Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 48

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

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In Brookfield Mr. Wetmore was married to Miss Sarah Anna Reed, a daughter of Tilly W. Reed, and they became the parents of four chil- dren, three of whom are living, viz .: Helen, wife of John Bateman; Mary, deceased; John C. and Vernon C. Mr. Wetmore was a strong Re- publican, politically, and he served his town as selectman. He was a worker in the Sons of Temperance, and his strong, vigorous frame, and clear open face, the picture of health, was one of the best arguments for the cause he aided for so many years, and whose teachings-temperance in all things-he consistently followed.

TEWIS M. CURTISS. The Curtiss family, which has been prominently identified with this county from pioneer times, is descended from 1. William Curtis, who came from England

in the ship " Lion" in 1632, and settled in Rox- bury, Mass., where he died late in the year 1634. Like many other emigrants, he left his family in the old country while he was preparing a home for them, and in the spring of 1634 his wife and children joined him in Roxbury. He had five children: William, Thomas, Mary, John and Philip; and the subject of this sketch, who is a leading agriculturist and dairyman of Trumbull township, is a direct descendant of the eldest son.

II. William Curtiss settled in Stratford, this county, in 1639, with his widowed mother and his brother John, being among the first to locate at that place. He died December 15, 1702, and his will, which was dated December 15 of that year, was proved on the 31st of the same month. The name of his first wife is not now known, but in 1680 he married Mrs. Sarah Goodrich, widow of Ensign William Goodrich, of Wethersfield, Conu., and daughter of Matthew Morris, of Hart- ford, Conn. She died about 1702. William Curtiss had nine children, whose names, with dates of birth, are as follows: Sarah, October 10, 1642; Jonathan, February 14, 1644; Joshua, Oc- tober 1, 1646; Abigail, April 21, 1650; Daniel, November 16, 1652; Elizabeth, September 13, 1654; Ebenezer, July 6, 1657; Zachariah, No- vember 14, 1659; and Josiah, August 30, 1662.

III. Zachariah Curtiss died in June, 1748, aged eighty-nine years, and his wife Hannah, a daughter of Nathaniel Porter, died in 1738 at the age of seventy-three. They had three chil- dren: Zachariah, who is mentioned below; Nath- aniel, who was married November 27, 1712, to Hannah Wells; and Jeremiah, born in May, 1706.

IV. Zachariah Curtiss was married January 9, 1721, to Mary and died June 12, 1748. They had seven children, whose names with dates of birth are as follows: Mitchell, January, 172 -; Eunice. October 3, 1722; Mary, November 6, 1724; Rhoda, January 19, 1726; Beulah, February 5, 1727; Mitchell (2), Septem- ber 21, 1729; and Susannah, October 6, 1736.

V. Mitchell Curtiss (2) was married February 11, 1753, to Phobe Peet, daughter of. Deacon Thomas Peet, and had the following children: Zachariah, born September 17, 1753, who mar- ried Verona Edwards; Daniel Mitchell, who is mentioned below; Mary Ann, born November 7, 1756; Phoebe, born July, 1764; and Isaac, born in December, 1766.

VI. Daniel Mitchell Curtiss, the grandfather of our subject, was born January 5. 1755, and died April 27, 1830. On June 24, 1779, he married Huldah Burr, and they had ten children, whose names with dates of birth are here given: Justus

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Burr, January 27, 1780; Ely, September 16, 1781; Mary, August 2, 1783; David, February 9, 1786; Daniel, March 8. 1788; Hepzibah, Sep- tember 29, 1790; Lucy, November 28, 1792; Huldah, January 23, 1795; Alvin, September 29, 1798; and Ira, December 8, 1800.

VII. Ira Curtiss, our subject's father, who died June 21, 1849, was reared in the town of Trumbull, near Nichols, where he attended school during boyhood. He followed farming as an occupation, and always resided at the old homestead. In politics he was a Whig. while in religious faith he was a Methodist. On Decem- ber 26, 1833, he married Mrs. Sally (Bradley) Burritt, of Stratford, by whom he had three children: Caroline, born October 28, 1834, died September 2, 1835; Lewis Mix, our subject; and Henry Burr, born September 29, 1840, who now resides at No. 348 Noble avenue, Bridgeport. Our subject's mother, who was born April 28, 1798, and died April 3. 1885, was a daughter of Israel and Mary (Hotchkiss) Bradley, formerly well-known residents of Milford, Conn., and her marriage to her first husband, Isaac Burritt, oc- curred March 31, 1818.

VIII. Lewis M. Curtiss was born August 27, 1837, at the old homestead near the village of Nichols, and his education was begun in the pub- lic schools of that place. Later he attended the high school at Milford, and on leaving school he served an apprenticeship there to the tinsmith's trade. He then entered the employ of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company at Bridgeport, remaining five years, but in 1862 he returned to the old homestead, where he has since resided. The estate is beautifully located, and is known as City View Farm. Mr. Curtiss makes a specialty of dairying, in which he has met with gratifying success.

On July 11, 1861, Mr. Curtiss was married in Milford to Miss Catherine Miles Baldwin, daughter of Elijah Baldwin, a prominent citizen of Milford, and two children came to brighten their home: Walter Bradley. born January 28, 1866, and Eveline Baldwin, born August 21, 1870, and died February 22, 1884. The family is much esteemed socially, and Mr. Curtiss is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Nichols, and affiliates with St. John's Lodge No. 8, F. & A. M., at Stratford.

R EV. WILLIAM H. HOLMAN, pastor of the First Congregational Church at Southport, has ministered to the spiritual needs of that so- ciety for more than twenty years, and during his long term of service his faithful and efficient

labors in the cause of Christ have been recog- nized as a potent influence for good throughout the community. While the duties of his sacred calling have received the most devoted care, he has not been unmindful of the many channels of helpfulness which lie outside of Church work, and at all times he has manifested a hearty sympathy with educational and philanthropic movements of all kinds.

The history of the Church of which he has had charge for so many years will be of interest to our readers. The pioneers of Southport were at first dependent upon the churches at Fairfield village for religious privileges, but in the year 1843 a movement was set on foot for the estab- lishment of a more convenient place of worship. Accordingly a meeting was held in Southport on February 18, 1843, at which it was resolved by the members of the Fairfield congregation pres- ent to organize themselves into a separate body to be denominated "The Congregational Church of Southport." Letters were sent to five Churches in the vicinity, namely, the First Church of Fairfield, the First and Second Churches in Bridgeport, and the congregations in Greenfield and Norwalk, inviting them to send their pastors and delegates to meet in council with the South- port members " for the purpose of organizing a Church of Christ in the Borough of Southport." This council met on March 7, 1843, and as the purpose of the petitions was approved, the new Church was formally organized with a member- ship of twenty-eight. A sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Atwater, of Fairfield, and in the evening of the same day the house was dedi- cated, Rev. Dr. Hewit, of Bridgeport, preaching the dedication sermon. On application, the Church was received into the Consociation of the Western district of Fairfield county. on June 6, 1843. The first members of the Church were Mrs. Elizabeth B. Alvord, Elias P. Benham, Mrs. Rachel M. Benham, Mrs. Miranda Bulke- ley, Levi Down, Mrs. Peggy Lacey, Frederick Marquand, Mrs. Hetty Marquand, Anna Osborn, Mrs. Eleanor Osborn, Jeremiah Osborn, Mrs. Abigail Osborn, Austin Perry, Mrs. Emily A. Perry, Mary A. Perry, Delia F. Perry, Fran- cis D. Perry, Mrs. Ann Eliza Perry, Oliver H. Perry, Mrs. Eliza P. Robinson, Mrs. Mary A. Sherwood, Mrs. Catherine G. Sherwood, Edward A. Smith, Mrs. Esther M. Smith, Walter Thorp, Mary C. Thorp, and Maurice Wakeman. In 1880 the Church had a member- ship of 167, and at present there are 190 mem- bers.

The building, completed in 1843, was used by the congregation as a place of worship until

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1874, when it was removed and a handsome and substantial edifice erected on its site. This was dedicated February 2, 1876, Rev. S. J. M. Mer- win, then of Wilton, preaching from Haggai 11, 9: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts, and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts." He was assisted in the service by Rev. Dr. Atwater, Rev. Charles E. Lindsley, and Rev. George E. Hill. The first pastor of the Church was Rev. Samuel J. M. Merwin, who was ordained December 18, 1844, and remained in charge until May 3, 1859. He was followed by Rev. Charles E. Lind- sley (February 29, 1860-February 16, 1869); Rev. George E. Hill (March 22, 1870-Decem- ber 27, 1876), and Rev. William H. Holman was ordained and installed as pastor on June 12, 1878.

Among other worthy enterprises to which Mr. Holman has given his influence we may mention the Pequot Library at Southport, a public insti- tution which would be a credit to any city in the United States. Except in the number of vol- umes it is not surpassed in any respect by the libraries of our largest cities, and the choice se- lection of works reduces that disadvantage to a minimum. The library was opened in 1894 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Elbert B. Monroe. In 1898 numerous improvements were made, and at present the building is a model of its kind, containing the latest appliances for con- venience and system in the care of books. It is equipped with a steam-heating plant and electric apparatus for lighting, a storage battery of the latest design supplying the power, and in every way the managers have sought to carry out effectively the beneficent purpose of its founders.

DENNETT BLACKMAN, of Newtown. has been for many years regarded as a leader in public affairs in his locality, and although he has now retired from active participation in business and political life, his influence is still marked in the community.

Mr. Blackman belongs to one of the old families of Taunton District, town of Newtown, his grandfather, James Blackman, having come from some western point to locate there previous to the Revolutionary war. This well-known pioneer was a farmer by occupation and owned a large tract of land. He was prominent as a citizen, and was especially interested in religious work, being an active member of the Episcopal Church and a singer in the choir. He married Miss Sylvia Hitchcock, and they had five chil-

dren, viz .: Beers, who became a prominent resi- dent of Danbury; Lucy, who married Peter Hurd; Eunice (Mrs. Sherman); Hawley and Samuel B.

Samuel Blackman, our subject's father, being the youngest son, inherited the homestead, a large estate near the " Rackets," where he fol- lowed farming throughout his life. He was never inclined to public life, and took little interest in local affairs of a political nature, but for years he was a leading member of the Episcopal Church. He died in 1870. He married Eunice Ann Skidmore, daughter of Abel Skidmore, of Lake George District, and they had the follow- ing children: James, a resident of Newtown, who died in 1894; A. Beers, who resides in Buffalo; Lucy (deceased), who married William Guire, of Bethel, this county; Lacy, who died in Bridge- port, this county; Maryette, wife of Wilson Lyon, of Bethel; Bennett, our subject; Clark, a resi- dent of Taunton District, town of Newtown; and Charlotte, wife of Stephen Burns, of Bridgeport.

Our subject was born June 14, 1820, at the old homestead in the town of Newtown. At an early age he learned the trade of combmaker, and from 1840 to 1848 he followed that business at the "Neck." near Lake George. He then en- gaged in butchering, locating first in Hawleyville in 1850, and in 1862 removing to Newtown, where he continued the business until 1881, when he relinquished it to his son, John H. Blackman. In all his undertakings he was suc- cessful, and notwithstanding the pressure of business cares, he found time to take an active part in the various movements of his day and locality. In 1876 he represented his town, in the State Legislature, and he was constable for twenty years, member of the board of relief one year, grand juror for twenty years, and assessor for one term. Mr. Blackman has always shown a ready sympathy with religious work, and is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church at New- town. He has been twice married, first time in 1840, to Miss Hepsa Sheppard, daughter of Orrin Sheppard, of Newtown. She died November 27, 1856, and in January, 1860, Mr. Blackman wedded Elizabeth Platt, who passed away in August, 1889. By his first wife he had two children: Susan Jane and John Henry; the daughter married (first) Rockwell Smith, of Brookfield, who met a soldier's death in the Civil war, and (second) she wedded Rufus Short, of Bethel, this county.

JOHN H. BLACKMAN, the younger child and only son of our subject, is a worthy representa- tive of this highly-respected family. From early manhood he was associated with his father in business, and since the spring of 1881, when he

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purchased the meat market, he has successfully conducted it on his own account. This is now one of the oldest establishments in the town, and is the only one of the kind on the street. He deals chiefly in native beef, and in all ways seeks to deserve the confidence of his customers. . In December, 1875, he married Miss Isabell Win- ton, daughter of Oscar Winton, a well-known resident of Grays Plain District, town of New- town; no children have blessed this union. Mr. Blackman and his wife are prominent socially, and he is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church of Newtown, and of various fraternal orders, be- longing to Hiram Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., the Knights of Honor, the B. P. O. E., of Bridgeport, of which he is a charter member, and Samaritan Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Danbury; his father was at one time connected with the last named order. He has also been actively identified with local movements of different kinds, and has been foreman of the Newtown Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company ever since its organ- ization in 1883. Politically, he is a Democrat, and he is one of the best-known managers of the party in his vicinity. Since 1876 he has held the office of constable continuously, except for one year, and in 1879 he served as a member of the State Legislature; in 1891. during the memor- able deadlock in the Legislature, he acted as doorkeeper of the Senate.

C HARLES BAILEY MASON. Public officials who will use their positions as vantage ground for securing to the people the greatest possible good are rare, and the good citizens of Danbury have shown their appreciation of the fact in the hearty endorsement which they have given to this able and public-spirited gentleman. At present Mr. Mason is postmaster of that city, but his reputation for ability and faithfulness was estab- lished years ago in other responsible positions. Danbury will not soon forget his services as se- lectman, and many substantial improvements stand as a monument to his zeal and foresight.

As Mr. Mason can claim descent in the ma- ternal line from several old New England families, his ancestral record is of more than usual interest, and may suitably introduce his personal history. His father. Charles B. Mason, who was born in New York City, January 20, 1807, died February 2, 1842, nearly five months before our subject was born. The mother, whose maiden name was Caroline Barnum, contracted a second mar- riage, in 1844, with Peter M. Holmes. By her first marriage she had three children: Mary A .. who died in infancy; Mary Emeline, who died at

the age of eighteen; and Charles B., our subject. There were three children by the second union: John Timmeron, who entered the Union army during the Civil war, was wounded and captured at the battle of Tybee Island, and died in a prison at Charleston, S. C .; Catherine Ann, who died in infancy; and Granville Orrin, now a resident of Danbury. Our subject's mother was born at Danbury, January 14. 1816, and died April 18, 1889. Through her father, Zoroaster Barnum, she was related to the well-known Connecticut family of that name, and her mother, Betsey Benedict, was a lineal descendant of one William Benedict I, who lived in Nottinghamshire, Eng- land, about the year 1500. He had one son, William Il, who also had an only son called William Ill. The third William had an only child called Thomas IV, born in 1617, who was put out as an apprentice to a weaver, and after- ward, in the twenty-first year of his age, came to New England together with his step-sister, Mary Bridgam, whom he married. They settled at Massachusetts Bay, and from there they moved to Southhold, Long Island, where were born to them five sons and four daughters, namely: Thomas, John, Samuel, James, Daniel, Betty, Mary, Sarah and Rebecca. In 1657 he resided at Huntington. Long Island. In 1663 he moved to Norwalk, Conn .. and in the ensuing year he was appointed selectman of the town and also town clerk. He held the latter office until 1674. and was selectman until 1688. In 1670 he was repre- sentative of Norwalk in the General Assem- bly, and again in 1675. In the patent granted by the General Court in 1686, confirming the title of Norwalk, Thomas Benedict's name is in- serted as a patentee. In May. 1684, the General Court appointed him and three others to plant a town above Norwalk at Paquage, and in the fall of that year and the spring of 1685 Samuel and James, sons of Thomas, and six others with their families settled there, the land having been pur- chased from the Indians. They asked that their settlement might be called Swamfield, but in 1687 the General Court denied their request and called it Danbury. Thomas Benedict is identi- fied with the founding of the first Presbyterian Church in America, in Jamaica in 1662. He held the office of commissioner when the Dutch Gov- ernor Stuyvesant, of New York, surrendered New York to the English, and was a delegate from Jamaica to the first Legislative body con- vened in New York.

In the various Indian wars of his time he took an active part, and was appointed, by Governor Nichols, of New York, lieutenant of the Foot Company, of Jamaica, his commission

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being dated at New York April 7, 1665. His will, which was executed February 28, 1689, states he was " weak of body, aged seventy-three years, yet of perfect mind and memory." Sam- uel Benedict V. son of Thomas, was born at Southhold, L. I., in 1641, and continued to re- side with his father until after his removal to Norwalk, Conn. He was married July 7. 1678, to Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Andrews, of Fairfield, Conn., and had five children, namely: Thomas, Nathaniel, Abraham, Rebecca and Esther. He settled at Danbury, in 1684, with his brother James, and his brother-in-law, James Beebe, and thus it will be seen that the majority of the first settlers of Danbury were of Benedict stock and connection. They soon built a little church, 40 x 30 feet, and when its frame was raised every person in the town was present and sat together on its sills. Samuel, who had been a deacon of the Church while a resident of Nor- walk, was first deacon of the Church. He was named as the patentee in the Patent of Danbury. granted by the General Assembly, May, 1702. Inventory of his will, dated April 17. 1719, shows a total of 4185, 11s. 5d. Abraham VI. son of Samuel, was born June 21, 1681. He married Sarah Hickok, and had eight children, namely: Abraham, Timothy, Jabez, Israel, Silas, Rebecca, Mary and Elizabeth. His will was pro- bated June 15. 1779. Jabez VII, son of Abra- ham, married Charity Booth, and resided in Dan- bury, Conn., Cornwall, Conn., and Johns- town, N. Y., where he died in 1801. He had five children: Eunice, Rachel, Sarah, Jabez, and Ephraim. Ephraim VIII, son of Jabez, was born February 4, 1765, and married September 30, 1784, Betsey. daughter of Samuel and Mary Curtis, of Danbury. She was born June 16, 1765, and died September 9, 1825. He was married again, May 2, 1827, to Widow Anna Barlow, who died in November. 1865, aged ninety-eight years and four months. Ephraim Benedict died at Danbury April 27, 1849. He served three months in the Revolutionary army; his father-in-law, Samuel Curtis, served as en- sign in eight companies in the French and Indian war, and three in the war of the Revolution. Ephraim had seven children, all by his first wife, namely: John Curtis, Sarah. Jabez, Ruth, Bet- sey, Roswell, and Elias Curtis. Betsey IX. daughter of Ephraim. was born April 7, 1796, and in 1818 she married Zoroaster Barnum, and had two children: Caroline X, our subject's mother, and Eliza; she died at Danbury Oc- tober 19, 1873.

As will be seen, Mr. Mason is of the eleventh generation from William Benedict I, of Not-

tinghamshire, and those who are fond of tracing hereditary influences may ascribe his fidelity to the public welfare to the same patriotism which animated his ancestors in the Benedict and Cur- tis lines during the early days, when their duties required hard service in camp and on battlefield. Mr. Mason is a native of the town which his an- cestors helped to found, and first saw the light June 26, 1842, at No. 13 Franklin street. The house, which was the first Methodist Episcopal church built in Danbury, was moved to its pres- ent location in 1840, and transformed into a dwelling. After attending the public schools of his native place for some time, Mr. Mason began his business career at the age of fourteen as a clerk in N. T. Hoyt's grocery, where he remained three years, and the next two years were spent in similar employment with William G. Randall. He then entered the department store of Bene- dict & Nichols, being employed as buyer and manager of the hardware department. In 1865 he formed a partnership with David P. Nichols and Samuel C. Smith, and purchased the busi- ness, which they continued under the firm name of D. P Nichols & Co. until 1869. In that year Mr. Mason went to New York City and organized the wholesale grocery firm of Bennett, Hawley & Mason, establishing a store at No. 333 Green- wich street. This partnership was dissolved in 1872, and Mr. Mason became connected with the wholesale grocery of A. J. D. Wedemeyer, on Washington street, New York, where he re- mained until 1889. Returning to Danbury, he then purchased the grocery of Peck & Wildman, and this, until 1893, was conducted under the firm name of Mason & Co., Mr. Mason's son being associated with him in the business. He has also engaged in other enterprises, and is now a director in the Danbury and Bethel Street Railway Company, and vice-president of the Na- tional Building, Bank and Loan Association.

In 1889 Mr. Mason began his successful work in municipal affairs. The city having just re- ceived its charter, he was appointed superin- tendent of the water-works, a position which he held until 1891. His administration attracted favorable notice, and in the fall of 1892 he was elected to the office of first selectman by a plu- rality of 659 on the Democratic ticket, the sig- nificance of the achievement being seen when it is recalled that for seven years previous the town had gone Republican by large majorities. He held this office one year, and before the expira- tion of his term he was again appointed (May, 1893) to the post of superintendent of the water- works, which he filled until April, 1895, when he received a recess appointment as postmaster.

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On December 19, 1895, he was formally con- firmed in that position for the term of four years. While serving as superintendent of the water- works he instituted the first systematic record of that department, and having seen the need of more business-like methods of keeping the town accounts, he made it his first duty as selectman to inaugurate a better system, which has since been adopted in many other towns in Connecti- cut. During his term the question of building a new almshouse, one of the finest in the State, was voted upon, Mr. Mason's influence being potent in securing a favorable result, and the foundations of the structure were laid before he retired from the office. He also gave great im- petus to the work of improving the roads, and during his year as first selectman the first iron bridges in the town were constructed. He was a member of the committee which revised the present city charter, adopted in 1897. He has also devoted much time and attention to educational matters, and since 1890 has been a member of the school board of his city. Here, as else- where, his energetic support of progressive meas- ures has won the approval of the best element among his fellow-townsmen.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 48

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