Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 59

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 59

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MRS HARRIET B. GRISWOLD.

CHARLES L. GRISWOLD.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

mains lie in Killingworth (now Clinton) where the father was also interred in 1691. He married for his second wife, in 1671, Sarah Bemis, widow of James Bemis, of New Lon- don, Conn. The name of Edward Griswold's father is uncertain, either George or Matthew, but probably George. His grandfather was thought to be Francis, of Lyme Regis, in Dor- set, England.

(II) George Griswold, son of Edward, was born in England in 1634, and lived in Windsor, Conn. In 1659 he purchased lands from the Indians, becoming an extensive land- owner. He married October 3, 1655, Mary, daughter of Thomas Holcomb, and had ten children. Thomas Holcomb was descended from an ancient family of Hull or Holl, Dev- onshire, England, where they had resided for a century ; they were descended from Sir John Holcomb, eleventh century.

(III) Daniel Griswold, the eldest child of George and Mary Griswold, was born in Wind- sor, Conn., in 1656. He married February 3, 1680, Mindwell, daughter of Nathaniel Bis- sell, of Windsor, and had seven children. Daniel Griswold died in Windsor. His wife died in 1728.

(IV) Daniel Griswold, Jr., of Bolton, son of Daniel and Mindwell Griswold, was born at Windsor, Conn., February 14, 1684, and died at Bolton. He married ( first ) September 16, 1716, Sarah, daughter of Capt. Daniel White, of Bolton, and she died February I, 1738. Rev. Mr. White, the first minister of Bolton, was her brother. Daniel and Sarah Griswold had eleven children born to them. He mar- ried a second time, but had no children by that union.

(V) White Griswold, great-grandfather of Hon. Charles L., was born at Bolton October 22, 1727, and was a farmer by occupation. He married February 14, 1751, Elizabeth Cheney, a sister of Timothy Cheney, of Manchester, Conn., and to this worthy couple were born eight children. White Griswold was a very patriotic man and, enlisting in the Continental army, he saw mnuch service, and was engaged in the battle of Germantown under Gen. Wash- ington, where he was taken prisoner; he was confined on a prison ship in the Delaware river at Philadelphia, and died there in 1777.

(VI) White Griswold, son of White, was the grandfather of Charles L. 21

(VII) White Griswold, the father of Charles L., was born probably in Harwinton, October 19, 1789, and died in Chester July 3, 1879, in the ninetieth year of his age. He married Martha Norton, of Bristol, Conn., March 27, 1816, and she died May 4, 1857. They had four children: ( I) George G., born May 29, 1817, died October 18, 1892, in Wa- terbury, Conn. He married Jane Wetmore (date of her decease not known), and had sev- eral children. He was engaged in business in Chester. (2) Alexander W., born October 2, 1820, died October 26, 1886. On January 26, 1846, he married (first) Martha Green who died in 1873. They had three children-Car- rie, who married T. Duncan Paret, and re- sides in Pennsylvania; and Martha E. and Emma J., both deceased. On April 28, 1875, Mr. Griswold married (second ) Mary E., daughter of Aretas and Eliza Hooker, and they had two children, Gertrude M. and Bertha H. Mrs. Griswold resides in Springfield, Mass., with her two daughters. (3) Charles L. is mentioned below. (4) Asa, born March 14, 1824, died May 16, 1829.

Charles L. Griswold the subject proper of this review, was born in Bristol, Conn., May 27, 1822. In early boyhood he was taught by a kind and good mother that the cardinal du- ties were to obey God's commands, to honor parents, and to love one's country. His edu- cation was very limited, but he had from youth an ardent taste for reading, and, being blessed with vigorous powers of mind and body, he was enabled by much diligence to acquire dur- ing his lifetime a great fund of information, which served him instead of elaborate train- ing. He began the struggle of life very young and was employed by a carriage builder and blacksmith in Bristol, to which town he had removed in his fourteenth year. However, he remained with that man only a few months, and then went to work in the Jerome clock fac- tory, in Bristol, removing to New Haven with that concern when the change was made. He continued in their employ until the year 1851. when he removed to Chester, and, in conjunc- tion with his brother George G., built a fac- tory for the manufacture of augers and auger bits, the business being conducted under the name of G. G. Griswold & Co. Later they built another factory, and the business was continued until about 1860. when Charles L.

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Griswold ceased to take an active part in it, but retained his interest. 'At the close of the Civil war he repurchased the first factory he and his brother had together built, and re- mained in business until his death, although the last year of his life he gave but little atten- tion to the business, owing to his rapidly fail- ing health. He was probably the oldest man- ufacturer of that line of goods in the country.

During the war of the Rebellion Mr. Gris- wold took a warm interest in the success of the Union cause, and was for a time a paymas- ter of Connecticut troops at Norfolk, Va., holding the rank of major, and while filling this responsible financial position was natur- ally the custodian of large sums of money. He was approached by a party with a specu- lation proposition, that this money be loaned out at a high rate of interest, and that the profits accruing as a result of the scheme be equally divided between the two. Mr. Gris- wold knew that a large income would result from the use of the money in that way, but he declined the proposition, saying, "I am the custodian of the public funds, and as such I have no right, nor will I agree, to use the money for my own personal advantage or profit."

Mr. Griswold was an ardent admirer of Henry Clay, and believed in and worked for the success of the Whig party, later becoming a Republican. During his thirty-seven years of public life he was honored by his fellow citizens with offices of honor and profit, and he never transcended his trust or stopped short in his line of duty. Having their confidence, he was always foremost in anything projected for their welfare and the advancement of com- mon interests. In 1856 he represented Chester in the Legislature, and again in 1864 and 1874. In 1870 and 1871 he was a State senator from what was then the Nineteenth District, now the Twenty-first. In 1873 Mr. Griswold was nominated by the Republicans for lieutenant governor, Henry P. Haven, of New London, being at the head of the ticket ; the Democratic party was successful that year by 3,500 plur- alitv. He was a county commissioner from 1886 to 1893.

Mr. Griswold was a man of much public spirit and enterprise, and entered heartily into any project intended to promote the welfare of his town. He was the chief mover in the

establishment and incorporation of the Chester Savings Bank. His hosts of friends would rejoice if he could have lived to see the com- pletion of the beautiful and spacious bank building now (1902) being erected. In 1880 he became the president of this bank, holding the office until his death.

While in the General Assembly Mr. Gris- wold was largely instrumental in the enactment of the so-called "flowage law," which has proved of great benefit to manufacturers of the State using water power. He was a party to the establishment of the reservoir on the Pataconk river, in the towns of Chester and Haddam, enhancing the value of Chester water privileges by thousands of dollars. He was also the prime mover in the Chester Water Company, and helped secure its charter. He also rendered much aid in the making of the Chester Public library.

The Hartford Times said: "In his prime Mr. Griswold was quite a power politically, and his acquaintance with professional and business men was wide. He was a ready talker and a keen debater, easily the foremost which the town produced in many years." While in New Haven Mr. Griswold became an active member of a Lyceum in that city, to which also belonged many well known young men, includ- ing James E. English (afterward governor), John Woodruff (member of Congress), and others. There these young men discussed the great public questions of the day, this early and most valuable forensic training giving. Mr. Griswold the opportunity he needed to learn to "think on his feet." and there was laid the foundation for the eloquence, logic, ease and readiness in debate that so strongly marked his long and successful public career.

Mr. Griswold was a member and strong supporter of the Congregational Church in Chester. He sought to live a life worthy of his high profession, and not only the church to which he belonged, but all religious and benev- olent associations, were dear to him, and re- ceived of his bounty. Mr. Griswold devoted his life to the help of others, and his private benefactions were constant during his entire life

In 1848 Mr. Griswold was married to Har- riet Beach, born in 1826 at Plymouth, Conn., daughter of Samuel and Ruth L. ( Booth) Beach, of that town. Mrs. Griswold's father

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was a descendant of an old and honored New England family. Mr. Beach was an upright man, and very highly esteemed by all who knew him. He was by trade a carpenter and joiner. He had positive convictions, and car- ried out his principles in his business, religious and political life. He was a strong believer in and advocate of the cause of temperance. Politically he was an ardent Whig, and later became a stanch Republican, a strong believer in the principles of his party, working faith- fully to promote its interests. He was always present on the day of election, giving his time, early and late, at the polls, for the success of his party. Both he and his wife were consis- tent members of the Congregational Church. They died in Naubuc, Conn., and their remains are interred in New Haven. Their daughter, Mrs. Griswold, like her parents is a faithful member of the Congregational Church, at Chester.

To Mr. and Mr. Charles L. Griswold were born three children: ( I ) Harriet E., born Jan- uary 31, 1850, married November 17, 1869, Edwin G. Smith, of Chester, Conn., and they have two children-Charles E., born April II, 1871, and Mabel L., born in 1877. Charles E. Smith is the efficient treasurer of the Ches- ter Savings Bank; he was married January 2, 1896, to Leonora Griswold, born August 24, 1873, daughter of Sherman E. and Adeline (Parmelee ) Griswold, of Killingworth, Conn., and they have one child, Graydon Griswold, born April 5, 1900. (2) Emma L., born De- cember 9, 1851, resides at home. (3) Mary E., born December 9, 1854, married December 3, 1885, J. Kirtland Denison, of Chester, and has one child, Evelyn Griswold, born January 18, 1892.

Mr. Griswold died March 10, 1891. He and his good wife had lived together in har- mony and love for fifty-three years. In their beautiful home on Battle street they were ac- customed to receive and entertain their many friends, and there dispense that generous hospi- tality so characteristic of cach. Mr. Griswold loved his home-this trait being strongly de- veloped in his nature. He was always, at all times, delighted to have his friends with him. He was a fine conversationalist, possessing a wonderful memory, which was stored with per- sonal anecdotes and replete with reminiscences. He had a keen appreciation of the humorous

side of life, and was endowed with a remark- ably kind and affectionate disposition. He al- ways entertained a tender regard for the feel- ings of others, was courteous and affable, and his full sense of honor and strict integrity secured to him the love and respect of all with whom he associated.

HUDSON HALE, one of Portland's most highly respected citizens, and a substantial farmer, is a descendant of the Hales of Glas- tonbury, Conn., one of the oldest and most numerous families of Hartford county. He is a son of Chester and Nancy (Chapman) Hale, further mention of whom appears elsewhere in this volume.

Hudson Hale was born April 14, 1831, in the Matson Hill District in the town of Glas- tonbury, Conn. He attended district school at Matson Hill, and had Miss Caroline Shepard for one of his early teachers. He was a pupil in his home school until he was thirteen years of age, and then for some three years attended a school at North Glastonbury, and there com- pleted his schooling. He was reared a farmer lad, and remained at home until he reached the age of eightecn, when he began life for him- self. He went to New Haven, where he learned the trade of plane making and worked at it for seven years. While living in New Haven he was married June 8, 1852, to Mary S. Boyd, who was born in New Haven, Au- gust 5, 1831, a daughter of Edward and Sarah Billings ( Pond) Boyd, the latter one of six children, and of the sixth generation of the Pond family in America, her ancestral line being as follows: Ebenezer Pond, a sol- dier in the Revolution ; David ; Ephraim ; John, who came over with Gov. Winthrop.

Ås the climate did not agree with him. Mr. Hale left New Haven in 1856, and follow- ing his doctor's advice came to Portland. Here he went to farming, and also did paint- ing at different times. In 1860 he bought his present home at Gildersleeve, where he has lived and engages in farming, and keeps a fine place. Mr. and Mrs. Hale have reared a foster child. Alice North Hale, who was born De- cember 14, 1861, in Berlin, Conn., and is now Mrs. Archibald C. Goodrich, of Gildersleeve. and who has one son. Elizur Raymond, born December 2, 1891, the last-named being the only male representative in his generation of

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the Goodrich family. Mr. Hale has been a Republican from the earliest organization of the party, and has served as justice of the peace in Portland. Mrs. Hale belongs to the Methodist Church, and is eligible to the society of the D. A. R. She has been a great help to her husband in his life work, and is a kind hearted and pleasant lady. Mr. Hale has made a success in life, and is an excellent citizen, a worthy descendant of an honorable family. He has been an industrious man all his life and, despite his years, is still carrying on his business.

GEORGE H. HARRIS. In the death of this gentleman, June 15, 1897, there passed away one of the useful men of the city of Middletown. His life was a blessing not only to his family, the corporation and the church with which he was most intimately associated, but to the whole community. His influence operated through many channels, and seldom in any community is a more hopeful and whole- some influence radiated.

A native of Connecticut, Mr. Harris was born April 30, 1840, in Middletown, son of George W. and Hannah T. (Child) Harris, the former of whom was president and after- ward treasurer of the Middletown Savings Bank. Our subject was reared and educated in his native city, and when a young man was employed as clerk by his brother-in-law, Elijah Ackley, and afterward by William Atkins. Later he served as assistant in the Middletown post office, when A. B. Calef was postmaster, after which, in 1864, he entered the Middle- town Savings Bank, as clerk, and he continued in the service of that establishment until his death, being clerk, teller and assistant treas- urer, successively. In his long service in that bank he came to have a personal acquaintance with most of the thousands of depositors, of whose money he was guardian, and to take a personal interest in them.

While the business of the bank furnished him chief employment, Mr. Harris' interest in the affairs of the town led him to take an act- ive part in several other corporations. He was a director in the Middletown Gas Light Com- pany, and was an active member of the Board of trade. Although he never aspired to public office, he was deeply interested in political

life, in both the local community and the nation at large, and from the beginning was an earn- est member of the Republican party. In early manhood he became a member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and in all his later years he was one of its most active and trusted offi- cial members. In 1871 he became treasurer of the church, and held that position until obliged by sickness to resign. During much of the time he served the church as both stew- ard and trustee, and for twenty years was the Assistant Superintendent of the Sabbath- school. He gave liberally to the church, in fact his contributions to the running expenses of the church were probably larger than those of any other member, and to various private and pub- lic charities he was a liberal and cheerful giver. His career as a business man was marked by unwavering integrity. He was a man of great kindliness of spirit, a true friend. His home life was pure and gentle and marked by an at- tachment and devotion rarely found. His greatest comfort and pleasure were found in his home which was his club, his secret society, into which he never carried the care and worry of business affairs. In every social relation Mr. Harris was a man to be loved. The kindliness and gentleness of his character were not asso- ciated with weakness of will. He possessed strong convictions, and was true to those con- victions in the face of opposition. Where principle was involved he could hold his ground with unshaken firmness and the fundamental trait in his character was conscientiousness. He looked at all questions from an ethical stand- point. The one controlling purpose of his life was to do right in every relation, and in every set of circumstances. Religion with him, through his love for Christ and the church, was deep and tender, and always a matter of principle rather than of emotional experience. He made a profession of religion, and joined the church of his choice, not under the influ- ence of emotional excitement, but in clear and calm conviction, and his Christian life was steady and consistent. Whether in the church, whose services he attended with exemplary regularity, in the bank, or in the midst of com- mon every-day life, he lived as in the presence of God, and for him all common work was ennobled by the spirit of Christian loyalty in which it was done. He lived the life of the

GEN ami

righteous, and he died the death of the right- eous.

Mr. Harris was an associate member of Mansfield Post, G. A. R., of Middletown, and his death brought a great loss to that organi- zation. No man in Middletown was more pat- riotic, and he always expressed a desire to be allowed to assist in any good work. The last time he appeared in Main street he begged of some one connected with the Russell Library to be permitted to help in the forming of a "relic room"-indeed his acts of generosity were known only through others, so unosten- tatious was he. Thoroughness and system at all times characterized his work, and his es- tate was most carefully provided for, even to the minutest detail. It was his desire that his widow, her sister and her mother should live in the home he left.

On October 18, 1866, Mr. Harris was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Heald, of Dublin, N. H., who died October 18, 1867. On October 10, 1872, Mr. Harris wedded Miss Mary E. Johnson, who was born June 22, 1845, daughter of Smith Dayton and Mary Austin (Clark) Johnson, of the town of Mid- dletown. There was no issue by either mar- riage. Mrs. Harris, who is one of the most highly esteemed ladies of Middletown, exceed- ingly pleasant and kind-hearted, has, since 1860, been a member of the M. E. Church, and is active in the ladies' societies, auxiliary to same.

Smith Dayton Johnson, father of Mrs. Harris, came from Haddam, Conn., to Mid- dletown, in the early forties, and died there in 1887. His widow in her maidenhood was Miss Mary Austin Clark, born June 6, 1815, in the town of Middletown, daughter of Rod- ney and Elizabeth (Lucas) Clark. Daniel Clark, the father of Rodney, for years con- clucted a tavern on the Haddam road, south of Middletown. This tavern was a noted stopping place in its day, and was then prob- ably the best known hostelry between Hart- ford and Saybrook. The mother of Mrs. Harris, notwithstanding her advanced age of eighty-seven years, is a remarkably well pre- served lady. She makes her home, as already intimated, with Mrs. Harris. Mr. and Mrs. Dayton Johnson were the parents of three chil- dren, as follows: Laura A., married Gage M. Cooper ; her death occurred in 1863, in De-

troit, Mich .; Louise L., is unmarried and re- sides with her sister, Mrs. Harris; Mary E., is the widow of George H. Harris.

LEVI LEONARD, who was at the time of his death a retired farmer of Durham, Mid- dlesex county, lived an unusually active life, one in which the incidents of travel, a wide variety of occupation and stirring events were conspicuously present. He served continuous- ly throughout the Civil war, just as his father bore arms for his country in the war of 1812, and his grandfather was one of the Revolu- tionary heroes. The latter, Silas Leonard, was a native of Kent, Litchfield Co., Conn., and a large land owner in that town. He was act- ive and influential in public affairs, and was a leading member of the Episcopal Church, contributing liberally toward the construction of the church building known as the Old Stone Church. He served in the Revolution- ary army in a Connecticut Company, and, for disabilities received, was a pensioner in after life. His ten children were: Addison and Amzi, twins (the former of whom was the father of our subject), Benjamin, Josiah, Charles, Thomas, Elijah, Luna, Maria and Hannah.

Addison Leonard, the father of Levi, was born in Kent, Litchfield county, where his boyhood days were spent, and was a farmer. He enlisted in the war of 1812, in a regiment of infantry, served through the entire struggle, and for his services drew a pension until his death, which occurred in Kent, Litchfield coun- ty; he was buried there. In religious faith he was a member of the Episcopal Church. He married Clara Bennett, a native of Sherman, Conn., daughter of Thomas Bennett, a farmer and an old-time tailor, and five children were born to them, namely: (1) Ferris, a doctor, practiced in eastern Connecticut and Wiscon- sin, and died in early manhood; (2) Levi is mentioned below ; (3) Reuben is a farmer. liv- ing in Harwinton, Conn. ; (4) Clark died when a young man; (5) Emuma, who married ( first) Glover Hungerford, and (second) Edward Lane, is now living, a widow, in Harwinton, Connecticut.

Levi Leonard was born January 10, 1829. in Kent. Com., opposite the Schatacookers In- dian Reservation, two and one-half miles south of Kent Plains. He received a district-school

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education at Bulls Bridge, and at the early age of seventeen years embarked in business for himself. Borrowing $50 from a farmer, he bought a team of horses for that sum, and be- gan carting iron ore from Amenia, N. Y., to Kent Plains, a distance of seventeen miles, to an iron furnace owned by Hobson & Eaton and a Mr. Lyman. He followed that business for a year and a half, at the end of which period he was engaged by Silas Camp, at Bulls Bridge Furnace, to take charge of the teams and superintend the work around the furnace, for $18 per month. He remained there a year or more. The firm used many mules, which were brought from the West unbroken, and Mr. Leonard broke many of them by hitching them to a log; he became quite an expert in taming mules.

After leaving Mr. Camp Mr. Leonard mar- ried and began housekeeping in Bromica, in the town of Kent, renting a large farm of Rev. Mr. Frye, which he ran about a year. He then rented another large farm in North Kent, and there engaged in farming for a year. Dis- posing of his stock, he returned to Kent, and a year later went on the Housatonic railroad (now the Berkshire division of the Consoli- dated railroad) as a track repairer between Kent Plains and Cornwall Bridge, a distance of about fifteen miles. After continuing thus about three years he went to New York City, and for a few months took charge of a section on the horse car railroad from Twenty-seventh street to the City Hall, on Bloom street, hav- ing about fifteen men under him. The cars then ran on strap iron rails, and later, when the "T" rails were laid, he had charge of the first section so improved. Returning to Mer- ryall, in the town of Kent, he rented and for a year occupied a farm of Anson Squires. He then started for the West, going by easy stages, and stopping with friends in Chicago; he was in Osawatomie, Kans., at the time John Brown's son was killed. Mr. Leonard had in- tended to locate in Kansas but the unsettled condition of the country induced him to go to Minnesota, where he jumped a claim at Shell Rock river, a mile south of Lake Albert Lee, and ninety miles south of St. Paul, the claim consisting of 320 acres, or one-half section, of which 160 acres was timber land, the only timber within forty miles. Mr. Leonard erect- ed a log hut, and cultivated three-fourths of an

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Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 59

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago : Beers Number of Pages: 1502

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502