USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Commemorative biographical record of New Haven county, Connecticut, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, V. I, Pt 2 > Part 77
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On June 28, 1846, Mr. Stillman was married to Sarah M. Doolittle, who was born April 18. 1828. in Westfield, Middlesex Co., Conn., a daughter of Seth Doolittle, who removed from Westfield to Barkhamsted, then to Pleasant Valley, where he died. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stillman were: Frank R. ; William C., a dealer in butter and eggs, in Meriden; Jesse E., mentioned elsewhere in this work : Waldo, of Meriden.
THE DOOLITTLE FAMILY, on the maternal side. i- one of the oldest in Wallingford. Abraham Doo- little, the first of that name in Wallingford. was a native of England who came to America and lo- cated in New Haven before 1642, later removed to Wallingford as one of the earliest settlers and there died Aug. 11, 1690. He was twice married, the |
second wife being Abigail Moss, who died Nov. 5, I710.
Daniel Doolittle was the tenth child of Abra- ham Doolittle and was born Dec. 9, 1675. He mar- ried Hannah Cornwall, of Middletown, Conn., and later removed to Middletown, where he spent several years, returning again to Wallingford, where he died in 1755 at the ripe age of eighty years, his wife having died Jan. 16, 1736.
Daniel Doolittle (2), son of Daniel Doolittle. was born Feb. 3, 1707, and engaged in farming near the North Haven line, living there through life, and dying in September, 1791, at the age of eighty- four years. He married Elizabethi Dayton, and to them seven children were born.
Michael Doolittle, son of Daniel (2), was a far- mer by occupation and became a deacon in the Bap- tist Church in Wallingford, where he lived to a ripe old age. He married Millicent Hough, of Wall- ingford.
Seth Doolittle, son of Michael and Millicent Doo- little, was born in Wallingford, but later removed to Westfield parish, Middletown, where he followed the trade of wagon maker, but still later removed his family to Barkhamsted, where he pursned his trade and died there. He married Betsey Healey and their daughter, Sarah M. Doolittle, married Ed- win C. Stillman. as before related.
Frank R. Stillman attended the Beach Hill dis- trict school in Colebrook and remained at home until he was twenty-one years old, removing with his family to Southington, where he assisted his father in his farming operations. On attaining his major- ity he came to Meriden and for one year was em -. ployed by Deacon Samuel Paddock in the butcher business. Returning to Southington he worked for his uncle, Richard Williams, during the following two years in the express business but his services were needed on the farm of his father and he re- turned home, there to engage in farming, dairying and the raising of tobacco until 1874, when he came to Meriden and bought his present farm on South Broad street, consisting of fifty acres. Many im- provements were needed here but Mr. Stillman soon liad everything in first class condition ; and for many years he has been known as a fine farmer and suc- cessful raiser of the best breeds of cattle.
On Nov. 28, 1872, Mr. Stillman was united in marriage, in Southington, to Miss Julia L. Hart, of that town, a daughter of Roswell and Permelia ( Amsden) Hart, the latter a native of Boston, the former of Southington. To Mr. and Mrs. Stillman five children were born: Harry Hart, born Feb. 5. 1875, died Aug. 5. the same year; Marion, born Sept. 19, 1879, died Sept. 13, 1881 : Flora P., born Sept. 25, 1884: Dorwin, born April 11. 1886, died Nov. 2, 1890; and Elsie Julia, born Dec. 21. 1887. Both of the survivors are attending school. In political preference Mr. Stillman is a Republican and both he and his amiable wife are members of the Meriden Grange and have long been valued
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members of the Baptist Church. In the community. Mr. Stillman stands high, and he is justly con- sidered one of the representative men of the townl of Meriden.
CHARLES LEE SCRANTON, retired agri- culturist, and one of the most highly respected citi- zens of the town of Madison, is a native of the same, born Feb. 21, 1825, in the Neck District. He is an honored member of one of the oldest and most highly respected families in New Haven county.
(I) John Scranton, the first of the name in Guilford, had a son (II) John (Capt.), who had a son (III) Ebenezer, born March 16, 1696, in Guil- ford, whence he in early manhood removed to North Guilford, there passing the rest of his days in farming pursuits, dying Oct. 6, 1774, at the age -of seventy-eight years. His wife. Ann, born in 1693, died July 2, 1780, aged eighty-seven years. Both were buried in the North Guilford cemetery. Four children constituted their family: (1) John, born Aug. 27, 1726, died in November, 1736; (2) Ebenezer, born Aug. 17, 1728, settled in the east- ern part of Connecticut or in Rhode Island; (3) Ann, born March 31, 1731, married, in 1751, John Dibble, of Boston; (4) Jared is mentioned below. (IV) Jared Scranton, born in North Guilford June 25. 1733, was a lifelong farmer there, died Nov. 12, 1816, and was buried in the North Guilford cemetery. On Jan. 1, 1766, he married Lucretia Russell, who died June 14, 1813. Chil- dren : (1) John Russell, born July 14, 1769, who married Zerviah Fowler and died Dec. 21, 1820; (2) Jared, sketch of whom follows; and (3) Ebenezer, born Sept. 6, 1773, who was drowned in Quinebaug pond, Guilford, May 21, 1794.
(V) Jared Scranton, grandfather of Charles L., was born May 16, 1771, in North Guilford. on the old homestead, and received his earlier edu- cation at the district schools of the neighborhood, after which he attended Yale College, graduating therefrom in 1795, with the degree of A. B. Like his forefathers, he was a tiller of the soil all his days in North Guilford, dying there March 15, 1851. He married Rachel Fowler, born in North Guilford, a daughter of Asher Fowler, and nine children were born to them, as follows: (I) Frederick William, sketch of whom follows: (2) Evelyn, born Aug. 9, 1798, who married (first) Susan Newkirk and ( second) Eunice Davis: (3) Eliza Ann, born March 2, 1800: (4) Asher Fowler. born Sept. 20, 1801, who when a young man left home for the West: (5) Cynthia Russell, born Oct. 12, 1803; (6) Juliette, born May 24, 1805; (7) Jared, born April 20, 1807, who married Lucy Edwards and lived in Cromwell, Conn .: (8) Romeo, born Dec. 27. 1800, who died May 14, 1827 ; and (9) Elnathan. born March 27, 1814.
three years was adopted by his uncle and aunt, Capt. Frederick and Ann Lee, of Madison, with whom he grew to manhood. For a time, in early manhood, he was a clerk in the New Haven post office, and then returning to the Lee homestead (Capt. Lee appointing him his heir) took charge of the farm, and cared for his foster father in his declining years. He died in 1877, a Democrat in politics and a member of the Episcopal Church of Guilford. Mr. Scranton married Hannah Barker. a native of Branford, and a daughter of Archillis and Mary Barker, well-known citizens of that lo- cality. She died in Madison, Aug. 9, 1890, and her remains were laid beside those of her husband in the West cemetery, Madison. Their children : (1) Charles Lee, a sketch of whom follows; (2) Harriet, born Feb. 26, 1826, who died Oct. 27, 1846; and (3) Romeo, born May 14, 1829, who died March 4, 1832.
(VII) Charles Lee Scranton, the subject proper of these lines, received his education in part at the district schools of Madison, in part at Lee's Acad- emy, and remained on the home farm with his par- ents, taking care of them in their old age. For many years he followed agricultural pursuits on his father's farm, known as the Capt. Frederick Lee homestead, but he is now living retired at the advanced age of over seventy-six years, yet hale and active, and well posted on all the leading events of the day. In politics he is a lifelong Democrat, in religious faith a member of the Episcopal Church of Guilford, and a vestryman in the same.
On May 17, 1854, at North Lyme, New London Co., Conn., Charles L. Scranton was united in marriage with Louisa Stark, a native of that place and a daughter of Christopher and Phebe (Jewett) Stark, and one child graced their union, Anna Louise, who died in 1880, at the age of twenty-one years, deeply mourned not only by her parents but by a wide circle of friends, by whom she was much admired and beloved. Mr. and Mrs. Scranton are a most estimable couple, and deservedly enjoy the friendship and esteem of the best people of the community in which they live.
WALLACE S. CHASE, the efficient librarian of the Taylor library in Milford, was born Jan. 28. 1847, in Paxton, Worcester Co., Mass., a son of John and grandson of Nathan Chase.
The family traces its descent from one of three brothers who came from England at an early period and settled in Rhode Island.
Nathan Chase, grandfather of our subject, re- sided near Providence. R. I., and his wife. Content Anthony, was a native of that State. They had two sons : Rufus, a shoemaker in Paxton, Mass., who died in 1864. and John S., our subject's father. Nathan Chase died when the latter was a young inan.
(VI) Frederick W. Scranton, father of Charles John S. Chase was born May 18, 1819, at his L., was born Aug. 15, 1796, and at the age of , father's home and died in Paxton, Mass., Nov. 23,
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CAPT. FREDERICK LEE.
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1001. His boyhood was mainly spent at Paxton, Mass., where he learned the shoemaker's trade. He married Miss Amey E. Warren, a native of Paxton, and they had six children: Wallace S., our subject ; Charles E., who died at the age of twenty- one : Carrie E., wife of Almon Pingree, of Denmark, Oxford Co., Me .; Emma G., who died aged eight- een; George, who died aged two years; and Em- mons W., a resident of Milford.
Amey E. (Warren) Chase was born Dec. 12, 1828, daughter of John Warren, of Paxton, and a descendant of John Warren, who came from Eng- land in 1783, and located at Marlboro, Mass. Her mother, Lucretia Merrick, traced her descent from John Merrick, a native of Wales, who came to America in 1614. The line of descent is John Mer- rick, born 1655: James, born 1699: Elisha, born Sept. 13, 1735; Telly, the father of Lucretia.
Wallace S. Chase was educated in the public schools of Paxton, attending until nearly the age of seventeen. In November, 1863. he enlisted at Pax- ton in Co. L, 2d Mass. Heavy Artillery, with which he served nearly two years, being mustered out Sept. 3, 1865, at Smithville. N. C. The following year was spent at Paxton and for two years he worked in a shoe factory at Barre, Mass. He then went to Norwalk, Conn., where he was employed for two years in a hat factory and in 1870 he came to Milford. After working two years in a hat factory there he entered the Baldwin shoe shop and two years later he went to Albany. N. Y., to take charge of a retail shoe store, remaining about a year. Re- turning to Milford he worked in the shoe shop most of the time until 1894 when he was elected to his present position as librarian of the Taylor li- brary.
On Feb. 14, 1868, Mr. Chase married Miss Emma Chickering, of Rutland, Mass .. daughter of Salmon Chickering, a well-known resident of that town. They have one son, Charles R. Mr. Chase is a Republican in politics and he and his wife are prominent in social life. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity ; the G. A. R .; the Order of American Mechanics; and is an active worker in the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, being a trustee at the pres- cnt time.
WILLIAM H. FORSYTH, president and treas- urer of the Pond Lilly Co. For forty years and more the name of Forsyth has been most closely as- sociated with the business interests and growth of New Haven, the late Thomas Forsyth establishing licre in 1868, the well-known Elm City Dye Works, which he and his sons, following him, have devel- oped into one of the largest and most complete es- tablisliments of its kind in the country. No name in New Haven stood higher than that of Thomas Forsyth, carrying with it such suggestions of honor and integrity and all the other qualities that go to make up a sound business life. His sons, one of whom is still identified with the business, and whose
name appears at the opening of this article, were identified with many important business enterprises in the city.
The late Thomas Forsyth was born in Paisley, Scotland, March 26, 1830, a son of Thomas Gordon and Mary ( McCunnel) Forsyth, both highly re- spected citizens of their community. They were in moderate circumstances and Thomas received but a limited schooling, but being of a bright and studi- ous disposition he read much and became familiar with the best literature of the language. When he was twelve years of age he began learning the dye- ing and bleaching trade, but soon turned to weaving at Paisley, where he worked for five years in the factory that produced the celebrated Paisley shawls. His extensive reading had stirred within him a spirit of independence and in 1848 he was involved in the Chartist movement. He was finally moved to seek a fairer field in the United States. Landing in New York in November, 1848, with but a half penny in his pocket, the beginning of his career in this coun- try was attended with every discouragement. Friends in Springfield whom he had expected to find had gone away ; weeks passed without his find- ing employment ; finally he discovered a young coun- tryman at Malden, Mass., with whom he had worked in a Paisley dyeing shop and who was carrying on a small dye shop at Malden. He gave young For- syth employment but after two months the enterprise proved a failure and all the wages Mr. Forsyth had earned during the entire period were lost and he was three months indebted to his landlord. Mr. Forsyth secured employment with Barrett Brothers, then the largest dyers and bleachers in Malden, who later moved to Somerville, and remained with them eighteen years, learning the business from start to finish.
Thomas Forsyth was energetic, frugal and in- dustrious, and by saving his money was able to start in 1867 for Saccarappa, Maine, accompanied by Abial Foster, for the purpose of starting in business for himself in the line in which he had been so long engaged. This partnership was of but short duration as Mr. Forsyth, owing to poor health, was obliged to retire from business for a time. In 1868 Mr. Forsyth located in New Haven, where he was as- sociated with Henry Fisher in the establishment of the business with which he was so long successfully and prominently associated, under the firm name of Forsyth & Fisher. It was later carried on under the name of the Forsyth Dyeing. Laundering and Bleaching Co. In the beginning the concern was a small affair and its first location was at the corner of Elm and Orchard streets. After a time the firm erected a building of their own near their present location. In 1870 a steam laundry department was added and they were the first laundry company in the State to do business by machinery. On the death of Mr. Fisher, in 1876, Mr. Forsyth became sole proprietor, his sons gradually coming into the busi- ness and relieving him of the active management and
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responsibility. In 1882 the demand of the business for more commodious quarters was answered by the erection of a commodious brick building on the corner of State and Lawrence streets, the plant cov- ering nearly an acre of ground and answering all de- mands for dyeing and bleaching, principally dye- ing for rubber shoe manufacturers. Their customers in this line at one time included a dozen or more of the largest rubber concerns in that line in the United States, and in the year 1885 there were colored and sent out from this house more than four million yards of cloth fifty-two inches in width. The laundry could handle 500 shirts, 17,000 cuffs and collars a day and 10,000 pieces of unstarched goods at the same time. Carpet cleaning was also an im- portant branch.of the business and the house could handle 20,000 yards of carpet a day. In 1887 the firm was incorporated under the name of the For- syth Dyeing. Laundering & Bleaching Co., with a capital of $25,000. In 1896 Mr. W. H. Forsyth withdrew from the management of the Forsyth Dyeing, Laundering & Bleaching Co. and organ- ized the Pond Lilly Co., which in 1899 absorbed the former business, buying out their machinery and real estate.
Thomas Forsyth was a Republican and took de- light in the thought that he was a Republican be- fore the organization of the party, having been a Whig and an Abolitionist, and at one time an as- sociate with John Brown, in Kansas. In his re- ligion he was a Presbyterian.
Mr. Forsyth was married in March, 1860, at St. John's, New Brunswick, to Miss Agnes White, who died in 1895 in Paisley, Scotland. To this union were born the following named children : William H .; Leslie W., who died in 1887: Thomas Gordon, now in Bridgeport : and Janet, who mar- ried Franklin K. Hickok, of New Haven. All the sons grew up in the business and were identified with it at one time or another.
William H. Forsyth, one of the surviving sons. and now the active head of the Forsyth estate, was educated in New Haven, where his early life was spent. He was a student in the Dwight school and afterward in the Workley school at Fairhaven. His preparations for business were made in a business college. For two years he had private teachers and was liberally educated in the business that he was to follow. In 1896 he formed the Pond Lilly Co. and purchased from his brother the other business in 1899. The Pond Lilly Co. does general cotton dyeing for manufacturers. Mr. Forsyth is president of the Pond Lilly Co., of which William C. Har- mon is secretary and treasurer, and president of the Pond Lilly Laundry Co., which occupies the plant of the old Forsyth Dyeing, Laundering & Bleach- ing Co., corner of Lawrence and Mechanic streets. George A. Keyes is secretary, and C. R. Whedors, ' Jr., treasurer of this company. Fraternally Mr. W. H. Forsyth is connected with Olive Branch Lodge, F. & A. M .; Pyramid Lodge, A. O. U. W .;
the Heptasophs ; and the Woodmen of the World. In 1887 Mr. Forsyth was married in New Haven to Mary L. Easton, a granddaughter of Joseph Fair- child, one of the old and prominent citizens of New Haven. To this marriage have been born three children, Lesley Easton, Thomas and Donald W.
CHARLES ELKANAH PADDOCK, one of Meriden's well-known farmers and dairymen, was born on his father's farm in Meriden Aug. 31. 1844, and is a representative of a very honorable family of his locality.
Throughout the last century the name of Pad- dock has been identified with the history of Meriden. where have dwelt the family of the late Samuel Paddock, the latter for sixty and more years one of the active and influential men of the town. He was succeeded by his son, Charles L. Paddock, who passed away full of years and good deeds.
Zachariah Paddock, from Wales, says tradition, came to New England along in the eighteenth cen- tury, landing on the Rhode Island coast, and thence later came to Middletown, Conn., where he passed the remainder of his life and died May 13, 1800. when in the seventy-third year of his age. His wife, Hannah, survived him until 1819, dying March 3, of that year, aged eighty-one years.
Samuel Paddock, son of Zachariah, the emi- grant, born June 18, 1758, resided in Middletown. On May 12, 1782, he married Mehitabel Loveland, who was born Jan. 29, 1759.
Samuel Paddock (2), son of Samuel, born Feb. 22, 1784, in Middletown, married (first ) Aug. 30, 1806, Polly Sears, who was born Dec. 2, 1782. In 1806 they removed to Meriden and made that town their. home the balance of their lives, saving a few years' residence in Wallingford. There Mrs. Pad- dock died Oct. 26, 1822. On Jan. 22, 1823, Mr. Paddock married Charlotte Yale. As above stated. for more than sixty years Mr. Paddock was an in- fluential man of the town, holding a number of offices in the gift of his fellow men and proving worthy of the civic trusts bestowed upon him. For many years he was extensively engaged in agricul- tural pursuits.
Charles L. Paddock, son of Samuel (2) and father of the subject of this biography, was born on the old Paddock homestead in the town of Meri- den June 6, 1807, and was engaged in farming all his life. He was a successful agriculturist and well-known citizen and was the owner of one of the largest farms in East Meriden when he died. March 13. 1879. He married Elizabeth Day Hall. a daughter of Elkanah Hall, of Wallingford, and a granddaughter of David Hall, and to this union four sons and three daughters were born: El- bridge G., deceased ; Frances E., who married Jus- tin Bradley, of East Haven, and is now deceased : Sarah, now deceased, wife of Horace Hemingway. of Fairhaven : Mary A., deceased, was the wife of Seth Hotchkiss, of Georgia; Charles Elkanah ; John
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M., a farmer of East Meriden; and Joel H., a prominent fruit grower of Wallingford.
Charles Elkanah Paddock was reared upon the old family farm, attended the district schools and also Meriden Academy and has spent almost all of his life on the farm. For several years he worked as a mechanic and then settled down on a part of the old homestead, built a nice residence and has successfully followed general farming, market gar- dening and dairying.
In July, 1866, Mr. Paddock was married to Miss Ellen Jennette Hubbard, a native of Meriden, daughter of Asaph Hubbard and a member of one of the oldest families in Connecticut. They adopted one daughter. Nellie M., who is a highly educated young lady, and was engaged as a stenographer and typewriter in Hartford for several years, and on Oct. 17, 1901, she was married to L. Morelle Cooke, of Wallingford, Connecticut.
Like his father Mr. Paddock is in sympathy with the Democratic party but has always declined office at its hands. His religious membership is with the Congregational Church and Mrs. Paddock is a member of the First Baptist Church, of Meri- den. Both are valued members of the Meriden Grange. Mr. Paddock is a representative citizen. honest and upright in his dealings, of exemplary life and enjoys the esteem of the whole community.
WARD H. SANFORD, M. D. Among the prominent young professional men of the city of New Haven the subject of this brief biography, Dr. Ward H. Sanford, takes an envied position. for in the comparatively short, time since his graduation and location in this city he has built up a practice larger and more satisfactory than that of many older practitioners.
Dr. Sanford was born in Liberty, N. Y., Aug. 27, 1859, a son of Elias W. Sanford, who was born in Fulton Settlement Jan. 29, 1821, and died in 1900, a worthy son of Hiram Sanford who, with his wife, Phoebe Warren, was born in Connecticut. Grandmother Warren was a cousin of the brave Gen: Warren, of Revolutionary fame. Elias W. Sanford, the father, settled in Liberty, N. Y., and attended the common schools, later going to school in New York City. All his life he was a great stu- dent of history and every moment that he could spare from.business was devoted to the enjoyment of this taste. Mr. Sanford learned the trade of tan- ner at Liberty Falls and worked at it at Cochecton, N. Y., later becoming the first postmaster of that village, holding the office many years. He married Mary T .. daughter of the late Capt. H. P. Horton, of Bethel, N. Y. In 1861, with his family, he re- moved to New York and was there appointed weigher and inspector for the government for the New Jersey division and as he was exceedingly well- qualified for such a position he held it for five years. In 1877 he removed to White Lake and purchased the old John Linson farm, which is now known as
Koneonga Place. In 1892 he sold this and returned to Liberty, where his wife died Oct. 1, 1895.
Mr. Sanford was a consistent member of the M. E. Church for a period of fifty years. The children who survive their parents are: Ward H., our subject ; Bruce E. and Alice M., both of whom reside in Liberty.
Ward H. Sanford spent his boyhood days at White Lake and attended private schools both there and at Walton, N. Y., entering the University of Vermont, although previous to this time he had pursued special studies under private tutors at Utica. N. Y., for several years. Leaving the University of Vermont before graduation he entered the Baltimore Medical College and graduated in the class of 1895. coming immediately to New Haven. In this city Dr. Sanford soon found there were plenty of patients awaiting his skill and he has built up a still grow- ing practice.
On May 24. 1889. Dr. Sanford was married to Miss Rosa Rhine, a native of Watertown, N. Y. With his brother physicians our subject is held in high esteem and is very often called in consultation upon subjects of which he has made a special study. He is connected with a number of societies, among these, Hiram Lodge, F. & A. M., of New Haven : I. O. O. F., of Utica : Royal Arcanum, of Utica ; New England Order of Protection : State and conn- ty Medical and New Haven Medical Societies ; also the New York State Pharmaceutical Association. In politics Dr. Sanford has long been connected with the Republican party, but his professional du- ties are so urgent that he takes only a voter's inter- est in the contests at the polls.
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