Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 196

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).

Charles M. Slater received in his boyhood the Y., and vicinity for several generations, the advantages afforded by the public schools of great-great-grandfather of our subject having 1 been one of the earliest settlers of that place. : He came from England.

North Stamford, in which locality he was reared. Subsequently he took a course at the Eastman : Business College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., on his

Dr. James Slater, the great-grandfather, was . return home entering the store at North Stam- born at Port Chester. His son John was born ' ford carried on by his father, which, on the lat- at Port Chester, and was a blacksmith by occu- | ter's retirement in June, 1872, our subject

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took. He conducted it until 1877. when he ( a soldier's life in the war of the Revolution, he sold out, removing to St. Louis, Mo., where I took his place in the ranks of the American he took charge of a general store for his un- I army, in the war of 1812. He married a Miss cle. A. O. French (Mr. French married An- I Eastwood, and they passed their wedded life on geline O. Dann, daughter of John F. Dann). I a farm where their ten children were born, as After two years' residence in that city he spent follows: Alexander. Caleb, Lyman S. (our sub- ject's father), Henry. Phirman, Peter, Bennett, Lydia, Lucy and Jane. The family were mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. another two years in North Stamford, and in 18St moved to Stamford, with whose business life he has ever since been identified. Entering ! the establishment of Hoyt & Potts, grocers, as bookkeeper, he remained with them for a year and a half. at the end of which time he became

Lyman S. Turner, father of our subject, grew | up in the town of Pawling, Dutchess Co., N. Y., i and there wedded Patty M. Dakon, a member of superintendent of William Greenwood's store, I an old family in the county. After their mar- continuing there in that capacity for two years, i nape they removed to Sherman, Fairfield Co., until he became a partner in the business, the | Conn., where Mr. Turner followed farming as a firm name being Greenwood & Slater. This i means of livelihood. The following is the record partnership was dissolved in 1885. Mr. Slater i of the seven children born to them : Alexander retaining the business at the old stand, No. 88 . is our subject; Mary J. married Harrison Birch Main street, where he remained up to 1895, the , and lives in Sherman ; John, George, Peter, year of his removal to his own building at No. | David and Charles are all farmers in Fairfield 98 Main street. On August 2, 1897, on account : county. Lyman Turner followed farming all of ill health, he sold out to E. B. Bartram, of | his life except during the months when, following Bridgeport, Conn .. and since that time he has | in the footsteps of his ancestors, he bravely not undertaken any pressing business. At the I gave his assistance in defense of the Union. He present time he is engaged in settling up the I was a member of Company D, Twenty-eighth Mayer estate. He has all his life been a busy ' Conn. V. I., enlisting August 22, 1862, and was man, and success has come to him as the reward , honorably discharged August 28, 1803. His dis- of persistent energy and industry in his several . charge from the army was closely followed by undertakings, enabling him now to enjoy the | his death, in December, 1863. In politics he was rest he needs.

a Republican from the time the party was or-

In 1873 Mr. Slater was united in marriage. ; ganized.

Alexander Turner, the subject proper of this sketch, passed his early years on the farm in Sherman, and acquired a good common-school education in the home district. After complet-

in New Canaan, Conn., with Miss Fannie B. Scofield, daughter of George H. Scofield, and three children-Laura Elizabeth, Edna F. and Howard W. - have been born to them. Laura E. is now the wife of Kev. George Fountain, who i ing his literary training he for twelve years is a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church, ! taught school with great success in the county. He then removed to New Fairfield and engaged i in farming. continuing to follow agricultural | pursuits until 1882, when he came to Danbury, and engaged in the hat business until October, ! 1893. He was then elected third selectman of

in the Newark Conference, and they have one | child, Merwin Slater. Mr. Slater is in religious connection a member of the M. E. Church at Stamford, and fraternally he united with U'nion Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Rittenhouse Chapter, Wash- ington Council. R. A. M .; also Rippowam Lodge, I the village of Danbury, and in 1895 he was the I. O. O. F .; Wascusse Encampment; the Royal : choice for first selectman, in which capacity he Arcanum; and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

is now serving. His father was a Republican, but being an independent thinker, with the cour- age of his convictions, Mr. Turner is an ardent Democrat, and takes a very active part in the work of that organization. In 1882 he repre- sented the town of New Fairfield in the State

A LEXANDER TURNER, prominent in the political circles of Danbury, was born August 21, 1847, at Sherman, Conn., the son of | Legislature, for three years was tax collector, and Lyman S. Turner and his wife, Patty M. Dakon. ' for some time served as school director, and has Stephen Turner, the grandfather of our sub- . also been one of the aldermen of the Third ward ject, was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., and. | in Danbury.

On November 19, 1869, Mr. Turner and

with the same intense love for liberty and hatred of oppression that had induced his father to Miss Sarah Durgy, daughter of Miles Durgy, of shoulder the musket and endure the hardships of | Sherman, were united in marriage, and of this

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union one child has been born-Alexina T., an accomplished young lady, who is at home with her parents.

Our subject, though coming of a family whose members have all been Methodists, is not con- nected with any denomination, but he gives very liberally of his means to all charities, and is well known as a friend of the poor and afflicted. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., of the Hat- ters Society, and the Matternick Hose Company. He is one of the wide-awake men of the com- munity, public-spirited and progressive, and stands high in the regard of his fellow citizens.

0 SCAR COSSUM, the widely known and pop- ular photographer of Stamford, Fairfield county, is a native of New York City, born Feb- ruary 24, 1861.

Charles Cossum and Richard Cossum, the fa- ther and grandfather, respectively, of our subject, were both born in Hastings, County of Sussex, England, the former in the year of 1826. Grand- father Cossum, who was the last of his name of that generation, was educated in England, and by occupation was a draper. or dry-goods merchant. In 1841 he moved with his family to the United States, settling in Oswego county. New York, where he retired from active life. In 1815 he was married to Miss Caroline Foster, and they had twelve children, those yet living being Charles, Edwin, Fannie, Decimus, Elizabeth and Caroline.

Charles Cossum, the eldest of these, spent his boyhood days in Oswego county, N. Y., and at the age of thirteen years started out in life for his

own account. When twenty-five years old he I was a farmer in that locality throughout, his act- was employed by the Hudson River Railroad Company as a brakeman, from which position he was promoted through the various grades to as- sistant superintendent and trainmaster. With this road he has a record of forty-two years, and is still in the company's employ, stationed at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1858 he was married to Miss Sarah Wood, who was born in New York City, a daughter of Peter Wood. They have four children: Charles F., a prominent attorney at law of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; Oscar, the subject proper of these lines; William H., a missionary in China; and Caroline.

Oscar Cossum received his primary education at the public schools of New York City, attend- ing same until twelve years of age, later study- ing at the Poughkeepsie high school, where he : graduated in 1876, being then but fifteen years old. After leaving school he served for a time as a messenger boy for the Western Union Tele-

graph Company at Poughkeepsie, and then clerked in the dry-goods store of Walter Van Kleek, in the same city. In 1882 he commenced learn- ing the business of photography with Vail Bros., Poughkeepsie, and with them remained until 1892, in which year he moved to Stamford, | Conn., where he opened out a photograph gal- lery, buying out James H. Kelley, and he has since successfully continued in that line of busi- ness there.

Mr. Cossum was married October 20, 1886, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to Carrie Rowland Ma- son, daughter of P. S. and Mary A. Rowland, and children as follows have blessed this union: Agnes and Clarence. Socially, Mr. Cossum has | identified himself with various public institutions; for some time he was captain of Company C. 4th Regiment, C. N. G., and while a resident of Poughkeepsie he was a member of the 15th Sep- arate Company. His sterling integrity and hon- orable, upright manhood fully entitle him to the position which he holds in the estimation of the people of the community in which he lives.

PATRICK CAMPBELL. This well-known citizen of Sandy Hook belongs to a race i which is characterized by energy in action and sound judgment in the execution of plans once made, and in the following brief history of his career we find these qualities plainly indicated. His ancestry is Scotch-Irish, and his birth oc- curred in 1836, in County Donegal, Ireland. where the family has resided for several genera- tions.

James Campbell, our subject's grandfather, ive life, and James Campbell (2), the father of our subject, was born there in 1796, and attained to a good old age, passing away in 1887. He was a successful man, and carried on an ex- tensive business as a feed merchant or miller un- til about twenty years before his death. His wife, Margaret (Kennedy), daughter of William Kennedy, of the same county, died in 186 ;. They had seven children, viz .: Mary, deceased (who was the wife of John McCafferty); Patrick, i our subject; James; John, a resident of Sandy Hook; and William, Thomas and William (2), all | three deceased.

Mr. Campbell received a good education in I the national schools near his early home, con- 1 tinuing his studies until he reached the age of seventeen. On leaving school he assisted his father for some time, but in 1866 he came to 1 America, locating first in Portland, Maine, where I he conducted a saloon for about five years. In

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18;1 he settled in Sandy Hook, opening a saloon I zen of that town. In politics he was first a Whig at the New England depot, and three years later | and then a Republican, but a few years previous he moved his establishment up to the village, | to his death, which occurred in 1871, he became where he has now occupied the same stand for I a believer in the principles of the Democratic party. Although he was never especially active i in the local administration, he at one time held the office of assessor. For his first wife he mar- about twenty-two years. In 1893 he purchased the feed business formerly conducted by Jerome Judson, which he has continued with marked success, making it the leading enterprise of the , ried a Miss Howes, by whom he had three chil- kind in the village of Sandy Hook. As a citizen | dren: Maryette, Mrs. Alonzo Hill; Harriette, he is public-spinted, taking much interest in local i who married Egbert Steadwell; and Charlotte. progress, and he is a prominent worker in the I wife of Eli Bailey. His second wife, Elizabeth Democratic organization in his locality, having | (Travis), was a daughter of Gilbert Travis, of been chosen to represent his town in the State i the town of Southeast, Putnam Co., N. Y., who Legislature in 1805 I owned all the land in the vicinity of the magnetic I ion mines. Of the eight children of this union

In 1879 Mr. Campbell married Miss Mary Murray. daughter of Martin Murray, of County | the eldest, Joseph, died in childhood; David re- Clare, Ireland, and seven children have blessed I sides in Westville, Conn. ; Joseph is deceased; this union. viz. : James: Catherine; Henry; . George, our subject, is mentioned more fully be- low; James, Elbert, Harrison and Rufus are

Gussie and Margaret (twins), of whom the latter i is deceased: Martin Wilham, deceased; and Pat- I deceased.

rick William. The family attend St. Rose's

Our subject spent his youth in his native Catholic Church at Newtown, of which Mr. . county, and his education was obtained in the Campbell is a leading member. In 1899 he pur- . common schools of the town of Southeast, which chased the residence formerly owned by Dr. D. ' he attended until he was about sixteen years old. P. Richardson

' from which time until he reached his majority I he assisted his father on the farm and in the shop. Becoming quite proficient in the black- smith's trade during this time, he found no diffi-

G FORGE CRANE, a highly-respected resi- : dent of Newtown township, is a man whose I culty in securing work when he left home at the abilities have been proved in practical work, and I age of twenty-one, and for two years he was em- his farm near Dodgingtown gives evidence of his energetic and judicious management. Be- sides making a success in this calling he has been for a number of years the principal blacksmith of his locality. while as a citizen he has always taken a helpful attitude toward movements for public improvement.

Mr. Crane is a native of the Empire State, having been born at Patterson, Putnam county, July 28, 1839. His paternal grandfather came from England with seven brothers and settled in the town of Southeast, Putnam Co., N. Y., where he followed the blacksmith's trade for many years, his shop being located at the south end of the Brewster reservoir. He married and had six children, viz .: Sally, who never mar- ried; Polly, who married and moved to Pennsyl- vania; Zebulon, a blacksmith in the town of Southeast : Samuel, who died in Danbury; Elijah, our subject's father; and Elisha, who located in the West.

Elijah Crane. the father of our subject. was born | with Hiram Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., of Sandy in 1 800 and in eariy manhood engaged in the black- Hook. So far as State and National issues are smith's trade and in farming, in which occupations | concerned he has always been a Republican, and he met with marked success. He owned a farm since casting his first Presidential vote for Abra- of about 140 acres in the town of Patterson, Put- I ham Lincoln in 1860, he has supported every nam county, and was regarded as a leading citi- | National ticket of his party. In local affairs he

ployed by Daniel Sunderland, at Lake Mahopac. He then rented a farm and mill in the town of Patterson for a year, and at the expiration of that time he went to Mill Plain, Fairfield Co., where he spent two years. Returning to Southeast, be next purchased a piece of property and built a shop of his own, which he conducted successfully until October, 1878, when he sold out and re- moved to his present farm near Dodgingtown. It is a fine homestead, containing something over one hundred acres, and its management, together with that of the blacksmith shop (which he built soon after taking possession of the place), occupy his time fully.

In 1860 Mr. Crane married Miss Margaret A. Warren, daughter of William Warren, of Carmel, N. Y., and three children have blessed the union. Byron W. is a hatter in Danbury; Frances E. is i the wife of Moses H. Platt, of the town of Red- ding. this county, and Cenie married I. W. An- drews, of Bethel. Socially, Mr. Crane is identified

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is independent, voting as the interests of the com- munity may seem to demand. Since his removal to Newtown he has not been active in politics, but while residing in Southeast he held office as jus- tice of the peace.

M INOTT AUGUR. A man who achieves through his own efforts a substantial suc- cess in business, at the same time gaining the re- spect and esteem of his fellow citizens, is worthy of a prominent place in such a volume as this, and the following biography will be of lasting interest.

Mr. Augur, who has been for thirty years a leading business man of Sandy Hook, was born in Bridgeport, Fairfield county, April 6, 1829, and his ancestors for several generations past have been identified with the State of Connecticut. Isaac Augur, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a resident of New Haven, and his son, Joel, our subject's grandfather, was born in that city. Joel Augur married Phila A. Newhall, the daugh- ter of a Revolutionary soldier, and they had the following named children: Lewis, Daniel C., Joel, George, Wealthy A., Susan and Elizabeth C.

Capt. Daniel C. Augur, our subject's father, was born in New Haven in 1807, and in early life learned the shoemaker's trade at Bridgeport, this county, where he resided from 1822 to 1829. He then returned to New Haven, but in 1838 he re- moved to Woodbridge, New Haven county. In 1839 he engaged in butchering in New Haven, and for seventeen years followed that occupation successfully, having an extensive wholesale and retail trade. Later he devoted his attention to growing garden seeds at his home in Woodbridge, where his death occurred October 24, ISgo. He had great influence in local affairs, and held nu- merous offices, including those of selectman, jus- tice of the peace and assessor, which he filled for ten years, while he was also a notary public for some time. From 1830 to 1834 he was a captain in the State militia, and at the time of his death he was the oldest militia officer in Connecticut. as well as the oldest Odd Fellow. He was mar- ried three times: First in 1828 to Delia A. Middle- brook, second to Caroline E. Clark, and third to Miranda Allen. Of the four children of his first marriage our subiect is the eldest. (2) Amelia P. died in infancy. (3) Amelia E. is the wife of Judge Henry Stoddard, of New Haven, who served for eight years on the Bench of the Su- perior Court of Connecticut. (4) Charles P., who occupies the homestead at Woodbridge, mar- ried Isabella Allen, of Westport, this county, in 1871, and has had the following children: Edith

(who married Charles E. Peck), Erroll (who married Adeline Peck), Elma, Ethel, Eimer, Eunice, Elsie and Edna.

Our subject acquired his early education in the district schools of Woodbridge and a private school at New Haven. At the age of fourteen he began to learn the printer's trade in the office of the New Haven Register, where he remained about six years. Desiring to embark in the newspaper business, he came to Norwalk, this county, and for two years was engaged in pub- lishing the Fairfield County Republican as a member of the firm of Smith & Augur, but as the business did not prove as congenial as he had hoped he gave it up and returned to Woodbridge to follow farming at the homestead. In 1852 he engaged in the grocery and meat business in New Haven. From 1857 to 1867 he resided upon the old homestead, but in the fall of the latter year he removed to Sandy Hook and opened his present meat market in partnership with Philo Nichols, the firm being known as Nichols & Augur. Early in 1869 Mr. Augur purchased his partner's interest in the business, which he has since continued alone. It is now one of the old- est enterprises in Sandy Hook and the only mar- ket in the place.

Notwithstanding the time and attention re- quired to make a success of his business Mr. Augur has given much thought to local affairs. At present he holds the office of assessor, and he has served as justice of the peace and grand juror since settling at Sandy Hook, while he also held several important town offices during his residence at Woodbridge. He has always been a Democrat, but his sympathies were with the Union during the Rebellion. Fraternally, he belongs to Olive Branch Lodge No. 84, F. & A. M., at Westville, Conn., and is prominent in re- ligious work as a member of St. John's Episco- pal Church at Sandy Hook, in which he holds the office of warden. His reading has been ex- tensive, and while engaged in agricultural work he took great interest in the scientific questions connected with that calling. For eleven years he was secretary of the Woodbridge and Bethany Agricultural Society.

In 1852 Mr. Augur married Miss Ruth Eliza Peck, daughter of Bennett B. Peck, a well-known. resident of Woodbridge. No children have been born to this union.

G RANVILLE TAYLOR. A glance over the early history of the town of Danbury gives to the most cursory observer an idea of the | prominence attained by the family of the name

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of Taylor. In all the enterprises of note, from ing the good in, and winning the confidence of, the very young days of the Connecticut Colony, ; all who come within the circle of his ac- we find representatives of this family taking an ; quaintance.

active part. Granville Taylor, a brief outline of whose life history is here given, was born June 28, 1823, a son of Joel Taylor. The latter lived B RADLEY DURGY, a prominent agricult- urist of the town of New Fairfield, is a rep- many years at Great Plain, and died in 1870. A complete account of the ancestral history will be . resentative of one of the most highly respected found elsewhere.

families of that locality.

Granville Taylor spent his early days on the John Durgy, his grandfather. was born and reared in a small city in the North of Ireland, and was married there to Miss Hannah Congo, farm where he now resides, and attended the district school. He supplemented his public- school education with study at the academy at . with whom he came to this country not long Danbury until he was about nineteen years of I afterward. They settled near the site of the age, when he entered Yale Medical College, , present village of Sherman, Fairfield Co .. graduating from the last named institution in i Conn., purchasing a farm which they improved 1547. He never practiced medicine, but went ! for a homestead. They had seven children:

to Illinois and for five years farmed in the Prai- rie State. Filled with a longing for the customs and people familiar to his boyhood, he returned to Connecticut, locating at Danbury, where he

Francis, Betsey, John, Andrew, Marcus, Ira and Joel.

John Durgy (2). our subject's father, was born in the town of New Fairfield, where he re- followed contracting and building for several . ceived his education in the schools common to years and also engaged as a hat manufacturer rural settlements in that early day, and on leav- for a couple of years. His inclination to emjoy . ing school he engaged in farming. He married a closer contact with Nature led hun to abandon | Miss Abbie Osborn, by whom he had the follow- his work in town and again take up agriculture as . ing named children: Angeline, wife of Daniel his life occupation, and he accordingly went Monroe; Flora, wife of Dennis Haviland; Gran- back to the old homestead farm, which contains I vil, who married Polly A. Durgy; Phoebe, wife about thirty-two acres of rich and arable land, Charles Wooster; Clara, wife of Silas Terrell; where he has since remained.

Neilson, who married Lucretia Hyatt; Bradley,

On September 29. 1847. Mr. Taylor married I who is mentioned more fully below; and Han- Miss Helen A. Stevens, of Danbury, a daughter : nah, who married (first) Oliver Cromwell and of Dr. Sylvester and Angeline Stevens, and sister ! (second) William Wildman.

of Frederick S. Stevens, of Bridgeport. To the

The subject of our sketch was born in the union of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have come three | year 1829, at the old homestead in the town of children, namely: Emma, who died at the age of . New Fairfield, and has always been a resident eight years: G. Edward, a farmer; and Nelle, i of that neighborhood. The common schools of who died at the age of seventeen. G. Edward I the town furnished him his educational oppor- married Dora Leach, of Danbury, and they have i tunities, and at an early age he became inter- three children - Mona H .. Ernest L. and Pau- . ested in his present business of farming. In pol- lina S. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor celebrated their | itics he has been a steadfast Democrat, but he golden wedding in 189 ;.

has never sought official rewards for his devotion

In his political affiliations Mr. Taylor was at I to his party. He married Miss Abbie Conger, one time identified with the Greenback party, , daughter of Ephraim and Maria (Hubbill) Con- but is now an independent voter. He has ger. the former a well-known farmer of the town always taken an active part in politics, and has i of Sherman. To this union came one son, Will- iam H. Durgy, born August 12, 1856, who after receiving a good common-school education fol- lowed his father's example and engaged in farm- ing until his death, which occurred August 27, 1897.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 196

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