Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 35

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


USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut > Part 35


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).


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M ATTHEW MERRITT. Through the suc- cessful business career of this highly re- spected citizen of Greenwich there has been one guiding principle, that has been proved to be of inestimable value - fidelity to every trust and duty reposed to his care. He has been thor- oughly self-made, and the unobtrusive yet ster- ling merits of his character have grown upon his wide circle of acquaintances until they stand re- vealed as on a monument of treasured marble.


Mr. Merritt was but two years of age when his father died. He was born November 30, 1822, on the Post road, a short distance west of Greenwich, a son of Hickson and Hannah (Mead) Merritt. The father was born on Weaver street, Greenwich, the namesake of his father, Hickson Merritt. By trade he was a mason. The mother of our subject was a member of the well-known Mead family which has descended from William Mead, the original Colonial ances- tor, seven generations removed. Matthew Mer- ritt is the grandson of Matthew Mead, and the great-grandson of Capt. Matthew Mead, the Revolutionary officer, who was the son of Na-


thaniel Mead, sixth son of John Mead (1), who was the son of William Mead, the first American ancestor, who came from England in 1635.


The children of Hickson and Hannah (Mead) Merritt were as follows: Nancy, who mar- ried B. Dutton, and died at Greenwich; Sally, who died in childhood; Hannah, who mar- ried Roswell Ingersoll, and died in New Jersey; Susan, who married Purdy Lyon, and resides on Weaver street, Greenwich; and Matthew, our subject.


At the father's death, the surviving mother and her family of young children took up their residence with her parents, Matthew and Nancy (Hobbs) Mead. Here our subject was reared, and here he obtained the rudiments of education that were obtainable by farmer boys, attending the rude schools a few months during the winter. The grandfather was kind, and filled the vacant place of father. In his youth our sub- ject was apprenticed to his uncle, William Mead, to learn the mason's trade, and for four years he worked for his board and clothes. He was a willing lad, and did with a cheerful spirit what- ever labor he was able to perform.


After his trade was learned he went to jour- ney work at White Plains, N. Y., working for Robert Layton. He helped to build the old Methodist chapel on Church street, Greenwich, but delay in getting his wages caused him to go to New York City. There he found work at his trade with a Mr. Crane. Country boys were not then desirable help, but his steady ways and re- liability commended him to Mr. Crane, and en- abled him to learn his trade, as he was associated with skilled workmen. Later he worked in Will- iamsburg, N. Y., and this was followed with journey work until he went into business for him- self. He was for five years with one man, Nathaniel Willett, who trusted him well. Mr. Willett met with losses, and having work under way and no ready cash he asked young Merritt if he would work and wait for his pay. Our sub- ject readily consented, and when they settled, Mr. Willett appreciating Mr. Merritt's valuable service, asked him to take up his (Willett's) busi- ness, which he did. Mr. Merritt had often been sent by Mr. Willett to do work where he had ac- cess to valuables, etc. Their safety was always assured, which fact caused him to become a very popular employe. During the time he was in business for himself Mr. Merritt employed at times from seventy-five to one hundred men. In Williamsburg, N. Y., he next engaged in business with a Mr. Vail, under the firm name of Merritt & Vail. After several years, during which time they carried on business extensively and very


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successfully, Mr. Merritt retired from the firm. He engaged in building and selling houses; but his health beginning to fail he bought a farm in Greenwich, whither he removed, and lived there nine years. He then bought another farm, in North Greenwich, where he lived two years. In the spring of 1866, he came to Greenwich village, where he engaged in a livery business, first lo- cating on Putnam avenue, and having had much experience with horses, he prospered at his new business. He was the first occupant of the "Lenox House " stables. After two years he bought on Church street, and he has since built his home and barn on that street, where he now conducts the livery business.


Mr. Merritt when twenty-six years of age, was married in New York, to Miss Julia Downs, a daughter of Sturges Downs, of that city, and three children have been born to them, as follows: Belle C. (Mrs. George Scofield), of Greenwich; George W., also of Greenwich, engaged in the livery business with his father; and Anna A. (Mrs. R. J. Walsh), of Greenwich. Mr. Merritt is not bound by party ties, but his sympathy is with the Republican party, and he is always called a Republican. For nineteen years in suc- cession he was senior burgess of Greenwich, and then resigned. He has never been an office seeker, but has held office only with a desire to further the town's improvement. Both he and his wife are prominent members of the Congre- gational Church. Mr. Merritt is the oldest busi- ness man in Greenwich in his line, both in years and in duration of business. He has fought the battle of life himself, starting as a poor boy, equipped with but limited schooling, but he was always steady, reliable and honest, principles that have characterized him in every transaction. He has a comfortable competence, yet his sole aim has by no means been to accumulate prop- erty. He has taken an interest in local improve- ments, and has ever been public spirited. The business he has established is still conducted by himself and son, and is one of the leading con- cerns of its kind in Greenwich.


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TIS BEERS, a well-to-do resident of Strat- ford, is one of the progressive and public- spirited citizens of that town, and his life and character reveal the wholesome tendencies of the sturdy New England stock from which he is descended.


Mr. Beers was born November 22, 1822, in the town of Stratford, where his accestors set- tled many years ago. Matthew Beers, his grand- father, was born probably in that town, and he


passed his later life there in agricultural pursuits. He married a Miss Curtis, and had five children as follows: Curtis and Menzes learned the shoe- maker's trade, and settled in Cornwall, Litchfield county, where Curtis was a farmer, Menzes be- coming a prominent merchant; they died some years ago, and their remains were interred there. Silas is mentioned more fully below. Lewis fol- lowed the shoemaker's trade in Stratford for a time, and then went to Columbus, Ga., where he engaged on a large scale in the manufacture of shoes; his death occurred in Stratford. Lucinda married Isaac Curtis, a carpenter at Stratford.


Silas Beers, our subject's father, was born in Stratford in 1791, and in his youth he learned the weaver's trade, which he followed for some years. Later he settled upon a farm in Strat- ford, and he died there in 1877. In religious faith he was a Methodist; politically he was a Whig until the organization of the Republican party, of which he then became an ardent sup- porter. He was one of fifteen Abolitionists in this part of the State, at a time when any one entertaining those views would be sure to be un- popular. His wife, Hannah (Judson), died in 1853. Of their four children, the eldest, Susan, married Enoch Curtis, a mechanic in Stratford, and both are now deceased; Otis, our subject, was the second in the order of birth; Abigail died in infancy; and Miss Mary resides in Strat- ford.


The boyhood of Otis Beers was spent on the the old farm in Stratford, his education being obtained in the local schools, which he attended until he reached the age of eighteen years. He then engaged in farming at the homestead, and he has ever since been interested in some branch of agricultural work. He owns about ninety acres adjoining the village of Stratford, and for many years followed general farming, but for the past four or five years he and his sons have de- voted their attention to raising seeds for the market. Mr. Beers is a stanch Republican, and he has taken an influential part in local affairs. From 1861 to 1868 he held the office of select- man continuously, and in 1872 he was again chosen to that position. During the Civil war he was appointed by Governor Buckingham to act as recruiting agent, which difficult position was filled by him with marked ability and tact, the quota of men being provided by him without delay.


In February, 1846, Mr. Beers married Miss Susan Curtis, daughter of Ashbel Curtis, of Strat- ford. She died in 1854, and on February 18, 1856, he married Miss Mary Peck, daughter of Lewis and Hannah (Wheeler) Peck, of Stratford.


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Herbert Beers, the only child of the first union, died at the age of four years. By the second marriage there was one son, Edward W., born in October, 1861, who married Miss Edith Stowe, of Milford, New Haven Co., Conn., and has one child. Douglass Stowe Beers. Edward W. is now engaged in business with his father. Mrs. Otis Beers is a member of the M. E. Church of Stratford.


NDWARD T. HALL, one of the old and highly-honored citizens of Fairfield, is a retired merchant, enjoying at leisure, after many years of well-directed labor, the rewards thereof.


A native of Connecticut, he was born August 28, 1823, at Long Hill, a worthy member of an old family long identified with Trumbull, Fair- field county. He attended the public schools of the district, and at the age of sixteen commenced learning the trade of tinsmith in the shop of Lockwood & Zane, Water street, Bridgeport, his wages being $30 for the first year. At about the close of his apprenticeship, or in 1844, he and his brother, Claudius B., opened a stove and tin- ware business in Southport. At the end of six months he bought out his brother's interest, and from that time until his selling out, in 1862, car- ried on the concern alone. Mr. Hall then asso- ciated himself with George Bishop in a similar line of business on Water street. Bridgeport. but at the end of five years he bought out his partner and removed the stock to Southport, where he continued in the stove and tinware line, as here- tofore. until his retirement in 1870. He attrib- utes his success mainly to close attention to busi- ness, and his working early and late, in all seasons and times-dull and brisk alike. Some years after giving up business he erected his present substantial block on the corner of Main and Cen- ter streets, Southport, to take the place of the one he had previously built, and which was burned down, entailing a heavy loss to him. He remod- eled his home on Center street. where he now lives a quiet, retired life. merely looking after his prop- erty interests. He is a distinctively self-made man, having by his own unaided efforts worked his way up to a comfortable competence from a poor boyhood.


On May 5, 1856, Mr. Hall was united in mar- riage with Miss Sarah C. Jennings, daughter of Aaron Jennings, and there was one child by this union, Minnetta F., who died December 22, 1874, at the age of eighteen years. Her mother died May 29, 1859, and May 21, 1862, Mr. Hall wedded Miss Mary A. Bulkeley, daughter of Seth M. Bulkeley, by which marriage there were five


children: Eugene E., Etta V., Marietta V., Ed- ward T. and Clinton B., all yet at home except Etta V., who died when five months old. This wife was called from earth November 11, 1886, being killed by a passing train on a railroad crossing at Southport.


Politically, Mr. Hall was a Democrat till the Civil war, since which time he has been an un- compromising Republican. Socially, he was at one time identified with the I. O. O. F. at South- port, but when the lodge there was abandoned he retired from membership.


Mr. Hall is a son of Alanson and Sophia (Ed- wards) Hall, respectable farming people, the for- mer of whom died in 1863, at the age of seventy- two years, the latter in 1862, when sixty-six years old. They had a family of eleven sons and four daughters, of whom are yet living the fol- lowing: Sheldon L. and Claudius B., both of Racine, Wis .; George A., in California; Julia G. (widow of M. Nicholls), in Bridgeport; Eliza (widow of Dwight Brinsmade), in Trumbull Cen- ter, Fairfield county; and Edward T. The par- ents were members of the Episcopal Church, and devout Christians, highly respected by all who knew them.


H ON. JAMES S. TAYLOR is one of Dan- bury's most distinguished citizens, his able service in various positions of public trust having won for him wide recognition. In business circles, also, he holds a prominent place as the inventor of the Taylor hat-felting, or sizing, machine, of the roller system, now a necessary part of the equipment of every well-directed hat factory in both the United States and foreign countries.


Mr. Taylor's ancestral history is of more than ordinary interest. He is of the seventh genera- tion in direct descent from John Taylor, who emi- grated from England early in the seventeenth cen- tury, and settled first at Boston, where he mar- ried a widow with two daughters. In 1640 he moved to Windsor, Conn., where he engaged in business as a pewtersmith. In 1644 he served on a jury. His death occurred, in 1647, on board the ship " Phantom," while he was on a return voyage to England. His will. which was dated November 4, 1645, was recorded at Hartford in 1694. Of his two sons, the elder, John, born in 1641, located at North Hampton, Deerfield. Mass., and Thomas, born in 1643, became one of the first settlers at Danbury, Conn., passing his remaining years there; his death occurred in 1735. He married Rebecca Ketchum, and they had ten children, as follows: Deborah married Daniel Betts, of Norwalk; Thomas, born in 1668,


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died in 1758, married Abigail Benedict; John, born in 1673. died in 1742, married a Miss Betts; Joseph, born in 1673, died in 1762, married Sarah -- (John and Joseph were twins); Daniel, born in 1676, died in 1770, married (first) Miss Bene- dict, and (second) a Miss Starr; Timothy, born in 1678, died in 1744, married a Miss Davis; Na- than is mentioned more fully below; Rebecca mar- ried Daniel Benedict; Theophilus, born in 1687. died in 1777, married (first) a Miss Bushnell, and (second) Miss Sarah A. Gregory; and Eunice, married Benjamin Starr.


Nathan Taylor, the next in the line of de- scent, was born at Norwalk in 1682, and when four years old accompanied his parents to Dan- bury, where he grew to manhood. He was mar- ried there to Miss Hannah Benedict, a member of another pioneer family of that locality, and they settled at what is now known as Bethel, building a stockade as a defense against the In- dians. A well now marks the site of this struc- ture. Like all of his brothers, Nathan Taylor lived to an advanced age, his death occurring in 1782. His children were Nathan, Mathew, James, Daniel, Mercy, Mindwell. Deborah, Rhoda, Hannah and Oliver.


Mathew Taylor, our subject's great-grand- father, was born at the old home in Bethel, and after his marriage to Esther Waller settled in the center of the village of Bethel. He had ten children: Mathew, Abigail, Preserved. Daniel, Joshua, John, Noah, Hannah, Levi and Eleazor.


Joshua Taylor, our subject's grandfather, was a native of Bethel District, where he followed agricultural pursuits during his active life. He enlisted in the Revolutionary army soon after the struggle for independence began, was at Ticon- deroga, and later re-enlisting he served until the close of the war. He was a Presbyterian in re- ligious faith, as was also his wife, Eunice Seeley, who was a daughter of Deacon James Seeley, and a native of Bethel. They had nine children, all but one of whom married and left families: Asael had ten children; Sally died early in life; Eunice lived to an advanced age (she left no children); Levi had seven children; Abel had one child; Joel is mentioned below; Clarissa had seven children; Clorinda had six; and Esther, five.


Joel Taylor, father of James S. Taylor. was born, in 1795, in Bethel Society, and was reared to farm life. He learned the hatter's trade, which he followed for the most part during his later life, and he was noted for his ability as an inventor, he having received Scott's premium, a gold medal, from the Philadelphia Society, 1827. As a citizen he gave attention to all the issues of the day, served as a soldier in the war of 1812,


and in his later years was an earnest supporter of the principles of the Republican party. In re- ligious faith he was a Universalist. He died at his home in Danbury in 1870, and his wife, whose maiden name was Linda Adams, passed away in the same year. She was a native of Redding, Conn., and a descendant of the Boston family of that name, her ancestors having come originally from England. Six children were born to this worthy couple: Harriet (deceased) was the wife of Reuben Taylor. Granville, who is a farmer at the old homestead, married Helen, daughter Dr. Sylvester Stevens. James S. is the third in order of birth. Nelson, who has been admitted to the Bar, resides upon a farm at Bethel, and is engaged in the hat industry and other business enterprises; he married Emeline, daughter of George Monroe. Adeline (deceased) married Francis H. Austin. Adelaide is the widow of Dr. J. A. Holton.


To return now to the subject proper of this biography. He was born December 24, 1825, at Danbury, and received his education in the local schools and Danbury Academy. On completing his course of study he learned the hatter's trade, but preferring a mercantile life he embarked in that line with his brother Nelson at the age of twenty, opening a general store at Danbury. He continued this business until 1850, since when he has given his attention mainly to his hat-sizing machine, on which he secured patents in 1853 in this country and in Europe, and which has made his name familiar in every hat factory. He has devoted much time and thought to the perfection of his various innovations in the line of hat ma- chinery, has made numerous improvements on his original ideas, and his perfected machine is now considered the best of the kind on the mar- ket. Mr. Taylor has succeeded in obtaining patents at various times on valuable innovations, which have enabled him to command a large rev- enue from the royalties of one-half per cent. a hat from 1853 up to the present time on ma- chines having valuable patents, some of them terminating in 1905, thus giving him practically a monopoly in one class of machinery for about fifty years. Among the firms which use his ma- chinery are the New Milford Hat Co., at New Milford, Conn .; J. G. Wilson, of South Norwalk; J. Marshall, of Fall River, Mass .; Andrews & Durant, F. Smith & Son, Richmond Brothers, J. Baird & Co., Judd & Co., Judd & Dunning, Far- num & Fairchild. Edwin Short, Cole & Ambler, all of Bethel; and the following in Danbury: Holly, Beltaire & Co., Henry Crofut, John W. Green, T. Meath & Co., Davenport & Von Gal, William Burns, M. Delohery, C. Smith & Co.,


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Mackenzie & Sons, T. C. Millard, Lee & Co., Beltaire, Lurch & Co., Higson & Collings, the Vinson Hat Co., Mclachlan, & Co., E. A. Mal- lory & Sons, and many others.


Early in the sixties Mr. Taylor was associated with W. A. & A. M. White, E. Arthur Nichols and George Dickinson in the introduction of the Lyman Platt machine for forming fur hats on the inside of the perforated cone. The machine as improved by Mr. Taylor went into general use, and he was prosecuted under claims for in- fringement of the Burr or Wells patents, but, after a long litigation prosecuted by the Henry Burr Company. the Taylor machines, as they were then known, were by the United States courts decided to be free from the alleged in- fringements. On Mr. Taylor, who had then some considerable experience in patent law, was placed the responsibility of prosecuting the de- fense to its successful termination, when the Taylor and Platt patents were incorporated with the Burr patents at a cash value of twenty-five thousand dollars.


When the Taylor hat-felting machine was in- troduced into the large wool-hat factories of England. Mr. Henry Christie, a member of the English Parliament and head of the largest hat factories of the world, paid a visit to this country. When dining with Mr. Taylor at his residence in Danbury, Mr. Christie complimented him on his being the first inventor to solve the problem of sizing or felting hats by machinery, their firm having expended large sums for that purpose without success. Mr. Christie further extended his regards to Mr. Taylor with a special request to dine with him at an early day mentioned, at his private rooms at the " Fifth Avenue Hotel," in New York, which invitation, out of regard to Mr. Christie, Mr. Taylor could not in honor de- cline. The foreman or head superintendent of Christie's factories at the same time spent several days in the factory in Danbury in order to obtain a complete mastery of the opera- tion of the Taylor felting machines; so that there should be no failure in placing them in their fac- tory on his return to England. It is a singular fact, worthy of record, that the original patents on the roller system of felting hats issued both in this country and in England were never ques- tioned. The many large concerns in both this country and England using the machines paid their royalties of six cents per dozen without questioning the legality of the various patents taken out by Mr. Taylor, and this, together with his real estate and other investments, has brought him a handsome fortune. Among his other enter- prises, we may mention the building of the Opera


House at Danbury, which was opened July 4, 1871, and it is to Mr. Taylor, also, that the financial success of The Danbury News, a paper of wide notoriety for its quaint and witty sayings, has been properly attributed, he having furnished the funds for starting the paper under the man- agement of J. M. Baily and Timothy Donovan, both of whom were Union soldiers in the Civil war; they were both captured at the battle of Gettysburg, taken to Richmond, and on their parole returned to Danbury, where they entered upon the new enterprise as publishers. Their business has grown to be one of the largest estab- lishments of its kind in the country. While a member of the State Legislature in 1866 Mr. Taylor secured the charter for the Union Savings. Bank of Danbury, which now has a deposit of over a million dollars, and on the organization he was appointed president, an office, however, which he early resigned in order to give his at- tention to the perfecting of his inventions.


On September 3, 1850, Mr. Taylor married,. for his first wife, Miss Sarah L. Sturdevant, daughter of Hiram L. and Loretta Sturdevant,. well-known residents of Danbury. She passed. to the unseen life April 10, 1891, and on March 30, 1893, Mr. Taylor formed a second matri- monial union, this time with Miss Clara Franks, daughter of the late Dr. Edward S. and Eliza (Livingston) Franks, the latter of whom, at the time of her marriage to the Doctor, was waiting- maid to the Queen of England. Mr. Taylor is the father of eleven children, all by the first mar- riage, their names, with dates of birth, etc., be- ing as follows: Edwin S., February 11, 1852, died July 1, 1853. Ella S., October 30, 1853, married Eugene M. Bulkley, of Weston. How- ard, April 9, 1855. died April 2, 1862. Welford, November 26, 1856, died September 13, 1895. Bernard, August 16, 1858, married Miss Nellie Stone, and resides in Danbury. Sarah, October 2, 1860, married Calvin Hickok, of Bethel, nephew of Professor Hickok, of Amherst Col- lege. Clifford, May 2, 1862, married Miss Ar- ville Moore, and lives at Danbury; in 1899 he was a member of the General Assembly of Con- necticut. Violetta, June 4, 1864, is the wife of William B. Wheeler, of Danbury. Roland, June 15, 1866, is unmarried. Estella, Novem- ber 17, 1867, is the wife of George Bateman, of Danbury. Samuel, April 6, 1870, married Miss Anna Murphy, and resides in Danbury.


Mr. Taylor has always been keenly interested in political questions, as a Democrat, until the breaking out of the war, when he took an inde- pendent stand. His clearly defined ideas as to the issues of the time, and his well-proved integ-


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rity, made him a trustworthy leader, and his fellow citizens were not slow to recognize the fact. In 1861 he was elected to the lower branch of the Legislature by the Union and Republican party, and in 1864 he was sent to the State Senate on the same ticket. In 1866 the Democrats made him their candidate for the General Assembly, to which he was elected, and in 1869 he was again chosen State Senator on that ticket, thus secur- ing a seat in the four legislative bodies which were in session during those four years. He was a strong supporter of the government during the Civil war, and in 1863 and 1864 he served as a recruiting officer by appointment under Asst. Adjt .- Gen. D. D. Perkins; while performing the duties of this office he was made treasurer of a large fund of several thousand dollars of private subscriptions to procure recruits for the war for the Union and provide for their families, thus filling the same position, involving the same du- ties, that was placed on his grandfather, Deacon James Seeley, during the Revolutionary war. At that time he was also a selectman for his town, and in that position, as well as in those of wider scope, he showed characteristic energy. When engaged in his public duties during the war he had an intimate acquaintance with the war Gov- ernor of the State, William A. Buckingham, with whom he held quite an extensive correspondence, of which the following is a sample:




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