USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > A modern history of New Haven and eastern New Haven County, Vol. II > Part 12
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.A spirit of patriotism has characterized his entire career and his loyalty to his country has ever been as marked as when he followed the stars and stripes on the battlefields of the south. His activities in behalf of his city have been farreaching and resultant and his course reflects credit and honor upon a name that has figured prominently in connection with the development and substantial upbuilding of Connectient from colonial days.
E. HERMANN ARNOLD, M. D.
Trained under some of the most eminent teachers of medicine and surgery in Europe, Dr. E. Hermann Arnold has largely specialized in orthopedic work and as instructor and practitioner in that field has gained high rank.
He was born at Erfurt, the famous city of flowers, in Thuringia, Germany, on February 11, 1865, a son of Bruno and Ernestine (Orzakowska) Arnold. The father was a master mechanic in connection with a railroad company and was very active in political affairs, holding strongly to democratic principles and policies.
Dr. Arnold was educated in the "Real-Gymnasium" at Halle (Saale), Germany. He was a youth of eighteen when in 1883 he came to America and located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged in iron construction work, being thus employed for two years. He also acted as newspaper correspondent for eighteen months and on the expiration of that period removed to the northwest, settling in Dakota territory. He there became a cowboy, riding the range, and he says that he enjoyed the free, open life of that country better than any other. However, he left Dakota to enter the Normal School of Gymnastics at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from which he was graduated with the class of 1888. He afterward taught phys- ical training at Trenton, New Jersey, for three years, on the expiration of which period he took a trip to Europe for the study of orthopedics. He spent one semester at Leipzig, Germany, and then returned to America, taking up his abode in New Haven, where he entered the Yale Medieal School, from which he was graduated in 1894 with the M. D. degree. Im- mediately afterward he entered upon the active practice of his profession, in which he has since continued with success. In 1895 he returned to Europe for the further study of orthopedic surgery and spent some time in the universities of Halle and of Leipzig. Upon his return he instituted the first orthopedic service in the city of New Haven, establishing himself in the New Haven Dispensary and also becoming an instructor in orthopedic surgery in the medical department of Yale. He continued in both lines until the 1st of March, 1917, wben he resigned both positions and for the New Haven Normal School of Gymnastics opened a dispensary, known as the New Haven Orthopedie Dispensary, at 256 State street. This is thoroughly fitted up with all the modern appliances and facilities found in an insti- tute of this kind and the most expert work along that line is being done there. Dr. Arnold's greatest work has been in connection with the New Haven Normal School of Gymnastics, an institution whose growth and development has been remarkable. He is now the president of the school and has been the managing director since 1896.
This school was founded in 1886 in Brooklyn and in 1892 was removed to New Haven. In that year Dr. Arnold became an instructor in the institution and continued in that capacity until 1896, when he assumed the management and has since directed his energies and
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efforts to its control, developing and upbuilding. The original quarters of the school in New Haven consisted of two rooms in the Insurance building and the first enrollment was seventeen pupils. Today the home of the school comprises a campus of three acres, on which are seven buildings, at Chapel street and Sherman avenue, together with an athletic field in East Haven and a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres on which are found ten buildings. All this equipment is utilized in the training of the one hundred and seventy- five students and the increase in the school property is indicative also of the improved meth- ods of work which have been introduced. Dr. Arnold holds to the highest standards in these things and his labors have been attended with most satisfactory and beneficial results. He is chairman of the recreation section of the Civic Federation and Chamber of Commerce and as such is director of playgrounds of the city of New Haven.
In 1889, at Trenton, New Jersey, Dr. Arnold was married to Miss Marie Nagel, a native of Germany and a daughter of John and Mary Nagel, now deceased. They had two chil- dren, Marie Ernestine and Hermann Bruno, both born in New Haven.
Dr. Arnold belongs to the Yale Club of New York and the Racebrook Country Club of New Haven. In politics he maintains an independent policy. Almost his entire thought and attention are given to his profession. He is orthopedist at the Grace Hospital of New Haven, and also the Griffin Hospital at Derby, was associate editor of Mind and Body, and he is a member of the New Haven, the New Haven County, the Connecticut State and the American Medical Associations. He also belongs to the New York Academy of Medicine- and is president of the orthopedic section of that body-to the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science and the national coun- cil of the American Physical Education Association, of which he was president in 1916.
Dr. Arnold has made valuable contribution to scientific literature along his specific line, being the author of Elementary Apparatus Work, published in 1896; a Manual of School Gymnastics, published in 1898; Gymnastic Tactics, in 1899; and Gymnastic Games, in 1900. He enjoys a national reputation in his profession and has done much for the restora- tion of health and happiness to many unfortunates who have been placed in his care. More- over, through his teaching his methods have been carried far and wide and thus the influ- ence of his efforts is constantly broadening.
XAVIER PFAFF.
Xavier Pfaff, who is the proprietor of an up-to-date and well patronized grocery and meat market in West Haven, was born in Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Germany, December 3, 1866, the son of Enseb and Rosalie Pfaff, the former a baker by trade. He took quite an active part in public affairs in his home town in Germany, and served for a time as tax collector. In 1891 he came to the United States and followed his trade in New Haven until he retired from active life. He now makes his home with his son, Xavier.
The latter received a public school education in Germany and learned the baker's trade under the direction of his father. When only sixteen years of age, or in 1882, he decided to try his fortune in the new world and came to the United States. He first located in New Haven but for a number of years has been a resident of West Haven. Until 1897 he worked at the baker's trade and then became connected with the grocery business in the capacity of clerk. In 1901 he opened a grocery and meat market of his own at No. 106 Center street, and in the intervening sixteen years has built up one of the best businesses in those lines in the borough. He has shown unusual good judgment in the seclection of his stock, and has fol- lowed a liberal policy in his dealings with his customers that has commended him to their continued patronage. He is a director of the Orange Bank & Trust Company and in the West Haven Publishing Company. He also belongs to the Merchants' Provision Company, an organization of merchants.
Mr. Pfaff was married on September 15, 1890. in New Haven to Miss Josephine Durr, a daughter of Nicholas Durr, a farmer of New Haven county. Eight children have been born to this union, namely : Florence, the wife of W. F. Wolff, a baker of West Haven; Alfred, who is with his father in business; Alice; Josephine; William; Arthur; Paul; and Eleanor.
Mr. Pfaff belongs to the Cecilns Society and to St. Lawrence Roman Catholic church. Vol. II-5
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In politics he is a stanch republican but has never been an office seeker. As a private citi- zen, however, he has accomplished a great deal toward the advancement of the best interests of his community and has always been among the first to advocate civic and social improve- ments. He bas given a great deal of his time and work to the promotion of good roads and is a member of the Good Roads Association and the Good Roads Committee and the New Haven Automobile Club. He is identified with both the New Haven and the West Haven Chambers of Commerce and is a working member of both organizations. He possesses far more than the usual energy and initiative and has turned those characteristics to account for the benefit of the community as well as in the upbuilding of his own business.
ROBERT JAMES MERRIAM.
Robert James Merriam, who since 1904 has been the treasurer of Foster, Merriam & Com- pany, has contributed in marked measure to the success of the extensive iron industry with which he is identified. He was born in Meriden, January 14, 1879, a son of Nelson C. and Rose (Kingsley) Merriam. After acquiring a public school education he attended the Ger- man-American Preparatory School. He then spent three years as a student in the Meriden high school and completed the four years' course in that time by doing extra work. He grad- uated from Wesleyan University, of Middletown, Connecticut, in 1901 with the Ph. B. degree. Throughout his entire business career he has been connected with Foster, Merriam & Company, his father being the president and treasurer at the time when Robert J. Merriam entered the company. He started in a humble capacity and learned to do the different kinds of work in the shops, thus thoroughly acquainting himself with every practical phase of the business. He afterward went upon the road, selling in western territory, and was working for the company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when notified of his father's death. Since that time he has been the treasurer of the company and as one of its chief executive officers has largely directed the policy of the concern and contributed in marked measure to its development.
It is one of the oldest establishied interests of Meriden, having figured in industrial circles here for more than eighty years. From the beginning its interests have heen guided by men of marked business capacity and enterprise. The beginning was small, the business being established in what was then known as Crow Hollow, in a little shop thirty by twenty- five feet. The original founders of the business were Albert and Hiram Foster, Julius Way, Asaph Merriam and Nelson Merriam, all of Meriden, and a Mr. Belden, of New Britain. Business was begun under the firm style of Foster, Belden & Company and a plant was established for the manufacture of casters only, with a capital stock of but twenty-five hun- dred dollars. The castings were made by other firms and one of the partners would earry these in a buggy to the shop every day and return with the finished product in the same way. The daily output consumed probably less than two hundred pounds of castings. Horse power was used in operating the machinery and the members of the firm did all of the work them- selves. In 1835 Mlr. Belden withdrew. selling his interests to Asaph and Nelson Merriam, at which time the firm name was changed to Foster, Merriam & Company. In the panie of 1837 the firm was forced to suspend business for six months but managed to pay every creditor dollar for dollar and at the end of that time resumed operations. In 1840 Julius Way sold his interest in the business to John Sutliff and in 1843 the interest of Asaph Merriam was pur- chased by his partners. In 1850 the site of the present plant was purchased and in 1853 Alan- son Watrons became a member of the company and established an iron foundry business. which was conducted under the style of A. Watrous & Company. This branch was continued until the death of Mr. Watrous in 1862, when the surviving members of the firm purchased his interest in the business, which was incorporated in 1866 as a joint stock company with a capital of eighty thousand dollars.
In 1869 the firm began the manufacture of drop bandles and this branch bas since grown to large proportions. Later all sorts of furniture trimmings were added to the output until almost anything in the hardware line required by manufacturers of furniture can be found among the products of the plant. Following the death of Nelson Merriam, the presi- dent, in 1880, lie was succeeded by John Sutliff, who held that office until his demise June 22, 1897, when James R. Sutliff, who had previously been vice president, succeeded to the presi-
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dency, and so continued until his life's labors were ended January 18, 1902. On the 7th of March of that year George C. Merriam, who had been secretary and treasurer, was chosen president and also retained the office of treasurer, while J. L. Rutherford was elected secre- tary and William Zerfass became superintendent. With the death of Mr. Merriam on the 23d of March, 1904, William Zerfass was elected to the presidency and also retained the office of superintendent, while Robert J. Merriam became the treasurer and has since filled that position. The business of the company has greatly increased since Robert J. Merriam first became connected with it. At that time the employes numbered about two hundred and today there are five hundred and fifty, while the sales are probably three times as great as they were at the beginning of his connection with the undertaking. He is in charge of the financial interests of one of the important manufacturing concerns not only of Meriden but of this part of the state and is bending his efforts to administrative direction and execu- tive control with splendid results.
Mr. Merriam belongs to Meridian Lodge, F. & A. M .; also to Keystone Chapter. R. A. M., St. Elmo Commandery, K. T., and to Pyramid Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He exemplifies in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft and is most loyal to its teachings He also has membership in the Home Club and in his political views is an earnest republican. His time and energies, however, are concentrated upon his important business interests and his course has made the name of Merriam, as it has always been, a most honored one in the busi- ness circles of Meriden.
NELSON CAMP JOHNSON.
Nelson Camp Johnson, who is the secretary of Foster, Merriam & Company, was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, December 12, 1879, a son of Sherman .J. and Emily Johnson, the former deceased. The family came to Meriden in February, 1880, when the son, Nelson, was about three months old. He acquired a public school education and after completing the work of the grades spent three years in the high school. Ile afterward attended Yale, being matriculated in the Sheffield Scientific School, from which he was graduated in 1901 with the Ph. B. degree. He made his initial step in the business world in connection with Foster, Merriam & Company as foreman and from that point has made steady progress, advancing step by step until he is now secretary of the company with voice in the management of its affairs.
Mr. Johnson is an active member of the Masonic fraternity. belonging to Meridian Lodge, No. 77, F. & A. M., Keystone Chapter, R. A. M., St. Elmo Commandery, K. T., and to Pyramid Temple of the Mystie Shrine. He likewise has membership in the Home Chib and his religious faith is evidenced in his membership in the Congregational church. He belongs to the Country Club and to the Yale Engineering Society and also to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is negleetful of none of the duties of citizenship, but gives his aid and influence on the side of progress, reform and improvement, actuated in all things by high civic ideals.
RAYNHAM TOWNSHEND, M. D.
Dr. Raynham Townshend, engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in New Haven, his native city, was born July 10, 1878, a son of Captain Charles Hervey and Mary Ann (Hotchkiss) Townshend. The ancestral line is traced back to Thomas Townsend, or Townshend, who settled in the Lynn colony of Massachusetts in 1638. Captain Charles H. Townshend was born at Raynham, in East Haven, now New Haven, November 26, 1833, attended a private school of New Haven and afterward continued his education at Farmington, Connecticut. From early boyhood his inclination was toward a nautical life and at a very early age he made coasting voyages in sloops and schooners and he rose to prominence in connection with navigation interests. He is mentioned at length on another page of this work
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in connection with the sketch of his son, Henry Hotchkiss Townshend, who is now assistant corporation counsel of the city of New Haven.
In the family were but two children, the younger heing Dr. Raynham Townshend, who pursued his preparatory education in the Hopkins grammar school at New Haven and afterward continued his studies in the Taft School at Watertown, Connecticut, later matriculating in the Sheffield Scientific School, from which he was graduated with the class of 1900. He then spent one year in travel, during which he visited fourteen different coun- tries, including the Central American republics. Upon his return home he entered the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the medical department of Columbia University, from which he was graduated in 1905. He next became connected with the Roosevelt Hospital of New York city, with which he was associated until 1907, and then entered Sloan Hospital. In 1908 he returned to New Haven and has since built up a large practice, winning place among the leading physicians of the city. He is assistant attending surgeon of the New Haven Hospital and is secretary of the Elm City Private Hospital. He is a member of the Yale faculty. Jecturing in the Yale School of Fine Arts on anatomy. He belongs to the New Haven Medical Society, the Connecticut State Medical Society and the American Medical Association and he also has membership with the Roosevelt and Sloan Maternity Hospitals Alumni Associations.
On the 3d of June, 1908, Dr. Townshend was married to Miss Juliet S. Adee, of Westchester, New York, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Adee, of a prominent family of the Empire state. They have two children: Raynham, who was born in New Haven, June 9, 1912; and Juliet, born April 30, 1917.
Dr. Townshend holds membership in the Congregational church and in his political connection he is an independent republican. He is identified with several fraternal and social organizations, belonging to the Delta Psi of Yale, to the Delta Psi Club of New York, also to the Yale Club, the Graduates' Club, the Country Club, the New Haven Lawn Club and others. Ile is connected with the Medical Reserve Corps of the United States Navy as assistant surgeon and is commander of the medical department, section 1, of the third naval district of the United States. The call of duty has ever been to him a paramount one, to which he has never hesitated to respond, and in the present crisis of the country's history he stands ready to do his full duty, his record thus being in harmony with that of an honored ancestry, which through many generations has loyally stood for the best interests of Connecticut.
ALDEN JUDSON HILL.
Alden Judson Hill, a prominent figure in agricultural circles in New Haven county, his home being in North Branford, where he was born August 12, 1886, is a son of Alden Hopson and Sarah E. (Page) Hill.
The father was born in Killingworth, Middlesex county, Connecticut, September 4, 1831, a son of Arden and Flora (Davis) Hill, who were also natives of that loeality. The grand- father devoted his life to farming, his labors being ended by death when he had reached the age of sixty-four years. His family numbered nine children, two sons and seven daughters. During his boyhood days Alden Hopson Hill had the advantage of attending the district schools for only three months during the winter season. While still quite a young lad he aided in the work of the home farm and when a youth of fifteen he began assisting in the support of the family. At the age of seventeen he began shop work and on attaining his majority removed to North Branford, where he was employed in a saw and feed mill. In 1865 he purchased land and lumber and embarked in the shipbuilding trade, in which he continued for fifteen years, also becoming an extensive shipowner. He operated a saw- mill on his property in North Branford and manufactured various kinds of lumber, which his ships carried as far south as Galveston, Texas, while others of his vessels were engaged in the coasting trade between New Haven, Norfolk, Charleston and Mexican and South American ports. As he prospered in his undertakings he also added to his land possessions until he was the owner of three hundred acres of farm and timber land.
Alden Hopson Hill was married November 18, 1879, to Miss Sarah E. Page, who had
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been a capable school teacher in her native town for several years. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill were born two children: Raymond T., who was born January 11, 1883, and is professor of modern languages at Yale; and Alden J., of this review. Mr. Hill was a consistent member of the Congregational church and prominent in its work. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and in 1877 he served as a member of the state legislature and was made a member of the fishery committee. For a number of years he served as selectman and at varions times acted as appraiser of lands for water and insurance companies and railroad corporations. While he was still an active factor in the world's work a contemporary biographer wrote of him as follows: "Honored and respected by all, there is no man in North Brantord who occupies a more enviable position in business circles than Alden H. Hill, not alone on account of the wonderful success that he has achieved, but also on account of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has ever followed. He possesses untiring energy. is quick of perception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution; and his close application to business and his excellent management have brought to him the prosperity which is today his." He died in the year 1908 but his widow survives and is still living in North Branford.
Alden J. Hill, of this review, acquired his education in the schools of North Branford, in the Clinton high school and in the Williston Seminary of Massachusetts. He then began the cultivation of the old home place and has one of the finest farms in North Branford. It is splendidly improved with excellent buildings and all modern equipments, and in its conduct Mr. Hill follows the most progressive methods. In connection with his agricultural interests Mr. Hill is engaged in the native timber and sawmill business, specializing on telephone poles, railroad ties and other such timber. He operates all over the eastern part of New Haven county. He is a very active and progressive business man, energetic and determined, and he carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.
On the 18th of March, 1916, Mr. Hill was nnited in marriage to Miss Hazel Amelia Stevens, who was born in North Guilford. Connectient, a daughter of Frederick and Lois (Ward) Stevens, of North Branford. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have become the parents of one child, Lois Jeanette, who was born in the same house as her father.
In politics Mr Hill is a republican. He was elected the first selectman of the town of North Brantord in 1912 and has been reelected at each succeeding election since that time, so that he is now serving for the fifth term. He was chosen to the office when but twenty- six years of age and the excellence of his service is indicated by the fact that he has heen continuously reelected to the position. His religious faith is that of the Congregational church and he is loyal to its teachings. Ilis life is actuated by high and manly purposes and in the conduct of his interests he displays sound business judgment and indefatigable industry, qualities that result in the attainment of very substantial and gratifying success. He is widely and favorably known, everyone speaking of him in terms of high regard, and in his home locality the circle of his friends is coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.
LUCIUS SEYMOUR STORRS.
Lncins Seymour Storrs, financier and railway oflieial, who has advanced in orderly pro- gression to a place of prominence in the business cireles of New England, holding important relations with organized interests that have much to do with the upbuilding and development of this section of the country, was born in Buffalo, New York. on the 4th of January, 1869, and is a son of Origon Seymour and Janet (Rankin) Storrs.
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