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 2

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 2

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soldier, devoted to his profession, proud to bear its high ob- ligations and jealous of its honor, who won distinction on every field of action, whose wide knowledge, great skill, clear, sound judgment, and transparent sincerity made him the constant and trusted counsellor of every superior and the reliable lieutenant of every commander, who shared the brunt at Bull Run, who fought the rear-guard battles from the Chickahominy to the James, and held the pass of White Oak Swamp against half Lee's army on the critical day of Glendale, who won at Crampton's Gap " the completest vic- tory gained up to that time by any part of the Army of the Potomac" -to learn how it came to be that this man was accused of that to which his every quality and act gave the absolute lic.

Continuing Col. Greene describes the battle and actions of the various generals. Burnside's in-

explicable conduct, etc., the continued confidence between Gens. Burnside and Franklin for several weeks after the battle, Burnside's resignation and the relieving of Gen. Franklin from command, and the hearing by the Congressional Committee, and closes as follows :

When the committee visited Fredericksburg and Frank- lin was summoned before it, he asked Burnside if he had given or would give them a copy of the order under which he acted on the 13th, considering that all such orders should come from the commander issuing them. General Burnside assured him that he had already furnished the committee with a copy of it, and General Franklin gave his testimony throughout upon the faith of that word and upon the sup- position that in considering his action the committee had before them and in their minds the order which governed him. But in this he was betrayed. Gen. Burnside never gave them the order or any inkling of it. They never heard of it until months afterward, and too late to prevent the utterance of their damnatory judgment of the man whose great opportunity and great purpose greatly planned that order wholly destroyed.

Four main points stand out distinct and clear: The only proper battlefield at Fredericksburg was the ground on which Franklin and Jackson confronted each other; the force at Franklin's disposal ought to have been used to adequate and decisive results; his own apprehension of both these facts was perfect, and his accordant scheme of operation was proportioned to both the opportunity and the resistance; at no point of time or of action was it Gen. Franklin's fault that, despite his urgent entreaty, his force was not allowed to essay its proper task on that day.

In June, 1863, Gen. Franklin was ordered to the Department of the Gulf, and served in Texas and Louisiana until April, 1864, when he succumbed to a wound received at the battle of Sabine Cross Roads (where two horses were shot under him), and was given his first leave of absence, until November of the same year. From December, 1864, to November, 1865, Gen. Franklin was president of the board for retiring disabled officers at Washington, D. C., and in March, 1865, he received additional honor, being brevetted major-general of the United States army. He resigned his commission and retired to private life in November, 1865. In the various trying posi- tions in which Gen. Franklin was placed, he al- ways acquitted himself with honor, and his military record is one of which he has just cause to be proud.

Selecting Hartford as his future place of resi- dence, the General came to this city in 1865. In November of that year he was chosen vice-presi- dent and general manager of the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Co., and retained that position until April, 1888. In 1868 he was elected president of the board of visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point; was selected as the most suitable person to act as president of the commission for the erection of the new Connecticut State House in 1872-73: was consulting engineer from 1873 to 1877, and superintendent of construction from 1877 to March, 1880. The magnificent Capitol is now the pride of all the citizens of the State, and it is a re- markable fact that the cost of erection was kept within the appropriations made by the Legislature. In all the details of construction Gen. Franklin's

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

controlling hand could be felt, and his vigilance was never relaxed.

For fifteen years, from 1872 to 1887, Gen. Frank- lin was a member of the board of water commis- sioners of Hartford, and here his experience as an engineer was useful on numerous occasions ; and at the Centennial Exhibition he was chairman of the committee of judges on Engineering and Archi- tecture.

In 1872 the National Independent Democratic Conventions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania tele- graphed Gen. Franklin, asking if he would accept the nomination for President of the United States, to run against Horace Greeley. The General de- clined, stating as his reason that to defeat Greeley the party must stand as a unit, and concentrate its power. In 1876 he was chosen one of the Presiden- tial electors on the Democratic ticket, and took part in the convention which nominated Samuel J. Til- den. From 1877 to 1879 he was adjutant-general of the State of Connecticut, and from July, 1880, to 1900, was president of the board of managers of the National Home for disabled soldiers.

Additional honors awaited him. In June, 1888, he was appointed commissioner-general for the United States at the International Exposition at Paris, France, and in October of the following year he received the appointment of grand officer of the French Legion of Honor, a high compliment, and the only one of the kind to be paid an Ameri- can. His miniature and insignia of the Legion of Honor have been accepted to appear on the "Cullom Memorial" now being erected at West Point Acad- emy. A member of the New York Commandery of the Legion of Honor, the General was for several years its commander. Ile is a member of the Cin- cinnati : Sons of the American Revolution ; Sons of Colonial Wars: R. O. Tyler Post, No. 50. Grand Army of the Republic : and of the Army and Navy Club. He still retains his hold on the business world, and is vice-president of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Co .; a director of the Con- necticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., of the National Fire Insurance Co., of Hartford, of Colt's Fire Arins Co., and of the Panama Railroad Co., New York.

That Gen. Franklin attained high rank as an en- gineer is evidenced by his various deserved promo- tions. No man could have risen to the rank of major-general in the Civil war unless he was a born leader of men, and unless he had rare capacity for handling large bodies of troops. Returning to pri- vate life, unless he had executive ability of the highest order, combined with a superabundance of practical common sense, no man could be the con- trolling spirit of an immense corporation for over twenty years. Unless he was popular in the truest and best sense of the word, no man could have filled the honorable positions which have been awarded to Gen. Franklin without any seeking on his part.

Gen. Franklin was married, July 7, 1852, to Anna L. Clarke, daughter of Matthew St. Clair and Hannah B. Clarke, of Washington, D. C. Mrs. Franklin died July 17, 1900, at the age of seventy- six years, at the home in Hartford, after an illness of about one year. They had no children.

JOSEPH HARRINGTON KING, the efficient and popular cashier of the American National Bank . of Hartford, is one of the well and favorably known bankers of New England.

Mr. King was born July 28, 1855, in East Hart- ford, Conn., son of George Walter and Julia (Burn- ham) King, and grandson of Walter King, who was born Sept. 11, 1780, in Glasgow, Scotland. and died in 1863 in New York City. In early man- hood he entered the British army, serving as aide uncler Sir John Moore. After leaving the army he went to Lancashire, England, and from there came, in 1818, to the United States. In 1807 he married. (first ) Mrs. Ann ( Hesketh) MeCandish, a young widow with one son, whom he legally adopted, giv- ing him his own name, John MeCandish King. To the union came children as follows : James, born Jan. 7. 1808: Isabella, July 3. 1810: Mary Ann, Aug. 29, 1812: Sarah, Oct. 3. 1814; George W., Feb, 10, 1817 : and Jane, Aug. 23, 1819. The mother died soon after the birth of the youngest child. Mr. King, after having been in this country for a time, returned to England, and in 1822 again came to the United States. His second wife, a daughter of Rev- Mr. Robinson, died within a year of marriage. Af- ter living in New York City a short time Mr. King removed to Paterson, N. J., where at the home of a friend, Alexander Allan, he met Miss Elizabeth Morse, whom he married (third) Jan. 25, 1825, and who bore him the following children : Mary J., born Nov. 11, 1825: Elizabeth W., Sept. 2, 1827 : Julia S., Oct. 16, 1829; Anne, Dec. 23, 1831 : Anna Allan, Sept. 2, 1833; Menzier Morse, Oct. 6, 1836: and Menzier Anna Morse. Jan. 9, 1840. The mother made her residence with her daughters in New York City, and later in Brooklyn, where she died in 1884, at the age of eighty-nine.

George W. King, the father of our subject, was born Feb. 16, 1817, in Lancashire, England, and was brought to this country by his father, who for a time lived at Paterson, N. J., then in New York City. George W. learned the jeweler's trade with the firm of Wilmot, Moffit & Curtis, manufacturing jewelers on John street, New York City, and during a period of business depression visited Paterson. N. J., made a trip into Virginia, and later came to East Hartford. Conn., where he worked with the firm of Messrs. W. & O. Pitkin, silversmiths. He finally established himself in business upon State street. in Hartford. continuing his residence in East Hartford, where he had already married. In 1859 he purchased a resi- dence on Governor street, where he died in 1881. at the age of sixty-four, and where his wife passed away in 1893. at the age of seventy-three. Their

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

children were : Mary Jane, born July 4. 1843 : James Walter. March 21, 1845; Alice C. Burnham, Nov. 22,18447 : Emma Louisa. Jan. 17. 1850 : George Burn- ham, Jan. 9. 1853: Joseph Harrington (the subject of this sketch ), July 28, 1855: Annie Kate, March 3, 1858: and Edward Everett, Sept. 5. 1862.

Joseph II. King passed his early school days in East Hartford, and later attended the public schools of Hartford, graduating from the Hartford Public High School in 1873. He entered the American National Bank as clerk, and by his steady devotion to the business he had chosen for his life work, his ready grasp of ideas, and quick mastery of the in- tricate details of banking, was rapidly promoted through the various grades to the general book- keeper's desk, from which, in 1883. upon the resig- nation of John G. Root as cashier, he was chosen to that office-the then youngest officer of any bank in the city. Genial in manner, careful and conserva- tive in his dealings with all, he has, during his twen- ty-eight years' banking experience, witnessed the growth of the American National Bank from a com- paratively small institution to that of one of the largest banks in the Capitol City. He is a most co.n- petent officer, and an obliging gentleman.

On Oct. 8, 1878. Mr. King was married to Mary E., daughter of Walter A. Loomis, of East Hartford, and to them have been born three children : Edwin Lobmis, now with the Travelers Insurance Co. of Hartford, born Aug. 18. 1880: George Walter, born Feb. 8. 1886: and Lester Hazen, born March 1I, 1887. After his marriage Mr. King resided in Hart- ford until. in 1895, he built a handsome Colonial residence upon Arnoldale Road, just south of Van- derbilt Hill, one of the most attractive and sightly places in that most delightful suburb of Hartford.

GEORGE W. FOWLER ( deceased) was for so many years actively identified with public affairs in both the city and town of Hartford, that his name has become well-nigh a household word in the homes of those citizens who recall his public spirit, his fidelity to public trusts, and his whole-souled gener- osity as a man. He was born in Westfield, Mass., Oct. 15. 1844. son of Lyman Fowler, and grandson of Roland Fowler. His mother's maiden name was Louisa Vadikin, and his paternal grandmother was a Miss Taylor. Ilis great-grandfather. Deacon Fowl- er. married Elizabeth Thayer, daughter of a cler- gyman. Lyman Fowler was a blacksmith by trade, and a man of powerful physique, as well as of strong mental power, and it seems not improbable that at least a portion of the physical and intellectual strength which George W. Fowler exhibited throughout life came to him by natural inheritance.

George W. Fowler was one of the younger of a family of nine children, and the exigencies of his sit- uation in boyhood forced him early to shift in life for himself. He attended the public schools, and learned the trade of a printer. Even as a youth he manifested quick intelligence, a retentive memory,

and a capacity for high development. The West- field News Letter and the Springfield Republican were the first papers on which he was employed as compositor ; and for eight years, beginning in 1864, he worked at the case in the composing room of the Hartford Times. His nature, however, was not one that readily yielded to circumspection, and in 1873 he organized the firm of Smith, Fowler & Miller. Subsequently the concern was incorporated under the name of The Fowler & Miller Co., Mr. Fowler becoming its president and retaining that office for many years. Through his exceptionally keen busi- ness sense and his rare executive ability the busi- ness of the concern grew apace, until it developed into one of the leading printing houses of that sec- tion of the State.

It is, however, through his public. rather than his business, career, that Mr. Fowler was best known in Hartford; and it is for his acumen, hard work and unswerving loyalty to public duty that he is best remembered. He began his public life as a councilman from the Sixth ward, which bailiwick he represented in the aldermanic councils for nine years. His record there-as also thereafter-was one of which his family may well feel proud. In general information he surpassed most of his col- leagues, and his broad comprehension, no less than his unassailable integrity, resulted in the commit- ment to his hands of important trusts. Among these may be mentioned the delicate and difficult task of the revision of the municipal ordinances, in the performance of which he was associated with John H. Brocklesby and Henry E. Taintor. In 1894 he was elected tax collector of his town: in 1895 for the city and town : and in 1897 re-elected by an overwhelming majority.

Besides being thus prominently identified with the city government, Mr. Fowler was one of the chief officials of the town. From 1883 to 1895 he was a member of the board of selectmen, being re- peatedly made the head of that important body. With such ability, industry and integrity did he perform the duties of this high office that, during the last three years of his service, he was the nominee of both political parties. It was during the term of his service as selectman that many of the most im- portant reforms in town administration were con- ceived and carried out. A new almshouse was built, and the old site was converted into one of the most attractive sections of the city, the transforma- tion resulting in the increase of the "grand list" for purposes of taxation by $200,000. Mr. Fowler was also chairman of the Free Bridge Commission. Al- though a life-long Democrat, and one of his party's local leaders, Mr. Fowler enjoyed the confidence and respect of his political opponents. In private life he was always noted for his acute discernment. ready grasp of problems, fidelity to friends, and liberal, though unostentatious, charity. His mind was naturally analytical, and he possessed the rare power of making his knowledge clear to others.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

One of his most pronounced characteristics was his detestation of falsehood, and, above all, of hypocrisy. Sincere himself, he could not brook insincerity in others, and his own love of truth made him intol- erant of liars. He was a man of social instinct and genial temperament, and well loved by his friends; a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Hartford; the B. P. O. E. ; Wau- gunk Tribe, I. O. R. M .; and the National Provi- dent Union. He also belonged to the Gentlemen's Driving Club.

On March 29, 1883, Mr. Fowler married M. Louise Rowles, whose father, Judge Rowles, was a man of high repute in Tennessee. Mr. Fowler died July 24, 1897, leaving a wife and daughter.

NELSON HOLLISTER, who died on March 2, 1897, was for a long period one of Hartford's prom- inent business men and substantial citizens. He was a picturesque figure on the streets where his flowing pure white hair and beard, clear complexion, and kindly smile attracted general attention.

Born Feb. 12, 1810, in Andover, Conn., son of Gideon and Mary ( Olmstead) Hollister, our sub- ject was a descendant of one of the historic fam- ilies of the Colonial period of New England and Connecticut, and a family of prominence, too, in the history of the State.

(1) John Hollister, the ancestor of the Ameri- can Hollisters, is believed to have been born in Eng- land in 1612, and to have emigrated to America about 1642, sailing from Bristol, England. His name is of record in Wethersfield, Conn., as carly as 1642. He became one of the most prominent men of that town and the Connecticut Colony, and represented the town many times in the Legislature. He married Joanna, daughter of Hon. William Treat, Sr. John Hollister died in 1665.

From this emigrant ancestor the late Nelson Hollister was a descendant in the seventh genera- tion, his line being through John (2), Thomas, Gideon, Nathaniel and Gideon (2).

(11) John Hollister (2), son of John the emi- grant, born about 1644 in Wethersfield, married in 1667 Sarah, daughter of William Goodrich. Mr. Hollister was one of the leading men of Glastonbury, where he died in 1711.

(III ) Thomas Hollister, son of John (2), born in 1672 in Wethersfield, married Dorothy, daughter of Joseph Hills, of Glastonbury, and lived and died in that town, passing away in 1741.

(1\) Gideon Hollister, son of Thomas, born in 1699 in Glastonbury, married in 1723 Rachel, daughter of Sergt. Nathaniel Talcott, and settled in the East Parish of Glastonbury. Mr. Hollister was a lieutenant in the militia, and a deacon in the church in Glastonbury. He died in 1785.

(\') Nathaniel Hollister, son of Gideon, born in 1731 in Glastonbury, married in 1754 Mabel Mat- son. He died in ISI0.

and the father of Nelson Hollister, born in 1776, in Glastonbury, married Mary Olmstead, of East Hart- ford, and settled in Andover, Conn., where he was a manufacturer of paper, and a valued and respected member of society. He died in 1864.

Nelson Hollister, the subject proper of this sketch, in youth became engaged, with his father and brothers. in the manufacture of paper. Sub- sequently he removed to Hartford, and in about 1840 engaged in business on Front street, as a dealer in paper stock and rags, where he laid the foundation of a large fortune. Late in the 'sixties he disposed of his business and retired. Mr. Hol- lister was identified with a number of banks and corporations, among them the old Charter Oak Life Insurance Co., the Ætna Fire Insurance Co., the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co., and the State Bank, in all of which he was a director. He superintended the erection of the large granite building on the corner of Main and Athe- neum streets, now the property of the Ætna Life Insurance Co. He was the first treasurer of the Hartford & Connecticut Valley Railroad Co. He was president of the Cedar Hill Cemetery Associa- tion, and took an active interest in the cemetery's development. He was an original member and a deacon of the Pearl Street Congregational Church, organized in 1852. Mr. Hollister was also a mem- ber of the Veteran Corps of the Governor's Foot Guard, in which he ever took an active interest. In 1894 he was admitted as a member of the Connecti- cut Historical Society. Up to two years before his death, in spite of his years, Mr. Hollister was one of the most active men of Hartford. Ile was poss- essed of a vigorous constitution and good health, was a great lover of outdoor life and sports, and enjoyed seeing played the National game of base- ball.

On May 12, 1834, Mr. Hollister was married to Edith Sawyer, born Nov. 21, 1815, daughter of Eli- jah R. and Fanny ( Spencer ) Sawyer, of Windham, Conn. They had four children, as follows: (1) Ar- thur N. Hollister, born Dec. 28, 1835, died Jan. 18, 1897. (2) Erskin B. Hollister, born May 4, 1842, died Nov. 21, 1859. (3) Edith Sawyer Hollister, born May 15. 1845, was married May 13, 1867, to Charles Augustus Robinson. (4) Lucy Sawyer Hollister, born Aug. 3. 1848, married June 14, 1870, Albert H. Olmsted.

CHARLES H. LAWRENCE, secretary of the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co., Hartford, was born Aug. 23. 1845, in New York City, son of Jolin and Sarah ( Moore) Lawrence. He attended the public schools and the Free Academy of his native city, now the College of the City of New York, and then began a business career as a clerk in the New York branch store of Smith & Bourn, of Hartford, Conn. Ile changed to the Hartford house in 1866, and remained with Smith & Bourn

(VI) Gideon Hollister (2), son of Nathaniel, ' until Jan. 1. 1871, when he entered into an arrange-

Nelson Hollister

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ment with the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co., with which company he has since remained unin- terruptedly. Beginning as clerk, he was advanced through succeeding grades, and in 1889 was chosen to the secretaryship of the company, his present position.

In his political views Mr. Lawrence is a stanch Republican, and as such has served several suc- cessive terms in the common council, and for a number of years represented the Second ward in the board of aldermen, of which he was president. Mr. Lawrence has figured quite actively and prom- inently in local politics, and has been a member of the Republican State Central Committee. He is a conscientious worker, and has done much to elevate the standard of local political influence in all branches of the public service. He is a di- rector in the State Bank, and sustains similar rela- tions with other Hartford corporations.

On Nov. 26, 1872, Mr. Lawrence was married to Miss Juliette H., daughter of the late Thomas T. Fisher, of Hartford, a successful merchant and stock broker, and a prominent citizen of his day. Two children, a son and a daughter, have blessed this union.

WILLIAM DENISON MORGAN, cashier of the AEtna National Bank, of Hartford, has already made unusual progress along the highway to suc- cess in the business world. He was born Dec. 19, 1873. in Brooklyn, N. Y., son of William Gardner Morgan, and is of the ninth generation in descent from James Morgan.

(1) James Morgan was born in 1607 in Wales, likely in Llandaff, Glamorganshire, but later lived in Bristol, England, coming from the latter place to Boston in 1636; to Roxbury before 1640; to New London, Conn., in 1650; and to Groton in 1657, dying at the place last named in 1685. He married in 1640 Margery Hill, of Roxbury. From this an- cestor William Gardner Morgan is descended through Capt. John, William, William (2), William Avery, Col. Avery and Nathan Denison Morgan.

(IL) Capt. John Morgan, son of James the emi- grant, born in 1645, married ( second ) Widow Eliza- beth Williams, daughter of Lieut .- Gov. William Jones, of New Haven, and granddaughter of Gov. Theophilus Eaton. Capt. Morgan moved to Preston, Conn., about 1692, and died in 1712.

( III) William Morgan, son of Capt. John, born in 1693, married in 1716 Mary, daughter of Capt. James Avery. William Morgan died in 1729, and his wife Mary passed away in 1780.

( IV) William Morgan (2), son of William, born in 1723, married in 1744 Temperance, daugh- ter of Christopher Avery, of Groton. They resided in Groton, where Mr. Morgan died in 1777, and his widow died in 1801.

(\') William Avery Morgan, son of William ( 2). born in 1754. married ( first ) Lydia, daughter of Nathan Smith, of Groton. They settled in

Groton, and in 1796 removed to Colchester. Mrs. Morgan died in 1804, and in 1814 Mr. Morgan moved to New London, where he died in 1842.

( VI) Col. Avery Morgan, son of William Avery, born in 1781, married in 1802 Jerusha, daughter of Jonathan Gardner, and settled in Bozrah, thence about 1807 removing to Colchester, and later to Hartford, where he died in 1860, and his widow in 1861. Col. Morgan was a carpenter, merchant and farmer; was an officer in the militia ; and served in the State Legislature.

(VII) Nathan Denison Morgan, son of Col. Avery, born Oct. 22, 1818, married ( first ) Mary B. Churchill, born in Portland, Conn., daughter of Capt. Henry Churchill, of Portland, and they had seven children, four of whom are still living : Col. Henry C., of Colchester, a retired United States army officer, now Commissary-General of Connecti- cut ; Matilda, Mrs. Julian W. Merrill, of Bronx- ville, N. Y .: William Gardner, father of our sub- ject ; and James HI., who lives in Brooklyn, and is engaged in the insurance business in New York City. Mrs. Mary B. Morgan died in 1854, at the age of thirty-two years. Her parents were members of the Episcopal Church at Portland. In 1860 Mr. Morgan married (second) Helen M., daughter of Gen. James Watson Webb, former editor of the New York Courier and Engineer, and United States minister to Brazil. They had two children, one living, Robert Webb Morgan, who is a resident of Bronxville, N. Y., and is engaged in business in New York City. Nathan D. Morgan was for some time president of the Manhattan Life Insurance Co., of New York, and after leaving that company organized the North American Insurance Co., of which he was president from 1872 to 1894, when he retired from business. He was also a director of the Farragut Fire Insurance Co., of New York. He passed away in 1897, at the age of seventy- nine years. Mr. Morgan was reputed to have been one of the most accomplished insurance officers in the country. He was a director of the Eye & Ear Infirmary in Brooklyn. In religious connection he was identified with the Episcopal Church in Brook- lyn, being warden of St. Paul's.

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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 2

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