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 153

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 153

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necticut and one in Cleveland, Ohio, employing several thousand hands, with a capital stock of $1,500,000. At the consolidation Samuel C. Wilcox was elected vice-president of the company, a trusted and important position, which he held without in- terruption until his death, in 1886.

Another industry of Berlin which owes its pros- perity to Mr. Wilcox is that of The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. Its predecessor, known as The Cor- rugated Metal Co., of Berlin, was in serious finan- cial trouble, and was threatened with dissolution when Mr. Wilcox came to its rescue. Through his advice, bridge construction was added to the scope of the plant, and thus in 1871 was born The Berlin Iron Bridge Co., with Samuel C. Wilcox as its president. To the new enterprise he applied his masterly business abilities, and with a success that was almost phenomenal. He remained its efficient and directing executive until his death. What had once been a struggling factory, employing a hand- ful of men, had been transformed by his magic brains and force into one of Berlin's and the coun- try's proudest industries; one of the largest and most prospering of its kind in the United States, employing almost a thousand men, and steadily growing in influence and trade. To this business he devoted most of his attention from the inception of the company, and to his efforts it owes its pros- perity. It is to-day one of the most prominent bridge firms in the world, and has constructed some of the finest engineering structures in both the old and new continents. It has just erected, at Berlin, Germany, a building, the cost of which was $50,000, and constructed the Machinery building for the Paris Exposition of 1900.

Mr. Wilcox was a stockholder and director of many enterprises throughout Connecticut. In poli- tics he was a Democrat. For its substantial growth and development Berlin owes to none of its hon- ored citizens more than to this brilliant and far- seeing manufacturer. Mr. Wilcox was an accurate reader of human nature, and this admirable trait he put into most excellent use in choosing his lieuten- ants. Kind in disposition, he was at the same time a man of strong convictions, to which he was ever true. His business foresight was one of his most valuable qualities, and back of it lay an energy, which bore his well-laid plans unerringly to rich success. Throughout his well-rounded and potent life these salient traits of character were every- where displayed, and his death, on Sept. 21, 1886, was a severe blow to the entire town.

Frank Langdon Wilcox, the subject of this sketch, was educated with the view of taking up, in a measure, his father's work, a task which in the past twenty years he has most creditably performed. Until twelve years of age he attended the Berlin Academy, then entered St. Paul's School, at Con- cord, N. H., graduating from its five-years' pre- paratory course in 1876. Then entering Trinity College, Hartford, he graduated from that insti-

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tution of learning in 1880, with the degree of A. B. Entering the shops of the Peck, Stow & Wil- cox Co., at Kensington, in the same year, he became their manager in 1885. continuing in that capacity until the consolidation of the Kensington factory with the other factories of the company, four years later, when the Kensington factory was totally des- troyed by fire. Our subject then became associated with The Berlin Iron Bridge Co., as its treasurer, which responsible position he still holds. He is also identified with many business interests through- out Hartford county. He is a director and vice- president of the Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co .; a di- rector of the Phoenix National Bank, of Hartford; of the New Britain Mechanics National Bank, of New Britain; of the Berlin Savings Bank, Berlin ; of the Matabesset Co., of Berlin ; and secretary and treasurer of the Middletown & Portland Bridge Co.

In politics Mr. Wilcox is a stanch Republican, and he represented the town in the State Legisla- ture in 1893, during his term serving as clerk of the Judiciary committee. He is a member of St. Elmo Lodge, No. 31, Knights Templar, of Meriden ; of the college fraternity "Delta Psi"; of the En- gineers Club, of New York; and of several social clubs. On Jan. 19, 1898, Mr. Wilcox was mar- ried to Miss Harriet Churchill Webster, who was born March 27, 1870, in Berlin, daughter of Deacon Charles and Julia S. (Higgins) Webster. They have one daughter, Margaret Webster, born Feb. 15, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are both very active members and liberal supporters of the Congrega- tional Church of Berlin.

LEON LE CLAIR is a leading blacksmith of Berlin, whose shop is located on Berlin street, near the post office, and whose home on Hudson street, adjoins the shop. A native of Vermont, he was born in St. Albans Sept. 22, 1845, and is a son of Louis and Catherine (St. John) Le Clair. The father was also born in St. Albans, in 1812, and when about thirty years of age removed to near St. John's, Canada, where he purchased sixty acres of land and successfully engaged in farming, becom- ing quite well-to-do. He died in 1880, and there his remains were interred. His wife, who was born in 1816, died in 1897. Our subject's paternal grandfather, Louis Le Clair, Sr., was a native of Quebec, whence he removed to St. Albans, Vt., where he also engaged in farming.

Our subject accompanied his parents on their re- moval to St. John's, Canada, when he was about two years of age, and there he was reared upon a farm, while his education was received in the common schools of the neighborhood. After leaving school, at the age of sixteen, he went to work on the Hoosac tunnel, and was thus employed for about three months. Later he took a contract to chop the wood from a large tract of land, and, with three men in his employ, he worked at that occupation for three months. He then learned the blacksmith's trade

with Peter White, at East Windsor, Conn., and after five years spent with him, he went to Middle- town, Conn., where he worked at his trade for the same length of time. Returning to East Windsor, he leased the shop which formerly belonged to Mr. White, his old employer having died in the mean- time, carried on business there for seven years, and in April, 1882, came to Berlin, purchasing the shop of Solomon Dunham, on Berlin street, which he has since so successfully conducted. He is an expert workman, is industrious and enterprising, and the prosperity that has come to him is certainly well merited. In 1891 he bought the David Robbins property, on Hudson street, which he has remod- eled and converted into a very pleasant home.

On June 3, 1873, Mr. Le Clair married Miss Catherine Flavin, of Middletown, who was born Aug. 26, 1848, a daughter of William and Delia (Keeff) Flavin. The following children were born of this union : Lucy Malvina, born Aug. 11, 1875, attended school in Berlin and New Britain, later graduated from Huntsinger's Business College, of Hartford, and is now a stenographer for the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. ; Agnes, born July 31, 1877, was ed- ucated in the public schools of Berlin and the high school of New Britain, and is now at home; Leon Louis, born April 15, 1879, was graduated from the New Britain high school and is now employed as bookkeeper by the Berlin Brick Co .; Josephine, born June 26, 1880 ; Katherine Rose, born Feb. 25, 1882, and Florence May, born Aug. 26, 1884, are all attending the New Britain High school; and Sid- ney, born April 7, 1887, and Maude, born Sept. I, 1892, are attending the Berlin schools. The family are communicants of St. Paul's Catholic Church, of Kensington, and give liberally toward its sup- port. Politically Mr. Le Clair is a Republican, but as local elections usually votes independent of party lines.

SALMON CHESTER ENO, one of the oldest citizens of Simsbury, Hartford county, descends from James Eno, who settled in Windsor in 1646.

The Eno family is of French origin, and the name was variously spelled in England, as Enneu, Ennos, and Eno, and was well-known in Colchester, County of Essex. James Eno was a barber by trade, and became a resident of London. In his day, no man in London could vote unless he was a member of the trade guilds, nor could he be elected Alder- man, Sheriff, or Lord Mayor until he had served an apprenticeship at a trade, and it was requisite that the Lord Mayor should be a member of one of the twelve great Livery Companies. James Eno prob- ably learned his trade of barber-surgeon in the Barber-Surgeon Company, of London, of which Sir Astley Cooper and other eminent surgeons were apprentices. New England, Maryland and Virginia were largely settled by men who had learned trades as apprentices to these craft-guilds.

James Eno followed his trade in Windsor. On

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Aug. 18, 1648, he married Hannah Bidwell, who was born Oct. 22, 1634, a daughter of Richard Bid- well. She bore her husband three children : Sarah, in 1649, who was first married to a Mr. Holcomb, and later to a Mr. Phelps; James, Jr., in 1651 ; and John, in 1654. Mrs. Hannah Eno died Oct. 7, 1657, and James Eno married, Aug. 5, 1658, Mrs. Elizabeth Holcombe, widow of Thomas Holcombe ; she died Oct. 7, 1679. Mr. Eno's third marriage was with Mrs. Hester ( Williams) Eggleston, widow of James S. Eggleston, of Windsor. It was said of this lady that she was the first white child born in Hartford. Her death took place July 10, 1720, James Eno having died July 1, 1682.

In corroboration of the statement that James Eno followed his business of barber-surgeon in Windsor there exists, in the Eliphalet Eno family, at Torrington, a curious barber's basin, once his, such as were used by the surgeon-barbers of the olden days, and even now in some parts of Spain and other Europeans countries. This basin is of coarse delft, of a greyish-white color; is thirty-eight inches in circumference outside, and twenty-four inches inside, and has on one side of its rim a circular indentation, intended to fit around the neck and under the chin of the person to be shaved, nearly opposite to which is a hole or dent in the rim for the thumb; at the bottom of this hole is another, through which a string was passed which then encircled the wrist of the customer to hold it in place. The inner face of the bowl is decorated with representations of the various adjuncts of the trade, such as scissors, razors, combs, etc., and the date, 1663, done in blue.

The line of descent from James Eno, the founder, to the subject of this sketch, is as follows: James Eno, Jr., born Nov. 2, 1651, married Abigail Bis- sell Dec. 26, 1678, and died July 16, 1714, the father of nine children: James, born in 1679; Ann, 1682; William, 1684; Abigail, 1686; Mary, 1691 ; John, 1693 ; Samuel, 1696; Susannah, 1699; and David, I702.

David Eno married Mary Gillet, danghter of William Gillet, and she bore him five children : David, Jr., born Aug. 14, 1727 ; Mary ; Gen. Roger, of Revolutionary fame, born in 1729, who died Oct. 6, 1808; Mercy, born 1734, who died Nov. 6, 1808 (she married John Langton in 1754) ; and Jonathan, born in 1739, who also served in the Revolution- ary war.

Jonathan Eno married, Jan. 7. 1765, Mary Hart, daughter of Capt. Elijah Hart, of New Britain, and to this union were born nine children : Polly, born in 1765, was married to Elijah Tuller, and died in West Simsbury ; Rhoda, born in 1766, was married to Daniel P'helps ; Jonathan, born in 1769, married Theodosia Case, and died in Bloomfield ; Lucretia, born in 1771, was married to Granville Humphrey, of Torrington ; Elizabeth, born in 1773. married Alexander Phelps; Sinthia, born in 1777, married Hezekiah Case, of Bloomfield; Salmon

was the father of our subject; Chauncey, born in 1782, married Amarilla Case; and Abigail, born in 1785, was married to John Viets, of Granby. The father of this family was a farmer in Simsbury, and a very influential man in his community.

Salmon Eno was born Dec. 13, 1779, in Sims- bury, and was reared a farmer boy, although it had been the intention of his parents to prepare him for one of the learned professions, and his education was received under the tuition of Rev. Samuel Stebbins. Yet he preferred agriculture as a life vocation. While still a young man he married Miss Mary Richards, who was born in 1785, a daughter of Amos Richards, a Revolutionary sol- dier. The first few years of his married life Mr. Eno passed in the village of Simsbury, whence he removed to the farm now occupied by his grandson, Aaron Eno. His children were: (1) Emeline, born Dec. 1I, 1805, was married May 31, 1832, to Ozias Bassett, of New Britain, and is still living at the venerable age of ninety-five years. (2) Aaron R., born July 4, 1808, lived on the home farm until twenty-six years old, married, Feb. 29, 1832, Ruth Tuller, and died April 1, 1835. (3) Amos R., born Nov. 1, 1810, married Lucy Jane Phelps, daughter of Elisha Phelps ; he had a most remarkable business career, and became the wealthi- est man that ever lived in Simsbury ; he was reared on the farm, and attended school in his native dis- trict until sixteen years of age, when he went to Hartford, clerked in two different stores, then re- turned to Simsbury and kept store for some time, and next went to New York, entering into mer- cantile trade and amassing a large amount of prop- erty ; he then engaged in the real-estate business, and at his death, in New York, Feb. 21, 1898, left an estate valued at twenty-five million dollars; he owned a palatial residence in Simsbury, where he passed his summers, and in this village his remains were interred. (4) Salmon Chester, whose name opens this memoir, was next in the order of birth. (5) Mary, born Aug. 8, 1816, was married to Milton Humphrey, and resides in Hartford. (6) Lydia Jane, the youngest of the family, born June 1, 1819, was first married to Horatio Lewis, of New Britain, and later to Paris Barber, of Homer, N. Y. Sal- mon Eno was a man of average size, and was a thorough and successful farmer. In politics he was a Whig, and for one year represented his district in the Lower House of the General Assembly, be- ing very prominent in all town affairs, and highly- respected. He died April 3, 1842, his widow sur- viving until Sept. 29, 1883.

Salmon Chester Eno was born June 12, 1814, and was reared on the home farm. He first at- tended the Westover District school, and later Elijah Garritt's school, at New Britain, which was a supplement to the district school, and here his liter- ary education ended. He has passed all his life in Simsbury, with the exception of three months that he spent in New York as a clerk for his brother ;

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but he disliked clerking and returned to the more enticing pursuit of agriculture.

Mr. Eno married, Oct. 29, 1845, Miss Sarah C. Goodwin, who was born in Simsbury Feb. 14, 1824, a daughter of James and Candace (Bird) Good- win, the latter being a daughter of the well-known Dr. Bird, of Simsbury. Mr. Eno, on his marriage, went to housekeeping on the old farm, where he lived until about 1883, when he built his present dwelling, which has since been his home. To his marriage have come the following-named children : Aaron L., born Sept. 28, 1846, is a prosperous farm- er of Simsbury, with a family of three children ; Charles G., born Aug. 6, 1848, is now a business man in Osborne, Kans .; Sarah C., born Nov. 24, 1851, is the wife of Charles J. Parker, of New Britain; and George C., who was born Oct. 15, 1854, is married and resides in Simsbury, and is the father of three children. Mrs. Eno departed this life Jan. 21, 1893.

In politics Mr. Eno was at first a Whig, but upon the disintegration of that party became an ardent Republican, and a very popular one. Dur- ing the interval that lapsed between the decadence of the Whig party and the formation of the power- ful Republican party, he affiliated with the Know- Nothing or Native American organization, and in 1848 was elected to the General Assembly. He served as assessor of his town, as a member of the board of relief, as constable, and in other offices.

GEORGE F. ANDERSON, a well-known and enterprising young tobacco grower and farmer of Silver Lane, town of East Hartford, was born May 24, 1869, and is a son of Capt. Albert H. and Jane R. (Doty) Anderson.

George E. Anderson, grandfather of George F., lived in the home now occupied by John Foley, in Silver Lane, and was a prosperous farmer. He married Pearly Loomis, to which union were born two children: Edward, who was killed at the age of ten years by running into a rail fence while coasting ; and Albert H.

Albert H. Anderson was born Jan. 8, 1844, and was educated in a common school, after quitting which he went to work in Colt's factory for Jacobs & Howe, and next, for a short time, ran a ferry- boat near by ; later he purchased a sailboat and went to work for the Hartford Transportation Co., by which he was employed several years as captain. He next, in company with Alexander Doty, went to Philadelphia and purchased the tug-boat "Coulston," and for three years ran it in opposition to, or in competition with, the Hartford Transportation Co. Their traffic was so remunerative that the Trans- portation Co. became eager to buy them out, and finally they sold their mutual interest in the "Coul- ston" to that concern. Capt. Anderson had been running between Hartford and Perth Amboy, N. J., carrying coal. He later ran the steamer "Granite State," but this vessel was destroyed by fire. One

fall he made a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., and came back the following May on the "Admiral Farra- gut." In 1883 he quit the water and settled on the farm now occupied by his son George F. In 1879- 80, he had built the house in which John Foley now resides, and in this he lived until called away, July 28, 1886, while still engaged in farming.

Albert H. Anderson married Jane R. Doty, who was born April 27, 1846, a daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Doty, and to this union were born two children : George F., our subject; and Lillie M., July 24, 1873. Mrs. Jane R. Anderson died April 18, 1878, and Mr. Anderson next married, Sept. 24, 1884, Mrs. Charlotte Thayer (nee Whittaker ), who bore him one child, Elisha C., born July 12, 1885, and now living with his mother. In politics Albert H. Anderson was a Democrat, and fraternally was a member of Orient Lodge, No. 62, F. & A. M., of New Hartford. He was a large man, and was blessed with good health nearly all his life. He was a close observer of men and men's affairs, was a great reader, was of firm character but pleasant in disposition, and was favorably known everywhere as "Capt. Anderson."

George F. Anderson was born in Hockanum, near the site of the present post office, first at- tended school in the brick school house, later in the school in Willow Brook, and then in the Brown school on Market street, Hartford, under Prof. Barrows, from which he graduated in 1884; he then returned home to assist on the farm. At the death of his father he assumed full charge of the place, which then comprised three and one-half acres only, but he has added to it ever since, and this year (1899) expects to raise ten acres of tobacco. He has made many substantial improvements on the farm, building new barns and remodeling the to- bacco sheds, and keeps the place in most excellent condition.

On June 18, 1890, Mr. Anderson married Miss Jeanette Kirbell, daughter of Benjamin and Eliza- beth (Haussman) Kirbell, natives of East Hart- ford. Mr. Kirbell (now deceased), was a harness- maker, and his widow makes her residence in Silver Lane. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been blessed with one bright little daughter, born Oct. 30, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson attend the Con- gregational Church, and in politics Mr. Anderson is a Democrat. Socially he is a member of Elm Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of the Royal Arcanum, East Hartford Council, No. 1237. He is a very rapid worker, is what is usually denominated a "hustler," is fully up-to-date in his farming, is ex- tremely popular, and highly esteemed by the en- tire community.

HON. HEZEKIAH SPENCER SHELDON, a highly-esteemed resident of West Suffield, was born in Suffield June 23, 1820, a son of Julius C., born in West Suffield, Conn., Dec. 12, 1791 ; son of Martin, born in West Suffield Feb. 1, 1762; son of

Ho. Sheldon

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Elijah, born in Northampton, Mass., Nov. 2, 1719, son of Capt. Jonathan, born in Northampton May 29, 1689 (died in 1769) ; son of Isaac, born about 1629. The last named was one of the pioneers of Northampton, Mass., where he died July 29, 1708; he was a resident of Windsor, Conn., from 1640 to 1654. At Hartford, Conn., he married Mary Wood- ford.

Capt. Jonathan Sheldon (above) was a captain in the militia. He was the progenitor of the "Sheldon street branch" of this family. He had a brother, Joseph, who settled in Suffield, Conn., in 1699, prior to Capt. Jonathan's coming, in 1723. but his descendants are not so numerous. He was a shoemaker and farmer, his home being in Sheldon street, West Suffield. He married Mary South- well Dec. 30, 1708, and they had a family of ten children, of whom Elijah, born Nov. 2. 1719, mar- ried Sarah King, who was also a resident of Suf- field, and died there June 1, 1785.

Martin Sheldon, born Feb. 1, 1762, at West Suffield, was a man of fine physique, standing six feet in height. He was married Nov. 15, 1787, to Abigail Gillette, and after her death he again married, but all of his children were by his first wife. He died Sept. 4, 1848. For several years he was director of the Connecticut State Prison ("Newgate Prison"), being the financial head of that institution ; was a representative from Suffield for seventeen sessions ; was a justice of the peace for years, settled estates, and was frequently con- sulted on various matters-in fact, he was one of the leading men in his town. His regular busi- ness was agriculture, but he merely superintended the work on the farm. In religious faith he was a Baptist, prominent in church work, and gave lib- erally of his means to the Second Baptist Church at Suffield. He also contributed liberally to the Connecticut Literary Institute at Suffield, having a high estimation of the advantages of a good educa- tion. His children were: Martin, a resident of Suffield, died in early manhood, leaving a family. Horace was killed in a cider mill when a child. Julius C., our subject's father, comes next. The youngest died in infancy.

Julius C. Sheldon was prepared for college by Ebenezer Gay, at Suffield, then attended Yale Col- lege one year ; but his eyesight becoming impaired, and his father requiring some assistance in his ex- tensive business interests, he returned home. In course of time he and a cousin, Jacob Sheldon, com- menced business at Albany, N. Y., but a few years later they dissolved partnership, and Mr. Sheldon moved to Chardon, Geauga Co., Ohio. Here he embarked in mercantile business, built a store room, and did a large trade in that then new settlement. This was in 1815.

On Sept. 30, 1819. in Suffield, Mr. Sheldon mar- ried Mindwell Spencer, who was born April 22, 1797, at Suffield, daughter of Hezekiah and Jerusha (Nelson) Spencer. He did not then return to Ohio,

but went into mercantile business at West Suffield, where his father was, and for a few years remained so employed. The senior Mr. Sheldon having been appointed director of "Newgate Prison," Julius C. became his private secretary. In 1849 he removed to Suffield Center, and died there Dec. 5. 1873; his widow passed away Aug. 23, 1885. They were both members of the Baptist Church ; in politics he was originally a Whig, later a Republican, and for many years he served as justice of the peace. He was a good all-round business man, was possessed of literary tastes, and at times devoted his pen to the writing of poetry.

A brief record of the children born to Julius C. and Mindwell Sheldon is as follows: (1) Heze- kiah S. is our subject. (2) Martin J., born May 3, 1826, maintains the country home at Suffield, besides other possessions, and resides in New York. lle married Eliza Jane Waud, now deceased, and had one daughter, Lolita, who is the wife of J. Ogden Armour, a son of P. D. Armour, of Chi- cago. (3) Abigail, born June 22, 1832, died at Suffield Feb. 16, 1860, unmarried. (4) Henry K., born Oct. 10, 1837, was a graduate of Yale Col- lege, later studied at Albany Law School, and died at Suffield Jan. 25, 1866, unmarried.

Hezekiah S. Sheldon, the subject proper of this sketch, attended Sheldon street school, his father being his first teacher, while Richard Phelps was one of his earliest instructors. At the age of twelve years he entered Reuben Granger's private school at Suffield, and in the fall of 1833 attended the first term of school held in the Connecticut Literary In- stitue at Suffield. He is now one of the only two left in Suffield who attended the Institute that term. When seventeen years old he was a teacher in the Harbor District at Poquonock, Conn., receiving the munificent sum of $15 per month, and "boarding around" ; in 1838-39 he taught in East Granby, and he also taught in West Suffield. His life vocation, however, has been farming, although he has not always been actively engaged in that pursuit.

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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 153

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