USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
Mr. Raymond married, April 4, 1828, Abigail Crofut, daughter of Captain Ebenezer Crofut, who was born May 10,
1777, and died November 9, 1828. He married (first), September 3, 1795, Sarah Gregory ; she died March 27, 1872. The father of Captain Crofut was Joseph Cro- fut, born in 1751, died December 15, 1831. He married, May 15, 1776, Esther St. John, born June 15, 1758, died September II, 1838, daughter of Daniel and Mary St. John. Ebenezer Crofut, grandfather of Captain Crofut, was married, November I, 1749, to Sarah St. John, daughter of Jacob and Experience (Reed) St. John, and great-granddaughter of Matthias St. John. She died in 1777. The father of Ebenezer Crofut and the great-grand- father of Captain Crofut was Joseph Cro- fut. He married Lydia Campbell, born March II, 1706, daughter of Ebenezer and Mary (Henery) Campbell. The chil- dren of Josiah and Abigail (Crofut) Ray- mond were: I. Phoebe Marvin, married Charles H. Jones, of Westport ; both are now deceased. 2. Sarah G., died June II, 1880; she was a school teacher and hers was the first death in the family. 3. Mary B., married Sylvester R. Keeler, of Norwalk, and they reside in Westport. 4. Emeline, died unmarried. 5. Franklin Merwin, of further mention.
(VIII) Franklin Merwin Raymond, son of Josiah (2) and Abigail (Crofut) Ray- mond, was born in Westport, Connecti- cut, March 17, 1846. He was educated in the district schools of Westport, and for three winters walked to Norwalk to attend the Center School. For three years or more after completing school, he remained on the home farm. Then after his mar- riage he went to Mamaroneck, New York, and for a year was associated with his father-in-law in mercantile business. The following year, Mr. Raymond went to Tarrytown, New York, and was there a little more than a year, still in association with Mr. Wilkins. While there he at-
293
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tended the Centennial Exposition at Phil- adelphia. In 1878, Mr. Raymond returned to Westport, Connecticut, having spent the two previous years in business in New York City and Orange, New Jersey. In 1879 he purchased a tract of ground of about six or eight acres, and built a house to which he moved in June, 1880. Mr. Raymond engaged in farming on a small scale, and for about seven years was en- gaged in the contracting and building business. He built his present factory building for another party, with no thought of occupying it himself, never thinking that some day he would be at the head of his own manufacturing enterprise.
In 1887, he purchased a half interest in the Staples Lumber Yard, the firm name becoming Staples & Raymond. This ar- rangement continued satisfactorily for five years, at the end of which time Mr. Raymond bought his partner's interest and for four years engaged in business alone. As an illustration between the business methods then and now, it is in- teresting to note the agreement made between Mr. Raymond and his partner. Mr. Staples took a sheet of letter paper and wrote a note for the purchase price, which Mr. Raymond signed, and that was all the security he asked. This brings us down to 1897, and during all these years Mr. Raymond had continued his farming operations, placing the work in charge of a superintendent.
In 1896 Mr. Raymond contracted to do the mason work on the State street bridge, and he was one of the committee appointed by the town to look after the construction of the new draw. When the contract was made with the King Iron Bridge Company, they let out the mason work to a local builder, who failed to keep his contract, and Mr. Raymond was per- suaded to take it over. When the stone
work was completed, the Bridge Com- pany asked Mr. Raymond to remain and assist in the other work, and he remained with them until the last rivet was driven. During the following twenty-nine years, travel over that bridge was never sus- pended, and when work was started on the present cement bridge, the engineer said the foundation of the old pier, built by Mr. Raymond, was as good as the day it was put in, and the stone work had never cost the town of Westport a penny for repairs.
During his father's latter years, Mr. Raymond assisted him in handling his life insurance business, which had grown to good proportions, and when his father died he succeeded to the agencies he held. During all these years, besides all his other activities, Mr. Raymond has con- tinued to write life insurance, and is now one of the oldest men in the State engaged in this work. For about ten years he has been president of the Norwalk Board of Underwriters.
In 1896 Mr. Raymond organized the Raymond Manufacturing Company, man- ufacturers of specially patented steriliz- ing washers for sanitary laundries. It is Mr. Raymond's own invention and unlike anything else in the world. They are used principally by State, city and county institutions, hospitals for infectious dis- eases, and so forth. The City of New York uses these machines exclusively in its contagious hospitals, and the machines have been shipped to Australia, England, Norway, and other European countries.
In politics Mr. Raymond is a Republi- can, and has served as a member of the School Board for nine years. It was largely due to his efforts that the district school system was abandoned by the town, and the present system of graded schools adopted. Mr. Raymond is a very
294
F
Jos. Feeds Hof
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
public-spirited citizen, and takes a deep interest in the town's affairs.
Mr. Raymond married Elizabeth Wil- kins, daughter of Luke Wilkins, formerly of Utica, New York. She was a sister of Albert J. Wilkins, a sketch of whom ap- pears elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond are the parents of a son, Royal Wilkins Raymond, who is a graduate of Wesleyan University, Middletown, and is treasurer of the Raymond Manufacturing Company. He married (first) Clara L. Hovey, daugh- ter of Dr. Horace Hovey, the well known historian of New Haven, and they were the parents of a son, Horace Hovey, who was a student of Yale College. About fif- teen years ago, he entered the employ of the Anti-Saloon League, and was con- nected with them for many years. Mr. Raymond married (second) Mary Corn- ing. Franklin M. Raymond and his wife attend the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Raymond has served as a mem- ber of its official board for about fifty years.
NEFF, J. Leeds, Real Estate Operator.
The first mention of the surname Neff in America is found in Frankford, Penn- sylvania, in 1749, in which year two brothers, sons of Felix Naf, a pastor of Zurich, Switzerland, settled there. The name is found with many different spell- ings, among them being Naaf, Naef, Neiff, Neyf, Nef, and Naf, meaning nephew. The family in Switzerland was founded by Adam Naf, of Wollenweed, near Cop- pel, a gallant soldier, who distinguished himself by his seizure of the banner of Zurich in the battle near Coppel in 1531 between the followers of the Protestant refugee, Zwingle, and the Roman Catho- lics. Descendants of the family were set-
tled in Wethersfield early in the nine- teenth century, and since that time have scattered throughout Connecticut.
George G. Neff, father of J. Leeds Neff, was born in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. In his young manhood he owned a grocery store in New Haven, and subsequently was in business in New York City as a commission and produce broker. During this time he made his home in Noroton, Connecticut, and Brooklyn, New York. He married Adelaide M. Leeds, daughter of Joseph Harris Leeds, of Darien. (See Leeds line). Mr. and Mrs. Neff were members of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. They are the parents of one child, J. Leeds, of whom further.
J. Leeds Neff was born in New Haven, April 30, 1878, and in early youth lived for a short time with his parents in Hart- ford. Brooklyn, New York, then became his home, and he was there educated in the public schools. Later he was a spe- cial student in scientific and business branches in the Brooklyn Polytechnic In- stitute, and in 1895 he went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he worked under the supervision of an uncle, Pulaski Leeds, in the shops of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. There Mr. Neff learned loco- motive building, and subsequently went to Boston in the employ of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. When twenty-five years of age he could build and run a locomotive, but withdrew from this industry because its possibilities did not appeal to him. For a time he was engaged in the investment business in New York City, and in 1910 located in the Springdale district of Stamford, Con- necticut, foreseeing the growth of an im- portant manufacturing and residential center.
Here, in connection with other business interests, Mr. Neff began real estate oper-
295
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ations, and within the past decade has erected buildings in the vicinity to the value of $150,000. It may be truthfully stated that he has been the principal fac- tor in the development of that section be- tween the years 1911-1921, and his progres- sive, constructive efforts have counted largely in its prosperous upbuilding. About 1917 Mr. Neff constructed a six- family, steam-heated apartment building where previously frame dwellings had been the rule, and although there was much question by older residents and real estate operators as to the advisability of such a step, time has proved its wisdom and value. Mr. Neff is a member of the Suburban Club. During the World War he served as a member of the Home Guard. He has always participated in outdoor sports and is particularly fond of tennis and swimming in cold weather.
(The Leeds Line).
Two brothers, John and William Leeds, once were the main owners of the terri- tory on which the present city of Leeds, England, is built. One of the descendants of William Leeds was a Dr. Leeds, who purchased Caxton Manor, about the mid- dle of the sixteenth century. Three of his descendants came to America about 1650; one settled in Stamford, Connecticut, where the first record of John Leeds is in 1692.
John Leeds, probably of the second American generation, and his wife, Mary Leeds, were the parents of: Jonathan, John, Sarah, Samuel, Ebenezer, and Mary.
The next generation of whom record is found is headed by Cary Leeds, who mar- ried, December 10, 1713, Martha Holly, and died June 7, 1730. They were the parents of: John, born December 13, 1714; Gideon, born May 4, 1716; Eliza- beth; Israel, of whom further; Cary,
born September 4, 1730, after the death of the father.
Israel Leeds, son of Cary and Martha (Holly) Leeds, was born September 29, 1719, and died February 18, 1786. He married, January 27, 1757, Elizabeth Knapp, who died February 1, 1801. They were the parents of: Cary, of whom fur- ther ; Abraham, born February 26, 1761 ; Hannah, born November 29, 1763.
Cary Leeds, son of Israel and Elizabeth (Knapp) Leeds, was born February II, 1758. He married Ann Harris, and they had children: Joseph Harris, of whom further ; Lucy, born April 4, 1801 ; Gideon, born May 29, 1803.
Joseph Harris Leeds, son of Cary and Ann (Harris) Leeds, was born in Stam- ford, Connecticut, March 4, 1799, and died there. He married, February 17, 1833, Mariah E. Scofield, and among their chil- dren was Adelaide M. Leeds, who mar- ried George G. Neff.
WOLFE, Robert Milton,
Specialist in Children's Diseases.
At one time, when referring to the med- ical profession, Abraham Lincoln said : "There is something better than making a living, and that is making a life." We find substantial proof of this wisdom in the life and career of Dr. Robert M. Wolfe, Specialist in Children's Diseases, of South Norwalk, Connecticut. In the years of his practice, Dr. Wolfe has not only alleviated the sufferings of many lit- tle ones, but he has also brought peace to the hearts of parents. Every little life which he saves is a life made, and as an- other great writer has said: "The influ- ence of a human life can never be prop- erly and fully estimated."
Dr. Wolfe was born August 12, 1877, in Hillburn, Rockland county, New York,
296
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
son of Milton and Margaret (Carlough) Wolfe. His father, Milton Wolfe, was born in Falls Village, Connecticut. He learned the trade of carpenter and builder, and after his marriage removed to Hill- burn, New York, where he secured work at his trade in the car-building shop there. This shop was operated in connection with the Ramapo Iron Works. Mr. Wolfe was a skilled workman and soon won the admiration and confidence of his employ- ers. He rose through various positions of responsibility, and for a period of more than twenty years prior to his death was superintendent of construction there. He was a very public-spirited citizen, and was foremost in all matters of general wel- fare. He was a Republican, and served as chairman of the County Republican Com- mittee for many years; he did not seek political preferment, however, and always refused to be a candidate for office. Fra- ternally, he was a Mason of high degree and held membership in the Knights Templar and Mystic Shrine.
Mr. Wolfe married Margaret Carlough, daughter of John Carlough ; she was born in Paterson, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe were the parents of two children : Robert Milton, of further mention; and Georgianna, who became the wife of Ed- ward Roth. The latter is an instructor in heavy artillery in the United States Regu- lar Army.
Robert Milton Wolfe was educated in the public schools of Hillburn and at a private school in New York City. He spent two years in the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, and was graduated from the University of Medicine in 1901. Returning to his native town, Dr. Wolfe became associated with his preceptor in the practice of his profession. The following year he came to South Norwalk, Connecticut, and im-
mediately engaged in practice. From the outset he has made a specialty of chil- dren's diseases, and he has attained suc- cess. He is on the staff of the Norwalk Hospital.
Despite his professional duties, Dr. Wolfe has taken much more than a pas- sive interest in public affairs. Undoubt- edly he inherited something of the public spirit of his father, and as a public servant he has made an honorable record, one that in the retrospect will bring pride to the hearts of his sons and descendants. Dr. Wolfe held the highest office in the power of the voters of Norwalk to give him, mayor, for two terms, and he was the last mayor before Norwalk and South Nor- walk were united under one city govern- ment. He is now serving as president of the Common Council, his second term as a member of that body. Dr. Wolfe's fra- ternal affiliations are with Old Well Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks.
Dr. Wolfe married (first) Hannah Col- bert, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and they were the parents of two sons, Robert Milton, Jr., and Jack D. Wolfe. Dr. Wolfe married (second) Mary Eikie, of New York City.
TAYLOR, Joseph Radburn,
Lawyer.
One of the foremost lawyers of Fair- field county, Connecticut, Joseph Rad- burn Taylor is also among its learned and conscientious citizens. He has achieved distinction in his professional and private life, and the success which he enjoys is well deserved.
The surname of Taylor is derived from an occupation, that of a tailor, which was one of the earliest ways in which a name
297
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
originated. It is found at a very early period in English records.
Benjamin Taylor, father of our subject, was born in Yorkshire, England, and came to America in his early twenties. He lived in New Jersey and Maine, finally locating for a number of years in Annan- dale, New York. He was occupied in various ways until 1871, in which year he removed to Norwalk and entered the em- ploy of the Lounsbury & Bissell Company, later becoming superintendent of the plant, which position he held until he retired from business, this occurring about five years before his death. Mr. Taylor was a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted Masons, and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Taylor married Elizabeth Radburn, who was born in Cheltenham, England, where the Radburn family were long established. Mrs. Taylor came to Amer- ica in her youth and located in Syracuse, New York. She was the mother of five children, four of whom reached maturity, named as follows: I. Annie J., deceased. 2. Emily A., deceased, wife of Zachariah Keasler, of Mount Kisco, New York. 3. Walter T., of Norwalk. 4. Joseph R., of further mention. The family attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Norwalk.
Joseph Radburn Taylor, son of Benja- min and Elizabeth (Radburn) Taylor, was born January 4, 1869, in Annandale, Dutchess county, New York. He was educated in the Norwalk public schools and began the study of law in the office of Honorable John H. Light, of South Nor- walk, being admitted to the bar, May 23, 1890. For about five years Mr. Taylor was associated with Judge Light in the practice of law, and subsequently became a partner of his preceptor under the firm name of Light & Taylor. This partner- ship continued for several years, and since
it was dissolved Mr. Taylor has continued alone in practice. For nearly ten years he was the first prosecutor in the Town Court, and was appointed judge of the City Court, which office he held for a simi- lar period.
In politics, Mr. Taylor is a Republican and gives staunch support to the inter- ests of that party. He served as clerk of the old city of South Norwalk for fifteen years, sufficient warrant of his ability and the esteem in which his constituents held him. Fraternally, Mr. Taylor is a mem- ber of Old Well Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons; Butler Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and the Benevolent nad Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Taylor married Georgiana Hutch- inson, daughter of Andrew Hutchinson, of Norwalk, Connecticut. The latter was born near Belfast, in the north of Ireland, and as a young man came to America and was superintendent of the Norwalk Mills Company for a good many years. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are the parents of two sons: I. Kenneth H., born September 25, 1897, is now with the Bankers' Trust Company of New York City. He spent two and one-half years in Cornell, and then enlisted in the Signal Corps, and was stationed at Fort Wood, New York. Thence, he was transferred to the Medical Corps, in October, 1917, and was sent to Camp Eustis, at Fortress Monroe, Vir- ginia, for overseas duties. They had been held there seven weeks when the armis- tice was signed, and he was then trans- ferred to Fort Wood, and was discharged in July, 1919. 2. Gerald Radburn, born February 9, 1904, and is now a cadet at St. John's School, Manlius, New York.
During the World War our subject was a member of the local Advisory Board, of the Liberty Loan committees, and spoke several nights a week on the Liberty
298
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Loan drives. Outside of his legal busi- ness he serves as a director of the South Norwalk Trust Company, and holds a similar position with the Norwalk Build- ing, Loan and Investment Association. He is also a director of the Country Club Company. Socially, Mr. Taylor is a mem- ber of the South Norwalk Club, and the Roxbury Club. With his family he at- tends the South Norwalk Congregational church and aids in the support of its good works.
MOORE, William J., Optician, Optometrist.
Successful both as a business man and scientist, Mr. Moore stands so promi- nently before the public as to in no way need an introduction from his biographer. Nor is this the case only as regards his friends and neighbors of South Norwalk. The statement applies with equal force to the entire southwestern portion of the State of Connecticut.
The name of Moore, which is an old one, is derived from residence at a boggy heath or moor, and the family, which is very numerous in England, Scotland and Ireland, was founded in America during the Colonial period of our history.
(I) William Moore, grandfather of Wil- liam J. Moore, of South Norwalk, married Mary Powell.
(II) William (2) Moore, son of Wil- liam (1) and Mary (Powell) Moore, be- gan to follow the sea during his boyhood. He was among the first of those who developed the oyster industry, and was connected with that business until about eighteen years ago, when he entered the service of the Standard Oil Company, at Wilson's Point, Rowayton. While a staunch Republican, he has never been a politician. He is a charter member of the
Rowayton Hose Company, and belongs to Lincoln Council, No. 4, Senior Order of United American Mechanics. He mar- ried Ida Papa, born in Oswego, New York, her father a native of France. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore took up their abode in Rowayton, where they have ever since continued to reside. The following children were born to them: William J., mentioned below ; Florence, married Lieutenant Benjamin F. Parker, of the New York Fire Depart- ment; Ida Marie; and one who died in childhood. The family are members of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church.
(III) William J. Moore, son of Wil- liam (2) and Ida (Papa) Moore, received his education in local public schools and at Brown's Business College. Norwalk. His first employment was in the shop of the Norwalk Lock Company, where he remained several years, continuing his studies in the evenings. Finding himself in circumstances to do so, Mr. Moore went to New York City, where he studied the theory and practice of the trade of an optician, under the instruction of A. Mar- tin. At the end of a year he left Mr. Martin and entered the service of J. P. Reilly, a Brooklyn optician and optome- trist. There he began the study of opto- metry, his preceptor being Dr. John Hutchinson, a well known physician. After pursuing his studies for three years, he took charge of Mr. Reilly's business while the latter devoted himself to ac- quiring a knowledge of the law. During that time Mr. Moore, in addition to taking charge of the business, read law with Mr. Reilly, gaining a very sound knowledge of the fundamental principles of the pro- fession.
Eventually Mr. Moore left Mr. Reilly to take charge of the optical department of A. Hawkins, of New York City, retain-
299
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ing the position seven or eight years, and during that time he purchased the depart- ment and conducted it on his own account. Meanwhile he continued his studies in optometry under the guidance of Dr. Ern- est W. Good, also attending Friedland- er's School of Optometry. In 1912, while still associated with A. Hawkins, Mr. Moore opened an office in South Norwalk, where he transacted business three eve- nings in each week. By the time his lease in New York expired, which was on May I, 1913, his business in South Norwalk had grown to such proportions as to jus- tify him in giving it his entire time. He is the only optician between Stamford and Bridgeport who does his own grinding, and in all departments of the business he has achieved a noteworthy success.
The political principles of Mr. Moore are those upheld by the Democratic party, and for a number of years he has been active in municipal affairs. For two years he represented the Second District in the Board of Aldermen, and for a time filled the office of justice of the peace, his know- ledge of law standing him in such good stead that not one of his decisions was ever reversed. He also served as police commissioner of the city of Norwalk. He is a charter member of the Rowayton Hose Company.
The fraternal associations of Mr. Moore are numerous. He affiliates with Hill Grove Lodge, No. 540, Free and Accepted Masons, of Brooklyn, New York, and the Mouker Grotto, of Norwalk, also the Im- proved Order of Red Men. He belongs to Lincoln Council, No. 4, Senior Order of United American Mechanics, of Roway- ton, and is a member and past councillor of President William McKinley Council, No. 176, Junior Order of United Ameri- can Mechanics, of Brooklyn. He has
served as deputy State councillor of New York.
That Mr. Moore is a man of complex personality appears in the fact that he possesses the essential qualities of both a business man and a scientist, and with them he unites a mind capable of acquir- ing and applying the principles which constitute the foundation of the theory and practice of the law. In addition to these his mental equipment includes yet another set of attributes, those necessary for success in historic endeavor. He is keenly interested in amateur minstrels and has coached, with very gratifying re- sults, a number of local shows for various organizations. Over and above this, he has achieved, in the role of a black-face comedian, a high degree of local celebrity. His clubs are the South Norwalk, and the Trinity Club of Trinity Protestant Epis- copal Church.
Mr. Moore married Blanche Ethel Mor- ris, of Brooklyn, New York, a representa- tive of a family of very ancient origin.
The name Morris is said to be derived from two sources, one of native Welsh origin, the other coming from the Conti- nent of Europe. It is variously spelled. and is compounded with certain initial expressions, as DeMont, Fitz, Clan and others. When these latter occur and when the name is spelled Maurice, it may generally be regarded as of Continental origin, and perhaps of Moorish derivation, coming from Africa by way of Spain and Western Europe at an early period. The Morrice dance and the several branches of magic lore were introduced into those regions by natives of Morocco. Several magnates bearing the names of Morrice, Fitz-Morrice and Mont-Morrice attended William the Conqueror to England and acquired land there. The name is also
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.