USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 66
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
Watertown, Mass., in 1642, and from Thomas Flint, who located in Salem in 1650.
Rufus Hall, who, with his wife, is buried at Indian Hill cemetery, Mid- dletown, was a man who held the un- limited confidence, respect and esteem of his fellow townsmen to a remark- able extent. His genial disposition made him the typical merchant with whom customers found pleasure in trading. He was always deeply con- cerned in local affairs and never re- fused his influence in matters of ben- efit either to his neighbors or the town. His loss to the ranks of the business men of Meriden will be long remembered.
EUGENE ASHLEY HALL.
Eugene A. Hall, a prominent mer- chant and treasurer of the town of Meriden, is a life-long resident of the town. He is the only son of Rufus and Esther Asenath (Grover) Hall. He is a worthy descendant of sturdy, reliable New England ancestry. He was born in Meriden August 7, 1865, attended the old Corner district school until at the age of fifteen he left school to begin his own career and has succeeded in earning his own liv- ing ever since; was first with J. Cook & Co., manufacturers of printing presses, cards, etc. ; a short time on a drop press at Bradley & Hubbard's ; then one year in William Hagadon's news, fruit and toy store, clerking and delivering newspapers, and one year in castor bottle department, Meriden
371
BIOGRAPHIES.
Britannia Co., until May, 1883, when he entered the employ of the Meriden Savings Bank as office boy.
After an honorable connection of eighteen years with that institution, and after the sudden and regretted de- cease of his father, he resigned his po- sition as teller and assumed control of his father's business, for many years known as Hall's Cash Market, and which he has since continued with in- creasing success.
He is a trustee, director and auditor of the Meriden Savings Bank; for several years was a member of the board of trustees and secretary and treasurer of the Connecticut School for Boys; is treasurer of the Connec- ticut State and the Meriden Agricul- tural societies ; treasurer of the Town of Meriden, which office he has filled most acceptably since 1899 ; is a direct- or and first vice president of the Mer- iden Board of Trade; director and treasurer of the Meriden Times Pub- lishing Co., publishers of The Evening Times.
Mr. Hall is a prominent figure in Masonic circles and is connected with no other fraternity. He is a past master and present treasurer of Meri- dian lodge, No. 77, A. F. & A. M .; a past high priest of Keystone Chap- ter, No. 27, R. A. M. ; P. T. I. master of Hamilton Council, No. 22, R. & S. M., and a past eminent commander of St Elmo Commandery, No. 9, Knights Templar ; a thirty-second de- gree Mason, being a member of the New Haven and Bridgeport bodies of Scottish Rite; is an officer in the fol-
lowing Masonic grand bodies of Con- necticut, Grand Lodge, Grand Chap- ter and Grand Commandery, an hon- orary life member of the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut, and a member of Pyramid Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Bridgeport.
He was married December 15, 1897, to Edna Adele Mix, daughter of ex- Senator John Walter and Kate Urana (Wallace) Mix, of (Yalesville) Wal- lingford. John Walter Mix, United States collector of customs of the port of New Haven at the time of his death, was a direct descendant of Thomas Mix, of New Haven, 1643, and three of his ancestors, Daniel Mix, Robert Roice and John Hall, were original proprietors of Wallingford. His widow, Kate Urana Wallace, is a daughter of Franklin and Fanny (Hall) Wallace, the latter a daughter of Lyman and Milla Hall, both direct descendants of John Hall, the original proprietor of Wallingford. Benjamin Hall, father of Lyman, was a soldier in the Revolution.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall have three chil- dren: Fanny, born November 15, 1898; Edna, born February 3, 1900, and Eugene Mix, born June 27, 1903.
Mr. Hall is known as one of the more progressive merchants, who pos- sesses a wide experience in matters of finance and who has been much hon- ored by elections to various offices, all of which he has filled with credit, not only to himself but to those who have safely placed their confidence in his ability and honesty to carry out the duties devolving upon him.
372
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
RUFUS HALL.
373
BIOGRAPHIES.
EUGENE ASHLEY HALL.
374
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
Photo by Akers & Pigeon.
W.W. Bigelow
375
BIOGRAPHIES.
RESIDENCE OF W. H. BIGELOW.
376
CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
W. H. BIGELOW.
William Henry Bigelow, now an influential resident of Meriden, was born in Westminster, Mass., in Jan- uary, 1853. He was an only child and his parents were Benson and Charlotte (Rice) Bigelow. His fam- ily is an old one in that town and the original Bigelow homestead has been in their possession for many genera- tions. The subject of this biography is descended on both the paternal and maternal sides from early colonial an- cestry and on the mother's side his progenitors served in the Revolution- ary War.
Mr. Bigelow obtained his early ed- ucation at the common schools and finished at the Westminster Acad- emy, which has since been destroyed by fire. He has traveled considerably both in this country and Europe and has acquired a higher education through his travels, in which he has come in contact with many people. He is a close observer of men and customs. Mr. Bigelow has also had a varied experience in business. For several years he was located in Bos- ton and Gloucester, Mass., and later in Hartford. For the past twelve years, however, he has resided in Mer- iden.
In 1895 he was united in marriage with Emma Norton, daughter of the late C. L. and Amanda (Norton) Strong, and has since resided in the Strong family residence on Cook ave- nue. Mrs. Bigelow died July 13, 1905, after a lingering illness of a
year. Before her death and with her Mr. Bigelow spent much time in trav- el and visited Europe, Cuba, Bermu- da Islands and the Canadas, as well as the south and west of his own country. In his travels he has col- lected many relics which now adorn his home. Mr. Bigelow is far from being a disinterested resident of Mer- iden ; for he is deeply concerned in all that tends to benefit and improve the locality either in business or social life. He is a member of Washington Lodge, No. 15, Knights of Pythias, of Hartford.
COL. CHAS. LESLIE UPHAM.
Colonel Charles Leslie Upham, by birth a Vermonter, was born in Townshend May 24, 1839. His pa- rents were Rev. William Dennis Up- ham, a graduate of Brown Univers- ity, and Lucy Mckenzie Spink, a na- tive of the old town of Wickford, R. I., situated on Narragansett Bay.
The Spinks were Norman-French and distinguished for bravery. They went to England with William the Conqueror. The Upham ancestry has been traced to Richard Upham, of Bicton, Dover, England, 1583.
John Upham was the pioneer and only Upham who emigrated to this country, having come to Wessagus- cus, now Weymouth, Mass., with the Hull colony in 1635. His wife was Elizabeth Slade.
Lieutenant Phineas Upham was their only son who left posterity. He won distinction in the Indian Wars
377
BIOGRAPHIES.
Chelpham.
378
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
and at the storming of Ft. Canonicus, sometimes called the Great Swamp fight, was mortally wounded and died soon afterward.
Colonel Upham's great-grandfath- er was William Upham, who was in 1776 one of the Committee of Safe- ty in Vermont and captain of a com- pany which did service in the field during Burgoyne's invasion.
Colonel Upham was educated at the Leland and Gray Academy at Towns- hend, and at the age of sixteen came to Meriden to enter the employ of Ives Brothers. Having a taste for the sea, in 1858 he went before the mast in a voyage that circumnavigated the globe, touching at Australia and the west coast of South America, in all an absence of over a year.
Upon his return he re-entered the employ of Ives Brothers and remained with them until the commencement of the Civil War, when he at once en- listed in Rifle Co. B, 3d Regiment, Conn. Vols., as first sergeant. This regiment was in Keyes' Brigade, Ty- ler's Division, and was engaged at the Battle of Bull Run, Sergeant Up- ham commanding his company, owing to the absence of his superior officers.
Upon being mustered out August 12, 1861, he immediately raised a com- pany for three years' service, of which he was appointed captain, and joined the 8th Conn. Infantry as Company K. He served with this regiment as captain, major and lieutenant col- onel until April 6, 1863, when he was appointed colonel of the 15th Regi- ment, Conn. Infantry, commanding
the same until the close of the war. His service record was: With Mc- Dowell's Army at the Battle of Bull Run July 3, 1861 ; The Burnside Ex- pedition and battles of Roanoke Isl- and Feb. 7, and New Berne March 14, 1862, where he was severely wounded; in the Army of the Poto- mac, "9th Corps," at the battles of South Mountain Sept. 14, Antietam Sept. 17, and Fredericksburg Dec. 13, 1862. At Fredericksburg he was in command of the 16th Regiment Conn. Infantry, its field officers being either sick or wounded; with General Peck's command on the so-called Blackberry Raid to the north of Richmond ; at the Siege of Suffolk by Longstreet, including the engage- ments on the Edenton Road April 24, and Providence Church Road May 3, 1863 ; with his regiment while on pro- vost duty at New Berne, N. C., in the summer of 1864 during the deadly epidemic of yellow fever; in com- mand of a brigade of Scofield's col- umn in the advance from New Berne including the actions before Kingston March 8 to II, 1865 ; mustered out at the close of the war, reaching home July 4, 1865.
In September, 1865, the firm of Ives, Upham & Rand was organized, the partners being John Ives, C. L. Upham and P. C. Rand. Mr. Ives was already a merchant of long stand- ing and high reputation. Messrs. Upham and Rand had been in his employ prior to 1861 and had served together during the war. This firm is one of the most prominent in its
.
379
BIOGRAPHIES.
line, with the unusual record of more than forty years without a change of personnel.
Colonel Upham's civil record is : Member of the first common coun- cil upon the organization of Meriden as a city ; two terms as mayor, 1873 and 1874; a trustee of Connecticut School for Boys from 1877 to 1891, also serving as treasurer, and at the present writing a police commission- er and a member of town school com- mittee. He has also at different times served as president of the Board of Trade and of the Business Men's Association.
Colonel Upham married first Emily Clark who died August 26, 1864, leaving a daughter Emily. On July 12, 1877, he married Elizabeth H. Hall, daughter of B. Kirtland Hall and Emily M. Curtis. Among Mrs. Upham's ancestors are included the names of Hall, Cook, Atwater, An- drews, Curtis, Ives, Royce and Hough, all prominent in the first settlement of Wallingford and Meriden. The chil- dren of this marriage are: William Hall, Lucy Curtis, who died in in- fancy, Charles Leslie, Francis Curtis and Elizabeth.
SETH JACOB HALL.
A long and honorable business ca- reer, amply crowned with success, combined with the election to many offices of public trust, is that of Seth Jacob Hall. He is the eldest son of Sylvester and Rosetta (Johnson) Hall and was born September 4, 1829, at
Middletown. He is descended in a direct line from John Hall, born in England in 1605, one of the early set- tlers of Wallingford, where he died in 1676. The Hall family is one of the oldest, largest and most influential in this part of the state.
He attended the common schools and Moore's select school. After ob- taining his education he worked on a farm until twenty-one years of age and for nine consecutive winters taught district school in the vicinity of Middletown. He also worked at the factories of Jesse G. Baldwin and Charles Parker as a burnisher, and in 1857 entered the crockery and hard- ware store of Harrison W. Curtis. His employer's business being dull, Mr. Hall taught school the following winter but returned to the store in the spring where he remained until 1861 ; when he started in the flour and grain business in which he has in later years been assisted by his sons, John B. and Silas B. Later, for a little over two years, Mr. Hall was a member of the firm of I. C. Lewis & Co., which firm was formerly I. C. Lewis & Bro. . He retired from that firm in 1863 and has since conducted a successful grain, feed and coal business alone, his store at the "Corner" being one of the old land- marks of Meriden. Few men of the town have been more successful in business than Mr. Hall, for by care- ful methods he has built up a large trade and has also made several profi- table investments in real estate.
Besides being a prominent figure
380
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
If Ball
381
BIOGRAPHIES.
in the business life of the town he Baker, daughter of Dr. Rufus Baker, has been much in the public eye. A of Middletown; and Esther Rosetta, born July 24, 1880. The residence of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Hall is one of the finest in Meriden, having been erected in 1891, and is situated on East Main street. lifelong Democrat, he served his ward in both branches of the city govern- ment and the town as treasurer, se- lectman and member of the board of relief. From 1890 to 1894 he served in the Connecticut State Senate, re- flecting credit on the sixth district NATHAN FOWLER GRISWOLD. which he ably represented. Since the inauguration of the Meriden hospital Nathan Fowler Griswold, president of the Griswold, Richmond & Glock Company, comes of one of the oldest families in New England and the line may be traced unbroken to Humphrey Griswold, a "lord of the manor," who lived in England in the sixteenth cen- tury. Martin, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in the old Griswold homestead in Killing- worth, where he married Miss Sally Fowler, daughter of Nathan and Chloe (Davis) Fowler. he has been consecutively elected one of the trustees and has also served as treasurer of the corporation. He was formerly one of the directors of the Middlesex County National Bank and is at present one of the directors of the Meriden National Bank and vice president of the City Savings Bank. He was for many years trus- tee and treasurer of the Connecticut School for Boys. For nearly twenty years he has been one of the deacons of the First Baptist church of which corporation he is also one of the trus- tees. He has served both as treas- urer and trustee of the Y. M. C. A.
Mr. Hall was married October 14, 1865, to Lois Blakeslee, who was born January 24, 1833, and is a daughter of Silas and Esther (Buel) Blakeslee, of Wallingford. Their children are as follows : John Blakeslee, born Sep- tember 6, 1861, married December 16, 1895, Jennie Holcomb, daughter of Bertrand and Chloe (Holcomb) Yale, and they reside with their children on Broad street, Meriden ; Judson Syl- vester, born March 30, 1866; Silas Blakeslee, born March 28, 1869, mar- ried November 25, 1903, to Alida
Nathan Griswold was born at Lock- port, N. Y., and his mother dying af- ter his birth, he was taken to Durham, Conn., and placed in the care of his grandparents, where he remained un- til six years old, when his father again married and he again came under the parental roof, where he lived until he was eleven years of age and at- tended a private school. At the age of eleven, after working on a farm one season, he was employed in the store of Urial Ayers, of East Had- dam, and he first began to learn his trade of tinsmith. He came to Mer- iden afterwards and entered the em- ploy of Pomeroy & Ives, remaining four years at his trade as an appren-
382
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
c
383
BIOGRAPHIES.
tice, but honorably purchased the last few months of his apprenticeship and went to Cincinnati, where he worked at his trade for three years, when he again removed to Holyoke, Mass., and first started in business for himself. At the end of two years he again returned to Meriden and bought out the manufacturing busi- ness of his former employers, giving as payment several hundred dollars due him as wages, and the balance in notes, with interest at six per cent. These notes he met when due, and continued the business successfully for ten years. He then disposed of the factory to Charles Parker and others and engaged in the jobbing business at the corner of West Main and Hanover streets. He afterwards took in as a partner, George F. Searles, whom he afterwards bought out, and later Henry J. Lewis, son of the late Isaac C. Lewis, became his partner, under the style of Griswold & Lewis. In 1876, Charles C. Glock, a former valued employe, was taken into the firm, which afterwards be- came Griswold, Lewis & Glock. John L. Richmond purchased Mr. Lewis' interest in the firm which af- terwards became Griswold, Richmond & Glock, and in 1889 at Mr. Gris- wold's suggestion, about a dozen of the employes were given an interest in the business as an inducement for meritorious service and the firm was made into a corporation with a cap- ital of $50,000, under the name of Griswold, Richmond & Glock Co-op- erative Co. Some time after the
death of Mr. Richmond his interest held by his widow was purchased Jan- uary 10, 1905, for a large sum, after which the business again became a co-operative concern on the same lines as originally agreed when the com- pany was first formed.
In his religious views Mr. Griswold declares himself to be an agnostic, refusing to believe that which does not appeal to his reason.
Mr. Griswold was married in Meri- den to Eliza Williams. To them were born these children: Ella A., who married Eugene H. Ray, superinten- dent of the Silver City Plate Com- pany ; Charles, who died in early man- hood; Frank, who died while a resi- dent of Chicago, and Lewis F., de- signer for the Charles Parker Com- pany. After his wife's death Mr. Griswold married Mira Rockwell, a daughter of Samuel Rockwell. Mrs. Griswold presides over her beautiful home on Lincoln street with grace and tact and is prominent in the social and philanthropic life of Meriden.
GEORGE W. MILLER.
George W. Miller, first selectman of the town, was born October 13, 1838, in Ramapo, Rockland county, N. Y. At the age of twelve years he went with his parents to live in Chicopee Falls, Mass., where he attended school until sixteen years of age.
He then went to work for the Mas- sachusetts Arms Co. on guns and pis- tols, learning there the trade of a tool maker.
384
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
Sumiller
385
BIOGRAPHIES.
In 1862 he removed to Meriden where he has since resided and in the latter part of that year went to work for Parker, Snow, Brooks & Co., a concern engaged in manufacturing Springfield rifles for the U. S. gov- ernment. Mr. Miller was first a tool maker and afterwards a contractor, having charge of getting out the locks for the rifles. He remained in this business until 1868, when in company with his brother, William H. Miller, he started in the manufacture of pocket cutlery. From this business grew the Miller Bros. Cutlery Co. and with it he continued until 1878. Mr. Miller then withdrew his interests and started a factory at the corner of George and Mechanic streets where he made pocket knives and novelties until 1899.
Mr. Miller served as councilman in the city government during the years 1869, 1877 and 1879; was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue in 1890, serving in this capacity four years.
In 1894 he was appointed superin- tendent of the Meriden water depart- ment, and during his administration of four years the storage reservoir "Hall- mere," holding about 140,000,000 gal- lons, was constructed. In 1882, Mr. Miller was elected first selectman of the town, serving one year. In 1898, Mr. Miller was again elected to this office and has been re-elected annual- ly ever since. His administration has been practical and economical. Evi- dently the people of Meriden consider him safe and reliable as they have
elected him to this responsible office for a longer term than any of his predecessors.
His efforts to secure for Meriden a suitable home for its unfortunate poor were successful. Under his su- pervision "Cold Spring Home" was constructed, furnished and occupied within one year from the time the citizens were first called together to consider the matter. All bills for this, including the grading of the grounds, were paid from the original appropria- tion of $40,000 and there was an un- expended balance of over $5,000.00.
This is but one instance of the many that shows his loyalty and devotion to the interests of the town he serves. In these days of graft and mismanage- ment in many other cities, a faithful public servant should be especially commended in Meriden.
Mr. Miller was one of the charter members of St. Elmo commandery, K. T., with which he is consequently prominently identified. He was mar- ried February 4, 1863, to Lydia M. Tucker, of Chicopee Falls. Three sons have been born to them: Horace G. Miller, secretary and treasurer of Union Iron Works, of Los Angeles, Cal .; Lewis A. Miller, secretary of The H. Wales Lines Co., of Meriden, and Max E. Miller, vice president and secretary of The Warner-Miller Co., of New Haven.
DAVID N. CAMP.
David Nelson Camp, A. M., a well- known educator, author and lecturer,
25
386
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
and a former resident and teacher of Meriden, was born in Durham, Mid- dlesex county, Conn., October 3, 1820. He is a son of the late Elah Camp, who during his early life owned a large farm which comprised about one-fifth of the present town of Mer- iden and through which Camp street now extends. David N. Camp is the seventh in line descended from Nicho- las Camp, of Naseby, Eng., whose son, Samuel was one of the first settlers of Milford, Conn. From the last named have descended his son, Nathan, of Durham, the paternal grandfather of the subject.
His mother was Orit (Lee) Camp, a direct lineal descendant of Theophi- lus Eaton, the first governor of New Haven colony. Prof. Camp received his early education in both public and private schools and after preparing for college, although prevented from taking his course by illness, he con- tinued, studying with private tutors, and received the honorary degree of A. M. from Yale college in 1853. He became a resident of Meriden in 1846, having previously lived here for a few months during the year 184I.
Prof. Camp began teaching in the public schools of Guilford and later taught at Branford and Upper Mid- dletown. From 1848 to 1850 he be- came one of the instructors at the old Meriden Academy, which then excel- lent school he left in 1850 to become professor of mathematics, natural and moral philosophy and geography at the Connecticut State Normal school which was opened that year. In 1855
he became associate principal of the State Normal School and also was professor of English (language and literature) and mental philosophy, theory and practice of teaching. He was appointed principal of the State Normal School and also state superin- tendent of schools in 1857, both of which offices he filled with great ben- efit to Connecticut until 1865, when on account of ill health, he resigned and went at once abroad.
While engaged in European travel, and during his quest of health, when he visited many of the educational in- stitutions of Great Britain, he was ap- pointed professor at St. John's Col- lege, Annapolis, Md., and upon his re- turn from Europe assisted in reopen- ing that college after the close of the Civil War. When Henry Barnard LL. D., president of the college, re- signed to accept the appointment of commissioner of the National Bureau of Education, Prof. Camp resigned his professorship, then in 1867, and went with Dr. Barnard to Washing- ton, and entered the U. S. educational service ; but in 1868 returned to Mer- iden, upon the death of his father, whose large estate he afterwards set- tled.
From 1870 to 1880 he again became a professor at a New Britain seminary but since 1880 has devoted his efforts to a broader educational field and as a writer, author, lecturer and member of various educational, scientific, his- torical and missionary societies, has done as much as any man in the state in educating both young and old.
387
BIOGRAPHIES.
.
David N. Camp
388
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
He was one of the organizers of the National Council of Education of which he is still a member ; has been one of the directors of the Missionary Society of Connecticut since 1875 and of that society was its auditor for fif- teen years ; and he has been president of the society since 1900 ; he is also a member of the Connecticut Historical Society, and has appeared on the pub- lic platform more than 400 times as a lecturer on educational topics. Prof. Camp is also a prominent figure in financial and manufacturing circles, having since 1874 been a director and since 1883 vice president of the New Britain National bank; president of che Skinner Chuck Mfg. Co. since 1887 ; of the Atkins Printing Co. from 1875, and a director of several other corporations. His bright career in public life began in 1871 when he be- came a member of the New Britain common council. The year following he was a member of the board of al- dermen, in which body he served four years. He was elected mayor of New Britain and held that office from 1877- 79. After his creditable administra- tion as mayor he was chosen a mem- ber of the state legislature from New Britain in 1879; and served the year following as chairman of the Com- mittee on Education. He was mar- ried June 25, 1844, to Sarah Adaline Howd, and their children have been Ellen R. and Emma Jane Camp.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.