Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 120

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795

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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).

Mr. Bouton has since resided continuously at . old, Mrs. Howley at the age of seventy-five.

Stamford, Conn .. successfully engaged in the sash and blind manufacturing business, and in ! carpentry. For the past eight years he has also conducted a general janitor business.

James Howley had very limited opportunities for schooling in his native country, but he was eager to gain all the education he could, and for a number of years after coming to this country he attended night school, part of the time at the screw works in Glenville. His first work in the

Mr. Bouton has been twice married. first time September 4. 1854, at Bridgeport, Conn., to Miss Jane Kennedy, who died April 5, 1865. On | United States was for a farmer in Massachusetts.

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who paid him $5 a month, but he remained there only a short time before coming to Glenville, Conn., where he had a cousin, Michael Howley. When seventeen years old he was earning $2.50 a week, as he was strong and industrious, and could drive a team and do any kind of laboring work. Later he entered the employ of Henry Isham, working at that gentleman's country home in Glenville as general utility man for $9 per month, and he also worked for a time in the mill at Glenville, then a satinet mill. He was unfortunate, however, in this employ. as he failed to receive all the wages due him, and was finally obliged to settle for twenty-five per cent. of the amount of his claim. Following this he spent a short time in New York City with Martin Bros .. grocers, at the corner of Catharine and Hamilton streets, where he earned $17 per month, and his next employment was in a brickyard near Peeks- kill, N. Y .. where he remained several months. He now engaged as coachman for a Mr. Black- stock. but left him after a brief period of service, and commenced to work in the screw factory, where he was employed regularly some ten years, during which time, by frugality and steadiness, be managed to save enough to make a start in business on his own account. On April 9. 1865, he bought from Solomon Reynolds a small house on the site of his present hotel property, and Mrs. Howley worked and saved with him. keeping board- ers until they were able to enter the business in a more auspicious manner, as the proprietors of a well-appointed hostelry. All the capital orig- inally invested by these thrifty people was put by out of Mr. Howley's earnings of $1. 50 a day. when he worked in a screw factory, after leaving which he for years carried the mail between Glenville and Port Chester, being the first regu- lar carrier on that route. From these small be- ginnings he has continued to prosper and rise steadily, and to-day he ranks among the best and most reliable citizens of the town, where he is regarded as a worthy representative of the self- made, successful man. In addition to his hotel property Mr. Howley owns another valuable busi- ness place, which he rents, and a comfortable residence. He also loans money, and carries a number of mortgages.

United States, but during the voyage the former died and was buried at sea, leaving the girl de- | pendent on her own resources on her arrival in the New World. She obtained employment as a domestic. and for some years previous to her marriage lived with the family of William E. Ward, at Pembermilk. The young couple com- menced housekeeping in Glenville, and they have reared a large family, of which they may justly be proud. Nine children were born to them, namely: James P. is a dyer by trade: Thomas F., who lives at home, has for twelve years had charge of the Western Union Telegraph office at Glenville; John J. lives in New York and is in the city employ as an inspector of buildings: William E. is a physician in New York City; Mary lives with her parents; Kate is the wife of Lawrence Timmons, of Greenwich; Martin died when eighteen months old; Martin (2) is a tinner in Port Chester: Charles H. is a telegraph operator in the Western Union office in New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Howley have brought up their children to respect the principles of honesty, integrity and industry, and to a thorough appreciation of the value of practical knowledge and usefulness, and there is no better family of boys in the township, all being steady-going and thrifty and holding good positions. The family are Catholics in religious faith, and Mr. Howley is a member of the Church committee. In politics he is a stanch Democrat.

M ERLE C. COWLES. The Cowles family is among the oldest in New England, and the subject of this sketch, a prominent citizen of Bridgeport, is of the eighth generation in direct descent from John Cowles, who came from Eng- land at a very early period and, after a short res- idence in Massachusetts, removed in 1635 to Hartford, Conn. In 1640 he went to Farming- ton, Conn., and in 1663-64 he was in Hadley (now Hatfield), Mass. He carried on agri- cultural pursuits, and most of his descendants have been interested in that line. His wife's name is not now known, but they had a son John, through whom the line of descent of our subject is traced.

Il. John Cowles, son of the pioneer, was born in 1647. III. Samuel Cowles, the next in the line of descent, was born in 1673. IV. Samuel Cowles, son of Samuel III, was born in 1706. V. Ebenezer Cowles, our subject's great- grandfather, was born in 1750. VI. Solomon Cowles, the grandfather of our subject, was born in 1779, probably in South Norfolk, Litchfield This memoir would be incomplete without mention of Mr. Howley's faithful lite partner, who has done her share in helping him on the road to prosperity. On May 22, 1859, he was married in St. Stephen's church, in Twenty- eighth street, New York City, to Miss Catharine Wall. who was born in County Tipperary, Ire- land, a daughter of Thomas Wall. In 1853 the father and daughter set sail together for the | Co., Conn., and became a farmer there. He

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married Keturah Case, and had five children: Joseph, James, Loyal, William and Solomon G.

VII. Solomon G. Cowles, our subject's fa- ther, was born in 1827, in Norfolk, Conn., and for many years was engaged in farming there and in various places in New York State, Maryland and Nebraska, but is now living in retirement in the town of Stratford, this county. His wife, whose maiden name was Emily Andrews, is a na- tive of the town of Winsted, Litchfield Co., Conn. Her family was of English or Welsh ori- gin, and her father, Ezra Andrews, was in his day a clock peddler in Litchfield county and as far west as Ohio. Our subject is the youngest of three children, the others being Nelson E., who has been engaged in raising fruit in Florida for about nine years, and Mary E., who died in 1896, unmarried.

VIII. Merle C. Cowles was born January 1, 1861, in Franklin, Delaware Co., N. Y., where he remained until he reached the age of fourteen years, commencing his education in the local schools. His parents then removed to Bladens- burg, Md., but after one year's residence there they settled at Union, Broome Co., N. Y., where they spent a number of years. While there our subject, then a lad of sixteen, found employment on a neighboring farm, where he remained a year, spending the winter season in attending school and doing "chores " for his board. For a short time he worked in a cheese factory in Union Center, and in 1879 he went to Hartford 1 and Watertown, Conn., to visit relatives. At the last named place he was employed at farm work for a few months. and in the fall of the vear he secured a position in the tube casting works of Benedict & Burnham. with whom he continued a year. On January 1, 1881, he be- came a clerk in Sherman Fenn's grocery in Watertown, and on leaving that situation he spent four months with the American Ring Company, of the same place. On December 1, 1881, Mr. Cowles removed to Bridgeport, entering the em- ploy of the Bridgeport Brass Company. with which he has ever since been connected, and since 1892 he has had charge of the work of casting their seamless tubes. His sterling qualities of character have not been unnoticed by his fellow citizens, and in April, 1897. he was elected by them to the office of alderman from the Twelfth | of real estate. In politics he was a Democrat, district of Bridgeport, for the term of two years. Politically, he is a stanch Republican.

On June 17, 1882, Mr. Cowles married Miss Carrie Sanford, of Waterbury, a daughter of Ruel and Nancy (Neal) Sanford, and five chil- [ dren have blessed the union: Alice M., Emma E .. Frederick M., Louise B. and George N. | joiner in Bridgeport, and died there in 1888. (3)

The family is much esteemed socially, and Mr. Cowles is a member of the Park City Yacht Club, and is especially prominent in the Masonic Fra- ternity, in which he has attained the thirty-sec- ond degree. He belongs to St. John Lodge No. 3: Jerusalem Chapter No. 13; Jerusalem Council No. 16; Hamilton Commandery No. 5; Pyramid Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Lafayette Consistory, Scottish Rite Masons. He was master of St. John's Lodge in 1893, served three years as patron of Orient Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, from 1891 to 1893; Grand Lecturer of the State in 1894; Associate Grand Patron in 1895, and Grand Patron in 1896.

G EORGE W. HAYES. The introduction of railways has produced results so great that they can hardly be estimated by the people of to- day, and the enterprise and foresight of those who have helped in the development of rapid transportation is worthy of admiration. This well-known citizen, who is now living in retire- ment in Bridgeport, was for many years actively engaged in this line of enterprise, and many miles of railroad, burdened daily with the traffic of a continent, are a lasting monument to his skill and energy.

Mr. Haves is of Irish descent in the paternal line, but the name has been identified with this county for many years, his great-grandfather. Thomas Hayes, a native of Ireland, being the first of the family to cross the Atlantic ocean. Jesse Haves, an uncle of our subject, served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and in every genera- tion the name has been associated with a high order of citizenship. Thomas Hayes (2), the father of our subject, was born in Hartford county. Conn., April 20, 1782, and was married in this county to Miss Sally Greene, a native of the town of Easton, Fairfield county, where her father, James Greene, was a well-known farmer. Soon after his marriage our subject's father re- moved to Ohio, by an overland route, but losing his money he returned to Bridgeport, where he engaged in business as a general carpenter and millwright, accumulating a handsome compe- tence. and becoming the owner of a large amount but no office holder. He died November 28, 1849, his wife on March 16, 1843. They had a family of ten children as follows: (1) Solomon, born in 1800, was a hatter by trade, and died in Bridgeport: he married and left two sons. (2) Benjamin, born in 1802, was a carpenter and

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Sally, born in 1803, married Isaac Mason, a ship i several contracts for the re-laying of rails on joiner of Bridgeport, where she died in 1826. (4) I various lines, including the road from Troy to Alonzo, born February 11, 1806, died 18So, married Lucretia Stratton, and they had ten children-Charles, Samuel, Mary Ann, Laura,

Saratoga Springs, N. Y., and on completing the latter enterprise he built as follows : a road from Saratoga Springs to Whitehall, N. Y .; one from Daniel, Alonzo, Minott, Sherwood. Walter, and Whitehall to Castleton, Vt., and one from Bel- I lows Falls to Brattleboro, Vt. Altogether he spent twenty-two years as a railroad contractor, I this long period he maintained the partnership

an infant. (5) Johnson, born 1808. was a joiner and carpenter, and died in 1858; he married Eleanor Turney, daughter of Levi Turney, of | building about 485 miles of road, and throughout Fairfield township (both now deceased), and they had six children as follows-Wesley Hayes, of i with Mr. Stewart.

Bridgeport, married Loretta Richardson, daugh- ter of George and Loretta Richardson (the for- | mer of whom was an inventor of a safety valve), In 1852 Mr. Hayes made his home at No. 22 Berkshire street, in East Bridgeport, then a I village of less than a dozen houses, and he is and they have three children living: Sarah A., a | now spending his well-earned leisure there. He teacher in Bridgeport: Josephine, widow of i fond of out-door sport, and is a noted hunter,

Charles Ells, also lives in Bridgeport: George

often making trips with his dogs and gun in pur-

W. died in infancy; Alamanda is the deceased i suit of various kinds of game. In politics he is wite of Dr. G. L. Woods, of Springfield (there | a Democrat, and fraternally he is connected with is one son by this union, Wesley E., a resident . the F. & A. M., St. John's Lodge No. 3, of of New York); Emma H., wite of Irving C. | Bridgeport. In 1845 he married Miss Louisa

Peck (they have one daughter, Bertha May, and

make their home in Florida). (6) Mary Ann, | Bennett, at one time prominent residents of the

born in 1812, died in 1825. (7) Caroline, born in 1815, died August 1, 1862. married (first) George Davis, of Bridgeport, and (second) John i was two years old, the mother passing away in W. Stewart, a native of Schoharie, N. Y. (she 1852), and three children bless this union : (1) | William H., now in the employ of the Wheeler had two children-Georgiana, wife of Col. S. B.

Bennett, daughter of Elias and Sally (Greene) | town of Easton (both are now deceased. the father having died when their daughter Louisa

1 Summer, an attorney of Bridgeport, who was a | & Wilson Mig. Co., in Bridgeport; he married colonel in the Civil war: and Charles ;. (8) Al- Harriet Keeler, daughter of Chauncey Keeler, and granddaughter of Isaac Keeler, of Fairfield county (they have four children-Frank E .. William K., Harriet Louise and Grace May). (2) Franklin M., who married Maggie Waldron, and both died leaving no children. (3) George, who died when an infant. myra, born in 1817, died in 1843. married Hiram Chandler, of New York City; she had one son, Charles, who lives in New York. (9) Thomas, born in 1819, was a carpenter and joiner in Bridgeport, where he died in 1884: he married Sarah Morgan, and they had six children-Z. Frances, Sarah Elizabeth, Leroy (who was a In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hayes are inembers of the Methodist Church at Bridgeport. soldier in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion, was wounded four times at the battle of Gettysburg, and died), Charlton and Horace (both also deceased), and Edward. (10) George W. (the subject proper of this sketch) is the youngest.

George W. Hayes was born December 5, 1821. in Bridgeport, Conn., and learned the car- penter's trade there. For six years he was em- ployed on the Housatonic railroad, at the end of which time he engaged in contracting in partner- ship with his brother-in-law, John W. Stewart, his hrst venture in that line being the re-laying of iron rails on the Housatonic railroad. The work occupied his attention for two years, and later he aided in the construction of a new road from Van Deusenville to Pittsfield. Mass., and 108 miles of Harlem road, his branch of the work being the furnishing of ties, laying rails, and building bridges. In the meantime he filled i

H OWARD TAYLOR FARNAM. This young business man of Bethel is a representative of one of the oldest and most highly esteemed New England families, and on that account as well as for his own merits the following history will be read with interest. He is of the eighth generation in direct descent from John Farnam, one of the first settlers at Dorchester, Mass., and a leader in the affairs of the little colony | near Massachusetts Bay. This noted pioneer was one of the seven persons who organized the Second Church at Boston, on June 1, 1650, and, as is shown by the records of that year, he was chosen deacon of the Society. He had previously | been made a "freeman " of the colony, on May 1 13, 1640, and probably resided there many

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years, but later he left the locality owing to religious differences, his activity in building up | with a Mr. Nichols, and engaged in the manu- the Baptist Church bringing him the enmity of some other members of the colony. Deacon John Farnam and his wife Elizabeth had four children : Henry, who is next in the line of descent; Jonathan, born January 16, 1638; Han- : nah, born November 19, 1642: and Jonna, born March 3, 1644.

(2) Henry Farnam, who was born in 1636, and died in July, 1700, became a joiner by trade, | firm name of Benedict, Mallory & Farnam, but and made his home at Killingworth, Conn. He married Jonna Rutke, daughter of Thomas 1 Rutke, and had two children : Peter and Eliza- 1 .beth.

(3) Peter Farnam died February 14, 1703, leaving a large family of children as follows : | Hannah, born December 8. 1686; Jonna, born 1 December 16, 1687; Peter F., August 29, 1689; Hannah F., August 23, 1691: Nathaniel F., February 27, 1695; Josiah F., July 16, 1698; Phoebe F., October 29, 1700: John F., Novem- ber 30, 1702; John G., May 30, 1710, and Lof- tus N., September 24, 1730.

(4) John Farnam, the next in order of descent, resided for a time at Guilford, Conn., and after- ward settled in Litchfield. He was married December 30, 1725, to Hannah Crittenden, by -whom he had the following children : John F., Jr., born November 24, 1726: Lucy, August 1, 1729; Ruth, September 12, 1731; Seth F., Sep- tember 28, 1733; Grace, August 1, 1736; Nathan, June 19, 1738; Joseph, September 10, 1740; Benjamin, March 1, 1742: and Hannah, January .4, 1746.

(5) Seth F. Farnam, our subject's great- grandfather, was the owner of the copper mine at South Farms. Litchfield Co., Conn. He was married January 23, 1766. to Dianah Gibbs, and they had five children: Benjamin, born March 31, 1768; John, November, 1770; Joseph, July 10, 1773; Leman, May 8, 1775: and Seth, May 17, 1777.

(6) John Farnam. the grandfather of our subject, resided in Litchfield county. Conn., where he died at the age of fifty-four years. He married Hannah Taylor. and had six children, of whom the late Ethel Taylor Farnam, our sub- ject's father, was the youngest.

(7) The late E. T. Farnam was born in Litchfield, September 13, 1817. and was but a child at the time of his father's death. After this event the family removed to Bethel, where he attended school, and at an early age he be- gan clerking for Hiram Weed. He had his own way to make in life, but as he possessed remark- able energy and shrewdness he was fully equal

to the task. In 1838 he formed a partnership

facture of hats, under the firm name of E. T. Farnam & Co., this being one of the first estab- lishments of the kind in Bethel. After two years he purchased his partner's interest; for thirteen years he continued the business alone; failing health. however, compelled him to re- tire. In 1855 he became connected with a large i wholesale hat business in Chicago, under the

| in 1861 he sold his interest to Keith Brothers (later Edson Keith & Co., one of the wealthiest firms in Chicago). In 1862 Mr. Farnam again I engaged in the hat manufacture at Bethel, and I with the exception of three years, from 1865 to 186S. he continued the business without a part- ner until his death, which occurred August 20. 1886. As a citizen Mr. Farnam was highly re- spected, and his influence was felt as a factor on the side of progress. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and in 1860 he was chosen to rep- resent his town in the State Legislature. He also held various other offices, serving three years as county commissioner. Fraternally, he belonged to the I. O. O. F., also to Eureka Lodge No. 83. F. & A. M., at Bethel, of which he was a charter member. His manner was most pleasant and genial, and, as his extensive reading kept him well informed upon the topics of the day. he was an agreeable companion.

On January 26, 1840, Mr. Farnam was mar- ried at Bethel to Miss Mary J. Somers, daughter of Berah and Merah (Wheeler) Somers. She was born April 1, 1820, and died November 16, 1894. Nine children were born to this estimable couple, six of whom are living: (1) George W., a resi- dent of Brooklyn, N. Y., married Miss Eleanor M. Wheelock. and had six children-Ethel (1) (deceased). Ellen, Grace, Margaret, Ethel (2) and Eleanor. (2) Le Grande S., who resides in Bethel. married Miss Mary Brockett, and had one child, Ethel T., now deceased. (3) John G., a resident of Bethel, married Miss Josephine Hubbell. now deceased. (4) Emily N. was mar- ried November 9, 1869, to Frank W. Barnum, who is mentioned more fully below. (5) Martha B. married George B. Fairchild, a partner of our subject. (6) Howard T. is the subject prop- er of this biography.

The Barnum family, of which the late Frank W. Barnum was a member, has been identified with this section for many years. He was of the sixth generation in direct descent from Thomas Barnum. and the line is traced through Thomas (2), who married Sarah Beardsley; Ephraim, who married Rachel Starr; Captain Ephraim, of

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Revolutionary fame, who married Mehitable -; Peter, who was born March 7, 1784, and died August 22, 1873; and Eli Starr Barnum, who was born July 1, 1820, and married Julia Bar- num, by whom he had four children, among whom was Frank W. This lamented citizen was born March 1, 1847, in Bethel, where he was reared and educated. During the Civil war he was con- nected with the sutler's department of Grant's army, and as a young man he clerked for some time in Danbury for Benedict & Nichols. Later he was engaged in general merchandise business in Bethel for a year, and in 1871 he opened a drug store in Danbury at the corner of Main and White streets. He died January 31, 1892, in Norwich, Conn. One child survives him, Mary Katherine.

Howard T. Farnam, our subject, was born November 22, 1863, in the town of Bethel, where he received a public-school education. At the age of fifteen he entered his father's factory to learn the hatter's trade, but in 1880 he left that work to take a position in a furniture house in New York City, where he remained four months. Later he was with a hat-jobbing house for some time, in 1883 returning to his father's factory as foreman, and this position he held until the death of the father, in 1886. Since that date the firm has been known as Farnam & Fairchild, our subject's brother-in-law being the junior part- ner.

On December 27, 1888, Mr. Farnam was married in Danbury to Miss Janet M. Hunter, daughter of James Hunter. Mr. Farnam is a member of various societies, including Union Lodge No. 40, F. & A. M., Eureka Chapter No. 23, R. A. M., Crusader Commandery No. 10, K. T., Wooster Council No. 28, Pyramid Temple, Nobles Mystic Shrine.

M TRS. MARY A. WHITE was born in the town of Wilton, February 26, 1844, re- ceived her education in the Wilton academy, un- der Prof. Edward Olmstead, attending that insti- tution six years, and afterward taught a private school at Wilton, about two years. On June 22, 1869, she married Dr. Charles Belden White, who was born in New York City September 12, 1837, a son of Dr. Ambrose L. White, for thirty years a successful practitioner of New York City. The children of Dr. and Mrs. Mary A. White were as follows: Francis, born June 7, 1870, died May 24. 1878; Mary S., born August 28, 1871, died September 10, 1871; Katharine, born No- vember 14, 1872; Edith, born March 27, 1875; Winifred, born January 18, 1877; Davenport,

born May 8, 1879; Ambrose Lipscomb, born May 22, 1881, died June 18, 1898.

The following is a brief account of the ances- try of Mrs. White: Nathan Davenport, her grand- father, was born in the town of Stamford. Conn., August 8, 1768, and acquired his education in the common schools of that place. He was the proprietor of a fulling-mill at Wilton, which he conducted for many years, and he was also a farmer. He married Miss Mary Smith, a sister of Rev. Daniel Smith, and by her had the fol- lowing children: George A., James S. and Mary A. Of these, George A. married Mary Sturgess; James S. married Mary Olmstead, and Mary married Matthew Smith. He had a half-sister, Clarissa Raymond, who lived to be 104 years, 8 months and 25 days old.

George A. Davenport was born in the town of Wilton, Conn., January 31, 1808, and passed his early youth in the usual employments of the farm, attending the public schools, also the academy taught by Dr. Hawley Olmstead, and early developed the characteristics that distin- guished him throughout life. His legal educa- tion was obtained at Yale Law School under Prof. Samuel J. Hitchcock, of whom he ever afterward spoke as one of the greatest of teach- ers. Mr. Davenport was never much engaged in the trial of cases in court, though he was for a time associated as a law partner with the late Judge Butler. He preferred office practice, spending most of his time in that branch of law. more especially in drawing up wills, contracts and conveyances, and in giving legal advice. By the General Assembly he was appointed probate judge for the district of Norwalk for the years 1844-45. 1847-48 and 1850-51. The mode of appointment to this office having been changed in 1850, he was continuously elected to the same office by the people of the district, always by large majorities, and nearly always as a candi- date of both political parties, until 1878, when he reached the constitutional limit of age, mak- ing in all thirty years of service in that office. After his retirement he remained at his home in Wilton, passing his time in congenial employ- ments. At the age of eighty years we find him studying Hebrew. From the Norwalk Gazette, of January 8, 1878, we quote a simple passage, which speaks volumes for the memory of Judge Davenport: "Few, if any, probate districts in the country have been as highly favored with such exceptional capacity and fidelity to public trust, and we are sure that the regrets at Judge Davenport's retirement will be both universal and sincere."

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 120

Author: H. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1795

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795