Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1, Part 137

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1 > Part 137

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Almeron W. Wickham was reared at the place of his birth, receiving his early education in the district schools of Manchester, where, among others, he was taught by Miss Cook and George Holland. He was trained to farm life from earliest boyhood, and at the age of fifteen went to live with his uncle, Horace Wickham, in order to secure a more com- plete education. His ambition for a still better ed- ucation led him to enter the Hartford Public High School, where he took a complete course, earning his tuition by doing odd jobs around the school. On April 1, 1882, he was appointed shipping clerk at the Woodland Mill, being the first to hold the position, the duties of which he attended to out of school hours until his graduation in June, 1882, after which he gave it his entire time. After a year in this incumbency he was made time-keeper, being placed in charge of outside work at the mill, and in 1890 he attained his later responsible position, that of superintendent. Having been connected with the mill ever since it was built, and risen to a post of honor and importance from a comparatively hum- ble beginning, he was familiar with every branch and detail of the work in the establishment, and this thorough preparation for his incumbency, com- bined with natural ability, made him an invaluable employe, and won for him an enviable place in the esteem and confidence of his employers. Moreover, he gained this high standing by his own efforts, and

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he commands the respect of all who know him, whether in business or in private life. In 1897-98 Mr. Wickham was chosen as one of the representa- tives of his town in the State Legislature, and was made a member of the committee on Finance, an- other compliment to his executive ability. As a citizen he was always foremost among the public- spirited and enterprising men of the locality, and an influential worker for the advancement and im- provement of the town and county, being ever identified especially with the best interests of East Hartford, where he was probably better known than any other man of his age. Fraternally he was identified with Nutmeg Lodge, A. O. U. W., of East Hartford, of which he is a charter member, and had been recorder since its organization ; is a char- ter member of Lafayette Council, O. U. A. M., at East Hartford, in which he held various offices ; and was regent of East Hartford Council, Royal Ar- canum; and a member of Orient Lodge, F. & A. M. Politically he is a stanch Republican, in this respect differing from his ancestors, including his father, who have been equally ardent supporters of the men and measures of the Democratic party.

In April, 1885, Mr. Wickham was married to Miss Margaret McCabe, of Salisbury Mills, Orange Co., N. Y., a daughter of James McCabe, and born of Scotch-Irish descent. Two children have blessed this union: William E. and Martha Elanor. Mrs. Wickham is a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. Wickham is now a resident of Ga- lena, Kansas.

HON. OLIVER THOMPSON (deceased) was for many years prominent in the town of Avon, and indeed throughout Hartford county, as a business man of more than ordinary ability and acumen, a citizen whose genuine worth was emphasized in all his acts, and a man whose Christian character could not fail to win the respect of all who knew him, in commercial, public or social life. As a model citi- zen he ranked second to none, and in making a suc- cess of his own career he never forgot the duty he owed to his community and his fellow citizens, nor allowed personal ends to dampen his public spirit or the loyal interest in the general welfare which was ever one of his marked characteristics.

Mr. Thompson was born Aug. 5, 1827, in what is now known as West Avon, and his family is one of the oldest in this part of Hartford county, his great-grandfather, Timothy Thompson, having been one of the first settlers of Avon, which was then included in the towns of Northington and Farm- ington. Lot Thompson, the grandfather of our subject, also made his home there, and was one of the most extensive farmers and landowners of his day. His son, Thaddeus L. Thompson, father of Oliver, was born on the farm now owned by Dr. Hackley, removing thence to the farm now owned by the family of our subject, which was then known as the Demming place. Here he passed the remainder

of his busy life, engaging successfully in general farming, stock raising and dairying, and he held a high position among the best citizens of Avon, where he was widely known. He was prominent in religious work as an active member of the Congre- gational Church of West Avon, and as the first man to bring timber for the erection of their house of worship. Politically he was a Whig, but though an ardent supporter of the principles of his party he took no part in its workings beyond casting his vote, and he never sought political preferment. On June 1, 1812, Mr. Thompson married Miss Betsey Tillotson, who was a native of Avon (then called Farmington), and five children blessed their union : Edmund, born Feb. 20, 1813, who died in Ohio; Marcus, born July 14, 1815; one that died in in- fancy, born Oct. 13, 1818; Shubul, born June 12, r821, who is a deacon in the church; and Oliver, born Aug. 5, 1827. The mother of these dying Sept. 3, 1828, Mr. Thompson wedded for his sec- ond wife, on Oct. 20, 1829, Miss Mehitabel Sanford, of Avon, and they had three children: Betsey E., born Sept. 15, 1830, who died at the age of sixteen ; Eliza Ann, born June 3, 1833; and Almira, born March 15, 1838. This wife was laid to rest in West Avon cemetery, where Mr. Thompson is also buried. He passed away in 1865.

Oliver Thompson attended the district schools of Avon, and passed his entire life on the farm where he was born, engaging extensively in agri- cultural pursuits, though he was also heavily inter- ested in lumbering. In addition to general crops he carried on stock raising, dairying and the culture of tobacco, and he was the largest land owner in Avon, owning upward of 600 acres, in the manage- ment of which he displayed rare ability. He de- voted special attention to the improvement of the Thompson homestead farm, building a fine dwell- ing, barns and other outbuildings which added ma- terially to the beauty and value of the property, in the appearance of which he took great pride, a fact which was evident even to the casual observer. From time to time he purchased large tracts of timber land, and engaged in the manufacture of lum- ber, and he was uniformly successful in his business enterprises, in connection with which he became widely known throughout this region. He always endeavored to do what he considered the right, and his business associates learned to respect him to an unusual degree, both for his honesty of purpose and strict integrity in all his transactions.

Though so intimately connected with the broader life of the community Mr. Thompson was a man of quiet and domestic tastes, temperate in his habits, and devoted to his home and family, who loved and honored him for his unselfishness, kind-hearted generosity and many Christian traits of character. As a neighbor and friend he was popular and uni- versally esteemed, and he exemplified in his unas- suming but useful life a high standard of citizen- ship and a regard for the general welfare which are

Oliver Thompson

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well worthy of emulation. In 1863 he was honored by his fellow citizens in Avon with election to the State Legislature, where he served his term faith- fully, giving the same thoughtful care to his duties as a public servant as he devoted to his own in- terests. Originally a Whig in political predilection, he became a Republican when the new party was organized, and always supported its principles. For over forty years Mr. Thompson was a member of the Congregational Church, taking a prominent part in its various enterprises, and contributing liberally of his ample means to all benevolent and charitable projects, in which he was deeply interested. In short, he was a man who lived a helpful, busy life, attending carefully to his extensive business affairs, but with a due regard for the demands made upon one of his ability and resource by the various in- terests which occupy the intelligent and progressive classes of the day, and his death, which occurred Dec. 3, 1895, was regarded as a public loss through- out this section.

In June, 1858, Mr. Thompson was married, in Farmington, to Miss Margaret Colvin, a native of Avon, who survived him until Oct. 24, 1899, mak- ing her home on the beautiful property mentioned above. She was a woman of keen intelligence and high Christian character, and always shared the respect accorded her honored husband in Avon town. Two sons were born to this union, Howard Clark and Joseph Carpenter, both of whom have received good educational opportunities, and the moral train- ing of Christian parents has not been lost on these two young men, who take their place among the industrious and useful citizens of their town as business men and in a social way. The eldest son attended the schools of the home district and Con- necticut Literary Institute, at Suffield, and received his business training under the able direction of his father. He is the senior partner of the firm of H. C. & J. C. Thompson, lumber manufacturers and general farmers of Avon, and gives promise of at- taining the high standing in commercial circles held by his worthy father. He married Miss Elizabeth Chase, of Waltham, Mass., who was born Nov. 6, 1855, and they have two children: Frank Oliver, born Feb. 14, 1885, and Howard Everett, born Dec. 19, 1887. Joseph C. Thompson supplemented his district-school training with study at the Union- ville Academy, and he, too, obtained his knowledge of business methods while assisting his father. He is now occupied in the management of the farm, where he and his brother are successfully engaged in the culutre of tobacco, general farming and stock raising, in addition carrying on one of the largest dairies in Avon. He is a stanch Republican in politics.

DAVID COLVIN, the grandfather of Mrs. Mar- garet (Colvin) Thompson, was a native of West Hartford, and passed his life in the county, dying in Avon : he was buried in West Avon. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Politically

he was a Democrat, and in religious matters he was liberal, supporting no particular denomination. His son Timothy, father of Mrs. Thompson, was born in Avon, and was a lifelong farmer of that town, where he became prominent in public life as well as a prosperous agriculturist. He was always a stanch Democrat, and he served one term as member of the State Legislature from his district. Timothy Colvin married for his first wife Miss Sally Cornell, a native of New York, by whom he had twelve children: Joseph, who went to California in an early day, and later settled in Illinois, being a pio- neer of Kinderhook, that State, where he died March 20, 1900; Sarah, deceased, who married Samuel Hart, a stone mason of Farmington, also deceased ; Mary, wife of Charles Moses, of Avon ; Charles, who died in Kinderhook, Ill .; Margaret, Mrs. Thomp- son ; Timothy, a resident of Kinderhook, Ill .; Maria who married Benjamin Hodgkins, of Maine; Hen- rietta, wife of George Scarritt, of West Hartford; William, who died in Kinderhook, Ill .; Frederick, of Avon; Arthur, who was drowned when three years old; and Alice, wife of Emerson Moses, of Minnesota. The mother was laid to rest in the West Avon cemetery, and for his second wife Mr. Colvin wedded Miss Eliza Latham, of Hartford, their union being blessed with four children,namely : Fanny (who is the wife of Edward Judd), Frances, Arthur and Eugene, all residents of Bristol, Conn. The Colvin family is highly respected in Hartford county.

CHARLES HENRY PENDER, an honored veteran of the Civil war, whose devotion to his country was tested on many a Southern battlefield, and an expert machinist in the employ of the H. D. Smith Co., of Plantsville, Hartford county, was born in Ansonia, New Haven Co., Conn., Nov. 7, 1839. He is a son of John and Abigail (Gill) Pender, natives of Manchester, England, who came to America in 1835, and first located in Bridgeport, Conn., where the father was employed for a time as a machinist, shipwright and general mechanic. Subsequently he removed to Ansonia, and still later made his home in Mt. Carmel and New Haven, dying at the latter place in 1862. In his family were seven children: Thomas, deceased; Martha, wife of Edwin D. Beeman; Charles H .; Frederick WV .; Sarah, wife of George F. Marks; Benjamin ; and Thomas J.

Charles H. Pender is indebted to the common schools of this State for his educational privileges, and with his father he learned the machinist's trade, starting out for himself at the age of fifteen years. In 1862 he came to Southington, where he was em- ployed by the Peck-Smith Co. until September, 1863, when he entered the service of his country, enlisting as a private in Company F. Ist Connecti- cut Cavalry. He participated in all the engage- ments in which his command took part, and, with his regiment, was honorably discharged Aug. 2,

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1865. With the exception of four years, devoted to farming, Mr. Pender has worked at his trade since the war, first in the employ of the Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co., and since 1884 with the H. D. Smith Co., at Plantsville. He is a good workman, reliable and industrious, and has the entire confidence and respect of his employers.

On Dec. 3. 1866, Mr. Pender married Miss Lucy Ann Barnes, a daughter of Willard and Ellen (An- drews) Barnes, of Southington, and they have three children : Willard, a machinist by trade ; Adelaide, a graduate of the State Normal School at New Britain, and now editor of the Connecticut School Journal, at Meriden; and Martha. In politics Mr. Pender is an ardent Republican, and in social re- lations is a prominent member of Trumbull Post, No. 16, G. A. R., of which he was commander in 1899.

DWIGHT BUTLER HILLS, a prominent clock manufacturer of Plainville, Hartford county, was born in that town Sept. 19, 1846, and is a de- scendant of William Hills, a native of England, who settled in Hartford in 1632, and died there in 1683.

Our subject's great-grandparents on the paternal side were Chauncey and Eleanor (Gillette) Hills, and the grandparents were Elias and Sally (Cur- tiss) Hills. His father, George Hills, was born in Plainville, April 27, 1813, and died June 5, 1885. He was a wheelwright by trade, and in early life engaged in the manufacture of wagons, and later of clocks and clock parts. He was twice married, his first wife being Charlotte Eddy, who was born May 25, 1812, a daughter of William and Mary (Butler) Eddy, and granddaughter of Charles and Hannah (Kelsey) Eddy, of New Britain, Conn. She bore him four children, of whom three grew to maturity: Adelaide L., wife of Charles Northrup; Dwight B., our subject; and Christiana, wife of Charles H. Calor. For his second wife the father married Caroline, daughter of Harlow Eddy, and by that union had two children: Freddie, deceased ; and Nellie, wife of John B. Brown.

Reared in Plainville, Dwight B. Hills obtained his literary education in its public schools, and in early life learned the clockmaker's trade with his father. Subsequently he spent nine years in' the manufacture of clocks at Ansonia, Conn., but with that exception his entire life has been passed in Plainville, his time and attention being devoted to the same line of business. He is energetic and in- dustrious, and has met with fair success in his life work. Politically he is a stanch Republican, and has held various town offices, including those of selectman and justice of the peace.

On June 21, 1871, Mr. Hills married Miss Helen E. Gates, a daughter of Robert and Minnie ( Hotch- kiss) Gates, of Derby, Conn. She died Jan. 13, 1898, leaving two daughters, Mabelle and Mar- guerite.

STANLEY WADSWORTH, a prominent citi- zen and a farmer and tobacco grower of Hockanum, town of East Hartford, was born Nov. 20, 1832, and descends from a very ancient English family, members of which settled in Connecticut at its first colonization.

The name Wadsworth is derived, it is supposed, from Wood's Court, or court in the woods, the in- ference being that some ancestor of the present fam- ily held court in a wood-hence, literally, Woods- court; in German, Waldes-hoff; in Anglo-Saxon, Waldes-weorth. The name is quite common in England, especially in the Yorkshire district, where, it now seems probable, the early ancestors of the American family hailed from. In William Pavers' "Pedigrees of Yorkshire" the Wadsworths are traced back four generations, and the search for the origin of the name and location of individuals of earlier times is now going on in England. But let us confine ourselves to the American family.

The ship "Lion" cast anchor in Boston harbor Sunday evening, Sept. 16, 1632, bringing 123 pas- sengers, whereof fifty were children, all in good health, after a voyage of twelve weeks. Of the passenger list the names of about thirty only have been preserved, and of these the name of William Wadsworth, thought to have been born in 1600, stands at the head, as having a family of four per- sons. It is believed that he had made the trip pre- viously, but had come this time to remain. He was made a freeman Nov. 6, 1632, in Cambridge, and when the town was organized he was chosen a member of the first board of selectmen, and held office in 1634-35. From Cambridge he came to Hartford as one of Hooker's company, and there passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1675. He was among the wealthier and more influential pro- prietors and settlers of Hartford. To his first mar- riage were born four children: Sarah, who was married to John Wilcox; William, who died in in- fancy; Mary, married to Thomas Stoughton; and John. By his second wife, Eliza Stone, whom he married in 1644, were born six children: Eliza- beth, married to John Terry; Samuel, born in 1646; Joseph, in 1648; Sarah, in 1649 (married to Jona- than Ashley) ; Thomas, in 1651; and Rebecca, in 1656. Every American schoolboy has read of the determined Capt. Joseph Wadsworth, of Charter Oak fame, alluded to above, and how he preserved the liberties of Connecticut ; every one knows how, when Gov. Fletcher attempted to silence the drums beaten at Capt. Joseph's command, in order that Fletcher might not read his commission and usurp the control of the militia, Wadsworth, with most determined energy, told him, "If I am interrupted again, I will make the sun shine through you in a moment !"

Thomas Wadsworth, mentioned above as having been born in 1651, married Elizabeth --- , in 1677, and there were born to them seven children : John, who died in infancy ; Sarah, born in 1681, who

Dwight B. Hills

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was married to a Mr. Burr; Elizabeth; Rebecca, born in 1686, who was married to James Gross, and died in 1707, without issue; Thomas, born in 1689; Hannah, born in 1690; and William, born in 1692, died in 1725.

Thomas Wadsworth, born in 1689, a son of Thomas, was a farmer of Farmington, this county, and died in 1771. He married Miriam Beckley, but in all probability died without issue. [The Wads- worth family genealogy, compiled by Horace An- drew Wadsworth, of Lawrence, Mass., and from which this matter is extracted, says: "There has been some controversy as to whether this man was not the father of Thomas ( third) instead of Thomas the son of Thomas (being so), in which event all the descendants of Thomas (fourth) would be of the Farmington branch. But we are satisfied this man died without issue." In this case, who was the father of Thomas (third) following ?]

Thomas Wadsworth (third) born in East Hart- ford in 1716, married Sarah Arnold; she died in 1778, and he in 1783. Their children were nine in number, born as follows: Thomas, 1739; John, 1742; Samuel, 1746; Josiah, 1748; William, 1753; Jerusha, 17 -; Sarah, 1754; Rebecca, 1757; and Elizabeth, 1761.

Thomas Wadsworth ( fourth), a farmer of East Hartford, was born in 1739, and died in 1810. He married Thankful Hills, who died in 1816, and their children, twelve in number, were: George, born in 1762, died in 1806, unmarried; Thomas, born in 1763; David, born in 1767, died in Gainesville, N. Y .; Timothy, born in 1770; Solomon, born in 1772; Joel, born in 1774, died single in 1823 ; Moses, born in 1776, died in infancy; Anna, died in infancy ; Anna (2), born in 1780, married to Ashel Porter ; Moses (2), born in 1733; Thankful, married; and Abbey. Thomas, Moses, David and Timothy re- moved in early life to New Hartford, Oneida Co., N. Y., and located on what was afterward called Wadsworth Hill.

Solomon Wadsworth, of the above family, born in 1772, married Lucy Kirby, and died in 1853. Their children were as follows: Allen, born in 1795; Rebecca, in 1797 (died unmarried in East Hartford in 1871); Solomon, in 1800; Horace, in 1802; Lucy, in 1805 (was married to Joseph. Arnold) ; Norman, in 1806; Laura, in 1807; Eme- line, in 1810 (died an infant) ; Maria, in 1813; Mary, in 1819 (married E. Gillett) ; and Daniel, in 1821.

Solomon Wadsworth, born Feb. 13, 1800, on the farm in East Hartford now occupied by Peter Rival, followed agriculture all his life, and died at his birthplace March 28, 1884. To his marriage with Sarah Dow, a native of Newington, and a daughter of Solomon and Lucy ( Butler ) Dow, four children were born: Rufus, born in July, 1830, married Adelaide Watross, of Bolton, and is now living in Manchester; Stanley is the subject of this sketch; Sarah, born April 2, 1836, was married to Stephen

P. Forbes, and is now living with her son, Clar- ence C., in Hockanum ; and Urania, wife of Martin Fox, resides in East Hartford.

Stanley Wadsworth was born Nov. 20, 1832, as has been mentioned at the beginning of this article, was reared on the home farm, and received a sound common-school education in the meanwhile. In 1851 he rented from Julius Griswold a farm which he operated two years, and was then ap- pointed master of the town almshouse, which posi- tion he filled eight years; in 1860 he bought his present farm from George W. Champlin, known as the Austin Hall place, on which he raises about six acres of tobacco, together with miscellaneous farm productions.

On Jan. 21, 1858, Mr. Wadsworth married Miss Harriet J. Latham, who was born in Hebron Dec. 6, 1839, a daughter of Amos B. and Caroline M. (Loomis) Latham, and this marriage has been blessed with one child, Milton Stanley.

Milton Stanley Wadsworth was born May 14, 1861, received his primary education in the district school, then attended the academy in Cranbury, N. J., under Prof. Brown, for one winter, and next entered the high school at Hartford, where he finished his studies. On May 21, 1884, Mr. Wads- worth was united in marriage with Miss Elsie F. Ransom, who was born in East Hampton, Conn., Oct. 4, 1860, a daughter of Merritt and Florinda (Clark) Ransom, the former a Methodist clergyman. This union was blessed with four children: Flor- ence May, born Oct. 18, 1885; Imogene Elsie, July 5, 1888 ; Gertrude M., Aug. 3, 1891 ; and Milton S., Dec. 23, 1893. But it is sad to add that Milton S. Wadsworth, the father of this interesting young family, was called from earth Dec. 21, 1893, just two days before the birth of his youngest child. The grief of the young widow and that of the elder children must be left to the imagination of the read- er. Milton S. Wadsworth was one of the most amiable as well as one of the most intelligent young men of the town of East Hartford, and his taking off in early manhood was mourned by hosts of warm- hearted and sincere friends. He had been in the employ of the Corbin Co. at New Britain for thir- teen years, during five of which he was traveling salesman, to their profit and great satisfaction, and at the time of his death he was the trusted manager of their Philadelphia store ; thus a bright and more than ordinarily promising business career was un- timely ended, and an interesting and amiable wife and young family left in the shadow of the valley of grief. Stanley Wadsworth and his devoted and Christian wife have never ceased to mourn their loss, yet uncomplainingly yield to the inevitable, having imbibed within their hearts the true spirit of the teachings of the Congregatonal Church, of which they are devout members.

Although Mr. Wadsworth began life a com- paratively poor young man, he has raised himself to a position of ease and comfort, and ranks with the

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best people of East Hartford, a position he has gained through his personal merits, regardless of his long life of pedigree, whose fair escutcheon no act or word of his has ever tarnished. A Repub- lican in politics, he has never accepted political of- fice, but has been willing to serve his church-the South Congregational- on all occasions. He was chairman of the society committee before the so- ciety and church were consolidated ; was elected a deacon of the church, and faithfully served several years, until he felt it necessary to resign. He and wife are both kind-hearted and charitable, and any community might be proud to call them its own.

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Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1, Part 137

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1336

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1336