Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 2, Part 13

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1172

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 2 > Part 13

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Festus Viets was born June 12, 1790, at Copper

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Hill, and was educated in the local schools during his youth. Like his ancestors he turned his. atten- tion to farming, and he and his brother Horace owned over four hundred acres of land. 'The home- stead on Copper Hill was much improved under his management, and his fondness for home life and care for the comfort of his family were shown in many ways. While he was a steadfast Democrat in politics, he never sought or held public office, but his activity in church work gave him especial promi- nence among the Methodists of his locality. He died Sept. 24, 1874, and was buried at Copper Hill M. E. cemetery. His wife, Maria Hathaway, was born in Suffield, June 24, 1802, a daughter of Ebenezer Hathaway, and died September 27, 1860. Our subject was the eldest in a family of ten chil- dren: Harriet Maria, born Sept. 3, 1826, married Henry Griffin; Candace Eliza, born Aug. 2, 1828, married Linus Hayes ; Philo Horace was born Aug. 12, 1830; Adaline Jael, born Dec. 13, 1832, died March 23, 1839; Lamira Jane, born Jan. 27, 1835, married Willis L. Hayes; Daniel Benjamin, born March 19, 1838, died March 2, 1839; Annis Susan, born January 28, 1840, died Sept. 26, 1842; William Dixon was born May 17, 1842; and Jason Rush- more was born Jan. 17, 1846.

James H. Viets was born Aug. 21, 1824, and has always made his home at his present farm, which was once occupied as a homestead by his great- grandfather. It contains 150 acres of excellent land, and he has raised tobacco extensively in connection with general farming. In 1876 he made extensive alterations on the old homestead, converting it into quite a modern residence. Some years ago he re- tired from active labor, and is spending the after- noon of life in quiet enjoyment of the fruits of past toil. His ability and unswerving fidelity to any trust reposed in him have made him the choice of his fellow-townsmen for various offices, and he is regarded as one of the foremost Democrats of the locality. For three terms he held the office of select- man, and he has also served as school visitor and in other minor positions, while in 1862 he was elect- ed to the State Legislature, where he took a worthy part in the work of the session, being placed on several important committees. Like his ancestors, he has done much to forward the cause of religion, and for years he has served as trustee, steward or treasurer of the M. E. Church at Copper Hill.

On Oct. II, 1849, Mr. Viets married Miss Marilla Hayes, who was born June 17, 1827, daugh- ter of Dudley and Naoma (Rose) Hayes. Of the five children born to this union three are living, and their education has been the chief care of their parents. James Duane, born Feb. 20, 1853, is a produce dealer at Springfield, Mass .; Ella M., born Dec. II, 1854, died April 27, 1856; Horace, born Dec. 22, 1862, is at home; Nora Belle, born June 17, 1865, died unmarried; Samuel D., born Feb. 19, 1868, is a grain merchant at Springfield, Mas- sachusetts.

PATRICK MOORE (deceased) was for many years one of the most highly-respected citizens of Collinsville, and an extensive and successful con- tractor with the Collins Co. at that place. A na- tive of Ireland, he was born in Ennis, County Clare, March 14, 1833, and was one of a family of thirteen children, whose parents, Michael and Mary (Lam- bert ) Moore, were also natives of Ennis, and worthy members of the Catholic Church.

Our subject received but a limited education in the schools of his native land, but through his own efforts he became a well informed man. He was reared on the home farm, and like many of his fellow countrymen his whole desire was to become a citizen of this "land of the free and home of the brave." In 1850, a year or two after the great fam- ine in Ireland, Mr. Moore took passage on a sailing vessel and crossed the Atlantic, landing in New York. He came at once to Collinsville, Conn., where he obtained employment with the Collins Co., in the axe department, under Peter Myers. Wish- ing to secure a better position, he left there at the end of two years and went South, locating in Savan- nah, Ga., where he became connected with the cot- ton industry. On his return North he again spent two years with the Collins Co., and then went to Douglass, Mass., where he was employed as an axe polisher for one year. Returning to Collins- ville, he became a contractor in the knife-handle de- partment, where he remained until the fall of 1898, when he retired from active business to spend his remaining days in ease and retirement. He was one of the largest contractors with the Collins Co., and won the respect and confidence of those who worked under him as well as of his employers. In 1887 he took up his residence in the town of Bur- lington, where he purchased a small place, on which he made many improvements, and there he made his home until called from this life, Jan. 17, 1899. He was taken ill with the grippe, which devel- oped into pneumonia, and from the effects of the lat- ter disease he died. His remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery at Collinsville.

Mr. Moore was first married, Aug. 28, 1853, at New Britain, to Miss Eliza Hannon, also a native of Ennis, Ireland, who died Aug. 18, 1864, at the early age of thirty-three years, and was buried in the same cemetery. The children born of this union were as follows: Mary Jane, born July 13, 1854. died Sept. 2, 1855; Elizabeth, born Oct. 22, 1855, is now the wife of Edward Flanary, of Bridgport ; Thomas, born Nov. 25, 1857, died Nov. 6, 1858; Mary, born April 25, 1859, died Aug. 22, 1860: Thomas, born Dec. 21, 1860, died Oct. 16, 1861 ; Mary, born Nov. 21, 1862, died Aug. 28, 1863; and James and Lucy (twins) were born June 20, 1864 (the former died Sept. 21, 1864, and the latter on Aug. 17, 1864).

On Oct. 6, 1864, Mr. Moore married Miss El- len Rocke, who was also born in Ennis, Ireland, and came to this country in 1857. She is still a resi-

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dent of Burlington, and is a lady of genial dispo- sition, who has proved a devoted wife and mother. By his second marriage Mr. Moore had seven chil- dren: James Michael, born Sept. 28, 1869, re- sides at home ; Bridget Mary, b. Jan. 30, 1871, d. Aug. 4, 1871 ; Patrick, b. Feb. 21, 1872, d. Oct. 9, 1897: Anthony Joseph, born April 6, 1875, obtained his literary education in the district schools and in the high school of Collinsville, and at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., and prepared himself for the medical profession, spent three years at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York City, has since graduated from the Maryland Medical College, of Baltimore, in medicine and is now a practicing physi- cian; Thomas C., born Dec. 1I, 1876, died Dec. 1, 1879; Ellen, born Dec. 8, 1878, died March 13, 1880 ; and Katherine, born Nov. 23, 1880, is a young lady of talent and culture, who graduated from the Collinsville high school in 1898, and has also re- ceived a good musical education.

Mr. Moore was independent in politics, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln and his last one for William Jennings Bryan. He was one of the best known and most highly esteemed citizens of Collinsville, and had a host of warm friends through- out the community. He was a devout member of the Catholic Church, was noted for his piety, and was instrumental in organizing the church in Collins- ville. He gave liberally toward the construction of the church edifice, and contributed freely of his means at all times toward advancing the causes of education and Christianity. His charity was un- bounded, and the poor and needy always found in him a friend.

HON. JOHN P. LEWIS, a representative and prominent citizen of Farmington, was born in Win- sted, Litchfield Co., Conn., Nov. 23, 1836, son of Joseph Blackleach Lewis, and grandson of Joseph and Sarah (Blackleach) Lewis. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier. For his second wife Joseph Lewis married Mrs. Hannah Petterson, and to her first marriage were born five children, who grew to maturity: Anna, Joseph B., David, Re- becca and Frederick.

Joseph B. Lewis, father of our subject, was born in Stratford, Conn., in March, 1794, and throughout life followed the carpenter's trade. He was a well-read man, and in religious faith was a Universalist. In early life he worked in the Whit- ings Clock Factory, in Winsted, and at that place he erected a brick house, on North Main street, but he finally came to Unionville, where his death occurred in 1886. He became quite well-to-do, owning a farm of 200 acres in the Scotts Swamp District, and another in the town of Burlington, Hartford county. Joseph B. Lewis first married Miss Julia Shelton, who was born in 1798, and died in Winsted, Conn., leaving three children: Fred- erick, who died in Ohio ; Gideon Hall, who died in Virginia; and Juliette, who died in Winsted, Conn.

For his second wife he married Miss Cordelia Ann Cummings, who was born in 1800, and died in Unionville, in 1878. By that union he had four children: Julia, deceased; John P., our subject ; Jeanette, who was born in Burlington in 1840, and is now the widow of T. A. Chidsey, and a resi- dent of Waterbury, Conn .; and Emily, deceased, who was born in Burlington in 1844, and married Mark Stone, of that place.

The boyhood and youth of our subject were passed in Burlington and Farmington, where he attended school, and after his education was com- pleted he engaged in agricultural pursuits on the home farm until twenty-five years of age. After marriage he settled on his present farm, where he carries on general agriculture and lumbering. In Weathersfield, Vt., he was united in marriage with Miss Frances M. North, and to them were born four children: (1) Jeanette M., born in 1865, is now the wife of Arthur T. Brown, of Sag Harbor, N. Y., and they have three children, Lewis Nathan, Almira Frances and Lurania. (2) Eleanor M., born in 1868, married Walter Woodruff, and lived for a time in Bristol and later in Waterbury, Conn. They have one son, James Lewis. (3) George J., born in 1871, married Harriet B. Page, and has one daughter, Eleanor. (4) Edna E., born in 1873, is the wife of Louis L. Gaylord, of Hartford.

Mr. Lewis has been honored with many offices of public trust, acting as selectman, justice of the peace, and chairman of the board of assessors at the present time. He was a member of the State Legislature in 1876, at which time he served on the committee for building the new capitol, and in 1895, he again represented Farmington in that body, being elected on the Democratic ticket. He has served as appraiser of estates for the probate courts of Farmington, Bristol and Burlington; also as appraiser in foreclosure proceedings for the differ- ent savings banks in this vicinity ; and was appointed by the superior court chairman of the commission to adjust the land damages between the Bristol Water Co., and parties owning land in Bristol, Plymouth, etc. He was connected with the Stand- ard Rule Co., and has been a director in several corporations in Unionville. Mr. Lewis is a strong and active Democrat. As a public-spirited citizen he gives his support to every measure which he believes will prove of public benefit.

MOSES WILLIAMS BECKLEY ( deceased ), for many years a prominent citizen of Southington, was born in New Britain, Hartford Co., Conn., June 8, 1828, and was a son of Moses W. and Mary W. (Cornwall) Beckley, both also natives of Hart- ford county, the former born in Rocky Hill, Oct. 7, 1791, the latter in New Britain July 12, 1798. In 1830 they located in Southington, where the father purchased a small tract of land on the Meriden road, and where he kept a harness shop for many years. He died Sept. 27, 1868. His

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children were Sarah, wife of Francis Lewis; Will- iam, who married Rebecca Maynard; Eunice, wife of John Gridley; Caroline, wife of Edwin Stan- nard; and Moses W.

Our subject was only two years old when brought by his parents to Southington, and here he was reared to manhood, obtaining his educa- tion in the public schools near his boyhood home and Lewis Academy. At the age of eighteen he entered the employ of the Peck-Smith Co., and retained his connection with them and their suc- cessors in business up to the time of his death. By patient and faithful devotion to his duties he worked his way upward until he became secretary, treasurer and one of the directors of one of the largest hardware manufacturing companies in the State, and, in addition to supporting his parents in their declining years he acquired a property which to one of his frugal habits, might be considered a handsome competence. As a business man he was laborious and careful, and gave close attention to all the little details of his affairs. While treas- urer of the Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co., and disburs- ing from $80,000 to $100,000 per month, his cash account always balanced correctly. In his moral, intellectual and social life, he manifested the same characteristic carefulness. He was never a talker, but exceedingly well read, and his criticisms on men and public affairs were always shrewd and reaching. Mr. Beckley never made a public pro- fession of religion, yet those who were most famil- iar with him would be surprised at the freedom of his incidental remarks upon religious subjects, and at his general agreement with the commonly received tenets of the Evangelical faith. Politi- cally he was identified with the Democratic party, and socially affiliated with Friendship Lodge, No. 33, F. & A. M., and Triune Chapter, No. 40, R. A. M. He died February 10, 1875, honored and re- spected by all who knew him.

On June 2, 1865, Mr. Beckley married Miss Elizabeth Platt, a daughter of Joseph P. and Het- tie Ann (Thompson) Platt, of Southington, and granddaughter of Gideon and Lydia (Sperry) Platt, of Middlebury. By this union four children were born : Grace E .; Charles W .; Alice L., wife of Paul C. Woodruff ; and Bertha T.

DANIEL BLISH, an honored and respected resident of Marlboro, as well as one of the most substantial citizens of that place, is a worthy de- scendant of an old family.

Mr. Blish traces his ancestry back to Abraham Blish, the first of the name in this country, and the first account we have of him is in Duxbury, Mass., where, in November, 1637. he bought of Richard More a house and tract of land comprising twenty acres and known as the "Eagle's Nest." He re- moved to Barnstable, on Cape Cod, soon after the town, which was a part of the Plymouth Colony, was laid off, about 1641, becoming one of its first settlers, and there died Sept. 7, 1683. He resided

it: the western part of the town known as "Great Marshes," and the homestead there was owned by him and his descendants for over 200 years. He was a man of importance and influence in the town and held many offices of trust. His descendants are now scattered throughout the United States, and the family has been well represented in the wars of this country, including the Revolution, the French and Indian war and the war of 1812.

Joseph Blish, of Barnstable, Mass., son of Abra- ham, married Anne Hull, daughter of Tristram Hull, who was fined several times for harboring Quakers who had been driven out of the towns to starve. Rev. Thomas Hull, father of Tristram Hull, was one of the early ministers of Barnstable and was silenced as a preacher because he pro- tested against the treatment which the Colonists gave to the Quakers.

Tristram Blish, son of Joseph, came from Barn- stable to Connecticut in 1725, and was one of the early .settlers of Colchester. He married Anne Fuller, through whom our subject traces his de- scent from Edward Fuller, of the "Mayflower" pil- grims. He is also a lineal descendant of Dr. Mat- thew Fuller, who was one of the leading spirits of his time in Barnstable, and of Rev. John Lath- rop, the first minister of Barnstable, who is still honored in the town.

David Blish, grandfather of Daniel Blish, was probably the first of the name in Marlboro, but the authenticity of this is not known. He served as a soldier in the Revolution. He lived on the farm where Daniel Blish now resides, and which was originally part of the town of Glastonbury, Marl- boro having been formed in 1803 from the towns of Glastonbury, Colchester and Hebron. He fol- lowed the primitive methods of farming then in use, and here he died, his remains being buried in Marlboro .. By his wife, Mary, he had eight chil- dren, whose names and dates of birth are as fol- lows : David, Sept. 16, 1753 ; Zeruiah, June 3, 1758 ; Rebecca, May 13, 1760; Thomas, Sept. 13, 1762 ; Chauncey, Sept. 21, 1764; Sarah, April 10, 1767; Aaron, Oct. 21, 1768; and Roger, May 23, 1770.

Roger Blish, the youngest of the above men- tioned family, was the father of Daniel Blish. He was born in the house which stood opposite our subject's present home, and which was later de- stroved by fire. He married Miss Demis Hosford, a native of Marlboro, and a daughter of Daniel Hosford, a farmer of that town. He died in De- cember, 1857, preceded by his wife, who died in February of the same year. In the family of this worthy couple were the following children: Har- riet, born July 7, 1795, died young; Amelia, born June 14, 1797, married Henry Brainard, a hotel- keeper of Willimantic, Conn .; Prudence, born April 5, 1799, married Howell Root, a farmer, and lived in Marlboro; Augustus, born Aug. 20, 1801, married Delight Buell, and followed farming in Marlboro ; Aaron, born Nov. 3, 1803, married Eunice Clark, of Salem, and followed farming ;

Daniel Blish

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Chauncey, born Dec. 4, 1807, married Esther Slate, and lived in Marlboro; Mary, born Sept. 25, 1810, married George Talcott Lord, a farmer of the same town; Harriet (2), born Aug. 9, 1812, married William Carrier, who lived in Marlboro until after the death of his wife, and then removed to New York State; Zeruiah, born July 17, 1814, married Isaac Buell, and lived in Marlboro ; and Daniel, our subject, completes the family. The father was a member of the Congregational Church, and was one of the substantial citizens of the town in his day. In political sentiment he was a Whig, and he was quite prominent in public affairs, serving as member of the Legislature and in various minor offices.

Daniel Blish was born Oct. 28, 1817, on the farm he now occupies. and during his boyhood re- ceived a common-school education, among his teach- ers being Chauncey Root, Buckley Hollister, a Mr. Jones and David Phelps. His entire life has been spent on the old homestead with the exception of eight months he passed in Willimantic, engaged in teaming between that place and Norwich when the two towns were comparatively small and before the railroads were built. At the time he was about twenty-six years of age. He then returned home, and as his father was growing old and in poor health he managed the farm for him. During his earlier years he also did general teaming. After his father's death he tock complete charge of the place, and in its operation has met with marked success. The place now comprises some 200 acres.

On Sept. 17, 1856, Mr. Blish was united in marriage with Miss Fanny Maria Howe, who was born in Glastonbury July 29, 1827, a daughter of Elisha and Fanny ( Arnold) Howe, the father a native of Glastonbury, the mother of East Hart- ford. Elisha Howe was a cooper by trade, and owned and operated a farm. He died in 1859. a faithful member of the Congregational Church. His political allegiance was given to the Whig partv. Of his family of four children-one son and three daughters-Fanny Maria became the wife of our subject. Eliza T. and Mary Ann are deceased. Henry H., who died May 10, 1900, worked at the cooper's trade during his younger days, but made farming his life work ; he married Sophia Bidwell. of Manchester.

To Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Blish were born four children : Frank Hosford, born Aug. 9, 1857, mar- ried Nellie Cunningham, of Halifax. N. S., and lives in Marlboro. Lizzie Howe died young. Fannie Arnold is at home. Frederick Thomas married Edna Hollister, of Manchester, and has one child, Frederick T., born Oct. 1, 1898; he is now engaged in the hardware business in Manchester.

Politically Mr. Blish was originally a Whig and is now a stanch Republican, but has been too busily engaged in agricultural pursuits to care for politi- cal honors, and has had very little to do with politics, though he has consented to hold a few town offices and has served in the State Legislature. Upright and honorable in an the relations of life, he has

met with well-deserved success in his labors, and has reared a family who, like their parents, com- mand the respect and esteem of all who know them. Like his forefathers he has been a faithful attendant of the Congregational Church.

HON. KYRAN O'NEILL, a highly-esteemed resident of Broad Brook, is a self-made man whose industry, thrift and sound judgment do credit to his race.

Mr. O'Neill was born in April, 1832, in John- stown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, where his people have had their home for many years. His parents, John and Elizabeth ( Henderson) O'Neill, had a family of eight children, six of whom became resi- dents of the United States. John, the eldest, came to this country in 1848, and died in Rockville, Conn., in 1851; Kyran and Julia came to America in 1850. The father died in 1840, and in 1852 the mother and three of the children-James (a resi- dent of Windsorville), Martin and Andrew (both now deceased)-came to America, settling in Wind- sorville, Conn. Mrs. O'Neill died at Broad Brook, April 25, 1888.

Until he reached the age of eighteen our sub- ject remained at the old home, but in 1850 he came to America on a sailing vessel, landing at New York City after a voyage which would seem long and tedious in comparison with the speedy trips now made in the great ocean liners. For some time he resided in Rockville, Conn., being employed in what is now the Florence Woolen Mills, and in 1853 he settled at Broad Brook. For four and one-half years he worked as a spinner in the Broad Brook mills, and then engaged in the hotel busi- ness in that village, continuing thus until 1861. The next five years he was in the hotel business in Brooklyn, N. Y., and on his return to Broad Brook resumed that business, which he carried on success- fully for many years. He also engaged in the to- bacco industry, both as grower and buyer, and he has owned and cultivated different farms in his vicinity. At times he has been interested exten- sively in real estate, some of his farms having proved profitable investments when judiciously disposed of, but at present he is living in retirement. In poli- tics Me is a strong Democrat, and in 1879 he was elected on that ticket to the State Legislature. In religious faith he is a Catholic, and he and his fam- ily are leading members of the church at Broad Brook.

In 1861 Mr. O'Neill married Miss Mary Shau- nessy, who died in May, 1879, and of their five children none lived to maturity. In January, 1885, he married Miss Maggie E. Coleman, and three children have blessed the union: Julia, William (deceased) and Maggie.

HON. JOHN A. REEVE, Burlington Probate Judge and Town Clerk, was born in New Haven, Conn., July 20, 1859.

Mr. Reeve's father, William P. Reeve, was a

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

native of Linton, Cambridgeshire, England, where cratic party in his community, and on his party he received an excellent education, and also learned ticket was elected to the State Legislature in 1887, which position he filled in a most creditable and acceptable manner. He was elected clerk of the town of Burlington in 1882, and in that capacity has served the people faithfully and well for eight- een years. He has also been Probate Judge since 1894, and has been tax collector, and a member of the board of relief. He is a whole-souled, genial gentleman, popular with all classes, and has proved a most efficient and trustworthy official. the trade of miller. He followed the same in his native land, and also engaged in bookkeeping there. He was married there to Jane Frances Bocock, a native of Upend, Cambridgeshire, and a daughter of Robert Bocock. She was a member of the Catholic Church, with which her husband afterward united, though in early life he was connected with the Church of England. In 1856, with their fam ily, they came to the United States, and first lo- cated at Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N. Y., where the father found employment. From there they re- AMASA LOOMIS (deceased). No better test of personal merit can be found than that of daily life, and when years of business dealings have left a man the full respect of his fellow citizens one may conclude that he has shown himself worthy of their approbation. The subject of this sketch, late a venerable resident of Simsbury, was a man most esteemed where best known, his firmness in "holding to the right as he sees it' commanding the confidence of · even opponents. moved to New Haven, Conn., where he worked at his trade in the mills, and he was later engaged in the milling business in Middletown for six years. In 1866 he located in New Britain, where he was also engaged in milling for a short time, and then returned to New Haven, where he lived for three years. During the following three and one-half years he was engaged in bookkeeping in New Brit- ain, and in 1873 came to Burlington, where he pur- chased a tract of twenty-seven acres of land, known Mr. Loomis was born June 14, 1821, at Salem, New London Co., Conn., a descendant of a well- known pioneer family of Windsor, of whom an account is given elsewhere. A first cousin, Col. Francis Loomis, was once lieutenant-governor of Connecticut, and another cousin, Prof. Elias Loomis, is a member of the faculty of Yale College. His grandfather, John Loomis, married a Miss Harris, and resided in Windsor. as the Elton farm. Here he engaged in farming and stock raising up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1878. Mr. Reeve was a consistent mem- ber of the Catholic Church, and a Democrat in poli- tics, but never an office seeker. The wife and mother was tenderly cared for by our subject until she, too, was called to her final rest, in 1895. She was a devout Catholic, and a devoted wife and mother. The remains of both were interred in the Catholic cemetery at Collinsville. In their family were six children : William, a machinist of Hartford, who died Dec. 23, 1899; Elizabeth, who died in infancy ; Thomas, a resident of Los Angeles, Cal .; Samuel, a resident of Burlington, Conn .; Mary Jane, who died young ; and John A. All were born in Eng- land with the exception of our subject.

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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 2, Part 13

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1172

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1172