USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 17
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John H. Wehrle, of Norwalk, Connecti- cut, is a son of Leopold Wehrle, his grandfather a gentleman farmer of Ger- many. Leopold Wehrle was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1842, and died in 1906. He was reared on his father's farm in his native land, and in young manhood learned the trade of cooper, then coming to the United States, locating in New York City, and there for five years fol- lowing his trade. Subsequently he pur- chased a farm in West Norwalk, Connec- ticut, which he cultivated until his death, also operating a cider mill where he pro- duced most of the cider and vinegar used in that district. This developed into a profitable business, and he also for sev- eral years held a contract with the street cleaning department of South Norwalk in which he employed a number of men and teams. Leopold Wehrle was a mem- ber of the Sons of Herman. He married Theresa Snyder, a native of Baden-Baden, and they were the parents of : Robert L., of Bridgeport; Lena A., of South Nor-
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walk; Frank A., of South Norwalk; John H., of whom further; and Frederick, of Detroit, Michigan.
John H. Wehrle was born in Darien, Connecticut, May 1, 1886, and as a youth attended the South Norwalk public schools. When he was ten years of age he began study on the piano, and when twelve years of age appeared in public in orchestras and at dances. His first position was as an automobile driver, work he took up in his fifteenth year, and since that time his business connections have been in automobile lines. Until 1912 he continued his piano playing in public, for a time being pianist at Hoyt's Theatre. In 1912 Mr. Wehrle became local agent for the Buick car and has since that time represented the Buick in- terests in a territory that includes Greens Farms, Redding, and west to Darien, with a population of about fifty-two thousand. His work in this field has resulted in a gratifying popularity of his car, for which he has gained a large number of enthu- siastic friends. Mr. Wehrle drove the third automobile owned in Norwalk and has been active in the campaign that has placed such a host of machines in his neighborhood.
Mr. Wehrle is a member of Old Well Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is organist; Butler Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and Washington Council, Royal and Select Masters. He is also a member of the Monker Grotto, and his clubs are the Craftsmen's, South Norwalk, and Norwalk Country. His other fraternal relations are the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and he is identified with the Musicians' Protective Union, No. 52.
Mr. Wehrle married Olive G. James, daughter of William James, of Rowayton. Mr. and Mrs. Wehrle are members of Christ Episcopal Church.
HARTWRIGHT, Frank Sydney, Florist.
The first requisite to success is a con- centration of purpose. When this quality is combined with ambition, a man's future is assured. Frank Sydney Hartwright, one of the most successful florists of Fair- field county, started from the humblest beginning, but there was always upper- most in his mind the thought that eventu- ally he would become a florist, a success- ful one, and because he possessed the above named qualities he was able to overcome the many obstacles which con- fronted him. His childhood was spent among plants, as he was accustomed to assist his father in the market gardening business, and for years he was building and adding to his store of knowledge. Mr. Hartwright was born on the place he now occupies at Sound Beach, Connecti- cut, February 18, 1892, son of Esau Hart- wright, and grandson of James Hart- wright.
James Hartwright was born in Eng- land, where he learned the trade of tailor, and he followed this occupation for many years. In later life he became a game- keeper. The Christian name of his wife was Jane, and they were the parents of Esau, of further mention.
Esau Hartwright was born June 8, 1848, in Longdon Heath, near Upson, Worcestershire, England. As a boy he attended the public schools, and after reaching the age of fourteen years learned the trade of bricklaying. There was not sufficient work in this trade to keep him busy, and Mr. Hartwright took up his father's occupation, that of gamekeeper. In 1878 he came to America, locating at Sound Beach, Connecticut, in the town of Greenwich, and with his brother en- gaged in market gardening for two years. After that time he continued alone until
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about 1913. Mr. Hartwright built two greenhouses, one 16x65 feet and the other 16x70. He grew a general line of garden truck for the Stamford market. A few years ago he disposed of his interests in Sound Beach to two of his sons, and re- moved to Umatilla, Florida, where he is now engaged in growing oranges. Mr. Hartwright is a member of Albion Lodge, No. 202, Sons of St. George, and he has held all of the offices in the Subordinate Lodge. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church.
On November 5, 1872, he married Han- nah Brown, daughter of John and Sarah Brown, of Monmouth, England. Their children are: Percy, of Stamford; John E., of Sound Beach ; Florence E., wife of George Gisborne, of Sound Beach; Wil- liam, of Stamford; Frances L., wife of Walter Lucas, of Sound Beach; George H., deceased; Frank Sydney, of further mention.
Frank Sydney Hartwright obtained his elementary education in the public schools of Sound Beach, and was em- ployed in the Stamford Thread Mills for a year following. For two years he worked in a grocery store in Sound Beach, and then spent three years with his father learning the details of the mar- ket gardening business. Not feeling quite ready to settle to any particular oc- cupation, he went to New Haven and spent two years in the employ of The Oven Equipment Company, at the end of which time he returned to Sound Beach, and in company with his brother, William Hartwriglit, purchased their father's busi- ness. They were remarkably successful from the very start, and in November, 1917, Mr. Hartwright purchased his brother's interest in the business, becom- ing sole owner. It was at this time that Mr. Hartwright added flowers to the trade, making a specialty of sweet peas.
The principal vegetable crops which he produces are carrots, beets, lettuce and celery. He has a natural love for his work, and is quick to introduce all new ideas. He is a member of the Stamford Horticultural Society.
Mr. Hartwright married Mabelle Cha- vell, daughter of Charles H. Chavell, me- chanical engineer at the Stamford Extract Manufacturing Company, a sketch of which appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Hartwright are members of St. John's Episcopal Church, Stamford.
STEVENS, Earle Pardee,
Oyster Planter, Marine Engineer.
In the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, there are two special industries that have been carried on for many years and which have made the town famous, namely, the manufacture of hats and the cultivation of oysters. A pioneer in the latter in- dustry, and one of the first to plant in deep water on Long Island Sound, was William Isaac Stevens, father of Earle Pardee Stevens, and son of Lorenzo Dow Stevens. The latter was a long-time resident of Norwalk, and was a shoe- maker by occupation. He married Sally Raymond, and they were the parents of William Isaac Stevens, of whom further.
William Isaac Stevens was born in South Norwalk, August 13, 1840, died in Rowayton, in April, 1920. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and grew to manhood in South Norwalk. As a boy he started in the oyster business on his own account, and was one of the first oystermen of his section. Mr. Stevens acquired some of the best pieces of oyster ground in Long Island Sound. As Mr. Stevens prospered he acquired several steamers, and when his business was in- corporated under the name of the Stevens Oyster Company, he became president
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Fred J. Murphy
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and treasurer, which offices he held as long as he lived. The business was a wholesale one, and the oysters were shipped in barrels to New York jobbers until a few years ago, when new methods of shipping oysters, opened and in iced sealed containers, came into vogue. The Stevens Oyster Company was one of the first to take up the new way and they began to ship opened oysters to all parts of the country. About ninety people were employed on the average. When ill health required Mr. Stevens to withdraw from active participation in the business, the responsibilities were assumed by his sons, and William I. Stevens succeeded his father as president and treasurer, while Farle P. became secretary.
In politics, Captain Stevens was a staunch Democrat, and it used to be his boast and satisfaction to swing to the breezes the first political banner of the season with the National candidates upon it. The banner used to be painted in ad- vance when that was feasible, and as soon as the nomination was made, the banner was unfurled.
Fraternally, Captain Stevens was a member of Old Well Lodge, No. 108, Free and Accepted Masons; Washington Chapter, No. 24, Royal Arch Masons ; Clinton Commandery, No. 3, Knights Templar; and Sphinx Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Bridgeport.
Mr. Stevens married Hannah Hart, daughter of Moses .B. Hart, of Northport, Long Island, and they were the parents of eleven children: 1. William I., of Ro- wayton, president and manager of the business. 2. Mabel, widow of Lewis E. Raymond, of Stamford. 3. Frank R., of Rowayton. 4. Lou, wife of George Mc- Kay, of East Norwalk. 5. Lina, wife of Joseph Provost, of Stamford. 6. Earle Pardee, of further mention. 7. Catherine,
died aged nineteen. The family were at- tendants of the Baptist church of Nor- walk.
Earle Pardee Stevens, son of William I. and Hannah (Hart) Stevens, and secre- tary of the Stevens Oyster Company, was born in Rowayton, July 7, 1881. He was educated in the public schools and imme- diately after completing his courses there went to work for his father. After the death of the latter, he aided in assuming the responsibilities of the business. The company has about eleven hundred acres of oyster beds under ground in Long Island Sound, but a great many of the original holdings and the steamers of Captain Stevens have been disposed of.
Mr. Stevens was a marine engineer on the company's boats until about three years ago, when, owing to the exigencies of the war, he entered the employ of the United States Shipping Board as an en- gineer. Promotion was rapid and he rose to the rank of first chief engineer, in which capacity he has had charge of the running of several steamers sailing to various ports, but mostly to Cuba. He is a member of Rowayton Volunteer Hose Company ; of Old Well Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Butler Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Rebekahs, of South Norwalk.
Mr. Stevens married Maude Emily Ackerly, daughter of John and Mary Ackerly, and they are the parents of two children : Emily, and Earle Pardee, Jr. Mr. Stevens and his family attend the Baptist church.
MURPHY, Rev. Frederick Joseph,
Clergyman.
The Murphy family is one of the oldest . families in Irish history, and today the surname is the most numerous in the country. The name itself is the angli-
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cized form of McMorough, and the origi- nal seat of the family was in the barony of Ballaghkeen (meaning in Irish, pleas- ant roadway), in the easterly part of the County of Wexford at Castle Ellis and Ouleartleagh (in Irish, "Grey Orchard"). The county of the O'Murphy family is still called Murroes. The family belonged to the tribe of Hy-Felimy, and Murphy, Murrough, and Morin, are anglicized forms of the name of the original ances- tor. MacMurcatha, written also O'Mur- chada and O'Murchu, are original forms of the name. In Irish, Murcatha means a sea battle, and Murchu, a sea warrior.
Dermot McMorough, born in 1090, was King of Leinster for many years, and an- other famous man bearing the name was Art McMurrough, born in 1357. The lat- ter was particularly noted for his chivalry and general good qualities. The records show many celebrated men of this family, men who were prominent in public affairs and in the professions. There are also many authors and writers among the members of this family, many of whom trace their descent to the early settlers of Wexford county, long the seat of the Murphy family.
Among those who bear the name of Murphy and who have borne it in a way which has added luster to this ancient pa- tronymic, Rev. Frederick Joseph Murphy, of Greenwich, Connecticut, is well de- serving of mention. Rev. Father Murphy was born November 6, 1860, in New Haven, Connecticut, son of John and Catherine (McQuiggan) Murphy. His paternal grandfather was a native of Dub- lin, Ireland.
John Murphy, father of Rev. Father Murphy, was born in Manchester, Eng- land. There he grew to manhood and learned the trade of carriage builder. When a young man he came to America and located in New Haven, Connecticut,
the home of the Hooker Company, one of the most widely known carriage man- ufactories of that day. There Mr. Mur- phy found his talent in demand, and he was one of the most valued employees of the Hooker Company for many years. In his later life he was in charge of the as- sembling of the carriages, one of the most important branches of the work. Mr. Murphy took his place among the citizens of New Haven, and throughout his life maintained an active interest in that city's affairs. He was married twice, and by his first marriage there was a daughter, Agnes, who became the wife of James McKee, of New Haven. Mr. Murphy married (second) Catherine Mc- Quiggan, a native of Londonderry, Ire- land, and they were the parents of five children, four of whom grew to maturity. They were: Rev. Frederick Joseph, of further mention; Mary, Elizabeth, Flor- ence.
The early education of Father Murphy was obtained in St. Mary's Parochial School in New Haven. Having early de- cided to enter the priesthood, Father Mur- phy went to Montreal and entered the College of St. Bonaventure, and was or- dained in June, 1885. His first priestly duties were performed at the Immaculate Conception Church in Waterbury, Conn- necticut, where he was assistant pastor for two and one-half years. Thence he went to St. Augustine's Church, at Bridge- port, Connecticut, and remained a year, returning at the end of this time to Wa- terbury as assistant of the Sacred Heart Parish, remaining seven years. The fol- lowing thirteen months were spent as assistant at St. Rose's Parish, Meriden, Connecticut. Thence he went to New London, Connecticut, remaining for three months, and his first parish was assigned to him in Manchester, Connecticut. There he succeeded Rev. Father Gragan
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as pastor of St. Bridget's Church, and for sixteen years he labored zealously in the behalf of his congregation. During his pastorate, Father Murphy completed the church edifice and built the rectory. He succeeded in reducing the indebtedness to a large extent. Beloved by his con- gregation, they were loath to part with him in 1913, when he was appointed to St. Mary's Church, Greenwich, Connecti- cut, and where in the short seven years he has been pastor has attained a perma- nent place among the townspeople as one who is anxious and willing to do all in his power to promote the general welfare. He takes a keen and active interest in all public affairs, particularly those which have the betterment of the people at heart. Rev. Father Murphy is a member of Orinoco Council, Knights of Colum- bus, and is an ardent worker in that cause.
JOHNSON, John R.,
Business Man, World War Aviator.
Among the enterprising business men of the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, there is none more deserving of mention than John R. Johnson, who has been a resident there since 1889. Mr. Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1885, son of parents long resi- dent in that city.
He was named for his grandfather, John R. Johnson, who was a prominent iron manufacturer of Philadelphia. In 1862 he established himself in business in Bristol, Pennsylvania, under the name of The Johnson Forge Company, and after a few years removed to Richmond, Virginia, where he established a similar business under the same name. That business is still carried on by some of his descendants. He died in 1910, aged sixty- eight years. After he had been in Rich-
mond for some years, he established a business in Wilmington, Delaware, under the name of The Wilmington Iron Com- pany, and this property was inherited by John R. Johnson, of this review, who op- erated it two years, until 1912, when he sold it.
John R. Johnson was educated in the Hill School and the Phillips-Andover Academy. In 1907 he went into the cigar business on his own account in New York City. After about two years he sold this business and entered the employ of bond brokers, Wagner, Dickerson & Company, of Wall street. There Mr. Johnson re- mained for three years, until 1910. The property left him by his grandfather oc- cupied his attention for the next couple of years, and in 1912 settled permanently in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he had removed with his family in 1889. The same year, 1912, he engaged in the garage business and the handling of auto sup- plies and repairs. Two years later he es- tablished a cut-rate taxi cab business, which has proven very successful, and about twenty taxis are operated. Mr. Johnson is of the aggressive, alert type, and this quality combined with his judg- ment and thrift has placed him in a posi- tion in the business world that many an older man might envy. In 1917 he added the sale of cars to his other business, and is agent for the Nash, Essex, Hudson and Dodge cars. In all of the lines of business which he has undertaken, he has been highly successful; he has the best years of his life before him and it is safe to say that he will progress even further.
Mr. Johnson does not take an active in- terest in politics, but does nevertheless interest himself in public affairs and is at all times willing and anxious to be of assistance in any matter concerning the general welfare. He was an ensign in the Naval Aviation Service during the World
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War, enlisting July 17, 1918, and was dis- charged, January 15, 1919. He was sta- tioned at Washington, D. C., in the Bu- reau of Steam Engineering.
Mr. Johnson married Elsie Willetts, daughter of Walter R. Willetts, and granddaughter of the late Stephen Tabor, founder of Swarthmore College. They are the parents of two children : Katharine Willetts, and Jay Richards.
MacMILLEN, Robert, Florist.
As that of an authority on floriculture, this name will be instantly recognized by all students of that science. The latter years of Mr. MacMillen's life were spent in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he in- creased his professional reputation which he had brought with him to that place.
The name MacMillen is said by some to signify "of the mill," "men of the mill," and "son of the men of the mill," or "son of the mills." Others say that it means "son of the bald, or bare man," and this signification is thought to be the most probable. A legend says that, in ancient times, a certain Highland chief, becoming mortally offended by some indignity or injustice which had been put upon him, vowed that he would never again wear head-covering. This vow he fulfilled, braving the wildest storms, hunting, and even going to war with his head uncov- ered. The clan MacMillen was once of considerable magnitude, and about the middle of the eighteenth century many of its members emigrated to the American colonies.
Robert MacMillen was born February 26, 1860, in Edinburgh, Scotland, a son of Alexander MacMillen. As a boy he was apprenticed to a gardener and florist, and from the first, showed an aptitude for the business, becoming extremely proficient.
His first position was that of gardener to the Earl and Countess of Antrim, in County Antrim, Ireland. This position he retained about three years, then emi- grated to the United States, settling in Boston, where he was gardener for A. T. Brown about two years. He then went to Whitingsville, Massachusetts, where he had charge of the estate of Mrs. Whit- ing. His next migration was to New York City, where he was employed by Halleck & Thorpe, of Queens, florists, who conduct a large business. Then, as a legitimate result of combined thrift and ambition, Mr. MacMillen found himself in circumstances which justified him in going into business on his own account. Accordingly, he established himself at Pearl River, New York, and there con- ducted a wholesale business. At first he rented his greenhouses, but later pur- chased the place and built greenhouses. He prospered, and in the course of time became the owner of four greenhouses, each one hundred and fifty feet long. For eighteen years he continued to carry on this business, and the farm is still owned by Mrs. MacMillen.
On leaving Pearl River, Mr. MacMillen went to Babylon, Long Island, where he had charge of the estate of Colonel White- staff, remaining two years. Later, he be- came a resident of Greenwich, then for three years was gardener for W. R. H. Martin, of Belle Haven, after which he again went into business for himself, this time as a retail florist, and until the close of his life he carried on a flourishing busi- ness, which is still continued by his widow. While conducting a general trade Mr. MacMillen specialized in the culture of mignonette and violets. On mignonette he was regarded as a leading authority, and wrote an article on that flower for Chambers' Encyclopædia. He belonged to the Knights of Pythias and
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the Improved Order of Red Men. He and his wife were members of the Pres- byterian church.
Mr. MacMillen married, September 7, 1881, Isabella, daughter of John Tonner, of Crawford-John, in Lanarkshire, Scot- land. Mr. Tonner came originally from Dumfriesshire. Mrs. MacMillen pur- chased her present home in partnership with her niece, Miss Annie Tonner, and they are conducting business under the firm name of MacMillen & Company.
The death of Mr. MacMillen, which oc- curred October 9, 1911, deprived Green- wich of one of her most respected citizens, and his profession of one of its recog- nized authorities. About a year after his decease Mrs. MacMillen and her niece built three greenhouses, one twenty- five by seventy-three feet, and each of the others eleven by sixty feet. They conduct a general floral business, thus maintaining an establishment which is a monument to the memory of its founder.
Robert MacMillen's work lives after him. He was skilled and learned in his profession, and has left a name distin- guished in its annals.
DRINKWATER, Henry Goulding, Business Man, Public Official.
Success is a matter of the individual. A few succeed where the many with equal opportunity, but with unseeing eyes, and lacking persistence, determination, self- reliance, etc., remain on the lower rungs of the ladder. Among the successful in- dividuals must be mentioned Henry Goulding Drinkwater, representative of an ancient English family, who through his own achievements has added luster to an already honored name.
To trace the origin of the name of Drinkwater, it is necessary to go back even earlier than the thirteenth century,
the time when most surnames originated. Previous to that date, it was customary to classify a family in three ways: Loca- tion of home, occupation, or personal characteristic. It is from this last source that the name of Drinkwater is derived. It was a name given to a teetotaler in very early days, in fact, as early as 1274 John Drinkwater appears in the Hundred Rolls. The name has been an honored one in the little village of Hartpury, Gloucestershire, England. Hartpury is a small parish in the Union of Newent, Lower Division of the Hundred of Dudstone and Kings Barton. It is in the East Division of the County of Gloucester, four miles from the city of Gloucester. There are not more than one thousand inhabitants there in this picturesque village. Their occupa- . tion is chiefly farming, sixteen hundred and forty acres of the land being arable. In all there are about three thousand four hundred and thirty acres, much of which is woodland. The coat-of-arms of the Drinkwater family is as follows:
Arms-Per pale, gules and azure on a fesse, wavy argent, between 3 garbs or, as many billets of the second.
Crest-Three ears of wheat, two in saltier and one in pale or, enfiled with a ducal coronet of the last.
Thomas Drinkwater, grandfather of Henry Goulding Drinkwater, was a na- tive of Hartpury, the home of the family for many generations. He was a farmer, and lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and four years.
Thomas (2) Drinkwater, son of Thomas (1) Drinkwater, was born in Hartpury, and on reaching manhood's es- tate, learned the trade of gardener. This occupation he followed throughout his active life. He lived to be ninety years of age. He married Jane Mary Goulding, a member of an old English family. The name of Goulding is from Golding, origi-
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