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 45

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 45

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HON. JAMES NICHOLS, of Hartford, presi- dent of the National Fire Insurance Co., is of the eighth generation from Francis Nichols, through Isaac, Richard, Nathaniel, Theophilus, Capt. James and Isaac.

(I) Francis Nichols married Anne, daughter of Barnabas Wines, of Southold, L. I. [Orcott's "His- tory of Stratford."] He appeared in Stratford, Conn., in 1639, with four children: Isaac, Caleb, John, and a daughter.

( II) Isaac Nichols, son of Francis, also became identified with Stratford. He was several times deputy to the General Court. His wife's name was Mary.

(III) Isaac Nichols, son of Isaac, was born in 1654, and died in 1680. The maiden name of his wife, Margaret, was probably Washburn, as the son of a Mr. Washburn speaks of her as aunt ; however, it is possible her sister may have married his fa- ther.

(IV) Richard Nichols, son of Isaac, born Nov. 26, 1678, in Stratford, married June 3, 1702, Com- fort Sherman, daughter of Theophilus Sherman, of Wethersfield.

(V) Nathaniel Nichols, son of Richard, born April 8, 1707, married Ann Booth, who was born in 1710, daughter of Jonathan and Hester (Galpin) Booth, and died in 1780.

(VI) Theophilus Nichols, son of Nathaniel, born in 1748, married in 1771 Sarah Meeker, who was born in 1753, daughter of David and Hannah (Hill) Meeker, the latter born in 1729. Mr. Nichols settled in Newtown, Conn. Mrs. Nichols died in 1852.

(VII) Capt. James Nichols, son of Theophilus, born Sept. 9, 1775, married Lucy Beach, born Feb. 22, 1780, daughter of John Beach (3). Capt. "Jim" Nichols, as he was familiarly called, was a large land owner and a good farmer, dealing largely in cattle. He was one of the most prominent farmers of his day in Newtown, a man of good judgment, and served as selectman, though in no sense an officeseeker. He was a Whig in his political views, and, religiously, a member of the Episcopal Church. He is often called on in the settlement of estates.

(VIII) Isaac Nichols, son of Capt. James Nichols, and the father of President James Nichols, of Hartford, was born April 19, 1802, in Newtown, and died there Sept. 7, 1853. He was married (first) in 1827 to Betsey Platt, daughter of Moses and Anna (Judson) Platt. She was born in 1798, and died Oct. 6, 1835. He married (second) March

James trehols

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20, 1838, Louisa Bartlett, daughter of John and Sarah ( Bennett) Bartlett. She was born April 4, 1812, and died Oct. 21, 1894. Mr. Nichols was reared at the old Nichols homestead which was just south of the present Beers Sherman place. In his early life for some years he was engaged in busi- ness at Bridgeport, associated with Gideon Thomp-

son. Along in the latter part of the 'thirties he re- turned to the homestead, and there farmed the rest of his life. He was a good substantial farmer and citizen. He did not care for official position, and was not active in public affairs. In politics he was a Whig, and in his religious views an Episcopalian. His children were Henry, born May 8, 1829; James, Dec. 25, 1830; William, Feb. 11, 1833; Mary B., Oct. 3. 1835 ; Augusta, Feb. 22, 1839; Sarah, May 29, 1840; Margaret, March 20, 1842: Beach, Feb. 8, 1844; Louisa B., Sept. 7, 1845; William, Aug. 18, 1847; Arthur, April 2, 1849; and Grace Nov. 26, 1851.

James Nichols, son of Isaac, of Newtown, Conn., was born December 25, 1830, in Newtown, where his boyhood was passed on his father's farm in at- tendance at the district schools, at work on the farm, and in teaching, until his twenty-first year. He was prepared for the Bar under the direction of the late Amos S. Treat, and was admitted to the Bar in the spring of 1854, at Danbury, Conn. He commenced the practice of law at Thompsonville, but removed to Hartford within a few months, and was appointed assistant clerk of the Hartford county superior court. In 1861 he was elected judge of probate in the Hart- ford district, which embraced the towns of Hartford, Windsor Locks, East Hartford and Glastonbury. The office was one of great importance, and required exceptional ability for the discharge of its duties. Judge Nichols won the admiration of all parties on account of the successful way in which the ju- dicial work of the office was performed. In 1867 he became the adjuster and special agent of the Merchants Insurance Co. of Hartford, and was rapidly promoted by the board of directors. From the outset he manifested exceptional adaptability for the insurance business. At the time of the great Chicago fire, in 1871, Judge Nichols was secretary of the Merchants, and a manager of recognized standing in the insurance community. The Mer- chants was not able to recover from the great disas- ter at Chicago, and surrendered its charter. The National Fire Insurance Co., which had been incor- porated in May, 1869, organized in 1871 with the late Mark Howard as president, and Judge Nichols as secretary. On the death of President Howard, in 1887, the Judge succeeded to the presidency, his standing as a most capable insurance manager en- titling him to that promotion. Under the able and judicious management of Judge Nichols the Na- tional has made great progress, and has the reputa- tion of being one of the ablest and most carefully conducted insurance companies in New England. Under his presidency the assets of the company in-

creased from $1,969,907, Jan. I, 1887, to $4,551,- 283.55, Jan. 1, 1900, and its business from 1887 to 1900 from $569,256 to $2,187.750.

Judge Nichols was very prominently brought before the fire underwriters of this country in con- nection with the famous Bennett Brothers' case, in Syracuse, he being chairman of a committee con- sisting of himself, Richard D. Alliger and Daniel C. Osman, who had the case in charge. In this case over $120,000 insurance was involved, twenty-three companies were interested, and over $350,000 loss was claimed by the assured. The assured assigned his property to the creditors, among whom were sixty-three of the leading mercantile firms of New York, whose debts were to be collected from the insurance. These sixty-three creditors assumed an active part in the prosecution of the claim, using freely their influence as merchants and insurers to compel payment, signing individually a memorial to the companies interested urging the settlement of the claim independent of the committee, and in many instances withdrawing their patronage from the companies interested. The assured also distributed circulars throughout the country abusing the com- mittee, and demanding that the policies of the com- panies contesting the claim be refused by the insur- ing public. Notwithstanding the great pressure brought upon the companies to settle the less not one company yielded, but all firmly sustained the com- mittee, and, after a long and severely contested trial of thirty days' actual session in court, the case was won by the companies, a large amount of money saved, a villainous fraud exposed, and the perpe- trators punished.

Judge Nichols is president of the Mechanics & Traders Fire Insurance Co., of New Orleans ; vice-president of the Charter Oak National Bank : a director in the Phoenix Life Insurance Co. ; a trustee in the Society for Savings; a director in the ZEtna Indemnity Co. ; and in the Pratt & Cady Co. Politically his affiliations have always been with the Republican party. Ilis religious connections are with the Park Congregational Church of Hart- ford, of which he has been a member for many years. IIe has served his ward as a member of the common council. He is a Mason, identified with St. John's Lodge, of Hartford. The life of Judge Nich- ols has been one of great success and honor, and he is held in the highest esteem in Hartford, of which he has been a resident since the summer of 1854.

On July 9, 1861, Mr. Nichols was married to Isabella M. Starkweather, daughter of Nathan and Cynthia ( Loomis) Starkweather, of Hartford. She was born Aug. 5. 1842, and died Oct. 9, 1895. Three children came to this marriage: James L., born Feb. 20, 1863, died June 29, 1871. Isabella, born Oct. 23, 1874, died June 28, 1875. Helen C., born Dec. 24, 1870, married Dec. 24, 1890, Harry A. Smith, of Rochester, N. Y., now of Hartford, as- sistant secretary of the National Fire Insurance

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Co .; they have one son, James N., born Oct. 2, 1891, and one daughter, Harriet H., born Jan. 6, 1895.

SAMUEL D. CHAMBERLIN. The Cham- berlin family is one of the oldest in this section, and traces descent from one of three brothers who came from England at an early date, landing in Boston.

The first of the name of whom we have definite record was Jacob Chamberlin, who was born in Newton, Mass., in 1673, and the subject of this sketch, a well-known business man of Hartford, is of the sixth generation from this ancestor.

(II) Jason Chamberlin, son of Jacob, known as Col. Jason, was born in Newton, Mass., Feb. 26, 1701. He inherited the homestead, and after his marriage, to Hannah Clark, settled at Holliston, Mass. About 1770 he removed to Sandisfield, Berkshire Co., Mass. Being a man of more than ordinary ability he took a leading part in public affairs wherever he resided, and he represented Holliston in the convention that adopted the Federal Constitution, and was often sent to the General Court. His interest in the political questions of his day was keen, and he always acted with the parties opposed to the Constitution and administration of John Adams.

(III) Samuel Chamberlin, son of Col. Jason, was born at Holliston, Mass., July 18, 1732, and during the darkest period of the Revolutionary war he enlisted from the town of Sandisfield in Col. Ashley's regiment, his muster returns being dated at Valley Forge, Jan. 25, 1778.

(IV) Samuel Clark Chamberlin was born at Holliston May 25, 1765, and died Nov. 30, 1835, in Colebrook, Conn. On Sept. 7, 1796, he married, for his second wife, Anna Conklin, who was born Oct. 30, 1772, and died May 2, 1846. By this mar- riage he had seven children, as follows: Abiram, born Oct. 2, 1797, died Oct. 14, 1871, in New Britain; Mary, born Sept. 20, 1799, died Aug. 14, 1861, in Hartford; Elvira, born Sept. 14, 1801, died July 1, 1838, in New Hartford ; Rebecca, born Aug. 28, 1804, died Nov. 17, 1886, in Hartford; Hiram, born April 2, 1809, died Sept. 2, 1876; Samuel Strong, born Sept. 25, 1811, died Jan. 24, 1898, at Hartford ; Melvina, born Sept. 5, 1815, died Aug. 17, 1843, in New Britain.

(V) Samuel S. Chamberlin was born Sept. 25, 18II, in Colebrook, Conn., and was reared in Berk- hire county, Mass., receiving & district-school edu- cation, which he supplemented by reading and ob- servation. He was an excellent business man, straightforward and possessing sound judgment, and with the exception of a few months had no partners in his enterprises. As a young man he was employed by the Messrs. Bartelle, grocers, in Norfolk, and in 1835 he established a retail gro- cery and meat business at No. 179 State street, Hartford, which was afterward developed into the present wholesale business in provisions, salt fish and

grass seeds. He was the first to make "dried beef," and this became a leading feature in his trade. Al- though he went to Hartford empty-handed he ac- cumulated a fine etate, and in 1873 he retired, leav- ing the business to his son, Samuel D. Chamberlin, who admitted to the firm, in August, 1897, his two sons, Frank D. and Albert S. In politics he was a Republican, as are all the members of the family, and for sixty years he was a faithful reader of the Courant, but he never took an active share in par- tisan work. He was a member of the South Con- gregational Church, Hartford, On Oct. II, 1835, Mr. Chamberlin married Mary Etta Doolittle, born June 1, 1812, daughter of Ezra Doolittle, Esq., of Riverton, Conn., and a member of one of the most prominent families of that place. She died March 16, 1885, and he married (second) Mrs. Harriet Elizabeth Filley, who survives him. He left four children, all by the first marriage: Miss Ellen E .; Mrs. L. B. Merriam; Samuel D .; and Laura M., wife of Rev. George S. Dodge, of Worcester, Massa- chusetts.

(VI) Samuel Doolittle Chamberlin was born Feb. 6, 1843, in Hartford, where he received a public-school education, and he also attended school in Ellington for two years. He left school at the age of seventeen, and in 1861 enlisted at Hartford in Company A, Ist Conn. V. I., for three months. At the expiration of this term he re-enlisted, in the 16th Conn. V. I., was made orderly sergeant, and later served as second lieutenant of Company G, and first lieutenant of Company B; was with the regi- ment about a year and a half, and then resigned to enter the quartermaster's department. He was in the battle of Bull Run and the Virginia campaign, and took part in the hard fighting at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the siege of Suffolk. After the war he came home and engaged in business with his father, and since the latter's retirement in 1873 has conducted the store. He has a large trade in provisions, salt fish and grass seeds, extending throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Mr. Chamberlin has always followed a conservative course in business, its wisdom being shown by his success. He is a Republican in poli- tics, but has not taken an ardent part in public affairs, and socially he is identified with the B. P. O. E., and with Robert O. Tyler Post, G. A. R. On Aug. 24, 1862, he was married to Sarah E. Quintard, daughter of Henry Harrison and Clarissa (Grant) Quintard, the former of South Norwalk, the latter of Ashford, Conn. Mr. Quintard was iden- tified with the Jewel Belting Co. all his active life. Mr. Chamberlin has children as follows: Frank D .; Albert S .; Samuel S., who is in the gents' furnish- ing business; George Burton C., who is in the boot and shoe business; Mary E .; and Harry H., who is employed in the shipping department at Pope's fac- tory. The last named was in the Spanish war, in 1898, serving with Company K, Ist Conn. Vols. On Dec. 28, 1892, Frank D. married Adelaide White,

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of Hartford, and they have one son, Samuel D., born Jan. 27 1895. On Oct. 26, 1897, Samuel S. mar- ried Mrs. Louise (Thomas) Fox, and they have one son, Albert S., born July 15, 1899. Mary E. mar- ried Charles E. Hubbard.

THEODORE WIRTH, the efficient and enter- prising superintendent of the park system of the city of Hartford, was born Nov. 30, 1863, at Win- terthur, Canton Zurich, Switzerland, and belongs to an old and respected family of that Canton. In fact, genealogically, he can trace his ancestors back to the year 1446, and he is a descendant of Burgo- master Hans Wirth, of Stamheim, who, together with his son, Johannes, a priest of the new Zwingli Protestant Church, was beheaded by the Catholics in 1523, at Baden, Canton Aargau.

Conrad Wirth, the grandfather of our subject, was a life-long resident of the Canton, and by occu- pation was a veterinary surgeon. Conrad Wirth, Jr., our subject's father, was born in 1827 in Stam- heim, same Canton, and on graduating from the seminary at Kusnacht, at twenty years of age, be- came a successful teacher, retiring in April, 1898. During his fifty years of professional work he taught in three places only, and for thirty-six years he was connected with the schools of Winterthur, a place of 20,000 inhabitants. He was married in Flawyl, Canton St. Gall, to Miss Martha Wiget, a native of that Canton, and they had four children, all of whom are living: Elsie resides at Flawyl; Theodore, our subject, was second in the order of birth; Rudolph, who succeeded his father as a teacher at Winterthur, married Elsie Merk, and has one child, Martha; Martha married Godfried Schmid, chief engineer of the Canton of Zurich, and resides in Zollikon, near the city of Zurich.

Our subject was educated in the schools of his native town, which were famous for their excellence, and he speaks three languages, German, French and English. In 1878 he was graduated from the high school, and entered upon an apprenticeship as a gen- eral gardener at Flawyl in one of the largest horti- cultural establishments in Switzerland. On com- pleting his term he spent one winter in an elective course in engineering, at the Polytechnic school at Winterthur, and for one year he was engaged in that line of work in Switzerland. In 1883 he went to London, England, where he was employed as a landscape gardener and general decorator, and in 1885 he went to Paris where he worked for two years on private estates and in the well-known bot- anical garden, the Jardin des Plantes. He returned to Switzerland in 1887, and in the following year came to America, landing in New York City. His ability and skill secured him employment within three or four weeks as a gardener in Central Park, where he remained until 1890, and later he re-en- tered the service of the New York park commis- sioners and assisted in the construction of Morning- side Park, under the direction of general foreman of

construction, James Francis Huss, a native of Switzerland. While there he rose to the position of assistant foreman, and for some time had charge of Morningside Park, but was finally discharged, with hundreds of others, on account of a change of administration. Mr. Wirth then engaged in work on his own account, laying out private places, con- tinuing thus from 1892 to 1896, and during that time he worked chiefly on Long Island and in other portions of New York State. With Samuel Parsons, Jr., he did some planting at the State Res- ervation at Niagara Falls. In 1896 he was ap- pointed superintendent of parks of the city of Hart- ford, and under him many improvements have been made. He executed the plans furnished him by Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects, for Pope, South and Riverside Parks, and designed and ex- ecuted the plans for Elizabeth Park. Mr. Wirth says this profession is his life, and in this devotion may be seen the secret of his success. He has not been active in politics, and is now an independent, although formerly a Democrat. Ile is a member of the Royal Arcanum and the I. O. O. F., and of the Zwingli Protestant Church.

In 1895 Mr. Wirth married Miss Leonie Alex- andrine Mense, an American, born of French par- entage, and they have two sons, Theodore Rudolph and Conrad Louis.

HON. JOHN W. COOGAN, M. A., attorney at law, Hartford, was born June 3, 1855, in Wind- sor Locks, Hartford county, a son of James Coogan, who was born in Ireland. His grandfather, Daniel Coogan, also born in Ireland, came to America, and followed his trade of paper-maker in this country. He died in Windsor Locks at the age of ninety-six years.

James Coogan, father of John W., was one of a number of children, Julia, who married Matthew Lester, of Windsor, being the only one now living. James Coogan was a paper-maker by trade, and became superintendent of a paper-mill in Windsor Locks. He afterward started a store which he car- ried on for many years, until he retired, and he died at the age of seventy years. He was a man of prominence in his town, holding all the town offices which he would accept, and in 1865 was sent to the Legislature, being the first Catholic to fill this posi- tion in the State of Connecticut ; was on the board of selectmen at Windsor Locks for many years, and took an active part in the political affairs of his town all his life. He married Eliza ( Byrne), who was born in Ireland, and eight children were born to them, seven of whom are living: Edward D., in Windsor Locks; James T., in Windsor Locks; Timothy C., a resident of San Francisco, Cal .; Joseph A., also in Windsor Locks; Elizabeth, who married James B. Benson, of Wind- sor Locks; John W .; and Mary J., a Sister of Mercy, known in the order as Sister M. Laurentia. The mother of these died at the age of forty-nine.

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Mr. and Mrs. Coogan were members of the Catho- lic Church, in which they took an active part and in- terest. Of the above mentioned, Timothy C. is an attorney at law, now in San Francisco, Cal. He held various town offices at Windsor Locks during his early professional life, and has served three terms in the Connecticut State Senate, being the first Catholic to hold that office in Connecticut. Of the other brothers all but Joseph A. have been mem- bers of the State Legislature : all have been promi- nently connected with town offices. Joseph A. has been a practicing physician for a number of years, in Hartford and in his native town of Windsor Locks.

John W. Coogan passed his early years in Wind- sor Locks, and was educated in the public schools and St. John's College, at Fordham, N. Y., where he graduated in 1876, with the degree of A. B .; in 1878 he received the degree of M. A. He then took up the study of law with his brother, Timothy C., later entered Yale Law School, where he gradu- ated in 1879, and immediately began the practice in Hartford which he has since continued, for twenty- one years. He is one of the oldest lawyers in practice in the city, and has tried a large number of celebrated cases, in which he has been very suc- cessful. Like his brothers, he has been active along political lines. He was prosecuting attorney for the city for two years ; grand juror for a number of vears, in which office he is still serving; has also been a delegate to a large number of State and county conventions, and served in the Legislature in 1882. At the present time he is a member of the board of street commissioners, having been ap- pointed in 1900 to serve three years. In the fall of 1900 he was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for Presidential elector from the State of Connecti- cut.

Mr. Coogan was married, in 1898, to Susan O. Nolan, who was born in Albany, a daughter of Murtha Nolan, of that city. To this union has been born one child. John Nolan Coogan. Mr. Coogan made his home in Windsor Locks up to 1883, when he came to Hartford to live. He has one of the largest law libraries in the State. So- cially he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, having been grand knight of Charter Oak Council, No. 19; and is also a member of the B. P. O. E., in which he held the position of exalted ruler, and has been one of the grand trustees of the order : he is affiliated with several other organizations. While in the legislature he was a member of the commit- tee on Cities and Boroughs. The family attend the Catholic church, in which all have taken an active part. Mr. Coogan is a man of most courteous man- ner. and has hosts of friends in Hartford.

BENJAMIN BLISS (deceased). The founders of the Bliss family were among the early settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts colonies, and the subject of this memoir, for many years a leading

business man of Hartford, Conn., traced his descent from Thomas Bliss, Belstone parish, Devonshire, England, of whom little is known outside the facts that he was "a wealthy landowner, and that he be- longed to the class who were stigmatized as Puri- tans." He was born between 1550-60, it is pre- sumed. His death probably occurred about the time of his sons' emigration to America-1635-40.

A son of this Thomas Bliss, of Belstone, also named Thomas, was born somewhere between 1580 and 1585. He was married in England, about 1612- 15, to Margaret Lawrence. They had ten children : Ann, Mary, Thomas, Nathaniel, Lawrence, and Samuel, who were born in England; and Sarah, Elizabeth, Hannah, and John, who were born prob- ably in America. Owing to religious persecution Thomas Bliss left for America in the autumn of 1635, and soon after his arrival at Boston he lo- cated temporarily in Braintree, Mass., eventually settling in Hartford, Conn., being one of the origi- nal land proprietors there. He was either with Thomas Hooker on his arrival in Hartford, or reached there shortly afterward, undoubtedly at- tracted to the same place because of similar views and interests. Trinity street in that city is one of its original streets, and it was known as Bliss street until 1855. It was probably named after Thomas Bliss or his immediate descendants. Thomas Bliss died in 1640.

Lawrence Bliss, of Springfield, Mass. (son of Thomas Bliss and Margaret Lawrence, of Hartford, Conn.), came to America with his father in 1635. On Oct. 25, 1654, he was married in Springfield, Mass., to Lydia, daughter of Deacon Samuel and Margaret Wright. He died in 1676. His children were Lydia, Sarah, Samuel, Sarah (2), Samuel (2), Hannah, Sarah (3), William, and Pelatiah.

Pelatiah Bliss, of Springfield, Mass. (son of Lawrence Bliss and Lydia Wright), was born Aug. 19, 1674, and died in 1747. His home was on the present site of the Chicopee Bank. On April 21, 1698, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Luke and Sarah Hitchcock, who was born in 1679, and died March 28. 1756. Their children were Jonathan, Pelatiah, Elizabeth, Thankful, William, Luke, Sarah, Caleb and Moses.

Deacon Caleb Bliss, of West Springfield. Mass. ( son of Pelatiah Bliss and Elizabeth Hitchcock, of Springfield, Mass.), was born Feb. 16, 1717, and wasmarried in 1740, to Editha, daughter of Ebenezer and Mercy Day, of West Springfield. She was born Aug. 20, 1715. Deacon Bliss died May 22. 1758. and on Dec. 20, 1759, his widow became the second wife of Deacon Jonathan White, of West Spring- field. Mass., and of Middletown, Conn., She died Feb. 4. 1797. The children by the first marriage were Editha. Editha (2), Elizabeth, Abel, William, Pelatiah, Caleb, William (2), and Editha (3).

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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 45

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