USA > Connecticut > New London County > A modern history of New London County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 46
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Amos Coddington Swan
Jennie P. Swan.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
AMOS CODDINGTON SWAN-In the very prime of his splendid powers, Amos Coddington Swan was removed from earthly activities, his passing deeply re- gretted by the community, as his life had been spent from its sixteenth year in the city of Norwich. He was a son of Coddington W. Swan, son of Coddington B. Swan, son of Charles Swan, son of William Swan, son of John Swan, son of Robert Swan, son of Richard Swan, the founder of the Swan family of Connecticut.
(I) Richard Swan resided in Boston and Rowley, Massachusetts, and in 1666 represented Rowley in the Massachusetts General Court. He was a soldier of the Colonial army, and fought in King Philip's War. He died May 14, 1678.
(II) Robert Swan, son of Richard Swan, was also a soldier and was in the Great Swamp fight, a defeat which broke the power of King Philip. He died Feb- ruary II, 1698.
(III) John Swan, son of Robert Swan, settled in the town of Stonington, New London county, Connecticut, in 1707. His farm was in North Stonington, in what was known later as Swantown Hill. He died there, May 1, 1743, aged seventy-five years. He married Mrs. Susanna Wood, widow of Thomas Wood, who was killed with three of his children by the Indians. March 15, 1697. Mrs. Swan died December 20, 1772, being then in her one hundredth year.
(IV) William Swan, son of John and Susanna (Wood) Swan, married Thankful Holmes, and resided in Stonington. Connecticut, where their son, Charles, of whom further, was born.
(V) Charles Swan, son of William and Thankful (Holmes) Swan, was born May 24, 1746. He married Eunice Barnes, and they were the parents of Codding- ton Billings, of whom further.
(VI) Coddington Billings Swan, son of William and Eunice Barnes settled in the town of Montville; and their son was Coddington W., of whom further.
(VII) Coddington W. Swan, son of Coddington B. and Cynthia (Hewitt) Swan, was born in Waterford, New London county, Connecticut, July 27, 1822. He was brought to Montville when a child, and in that town he died, June 13, 1892. He was in his younger years his father's farm assistant, in the employ of George Loomis in Norwich, a steamboat man for some years, and a "forty-niner," remaining in California about three years. He saved about $2,000, but on his return by vessel that was stolen from him, but he had other resources, and upon his return to Montville he bought the Sherrod Hillhouse farm and there resided until his death. He was a member of the Montville Congrega- tional church, and in politics a Republican. He married, December 31, 1851, Susan Williams, daughter of Pren- tice and Abby Cliff (Prentice) Williams. Mrs. Swan was born in Ledyard, Connecticut, November 21, 1828, a farmer's daughter ; she survived her husband and con- tinued her home at the homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Cod- dington W. Swan were the parents of eleven children : Susan Williams, married Frank E. Austin, of Montville, Connecticut; Lucy Victoria, married Charles W. Hew-
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itt, of Cogswell, North Dakota; Cynthia Abby, a highly accomplished lady, a teacher, died in 1917; Sarah Caro- line, deceased wife of Herold O. White, of Jackson- ville, Illinois; Eleanor Elizabeth, died in girlhood; Jane Cliff, married Richard DeWitt Perry, of Elyria, Ohio; Isabella C., died young ; Amos C., of further mention ; William Morgan, married Minnie Leight, both deceased ; Grant Prentice, died aged eighteen years; Merton Orrin, married Frances Wilcox, and tilled the homestead acres
(VIII) Amos Coddington Swan, eighth child of Cod- dington W. and Susan (Williams) Swan, was born in Leffingwell, New London county, Connecticut, Decem- ber 28, 1863, and died in Norwich, Connecticut, January 21, 1920. He was educated in the public schools, and remained at the home farm until sixteen years of age, when he left the farm and entered the employ of A. W. Prentice & Company, now the Eaton Chase Com- pany, of Norwich, Connecticut, and was with that firm for eighteen years, being promoted superintendent of the electrical department in 1893. In 1906, he entered the automobile business with Avery C. Smith, whose interests were later bought by W. Russell Baird. Sub- sequently Mr. Swan purchased the Baird interest, and the A. C. Swan Company was incorporated with Mr. Swan as president and treasurer, A. F. Howard, secre- tary. He was one of the pioneer automobile dealers of Eastern Connecticut, held the original agency for the Cadillac car in that section, and the A. C. Swan Com- pany of Norwich and New London, which he founded, and of which he was the president-treasurer, are yet agents for that car. Mr. Swan was also one of the founders of the Norwich Electric Company. No. 42 Franklin street, incorporated in 1906, with Mr. Swan its president and treasurer, offices he held for many years. Mr. Swan was a member of the Masonic order, affiliated with Somerset Lodge, No. 34, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and Franklin Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons. He was a member of the Chamber of Com- merce, and of the First Baptist Church. He was a successful business man, upright and honorable in all things, and one of the progressive public-spirited men of his city who could be depended upon to support all forward movements. His life was a useful one and an inspiration to those who knew him.
Amos Coddington Swan married, August 17, 1886. Jennie Pease Parsons, born July 6, 1864, died in Nor- wich, Connecticut, September 11, 1919, daughter of Frank and Caroline (Schoonmaker) Parsons. Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Swan were the parents of two children : Hazel Grace; and LeRoy Amos, a sketch of whom fol- lows.
(IX) Hazel Grace Swan, only daughter of Amos Cod- dington and Jennie Pease (Parsons) Swan, was born in Norwich, Connecticut, June 30. 1887, and educated in the city schools ; she married Edward Whitehead Jewett, son of William R. and Susan (Fitch) Jewett, his father the owner of a lemon grove in California. Edward Whitehead Jewett is president of the A. C. Swan Company.
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LIEUTENANT LeROY AMOS SWAN, only son of Amos Coddington and Jennie Pease (Parsons) Swan, of the ninth generation of the family, was born in 1894, and died at the Wilbur Wright Aviation field in Dayton, Ohio, June 19, 1918, the victim of an aero- plane accident. He was the first man from Norwich to give his life as a sacrifice to his country during the recent World War.
He attended the Mount Pleasant street public school, completing his studies there in 1909, then entered Nor- wich Free Academy, standing high in his studies at the academy and in all departments of school life, being captain of the football team, member of the Boys' Glee Club, and vice-president of the class of 1913. From the academy he passed to Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, whence he was graduated B. S., class of 1917. At "Tech" he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Theta Tau fraternities, the latter being in the en- gineering department; for two years he was one of the leading characters in the annual show; a member of the several musical clubs; assistant editor of "Tech- nique," member of the Student Institute Committee (the governing body of the institute), and was one of the fifteen members of the senior class elected to "Osiris," the senior society. He was awarded his degree of Bachelor of Science two months before the end of the school year, and sent to Riverside Boiler Works, Cam- bridge, as assistant to the manager, who assigned him to special government work. Very shortly after this honor, a call came from the war department for two men to be sent to the aviation school at Toronto, Canada, for training and to return to the institution school of military aeronautics as instructor. He en- listed, July 14, 1917, and spent eight weeks at the train- ing camp in Toronto, after which he returned to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in Septem- ber, 1917, was commissioned second lieutenant in the Aviation section of the Signal Reserve Corps, United States army. From February 1, 1918, to March 1, 1918, he was in attendance at the school of military aero- nautics at Columbus, going thence to Washington, D. C., having been assigned to duty in the gunnery branch of the Aviation section. As inspector he visited many of the plants in the United States engaged in making ma- chine guns, and made government tests for accuracy, speed and workmanship. About April 1, 1918, he was ordered to the Wilbur Wright Aviation Field, Dayton, Ohio, and there was assigned to the experimental work on mechanical gears for synchronizing the machine gun firing so that the shots would always pass between the propeller blades of the firing aeroplane, all possible ground tests had been completed under his supervision, and on June 19, 1918, Lieutenant Swan took to the air to make the first firing tests under actual flying con- ditions.
These tests had been most successfully completed, when at an altitude of 10,000 feet, Lieutenant Frank Paterson, of Dayton, Ohio, an experienced officer of the United States Army Aviation Corps, who was acting as pilot, sent the machine into a nose dive. When he attempted to bring the airplane to a normal flying
position after dropping through the clouds, some part failed, the wings of the aircraft collapsed, and a swift drop to the earth followed. Lieutenants Paterson and Swan were dead when the scene of the accident was reached by a rescuing party.
Thus did Roy Swan, as he was always known, one of the most popular young men of his city, a gallant youth, whose life was given for his country, pass away at the early age of twenty-four years. He was an honor to his country and to his ctiy, and ranks high among those gallant men of the air service of every land whose deeds form so inspiring a chapter of the great World War.
Lieutenant Swan married, November 22, 1917, Edna Margaret Troland, daughter of Grant and Josephine Troland, born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1892, died there December 26, 1918.
HON. JEREMIAH JOSEPH DESMOND, one of the most eminent attorneys of New London county, many times a public servant, and for two years mayor of Norwich, Connecticut, is a figure of more than usual prominence in the city in which he has resided for thirty-four years.
Timothy Desmond, Mr. Desmond's father, played a large part in the development of the railway facilities of Western Connecticut. He was born in 1800, in County Cork, Ireland. He received his early education in the National schools of that country, after which he became a farmer, and followed this calling until 1848, when he came to the United States, locating in Boston, Massachusetts. There he became associated with Lynch Brothers, contractors and builders, whose sister he had married a number of years before coming to this country.
About 1850 Lynch Brothers secured a contract to build a section of the New London & Worcester rail- road, between Norwich and Allen Point, near New London, Connecticut. Mr. Desmond held the position of assistant manager and bookkeeper on this contract. Not long after the completion of this stretch of road a more important contract was taken by the Lynch Brothers, namely, the building of a section of the Hart- ford & Providence branch, between Willimantic and Baltic, Connecticut. At that time the brothers bought a farm near Windham, Connecticut, and Mr. Desmond took charge of it, housing all the laborers. He con- ducted this farm until the contract was completed, then hired a farm in the town of Preston, where he remained until 1866, then bought a farm in the town of Mansfield, Connecticut, where he engaged in general farming until 1875. He then retired from active work, selling the farm and moving his family to Norwich, there to spend his declining years. He died there in 1891, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. His wife, Julia (Lynch) Desmond, was also a native of Ireland; she died in 1887. They were the parents of fifteen children, of whom the Norwich attorney was the fourteenth.
Jeremiah Joseph Desmond was born in Windham, Windham county, Connecticut, on April 4, 1856. He received his primary education in the district schools of
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Le Roy Amos Swan
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BIOGRAPHICAL
the town of Preston, and later attended school in Mans- .Seld. In 1870 he entered the Nicolet Preparatory College, at Nicolet, in the Province of Quebec, Canada. In 1871 he was ready for his higher course, and entered the Montreal College. In 1875 he en- tered the Holy Cross College at Worcester, Massa- chusetts, taking the academic course, and in 1878 was graduated, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In the same year he came to Norwich. For one year he studied law with Wait & Green, then went to Columbia University Law School, New York City, to complete his studies. He received the degree of Master of Arts from Holy Cross College. In November, 1880, he was admitted to the bar, and in the same year opened an office in Norwich.
Mr. Desmond's legal career may be summed up in the statement that he has practiced in Norwich from that date to the present. But this says nothing whatsoever of the struggles and triumphs through which he has passed, nor of the meaning which his name has come to possess to his friends, to the general public, to the community. By political affiliation a Democrat, he has served the city in many ways.
Mr. Desmond was corporation counsel front 1888 to 1890, and was chairman of the Democratic Town Committee for many years. He served as secretary of the Greenville School Board for eight years, and was on the School Board of the Central District for several years. This was before the consolida- tion of the schools now in force. In 1918, Mr. Des- mond was elected mayor of the city of Norwich, and served in that capacity for two years. He is a member of the Catholic Benevolent Legion; of the Foresters of America; and of White Cross Council, No. 13, Knights of Columbus. Mr. Desmond is now (1921) county coroner of New London county.
Mr. Desmond married (first), in June, 1896, Mar- guerite A. Cunningham, of Norwich. Two children were born of this union: Thomas G., who was grad- uated from the Catholic University of America, at Washington, D. C., in June, 1920; and Catherine G., now a student at New Rochelle College, New Ro- chelle, New York. Marguerite A. (Cunningham) Desmond died on June 16, 1906. Mr. Desmond married (second), in 1911, Catherine C. Somers, of Norwich. The family have always been devout members of the Roman Catholic church.
JOHN HOWARD TRACY-Success in any call- ing of life, whether along professional, business, political, or social lines, is generally the direct result of industry, perseverance, integrity and con- scientiousness, and this statement is true as regards Mr. Tracy, of this review, a descendant of a family that has long been seated in New England, the members of which in each succeeding generation having worthily borne their part in the upbuilding and development of the various communities in which they made their homes.
Lieutenant Thomas Tracy, progenitor of the line
of the Tracy family herein recorded, was a native of England, born in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, in 1610, and died at Norwich, Connecticut, in 1685. His first location in the New World was at Massa- chusetts Bay Colony, and later he was a resident of Salem, Massachusetts, Wethersfield, Saybrook and Norwich, Connecticut. The line of descent is through his son, Thomas Tracy, a native of Pres- ton, Connecticut; his son, Jeremiah Tracy, a native of Preston; his son, Deacon Andrew Tracy, a native of Lisbon, Connecticut; his son, Jesse Tracy, a native of Lisbon; his son, Freeman Tracy, a native of Lisbon ; his son, John Reede Tracy, father of John H. Tracy, who was born in Lisbon, Connecticut, January 7, 1809, died at his home in Jewett City, Connec- tient, March 16, 1894, his remains being interred in the Reede Cemetery at Lisbon. In early life he was employed in the Slater mills, located at Jewett City and Hopeville, served in the capacity of fore- man in the Kellogg mills at Rockville, Connecticut, and was also employed in the mills at Norwich, becoming proficient in his chosen line of work. He was honored by his townsmen by election to various public offices, including selectman of Gris- wold, in which capacity he served for twelve suc- cessive years, several years serving as chairman of the board; in the State Legislature, representing Griswold; and in the State Senate, appointed by the Eighth District. He was a Congregationalist in religion, holding the office of deacon in the church with which he was connected, and a Republican in politics.
He married (first) Hannah Tiffany, and (second) Mrs. Julia (Hutchinson) Knight, both of whom are buried in the Reede Cemetery, Lisbon.
John Howard Tracy, only child of John Reede and Julia (Hutchinson-Knight) Tracy, was born in the town of Griswold, Connecticut, March 31, 1864 He obtained a preliminary education in the public schools of Jewett City, and this was supplemented by attendance at the New Bedford (Massachusetts) high school. He gained his first experience along business lines by employment in the Ashland mills, where he learned the trade of machinist, remaining there for four years, at the expiration of which time he went West, following the advice of Horace Greeley, residing in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, working at his trade in both cities. He then decided that the East held more attractions for him than the West, and accordingly he returned to his native State, and for the following five years was engaged as machinist at the Slater mills. He then took up his residence in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and there engaged in the book-binding busi- ness, which he followed for a short period of time, then disposed of the same, and accepted a position in the same line with a firm at Wethersfield, Con- necticut, taking charge of that department. At the end of his three years' connection with that firm, during which time he was deprived by death of his wife, he returned to Jewett City and accepted a position as machinist with the Aspinook Com-
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pany, continuing as employee until the year 1898. In March of that year he embarked in business on his own account; erecting a building in which he carried on a hardware and stove business, dealing also in paints, oils, bicycles and electrical supplies, also attending to plumbing and similar work. This enterprise met with success from the beginning, owing to the thorough, efficient manner in which he conducted his transactions, and his willingness to comply with the requests and wishes of his patrons. Although he devotes the greater part of his time to his business, which is steadily increasing in volume and importance, he manifests a keen interest in town affairs, and was chosen by his fellow-citizens to represent them in the State Legis- lature, but failed of election at the polls.
Mr. Tracy is a member of the Masonic order, being a member of Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 75, Free and Accepted Masons, of Jewett City; Frank- lin Chapter, No. 4, of Norwich; Franklin Council, No. 3, of Norwich; Columbian Commandery, No. 4, Knights Templar, of Norwich; and also is a mem- ber of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
Mr. Tracy married (first) September 14, 1886, at Jewett City, Bertha Chapman, of that place, daugh- ter of Otis and Fannie (Campbell) Chapman. Her death occurred in Wethersfield, Connecticut, in 1893, and she was interred in the Reede Cemetery, Lis- bon.
Mr. and Mrs. Tracy were the parents of four children: Sybil V., Marian K., Norman Hutchinson, and John Reede. Mr. Tracy married (second), at Stafford Springs, Connecticut, Rose Beckwith, daughter of Charles Walton and Sarah Sophia (Foote) Beckwith. Mr. and Mrs. Tracy hold mem- bership in the Congregational church of Jewett City.
REV. EDWARD MERRITT ANTHONY-For twenty years an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, regularly ordained, Rev. Edward M. Anthony was settled over several churches of New England under the law of the itineracy, and accomplished great good for the cause he loved. Since 1883 he has been identified with Jewett City, Connecticut, and the Jewett City Savings Bank, and since 1913 has been the honored head of that valu- able institution. Eighty and six have been the years of his earthly pilgrimage, and he is still the active executive head of the bank, giving little evi- dence of the years he carries.
Daniel Sisson Anthony came to Jewett City, Con- necticut, about 1840, and in connection with Nehe- miah T. Adams established a cotton mill, under the name of Anthony & Adams. In 1860 they sold the plant to the Ashland Cotton Company, and this company is here to date. At the time of his death, in 1893, lie was one of the owners.
Albert Anthony, father of Rev. Edward M. An- thony, was born at Coventry, Rhode Island, in 1810, and died there, in 1860. He obtained his education in the district schools of his native place, and then served an apprenticeship to the machinist's trade, subsequently becoming master mechanic at the
Anthony Cotton mills. Some years later he became associated with his cousin, William H. Anthony, and together they rented a mill at Coventry, Rhode Island, which they named the Coventry Cotton Mill. This partnership lasted until Albert Anthony's death, in 1860. Mr. Anthony married Almy A. Arnold, born at Anthony, Rhode Island, in 1815. After her husband's brother came to Jewett City in 1840, Mrs. Anthony also came, and there resided until her death, January 15, 1883. To Mr. and Mrs. Anthony were born three children: Edward Merritt, of further mention; Adeline A., wife of Stephen A. Gardner, both deceased; Lyman Herbert, who died in Anthony, Rhode Island.
Rev. Edward Merritt Anthony was born in Coven- try, Rhode Island, September 3, 1835, and began his education in the district schools of Anthony, Rhode Island, going thence to East Greenwich Academy. He then entered Wesleyan University, at Middle- town, Connecticut, whence he was graduated, with the degree of Master of Arts. After graduation and until 1863 he was principal of Manchester Academy, and then, after theological study, was admitted to the Southern New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church and was ordained a minister of that church. The following twenty years he filled the pulpits of various Methodist churches in that conference and then retired from the ministry.
In the year 1883 Mr. Anthony came to Jewett City and entered the Jewett City Savings Bank as a clerk, subsequently advancing through the offices of the bank until upon the death of James O. Sweet, president, in 1913, he was elected his successor. As executive head of the Jewett City Savings Bank, Mr. Anthony has borne his part in carrying the financial burdens imposed upon the community by the World War, and has also ably fulfilled his obligations to those who look to the bank as their source of supply.
Rev. Edward M. Anthony married, April 16, 1861, Abby Gould Bailey, of Hingham, Massachusetts, who died November 15, 1915, in Jewett City. One child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony, a son, Albert Haywood Anthony, born in Duxbury, Massa- chusetts, November 28, 1863, died in Jewett City, December 30, 1918. He was early instructed in the schools of the towns in which his father was settled as pastor, finally completing his studies at Wilbra- ham Academy, Massachusetts. He then learned the trade of machinist, and from 1890 until 1914 was a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was engaged in the manufacture of screens, nuts, bolts, etc. He came to Jewett City, Connecticut, where he died two years later. Albert H. Anthony married (first) Harriet Wilcox, and to them two children were born: Marion Vinal, who died De- cember 29, 1918: and Earl W., who died in infancy. Mrs. Harriet (Wilcox) Anthony died November 19, 1916, and Mr. Anthony married (second) Alice Mary Young, of Lisbon, Connecticut, who survives her husband and resides in Jewett City with her father-in-law.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
Rev. Edward M. Anthony, now well advanced in octogenarian rank, reviews his long career with the satisfaction which comes from duty well performed. As a minister of the gospel, he labored earnestly for the advancement of the cause he loved and was one of its powerful advocates. As a layman he has won his way to high position, and has at no time sacrificed the high principles which made him so valiant a Soldier of the Cross. Now walking amid the greatly lengthened shadows, he is full of the spirit of his work, and with duty, home and friends, his cup of life is filled to the brim. A man of strong character, with positive likes and dislikes, the years have not robbed him of his pronounced personality, and he is in truth Jewett City's "grand old man."
CHARLES BENJAMIN PALMER - William Palmer, in 1720, built the "old Palmer homestead," which has three times been rebuilt and has been the home of the Palmer family for several generations. The farm descended to his grandson, George Denison Palmer, who was the grandfather of Charles Benjamin Palmer, the present owner.
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