USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 11 > Part 57
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(IV) Abraham Weed, son of Daniel Weed, was born August 18, 1680. He married and was the father of Abraham, of further mention.
(V) Abraham (2) Weed, son of Abra- ham (1) Weed, was born in that part of Stamford now included in New Canaan, January II, 1727-28. He married Naomi Pond.
(VI) Enos Weed, son of Abraham (2) and Naomi (Pond) Weed, was born March 14, 1731-32. The Christian name of his wife was Mary.
(VII) Lieutenant Seth Weed, son of Enos and Mary Weed, was born January 30, 1752. He was a member of the First Company, 5th Regiment, under Captain David Waterbury (later colonel), and Lieutenant Jonathan Whitney, in May, 1775. This regiment marched to New York under General Wooster. Seth Weed
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was commissioned lieutenant, January I, 1777, and resigned September 30, 1777. In June, 1776, he was in Captain Hall's company under command of Lieutenant- Colonel Thomas Seymour of the Connec- ticut Light Horse, which was ordered to New York for service. In 1779, Seth Weed was in Captain Scofield's company under Major-General Oliver Wolcott during the New Haven alarm. Lieuten- ant Seth Weed and Silas Davenport were appointed to procure provisions needed for the Continental army and State troops. Lieutenant Seth Weed married, January 3, 1771, Hannah Andreas or Andros. He died December 26, 1822. A house which Lieutenant Seth Weed built was remodelled in 1920. It stands on Weed street, about a quarter of a mile south of the Weed homestead.
(VIII) Seth (2) Weed, son of Lieu- tenant Seth (1) Weed and Hannah (An- dreas, or Andros) Weed, was born July 7, 1772, and died January 14, 1833. He was a farmer and with his father owned most of the land through which Weed street, New Canaan, now passes. He married, November 27, 1793, Sally Ayres, born March 27, 1774, died March 5, 1844.
(IX) Samuel Andros Weed, son of .Seth (2) and Sally (Ayres) Weed, was born in New Canaan, November 13, 1799, and died July 7, 1868. For many years he was a wholesale grocer in New York City, during which time he resided there. On his return to New Canaan, he built the house now occupied by Mr. Hanford S. Weed, on his father's property. At this time Mr. Weed retired from business. He was the first president of the first bank organized in New Canaan. Mr. Weed married, April 7, 1835, Anna Smith, born March 14, 1799, died March 23, 1894, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Tall- madge) Smith, of New Canaan.
(X) Seth Chauncey Weed, son of Sam-
uel Andros and Anna (Smith) Weed, was born May 4, 1838, and died January 26, 1896. He attended Rockwell's schools in New Canaan, and prepared for college at Hoyt's private school at Niagara Falls. . About this time his father opened a hard- ware store in New Canaan, and Seth C. Weed took charge of the management of this store. He continued in this business for some years, finally resigning to travel with his wife. Mr. Weed married, June 19, 1862, Jane Amelia Smith, daughter of Hanford and Naomi C. (Wortendyke) Smith, of New York City, and their chil- dren were: I. Jennie C. A., born April 23, 1863, a member of Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter, Daughters of the Amer- ican Revolution. Miss Weed is past regent, and was active in Red Cross work during the World War. 2. Amanda P., born September 16, 1865; she is now regent of the above named chapter and also was active in aiding the Red Cross. 3. Samuel Andros, born December 4, 1866, died September 10, 1914. 4. Hanford Smith, of further mention. 5. Chauncey James, born October 23, 1870, died Feb- ruary 5, 1872. 6. Sherman Chauncey, born March 20, 1872. 7. Naomi W., born February 1I, 1874, a member of Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and was active in Red Cross work. 8. William St. John, born January 27, 1875. The family still own the three Weed homesteads, their great-great-grandfather's and their great- grandfather's and they make their home in their grandfather's homestead. For many years the family have attended St. Mark's Episcopal Church and aid in its good works.
(XI) Hanford Smith Weed, son of Seth Chauncey and Jane Amelia (Smith) Weed, was born in New Canaan, October 3, 1868. He was educated in the public schools, and spent two years at Rev. Dr.
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Sugene Alverd
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Selleck's school, Norwalk, and two years at the King School, Stamford. In 1891, Mr. Weed received his degree of B. A. from Yale College, and in 1893 received his degree of LL. D. from the New York Law School. The same year Mr. Weed was admitted to the New York bar, and some time later to the Connecticut bar. . After association in practice with other attorneys in New York for about three years, Mr. Weed opened an office of his own in New York, in 1896, where his prin- cipal practice has been, although he has a large and growing practice in New Ca- naan and vicinity. Mr. Weed specializes on surrogate and probate work and real estate law and has the care of many estates.
Mr. Weed is a Democrat in politics, and has been very active in the work of his party. He is not a politician, but takes a very sincere and earnest interest in public affairs, especially as concerns the town where he and his ancestors for so many generations were born. For a number of years he served as justice of the peace and as a member of the board of finance. He went to the convention that nominated the candidate for State Senator in 1912, pledged to support an- other candidate for the nomination, one of the county's most estimable citizens, but it developed that, because of certain pro- fessional activities in connection with lit- igation, that candidate at that time would not be acceptable to the voters of his party, and so quite unexpectedly Mr. Weed was nominated for the office and was elected. As a member of the State Senate, in 1913, Mr. Weed served as chairman of the committee on banks and banking, chairman of the finance commit- tee, and chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments. These ap- pointments were a signal honor, as it has been very rare in the history of the State
that a man at one session has been made chairman of so many committees. But it was only a just recognition of his ability, indefatigable industry and patriotic de- votion to public duty. The committee on banking revised the entire banking laws of the State, and so thoroughly and satis- factorily was the work done that since that time very few and those minor changes have been made in the laws as then adopted. Mr. Weed has another unique distinction, that is, that every bill that he in his capacity as chairman of a committee approved was enacted into law and every bill that he disapproved failed of enactment. He also served as a member of several other committees: Towns and probate districts, Putnam memorial camp contested elections, and Senate appointments.
Mr. Weed is a member of the Yale Club of New York, and of the Norwalk and Roxbury clubs. He is held in high es- teem among his fellow-citizens, and takes his place among the leading men of Fair- field county.
WEED, Eugene Augustus, Contractor and Builder.
From the beginning of time the build- ers of the world have left their mark on the pages of history. In this day, when it is hard to believe that there is anything further to be said or written in the story of construction, still the builder puts him- self, his best, into his work, and to the discerning observer there is individuality and meaning in the edifices which to the multitude signify only use or shelter. In the structural development of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, Eugene Augustus Weed has had a large share.
(III) Abraham Weed, son of Daniel and Ruth Weed (q. v.), was born August
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18, 1680. He married, April 11, 1706, he operated for himself. The rapidly in- Susannah Bell.
(IV) Abraham (2) Weed, son of Ab- raham (1) and Susannah (Bell) Weed, married, January II, 1727 or 1728, Na- omi Pond.
(V) Peter Weed, son of Abraham (2) and Naomi (Pond) Weed, was born March 29, 1745. He married, June I, 1768, Esther Bouton.
(VI) Zenas Weed, son of Peter and Esther (Bouton) Weed, was born Au- gust 24, 1790. He lived the greater part of his life in New Canaan, Connecticut. He was an industrious, thrifty man, and besides following farming was a skilled shoemaker. He married Betsey R. Com- stock, daughter of Abijah and Betsey (Raymond) Comstock. This family were descendants of William Comstock, an early settler of New London.
(VII) Rufus Weed, son of Zenas and Betsey R. (Comstock) Weed, was born in New Canaan, Connecticut. He received a thorough grounding in the essentials of education in the public schools of that town. He then learned the shoemaker's trade. But he was not a young man to sit quietly down and watch the world pass by him, and he looked upon his trade more as an equipment in case of emer- gency than as a definite life work. He left home at an early age and went to New York City, where he secured a posi- tion as clerk in a grocery store. He re- mained there until he had acquired a working knowledge of the business, then opened a store for himself. His location was the corner of Seventeenth street and Tenth avenue, quite well uptown some seventy-odd years ago. He continued in business for some years, then was offered an excellent position on the police force of New York City, which he accepted. Later he resigned and went into draying. In this line, as in the grocery business,
creasing trade of the Metropolis made this a profitable venture. He increased his equipment judiciously, and after he had acquired a sufficient sum of money for further ventures disposed of the busi- ness to advantage and went to Wiscon -. sin. This was in 1855, and he found him- self one of the early pioneers of that State. He bought a quarter section of land, erec- ted a house for his little family, and re- mained there for seven years. The open spaces appealed to him, and the opportu- nity of shaping the beginnings of the State thrilled him as his ancestors had been thrilled by early Colonial life in the East. In 1862, still imbued with the pioneer spirit, he pressed farther West, removing to Minnesota. Here he again established himself and his family, and here he died in the home he had chosen for himself rather than any place circumstances might have apportioned him. His wife was Charlotte Bowman, daughter of Sam- uel Bowman, whose family home was near Freehold, Monmouth county, New Jersey. Of their six children four grew to maturity ; the children were as follows: Zenas, deceased; Eugene Augustus, of whom further; William, deceased; Har- riet, who married James Pike, of Aurora, Brookings county, Dakota; Ithiel; and Charles, of Rochester, Minnesota. The family were members of the Congrega- tional church, of which the father was deacon for many years.
(VIII) Eugene Augustus Weed, the second son of Rufus and Charlotte (Bow- man) Weed, was born in New York City, December 22, 1847. It was in Wisconsin that he began attending school, and he enjoyed only the advantages afforded by the primitive schools of the pioneer coun- try. But many men of orderly minds and a capacity for assimilating information have won their way to success with no
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better start, and Mr. Weed has added his name to this group. In accordance with his family tradition, he made his start in life on his own responsibility, leaving home and coming East. He remained with his grandparents for about a year, in Monmouth county, New Jersey, then went to Portchester, New York, and be- gan to learn the trade of mason. When about seventeen years old he located in Stamford, Connecticut, and followed his trade as a journeyman. He was indus- trious and economical, but what is more important, perhaps, he never was satis- fied with a piece of work unless it was completed in a workmanlike manner. In 1876 he went into business for himself, he had not only his savings with which to build his success, but an established reputation for excellence of work. In his long career Mr. Weed has built innu- merable structures, many of them of vital significance to the industrial and business world of Stamford and vicinity. Note- worthy among these are the Blickensder- fer Typewriter factory, and several build- ings for the Yale & Towne Manufactur- ing Company. Included in his earlier work were the Irving block, since torn down; the Hurlburt block, the first five- story building to be erected in Stamford, which stood at what is now No. 107 At- lantic street; and the Adams four-story block, where the Town Hall now stands. He also built many school houses in Stamford and neighboring towns. In January, 1910, he retired from active business. He is still hale and hearty, and is keenly interested in every phase of pub- lic progress. He has always borne his share in public responsibility, but has al- ways been reluctant to enter the political game. He is affiliated with the Repub- lican party, and served a term of six years as a member of the Park Board. For some years Mr. Weed was a director
of the Blickensderfer Typewriter Com- pany, and is now a director of the Stam- ford Realty Company. He is an hon- ored member of Union Lodge, No. 5, An- cient Free and Accepted Masons; of Rit- tenhouse Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; of Washington Council, Royal and Se- lect Masters; of Clinton Commandery, Knights Templar, of Norwalk; and a member of Pyramid Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Bridgeport.
Mr. Weed married Emily Morrell, daughter of Elijah P. Morrell, a promi- nent public official of Portchester, New York. They have one child, Harry E., of Lakewood, Ohio, who married Minnie E. Wilson, of Stamford, and has two chil- dren, Harriet and Wilson. Mr. Weed has long been identified with the Method- ist Episcopal church, as was his wife, who passed away December 25, 1919, and he has always been active in every move- ment that made for the public good.
WEED, Edgar S., Real Estate and Insurance.
One of the oldest families in Fairfield county, Connecticut, and one which has played an important part in the upbuild- ing of that county, particularly in the city of Stamford, Connecticut, is the Weed family, represented in the present gener- ation by Edgar S. Weed, of Stamford.
(I) Hezekiah (2) Weed, great-grand- father of Edgar S. Weed, was born July 26, 1756, and was a son of Hezekiah (1) Weed, and traced descent to the emigrant, Jonas Weed, through his son, Jonas (2) Weed. Hezekiah (2) Weed married, October 28, 1779, Rebecca Knapp, and they were the parents of Alanson, of whom further.
(II) Alanson Weed, son of Hezekiah (2) and Rebecca (Knapp) Weed, was
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born July 23, 1780, and died March 3, 1849, in New York City. He went to New York at the age of thirteen years and clerked in a store. Eventually, through his good judgment and thrifty habits, he was able to open a store on his own ac- count, and this was situated at East Broadway and Catherine street. For al- most half a century he continued success- fully in business. He married (first) April 8, 1804, Betsey Wilson, Dr. Mitchell officiating ; he married (second) Clorinda Smith, April 27, 1826, Rev. Henry Chase officiating. His first wife died June 25, 1824, his second, December 3, 1857.
(III) Edgar S. Weed, son of Alanson and Clorinda (Smith) Weed, was born in New York City, December 26, 1835, and died in Stamford, Connecticut, July 1, 1890. He was educated in the public schools, and subsequently became a clerk in a grocery store. He removed to Stam- ford, and there entered into a partnership with his brother, Albert G. Weed, under the firm name of A. G. Weed & Brother, and engaged in a similar business. For many years they were among the best merchants of Stamford, and were remark- ably successful in their business life. Mr. Weed finally disposed of his interests to his brother, and was retired for several years before his death. He married Em- ily Bishop, daughter of Edwin and Han- nah (Palmer) Bishop, a native of Stam- ford, and a direct descendant of Rev. John Bishop, of Stamford (1642). Mr. and Mrs. Weed were the parents of ten chil- dren, six of whom grew to maturity. They were: I. Harriet, who married Frank Weed, and now resides in Roch- ester, New York. 2. Edgar Smith, of whom further. 3. Julia D. 4. Herbert Stanley, of whom further. 5. Horace N., a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut. 6. Clarence, a resident of Stamford, Connec- for five years a member of the State
ticut. Mr. and Mrs. Weed and their fam- ily were members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Weed was treasurer for many years.
(IV) Edgar Smith Weed, son of Edgar S. and Emily (Bishop) Weed, was born in Stamford, Connecticut, January 20, 1863. The public and private schools of that city afforded him his early education, and his first step in the business world was with the Yale & Towne Manufac- turing Company, where he remained for ten years. The first eight years were spent as an accountant in the paymaster's department, which was followed by a year in New York City, and on returning to Stamford, Mr. Weed was placed in charge of the pattern work. In 1891 he went to New York City again and entered the employ of the Iron Car Company, re- maining for two years. At that time the health of Mr. Weed was somewhat un- dermined and it became necessary to give up his business interests for a year. From 1898 to 1919, a period of twenty-one years, Mr. Weed was associated with the Dia- mond Ice Company, having charge of their office in Stamford. In the fall of that year he resigned from this position, and in partnership with his brother, un- der the firm name of Weed & Weed, en- gaged in the real estate and insurance business and has prospered from the first. Their business is of a general nature, and although vastly different from the lines followed by Mr. Weed for so many years his business acumen and good judgment are important factors in his success. In politics Mr. Weed is a Republican, and served two years as town auditor. In October, 1918, he was elected town treas- urer, which office he still holds. Frater- nally he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was
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Guard of Connecticut, and for two years served in the Home Guard. His club is the Suburban, of Stamford.
Mr. Weed married (first) Isabella Brennan, daughter of Owen W. Bren- nan, at one time charity commissioner of New York City. He married (second), June 23, 1900, Mary E. Horan, daughter of James J. Horan, of Stamford, who was born July 21, 1874.
(IV) Herbert Stanley Weed, son of Edgar S. and Emily (Bishop) Weed, was born in Stamford, Connecticut, August 27, 1870. He was educated in the public schools, and after eight years in the em- ploy of Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, in 1894 entered the Young Men's Christian Association work as as- sistant secretary of the Stamford Asso- ciation. The following year he went to Sewickley, Pennsylvania, as general sec- retary. In 1900 he became general sec- retary of the Young Men's Christian As- sociation in Stamford, Connecticut, where he remained until 1910, largely increasing the membership and vigorously prosecut- ing association activities, attesting the value of his leadership, and in that year he took up the duties of general secre- tary in Richmond, Indiana. In 1913 he resigned from the Young Men's Chris- tian Association, and was appointed spe- cial agent of the Equitable Life Assur- ance Society of the United States, in Richmond, continuing until the entry of the United States into the World War. He was sought for overseas service in the Young Men's Christian Association, and for twenty months was a part of the "Y" organization with the American Ex- peditionary Forces in France, his previous association experience and friendly un- derstanding of men of all walks of life enabling him to serve efficiently and help- fully in the great work accomplished by
the Young Men's Christian Association in France.
Upon his return to the United States in July, 1919, Mr. Weed became associated with his brother, Edgar S. Weed, in real estate and insurance operations in Stam- ford. Mr. Weed and his family are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. He re- tains an active interest in Young Men's Christian Association affairs, although not as an executive, and was a supporter of the movement that gave Stamford its splendid new Young Men's Christian As- sociation building.
Herbert S. Weed married Elma A. Law, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, and they are the parents of three children: I. Robert L., was a second lieutenant of ar- tillery, receiving his commission in Sau- mur, France. 2. William D., a member of the "Columbia Unit" in the United States during the World War. 3. Ruth Bishop.
WEED, Richmond,
Lawyer, Man of Affairs.
Among the early Colonial families there is none which achieved a more honorable record in early Connecticut history than the Weed family. Its members have been worthy citizens, brave soldiers, and prom- inent men for many generations. The family was founded by Jonas Weed (q. v.).
The venerable home of this ancient race is still standing on the Boston post road in Darien. It is the old styled structure of about two hundred years ago and was built to replace the first house built by Jonas Weed, which was destroyed by fire. The original chimney escaped the general demolition, and the house now standing was built around it, thus pre- serving it as the center of this dwelling.
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(I) "Gentleman" John Weed, the great- grandfather of Richmond Weed, directly descended from the immigrant, was born October 15, 1771. He saw service in the Connecticut Legislature. He mar- ried, December 23, 1799, Sarah Water- bury, a widow.
(II) Henry Davis Weed, son of John and Sarah (Waterbury) Weed, was born August 30, 1803, and died February I, 1875. As a boy he went to Savannah, Georgia, making the greater part of the journey on foot. There were no railroads in that day and probably no vessel bound for the port he desired. In association with his brother, Nathaniel B. Weed, he established a hardware business in Sa- vannah under the firm name of N. B. Weed & Company, which is still carried on by descendants and is the oldest hard- ware concern in the United States. In the course of time Mr. Weed became the head of the firm, the name being changed to H. D. Weed & Company. When the business was started it was retail, but in the passing years has grown to such pro- portions that it has been largely whole- sale. The territory extends into neigh- boring states and many of the surround- ing country stores are supplied. At the outbreak of the Civil War the financial situation of the South was such that Mr. Weed was not able to make his collec- tions, and he accepted cotton in payment of the accounts, which was stored in a building in Savannah. When the army of General Sherman entered the city the cotton was destroyed. It had always been the custom of Mr. Weed to spend his summers at the old homestead in Darien, and during the war he ran the blockade eight times in order to reach the North. In his claim against the United States Government for the cotton destroyed, Mr. Weed was allowed $90,000, and with this money the brick Weed house now stand-
ing in Noroton was built. Immediately after the return of peace, Mr. Weed as- sisted in the establishment of the Freed- men's Bank, but the Southern whites were not yet ready to support such an in- stitution and the venture was necessarily abandoned. This unsuccessful undertak- ing was the cause of Mr. Weed losing many thousands of dollars, but the episode serves to indicate the fine spirit of the man and also his far-reaching business instinct.
Mr. Weed married Sarah M. Dunning, December 10, 1835, daughter of Sheldon C. and Gertrude (Russell) Dunning, of Savannah, Georgia. Mrs. Weed died August 16, 1865. Their children were: Joseph Dunning; John Waring, of fur- ther mention; Edwin G., who is the Pro- testant Episcopal Bishop of Florida; Ger- trude, who died at the age of sixteen years. The family were members of the Christian church, a denomination some- times known as the Campbellites. Henry Davis Weed died February I, 1875, in Savannah, Georgia.
(III) John Waring Weed, son of Henry Davis and Sarah M. (Dunning) Weed, was born July 5, 1845, in Savan- nah, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens, receiv- ing his degree in 1915. Mr. Weed had only been a year there when the Civil War broke out and he went into the Con- federate army. He was in the Signal Service and was out four years, and after the war he returned to Georgia with his horse. He subsequently travelled in Germany a year for his health. On his return he entered Columbia Law School, from which he was graduated in 1869, and was admitted to the bar in New York City. During his lifetime he was en- gaged in the practice of his profession there, and was at one time in partnership with John D. Townsend ; previous to this
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