USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 25
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Mr. Angevine married Ethel Perry, daughter of Charles and Nora Belle (Hartwell) Perry, and they are the par- ents of Floyd J., Jr., born August 5, 1910, and Ida Jean, born May 15, 1914.
HANLON, Albert Frederick,
Physician.
One of the leading physicians of Fair- field county, and foremost among the citizens of Greenwich, Connecticut, is Albert Frederick Hanlon, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, January 2, 1883, son of Edward and Frances (Kail) Han- lon. His father, Edward Hanlon, was born in Manchester, England, and was one of the Hanlon Brothers of gymnastic fame. The others were George, Alfred, and Frederick Hanlon. They were the leaders in their day of all gymnastic per- formers, coming to America from Eng- land.
The Hanlon troupe was established first
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by three of the brothers, and under the leadership of John Lees, they were taken on a foreign tour that included France, Russia, Spain and Egypt. After the death of Mr. Lees, three other brothers joined the troupe and their success con- tinued. The following is an extract from the New York "World:" "In its later period, when the second generation was taking the place of the original members on the stage, the responsibilities of the company were divided as follows: Wil- liam Hanlon invented the tricks for which the company was famous; Edward Han- lon managed their plays, and George Han- lon was stage manager. At one time George Hanlon, then in the prime of his powers, left the stage and devoted himself to the Christian ministry for fourteen years, afterward returning to theatrical work. The headquarters of the Hanlons were at Cohasset, Massachusetts, where, in a large seven-story building, they pre- pared their acts for the following season." In 1870 the Hanlon Brothers entered the pantomimic field and starred for several seasons in "Fantasma" and "Superba," famous productions at that time.
Edward Hanlon, father of Dr. Hanlon, married Frances Kail. He was the father of five children, four girls and one son, among them : Albert Frederick, of further mention ; and May, born in Cohasset, Au- gust 17, 1884, married, August 18, 1904, Willard C. Greene.
When Dr. Hanlon was six years old his parents took him with their theatrical company to England and there the boy was educated under private tutors, and was in different countries in Europe until he was about fourteen years of age. On their return to America, Dr. Hanlon en- tered the public schools of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and matriculated in Law- ence Scientific School at Harvard. After six months there, he went to Boston and
was graduated from the Boston Univer- sity Medical School as a homœopathic physician in 1906. The following year he spent in post-graduate work at the Hah- nemann Medical School. After finishing the year he remained eighteen months in the Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.
At the end of that time, Dr. Hanlon went to England and spent altogether fourteen months overseas, alternating six months in the London General Hospital, then to the Paris General Hospital. His first practice in America was in Atlantic City, and in 1910 he came to Greenwich, where he has since been engaged in gen- eral practice and was a member of the staff of the Greenwich Hospital for the last six years of its existence.
Dr. Hanlon is a member of the Green- wich Medical Society; the Connecticut Homœopathic Medical Society ; the Amer- ican Institute of Homeopathy; the New York Academy of Theoretical Science ; and Alpha Sigma fraternity. He affiliates with the Masonic order, having been made a Mason at Cohasset.
Dr. Hanlon married Mary B. Decker, daughter of Benezette Decker, and they are the parents of a daughter, Martha, born October 20, 1914. Dr. Hanlon and his wife attend Christ Episcopal Church.
KUNES, Charles B., Designer, Building Contractor.
There is a respect accorded by the world to men who have made their way to success through their own efforts in which there is recognition of character, and of those other dominant qualities which have made success possible. Charles B. Kunes, a leading contractor and builder of Norwalk, Connecticut, has achieved success through his own efforts, and his career is one in which he can take just pride.
Conn-9-12
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Mr. Kunes was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, July 26, 1868, son of Simon L. and Maria (Teal) Kunes. His father was born in the same county about 1834, and died aged forty-seven years. He was a farmer and worked in the lumber woods. After the death of his father, Mr. Kunes assumed the responsibility of the home- stead farm, which he cultivated for three years, and then moved to Sullivan county, where he farmed a place belong- ing to an uncle. After three years there, Mr. Kunes became the owner of the farm and lived there until his death in 1881. He married Maria Teal, a native of Cen- ter county, and they were the parents of thirteen children, as follows: I. Thomas, deceased, formerly of New Shore, Sulli- van county, Pennsylvania. 2. Margaret, married Minard H. Everley, of Syracuse, New York. 3. Ella, married Price Wa- terfield and resides in Syracuse. 4. James, of New Shore. 5. Edward, of New Shore. 6. Charles. B., of further mention. 7. Minnie, wife of J. E. Boxford, who resides in Brooklyn, New York. 8. John, of Rochester, New York. 9. Wil- liam, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. IO. Wallace, of Binghamton, New York. II. Samuel, of Athens, Pennsylvania. 12. Ida, wife of John Blyler, of Athens. 13. Howard, a contractor of Stamford, Con- necticut.
Charles B. Kunes attended the public schools of Sullivan county, and was on the home farm for four years in partner- ship with his brother after the death of their father. Until he was twenty-one years old, Mr. Kunes spent his time in working on the farm and in the lumber woods. He then learned the trade of car- penter, and in 1903 came to Norwalk, where he was employed for a time as a journeyman. Later he became a foreman, and for two years was superintendent
of R. B. Ward's estate in New Rochelle, New York. In the spring of 1914 he re- turned to Norwalk and became a resident there. He engaged in business as a con- tractor and builder, and in the seven years since passed has built many fine resi- dences.
Mr. Kunes has also been the designer of many residences, and his architectural work shows unusually good taste, with an innate sense of proportion and balance of lines and masses, and soft harmonious color schemes. A great many attractive residences have been built by Mr. Kunes in the neighborhood of his own home, which have contributed to make that lo- cality a very desirable one. About thirty men are employed on an average and many times in the busy season this num- ber is exceeded. In 1918 Mr. Kunes built a very attractive residence for himself on Hudson street, a two-story frame struc- ture. This is very pleasing to the eye in outward aspect, while the rooms, planned primarily for convenience and comfort, appeal to the artistic sense in their arrangement. Both the exterior and interior color schemes are harmonious and restful. The most recent and also a creditable piece of work is the remodel- ling of the building now occupied by the Central Trust Company.
Fraternally, Mr. Kunes is a member of Lodge No. 165, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Athens, and of the Eagles, of Norwalk; in politics he is a Republican.
Mr. Kunes married Nettie Heverley, daughter of Chauncey Heverley, of Brad- ford county, and they were the parents of two children : I. Elsia, married Earl Barlto, of Norwalk, and has one son, Charles Elmore. 2. Earl, who lives at home.
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EMMENS, Nelson Elliott, Architect.
Nelson Elliott Emmens, a leading arch- itect of Stamford, Connecticut, is un- doubtedly a scion of the Emmons family early founded in this country. There are many different spellings of this name found, owing to the custom of spelling ac- cording to the phonetic sound in the early records. There is hardly any question that the name is of English origin. The first of the family in New England was Thomas Emons, who was among the early settlers of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1639.
James Emmens, grandfather of Nelson E. Emmens, was born in New York City, where he followed the trade of ship car- penter, and also worked at this occupa- tion in Brooklyn. He married Hollon Lovett, and they were the parents of Jeremiah, of whom further.
Jeremiah Emmens, father of Nelson E. Emmens, was a resident of Mystic, Con- necticut, nearly all his lifetime. He learned the trade of shipbuilder, which was the principal occupation of Mystic. Mr. Emmens married Fannie Desire Bur- rows, daughter of Paul Burrows, of Mys- tic. Mr. Emmens was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Mystic. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Emmens was Nel- son Elliott, of whom further.
Nelson Elliott Emmens was born in Mystic, December 18, 1869. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and when eighteen years of age went to Stam- ford, Connecticut, and learned the car- penter's trade. For twenty years he followed this occupation, part of the time as a journeyman and later as su- perintendent of building construction. During the time he was working at his trade, Mr. Emmens made a study of arch- itecture and in 1908 entered this field. Until 1917 he continued alone in business,
then admitted a partner, Horatio E. Ab- bott, the firm name being Emmens & Abbott. They have been signally suc- cessful, and there are many silent testi- monials to their work in and around Stamford. Among these might be men- tioned the following: The North Stam- ford School; the Hart School ; addition to the Waterside School; Rice School ; Cen- tral Fire Station ; Apartment Company's Tile Block; Spelke Building; Ellwill Ga- rage ; the residence of E. B. Hoit ; and the residence of I. O. Purdy.
Fraternally, Mr. Emmens is a member of Rippowam Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; the Woodmen of the World; and Stamford Lodge, No. 899, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Emmens married Emma Estelle Mays, daughter of James Wellington and Mary (Hoyt) Mays, of Stamford. Mr. Mays came from Orange, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Emmens are the parents of one son, Howard Elliott, now employed as timekeeper by the Yale & Towne Man- ufacturing Company. He married Edna Gowey, and has three children : Howard, Herbert and Nelson.
STEVENS, William A.,
Business Man, Served in World War.
In Fairfield county mention is often found of the Stevens family. Thomas Stevens, undoubtedly the ancestor of those bearing the name in that county, was among the early settlers of Stamford. He came from England, where the family had been established since the time of William the Conqueror. The origin of the name is from Stephen, the first mar- tyr of the church, and in its original form was Fitz Stephen, which later became Fitz Stephens, and gradually changed, as most of the early surnames did, into its present form of Stevens and Steevens.
Abner Stevens, the great-grandfather
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of William A. Stevens, was born Decem- ber 25, 1792, in Darien, Connecticut, and died March 27, 1872. He lived in Stam- ford, and was in business for himself as a carpet weaver in Ridgefield. Mr. Ste- vens was a licensed exhorter in the Meth- odist Episcopal church and also, with his wife sang in the choir. Their family Bible is now in the possession of his great-grandson, Alfred Wilmot Stevens, of Springfield, Massachusetts. This Bible was presented to Abner Stevens by the choir of the church in 1836. Abner Stevens married Abigail Wilmot, born May 30, 1779, in Greenwich, died June 20, 1870. He was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Greenwich.
Alfred Stevens, son of Abner and Abi- gail (Wilmot) Stevens, was born Octo- ber 10, 1813, in Darien or Stamford, Con- necticut, and died January 3, 1891. He was a brick stone mason and for many years was engaged in business on his own account, and some years before his death retired from active business. He mar- ried Amanda, daughter of Samuel Kel- logg, of Ridgefield, and she died January 29, 1877, aged eighty-eight years, one month and twenty-seven days. Her mother's name was Laura Dauchey. They were members of the Episcopal church.
Hiram Sylvester Stevens, son of Alfred and Amanda (Kellogg) Stevens, was born on West Mountain, in Ridgefield, June 16, 1847. He was educated in the district schools and learned the trade of mason, which he followed for about twenty-five years, part of the time as journeyman and part in business for himself. About 1887, he started the first steam laundry in Ridgefield and continued very success- fully in this business for twenty years, at which time he sold his interests to Al- bert Avery. Mr. Stevens had built up a good trade in the surrounding country
and after his disposal of the business he still remained with the company to in- struct the new owner about the work. For many years now Mr. Stevens has been retired, making his home in Ridge- field.
Mr. Stevens married, June 16, 1869, Lucy Jane, born June 16, 1851, died Feb- ruary 2, 1921, daughter of William and Jane Ann (Clark) Webb, of Wilton, Con- necticut, and granddaughter of Jared and Hannah (Scofield) Webb. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens were the parents of six children, four of whom grew to maturity. They are: I. William A., of further mention. 2. Samuel F., deceased. 3. Isabelle, de- ceased wife of Matthew Nisbett of Ridge- field. 4. Caroline, married George W. Chamberlain of Ridgefield. Mr. Stevens and his family are members of St. Ste- phen's Episcopal Church of Ridgefield, of which he is vestryman, an office he has held for some time.
William A. Stevens, son of Hiram S and Lucy Jane (Webb) Stevens, was born in Wilton, Connecticut, October 31, 1870, and his education was obtained in the public schools of Ridgefield and the sur- rounding towns. Most of his boyhood days were spent with his grandparents in North Wilton, and until he was about fifteen years old, was accustomed to help his grandfather in the care of the farm. His first position was with the Gilbert & Bennett Company of Georgetown, manu- facturers of wire cloth, and he remained with this firm until 1888. The years fol- lowing, until his nineteenth birthday, were spent in the employ of Dr. W. S. Todd, of Ridgefield, and at that age he entered the employ of the Ridgefield Press, to learn the printer's trade. Mr. Stevens was subsequently in the employ of the Danbury "Daily Dispatch" and with the Danbury Medical Printing Com- pany. This brings us to the year 1898,
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Imichael de Pierdan
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in which year he became associated with his father in the laundry business, remain- ing a year. During this time he had ap- plied himself to the mastering of the business and, aided by his father's knowl- edge, opened a laundry in Greenwich, the pioneer laundry of that town. At first he had a partner, Ralph W. Gilbert, of Ridgefield, but in 1901 this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Stevens bought his partner's interest, and has since continued alone. Although the business was started on a very small scale it has steadily and consistently grown until now there are between thirty-five and forty men em- ployed. These men with the most mod- ern machinery can handle a large volume of business and cover the territory of Greenwich and Port Chester.
During the war Mr. Stevens went over- seas as a canteen worker for the Young Men's Christian Association and was sta- tioned at St. Nazaire; altogether, he was overseas about ten months.
Fraternally, Mr. Stevens is a member of Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Greenwich ; Rit- tenhouse Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Stamford; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Greenwich ; and Pilgrim Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, of Ridgefield.
Mr. Stevens married Jennie, daughter of John V. and Ella Keller, of Philadel- phia, and they are members of the Con- gregational church.
RIORDAN, Michael J.,
General Building Contractor.
It is such men as Michael J. Riordan that the State of Connecticut may well be proud of. Starting in life with the foun- dation of a common school education, Mr. Riordan began to earn his own living at the early age of fourteen years, and by
hard, intelligently-directed industry he has made his own way upward, until to- day he is one of the most progressive and successful business men in the city of Norwalk.
The family of which Mr. Riordan is a descendant is an old one in the annals of Irish history. There are many who pre- fix O to the name, but the name itself in its original form was Riordan. It sig- nifies "umpire," and the family was founded by Rossa Failge, a son of Cathire More, who was king of Ireland in A. D. 144. The latter descends from Milesius, through his sixth son, Heremon. The motto of the family for centuries has been "Pro Deo et Patria," and the coun- ties of Limerick, Galway and Mayor are the chief seats of the family.
Daniel Riordan, father of Michael J. Riordan, was born in County Cork, Ire- land, about 1842, and died in 1910, in Nor- walk, Connecticut. He came to America in 1858, landing in Boston, Massachusetts, where he remained for a time. The next city in which Mr. Riordan located was Norwalk, where for many years he worked in the factories as a laborer. During the last twenty years of his life he was en- gaged in the liquor business. Mr. Rior- dan was among the first to enlist in the services of his adopted country at the time of the Civil War. He was a mem- ber of Company E, 12th Regiment, Con- necticut Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and upon the expiration of this term, reënlisted for another period, but in nine months the war closed. He was a member of Buckingham Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Norwalk. Other fraternal organizations were: The An- cient Order of Hibernians, and St. Jo- seph's Benevolent Society, of which he was an organizer and secretary.
Mr. Riordan married Bridget Ahearn,
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daughter of Michael and Mary (Flannery) Ahearn. Mrs. Riordan was a native of Parish Rose Gray, County Tipperary, Ireland. Her father died there, but her mother came to America about 1848. With her daughter she lived in a house which stood on the site of the present home of General Frost, and at the time of the now historic accident when a rail- road train went through the bridge near her home, she assisted in caring for the injured.
Michael J. Riordan, son of Daniel and Bridget (Ahearn) Riordan, was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, October 28, 1867. He attended the public schools as a boy, and at an early age went to work in the factory. When he was eighteen years of age, he started to learn the trade of car- penter, which he followed as a journey- man until 1901. In the latter year he engaged in the contracting business, at first in a very small way, gradually in- creasing his work as his ability increased until 1914. He then formed a partner- ship with Arthur Waldron under the firm name of Waldron & Riordan, and this partnership continued successfully for seven years. Mr. Riordan then sold his interest to his partner and went into business on his own account. He built the two-story planing mill used in his own business and installed the machinery in it. He gets out all of his own interior finish, as well as doing work of this na- ture for other builders. His building op- erations cover all classes of work, brick, stone and concrete, as well as wood. Among the most notable buildings he has erected are : The Regent Theatre in Nor- walk, and the Fine Arts Theatre, in West- port ; no better work of this kind can be found anywhere, it is safe to say. He built the Henderson & Ervin factory on High street, the remodeling of Red Men's
Hall was also his work, and many fine residences bear testimony to the excel- lent quality of his workmanship.
It is an accepted fact that a good busi- ness man is also a good public servant. The citizens of a community feel assured when a man is at the head of their affairs he has made a success in the business life. After a summary of the achieve- ments of Mr. Riordan, it seems very nat- ural to find him active in the public affairs of Norwalk. A Democrat in politics, he has served as councilman, and was a member of the Board of Water Commis- sioners. In 1913 he was elected a mem- ber of the first Council of the new con- solidated city under the union of Nor- walk and South Norwalk, which office he held for two years. Part of this time Mr. Riordan acted as chairman of the Fire Commission, afterwards being transferred to the Street Department Commission, of which he also became chairman. The lat- ter commission inaugurated the building of concrete roads by the city, and this in- advance-of-the-times action caused no little commotion at the time because of the method pursued by the commission. It was the Rooseveltian plan of doing a thing first that needed to be done and talking about it afterwards. South Main street, South Norwalk, and Van Zant street, East Norwalk, were two of the worst streets in the city as regards pav- ing. Having sufficient funds on hand to cover the expense, the commission went ahead and paved those streets without getting the authorization of the City Council in the usual manner. This raised a storm of protest from the more conser- vative of the tax-payers, and the members of the commission were threatened with proceedings with a view to putting them in jail for their "high-handed" procedure. Now, of course, the wisdom of their ac-
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M. Linary Vich
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tion is everywhere conceded. While Mr. Riordan was a member of the Street Com- mission and serving as its chairman, the State was induced to pave Winfield street from the Norwalk line to the Westport line ; also Westport Hill, which was one of the worst streets in the city, and Mill Hill and Westport Hill were also connected through an appropriation by the State. Mr. Riordan has been a member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation for about six years, and is still holding this office. He is a member of the Knights of Colum- bus, of which he is past grand knight, and is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Riordan married Mary Ann O'Sul- livan, daughter of John and Mary (Ryan) O'Sullivan. Mrs. Riordan was born in Norwalk, and died July 20, 1915, aged forty-eight years. Her father was a na- tive of County Cork, Ireland, and her mother a native of Tipperary. Mr. and Mrs. Riordan were the parents of four children: I. Thomas J., who graduated from the Norwalk grammar and high schools, following which he took a course in Merrill's Business College; he then learned the trade of mason, and is now associated with his father in the contract- ing business. 2. Mary Louise, a graduate of the College of New Rochelle. 3. John E., a student in Villanova, Pennsylvania. 4. Paul Francis, at home.
VICK, Martin Lindsey,
Real Estate Dealer.
The activities of the Vick Realty Com- pany have made the name which stands at the head of this article thoroughly and favorably familiar to a large majority of the citizens of Stamford. Not only is Mr. Vick well known as a business man, but as a citizen he is highly esteemed and personally popular.
The origin of the name of Vick seems to be involved in some obscurity, but it is probably an abbreviation of Vickers, which was derived from Vicars, a name of Spanish origin, or from the English name, LeVick. The Vicks are an old English family, and branches of the race are found in different states of the American Union.
This record begins with Edwin Vick, who was a resident of Virginia, and who married Margaret Gardner. After the death of Edwin Vick, his widow married again, her second husband, Mr. Williams, and soon afterward moved to Tennessee, accompanied by a son, Americus, and a daughter, Clementine.
Americus Vick, son of Edwin and Mar- garet (Gardner) Vick, was born in Vicks- ville, Southampton county, Virginia, June 26, 1826, died January 19, 1870. The town of his birth was named in honor of the family, and the city of Vicksburg also commemorates the race of the Vicks, having been originally a town laid out on the plantations of William Vick and John Lane. Americus Vick was taken to Ten- nessee by his mother and stepfather pos- sibly between 1830 and 1840, but he re- turned to Virginia on business connected with the Vick estate probably prior to 1850. He married Susan Pafford, ninth of the fifteen children of John and Sarah (Melton) Pafford. John Pafford was born June 24, 1798, died April 15, 1851 ; his wife was born April 2, 1804, and died No- vember 30, 1863. From the early home of the Paffords in DeKalb county, Tenn- essee, sons John and William settled in Benton county, Tennessee, while three others located in Georgia, all rearing large families. Americus Vick was a planter in later life.
Edward Crayton Vick, son of Americus and Susan (Pafford) Vick, was born about September 1, 1850, in Camden, Tennessee, and received his education in local schools.
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