Winsted. Mr. Beach 
 was a prominent man in the county, and for 
 some years was deputy sheriff. He died on 
 April I, 1886, at the age of sixty-eight, leav- 
 ing a fine property to his widow and child. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hunt have a son and daughter: 
 Henry, a young man of nineteen, in the elec- 
 tric business with his father; and Sarah 
 Beach Hunt, two years younger, a member of 
 the class of 1895 in the Winsted High School. 
 
 Mr. Hunt is a Republican in politics, and 
 was in the legislature in 1893. Five years 
 ago the town was Democratic, but for the past 
 four years it has been Republican; and for 
 four years Mr. Hunt has been chairman of the 
 Republican Town Committee. 
 
 W. GRISWOLD, M.D., a practising 
 physician of Kent, Litchfield County, 
 was born in Worcester, Mass., Au- 
 gust 12, 1853, son of Ralph and Catharine E. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 651 
 
 Griswold. His father was formerly a wool 
 merchant in Massachusetts, and is now living 
 with his son. Dr. Hamilton Griswold, in New 
 Milford. Mrs. Ralph Griswold died at the 
 age of forty-nine, leaving three children, 
 namely: Hamilton; A. W. , whose name ap- 
 pears at the head of this article; and Nellie 
 Allen Griswold. Dr. A. W. Griswold re- 
 ceived his preliminary education in Newton, 
 Mass., and his medical training at the Ver- 
 mont University in Burlington. In 1887 he 
 began the practice of medicine in Brjdgeton, 
 Me., remaining there until 1890. He then 
 moved to Gaylordsville, Conn. ; but after a 
 four years' residence there he came to Kent, 
 where he now has an extensive and lucrative 
 practice. He is a member of St. Luke's 
 Lodge, No. 48, A. F. & A. M., also of the 
 Royal Arcanum and Eastern Star, of which 
 latter organization he is at present the Secre- 
 tary. His wife, to whom he was married on 
 April 18, 1878, was by maiden name Rose 
 Day. She is a daughter of William Day, of 
 Windsor, Conn. Dr. and Mrs. Griswold are 
 the parents of four children — May, Ralph, 
 Seneca, and Harry. 
 
 BEL TURRILL, a successful farmer 
 and sterling citizen of Kent, was born 
 in that town, son of Harvey and 
 Phebe (Hallock) Turrill. His great-grand- 
 father, Abel Turrill, was the first ancestor of 
 the family to settle in Kent. Abel, second, 
 Mr. Turrill's grandfather, was an industrious 
 and worthy farmer, and a lifelong resident of 
 Kent. He married Tilly Owens, and they 
 reared two children, namely: Harvey, father 
 of our subject ; and Fanny, who became Mrs. 
 Judd. Abel Turrill, second, died at the age 
 of eighty-six years, and his wife at the age of 
 seventy-six. 
 
 Harvey Turrill was born at the homestead 
 •in Ken.t. He succeeded to the ownership of 
 the property, and was successfully engaged in 
 farming until his death, which took place 
 when he was sixty-six years old. His wife, 
 Phebe Hallock, by maiden name, was a daugh- 
 ter of William Hallock, of New Milford. 
 She became the mother of three children, as 
 follows: Charles M. ; Caroline, who married 
 John Chase, of Kent, and died at the age of 
 twenty-six, leaving four children — Charles, 
 Fred, Gertrude, and Edna; and Abel, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. Mrs. Harvey Turrill 
 lived to the age of eighty years. 
 
 Abel Turrill passed his boyhood and youth 
 at the old homestead, acquiring his education 
 in the schools of his native town. He adopted 
 agriculture as an occupation, and in 1858 set- 
 tled upon his present farm, which he has since 
 conducted with good judgment, having realized 
 through . his efforts a fair degree of worldly 
 prosperity. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Turrill was united in marriage 
 to Sophia Beardsley, a daughter of Ager 
 Beardsley, of Kent. Mrs. Turrill died in 
 1891, aged fifty-seven years. Mr. Turrill is 
 a Republican in politics, and inclines toward 
 Congregationalism in his religious views. 
 
 TdIURR MALLETT, a prosperous cattle 
 dealer and extensive land-owner in 
 Bridgewater, Conn., who died on 
 March 28, 1895, was born in this town, Feb- 
 ruary 28, 1834. He was a son of Marcus B. 
 and Sarah (Keeler) Mallett, and grandson of 
 Daniel and Eunice B. Mallett. 
 
 Marcus B. Mallett was born in Trumbull in 
 1809, and in that town received a good district 
 school education. He learned the carpenter's 
 trade, and, when he was twenty-two years of 
 age, had saved eight hundred dollars, which he 
 
6s2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 expended as the first payment on a farm. He 
 subsequently bought other farms, and, remod- 
 elling the buildings and improving the land, 
 sold them at an advantage. An upright busi- 
 ness man, industrious and thrifty, he won uni- 
 versal respect, and prospered increasingly as 
 the years passed. He and his wife reared 
 three children: Sarah E. , who married Arza 
 Morris; Burr; and Alvira, who married Levi 
 Warner. 
 
 Burr Mallett received his early education in 
 the district schools, and finished his course of 
 study in the State Normal School at New Bri- 
 tain, Hartford County. When quite a young 
 man, he purchased the B. Randall farm, to 
 which he subsequently added by purchase, also 
 erecting new buildings and making many 
 changes for the better in the estate. He dealt 
 extensively in cattle, buying in the North and 
 West, and driving and shipping to Eastern 
 markets, success waiting on all his efforts; 
 and in the mean time he purchased more acres, 
 until he became one of the largest landed pro- 
 prietors in the county. Mr. Mallett was 
 widely esteemed as an honest as well as suc- 
 cessful business man, his word being as good 
 as a bond in all cases. In politics a Demo- 
 crat, he represented the district in the legisla- 
 ture one term, and held many other elective 
 offices. 
 
 Mr. Mallett and Emilia C. Boland, a native 
 of Bethel, Fairfield County, Conn., daughter 
 of Frederick and Jacinthia J. (Randall) Bo- 
 land, the former a native of Sharon, were 
 united in marriage on January i, i860. They 
 became the parents of four children, namely: 
 Mary E., born November 8, 1861, wife of 
 Charles N. Hatch; Marcus B., born Novem- 
 ber 16, 1865, residing with his mother at the 
 homestead; Montville H., born October 6, 
 1867, a member of the firm of Mallett & 
 Hatch, merchants in Bridgewater; and Sarah 
 
 J., born July 11, 1874, wife of Dr. George E. 
 Staub. Mrs. Mallett is a. communicant of the 
 Episcopal church. ' 
 
 r:)RGE E. STAUB, M.D., of New 
 Milford, is enjoying a very success- 
 ful professional career, although he 
 is still a young man. He is a son of the Hon. 
 Nicholas and Mary J. (Peck) Staub and a 
 grandson of Nicholas and Gracia (Fischter) 
 Staub. 
 
 Nicholas Staub, Sr. , was born near Stras- 
 burg, Germany. For many years he was en- 
 gaged in military service, but spent the latter 
 part of his life on a farm, where he died when 
 but forty-five years old. His wife, Gracia 
 Fischter, lived to the age of threescore years 
 and ten. By the father's death, Nicholas 
 Staub, the younger, was obliged at an early age 
 to earn his own livelihood; and, when but six- 
 teen years old, he started for America alone. 
 After landing in New York and during his 
 brief stay in that city, he was so unfortunate 
 as to be robbed of seven dollars, all the money 
 he had in his possession. He afterward drifted 
 into Pennsylvania, where he secured work in 
 the coal mines and foundries, and remained 
 there until he had saved a little money. He 
 then came to New Milford, and during the 
 succeeding seven years worked for farmers, 
 receiving at first ten dollars per month. After 
 his marriage, about thirty years ago, he pur- 
 chased a portion of his father-in-law's farm, 
 and later on bought the entire farm of two 
 hundred acres, which is just over the line in 
 the town of Bridgewater and two and a half 
 miles from the nearest village. He made a 
 specialty of the production of tobacco, and 
 erected commodious barns for the drying and 
 curing of that product. His land was kept in 
 a high state of cultivation; and his cattle and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 653 
 
 horses, in particular, were among tlie best in 
 that vicinity. In 1873 he left that place, and 
 moved into his present fine residence on West 
 Street,- which he purchased of L. Hill. Here 
 he continued to deal in tobacco to quite an ex- 
 tent until 1885, when he became interested in 
 the hardware trade, and in company with 
 D. E. Soule did a large business at the corner 
 of Main and Church Streets until 1894, then 
 selling his interest to his son, Verton P. 
 .Staub. 
 
 Mr. Nicholas Staub is one of the leading 
 Democrats of the town. In 1876, 1884, and 
 1885 he was a Representative in the State leg- 
 islature, and in 1887 and 1888 a member of 
 the Senate, being a faithful attendant upon all 
 the business sessions of that body. In 1876 
 he served on the Committee on Banks, in 1884 
 he was a meiriber of the Insurance Committee, 
 and in 1886 he was one of the Committee on 
 Railroads. At the State Democratic Conven- 
 tion, held on September 16, 1890, Mr. Staub 
 was nominated for the Comptrollership; and 
 he was elected by one of the largest majorities 
 ever given a candidate for that office. His 
 wife, Mary J. Peck, to whom he was married 
 on November 29, 1866, is a daughter of John 
 and Sarah (Edwards) Peck. They have three 
 sons, as follows: Verton P., born October 28, 
 1867, who married Miss Winona Pow, and is 
 one of the leading hardware merchants of New 
 Milford; George E., born November 20, 1869; 
 and Howard J., born September 24, 1875, who 
 is still at home. 
 
 George E. Staub, having received his early 
 education in the public schools of New Mil- 
 ford, took up the study of medicine at the 
 Long Island College Hospital and Medical 
 School of Brooklyn, N. Y., from which he 
 graduated 'in 1893. He then served a year in 
 the hospital connected with that college, and 
 in 1894 opened an office, in his father's house 
 
 in New Milford. He has already gained a 
 large and successful practice, being recognized 
 as a skilful physician and highly esteemed by 
 all who know him. On October 17, 1895, he 
 was united in marriage with Miss Sarah J. 
 Mallett, daughter of Burr and Amelia (Bo- 
 land) Mallett. The Doctor is a Democrat in 
 his political affiliations, and is prompt in the 
 execution of his duties as a citizen. He and 
 his wife stand high in the social circles of the 
 town. 
 
 OHN CATLIN, the owner of a fine farm 
 near the centre of the town of Corn- 
 wall, was born at North Cornwall on 
 Novefnber 10, 1819, son of Joel and Lydia 
 (Blinn) Catlin. Bradley Catlin, grandfather 
 of John, spent the larger part of his life in 
 North Cornwall, where he successfully carried 
 on the manufacture of hats. He was the 
 father of six children, four sons and two 
 daughters; namely, Joel, Benjamin, Amos, 
 Samuel, Abigail, and Hannah. 
 
 Joel Catlin, who was a native of Cornwall, 
 as soon as he was old enough assisted his 
 father in hat-making, and continued engaged 
 in this manner until his marriage. He then 
 went to the State of New York, but fifteen 
 years later returned to Cornwall, where he 
 died at the age of seventy-two years. His 
 wife, Lydia Blinn, lived to be seventy-five 
 years old. They were the parents of four 
 sons; namely, Bradley, Lewis, John, and 
 Amos. 
 
 John Catlin received a good education by 
 attending the common schools and subse- 
 quently a select school. For over forty years 
 he was successfully engaged in teaching. At 
 an early age he learned the trade of a carpen- 
 ter, and between the sessions of school en- 
 gaged in that business. Later on he took 
 possession of his present farm, containing 
 
6S4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 thirty acres, which is located near the centre 
 of the town. On June i, 1846, he was joined 
 in marriage with Miss Clarissa A. Martin, 
 who has since died. A son and daughter were 
 born of their union, namely: Samuel B. , who 
 married Lettie Parsons, and has one daughter, 
 Cora B. ; and Olive M- In November, 1887, 
 Mr. Catlin formed a second union with Mrs. 
 Elizabeth (Harris) Abels. They are influen- 
 tial members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church of Cornwall Centre. 
 
 LBERT J. TROWBRIDGE, formerly 
 a well-known farmer and a highly es- 
 teemed resident of Roxbury, was 
 born in that town, August 14, 1844, son of 
 Charles S. and Elizabeth (Clark) Trowbridge, 
 the former of whom was a prosperous farmer 
 of Roxbury. Mr. Trowbridge's youth was 
 passed upon his father's farm, where he ac- 
 quired familiarity with agricultural opera- 
 tions. He received his education in the dis- 
 trict schools. When a young man, he bought 
 the Burritt place, a farm of one hundred and 
 four acres, situated upon the flats bordering 
 upon the Shepaug River, adding to it later by 
 purchasing some adjoining woodland. He im- 
 proved the land to a high state of fertility, 
 enlarged and remodelled the residence and 
 other buildings, thereby greatly enhancing the 
 value of the farm. He engaged in tobacco 
 growing and dairying, raising a large quantity 
 of the former product, and keeping a herd of 
 fifteen cows, the milk of which he shipped 
 to New York. He was one of the leading 
 farmers of Roxbury, ambitious, progressive, 
 and successful; but his life was brought to a 
 close at a time when he was the most useful 
 to himself, his family, and to his fellow-men. 
 He died in 1889, at the age of forty-five years. 
 He was a Democrat in politics. He always 
 
 took an active interest in local questions, and 
 at the time of his death he was rendering val- 
 uable service to the town as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen. In his religious views 
 he was a Congregationalist, and had been an 
 attendant at that church for several years. 
 
 On June 2, 1874, Mr. Trowbridge was 
 united in marriage to Safah E. Garlick, 
 daughter of Edmund E. and Elizabeth A. 
 (Hawley) Garlick, the former of whom was a 
 successful farmer and prominent business man 
 of Roxbury. Mrs. Trowbridge's grandfather, 
 Edmund Garlick, who was a tailor by trade, 
 moved from New Milford to Roxbury in 1807, 
 and followed his occupation in that town for 
 the rest of his life. He married Sarah Camp; 
 and his son, Edmund E. , Mrs. Trowbridge's 
 father, was born in New Milford in 1806. 
 Edmund E. Garlick learned his father's trade, 
 which he followed for some years, and later 
 bought a small farm, located south of Roxbury 
 Centre. He drove the stage, and carried the 
 mail from Roxbury to New Milford for several 
 years. After relinquishing that employment, 
 he engaged as a travelling salesman, selling 
 cloth and yarn successfully for some eight 
 years, at the expiration of which time he re- 
 tired from active business. He died at the 
 age of eighty years. His wife, whom he mar- 
 ried February 21, 1831, was born July 21, 
 18 1 3, daughter of Isaac B. and Elizabeth 
 (Warner) Hawley. Isaac B. Hawley, a pros- 
 perous farmer, lived to the age of seventy- 
 three, while his wife attained the age of 
 eighty-four years. Mrs. Edmund E. Garlick 
 became the mother of six children, as follows: 
 Sarah E., who died young; Earl H.; George; 
 Henry E. ; Sarah E., second, who is now Mrs. 
 Trowbridge; and Charles B. The mother 
 still survives, and is very bright and active 
 for one of her years. 
 
 Mrs. Trowbridge has three children, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6SS 
 
 namely: Henry W. , who was born April 5, 
 1876; Charles A., who was born April 26, 
 1878; and Clarence E., who was born June 
 13, 1882. She possesses many commendable 
 traits of character, which endear her to a large 
 circle of friends and have won the esteem of 
 less intimate acquaintances. - 
 
 iDGAR FROST KNAPP, a member of 
 the firm of Smith, Twitchell & Knapp, 
 dealers in furniture, with a beautiful 
 store located near the railway station on Water 
 Street, Torrington, is a native of New York 
 City, born May 8, 1868. His father, Charles 
 E. Knapp, was the eldest of a family of six 
 sons born to his parents. 
 
 Edgar Frost Knapp spent his early years in 
 Torrington, coming here at first for his health. 
 He began his mercantile life as a clerk for 
 W. S. Lewis. This position he retained nine 
 years, proving a most faithful and trustworthy 
 employee, and there gaining the practical ex- 
 perience to which he is chiefly indebted for his 
 present prosperity. He and his partners com- 
 menced business in 1894, opening at 133-137 
 Water Street. The store, which was erected 
 by the firm, is ninety-five feet front by thirty- 
 five feet depth and four stories high, is de- 
 voted exclusively to furniture and carpets. 
 Mr. Knapp is the buyer for the firm ; and in 
 this capacity he displays marked ability and 
 taste, purchasing the latest and most unique 
 styles of furniture and house-furnishing goods 
 to be found in the New York or Boston 
 markets. He is a man of great energy and 
 enterprise, an indefatigable worker, and keenly 
 watchful of the firm's interests. Although 
 this firm is yet young in business, it has made 
 wonderful strides, and bids fair to overtake, if 
 not to outstrip, all its competitors, and be- 
 come one of the leading mercantile houses of 
 
 the State. With commendable foresight and 
 the expectation of enlarging its business in 
 the near future, it has purchased the real es- 
 tate surrounding its fine block, one of the most 
 valuable pieces of property in the vicinity. 
 
 Mr. Knapp was united in marriage in 1892 
 with Miss Mildred Northrup, and both he and 
 his young wife are popular members of so- 
 ciety. He is a regular attendant of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, is at present one 
 of its Trustees, and was formerly connected 
 with its Sunday-school. 
 
 EREMIAH G. RANDALL, a retired 
 contractor and builder of Bridgewater? 
 was born in this town, August 22, 
 1815. He is a son of Jonathan J. and Abigail 
 (Gorham) Randall, and is of the fourth gener- 
 ation in direct descent from Jeremiah Randall, 
 who emigrated from England in company with 
 his brothers, the latter settling upon Randall 
 Island, N.Y. 
 
 Jeremiah, the first, lived for a time in 
 Greenwich, Conn., but later bought land in 
 Bridgewater, and took up his residence here 
 on June 19, 1778. His children. were: Jere- 
 miah J., Timothy, Charles, and Richard. 
 Jeremiah J. Randall, who was the next in 
 line, settled in Centre District, where he be- 
 came a successful farmer and land-owner. He 
 died in 1808, aged fifty-three years. He mar- 
 ried Anna Jessup, and reared five children, 
 namely: Sally; Anna; Polly; Nathaniel; and 
 Jonathan J., who is mentioned above. 
 
 Jonathan J. Randall learned much of farm- 
 ing, both by observation and experience, in his 
 boyhood at home, but at an early age engaged 
 in contracting and building. Being energetic 
 and progressive, he advanced rapidly in pros- 
 perity, and in time became the owner of a 
 large farm, which he cultivated with success 
 
6s6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 until his death in i88i, at t\)e age of eighty- 
 nine years. He was a Democrat in politics, 
 and an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. His wife, Abigail Gorham, lived to 
 the age of ninety-eight years, being the mother 
 of eight children, namely: Jeremiah G., the 
 subject of this sketch; Phineas B. ; Rachel 
 G., who died young; Sally; William W. ; 
 Rachel S. ; Charles B. ; and Edward. 
 
 Jeremiah G. Randall received his education 
 in the district schools of Bridgewater, and at 
 the age of fifteen was apprenticed to a carpen- 
 ter for the purpose of learning the trade. He 
 became an expert workman, later commencing 
 business as a contractor and builder, and for 
 many years was the leading master-builder in 
 his locality. During the long period of his 
 activity he erected many of the best and most 
 substantial residences in Bridgewater and the 
 adjoining towns, ever maintaining a high rep- 
 utation for the skill and fidelity with which 
 his work was executed. He purchased and 
 settled upon the C. French homestead of two 
 acres, the residence being one which he had 
 himself erected; and he later bought one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five additional acres of land, 
 thus acquiring a farm of sufficient size for all 
 ordinary purposes. Aside from the pursuit of 
 his regular calling, he has carried on profit- 
 ably general farming, and has dealt exten- 
 sively in cattle. 
 
 In politics Mr. Randall is a supporter of 
 the Democratic party. He has served with 
 ability as a member of the Board of Select- 
 men for one term, also in other town offices; 
 and in 1878, as a representative in the legis- 
 lature, he displayed a commendable zeal and 
 aptitude in forwarding the general interests of 
 his locality. 
 
 On January i, 1839, Mr. Randall was 
 united in marriage with Abigail Mead, daugh- 
 ter of Jabez Mead, and has reared six children. 
 
 as follows: Flora, who married George Young, 
 and has one child, named Georgiana; Ellen, 
 who married for her first husband Silas 
 Keeler, and for her second Edward C. Allen; 
 Richard, a hardware merchant of Shelton, who 
 married Laura Wooster; Sarah C., who mar- 
 ried Grant Northrop; John, who married 
 Helen Beach, and has two children — Bruce B. 
 and an infant; and Alice, who married Reu- 
 ben Warner. Mrs. Randall died in 1889, 
 aged seventy years. 
 
 Mr. Randall has led a busy and successful 
 life; and, although he has attained his four- 
 score years, he still assists in attending to the 
 lighter duties about the farm, which is now 
 managed by his son, John Randall. He iden- 
 tified himself with the Episcopal church in 
 early manhood, and has been a Warden for 
 more than forty years. 
 
 IRAM W. PECK, a prosperous farmer 
 of New Milford, son of Henry S. 
 and Mary S. (Squires) Peck, was 
 born in Morris, Litchfield County, Conn., 
 September 14, 1863. According to the rec- 
 ords, Joseph Peck, of whom Mr. Peck is a di- 
 rect descendant, settled in New Haven as 
 early as 1643. His son, Joseph, Jr., a resi- 
 dent of Milford, Conn., was the father of 
 Ephraim Feck, who moved frpm Milford to 
 Newtown, and whose son, Henry Peck, also 
 resided there. 
 
 Andrew Peck, Mr. Peck's great-grand- 
 father, was a son of Henry and Hannah Peck, 
 of Newtown. Andrew resided in Newtown 
 until 1 81 3, when he moved to New Milford, 
 and settled in the Bridgewater Society on 
 Second Hill, where he died in 1 826. He and 
 his wife, Lucinda Terrell, who died in 1848, 
 aged seventy-three, reared the following chil- 
 dren: Mercy, Sherman, Amy, George^ Sally^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6S7 
 
 Minerva, John, and Maria. Sherman Peck, 
 son of Andrew, became a prominent citizen in 
 the town of Bridgewater, serving in many of 
 the important town offices and as a member of 
 the legislature. He married for his first wife 
 Electa Young, who died in 1835, .aged twenty- 
 nine, leaving one son; namely, Henry S. By 
 his union with his second wife, who was be- 
 fore marriage Lois Livingston, there were five 
 children: Edgar L., Edwin T., Ann Maria, 
 Frederick C, Ophelia L. 
 
 Henry S. Peck, son of Sherman and Electa, 
 was reared to agricultural labors; and, when 
 a young man, he purchased a farm in the town 
 of Morris, where he resided for the remainder 
 of his life. He was a thrifty and industrious 
 farmer, and, making the best of his opportu- 
 nities, acquired a comfortable prosperity. His 
 wife, Mary S. Squires, was born in New Mil- 
 ford, January 29, 1833, daughter of Anson and 
 Barbara Lyon Squires, the former of whom was 
 an extensive and prosperous farmer of the 
 Merryall District. She became the mother of 
 but one son, namely: Hiram W., the subject 
 of this sketch. 
 
 Hiram W. Peck grew to manhood in Morris, 
 and was educated in the public schools. He 
 succeeded to the ownership of his present 
 farm, which his mother inherited; and, since 
 reaching the age of twenty-two years, he has 
 resided in New Milford. Of an ambitious and 
 energetic nature, he is necessarily progressive, 
 and by good management has been able to in- 
 crease his estate through the purchasing of ad- 
 joining land, till he now possesses a valuable 
 farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres. He 
 is a successful dairyman, keeping a herd of 
 twelve choice cows; and, although a young 
 man, he has reached a state of substantial 
 prosperity, such as generally requires years of 
 ceaseless toil to accomplish. In politics he is 
 a Democrat. 
 
 On April 22, 1893, Mr. Peck was united in 
 marriage with Georgie B. Sharra, daughter of 
 George W. and Rhoda (French) Sharra. He 
 and his wife attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM H. STUART, who con- 
 ducts a blacksmithing business in 
 Kent, was born in this town. May 
 13, 1852, and is a descendant of the famous 
 Scottish family whose name he bears. His 
 father's paternal grandparents, Stephen and 
 Elizabeth (Bull) Stuart, were residents of 
 South Kent. Stephen Stuart was a shoe- 
 maker, and followed his trade for the greater 
 part of his life. A sturdy, patriotic citizen, 
 he served in the Continental army during the 
 Revolutionary War; and upon one occasion, 
 being hunted down by the British troops, he 
 was forced to conceal himself in a cave in the 
 neighborhood of his home, his wife furnishing 
 him with food until he could rejoin the 
 army. 
 
 Mr. Stuart's father, Alonzo Stuart, a son of 
 Harvey Stuart and grandson of Stephen, re- 
 sided in Kent. His death took place suddenly, 
 while he was at work in his blacksmith's shop. 
 His wife, Mary Peet, who was a daughter of 
 Nathan Peet, of Hunter, N.Y., became the 
 mother of six children, as follows: Edgar J., 
 who married Mary L. Cogswell, and has two 
 children, nartied Mary and Edgar; Herman, 
 who married Jane Eaton, and has one daugh- 
 ter, named Gertrude; Helen, who became Mrs. 
 Burton, and has four children — Edgar, Har- 
 riet, Jennie, and Arthur; Charles A., who 
 married Libbie Tuttle, and has four children 
 — Mary E., Frank, ' William, and George; 
 William H.; and George W., who married 
 Margaret Tobias, and has one son, named 
 Frank. Mr. Stuart's parents both lived to 
 reach the age of sixty-four years. 
 
6s8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 William H. Stuart received his education in 
 the schools of his native town; and at an early 
 age he began work as an assistant in his 
 father's shop, where he became thoroughly ac- 
 quainted with the blacksmith's trade. In 
 1875 he established himself at his present 
 quarters in the village of Kent. Being skil- 
 ful and reliable in his calling, he -is doing 
 a very prosperous business, and is without a 
 competitor in the town. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. William H. Stuart was united 
 in marriage with Jennie Darwin, daughter of 
 Smith W. and Clarissa (Cummins) Darwin, of 
 Kent. Of this union two children have been 
 born: Bessie B. and Grace M. Mr. Stuart is 
 a member of St. Luke's Lodge, No. 48, 
 A. F. & A. M., of which he is Secretary; 
 and in his religious views he is a Congrega- 
 tionalist. 
 
 Y^jypVYRON PATCHEN, who conducts 
 F I ^ the leading meat market in New 
 tfJ -L v^> Milford, was born in Easton, 
 Fairfield County, Conn., son of Lemuel F. 
 and Martha M. (Williams) Patchen. Mr. Pat- 
 chen's grandfather, Daniel Patchen, was a na- 
 tive of the town of Weston, Fairfield County, 
 where he followed the occupation of a mill- 
 wright in connection with farming, and was an 
 industrious and progressive man. He was a 
 Democrat in politics, and a member of the 
 Congregational church. He died at the age 
 of seventy-two years. He married Fanny 
 Sturgess, and reared a family of four children 
 — Ellen, Maria, Cornelia, and Lemuel F. 
 Grandmother Patchen lived to reach the age 
 of seventy-three years. 
 
 Lemuel F. Patchen was born in Weston, but 
 in young manhood he settled upon a farm in 
 the town of Easton. He has for many years 
 been an extensive dealer in cattle and horses, 
 buying and matching steers, which he trains 
 
 for teaming purposes; and he has a wide repu- 
 tation as an excellent judge of horses and for 
 his skill in the breaking of colts. His wife, 
 Martha M. Williams, a daughter of Bradley 
 and Polly (Hall) Williams, has had nine chil- 
 dren, as follows: Myron, the subject of this 
 sketch; Burton; Ella; Frank; Fanny; Lem- 
 uel; Charles; Jennie; and Leroy. 
 
 Mr. Bradley Williams was a son of David 
 Williams, whose father came from England 
 and settled in Easton, where he owned a large 
 tract of land and conducted a tannery for sev- 
 eral years. He died while on a visit to his 
 native country, and his son David continued 
 the business in connection with farming. 
 Bradley Williams bought a farm in Trumbull 
 just over the line between that town and Eas- 
 ton ; and he carried on general farming with 
 prosperous results, later engaging in the milk 
 business. He married Polly, daughter of 
 Hezekiah Hall, and had five children, as fol- 
 lows : Martha and Mary, who were twins, the 
 former of whom became Mrs. Lemuel Patchen ; 
 Eliza; Abigail; and Hezekiah, who died 
 young. 
 
 Myron Patchen at the age of four years 
 went to reside in Trumbull with his maternal 
 grandparents, in order to fill a vacancy in their 
 family caused by the death of their only son. 
 He received his education in the public 
 schools, and was reared to farm life. When a 
 young man, he engaged in the milk business 
 with his grandfather, and later bought an ad- 
 joining farm, which he conducted in conjunc- 
 tion with his grandfather's until 1891, when 
 he sold out, and moved to New Milford. He 
 purchased the meat market of J. F. Morrisey 
 & Co. on Church Street, and has since carried 
 on a large and profitable business. On No- 
 vember 23, 1887, Mr. Patchen was united in 
 marriage with Luella Gregory, daughter of 
 Samuel and Matilda (Owens) Gregory, the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 659 
 
 former of whom is a prosperous farmer of 
 Trumbull. Mr. and Mrs. Patchen have one son, 
 Earl W., who was born September 23, 1889. 
 
 Mr. Patchen is a Republican in politics. 
 He has served with ability in some of the 
 town offices, and is at the present time holding 
 that of Constable. He is a member of the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in 
 religion is a Congregationalist. As a busi- 
 ness man and a citizen, he is held in high 
 esteem. 
 
 ''alter C. HINE, a retired farmer 
 of New Milford, son of Carr and 
 Eliza (Wheaton) Hine, was born 
 September 26, 1852, and still occupies the 
 homestead which was his birthplace. Mr. 
 Hine is a direct descendant of Thomas Hine, 
 an Englishman, who emigrated to America 
 and settled in Milford, Conn., in 1646, there 
 becoming a tradesman. He reared a family of 
 ten children, Samuel, who was born in Mil- 
 ford, June 26, 1659, became a merchant and a 
 large fend-owner, being his fourth son. Sam- 
 uel Hine lived and died in Milford, rearing a 
 family of five children. The tract of land in 
 New Milford which he bought and gave to his 
 son Daniel, has since remained in the family's 
 possession. 
 
 Daniel Hine, who was born December 30, 
 1707, settled in New Milford, and cleared 
 from the wilderness a good farm, upon which 
 he resided for the remainder of his life. He 
 married Mary Brownson, daughter of one of 
 the first families in Waterbury, Conn., and 
 had four children, who grew to maturity, Dan- 
 iel, second, Mr. Hine's great-grandfather, 
 being the only son. Daniel, second, inherited 
 the homestead, and continued to improve the 
 property, erecting new buildings, and was a 
 very progressive man for his day. He married 
 Lydia, daughter of Eleazar Beecher, who was 
 
 an early settler in New Milford; and their 
 family consisted of five children, four daugh- 
 ters and one son, Daniel by name, who was 
 born December 18, 1779. Daniel Hine, 
 third, married for his first wife Dorcas Still- 
 son, who died, leaving three children; and he 
 married for his second wife Lucy Chamberlain, 
 widow of Ephraim Buckingham. She was 
 born in 1787, and died in 1869, having been 
 the mother of four children by her second hus- 
 band; namely, Carr, Orla, Thurlia, and Julia. 
 Carr Hine was born October 3, 1817. He 
 succeeded to the ownership of the homestead, 
 and by adding more land became possessed of 
 a farm of two hundred and fifty acres. He 
 remodelled the buildings and otherwise im- 
 proved the property, and was actively engaged 
 in conducting a large dairy, keeping fifty head 
 of choice cattle. He was originally a Whig 
 in politics, but joined the Republican party at 
 its formation, and became prominent in public 
 affairs. He was a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen, and served in other town offices, 
 and represented his district in the legislature 
 for two terms. He was a well-known and 
 highly respected citizen, full of energy and 
 activity, and one of the most progressive men 
 of his day. He died in 1883. His wife, 
 Eliza Wheaton, whom he married on February 
 13, 1840, was a daughter Of Marvin Wheaton. 
 She became the mother of seven children, as 
 follows: Arnot, who was born March 11, 
 1842; Jeannette, born March 3, 1844; Ellen, 
 born October 31, 1845; Nora L., born No- 
 vember 15, 1847; Sarah E., born August 26, 
 1850; Walter C, the subject of this sketch; 
 and Augusta, born February 17, 1863. Mrs. 
 Eliza W. Hines died September 25, 1881. 
 
 Walter C. Hine received his education in 
 the district schools, and at an early age be- 
 came interested in agricultural labors. He 
 continued to reside with his parents during 
 
66o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 their declining years, assisting in the manage- 
 ment of the property, which he now owns. 
 He has conducted farming according to the 
 most approved modern ideas ;. and, aside from 
 cultivating the land and raising the usual 
 products, he kept thirty-five head of choice 
 stock, and was a successful dairyman. Al- 
 though he is still active, he now rents his land 
 and devotes his attention to his other affairs. 
 He is a large shareholder in the creamery, 
 being President of the company, and this, with 
 other matters, takes up his time. 
 
 On October i8, 1876, Mr. Hine married 
 Dora Couch, daughter of Solomon and Harriet 
 (Goodsell) Couch. Mrs. Hine's father was 
 born in New Milford, July 24, 1830, son of 
 William and Urania (Northrop) Couch, the 
 former of whom was a carpenter by trade, the 
 son following that occupation in connection 
 with farming. Mrs. Hine was born March 
 17, 1856. She has one sister, Abbie N., who 
 was born June 21, 1857, and married G. W. 
 Hill. Their brother, Henry "G. Couch, is no 
 longer living. Mr. and Mrs. Hine have had 
 one child, named Hattie Laura, who died at 
 the age of ten months. Mr. Hine is a Repub- 
 lican in politics. He is a liberal supporter of 
 the Baptist church, of which both he and his 
 wife are members; and they are very active in 
 church work. 
 
 -OHN KEELER, a highly respected 
 member of the farming community of 
 Bridgewater, was born in that town 
 February 17, 1832, son of Hiram and Sally 
 (Feck) Keeler, and grandson of Stephen and 
 Hannah (Paddock) Keeler, all of Bridgewater. 
 His great-grandparents were Daniel and Eliza- 
 beth (Lee) Keeler, residents of Ridgefield, 
 Conn., where Daniel Keeler was for many 
 years engaged in farming. Stephen Keeler, 
 the first representative of the ^family to settle 
 
 in Bridgewater, worked for many years at his 
 calling of carpenter and joiner; but in the lat- 
 ter part of his life he engaged in agriculture, 
 therein achieving marked success. Hiram 
 Keeler likewise learned the carpenter's trade, 
 and was a builder as well as a farmer. His 
 farming included cattle dealing, which he fol- 
 lowed in company with his brother Daniel. 
 Upon the Smith farm, which he and his 
 brother had purchased, he erected a new dwell- 
 ing-house, and made such improvements in the 
 buildings as his carpenter's eye saw to be nec- 
 essary. He owned about five hundred acres of 
 land. He supported the Democratic princi- 
 ples, and was a prominent man among the 
 members of that party in the locality. In 
 1855 he was elected to the House of Repre- 
 sentatives. He also held various town ofifices. 
 His wife, who was a daughter of Andrew Peck, 
 of Bridgewater, died in her sixty-seventh year; 
 and he died at the age of seventy-four. They 
 were both members of the Episcopal church. 
 
 John Keeler acquired a fair education in the 
 schools of his native town. When twenty-five 
 years of age, he made his first purchase of land, 
 buying the Horace Judson farm. On this 
 property he made many changes, improving 
 both land and buildings. He also bought the 
 homestead, and now owns about one hundred 
 and fifty acres of land, with two sets of build- 
 ings conveniently arranged and in good condi- 
 tion. Some years ago Mr. Keeler was exten- 
 sively engaged in cattle dealing; and he still 
 carries on that business to a certain extent, 
 and raises large quantities of tobacco, which 
 is his specialty, though he has practically re- 
 tired from active occupation. Residing on his 
 farm, he is now quietly enjoying the fruits of 
 a prosperity acquired by years of patient labor. 
 On November 15, 1859, Mr. Keeler was 
 united in marriage with Emeline A., daughter 
 of Grant and Rebecca (Camp) Northrop, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 66 1 
 
 grand-daughter of Amos and Hannah (Elder- 
 kin) Northrop. Mrs. Keeler belongs to one 
 of the oldest families of the vicinity, her 
 great-grandfather, Amos Northrop, settling in 
 New Milford at an early date. Her father. 
 Grant Northrop, born December 21, 1801, 
 was a well-to-do farmer and highly respected 
 in the community. Five children were born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Northrop ; namely, Jay, Eme- 
 line (Mrs. Keeler), Amos, Grandison, and 
 Gideon W. Mr. and Mrs. Keeler have no 
 children. In politics Mr. Keeler favors the 
 Democratic party. He was a Representative 
 in the State legislature of 1876, and has held 
 various offices in the town. In religious 
 belief he is an Episcopalian. 
 
 tLMON D. 
 and toba 
 ^^_^ Litchfi^ 
 
 SMITH, a retired farmer 
 tobacco grower of Bridgewater, 
 
 itchfield County, Conn., son of 
 
 Oliver and Sarah (Merwin) Smith, was born 
 in this town, March 25, 1848. Mr. Smith is a 
 descendant of Josiah Smith, who moved from 
 Derby, Conn., to the vicinity of Falls Moun- 
 tain in 1730, and settled, upon a farm, which 
 he cultivated successfully during the active 
 period of his life. He died in 1776, having 
 been bereft of his wife Mary in 1775. They 
 reared five children — David, Abraham, Na- 
 thaniel, Josiah, and John. 
 
 Nathaniel Smith, the third son, Mr. 
 Smith's great-grandfather, was born December 
 I. 1733, and became a prosperous farmer and 
 land-owner. He married Annis, daughter of 
 Oliver Thayer; and his children were : Mind- 
 well; Hester; Hannah; Nathaniel, who died 
 young; Annis; Tamar; a second Nathaniel; 
 Davis; and Beebe. Nathaniel Smith, Jr., 
 Mr. Smith's grandfather, was born March 
 17, 1780. When a young man, he settled in 
 Bridgewater, and became a prominent farmer 
 
 and business man of this town. He and his 
 wife, Betsey Mead Smith, had the following 
 children: Carlisle, Henry, Amelia, Samuel 
 W. , Lois, Rachel M., Oliver, and Annis E. 
 
 Oliver Smith was born in Bridgewater, Feb- 
 ruary 7, 1817. He learned the mason's trade, 
 which he followed in connection with farming, 
 and was an ^industrious and worthy citizen, 
 enjoying the respect and esteem of his fellow- 
 townsmen. On November 24, 1841, he mar- 
 ried Sarah Merwin, who was born June 3, 
 1823, daughter of Daniel and Amy A. (Peck) 
 Merwin. Oliver Smith died in the prime of 
 life, in March, 1861, leaving a widow and one 
 son, Almon D., then thirteen years of age. 
 An elder son, Fred D., who was born Decem- 
 ber 13, 1844, died January 21, 1856; and the 
 only daughter, Ida, who was born November 
 25, 1846, died February 3, 1847. The 
 mother, who still survives, married again, and 
 is now Mrs. Sanford. 
 
 Almon D. Smith was educated in Brook- 
 field, and at the age of fourteen he began work 
 in a hat factory in Bridgeport. He later pur- 
 chased a farm of thirty-eight acres, situated in 
 the town of Bridgewater, and engaged in gen- 
 eral farming and tobacco raising, which he 
 carried on with substantial success until fail- 
 ing health caused him to retire from active 
 labor. 
 
 On January 14, 1869, Mr. Smith was 
 united in marriage with H. Adelle Ruggles, 
 daughter of Benjamin A. and Harriet M. 
 (Goldsmith) Ruggles. Mrs. Smith's paternal 
 grandparents were Charles W. and Sally 
 (Booth) Ruggles, the former of whom was a 
 prosperous farmer of Bridgewater. He reared 
 a family of five children — Tyrus, Benjamin 
 A., Harriet, Adeline, and Jeannette. Benja- 
 min A. Ruggles was born in Bridgewater, 
 April II, 1821. He was reared to agricult- 
 ural life, and became a successful farmer and 
 
662 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a useful citizen. His first wife, Harriet M. 
 Goldsmith, who was a daughter of Martin and 
 Rhoda (Canfield) Goldsmith, died, leaving two 
 children, namely: Charles M., a photographer 
 of New York City, who married Mary McGee; 
 and H. Adelle, now Mrs. Smith. Mr. Rug- 
 gles wedded for his second wife Sarah Mead, 
 and by this union he has had three children — 
 Katie W. , Nellie, and another child who died 
 in infancy. He is a Democrat in politics and 
 an Episcopalian in religion. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one daughter, 
 named Grace Adelle, who was born November 
 12, 1875. 
 
 Mr. Smith supports the Democratic party, 
 and has rendered valuable service to the town 
 in various official capacities. He and his wife 
 attend the Episcopal church. 
 
 JARR S. LYON, a prosperous farmer 
 and extensive real estate owner of New 
 > Milford, was born in this town, April 
 9, 1847, son of Seth and Rosalia (Clark) Lyon 
 and grandson of Nathaniel Lyon. Mr. Lyon's 
 father was born in the Merryall District, knd 
 learned the mason's trade, which he followed 
 in connection with farming. He occupied a 
 prominent position in the community, and was 
 a Captain in the State mi.litia. He died at 
 the age of thirty-five years. His wife, Rosa- 
 lia Clark, who was a daughter of Nathan 
 Clark, became the mother of four children, as 
 follows: Jay C. , a prosperous farmer of the 
 Chestnut Land District; Marian and Thalia 
 E., both of whom died young; and Carr S., 
 the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Seth Lyon were Episcopalians in religious 
 belief. 
 
 Carr S. Lyon obtained his education in the 
 schools of his native town, and resided at home 
 until reaching the age of twenty-four years. 
 
 He purchased the Sterling farm of one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five acres, which he still 
 o^ns, and which he has improved by remodel- 
 ling the buildings. Here he commenced farm- 
 ing upon his own account, conducting the 
 place personally for some time, and keeping a 
 dairy of fifteen to twenty-five cows. He sub- 
 sequently engaged experienced help to take 
 care of the farm, and moved to Northville, 
 where he bought the property known as the 
 Hunt place, which was formerly occupied by. 
 Charles Bartram as a hotel and store. This 
 property contains seventy-five acres of im- 
 proved land, which Mr. Lyon is now engaged 
 in cultivating, having placed the buildings in 
 perfect repair. He is a tireless worker, and 
 shows good judgment in the management of 
 both his farms. He now owns two hundred and 
 fifty acres of land, which is yielding good re- 
 turns. Mr. Lyon is a Democrat in politics, is 
 a Justice of the Peace, and has held some of 
 the minor town offices. On March 20, 1872, 
 Mr. Lyon was united in marriage to Sarah E. 
 Hine, daughter of Carr and Eliza (Wheaton) 
 Hine; and they have been the parents of eight 
 children, namely: Carrie A., who was born 
 September 14, 1874, and married Albert C. 
 Bowers, a farmer of this town; Clifford S., 
 born January 20, 1876; Merton H., born 
 November 14, 1877; Sadie E., born July 17, 
 1879, died in infancy; Chester G., born 
 March 10, 1881 ; Otis C, born February 6, 
 1885; Lenisa S., born June 20, 1886; and 
 Goldi E., born January 9, 1889. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lyon are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 y^RANCIS F. WADHAMS, a prosper- 
 
 Jj^lj ous farmer of Morris, is a son of Edwin 
 
 and Mary (Tuttle) Wadhams. Mr. 
 
 Wadhams's grandfather, Abraham Wadhams, 
 
 was a native of Goshen, Conn., of which town 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 663 
 
 he was also a lifelong resident. He married 
 Triphenia Collins, and they reared ten chil- 
 dren; namely, Myra, Luman, Timothy, Noah, 
 Abraham, Jonathan, Lucy, Edwin, Elvira, and 
 Orlando. Edwin Wadhams, father of our 
 subject, was born in Goshen, March 18, 1795. 
 He was reared to agriculture, which he fol- 
 lowed as an occupation during his active life, 
 the last thirty years of which were passed 
 upon a farm in Litchfield, where he died at 
 the age of seventy. His wife, Mary Tuttle, 
 who was a daughter of William Tuttle, of 
 Litchfield, became the mother of, six children : 
 Martha, now Mrs. Bidwell, who has been the 
 mother of seven children; Henry, who was 
 killed in the late Civil War, who married 
 Mary Warner, and had one child, Jessie; 
 Luman, who married Louisa Baldwin, and also 
 lost his life in the great civil strife, was "a 
 Captain in the Ninety-eighth Regiment Con- 
 necticut Volunteers; Edward, who like his 
 two brothers, Henry and Luman, was killed in 
 the war for the preservation of the Union ; 
 Francis F., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Frederick F., who married Eliza A. Buell. 
 The mother died at the age of seventy-two. 
 Francis F. Wadhams was born in 1841, and 
 received his education in the schools of his 
 native town. He was trained to an agricult- 
 ural life, and settled in Morris about twelve 
 years ago, having since been actively engaged 
 in farming with gratifying success. He is a 
 member of Morris Grange, No. 119. 
 
 TTtHARLES F. WANGER, tinsmith, 
 ( Sf dealer in tin and hardware, and Post- 
 
 V«_^^ master of Salisbury, Conn., was 
 born in this town, February 11, 1859. He is 
 a son of Frederick Wanger, a native of Ger- 
 many, who at the age of twenty-five years 
 emigrated to the United States, and settled in 
 
 Salisbury, where he followed the trade of 
 shoemaker for the remainder of his life. He 
 died at the age of sixty years, and he and his 
 wife were the parents of two children: Anna 
 M., now Mrs. Warner; and Charles F., whose 
 name appears at the head of this article. 
 The mother now -resides in Claremont. 
 
 Charles F. Wanger obtained his education 
 in the public schools of Salisbury. At the 
 age of sixteen he commenced to learn the trade 
 of tinner in Amenia, N.Y., where he resided 
 for eight years. He then returned to Salis- 
 bury, and found employment at his trade, at 
 the expiration of one year purchasing his em- 
 ployer's interest. He has since conducted the 
 business alone with gratifying success. He 
 carries a large stock of goods, including hard- 
 ware, and possesses the good will and confi- 
 dence of a large number of patrons. Mr. 
 Wanger was appointed Postmaster of Salisbury 
 in July, 1893, and has since performed the 
 duties of that office in an efficient and satisfac- 
 tory manner. 
 
 On October 19, 1882, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Sarah M. Daniels, daughter of Na- 
 thaniel Daniels, of Salisbury; and they have 
 on daughter, Annie. Mr. Wanger is a mem- 
 ber of Montgomery Lodge, A. F. & A. M., 
 and also of the Chapter, Council, and Com- 
 mandery. 
 
 OHN BUTLER, who resides on a small 
 farm near Sharon Village, has been a 
 ^^ resident of the town of Sharon during 
 the past thirty years. He is a native of 
 Kent, England, where his birth occurred on 
 September 6, 1829. His parents, Jesse and 
 Mary (Hubbard) Butler, left England for 
 America in 1833, and on their arrival settled 
 in Waterville, N.Y., where Jesse Butler en- 
 gaged in farming, an occupation which he had 
 previously followed in old England. He died 
 
664 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 when fifty-four years of age, and his wife sur- 
 vived to the age of seventy-five years. They 
 reared a family of nine children, eight sons 
 and a daughter; namely, William, George, 
 John, James, Edwin, Henry, Byron, Harvey, 
 and Helen. 
 
 John Butler accompanied his parents to 
 America, being then but four years old. He 
 was reared to a farm life, and since he started 
 for himself he has successfully engaged in 
 general farming. 
 
 Shortly after the breaking out of the great 
 Civil War, he entered the Union army as a 
 private in the Twentieth Regiment of Con- 
 necticut Volunteers, which was with General 
 Sherman in his march to the sea. He was 
 honorably discharged after three years' of 
 faithful service. Mr. Butler married Miss 
 Henrietta E. Griswold, a daughter of Judge 
 Griswold, of Morris, Conn., the marriage being 
 solemnized June 22, 1851. They are the par- 
 ents of five children, namely: Mary E. , Mrs. 
 Heady, who is the mother of six children — ■ 
 Bertha, Myron, Nellie, John, Virgil, and Lucy; 
 Henry, deceased; Julia S. , Mrs. Hall, who has 
 two sons — Frank and Howard; Gertrude E., 
 Mrs. Skilton ; and Helen, deceased. 
 
 Mr. Butler is an honored member of Greg- 
 ory Post, No. 59, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. 
 
 'AMES F. MEARA, of the firm of 
 Meara Brothers, dealers in gentlemen's 
 furnishing goods, and also a member of 
 the firm of Meara Brothers, dealers in meat, 
 fish, and vegetables, is one of the rising young 
 merchants of Torrington, and bids fair to be- 
 come a leader among the prominent business 
 men of Litchfield County. He was born in 
 Ottawa, Canada, July 5, 1869, and is the son 
 of James and Annie (Healey) Meara, both na- 
 tives of the Emerald Isle. 
 
 James Meara wa^one of nine children born 
 to his parents, both of whom spent their entire 
 lives in Ireland. He was brought up to farm 
 life in the old country, where his early years 
 were passed; and after his settlement in Ot- 
 tawa he was engaged in contracting and 
 quarrying stone. He finally removed to the 
 States, locating in Torrington, Conn., living 
 in comparative retirement here until his de- 
 cease, at the age of sixty-four years. His 
 widow, Mrs. Annie H. Meara, makes her 
 home with her children, all of whom are liv- 
 ing in thisv.vicinity, the following being a 
 brief record : John, a clerk for the Meara 
 Brothers; William, in partnership with the 
 subject of this sketch, in both the clothing 
 and the meat business; Margaret, a dress- 
 maker in Torrington ; Patrick, in the meat 
 and produce business at Waterbury ; Mary; 
 James F. ; Thomas and Dennis, both engaged 
 with James in the meat business; and Lizzie. 
 The brothers are all capable and wide-awake 
 men of business, and thoroughly identified 
 with the mercantile interests of this section of 
 the county. 
 
 James F. acquired a good common-school 
 education in Torrington, being well endowed 
 mentally as well as physically; and at the age 
 of fifteen years he started in life for himself. 
 With his brother William he first opened a 
 market for the sale of meat and fish, and eight 
 years later established his present store, in 
 which he carries a complete assortment of the 
 goods usually to be found in a gentlemen's 
 furnishing establishment, being enabled to 
 clothe the laborer, the college boy, the mer- 
 chant, the professional, or society's favorite. 
 Some four years ago Mr. Meara' s brothers en- 
 tered into partnership with him in the meat 
 business, one still continuing with him in his 
 present enterprise; and their success in their 
 chosen vocation is entirely due to their own 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 665 
 
 energetic mdustry and foresight, combined 
 with a systematic and upright method of con- 
 ducting business. A Mr. O'Meara, a gentle- 
 man of superior ability, is associated with the 
 brothers in business. 
 
 In politics Mr. James F. Meara is an ear- 
 nest advocate of the principles of the Demo- 
 cratic party. Socially, he is prominent in the 
 Knights of Columbus and in the Oriental 
 Order of Foresters, having held some of the 
 offices in the latter society. Religiously, he 
 is loyal to the faith of his parents, and is a 
 valued member of the Catholic church, as are 
 also his brothers and sisters. Mr. Meara is 
 still unmarried. 
 
 * . 4-^m^ t 
 
 pNATRICK FEENEY, a prosperous 
 ^ farmer of the Merryall District in 
 ^ the town of New Milford, was born 
 in County Mayo,""Ireland, March 15, 1844, son 
 of Thomas and Catherine (Carrigan) Feeney. 
 Mr. Feeney' s grandparents on his father's side 
 were James and Margaret (Carrens) Feeney, 
 the former of whom was a farmer and a life- 
 long resident of County Mayo, reaching the 
 age of over seventy years. He and his wife 
 became the parents of ten children, namely: 
 Bridget; Anna; Michael; Martin; Thomas; 
 Anthony; Richard; James; Mary; and Brid- 
 get, second. Grandmother Feeney died at the 
 age of fifty years. 
 
 Thomas Feeney, son of James, was born in 
 County Mayo, Ireland, December 20, 1814. 
 He followed agricultural labors in his native 
 country until 1855, when he emigrated to the 
 United States, where he has since continued 
 as a farmer, making his home in New Milford. 
 His wife, Catherine Carrigan, who is also a 
 native of County Mayo, was born March 15, 
 1815. They have three children, namely: 
 Patrick, the subject of this sketch ;. Michael ; 
 and Ellen. 
 
 Patrick Feeney commenced life as a farm 
 laborer, and assisted in the cultivation of vari- 
 ous farms until 1883, when he bought the T. 
 Watson property of one hundred and twenty- 
 two acres, situated in the Upper Merryall Dis- 
 trict, where he has since resided. He here 
 conducts general farming with energy and 
 ability, making a specialty of dairy interests, 
 and, as a result of continued diligence and 
 thrift, is one of the successful farmers of this 
 locality. 
 
 Mr. Feeney was united in marriage with 
 Annie Verden, daughter of James Verden, on 
 November 28, 1865, and has had six children, 
 as follows: James; John; William H. ; 
 Thomas ; Edward ; and Mary, who died at the 
 age of three years. 
 
 Mr. Feeney is a Democrat in politics and 
 a Roman Catholic in religion, and is esteemed 
 as an industrious, useful, and loyal American 
 citizen. 
 
 tf RE^D H. CHASE, general merchant 
 Fj and Postmaster of South Kent, son of 
 John and Caroline (Turrill) Chase', was 
 born in this town, February 11, 1855. His 
 paternal grandfather, Alvin Chase, who died 
 at the age of seventy-four years, was a native 
 and lifelong resident of Putnam County, New 
 York. By his first wife, Ruth Cole, daugh- 
 ter of Azel Cole, of Putnam County, he had 
 twelve children, as follows: Cyrus, Neohana, 
 Darius, Susan, Lyman, Sally, Hiram, Henry, 
 Cynthia, Mary, Francis, and John. Mrs. 
 Ruth Cole Chase died at the age of forty-nine;" 
 and Alvin Chase's second wife, Polly Dwight, 
 daughter of Daniel Dwight, died aged seventy, 
 leaving three children — Alvin, Hannah, and 
 
 Elmer. 
 
 John Chase, son of Alvin and Ruth Chase, 
 was born in Kent, N.Y. For a number of 
 years in early manhood he devoted himself to 
 
666 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 agriculture in Kent, Conn., but finally relin- 
 quished farming, and is now engaged in mer- 
 cantile pursuits with his son in South Kent. 
 He has long been prominent in local public 
 affairs, and has served with ability as Chair- 
 man of the School Board and of the Board of 
 Selectmen, and as an Assessor, and is at the 
 pfesent time a member of the Board of Relief. 
 His wife, Caroline Turrill,- was a daughter of 
 Harvey Turrill, a prosperous farmer of Kent. 
 She died at the age of twenty-six years, leaving 
 four children, namely: Charles T., who mar- 
 ried Mary Howland, and has one son, named 
 John W. ; Fred H., the subject of this sketch ; 
 Edna, who is now Mrs. Pomeroy, and has one 
 son, named Charles; and Gertrude. 
 
 Fred H. Chase was educated in the district 
 and select schools; and, after completing his 
 studies, he taught school for two seasons. At 
 
 the age of sixteen he became a clerk in a 
 store, in which capacity he remained until 
 reaching the age of twenty-eight, when he 
 established himself in business upon his own 
 account in South Kent, where he is now con- 
 ducting a profitable trade. He carries a large 
 and varied stock of general merchandise, be- 
 sides dealing extensively in grain and feed, 
 and, being enterprising and progressive, he re- 
 ceives a liberal patronage. In politics he is a 
 Democrat, and has served as Tax Collector for 
 several terms. As Postmaster, he is courteous 
 and obliging, and serves the public in that 
 important position with marked ability. 
 
 Mr. Chase and Clara W. Smith, daughter of 
 .Stephen Smith, of Kent, were united in mar- 
 riage in 1880, and have three children — Jes- 
 sie, Eunice, and Frank. Mr. and Mrs. Chase 
 attend the Congregational church. 
 
INDEX 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL. 
 
 A 
 
 Abeling, William F 297 
 
 Ackley, George B 537 
 
 Ackley, John C 643 
 
 Adam, George A. . . . . 538 
 
 Adams, Mrs. Alice B 628 
 
 Adams, Horace 643 
 
 Adams, Normand 174 
 
 Adkins, Henry R 617 
 
 Alford, Ralph E 640 
 
 Alfred, George B 315 
 
 Allen, George P 485 
 
 Allen, Henry J 60 
 
 Alvord, Mrs. Mary L 332 
 
 Ames, John Q 181 
 
 Andrus, John 194 
 
 Anthony, George W 296 
 
 Apley, Lorrain 156 
 
 Armour, William A 589 
 
 Atkins, George H 510 
 
 Austin, Wilbert N 472 
 
 B 
 
 Bacon, Timothy C 504 
 
 Baird, Mrs. Mary R 164 
 
 Bakh, Jonathan B 3S4 
 
 Baldwin, Andrew J 280 
 
 Baldwin, Leslie 1 580 
 
 Baldwin, Phinehas R., . . . . 151 
 
 Baldwin, William S 235 
 
 Bannon, Rev. T. F 410 
 
 Barber, Charles S 372 
 
 Barnes, Andrew G 271 
 
 Bafnes, Harvey S°3 
 
 Barnum, James H 133 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Bartholomew, Uri P 609 
 
 Bartlett, Henry H 269 
 
 Battam, William E. . . .218 
 
 Beach, Benajah P 383 
 
 Beaney, Walter F. . . . . 477 
 
 Beardsley, Edwin H 379 
 
 Beecher, Abel S 530 
 
 Beeman, Oscar E. ..... 639 
 
 Beers, Ctiauncey A 462 
 
 Benedict, Edwin D 555 
 
 Benedict, Sherman 308 
 
 Benham, Enos 282 
 
 Bennett, Frederick G 518 
 
 Benton, Amos C 195 
 
 Benton, James M 553 
 
 Berry, Jerome 563 
 
 Bidwell, Henry A. ... 595 
 
 Bierce, David K 158 
 
 Birge, Charles S 604 
 
 Bishop, Dr. James E 53 
 
 BisseU, Henry B 109 
 
 Bissell, Miss Sarah A 177 
 
 BisseU, William, M.D. ... 149 
 
 Blakeslee, Augustus E. . . . 287 
 
 BoUes, Joshua A 239 
 
 Bostwick, Henry B 368 
 
 Bostwick, John R 602 
 
 Bostwick, Miss Melvina ... 611 
 
 Bradley, Andrew A 481 
 
 Bradstreet, Hon. Albert P. . . 641 
 
 Bradstreet, Thomas J 473 
 
 Briggs, Albert P 130 
 
 Brinsmade, John C 260 
 
 Bristol, Isaac B 220 
 
 Brooks, Isaac W 286 
 
 Brown, Francis 82 
 
 Brown, Josiah W 1 28 
 
 Brown, Plumb 526 
 
 Brown, Thomas H. . . . . 243 
 
 Bryant, William 532 
 
 Buck, J. Leroy 587 
 
 Buckingham, Homer . . . 429 
 
 Buckingham, John A 597 
 
 Buel, John L., M.D 42 
 
 Bull, Jay J 581 
 
 Bull, William W 281 
 
 Burgess, Samuel F 383 
 
 Burnham, Geojge S. . . • nS 
 
 Burnham, Major Walter ... 415 
 
 Burton, Jesse B 500 
 
 Butler, Egbert T 411 
 
 Butler, Mrs. Jerusha B. . . 164 
 
 Butler, John 663 
 
 C 
 
 Calhoun, Abel . . ... 569 
 
 Calhoun, Charles L 562 
 
 Camp, Augustus B 330 
 
 Camp, George .... . . 201 
 
 Camp, Henry N 266 
 
 Camp, Lawrence C 517 
 
 Canfield, Lawrence 494 
 
 Canfield, Lewis A 548 
 
 Canfield, Wallace 124 
 
 Capron, George V 122 
 
 Carroll, John J 218 
 
 Carroll, Richard 579 
 
 Cartwright, Orson E. . . . 405 
 
 Case, Dwight S 179 
 
 Case, Frank A 98 
 
 Case, Wallace 507 
 
668 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Catlin, George W. 
 
 Catlin, John . . 
 
 Catlin, Lewis . 
 
 Chase, Charles M. 
 
 Chase, Fred H. . 
 
 Cheney, Edward P. 
 
 Church, Uri 
 
 Clark, Edwin I". . 
 
 Clark, Eli . . . 
 
 Clark, George H. 
 
 Clark, Lyman L. . 
 
 Clark, Samuel F. . 
 
 Coe, Edward T. . 
 
 Coe, Frank E. . . 
 
 Cogswell, Sherman 
 
 Cole, Cortland D. 
 
 Collins, John W. . 
 
 Colt, Cornelius 
 
 Cook, Charles . . 
 
 Corbin, Peter . . 
 
 Cothren, William 
 
 Cowdrey, George W 
 
 Cowles, Edward 
 
 Crane, George P. 
 
 Crissey, Ralph 1. 
 
 Crofut, Isaac C. . 
 
 Crosby, Gilbert N. 
 
 Culver, Mrs. Mary A 
 
 Cunningham, Rev. Herbert N 
 
 Cunningham, Seymour 
 
 Curtis, Levi E. . . 
 
 Curtiss, Daniel . . 
 
 Curtiss, James G. 
 
 Curtiss, William M., M.D. 
 
 D 
 
 Davis, Silas D. . . . 
 
 Dawson, Louis E. 
 Dayton, William H. 
 Dean, Frederick G. 
 Deming, Erastus A. . . 
 
 Deming, Harvey .... 
 Dexter, Theodore F. . . 
 
 Dickerman, Sidney F. . . . 
 Dickinson, Edwin P. . 
 Dickinson, Henry H. . 
 Dojan, John A., M.D. 
 
 Douglass, Frank 
 
 Draper, Rev. Fran!; 15. 
 
 Duff, Peter, Jr 
 
 Dufiie, Rev. Cornelius R., D.D. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 470 
 6S3 
 141 
 144 
 66s 
 524 
 294 
 417 
 5^3 
 187 
 250 
 421 
 46 
 529 
 478 
 321 
 518 
 306 
 
 541 
 196 
 492 
 
 74 
 240 
 
 303 
 256 
 
 355 
 362 
 1 22 
 632 
 428 
 370 
 316 
 260 
 130 
 
 369 
 634 
 172 
 162 
 396 
 339 
 156 
 377 
 96 
 43S 
 
 59° 
 426 
 427 
 372 
 561 
 
 Duggan, Rev. P. . . . 
 Dunbar, Everett St. John 
 Dunning, George S. 
 
 Eldridge, Miss Isabella 
 Elmore, George S. 
 Ely, Clarence M. . . . 
 Ensign, Sidney P. 
 Etheridge, Frank W. 
 
 Farrand, Frank 
 Feeney, Patrick . . . 
 Fenn, Henry H., D.D.S. 
 Fenton, Irving R. . . 
 Flynn & Doyle . . . 
 Forbes, Mrs. Harriet W. 
 Ford, Guy C. . . . 
 Ford, John M. . . . 
 Ford, Murray C. . . 
 Ford, Nelson D. . . 
 Foskett, George L. . 
 Foster, Chauncey S. 
 French, Eugene C, M.D 
 French, William G. . 
 French, Willis G. . 
 Fuller, Almon E. 
 Fyler,- Walter S. . . 
 
 Garfield, Alonzo B. . 
 Gay, Henry . . . 
 Gaylord, Hubert G. 
 Geer, Mrs. Loretta . . 
 Gibbs, Miss Adaline 
 Gibbs, Jerome F. 
 Gilbert, George . 
 Gilbert, George C. . . 
 Gillett, Austin H. . ' . 
 Gillette, Joseph R. . . 
 Goddard, Rev. John C. 
 Gold, Theodore S. . . 
 Granger, Col. Salmon A. 
 Granniss, Weston G. . 
 Greenleaf, Mrs. Emma J. 
 Gridley, Silas A. 
 GrifEng, Charles E. 
 
 233 
 
 582 
 
 239 
 
 338 
 62 
 
 547 
 
 72 
 
 611 
 
 349 
 665 
 642 
 649 
 532 
 255 
 243 
 344 
 347 
 166 
 
 143 
 140 
 
 395 
 40 r 
 409 
 508 
 596 
 
 191 
 614 
 442 
 223 
 624 
 450 
 i6g 
 551 
 437 
 423 
 209 
 107 
 
 325 
 210 
 
 342 
 559 
 606 
 
 Griggs, Orvis . . . 
 Grilley, Marshall J. . . 
 Griswold, A. W., M.D. 
 Griswold, Hamilton B., M 
 Griswold, William H. . 
 
 D. 
 
 H 
 
 Hall, Asaph . . 
 Hall, George W. 
 Hall, John H. . 
 Hallock, Orion J. . . . 
 Halpine, James Sluart 
 Harrison, George C. . , 
 Hassard, Robert G., M.D. 
 
 Hatch, John 
 
 Hatch, Lauren J. . . . 
 Hawley, Rev. John P. . 
 Heminway, Buell . . . 
 
 Henderson, Robert . 
 Hickcox, Howard M. 
 Hill, Albert S. . . . 
 Hill, Merritt W. . . . 
 Hine, Henry D. . 
 Hine, James, M.D. . 
 Hine, Mrs. Sarah K. 
 Hine, Walter C. . . . 
 Hine, William H. . . 
 Hinsdale, Mrs. Charles W 
 Hinsdale, John . . 
 Hitchcock, Floyd F. . 
 Hoffman, Frederick . . 
 Holley, Mrs. Edward H. 
 Hopkins, Alfred C. . 
 Hotchkiss, Edward C. . 
 Hotchkiss, Frank H. 
 Hotchkiss, Ira C. . . 
 Humeston, Benjamin F. 
 Humphrey, Austin R. . 
 Hunt, Charles K. 
 Hunt, George H. . . 
 Hutchinson, Isaac H 
 Huntington, James 
 
 Irwin, Robert W. 
 Ives, Fessenden . 
 Ives, Lewis H. 
 Ives, Riley . 
 
 389 
 514 
 650 
 406 
 86 
 
 453 
 152 
 404 
 
 17' 
 482 
 
 85 
 161 
 
 468 
 452 
 
 304 
 188 
 92 
 28s 
 350 
 385 
 393 
 278 
 
 .364 
 659 
 
 334 
 79 
 465 
 459 
 371 
 102 
 
 71 
 119 
 416 
 219 
 224 
 436 
 649 
 
 73 
 225 
 
 256 
 no 
 
 384 
 298 
 
INDEX 
 
 669 
 
 Janssen, Carsten D S3S 
 
 Jewell, Frederick A 311 
 
 Johnson, Rev. Frank A. . . . 467 
 
 Johnson, George H 412 
 
 Johnson, George T loi 
 
 Jones, George E 519 
 
 Judson, Theodore 250 
 
 Lyman, George S. 
 Lyman, Ivanoe 
 Lyman, Moses 
 Lyon, Carr S. . 
 
 M 
 
 K 
 
 630 
 660 
 128 
 625 
 
 Karrmann, Henry S., 1\T.D. 
 
 Keeler, John 
 
 Keenan, James F. . . 
 Kellogg, Henry A. . . . 
 
 Kilborn, Frank J 242. 
 
 Kilbourn, Dwight C 64 
 
 Kilbourne, Mrs. Harriet D. .150 
 
 Kimberly, Sherman .... 610 
 
 Kimlin, Thomas W 426 
 
 King, Fred E., M.D. . . .513 
 
 Kingman, Samuel C. ■ . 355 
 
 Kirtland, Charles W. . 523 
 
 Knapp, Edgar F 655 
 
 Knickerbocker, William H. . 324 
 
 Knight, Henry M., M.D. ... 644 
 
 Knowles, Frederick W. . . . 265 
 
 Knox, Arthur E 621 
 
 Lake, Royal B. . . 
 Lamphier, Benjamin F. 
 La Place, Edgar R. . 
 Lawrence, Edmund D. 
 Lawrence, William P. 
 
 572 
 244 
 640 
 iS8 
 170 
 
 Lee, Charles 473 
 
 Lee, Frank H., M.D 253 
 
 Leo, Rev. Father 620 
 
 Lewis, George B 44' 
 
 Lewis, Walter S 77 
 
 Lillibridge, Jeremiah . . . 487 
 
 Liner, John 59^ 
 
 Liner, Ludwig 59^ 
 
 Linsley, James H 228 
 
 Little, Robert 274 
 
 Lockwood, Edson B. -359 
 
 Lord, Augustus A 8' 
 
 Lorrain, Edward L no 
 
 Lovell, Charles T 217 
 
 Lyman, Charles P S97 
 
 Mallett, Burr . . . 
 Manville, Horace 
 Marble, Frank P. 
 Marsh, Cyrus W. 
 Mattoon, Burton H. . 
 Mattoon, Charles B. 
 McLeish, Archibald . 
 McNamara, Michael 
 McNeil, Charles A- • 
 McNeil, Frederick D. 
 McNeil, Merritt 
 Meara, James F. . 
 Merrell, Alfred E. . 
 Merrell, Mortimer D. 
 Migeon, Achille F. . 
 Miller, John M. . . 
 Miner, Edward S. 
 Miner, William W. . 
 Minor, Selden . . . 
 Moore, Darwin S. 
 Morey, William . . 
 Morgan, James T. . 
 Morris, George F. 
 Morris, George W. . 
 Morris, William J. . 
 Morrison, William H. 
 Morrissey, James F. 
 Munn, Frank B. . . 
 Munson, Lyman B. 
 Munson, Walter D. 
 Munson, William J. . 
 Murphy, Robert J. . 
 Murray, Frederick . 
 
 N 
 
 Nash, Lorenzo S. 
 Newbury, C. C. . . . 
 Newcomb, Frederick U. 
 Nichols, Charles H. . . 
 Nickerson, Mark S. . 
 North, Horace . . • 
 North, Joseph H., M.D. 
 Northrop, Mrs. Adelaide 
 Northrop, Charles . . 
 
 PAGE 
 254 
 191 
 618 
 662 
 
 Northrop, Lewis S. 
 Norton, Edward . 
 Norton, James T. 
 
 Page, Benjamin F. . 
 651 Palmer, Leander B. . . 
 425 Pahrier, William H. . . 
 497 Parmelee, Cornelius C. 
 548 Partree, Frederick J. 
 570 Patchen, Myron . . 
 619 Patterson, Abijah L. 
 234 Patterson, Burton C. 
 511 Peabody, E. L. . . 
 
 97 Pearsall, Albert S. . 
 491 Pease, Byron W., M.D. 
 
 52 Peck, Frank O. 
 664 Peck, Hiram W. . . 
 343 Peirce, Daniel L. . . 
 
 584 Pendleton, Robert P. 
 48 Perkins, Augustus M. 
 
 123 Persons, Edward H. 
 
 576 Phelps, Eugene L. . 
 
 402 Phelps, Mrs. Julia E. 
 
 364 Phelps, Levi . . . 
 
 632 Phelps, Miss Mary 
 
 367 Pickett, Frank A. 
 
 203 Pinney, Harvey W. . 
 
 388 Piatt, Benjamin . 
 
 458 Piatt, William J. . . 
 
 378 Pomeroy, Charles 
 
 424 Pond, Willis L. . . 
 
 409 Porter, Charles J. 
 
 554 Pratt, Earnest L. . . 
 
 542 Pratt, Mrs. Rachel L. 
 
 637 Pratt, Seth . . 
 
 471 Prentiss, Rev. George F 
 
 340 Preston, James J. 
 
 134 Pritchard, George F 
 Pulver, Albert H 
 Pulver, Hiram . . . 
 Pulver, Hudson J., M,.D 
 
 226 
 348 
 155 
 330 
 186 
 142 
 380 
 262 
 400 
 
 Ouane, John 
 
 631 
 
 572 
 341 
 
 312 
 205 
 461 
 390 
 545 
 658 
 478 
 
 479 
 360 
 248 
 565 
 348 
 656 
 546 
 133 
 193 
 591 
 .36 
 206 
 
 551 
 232 
 202 
 124 
 
 59 
 318 
 274 
 512 
 178 
 502 
 
 157 
 626 
 
 43 
 
 322 
 
 259 
 
 52 
 
 51 
 
 449 
 
 Randall, Almoii C. . 
 Randall, Jeremiah G. 
 
 598 
 
 59 
 655 
 
670 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Ransom, William L. 
 
 88 
 
 Reynolds, Henry F. . . 
 
 263 
 
 Richmond, George W. 
 
 20 ^ 
 
 Richmond, John C. . . 
 
 145 
 
 Roberts, Elbert P. ... 
 
 412 
 
 Rockwell, Reuben .... 
 
 ,307 
 
 Rogers, Dwight .... 
 
 129 
 
 Rogers, Hilan M. ... 
 
 78 
 
 Root, Edward C 
 
 59° 
 
 Sabin, Mrs. Sarah A. . 
 Sanford, Charles A., M.D, 
 Sanford, Col. George B. 
 Sanford, Henry . . 
 Scoville, Samuel R . 
 Seymour, Hudson M. . 
 Shove, Harmon W., M.D. 
 Skiff, Franc-s S., M.D. 
 Skilton, James G. 
 Smith, Almon D. . 
 Smith, Francis B., M.D. 
 Smith, Hiram A. . 
 Smith, James H. 
 Smith, Riley W. . 
 Somers, David L. 
 Soule, Lieut. David 
 Spencer, James B. 
 Spittle, William . 
 Squires, Anson H. 
 Starr, Frederic E. 
 Staub, George E., M 
 Steele, Elisha J. . 
 Steele, Hubert A. 
 Stevens, Henry C. 
 Stoddard, George 
 Stone, Rev. Hiram 
 Stone, William D. 
 Stoughton, Frank 
 Straight, Marshall 
 
 E. 
 
 D 
 
 270 
 
 i8s 
 
 44 
 
 IDS 
 
 314 
 574 
 513 
 337 
 O61 
 212 
 89 
 
 434 
 484 
 622 
 629 
 588 
 
 173 
 26 r 
 289 
 652 
 
 67 
 5S1 
 299 
 627 
 
 69 
 
 331 
 179 
 
 350 
 
 Strong, Mrs. Juliette A. . . . 114 
 
 Strong, Nathaniel M 277 
 
 Strong, Willis A. . . . 430 
 
 Stuart, William H 6s^ 
 
 Sullivan, William A. . . . 443 
 
 Swenson, Carl 560 
 
 Taft, Horace D. . . 
 Thibault, Narcisse J. 
 Thomas, Chester . . 
 Thompson, Jarvis E. 
 Tiffany, Leverett W. 
 Tomlinson, George A. 
 Treat, Benjamin . . 
 Trescott, Edward J. . 
 Trowbridge, Albert J. 
 Trowbridge, Charles E 
 
 Tucker, Henry J. 
 Turrill, Abel . 
 
 Upson, Le Roy 
 
 583 
 325 
 293 
 605 
 648 
 
 399 
 248 
 266 
 654 
 375 
 509 
 614 
 651 
 
 466 
 
 V 
 
 Van Keuren, John H. ... 317 
 
 Van Winkle, Capt. Edgar B. . 444 
 
 Vining, William H. ... 14O 
 
 Volkmann, Henry 6i2 
 
 W 
 
 Wadhams, Francis F 662 
 
 Wadhams, Fred. L 326 
 
 Wallbridge, William G. . . . 498 
 
 Walter, David D 649 
 
 Wanger, Charles F 663 
 
 Ward, George P 
 
 Warner, Arthur D. . . . 
 Warner, Henry O. . . . 
 Warner, Stanley L. . . . 
 Watson, Franklin . . . 
 
 Weeks, Eli D 
 
 .Weeks, George S. 
 Weirs, Alanson L. . . . 
 Welch, Edward H., M.D. 
 Welch, Lebbeus J. . 
 
 Wells, John F 
 
 Welton, James G. . . . 
 Wessells, Col. Henry W. . 
 Wetmore, Mrs. Eliza P. . 
 Wheaton, George A. . . 
 Wheeler, Frank M. 
 White, Henry M. . 
 Whitehead, John B. . . . 
 
 Whiting, Uri £ 
 
 Wilcox, George R. . . . 
 Williams, Charles F. . . 
 Wilson, Albert G. . . . 
 Wilson, Humphrey H. . 
 Wilson, Rollin D. . . . 
 Wilson, Slillman L. . . . 
 Witherell, William S. ^. . 
 
 Wood, John H 
 
 Woodruff, Rev. Elijah W. 
 Woodruff, Frederick N. 
 Woodruff, George C. . 
 Woodruff, George M. . . 
 Woodruff, Henry W. . . 
 Woodward, George R. . . 
 Wooster, Edward R. 
 Workman, George D. . . 
 Wyckoff, Rev. James L. R. 
 
 York, Charles J. 
 Youngs, Daniel 
 
 120 
 636 
 418 
 489 
 552 
 290 
 554 
 635 
 192 
 232 
 603 
 356 
 163 
 
 50 
 165 
 
 91 
 
 200 
 
 363 
 199 
 
 139 
 386 
 
 99 
 499 
 135 
 9 
 421 
 182 
 601 
 236 
 459 
 
 54 
 
 187 
 227 
 300 
 647 
 
 80 
 216 
 
PORTRAITS. 
 
 Adam, George 539 
 
 Adams, Normand . . • • '75 
 
 Adkins, Henry R 616 
 
 Bacon, Timothy C. . . . . 505 
 
 Barber, Charles S 373 
 
 Barnum, James H 132 
 
 Bartholomew, Uri P 608 
 
 Beaney, Jesse . 476 
 
 Beers, Chauncey A 463 
 
 Benedict, Sherman 309 
 
 Benham, Enos (steel) .... 283 
 
 Bristol, Isaac B 221 
 
 Brown, Francis (steel) .... 83 
 
 Brown, Plumb . 527 
 
 Buck, J. Leroy 586 
 
 Burnham, Walter 414 
 
 Calhoun, Abel 568 
 
 Canfield, Lawrence 495 
 
 Carroll, Richard 578 
 
 Clark, Samuel F . 420 
 
 Corbin, Peter 197 
 
 Cowdrey, George W 75 
 
 Crissey, Ralph 1 257 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Deming, Erastus A 397 
 
 Ford, John M 345 
 
 Ford, Nelson D 167 
 
 Gridley, Silas A 558 
 
 Grilley, Marshall J 515 
 
 Griswold, Hamilton B., M.D. . 407 
 
 Heminway, Buell (steel) . . . 189 
 Henderson, Robert ... -93 
 
 Hine, William H. . . . 335 
 
 Hotchkiss, Edward C 118 
 
 Ives, Fessenden m 
 
 Janssen, Carsten D 534 
 
 Judson, Theodore ... .251 
 
 Kilbourn, Dwight C 65 
 
 Kirtland, Charles W 522 
 
 Lamphier, Benjamin F. . . . 245 
 
 Lawrence, Edmund D IS9 
 
 Lewis, George B. (steel) . . 440 
 
 Liner, John S99 
 
 Liner, Ludwig 593 
 
 Linsley, James H. ... 229 
 
 Little, Robert .' 275 
 
 Minor, Selden ....... 365 
 
 North, Joseph H. . . . 381 
 
 Parmelee, Cornelius C. . . . 391 
 
 Partree, Frederick J 544 
 
 Phelps, Eugene L 137 
 
 Phelps, Horace M 207 
 
 Phelps, Levi . 550 
 
 Pinney, Harvey W 12-5 
 
 Piatt, William J 319 
 
 Pulver, Hudson J 448 
 
 Sanford, Mr. and Mrs. Henry . 104 
 
 Smith, Francis B 2(3 
 
 Straight, Marshall 351 
 
 Strong, Willis A 431 
 
 Trescott, Edward J 267 
 
 Vining, William H 147 
 
 Wadhams, Fred L 327 
 
 Weeks, Eli D 291 
 
 Walton, James G 357 
 
 Wilson, Stillman L. (sleel) . . 8 
 
 Wood, John H 183 
 
 Woodruff, Frederick N. . 237 
 
 Woodruff, George M. . . • SS 
 
 Workman, George D. . . . 301