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 144

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 144

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During the Civil war Franklin D. Jones enlisted in the nine-months' service as a member of Company A, 22nd Conn. V. I., and was mustered in at Wind- sor, Sept. 2, 1862. With his regiment he was sta- tioned most of the time on Minor's Hill, and at Ar- lington Heights, to defend Washington, D. C. He was a stanch supporter of the Republican party for many years, but, believing the liquor question the most important issue before the people, he has voted with the Prohibition party for the past sixteen years. He served as grand juror two years, but has never cared for official honors. At the age of twenty years he joined the Methodist Church in Windsor, and is now an active and prominent mem- ber of the church in Berlin, having served as super- intendent of the Sunday-school in West Granby and Berlin for twenty years. His wife holds member- ship in the Congregational Church, and both merit and receive the respect and esteem of all who know them.

CHARLES HAWLEY HODGE, a well-known resident of Glastonbury, has been identified with the express business for many years, conducting a line between Glastonbury and Hartford, and his promptness, reliability and unfailing courtesy have won for him a large trade.

The Hodge family is of pioneer stock, four brothers of the name having come from England at an early day to settle in Glastonbury. Of these, Elizur Hodge, our subject's great-grandfather. lo- cated in South Glastonbury, on the farm now owned by Horace Walker, and spent his remaining years there. Among his children was a son Elizur.

Elizur Hodge (2), our subject's grandfather, followed farming at the old homestead through-

out his life. He married, and had thirteen children, among whom were two sons, Elijah and Elisha (twins).

Elisha Hodge, father of our subject, owned a small farm, but as he had a large family he often worked out by the day to increase his income. He died Jan. 14, 1865, and his widow, Mrs. Sarah J. ( Blish) Hodge, a native of Buckingham, now re- sides with our subject. They had the following children: Timothy married Maria Weir, and set- tled on a farm in East Glastonbury ; Martha mar- ried Tyler Hunt, a baker in Rockville; Ellen mar- ried George Perkins, a carpenter in Wethersfield; Charles H., our subject, was the fourth in order of birth; Isabelle married Arthur Dickinson, an electrician at Rockville, Conn .; Emma, who mar- ried first William Grimes, and later Frank Morton, died in 1896; Adaline married Perry Church, a car- penter, in Middletown; and Jennie died in early womanhood.

Our subject was born Aug. 29, 1851, in East Glastonbury, had a very limited education, leaving school at the age of twelve, and after his father's death was obliged to make his own way and assist in the support of the family. He worked at odd jobs, and lived at home for two years, when he secured work with a Mr. Hunt, of Bolton, with whom he remained a short time only. He then came to Glastonbury, and worked seventeen years for an uncle, Hudson Hollister, and while with him he was kept busy many times from sunrise un- til midnight. He would haul stone from East Glastonbury to Hartford, unload it, and then drive to the Meadows of Wethersfield and bring a load of hay home, often taking eighteen hours for the trip. He remained in the employ of his uncle un- til 1878, when he secured work with Case Bros., who owned the paper-mill near F. B. Clark's pres- ent factory. Mr. Hodge drove a team for Case Bros. for seven years, and in 1886, seeing an open- ing for a bus line between Glastonbury and Hart- ford, he bought a pair of horses and a bus that seated twelve people. This he ran for about six weeks, and met with such success that he added one seating twenty-five people, while later he had three buses and ten horses in use at times. The completion of the electric line destroyed all passen- ger traffic, but as he has started an express and baggage line in connection with the bus line he continued that as before, making a trip to Hartford daily. Mr. Hodge is a Democrat in politics, al- though his father was a Republican. He is a member of Daskam Lodge, F. & A. M., in which he has held various offices, and of which at this writing he is master, and member of Putnam Phalanx, of which he is now sergeant. He attends the Episcopal Church, all of his family being mem- bers thereof.

On Dec. 17, 1878, Mr. Hodge was married to Miss Emma Hollister, a native of Binghamton, N. Y., and they have two children : Lewis and Reva.

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DWIGHT HENRY LEWIS, a prominent stonemason and representative citizen of South- ington, was born in the Marion District of that town June 15, 1843, a son of Luman and Patience Maria (Foot) Lewis. The father, who is still liv- ing, was born March 1, 1803, and was married Nov. 22, 1826, to Miss Patience Maria, daughter of Robert and Diadamia (Hitchcock) Foot. By this union were born the following children : Addie C .; George F .; Emma J., wife of Bernard Kennedy ; James L .; Sarah M., wife of Joseph C. Long ; and Dwight H.

Reuben Lewis, our subject's paternal grand- father, was born Aug. 16, 1772, and wedded Mary Hall, daughter of Curtiss and Rachel (Beecher) Hall, of Wolcott. She died June 19, 1843, aged sixty-eight years, and his death occurred March 28, 1836. His father, Capt. Nathaniel Lewis, was born in December, 1747, in Southington, and was married Feb. 15, 1769, to Sarah Gridley, who died Aug. 11, 1809. He lived on the mountain-side in the eastern part of Wolcott, and was prominent in town and church affairs after that town was set off from Southington. He died Feb. 24, 1839, and on his gravestone was inscribed "an honest man." He was a son of Nathan Lewis, who was born Jan. 23, 1707, and was married July 28, 1730, to Mary Gridley, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Hum- phrey ) Gridley. He made his home in the Marion District of Southington, where he died Sept. 7,

1799. He was a son of Samuel and Elizabeth Lewis. Samuel Lewis was born Aug. 18, 1648, held the military rank of sergeant, and died Nov. 28, 1752. His father, William Lewis, was born in England, and in 1644 was a resident of Farming- ton, Hartford Co., Conn., where he served as first recorder of the town after its incorporation in 1645. He was married first to Mary Hopkins, of Windsor, and second to Mary Cheever, of New Haven. His death occurred Aug. 18, 1690. He was a son of William and Felix Lewis, who came from England in the ship "Lion," and landed in Boston in September, 1632. He was admitted a freeman in November of that year, and joined the Braintree company, which, in August, 1633, re- moved to Newtown (Cambridge). In 1836 he came with a company to Hartford, and in 1659 again moved, becoming one of the founders of Hadley, Mass., which town he represented in the General Court in 1662. He resided in Northamp- ton, Mass., in 1664, and in 1677 removed to Farm- ington, Hartford Co., Conn., where he died Aug. 2, 1683.

On the old homestead in the Marion District Dwight H. Lewis passed his early life, and obtained his education in the common schools of that lo- cality. At the age of fourteen he began an appren- ticeship to the stonemason's trade under his father, and finished the same in Waterbury, Conn. Since then he has followed that vocation, having been a contractor for several years. On Aug. 28, 1862, he

laid aside all personal interests and entered the service of his country, as a member of Company E, 20th Conn. V. I. He took part in a number of important engagements, and after two years and ten months of arduous service was honorably dis- charged. During the battle of Gettysburg, in July, 1863, he was wounded.

Mr. Lewis was married, May 28, 1867, to Miss Julia Johnson, of Southington, and to them have been born two children: Sarah M., wife of Al- bert Rickel ; and Ella M., wife of Emil Zickwolf. Fraternally Mr. Lewis is a member of the Masons Union, and politically he is identified with the Re. publican party.

WILLIAM HI. ATKINS, florist at Burnside, was born in Westfield, Mass., Sept. 8, 1866, and is an excellent type of citizen. He began business in Burnside in 1890, with very little capital, but by close attention to the needs of his patrons and honest business methods has built up an extensive trade, which is rapidly increasing.

William H. Atkins, father of our subject, was born in Westfield, Mass., was a farmer, and passed his entire life in his native town. He married Miss Annie Wilson, a native of Roslyn, L. I., N. Y., and a daughter of John Wilson, a cabinet-maker and fur- niture ware dealer, and to this marriage came six children : Margaret, who was born Nov. 30, 1863, and was married Sept. 20, 1897, to Horace F. Carl- ton, a civil engineer on the West End street railroad in Boston, Mass .; William H., the subject of this sketch; David F., born Dec. 16, 1869, who is a draftsman in Auburn, N. Y, and was married June 27, 1900, to Helen M. Burgess, of that place, and two sons and one daughter, Otto, Henry and Sarah, who died young and were buried at Westfield.

William H. Atkins, whose name stands at the opening of this article, attended the public schools of Westfield, and after a three-years' course at the high school went to the Massachusetts Agricultural College, from which he graduated in 1886, in a class of sixteen. He then entered the employ of the Lovett Nursery Co., at Little Silver, N. J. After ac- customing himself to nursery work and methods, he became bookkeeper and cashier. Thence he came to Hartford and was employed by G. W. Atwood, florist, and after two years' experience here he bought his present place in Burnside, from Henry Harrison. On the eight acres whichi comprise this home he has erected several large and complete greenhouses. At first he gave his attention to market gardening, but finding the demand for flowers in- creasing, he transferred his energies in that direc- tion, and is now devoting all his time to the produc- tion of carnations and violets-two specialties with which he is very successful.

In politics Mr. Atkins is liberal in local matters, but votes with the Democratic party on National questions. He belongs to no secret society, and in

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religious matters he is a Congregationalist, attending the Center church at East Hartford. He is very conscientious and upright in his dealings, and his success in business is an evidence of the high esteem in which he is held.

ALLYN M. WILSON, a prominent repre- sentative of the agricultural interests of the town of Windsor, was born Nov. 21, 1830, at what is now. known as Wilson Station, of which he is the founder and which was named in his honor.

The Wilson family in America is descended from Rev. John Wilson, who came from England and located in Boston. The branch of the family in Windsor traces its ancestry back to Samuel and Mary (Griffin) Wilson, who were married May I. 1672. Their son, Deacon John Wilson, was born May 24, 1686, and was married, June 16, 1709, to Mary Marshall, who died Aug. 10, 1774, while his death occurred Feb. 11, 1772. Joel Wilson, the son of this worthy couple, was born April 17. 1718, and married Abigail Loomis. Their son. Moses Wilson, was born in Windsor Sent. II, 1748. He was a short, thick-set man, a farmer by occupation, and resided near the Green, across the river from Windsor Center. For his first wife he married Huldah Allyn, who died May 4. 1816, and he later wedded Wealthy A. Barnes. His death occurred May 24, 1837. By the first union Henry, the fa- ther of our subject, was born in 1785. He was reared as a farmer boy, and received a common- school education. When a young man he was em- ployed by Dr. Sill, having charge of that gentle- man's farm, and while there was married, in 1809, to Miss Eleanor Loomis. They began housekeep- ing upon a place belonging to that gentleman, and in 18II located on the farm where the son now lives, which at that time was also owned by Dr. Sill. Later the father purchased this property, to which he added from time to time, as his financial resources would permit, until he had about 300 acres of land. For some years he and his eldest son, Henry, engaged in business in partnership as farmers and brick manufacturers. He was thor- oughly a self-made man, and deserved great credit for the success that he achieved in life. He weighed over 200 pounds, was quite robust, and was always a hard worker. In politics he was a Democrat, and took an active interest in the success of his party. During his later years he suffered from rheuma- tism, and he died Feb. 17. 1849. at the age of sixty- four years. His wife departed this life Oct. 13. 1851, at the age of sixty-two. In their family were three children : (1) Henry, born Feb. 10. 1810, died Nov. 17. 1852. (2) Samuel, born in 1827. died April 10, 1828. (3) Allyn M., our subject, is the youngest.

Allyn M. Wilson began his education in the First district school, which school in those days was a test for any teacher's discipline and too great a test for many of them. Being a jolly boy, he en-

joyed his school days, but did not take as kindly to his books as he should. Later he was given good school privileges, and was a student in Windsor and Wilbraham Academies and a private school at Ellington. When his school days were over he commenced working on the home farin, and as he was only eighteen years of age when his father died he was early thrown upon his own resources. Like many of the farmers at that time he also en- gaged in brickmaking, and in later years was very extensively engaged in that business, and manu- factured as many as 4.000,000 brick in one season. He made most of the brick for the large insurance buildings in Hartford. During the hard times of 1873 he met with severe losses, and in 1876 retired from the business. Then for a number of years he raised considerable tobacco, but of late years he has devoted his energies to general farming almost ex- ciusively. His farm comprises one hundred acres, and the New York, New Haven & Hartford rail- road passes through the place. In 1870 Mr. Wilson conceived the idea of having a station put in on his premises, and canvassed that portion of the town that would be directly benefited, but found no supporters willing to aid him financially. Not dis- couraged, however, he and his two nephews, Sam- uel H. and Frederick N., with the true Wilson characteristic "persistency," carried the matter through by erecting a depot at their own expense, called Wilson Station : they also furnished the com- pany three acres of land for grading purposes, and in consideration the company agreed to stop four trains daily on signal. This number has been increased from time to time until fourteen are now scheduled to stop. At this time they opened up Wil- son avenue frrom the main road to the station. Since then Mr. Wilson has sold off a number of lots at that place, making of it a pleasant little suburban village. He is widely and favorably known, and as a public-spirited and progressive citizen he has done much to advance the interests of his community and promote the public welfare. He is an ardent supporter of the Democratic party, but never a pol- itician in the sense of office seeking.

On Oct. 14. 1853. Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Miss Ellen A. Barber, and four chil- dren came to this union, namely : (1) Wilbur A., born June 30, 1855. died May 8, 1858. (2) Arthur M., born Sept. 15, 1857, was married, Oct. 21. 1884, to Agnes A. Phelps, and is now vice-president and treasurer of the E. S. Kibbe Co., wholesale grocers, Hartford ; he resides at the home of his father. (3) Harry H., born Dec. 6, 1863, died Oct. 2, 1872. (4) Leland P., born April 25. 1871, was married, Oct. 1, 1896, to N. Belle Dickson, and is in the employ of the Connecticut Fire Insurance Co., of Hartford, living in a house adjoining that of his parents. The Wilson house, where our subject and his wife have passed all their married life, has stood for nearly 150 years, but it has been improved many times. Mrs. Wilson is a lover of plants, and

Allyn Me "Wilson

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finds great pleasure in their care. She was the daughter of Warren Marsh Barber, a native of Windsor, who was born Sept. 21, 1800, and married Sarah Gaylord, who died when Mrs. Wilson, their only child, was fourteen years of age. Mr. Barber passed away in 1882.

SAMUEL HASTINGS STEARNS. The progress of a community depends no less upon the public spirit of its citizens than upon their character, and the thriving little city of New Britain is to be congratulated upon being able to call into its service a man like our subject, whose sound, conservative judgment is now devoted to the different problems conneced with the construction of a sewerage dispo- sal system there. As chairman of the sewer commis- sioners he has shown the same energy and ability which have won him success in business life, and the interests of the city are entirely safe in his hands.

Mr. Stearns was, born Dec. 14, 1851, in War- wick, Mass., and comes of good New England stock. John Stearns, his father, was born Sept. 25, 1819, and died March 31, 1893 ; his wife, Mary Car- oline, born July 12, 1820, died July 19, 1888, and both dated their ancestors back over two hundred and sixty years in this country. Of their children, the eldest, Charles H., born Nov. 4, 1844, died Sept. 6, 1846; Mary Salina, born at Winchester, N. H., Sept. 27, 1847, died March 25, 1892; Yeaton J., born at Winchester, N. H., May 19, 1849, resides in New Britain, Conn .; Samuel H. comes next in the order of birth ; William G., born at Westport, April 19, 1853, died June 3, 1855 ; George L., born in Brat- tleboro, Vt., July 26, 1857, is now employed in the New Britain machine shops; Hattie Lucretia, born in Warwick, May 25, 1861, married William V. Andress, of New Britain, contractor in the Stanley Rule & Level Co.

Samuel H. Stearns was educated chiefly in the schools of Warwick, but also attended school in Brat- tleboro, Vt., for a short time, his parents having re- sided there for a few years previous to 1857. He had excellent common-school advantages, attending both winter and summer, and also studied for one term in the Center school at Warwick, then con- ducted by a clergyman of the village. On leaving school, at the age of eighteen, he engaged in farming, continuing until his removal to New Britain in 1872, when he became associated with his father in the Stanley Rule & Level Co., as contractor. After four years he entered the Union Works at New Britain, with which he was identified for twelve years ; he traveled for that company through Mich- igan, Indiana, and Ohio, being quite successful as a salesman. On retiring from that line of work he soon afterward took his present position in the ma- chine room of the rule shop, where he has been em- ployed about twelve years. For ten years hc has served as president of the New Britain Savings & Loan Association, having succeeded the first presi-

dent, John Dyson, while his brother, Yeaton J., is secretary of the society. For eight years he has been president of the Sovereign Trading Co., as the choice of the board of directors, and the institution has flourished under his able administration, num- bering at present 200 members. As he is fond of reading he has kept well posted on the questions of the day, and for years he has been one of the lcad- ing advisers of the local Republican organization. At one time he was a member of the Republican town committee, and his influence in municipal affairs is shown by his election as a member of the common council previous to his appointment to his present duties, at the head of the Sewer commission.

Mr. Stearns married Miss Florence H. Jackson, a daughter of Galen Jackson, a native of Massachu- setts, and two children have blessed this union : George F., who graduated from the Philadelphia Dental College May 4, 1900, and opened an office in New Britain ; and Eva F., a graduate of New Brit- ain High School June 19, 1900, now at home. The family is prominent in social life, and Mr. Stearns is a member of Harmony Lodge, No. 20, F. & A. M., in which he was master for two years.

GEORGE W. BARNES, an honored citizen of the town of Windsor, and a worthy representative of its agricultural interests, was born in the house where he now lives, Feb. 1, 1841, a son of William and Catherine C. (Hillyer) Barnes. His grandfa- ther, Abel Barnes, was a resident of Waterloo, N. Y., at one time, and was employed in the mills at that placc, but the greater part of his life was de- voted to farming in Windsor town, where his death occurred. He married Abigail Heath,, and to them were born four children, namely: William, father of our subject; Joseph B., who was for a term of years superintendent of the county building at Hartford, but is now a resident of Springfield, Mass. ; Harriet, widow of William Allen, of Bloom- field, Conn .; and Julia A., who married Oliver W. Marshall, and died in Windsor.

William Barnes was born at Warehouse Point, East Windsor town, Hartford county, and was reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys of his day, his education being acquired in the common schools. He was always handy with tools, but never learned a trade, and remained at home until his mar- riage. He wedded Miss Catherine C. Hillyer, a na- tive of Granby, and a daughter of Theodore Hillyer, who was a farmer, and served as guard for some years at the old State prison at East Granby. After his marriage Mr. Barnes resided for a time with his brother-in-law, John Hillyer, for whom he worked as a wheelwright, and later followed the same trade in shops at different places. Early in the 'forties he embarked in the manufacture of brick, and made his home longest at the place where our subject now resides. He was a well-informed man, but almost wholly self-educated, and in politics was first a Whig and later a Republican. Although an ardent

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advocate of the principles of his party, he declined all official honors, as his ambitions did not lie along political lines, but he was well known and highly respected. Physically he weighed 230 pounds, and was five feet, ten inches, in height. He died at the age of fifty-eight, and his wife at the age of seventy- three, and both were laid to rest in the Poquonock cemetery. In their family were two children, the only daughter being Mary E., now the widow of Eliphalet Ladd, of Poquonock.

George W. Barnes, the only son. was four years old when his parents first located in Poquonock, and there he began his education, but two years later they removed to Granby, in the schools of which place he continued his studies until he was nine, when they settled on the farm in Windsor town, where he has since made his home. He attended Windsor Academy and the high school at Poquo- nock, and completed his education at Suffield, Conn. He successfully engaged in teaching school, for two winters in district No. 7, and one winter in district No. 6, both in Windsor town, and in the former received only $18 per month and had to board him- self. In September, 1862, he enlisted in Company A, 22nd Conn. V. I., and remained in the service until July 7, 1863, participating in all the engage- ments in which the regiment took part. At first he was sergeant of Company A, but later became sec- ond lieutenant of Company D, the same regi- ment.

In December, 1863, Mr. Barnes was united in marriage with Miss Celeste H. Alford., of Poquo- nock, daughter of Euclid and Mary E. (Keeney) Alford, and two sons have been born of this union: Fred W., a farmer of Windsor town; and Arthur G., an electrician. For a few years after his mar- riage our subject was engaged in farming in part- nership with his father, and later was interested in the patent-right business, selling the Kelley patent force-pump, with headquarters at Columbus, Ohio. Returning to Windsor in 1867, he resumed farming, but of recent years has lived retired from active labor, though he still occupies the old homestead, which is one of the most desirable farms of the lo- cality.

The Republican party has always found in Mr. Barnes a stanch supporter of its principles, and from 1872 until 1882 was its only supporter in the 7th district. He has ever taken quite an active and prom- inent part in local politics ; has served his fellow citizens as a member of the Legislature and as select- man, and has been either registrar or deputy regis- trar of voters ever since that office was created. He is general agent for the Hartford County Tobacco Growers Insurance Co., which insures against dam- age by hail. He is a man of wide acquaintance, is one of the best known and most highly respected cit- izens of his community ; is a charter member of Po- quonock Grange; and also belongs to Tyler Post, No. 50, G. A. R., at Hartford.

MAURICE SULLIVAN, a prominent baker and liveryman of Thompsonville, deserves classi- fication among those purely self-made men of Hart- ford county who have distinguished themselves for their ability to wrest from fate a large measure of success and an honorable name. He was born in County Limerick, Ireland, March 17, 1848, a son of John and Mary (Sullivan) Sullivan, came to the United States in 1857, and located in Thompson- ville, Conn., where he grew to manhood and received a public-school education.

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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 144

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