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 165

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 165

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Mr. Kirkham was born in Newington April 6, 1826, and is one of a family of nine children-four sons and five daughters-of William and Sophia (Leffingwell) Kirkham. The father was born March 19, 1788, near where our subject now lives, and was married Nov. 30. 1815. By occupation he was a clothier in early life. Later he engaged in school teaching for thirty years, in Newington, Wethersfield, Farmington, Hartford, Windsor, and Springfield, Mass. He died Oct. 6, 1868, and his wife, who was born July 27. 1796, departed this life Nov. 14, 1880.

John Kirkham, grandfather of our subject, was born in Newington Nov. 5. 1760, and at the age of eighteen enlisted as a musician in the Revolu- tionary war, in company with his brother Samuel and father. All served until the war ended. The brother afterward removed to Westmoreland coun- ty, Penn., where he died, and where his descend- ants still live. The grandfather of our subject mar- ried Jeanette Stoddard. His father. Henry Kirk- ham, was born in Wethersfield Sept. 1, 1728, and his grandfather. Henry Kirkham, Sr., was also a native of Wethersfield. The progenitor of the family in America was Thomas Kirkham, a native

of England, who settled in Wethersfield, his name appearing on the town records as early as 1640.

The Kirkham family is an old and prominent one of England, and the following is taken from a description of Kirkham Chantry, in Paington Church, England. The tomb of the Kirkham tam- ily is within the Chantry, ornamented with their armorial bearings, with the cross and crown, and the motto. Spes et Corona. They had their seat in Blagdon, but their more ancient place of residence was Ashcombe, under Haldon Hill. They were possessed of this property in the time of Henry III. and probably much earlier, and they continued to be its lords for four hundred years after the time of that monarch. The Kirkhams intermarried with many noble and distinguished families, and two of them filled the office of high sheriff of Devonshire the last of these being Sir John Kirkham, who was high sheriff in 1523. He was a very liberal bene- factor to the town of Honiton, and he appropriated large revenues to the support of a chapel in the town, and also to other charitable purposes. Prince says that "he died and lieth interred in the aisle of the south side of the parish church of Paington aforesaid belonging to the family, in which I can meet with no inscriptions on their tombs that pre- serve any of their memories. Only on the trans- verse wall which separated the aisle from the Church are several statues and figures of men fine- lv carved in stone, standing, which are undoubtedly intended as the representations of this honorable tribe, and most likely one is of the gentleman last mentioned, although of whom in particular I cannot say, nor have I met any one who are able to in- form me."

John S. Kirkham, our subject, was reared on his father's farm, and attended the common schools during such portions of the year as he might be conveniently spared from farm work for that pur- pose. His education was completed in the Spring- field High School and the Newington Academy. In 1849 he went to California, being one of the pio- neer band of argonauts organized in Hartford by Major Horace Goodwin, C. G. Smith, Joseph Pratt, and others. The executive committee having charge of the trip was composed of Dr. Samuel Brown, surgeon : Roman M. Butler, treasurer ; Orris Sel- lew, captain ; Charles C. Richmond ; and John S. Kirkham, our subject, chairman. Each man paid $300, and a vessel was purchased. The voyage was a pleasant one, but on account of heavy winds they were obliged to go around the Horn. They left on April II. 1849, and arrived in California Oct. 6. Mr. Kirkham was away just two years to the hour. While in the Golden State he was chosen a member of the board of managers, and also clerk of El Dorado county, in 1850. He had saved $500 before going to California, but had only $100 re- maining when he returned home, though he gained some valuable experience in the gold regions.

Since his return our subject has lived on the old homestead uninterruptedly, and has success-

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fully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He first married Harriet Prudence Atwood, a daughter of Josiah and Prudence ( Kellogg) Atwood. She died in: 1882, and was buried in Newington. Four chil- dren were born of that union: Frances Harriet, born Sept. 17, 1860, is now the wife of Henry L. Kellogg, of Newington. Thomas Atwood, born March 7, 1862, is connected with the Berkshire Mills Co., and is a dealer in fertilizers in Bridge- port, Conn. John Henry, born April 13, 1865, is a lawyer of New Britain, Conn. ; he married Lillian West, of Brooklyn, by whom he has one child, John West. Mary Atwood, born July 15, 1866, is the wife of Roderick W. Hine, of Dedham, Conn., where he is superintendent of the public schools; they have three children, Paul Roderick, Harold Kirkham and Grace Eleanore. For his second wife Mr. Kirkham married Miss Mary Kellogg Atwood, a sister of his first wife.

As one of the most prominent and influential citizens of his community, Mr. Kirkham has been called upon to fill numerous offices. He has served as justice of the peace since 1855, and when the town of Newington was set off from Wethersfield, in 1871, he was chosen town clerk, which position, with the exception of three years, he has filled for twenty-five years. From 1866 till 1898 he was a member of the board of school visitors, and most of the time acting visitor. In addition to these offices of trust he has held that of treasurer of the State board of agriculture for ten years. He was a icader in the farmers' organization a few years ago, . 10 contest the claims of the Granite Agricultural Works of Lebanon, N. H., growing out of fraud- ulent notes. He has always been a stanch defender of the farmers' rights, and a leading spirit in the local and State Grange, at present holding the office of chaplain in the same. He is even more active in the support of agricultural interests than in the interests of the Democratic party, with which he affiliated until the Bryan campaign of 1896. In 1878 he represented Newington in the Lower House of the General Assembly, and ten years later was elected State senator from the Second senatorial district. Mr. Kirkham has been a consistent mem- ber and clerk of the Congregational Church in New- ington for many years, and occupies an influential position in all local religious affairs. He is held in the highest esteem by his neighbors, and is a man whose opinions are sought on any subject for the advancement of the town's interests. He is self- reliant, strong to execute whatever he plans, and the success that he has achieved in life is due en- tirely to his own well-directed and energetic efforts.

WALTER SCOTT CASE, the popular post- master of Canton Center, is one of the prominent citizens of that town. He belongs to an old family of Barkhamsted, Conn., and one whose members have been substantial land owners.

Humphrey Case, our subject's great-grandfather, was one among the first settlers of the town of

Barkhamsted, Conn., and lived in a log house which stood about one mile east of what in the early his- tory of the settlement was called Hitchcockville, and later Riverton. He married a Miss Carrington, from Vermont, and to the union were born twelve or thirteen children. Mr. Case was a thrifty farmer, and became a large land owner, giving to each of his children a home and land.

Harlow Case, our subject's grandfather, was a farmer and lived on the old homestead, owning a large tract of land in the town. He married Lola Adams, of his town, by whom he had the follow- ing children : Diana, Marsha, Edwin, Marlow, Me- lissa, and Granville, of whom Edwin, Marlow and Granville are now deceased.

Edwin Case, the father of our subject, born March 20, 1829, received a good common-school education, and taught for some time in Barkham- sted, his native town. But not desiring to make teaching his life vocation he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, which he followed more or less throughout his later years in connection with farming. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party. He served for several years as first selectman of his town, and in 1877 as repre- sentative in the State Legislature, and was highly esteemed in his community. He died at his home in Barkhamsted in the fall of 1894, his remains being interred in Barkhamsted Center cemetery. His wife, Adaline, who is still living, is daughter of El- liott Talmadge, of Barkhamsted, Conn., a deacon in the Congregational Church. Mrs. Case is a member of the Congregational Church. They had the follow- ing children : Angie, who married Frank Belden, of East Canaan ; Walter Scott, our subject; Elliott T., who resides in Waterbury; Herman, a store-keeper of Fairhaven; and George, a resident of Water- bury.

Walter Scott Case was born in Barkhamsted Oct. 28, 1859, and is a thoroughly self-made man. Having previously received a good education in the district school and the high school near his home, at. the age of seventeen he started out in life for himself, and secured employment in a rule shop at Riverton, Conn., and for about thirteen years was occupied in that business. Later he became interested in electric light plants, and went to Middletown, Conn., and engaged in that business In 1893 he and John Mays bought out the interest of George Lamphier, a merchant of Canton Center, and for three years continued in partnership. Mr. Mays then sold out, and Mr. Case has since been sole owner of the business. In church matters Mr. Case is liberal, also in politics. He has been the regular postmaster of Canton Center since 1898, and for five years previously had served as acting postmaster. Socially he is identified with the A. F. & A. M., Amos Beecher Lodge, of New Hartford, the A. O. U. W., of Middletown, and the Knights of the Maccabees, of Collinsville.

On May 22, 1890, Mr. Case was married to Miss Susie A., daughter of Rollin Church, of Gran-

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by. Conn., and they have four children, namely : Raymond, born May 1, 1891; Beatrice. Nov. 17, 1892; Gordon, Jan. 6, 1896; and Byron, Oct. 7, 1898.

WARREN OZIAS GRISWOLD. There are few men more worthy of representation in a work of this kind than the subject of this biography, who i: passing the later years of his life in retirement from active labor at his pleasant home in West Hartford. His has been a useful career, in which he lias established himself in the esteem and con- fidence of those who know him.

Mr. Griswold was born in West Hartford May 16. 1838, and has lived in his present residence since three months old. His father, Chester Gris- wold, was born in the same town Jan. 5, 1805. and was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farmer boys of his day. At the age of twelve years he lost his father, and the responsibility of car- rying on the farm devolved upon him. With his mother and other children he removed to a farm at the corner of Fern and Main streets, and there n.ade his home for some time. On May II. 1828, in West Hartford, he married Miss Armina Palmer, daughter of David Palmer. She died Aug. 25, 1864, and he departed this life June 1I, 1883, hon- ored and respected by all who knew them. They had eight children: (1) Watson C., born June 24, 1829, died Jan. 22, 1831. (2) Lucy J., born July 21, 1830, died Feb. 16, 1831. (3) Thomas C., born Jan. 9, 1832. died April 9, 1835. (4) James H., born March 6. 1834, died March 31, 1835. (5) Sarah E., born Feb. 20, 1836, was married Oct. 29, 1856, to Julius P. Elmer now deceased, and she died June JO, 1878. Her children were Mary, wife of Harvey Cole, of Wolcott, Conn .: Lillian, wife of Wallace Dean, of Bloomfield : Delia, wife of Samuel Shep- hierd, of Bloomfield : \lice, wife of Albert Watkins, of Bloomfield ; and Arthur, a resident of New Haven. (6) Warren O., our subject, is next in the order of birth. (7) George A., born Oct. 9. 1843, died April 8, 1867. (8) Ellen E., born Feb. 9, 1850, was married April 17, 1888, to Albert G. Pierpont, of Litchfield, Connecticut.

Reared upon the home farm, Warren O. Gris- wold received a good practical education in the schools of West Hartford Center and the old acad- emy. He never left the parental roof, and as soon as old enough began to assist his father in the labors of the farm. Subsequently, in connection with general farming, he was interested in the dairy business until 1895, when he rented his place, and has since lived retired, enjoying the fruits of former toil. No citizen in his community is more hon- ored or esteemed, those who know him best being numbered among his warmest friends. He belongs to Wyllys Lodge, No. 99, F. & A. M., and in re- ligions connection is a member of the Congrega- tional Church of West Hartford. He has given lis political support to the Republican party, but has never sought or desired office for himself.

In Farmington, Hartford county, Dec. 16, 1858, Mr. Griswold was united in marriage with Miss Jane M. Dunham, and to them have come three children : (1) Frederick W., born Aug. 1, 1861, married Hattie Elvira Eddy, and died Feb. 10, 1892, leaving one daughter, Mabel E. (2) Lena D., born May 14, 1867, is the wife of Henry A. Stannard, of New Haven, and they had one child, Arline G., who died July 11, 1893. (3) George S., born Dec. 1, 1872, died June 2, 1876.

HON. JOHN HURLBURT WHITE, of the Hartford Bar, who for twenty odd years was the efficient judge of probate for the Hartford district, and has been for many years an authority in that line of the legal profession, is descended from an- cestors who early came to New England.

Judge White was born Nov. 23, 1833, in Glas- tonbury, Conn., son of Eleazer Sweetland and Alma Holmes (Hurlburt) White, and on his mother's side is a lineal descendant of Thomas Hurlbut, who, it is supposed, was one of the eleven passengers who came with Lion Gardiner to New England in 1635. Gardiner built and had command of the fort at Saybrook. Hurlbut was wounded in an encounter with the Pequot Indians in 1637. After the Pequot war Mr. Hurlbut established himself in business in Wethersfield, of which town he was one among the early settlers, and became quite prominent in public affairs. He was clerk of the train-band, constable, grand juror, and deputy to the General Court, and was the second largest tax- payer at the time of his decease.

The subject of this sketch received an academic education, and in 1851 came to Hartford and read law in the office of the late Hon. Heman H. Bar- bour. He was admitted to the Bar March 12, 1858, and has ever since been identified with the legal profession and interests of Hartford. He began his public career in 1860, as city auditor, to which office he was elected on the Democratic ticket. He held that position three years, when, in 1863, he was elected judge of probate for the district of Hartford. This position he held most efficiently and ably for the long period of twenty-three years, resigning the office in January, 1887, to resume the practice of law.

Judge White has ever taken a deep interest in all measures having for their object the develop- ment and advancement of Hartford, and has been an active worker along those lines. Since 1860 he has been connected with the First Company of Governor's Foot Guard, as an active and veteran member, and is now president of the Veteran Corps. For years he has been a member of the Probate Assembly of Connecticut, of which he served for some years as president. He served as a commissioner of Connecticut to receive the votes of the soldiers of the State in the field in the Presi- dential election of 1864. For years he was a di- rector in the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank of Hartford. His religious connections are

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with the Park Congregational Church of Hart- ford, he having been a member thereof since 1858. Judge White is a gentleman of many accomplish- ments, of rare judicial ability, and possesses social qualities which are appreciated and enjoyed by a large circle of warm personal friends.

In 1860 Judge White was married to Miss Jennie M., daughter of George Cooke, of Litchfield, this State, and to the union was born one son, Henry C. White, now an artist of distinction, who in April, 1889, was married to Miss Grace H. Holbrook.

CHARLES S. MASON, florist, "Meadow View," Farmington, Hartford county, Connecticut.

ADOLPHI CARL STERNBERG. Much of the civilization of the world has come from the Teutonic race. Continually moving westward, they have tak- en with them the enterprise and advancement of their eastern homes, and have become valued and useful citizens of various localities. In this coun- try especially have they demonstrated their power to adapt themselves to new circumstances, retain- ing at the same time their progressiveness and en- ergy, and have become loyal and devoted citizens, true to the interests of their adopted country.

Among the most prominent of West Hartford's citizens who have come from the Fatherland is Adolph C. Sternberg. He was born in Stargard Prussia, Aug. 15, 1839, a son of Carl Sternberg, a native of Pomerania, Prussia, and a grandson of Rev. Carl Sternberg, a minister of the Lutheran Church in Germany. Carl Sternberg was a lawyer of distinction in his native land, having pursued his professional course in Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany, and also became a finished English scholar. On account of his participation in the revo- lution of 1848 he came to America in 1852, and located in West Hartford, Conn., where his family joined him the same year. He was made a citizen in West Hartford, and throughout the remainder of his life was engaged in general farming. He died May 7, 1873, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Bernardine Krause, died Nov. 16, 1869. In their family were nine children: Francis C., a veteran of the Civil war, is a resident of Brook- lyn, N. Y .; Rudolph C. and John C., who were also soldiers in the Civil war, are now deceased ; Adolph C. is our subject; Herman E. is a resi- dent of West Hartford ; Carl M. died in the army ; Frederick William, who was also one of the "boys in blue," is now a resident of New Britain, Conn .; Anna Louise is the wife of E. F. Claus, of Brook- lyn, N. Y. ; and Richard Paul is a resident of New Haven, Conn. Of this family, John C. was post- master at Newington, Conn., for some time. He married Miss Mary Eagan, now a resident of Hart- ford, and to them were born four children, Kate, Annie, Fannie and John C.

Adolph C. Sternberg was thirteen years of age on the emigration of the family to the New World.

From the age of four until twelve he had attended a private school in his native land, and on coming to America was well advanced in French and Latin, and had commenced the study of Greek, having pursued these studies in the public schools and Gymnasium. After locating in West Hartford he continued his studies with his father for some time. Subsequently he carried on the farm for his father until 1873, and also handled fertilizers and agricult- ural implements prior to his father's death. For twenty years he conducted a store on State street, Hartford, and engaged in tobacco packing, at the same time laying the foundation for his present ex- tensive fruit business

On Aug. 15, 1868, in Hartford, Mr. Sternberg was united in marriage with Miss Francesca M. Soeckel, and to them have been born five children : (I) Amalie A. B., born June 28, 1870, is the wife of George W. Trant, of New Britain, Conn., and they have two children, Elizabeth Sternberg, born April 13, 1896; and Francesca Independence, born July 4, 1897. (2) Francesca M., born Jan. 12, 1872, is the wife of Ernst Hamilton Brandt, of Riverside, Conn., and they have had three chil- dren, Ernst Hamilton, born May 20, 1897 ; Adolph Sternberg, July 25, 1898; and Edward Carl, June 28, 1899. (?) Adolph Carl, Jr., born Feb. 7, 1873, is engaged in the culture of small fruits, being as- sociated in business with his father. He married Anna Grace Allen, a native of Enfield, Conn., and they have two children, Adolph Carl, born Dec. 1, 1896; and Mary Bancroft, born Aug. 5, 1898. (4) Louise H., born Feb. 27, 1875, died March 13, 1891. (5) M. Clara, born July 29, 1878, is attending the Normal School in New Britain, Con- necticut.

Mr. Sternberg discontinued business in Hart- ford on account of his election to the Legislature and subsequent appointment as State highway com- missioner (for a four-years term). He was elected to the Legislature from West Hartford in 1895, and was instrumental in passing the good roads law-being chairman of the committee on Roads and Bridges-and very active in improving the roads of his town, on which, through him $60,000 was expended. Mr. Sternberg has been invited by sev- eral towns in the State to speak on the subject of good roads, and has had the satisfaction of seeing many improvements made in road making as a consequence. He has been acting school visitor of West Hartford for thirteen years, and was instru- mental in consolidating the schools of the town; in 1895 was peach yellows commissioner ; and is justice of the peace at the present time. He is also president of the Village Improvement Society, and president of the Men's Union of the Congrega- tional Church, being one of the most active and prominent members of that church, of which he is now auditor, and in 1895 was church treasurer. Since attaining his majority he has affiliated with the Republican party, and is a recognized leader in public affairs in his community. He is a member

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of the Grange; of Wyllys Lodge, No. 99, F. & A. M. : of Putnam Phalanx ; of the Hartford Board of Trade: and of the Tobacco Growers Associa- tion. His pleasant home is on Mountain street, West Hartford.

ARTHUR F. EGGLESTON, of the law firm of Buck & Eggleston, Hartford, for many years State's Attorney, and one of the leading lawyers of the Hartford Bar, was born Oct. 23. 1844, in the town of Enfield, Hartford county, a son of Jerre D. and Louisa (Carew) Eggleston.

Mr. Eggleston was prepared for college at Mon- son Academy, Monson, Mass. The breaking out of the Civil war gave him a spirit of uneasiness and restlessness that could only be quieted by actual . participation in the conflict, and, though not yet as old as was generally deemed necessary, he man- aged to enlist in the 46th Mass. V. I., followed its vicissitudes until it was mustered out, and received an honorable discharge. He then resumed his studies, in 1864 entering Williams College, from which he was graduated in 1868. After this event he passed some months in teaching, then came to Hartford and entered the law office of Messrs. Strong & Buck, as a student. He was admitted to the Bar of Hartford county in 1872. In that same year Mr. Strong died, and Mr. Buck and our sub- ject continued to keep their offices together, finally entering into partnership relations as the firm of Buck & Eggleston, an association which has since remained unbroken, and which has developed into one of the strongest law firms in the State, as well as one of the most successful. Mr. Eggleston's am- bition has been to become a good lawyer, and he bas most enthusiastically given his great energies to the accomplishment of this end, making public preferment a secondary matter. For the past twenty years he has been engaged on one side or the other of almost all the great trials of Hartford county, and in many in which he has not appeared his absence has been from choice and not from necessity. Among the more important of the carlier cases he fought was Bailey's Appeal from Probate, commonly known as "The Horton Will Case." He was associated with Hon. David S. Cal- houn and Hon. Henry C. Robinson in the endeavor to break the will, and the case was so well pre- pared and so vividly presented that the eminent counsel for the appellees capitulated before the evi- dence was half in. Not long afterward he was em- ployed by the town of Bloomfield to defend an in- volved and protracted suit brought by the Charter Oak Bank. Perhaps this case, as much as any other, explains the fact that he has since been the selected attorney of so many towns in Hartford and ad- jacent counties. No better test of the powers of a lawyer can be applied than his ability to master the technical questions of other professions, so as to meet the best minds of those professions on equal ground. Striking examples of this power in Mr. Eggleston were seen in the successful defense

which Hon. Alvan P. Hyde and he made of Dr. Jarvis from the charge of surgical negligence in the case of Parsons vs. Jarvis, and in the long trial of the Holyoke Water Power Co. vs. The Connecti- cut River Co. in the United States Circuit Court, in which nearly all the great hydraulic engineers of the country were employed, and in which he cross-examined one expert eleven days with the happiest of results. Among the important State trials which he has conducted was the successful de- fense of Clarence Taylor, indicted for murder, and his prosecution of William G. Souder, convicted of manslaughter after two vigorous trials, and of John Cronin, convicted of murder in the first degree, and subsequently hanged. The State vs. Dr. M. R. Griswold, for arson, one of the greatest cases ever tried in this State, was prosecuted by Mr. Eggles- ton.

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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 165

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