Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 212

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

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SAMUEL A. WEED, the eldest son of Seth C. Weed, was born in New Canaan, and there spen! | his boyhood days, receiving his education in the schools of his native town and Norwalk. He has spent the greater part of his life in the city of hr- birth, where, like his father and grandfather be- fore him. he holds an enviable place in the esteem and respect of his fellow citizens.

C HARLES G. BOHANNAN, M. D. Amene the old plantations of Virginia is the old home of the Bohannan family. In 1660 King Charles granted 10,000 acres in the " Old Do- minion " to Ambrose Bohannan, a loval subject c: the Stuarts in Scotland, and he made his home on this vast tract, passing the remainder of his days there. He was twice married, his first wife being | Miss Le Fond. a French Huguenot, by whom i: I had two children: Joseph Le Fond. who rose tr the rank of colonel in the Continental army, and was the father of R. Le Fond Bohannan, wh founded the Medical College of Virginia; and An. brose, who became quartermaster of Washing- ton's army at Yorktown. Ambrose Bohannan': second wife was a Miss Gregory, and in their fan ..

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ily was a son. William, the great -grandfather of Charles G. Behannan, whose name introduces this review. William Bohannan married Mary Gordon, and they reared a family of six children: Joseph, a shipbuilder in Virginia the and Captain

Dr. Charles G. Bohannan was born in West- ville, Mathews Co., Va., October 7. 1852. In 1875 be entered the Medical Department of the University of the City of New York, graduating with the class of 1878. and after completing his King built the first three-masted schooner, the , course in medicine he returned to Virginia, where .. Feiratta. " afterward changed to a steam vessel of the same name); Wilham, a planter in Virginia; John, the grandfather of our subject; Frances; Mary: and Elizabeth.

he practiced his profession for a year and a half. He was then appointed house surgeon of the out- door department of the Orthopedic Hospital at New York City, spending six months as in-door the Doctor came to South Norwalk, and he is

John Bohannan grew up on the old planta- . and six months as out-door surgeon. In 1881 tion. and. completing a medical course, combined married Ann Billups, a daughter of Maj George dren were born of this umon. George W., a county surveyor and mathematician; Mary L .. who was first married to George Deal, and subse- . quently to Wilham Willams: Americus W., a planter; Columbus A. J., a planter, who died early in lite. John G., father of the subject of our sketch: Charles B., a sea captain of wide ex- 1 perience; and Ann, who died in infancy Mrs. Bobannan died in 1841. Her family, the Billups, were of Welsh descent. the occupations of planter and physician He : now in the front rank of his profession in the county. In politics he is a Democrat, and he is Billups, of Revolutionary fame, and seven chil- : active in party work. His superior mental at- tamments. his natural executive ability and his sterling integrity have all combined to make him one of the popular leaders in the community. He has served as school visitor, been a member of the common council, and at present is accept- ably filling the office of mayor of South Norwalk. Of renial manner and gentlemanly bearing. he is very popular socially, and in his fraternal rela- tions he is a Knight Templar, a member of the Mystic Shine, of the 1. O. O. F., Mystic Chain, - Knights of Pythias, and American Mechanics

John G. Bohaman, father of our subject, was born June 20, 1827. His early education was acquired in the vicinity of his home, and he later entered the Military Academy at Portsmouth, Va He was a student of medicine in Phila- delphia. in which city he afterward practiced his profession and taught. When Virginia seceded. John G. Bobannan entered the ranks of the Con-

A LBERT G. WEED, who since 1500 has carried on a prosperous grocery store in Stamford. Fairfield county, was born June 1, 1832. in New York City. His grandfather. Hezekiah Wred. and father. Alanson Weed, were federate army, in which he became a colonel, I both born in the town of Stamford, but the latter and he was in the army for three years, at the end of that time being detailed to practice medi- From the close of the war until 1886 he followed his profession at Westville. Mathews Co .. Va., and he then removed to South Nor- 1 the State Legislature. In 1849 Dr. John G. : Clarinda Smith, of Southeast, Putnam Co., N. walk, Conn. He was a Democrat in politics, and in his native State took an active part in political affairs, in 1885 and 1886 representing the counties of Mathews and Middlesex, Va., in went to New York City at the age of thirteen , years and commenced life there on his own ac- count. For a time he was engaged as clerk in a store, and he eventually opened a grocery of his own at the corner of East Broadway and Cath- yerine street, where he continued in business for fory-SIX years He was first married to Betsy Wilson, by whom he had four children, all now deceased, and for his second wife he wedded Y. He died in 1849 in New York City, his widow

Bohannan was married to Miss Laura Lee Daniel, a daughter of William Daniel, of Vir- 1 in 1857, in Stamford.

prima. and a family of seven children were born to them: Richard Lee, a physician practicing at Stamford, Fairfield Co .. Conn .; Charies G., our subject: Kasser Daniel, professor of mathematics in the Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio; Bemamin W., a physician of Stamford: W. J. H., an attorney at law and mayor of Stamford; and Gertrude and Lillian, of South Norwalk. Dr. John G. Bobannan died at South Norwalk, October 26, 1897; his wife died at Mathews, Va., July 19, 1886.

During his boyhood A. G. Weed attended a private school in New York City, and at the age of fifteen he began clerking in a dry-goods store. He continued at this occupation for twelve years. until his removal to Stamford, where, in April, 1860. be established the grocery business which he has ever since conducted. His first location was in Miller's block, and in 1874 he built his present store in Park Row, where he has con- tinved in busmess with flattering success. Mr. Weed receives a large share of the patronage .

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from Stamford and vicinity, and has, by honesty and fairness in all his dealings, succeeded in winning for himself an enviable reputation among the merchants of the town. He is a director in the Stamford Savings Bank. Before Stamford became a city he served four years as burgess of the borough, and he has served three terms as representative from his district to the State Legislature, a position for which he proved him - self well qualified in every respect. For two terms he was on the committee on Cities and Boroughs. Politically he supports the principles of the Republican party. While in New York City Mr. Weed served seven years in the Old Volunteer Fire Department, belonging to Hook and Ladder Company No. 1. and Hose Com- pany No. 36.

In 1859 Mr. Weed was married, in Stamford, to Miss Josephine Elder, daughter of Robert Elder, and three children have blessed this union, namely: A. G., Jr., who is a physician in New York City; Lydia E .: and one that died in infancy. The family attend the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Weed erected his home in Clin- ton avenue in 1888.

W ILLIS R. AND HORACE .M. SMITH, progressive and up-to-date farmers of Round Hill, Greenwich township, were both born near Byram Bridge, on the Post road, in what is now Port Chester, N. Y., the former February 28, 1867, the latter May 23, 1869, and are sons of Edmund L. and Adaline (Ritch) Smith. Their great-grandfather, William Smith, came to the United States when but a lad as stowaway on a vessel from England, and afterward married a New Jersey lady. of German parentage. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and was employed to repair the English vessel, "Guerrierre," which was captured by the . Constitution" in the war of 1812. While doing this work he was given a spoon with a buck handle, which is still retained, a valued souvenir, by our subjects.

The grandfather also bore the name of Will- iam. He was a cabinet maker by trade, carry- ing on operations in New York throughout his entire life. He married Abigail Lockwood, a daughter of Ira and Clementine (Mills) Lock- wood, and they became the parents of seven children: Maurice, who was a heutenant in the war of 1812, and died from exposure in the serv- ice, at the age of thirty years, a very promising young man; William and Hyman. who were both brushmakers in New York: Edmund L., the father of our subjects; Washington, a potter and manufacturer of sewer pipe. who became a

millionaire and a prominent politician; Merritt, a painter, who lived in New York; and Harriett. who married a Mr. Drummond, and at her death was buried in Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn. The parents of these children also sleep in a beautiful plot in the same cemetery, where many of the family have been interred.

Edmund L. Smith was born in Maiden Lant, N. Y., August 10, 1807. As his parents' means were limited his educational privileges were meager, and at an early age he was bound out to a brushmaker. serving a seven-years' apprentice- ship, and receiving very little wages in compensa- tion for his hard work. At the age of twenty- four years he embarked in the business on his own account, and though on two different occa- sions he had his store destroyed by fire, he pros- pered and finally became quite well-to-do. His brothers assisted him in getting a start, and they always worked for each other's interests. At the age of forty-five years he disposed of his busi- ness and retired to a farm of forty acres which he had previously purchased at Byram Bridge, in Port Chester, N. Y., where stands the historic old hostelry that once sheltered General Wash- ington when he traveled along the Post road through Connecticut. Mr. Smith had located upon the place fourteen years previous to his re- tirement. and there made his home until called to his final rest.

On November 16, 1830, Mr. Smith married Miss Susan A. Scofield, who was born in Nor- walk. Conn., April 16, 1812, daughter of Peter Scofield, and died July 29, 1861; she was buried in Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn. The record of the children born to this union is as follows: William H., born August 21, 1831, and Edmund L., born July 29, 1833, were both fatally burned in a fire that destroyed their father's store, and died soon afterward. Clarissa M., born Septem- ber 5. 1835. married a Mr. Pelton, and is now deceased. Harriet E. is the deceased wife of Corliss Cooke. Emma F. is now Mrs. M. Ronty. of New York. Edmund L. (2), born June 18. 1844. died at the age of twenty-one years. At New Rochelle, N. Y., Mr. Smith was again mat- ried, October 15, 1862, his second union being with Adaline Ritch, who was born December 8. 1834, at Rocky Neck, Greenwich township, Fair- field Co .. Conn., a daughter of Ralph and Clem- ice (Mead) Ritch. The children born of this un- ion are Abby. wife of Mills H. Husted. of Green- wich: and Willis R. and Horace M., of this re- view. The mother died March 3. 1886, and the father on April 17. following, and the remains of both were interred in Greenwood cemetery. He was a very robust man, and his wife's death un-

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doubtedly hastened his end. His chief source of recreation was hunting and fishing, of which he was very fond. Mr. Smith was a stanch Demo- crat in politics, having cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson, but he never aspired to office He was a self- made man in the fullest sense, and the success that be achieved in life was certainly well-mented, for he was a man of the strictest integrity. upright and honorable in all things, and possessed good business ability. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, in which he held many offices, while his wife was a Congregationalist in religious faith. In early life he was also identified with the Odd Fellows Society.

Willis R. Smith began his literary education in the public schools of Fort Chester, N. Y., and later attended Starrs Military School at that place. His business training was obtained on the home tain. In 1SS; he was united in mat- nage with Mass M. Louise Miner, of Greenwich. daughter of Eleha and Elizabeth ( Marthing) Miner, and they have one child - Elizabeth M .. born September 20, 1885.

was a student in the Park Institute at Rye. N. Y., and completed his education in Greenwich old homestead at Kuram Bridge as long as the

Horace M. Smith also attended the public schools of Port Chester for a time, subsequently . America to make his home. He located at South Dover, where he died at the advanced age of , 104 years, and his wife. - (Rhino) passed Academy under Professor Root. He lived on the , away at the advanced age of ninety. Elizur

and Charlotte Cable had tive children: Horace place remained in the family. He was married, . C., Charles Reed, Elizur, Jr., Mary M., and one July 20, 1890, to Miss Emma E. Miner, a sister ; who died in infancy. of his brother's wife, and they have one daughter -Gertrude E., born February 8, 1895

Raged in general farming. They are enterprising. energetic young business men, who thoroughly understand their chosen calling. They live in the same house and their telations are most har- . momous. Politicalis, they are identified with the Republican party, and, socially, affiliate with Gen. J. E. Dix Council No. 4. Jr. O. U. A. M. at Port Chester.

H ORACE COOLEY CABLE. If, as the poet sings. " beauty is its own excuse for being." the florists are of all men most reasona- ble in furnishing us abondant supplies of Na- ture's sweet and radiant ministers of cheer. A visit to the extensive conservatories of H. C. Cable & Son, Nos. 40 and 42 Spring street. Danbury. is an event to be treasured in memory. the twelve glass houses, enclosing altogether 17,000 square feet, being filled with choice flow-

ers in apparently endless variety. This is the old- est and largest establishment of the kind in Danbury, and was founded over thirty years ago by H. C. Cable.

The Cable family became identified with this county at an early period, but is also well known in the vicinity of Pawling. Dutchess Co .. N. Y., where the subject of this sketch was born April 8. 1820. Caleb Cable. his great-grandfather, : had a son Gersham, our subject's grandfather, who married a Miss Foote and settled at West- on. Fairfield county. Their son. Elizur, our subject's father, was born there March 1. 1794. and was reared in this county, learning the hat- ter's trade, which he followed for many years at New Cannan, and later at Pawling, N. Y. His death occurred in 1866. By his first wife. Han- nah (Fields), he had three children: Benjamin, Kachel and Russell. His second wife, Charlotte (Cooley), was born January 15, 1804. in South Dover, Dutchess Co., N. Y .. and died November 30. 1844. Her parents were. David and Mary (Rinehardt ) Cooley, and her maternal grandfather, John Rhinehardt, was a native of Germany who served some time as a soldier before coming to

H. C. Cable spent his youth in his native town. where he attended school up to the age of

On April 1. 1889. Willis R. Smith removed . twelve, when he began to work at different occu- to the Silas Husted farm at Round Hill, where . pations as his strength and skill permitted. In he and his brother have since successfully en- . early manhood he learned the hatter's trade un-

der his father's direction, and continued the busi- ness until 1865. In the meantime, in 1859, he had purchased his present property in Danbury, upon which he erected a dwelling house, and on abandoning the hatter's trade he engaged in busi- ness there as a florist, and has continued with constantly increasing success.

On October 1, 1846. Mr. Cable married Miss Sophia Adeline Perry, daughter of Justice M. and Sarah Ann (Peck) Perry, and two children were born to this union, Charlotte, who died in infancy. and Elmer Octavius, of whom mention is made below. Mr. Cable and his estimable wife are members of the Disciples Church at Dan- bury. He is a man of fine intelligence, taking keen interest in all the issues of the day, and is a stanch supporter of the sound money doctrine. He has never been an aspirant for office, but is a regular voter, casting his ballot for the Repub- lican party at all times.

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ELMER O. CABLE was born April 28, 1849, in Brookfield, this county, and was educated in Danbury, the family having settled there during his childhood. On leaving school he learned the hat-finishing trade, which he continued until 1886, and since then he has been in business with his father. He was first married to Miss Sarah L. Theall (daughter of Orville and Amy (Watts) Theall, of Pawling, N. Y.), who died in 1880, and he formed a second union, with Miss Hattie L. Cole, daughter of Hobart and Cornelia (Stev- ens) Cole. By his first marriage he has one son, William Horace, born April 9. 1876, and by the second there are two children: Sophia C. and Clifford Elmer. Like his father, Elmer O. Cable, is a believer in the principles and policy of the Republican party. He is influential in local affairs, and an active worker in the Danbury paid fire department. being at present the captain of Hose Company No. 2.

G EORGE D. PHILLIPS, patent attorney, " and present commander of Elias Howe, Jr., Post. G. A. R., at Bridgeport, is a native of Connecticut, born March 5. 1842, in the town of Redding. Fairfield county. He received his edu- cation in part at the public schools of his native town, in part at those of New Fairfield, New- town and Bridgeport, subsequently taking a course at Yonkers, New York.

On August 28, 1862, Mr. Phillips enlisted in the 17th Conn. V. J .. and after thirty-five months' service was honorably discharged on account of wounds received at the battle of Chancellorsville. He was taken prisoner there, and for fourteen days and nights lay within the Rebel lines with- out attention, although he was wounded through the breast, abdomen and leg. After regaining the Federal lines he was confined to hospitals in Washington, D. C., and Portsmouth, R. I., for nine months. and until his muster-out as corporal he afterward served as clerk in the quartermas- ter's office at Fort Wood, New York harbor.

Returned to Bridgeport, Mr. Phillips from time to time as he was able worked at tool making, till he became contractor and head in- spector for the Howe Machine Company. in which position he remained sixteen years, at the same time practicing as patent attorney, an in- cumbency he has held some twenty-five years. At the present time he is serving as commander of Elias Howe, J1., Post, G. A. R., at Bridge- port.

Bridgeport, Conn., and they have one son, George A., now a dentist in Stamford, Conn. Socially, our subject is a member of Pequonnoci Lodge No. 4, I. O. O. F .; of St. John's Lodge No. 3, F. & A. M., being a Master Mason; and of the Ancient Order of Essenics. He is a frank. open-hearted, hospitable man, has made many warm friends since taking up his residence in Bridgeport, and is held in high regard by all with whom he comes in contact.

J YOHN A. HISLOP, one among the younger of the enterprising and prosperous business men of Fairfield county, and the resident member of the large dry-goods establishment of John A. Hislop & Co .. Stamford, is a native of Glasgow. Scotland, born August 29, 1866.

Mr. Hislop passed his boyhood in his native city and at Norwich, Conn., where he was edu- cated in the public schools. After his schoo! days were over he clerked in the store of his brother William, at Auburn, N. Y., for five years. and in the store of his brother James, at New London, Conn .. for the same length of time. en the expiration of this period returning to his | brother William, with whom he remained another five years, this time in the store at Syracuse, N. Y. In 1895 Mr. Hislop was instrumental in establishing the dry-goods business of the firm of John A. Hislop & Co., at Stamford, Conn., which was opened April 27 of that year, in the new Ad- vocate building. he becoming the resident part- ner. This store gives employment to some twenty-eight hands. Mr. Hislop and his pari- ners are wide-awake men, enterprising and pre- gressive, and their establishment has already become a great factor in the business of the county. They conduct four stores-those of Il. B. Hislop & Co., Syracuse, N. Y .; Hislop, Angus & Co., Auburn. N. Y. ; James Hislop & Co., New London, Conn., and the one in Stamford-and each one is foremost among the business houses of the city in which it is located. The immense aggregate trade of these concerns accounts in some measure for their popularity, for, as the buying for all four stores is done at the same time, the business in that department is con- densed and the discounts proportionately large. and their patrons are benefited accordingly.

The Stamford establishment has been encour- aged and well patronized from the beginning. ; for the prices at which their thrifty and original methods of doing business enable them to sell goods has done much to keep Stamford trade in Stamford, a large amount having, prior to their

In 1865. at Stratford, Fairfield Co., Conn., Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Emma A. Krinks, daughter of William R. Krinks, of I advent, found its way to the metropolis, and the

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people have thoroughly appreciated the saving in was born in the section of Greenwich known as Peck's Land, and in early manhood commenced farming in partnership with his brother Joshua. time and trouble. to say nothing of the worry of city shopping The liberal scale on which this enterprise was started. the size of the store and , They finally divided the land they owned, and the very complete stock, caused much comment ! the portion Ambrose settted on is the farm now among the more conservative, who insisted that occupied by his grandson Sylvanus, where he a business of such proportions could not yet be , passed the remainder of his days. He was a profitably conducted in Stamford. But it was . thorough farmer, and was very successful in a not long before the original quarters, commodi- : business way. He married Amy Reynolds, and ous as they were, were outgrown, and Mr. His- I they had three sons: Ambrose, Oliver and Syl- jop. availing himself of the opportunity which . vanus, of whom the first named is still living, fortunately offered. secured another store ad- , making his home with our subject; he is un- joining. in the same building. the one in which married. H. G. Benedict formerly carned on his shoe Sylvanus Reynolds was born on the paternal homestead, where he grew to manhood, learning farm work under his father's instructions. On October 4. 1866, he was married, in New York City, to Miss Alexandrine Clara Lewis, who was born September 4. 1848, in Paris, France, daughter of John Joseph Lewis, and came when seven years old to New York City, where she was feared. One child was born of this union: Syl- Janus L. Mr. Reynolds died October 26. 1867. and his remains rest in the Episcopal cemetery at Greenwich. Mrs. Reynolds subsequently wedded Witham P. Knapp, and they had two children: Mary J., Mrs. John Bloomfield, of Greenwich township; and Josephine A., who is unmarried. The mother passed away April 14. 1895. and was interred in the Putnam cemetery. business. By March, 1897. this store was con- nected with the other, giving an increase of fifty per cent. in floor space, and Hislop & Co. opened the now popular "parment room." adding to their stock ladies' cloaks and wraps. Since then another addition has been made, a boys' cloth- ing department having been established. Alto- Fether they now have o non square feet of floor space. well arranged. and the building is com- pietely equipped with all modern mechanical de- vices for the facilitation of their work and the comfort of their empates, the Hisiops having spared no expense in biting out their store, ad- vertising, of any of the carteras which are recof- mized aids to success in their line. They justly deserve the substantial encouragement which has been accorded them. The resident manager and partner, who gives close personal attention to the business, is thoroughly experienced, and is a man of good executive ability, pemal, obliging and ac- commodating- all essential points in the make- up of a popular salesman. He has come in con- ! to a part of the farm, Mrs. Reynolds having re- fact with the people of the world generally, hav. ing traveled extensively throughout Europe.

On May 30. 1801. Mr. Hislop was married. at Syracuse, N. Y .. to Miss Nellie Barrie, and to their union has come one child, Evelyn Barrie. Fraternally, he is a member of the Royal Ar- canum.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 212

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