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 84

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 84

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As a physician Dr. Quin had a widespread pop- ularity, based upon success resulting from profound knowledge ; his specialties, being those of the throat and chest, necessarily brought him in contact with many of the eminent vocal artists of the day, and as he could discourse fluently, not only in the pre-

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viously mentioned languages, but also in Italian and Spanish, his office, at times, was a sort of polyglot institute, of which he was the professor. He was himself an accomplished musician, and a good amateur performer on the violin. Mozart's Requiem was first performed in this country at the old house in Barclay street, and it is generally believed that the violin quartettes of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were played first in America by himself and his friends. His library of instrumental classics comprised nearly all the choice work extant. He was an acute critic of music and painting, and was a generous and judicious patron of both. He was of a quick, genial and liberal nature; in his pro- fession rapid, discerning and decided, he rarely failed of success.

About 1835 Dr. James M. Quin was married to Sarah Scrugham, who was born in Windsor, Vt., of English ancestry, and was the eldest daughter of William Waburton and Eleanor (Burnett) Scrug- ham. Her father was born in Dublin, and educated at Trinity College, that city. He descended from Bishop William Waburton, of the Church of Eng- land. Mrs. Quin's mother, Eleanor Burnet, was an Englishwoman, a descendant of Bishop Burnet. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Scrugham came to America, and after three years of travel located, in 1812, in New York, where he was for many years a merchant on Front street. They were attendants of St. Paul's Church. Of the children born to Dr. Quin, the gentleman whose name in- troduces this article was the only one to reach maturity. Dr. Quin died in 1868, at his country residence, Morrisania, N. Y., at the age of sixty- two years, and his wife passed away Sept. 2, 1888, aged seventy-seven.

"By the death of Dr. Quin science lost a shin- ing light and art a true, kind and admiring dis- ciple, while the followers of art lost a friend whose heart was ever open to sympathy, and whose purse was never closed in the hour of need. His death caused unfeigned sorrow among a wide and varied circle, for few men had so many warm friends." The funeral services at St. Stephen's church, in New York, were magnificently performed, and a vast number of the eminent of all professions as- sembled to do honor to the occasion. The cere- monies were under the direction of Max Maretzek (the Doctor having been the latter's physician and confidential friend), and included the services of all the stars of the Italian opera troupe, who sang the requiem mass, and Rossini's "Stabat Mater.' The late George W. Morgan, the eminent organist, played a portion of the service.

J. Scrugham Quin in early life moved from New York to Springfield, Mass., where he received his education, being a schoolmate of Hon. William C. Whitney, ex-secretary of the United States Navy, and there for upward of fifteen years he made his home. For a time he was bookkeeper for the Springfield Arms Co. In 1863 he removed to Wil-

mington, Del., where lie secured a clerkship in the mechanical department of the Philadelphia, Wil- mington & Baltimore railroad. After a few months he returned to Springfield, to accept a position in the revolver department of the American Machine Works, where he remained until the close of the Civil war, and the completion of the government contract.

On June 5, 1865, Mr. Quin entered the service of the "Consolidated" road, then known as the New Haven, Hartford & Springfield railroad, run- ning only between those points, his first position being as timekeeper and rodman at the erection of the iron bridge over the Connecticut river at Ware- house Point, under the direction of James Laurie, C. E., who had constructed the bridge in England, and shipped it to this country in sections. Upon the completion of this work, in March, 1866, Mr. Quin was transferred to the office of the motive power department, in Hartford, as timekeeper and accountant. He was subsequently appointed assist- ant in the ticket office, attending the early morning trains, and at the same time keeping up his work in the mechanical department. At this time he was working eighteen hours a day and enjoying it, and for several years thereafter his hours were from 7 P. M. to 6:30 A. M. In July, 1882, W. A. Baker retired from the position of ticket agent, and Mr. Quin was appointed to succeed him. He is now the fourth oldest employed on the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad, has seen its business increase from four trains a day to over fifty, and has now three assistants in his office.

From this long railroad service Mr. Quin has an extensive acquaintance with the traveling pub- lic. In years past he justly achieved fame as the most rapid ticket seller "east of the Rocky Mount- ains," and the sobriquet "The Lightning Ticket Sel- ler" was given to him by "Tom" Reed, on the oc- casion of one of his (Reed's) visits to Hartford. The name applied, and has stuck. Mr. Quin's greatest record in the line of rapid ticket selling was on Labor Day, 1890, when he sold 3,800 tickets in one hour's time. The bits of pastboard made a pile eight feet high, and he passed out the tickets at the rate of over sixty a minute.

Mr. Quin has found time in his busy life to obtain recreation of the most pleasant kind. He has always had a fondness for newspaper work, and for seventeen years was correspondent of the "New York Dramatic News." For several years he was the Hartford correspondent of the "Spring- field Homestead," when that paper was under the management of the late Edward H. Phelps. Mr. Phelps and Mr. Quin were lifelong friends, be- ginning back in the 'sixties, when Mr. Phelps was an organist in Springfield, and Mr. Quin was a student on the cornet. In music Mr. Quin has found great pleasure. He formerly officiated to a limited extent as organist in church service. He has published an original Te Deum, and several

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songs which have met with favor. He is an en- thusiast in brass band work, being an honorary member of Colt's band, and he enjoys the acquaint- ance of many of the famous directors and musical people who have attained success. "The Darling I have Lost" and "Flossie's Lullaby" are two of his songs which have been much complimented.

Mr. Quin has been a member of the F. & A. M. since 1866, having been initiated in Hartford Lodge, No. 88, and he is now a thirty-second- degree Mason; is affiliated with Wolcott Council, No. 1; with Pythagoras Chapter, No. 17; and with Washington Commandery, No. I, the oldest com- mandery in the United States. In nearly all the Masonic bodies with which he has been connected he has filled the position of organist. Mr. Quin is also a member of the I. O. O. F., of the K. of P., and of the Press Club, of Hartford, of which he was a charter member and the first treas- urer. In politics he is an ardent Republican.

In Springfield, Mass., Oct. 23, 1862, J. Scrug- ham Quin was united in marriage with Jane Eliz- abeth Pierce, daughter of Elisha and Hannah (Sherman) Pierce, of that city, the former of whom was a steel forger by occupation. Three children have come to this union: Sadie S. De Witt, C. P. and Louis C., the two latter being in the service of the United States Government at Washington, D. C.

EVERETT HORTON, a well-known manti- facturer of Bristol, is a native of the town, born Jan. 14. 1836, of good old New England ancestry.

Samuel Horton, father of our subject, born in 1810, died Jan. 12, 1842, of typhoid fever. He was a clockmaker, and for several years worked for Chauncey Jerome, with whom he learned his trade. He was a stanch Democrat to the last. He married Patty Gaylord, born Oct. 2. 1805, daugh- ter of Lot Gaylord, and their children were as fol- lows: (1) Algernon, born in 1834, died in Feb- ruary, 1898, in California, whither he had gone in 1852, and followed mining for a time. later engaging in the wool and hide business, and still later becoming a butcher. (2) Everett and (3) Eveline (twins), born Jan. 14. 1836, are both liv- ing in Bristol. (4) Harriet, born in 1838, is the wife of Alonzo Rood, of Bristol. The mother of this family, now aged ninety-four, makes her home with our subject.

Everett Horton, whose name opens this sketch, in his early boyhood attended the West Street dis- trict school in Bristol, leaving same when ten years old to enter Edward L. Dunbar's factory, where he worked till the age of fourteen, during sum- mers, attending school winters. He then for one season studied at the Winsted (Litchfield county) high school, and, returning to Bristol, for the next ten or twelve years was engaged in making clock trimmings, pendulum balls, etc., in Edward L. Dun-

bar's factory, and when they commenced in the crinoline business he built the looms for the factory. His next position was with Landers, Frary & Clark, of New Britain, on machine work for some twelve months. In the meantime, in 1858, he went by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, where. he had a claim given him by his brother. Return- ing to Connecticut, he went to work in New Brit- ain for Landers, Frary & Clark. After this he was foreman of the machine room for seven years. in the factory of S. Emerson Root. In 1870 he built a factory on Oak street, where he made all kinds of small machinery, especially clock ma- chinery, as well as dies, punches, etc., which he shipped to various parts of the country. In 1880 he sold all his tools and commenced work for the New Haven Clock Co., New Haven, as foreman of the machine department, holding that position some five years, during which he took out as many as twenty patents for them. Once more taking up his residence in Bristol, he re-opened his small machine shop, and has since very successfully conducted same. In 1887 he invented the famous "Bristol fishing rod," which he patented in the United States and Canada, and which he manufactured for three years, in 1888 selling out to the Horton Mfg. Co., of Bristol, to-day one of the leading industries of the town. This rod is made of fine steel, jointed, and in many sizes.

Mr. Horton was united in marriage with Al- mira C. Atwater, daughter of George Atwater, of Bristol. Their children are Frederick and Bertha. Frederick is employed in the New Departure Bell Co.'s works in Bristol; he married Anna Cady, of Brookfield, Mo., and they have one child, Louise. Bertha married Frank S. Judd, of Bristol; their children are Herbert, Frederick and Harold. Mr. and Mrs. Everett Horton have a comfortable resi- dence on Oak street, near his factory.

Our subject is a Democrat, but is too busy a man to take much active interest in politics. yet he always does his part toward the promotion of enterprises for the social, educational and moral welfare of the community.

NORRIS PECK DUNHAM. one of the few oc- togenarians of Berlin, and an honored and highly- esteemed citizen of that town, is now retired from the labors of a long and active life, and is spending his declining days in the midst of case and plenty in the house where he was born June 25. 1819, it being built by his father the year previous.

Barnabus Dunham, our subject's grandfather, spent his entire life in Berlin. and died when our subject was about six years old. The father, Will- iam Dunham, was also a lifelong resident of Berlin, born near the Norton homestead, in Kensington. He was a very hard-working man, and accumulated considerable property. He died when our subject was six years of age. He married Miss Nancy

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Peck, daughter of Amos Peck, and to them were born six children, Norris P. being the only one now living.

Our subject was reared on the home farm, and obtained his education in the common schools of Berlin and the Berlin Academy. After leaving school he devoted his time and attention to the work of the farm, and at the age of sixteen took entire charge of the place, as his two brothers had gone South, where they owned and carried on a general store and plantation. He still owns the old home- stead, and has about 200 acres of land, under a high state of cultivation, all of which he now rents to other parties, who operate it. A thorough and sys- tematic farmer, he met with success in his labors, and is to-day one of the most substantial and pros- perous citizens of his community, as well as one of its most highly respected residents. Like his father, he has ever been a stanch supporter of the Demo- cratic party, but has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office. The good condition of the roads of Berlin is due practically to his ener- gies, and as a public-spirited citizen he gives his support to every enterprise for the public good. He attends the Congregational Church, and contributes to its support. Mr. Dunham is unmarried.

HORATIO C. AND AMERICUS J. CLAY- TON, constituting the well-known firm of Clayton Bros., Bristol, are able and successful business men and have been prominently identified with the hard- ware trade for many years.

Horatio C. was born Feb. 1I, 1851, at Cheap- side, near Greenfield, Mass., and Americus J. was born at Conway, Mass., Nov. 3, 1852. They were sons of the late William Clayton and his wife, Mary (Turner). William Clayton, who was one of the leading citizens of Bristol in his day, was born April 19, 1820, in Sheffield, England, where in boyhood he learned the details of cutlery manu- facturing. In 1850 he came to America and settled in Conway, Mass., engaging in the manufacture of cutlery with John Russell & Co., with whom he remained seventeen years. He then removed to Bristol and established a cutlery factory which did not prove successful, but afterward, in company with his sons William, Jr., Horatio C., Americus J. and Francis T. he founded the present hard- ware manufacturing business on Union Hill under the firm name of William Clayton & Sons. Since the death of Mr. Clayton, in 1883, the business has been continuel under the name of Clayton Brothers. William Clayton and his wife had fourteen chil- dren, five of whom died in infancy-two in Eng- land and three in America. (I) William died in 1884, leaving a widow and one daughter, Hattie, wife of John Ryan, of Bristol. (2) Sarah mar- ried William Reynolds (an apothecary at Forest- ville), and resides at Bristol; they have one child living. (3) Henry married Fanny E. Peck, and has had seven children, one being deceased. (4)

Horatio C. married Mrs. Matilda Ibbes, widow of George Ibbes, of New Jersey. (5) Americus mar- ried (first) Amy Holt, who died March 23, 1887, without issue. By his second wife, Viola M. ( Han- num), he had six children, Walter H., Viola L. and Puttney A., all three deceased; Mary Thorpe; William H .; and Ruth O., deceased. (6) Francis T. married Amelia Reynolds, and has one son, Frederick; they reside in Bridgeport. (7) Mary Ann married Richard L. Prothero, and died in 1882, leaving one son, Horatio. (8) Frank married Clara Turner, and died in 1898. (9) Lillie mar- ried James McKernan, and has one daughter, Alice.

Horatio C. and Americus J. Clayton spent their early lives in Greenfield, where they attended the public schools, and as boys they became familiar with the manufacture of hardware in their father's factory.

CHARLES E. PARKER, of the firm of Kim- ball & Parker, general and local fire insurance agents, Hartford, is a native of that city, born Feb. 18, 1865.

James E. Parker, father of our subject, died when the latter was a child. He married Mrs. Mary A. Bulkely, a widow, who was born in Glas- tonbury, Conn., and is now living in Hartford. By her second husband she had one other child, Arthur H. Parker, who is in the bicycle business in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Charles E. Parker received his education in the South school, in his native city, and the Hartford Public High School, and on laying aside his books, at the age of fifteen, entered the employ of C. C. Kimball & Co., as an office boy, at $100 per annum. Ile applied himself diligently to business, striving to do everything in his power to make himself use- ful to his employers, was promoted to bookkeeper, and by diligent effort was in time further promoted to the position of confidential man of the office. This latter incumbency he held up to January, 1899, when he was admitted to partnership, the firm name becoming Kimball & Parker. It was for- merly Kimball & McCray, Col. McCray on his death being succeeded in the partnership by our subject. Mr. Parker has now been twenty years in the office, probably has a longer experience in the insurance line than any other man of his age, and is, undoubtedly, for so young a man, one of the most prominent in the State. The firm of Kimball & Parker represents a number of the largest com- panies in the world, among them being the Queen, the Imperial, the Northern, and many other lead- ing insurance companies of the country, and they are the managers of the New England depart- ment of the Insurance Company of North Amer- ica. They occupy the entire second floor of the First National Bank building, facing city hall and post office, and have the finest offices of any private insurance company in the New England States.

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They employ some 350 agents, and the reports from all of these come directly to this office; all policies are written here, all losses adjusted, and all financial business transacted. They have undoubtedly the largest general agency in the New England States. Since Mr. Parker's connection with this concern it has constantly grown to its present enormous pro- portions.

On Nov. 27, 1893, Mr. Parker was married to NIiss Ida MI. Abbe, a native of Bristol, Conn., and daughter of L. G. Abbe, of Hartford, and three children have graced their union: Charles Ernest, Blanche R. and Grenville M. The family home is at No. 14 Whitney street. Politically our subject is a Republican, but he always reserves to himself the right to vote independently, especially in local matters. At the executive session of the board of alderman, held Monday evening, Nov. 27, 1899, a communication was read from Mayor Preston. nom- inating Mr. Parker for fire commissioner, to fill out the term of the late John D. Bonner, to April 1, 1900. The nomination was confirmed unanimously. it came to him entirely unsolicited, as he did not even know that the mayor had thought of his name until he received a communication from his honor asking him if he would accept the position. Mayor Preston realized the desirability of having the in- surance interests of the city represented on the board of fire commissioners, and it was with this object in view, and knowing the personal fitness of Mr. Parker for the position, that he desired to nominate him. Upon the advent into office of Mayor Harbison, in 1900, Mr. Parker was re-ap- pointed to this same board for three years, and of all the appointees of the former mayor he was the only member of any board to be re-appointed, thus showing the efficiency with which he had filled this, his first political position. He is a young business man of high character and conspicuous ability. Socially he is a member of Hartford Lodge. F. & A. M .; of the Colonial Club ; and re- ligiously of the First M. E. Church, of which latter he is trustee and treasurer.

Mr. Parker's present standing demonstrates what pluck, perseverance and close application to business inay accomplish. Starting at the bottom round of the ladder, in competition with other boys and young men, all of whom were seniors in the office of the concern of which he is now partner, he has by merit alone reached the position he so ably fills. Truly such an example is well worthy of emulation. Of an agreeable disposition, frank, open and straightforward, he has hosts of friends, and no man of his age is more favorably known than Charles E. Parker.

EDMUND B. DILLINGHAM. In the busi- ness and religious circles of Hartford no man is better known than E. B. Dillingham, the courteous proprietor of Dillingham's Newspaper Advertis- ing Agency, located at No. 709 Main street.

Mr. Dillingham was born in West Bridgewater, Mass., Sept. 30, 1836, but his home during child- hood and mature years was Fall River, Mass., where he received his early education in the com- mon schools; later he attended the academy at Myricksville, Mass. Accepting a position as clerk, he followed that vocation until 1861, when he be- came connected with the office of the provost mar- shal at New Bedford, Mass., of the First Congres- sional District, as assistant marshal and enrolling officer, having charge of the enlisting of men for and from Fall River in the military service, under the several calls from the President. From 1861 to 1865 he was United States special agent, assist- ant provost marshal, with headquarters at Fall River. Removing to Rockville, Conn., in 1867, he there accepted the superintendency of the Rose Silk Co., in which he was a stockholder, retaining the position until 1868. In 1870 he came to Hartford, and there became the pioneer of the newspaper advertising business in Connecticut and the New England States, adding the real-estate and fire-in- surance business thereto.

Beginning in a small way, Mr. Dillingham has by persistent energy and application made this the largest business of its kind in the New England States, and has achieved an enviable reputation for upright business principles, doing business through his agency with all the leading papers within a radius of hundreds of miles, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and many other of the large cities. The name Dillingham is in- separably connected with, and familiarly known to, all the great newspapers throughout the New Eng- land and Middle States. The large life and fire in- surance companies of Hartford do a large propor- tion of their advertising through Mr. Dillingham's agency. Not only has he brought this business to its present enormous proportions, but he has also been actively engaged in real estate, buying and selling for himself and others upon an extensive scale. He has also given a great deal of time and energy to religious work, and has acted as temporary supply for the pulpits of nearly every country church within twenty miles of Hartford, giving his services, in all instances, gratuitously. In 1877 he was elected a member of the State executive com- mittee of the Y. M. C. A. of Connecticut, and held that position for many years, in this capacity attending every international convention as a dele- gate from the Y. M. C. A. for over a quarter of a century, and he is widely known in that connec- tion. He was also a member of the board of trus- tees for the magnificent Y. M. C. A. building which was erected at the corner of Pearl and Ford streets, and is one of the finest of its kind in the State, admired by every one. He had the privilege of personally soliciting and accepting a check, for $30,- 000, from the late Gen. Charles T. Hillyer, which was used in purchasing the lot on which the build- ing now stands.

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Mr. Dillingham is a member of the Connecti- cut Congregational Club. He has been chaplain of the Hartford county jail for over twenty years, and was also a member of the city mission board. In every religious movement which has taken place in the city of Hartford for the past quarter of a century he has taken a deep personal interest, and assisted by every means in his power. During D. L. Moody's evangelistic work in the winters of 1878 and 1879 he acted as chief usher, and per- sonally superintended the seating of the vast crowds who came to hear that noted preacher. He had general supervision of everything pertaining to the success of those meetings.

Mr. Dillingham affiliates with the Republican party, and in the political affairs of the city he takes a profound interest. In 1887 he was elected by a large majority councilman from the Seventh ward in Hartford, and was re-elected in 1888, 1889 and 1890, winning the satisfaction and commenda- tion of liis townspeople in the fulfillment of his duties in this office.

In 1860 Mr. Dillingham married Miss Josephine A. Potter, daughter of the late Henry Potter, of Fall River, Mass. To Mr. and Mrs. Dillingham have been born two children, Charles B. and Mabel B., the former of whom was on the reportorial staff of the Hartford city dailies, was later chief editor of a paper in Spokane Falls, Washı., then private secretary to Hon. Watson C. Squire, United States Senator, and for the past few years has been associated in business with Charles B. Frohman, with whom he is at present traveling in Europe. The family attend the Farmington Avenue Con- gregational Church.

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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 84

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