USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 3 > Part 26
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Frederick A. Traut acquired a large
estate near Berlin, Germany, his fortune arising from the invention of a wood ve- neering machine which came into univer- sal use. The political upheavals of his period caught him in their meshes, caus- ing him to sell his estate and remove to the city of Berlin. Later he came to the United States, located in New Britain, Connecticut, where he was identified with the firm of Hall & Knapp.
Justus A. Traut, son of Frederick A. Tratt, was born in Pottsdam, Germany, in 1839, died in New Britain, Connecticut, in 1909. He completed a course of study in the gymnasium at Berlin when but fifteen years of age, being the youngest member of his class. His father in the meantime had gone to the United States and in 1854. after graduation, the son joined his father in New Britain, that "City of Inventions." He also obtained a position with the firm of Hall & Knapp. continuing until that company was ab- sorbed by the Stanley Rule & Level Com- pany in 1856. He then transferred his services to the new owners, and for over half a century contributed to its great- niess. He inherited his father's inventive genius and added to the family fame through his many inventions, numbering over three hundred, for which patents were issued. The special line which occtt- pied the genius of this "king of inventors" was the invention and perfection of tools and instruments used by carpenters and wood workers, also instruments of pre- cision used by constructive mechanics and engineers the world over. These, when placed upon the market, with the style and finish characteristic of every tool and instrument which bore the trade mark of the Stanley Rule & Level Com- pany, gained the instant attention of the trade and when placed in actual use quick- ly demonstrated their practical value to mechanic and engineer. While tools and
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instruments gave him his iame as an in- ventor, he went far afield, and there are inany inventions used in the home and elsewhere which bear his name. He did not confine himself strictly to the Stanley Rule & Level Company, but was identified with other manufacturing corporations as director, and in 1888 organized the Traut &: Hine Manufacturing Company, of which he was president until his death. He was a great lover of out-of-door life and a devoted student of nature. He served on the board of directors of New Britain General Hospital from its organi- zation, and held many city and town offices.
Mr. Traut married Louisa B. Burck- hardt, daughter of Christian B. Burck- hardt, of Giessen, Upper Hesse Province, Germany. They were the parents of two sons who grew to adult years: George WV., of further mention, and Frank L., vice-president of the Traut & Hine Com- pany. Mrs. Traut died in 1887.
George Washington Traut. elder son of Justus A. and Louisa B. (Burckhardt) Traut, was born in New Britain, Connec- ticut, February 22, 1869. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and at the completion of his high school course in 1888 at once began work in the line of activity in which his father and his grand- father had won such enviable reputation. He was endowed with their love of ine- chanical and manufacturing operations, and had not his path led along the line of executive and managerial responsibility, he would have been as great a success in the mechanical department. In 1888 his career as a manufacturer began with the establishment of the Traut & Hine Manu- facturing Company, of which his honored father was founder and head. George W. Traut was chosen treasurer of the com- pany, and from 1888 until 1909 was also general manager. The company has had
a most successful career and holds honor- able position among the industrial enter- prises of New Britain. On the death of his father in 1909, Mr. Traut succeeded him as president of the company, also holding in connection with the executive management the office of treasurer. He is also a director of the Savings Bank of New Britain, the New Britain National Bank and the United States Fastener Company of Boston. This record of the business activities of three generations is one of unusual interest, and stands as an- other proof that in the transplanting process German efficiency does not lose its potency, but in this free soil and gen- erous atmosphere gains additional force and strength.
He has long taken a deep interest in the New Britain General Hospital, of which his father was one of the founders, and is now a member of the board of directors. He is a Republican in politics, and as a member of Common Council rendered valued service to the cause of good gov- ernment. For twelve years he has been a member of the Board of Education and a warm friend of the public school system. He is a member of the South Congrega- tional Church ; Harmony Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Giddings Chapter. Royal Arch Masons; Doric Council, Royal and Select Masters, of New Britain; Washington Commandery, Knights Templar ; and Sphinx Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His clubs are the New Britain, Farmington Coun- try and Turn Verein of New Britain. From his own experience and as a guide to true success in life, Mr. Traut empha- sizes : "Absolute honesty and faithful- ness, perseverance in business affairs and fair treatment to every one." These are the principles by which his own career has been guided and from the fullness of his success their value is proven.
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Mr. Traut married, May 1, 1895, Amalie A. B. Sternberg, daughter of A. C. Stern- berg, of West Hartford. They are the parents of five children : Justus A., died in infancy; Elizabeth, Francesca I., Am- alie L. and Anna C. The family home is "Traut Lodge," New Britain.
BURRALL, John Milton, Manufacturer.
The Burrall family in this line is of pure English descent, the family one of worth and influence in England from an early period, and it has been represented in this country for several centuries, its members in the various generations rank- ing among the prominent and progressive citizens of this Commonwealth.
(I) The earliest known ancestor of the line of the Burrall family herein followed was William Burrall, a native of England, a chemist and refiner of metals, who was induced to come to America in 1715 by the owner of copper mines in Simsbury, Connecticut. The headquarters were located in Boston, Massachusetts, where Mr. Burrall resided for a time, removing to Simsbury, Connecticut, about 1720. He married (first) Joanna Westover, who remained in England, and shortly after his arrival here she died at Redworth, England. He married (second) Hannah, widow of Thomas Welton, of Waterbury, to whom she was married March 9, 1714; he died in Waterbury, April 9, 1717. She was born March 12, 1694, daughter of Josiah and Hannah (Westover) Allford, of Simsbury. William Burrall died in Connecticut, 1723.
(II) Colonel Charles Burrall, son of William Burrall, was born February 21, 1720, in Simsbury, Connecticut, and died October 7, 1803. He settled in Canaan, Connecticut, of which town he was one of the grantees, probably before 1750, and
was its representative in the General Court in 1760-61-62-63, 1766, 1769, 1770- 71-72-73-74, 1778-79, 1781-82-83, 1785-86- 87-88. In 1769 he was styled captain, 1770 major, and in 1778 and thencefor- ward colonel. He received his commis- sion as colonel from Governor Trumbull, and led the troops of that State in the bat- tle of Ticonderoga. His regiment was the Fourteenth Connecticut Militia, which did such good service under General Gates in New York in 1777, and later at Bennington, Vermont. He married for his second wife, December 25, 1746, Abi- gail Kellogg, born September 28, 1728, and died January 28, 1789.
(III) Captain Charles (2) Burrall, son of Colonel Charles (I) Burrall, was born February 18, 1751, and died January 17, 1820. He also represented the town of Canaan, Connecticut, in the State Legis- lature in 1789-90, 1792-93-94-95. He mar- ried Anna Beebe, of Canaan, Connecticut.
(IV) Charles (3) Burrall, son of Cap- tain Charles (2) Burrall, married Lucy Beach, and among their children was. John Milton, of whom further.
(V) John Milton Burrall, son of Charles (3) and Lucy (Beach) Burrall, was born in Canaan, Connecticut, January 8, 1817. He was educated in the schools of Canaan and Hartford Academy, and after com- pleting his studies he served an appren- ticeship at the trade of cabinetmaking in Hartford, of which city he was a resident four years. He then engaged in business in Plymouth and conducted the same until October, 1849, in which year he formed a partnership with George Root, of Waterbury, and they established a fur- niture store on East Main street, Water- bury, under the firm name of J. M. Bur- rall & Company. In 1852 a building was erected at No. 60 Banks street, where the partners conducted a furniture and un- dertaking business under the name of
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Burrall & Root, and later the business was conducted under the names of J. M. Burrall & Sons and J. M. Burrall & Com- pany. Mr. Burrall was one of the oldest business men in Waterbury, also one of the most successful, conducting his busi- ness along honorable and straightforward lines, winning and retaining the respect and esteem of all with whom he had busi- ness relations. He was also one of the oldest directors of the Waterbury Na- tional Bank, a director of the Waterbury Savings Bank, a member of the Common Council, a member of the Board of Relief, a member of the District School Com- mittee in 1859, in which work he took an active interest, and was one of the orig- inal members of the Citizens Engine Company, No. 2, of Waterbury. Mr. Bur- rall married (first) July 8, 1841, Mary Louise Coley, born in Plymouth, Connec- ticut, and died January 29, 1889. Their children are: Charles Homer, who died in Plymouth, Connecticut, October I, 1842; Lucy Marion, born May 8, 1844, died March 9, 1866; Edward Milton, born May 24, 1848, died November 4, 1901, married, May 17, 1877, Mary Eunice Booth, daughter of John C. Booth, men- tioned at length in following sketch; and Charles William, of whom further. Mr. Burrall married (second) April 9, 1894, Mrs. Mary J. Bunnell.
(VI) Charles William Burrall, son of John Milton and Mary Louise (Coley) Burrall, was born in Waterbury, Connec- ticut, April 10, 1850. He acquired a prac- tical education in the schools of his native city, and for many years thereafter he was successfully engaged in business pur- suits, having been a member of the J. M. Burrall & Company, established by his father, which was a very thriving establishment, engaged in the furniture trade. He is now (1916) living retired at Union City, near Waterbury. He mar-
ried, October 2, 1872, Cora LeRoy Pritch- ard, born in Waterbury, Connecticut, died aged forty-three years, daughter of George and Frances Jeannette (Scott) Pritchard. Three children were born of this marriage: John Milton, of whom further ; Lucy Beach and Mary Frances, both living unmarried in Waterbury.
(VII) John Milton (2) Burrall, only son of Charles William and Cora LeRoy (Pritchard) Burrall, was born in Water- 'bury, Connecticut, August 13, 1873. He was educated in the local schools and a business college. At the age of twenty- one years he entered the works of the American Ring Company, where he in time mastered all the details of the busi- ness and rose gradually to the positions of secretary and general manager, in which capacities he has served since 1911. He is possessed of personal qualities that make him popular, and is very well known in the city of Waterbury, in all of whose interests he takes advanced ground. He is a member of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, and of the Waterbury and Country clubs of Water- bury. Politically he acts with the Repub- lican party, and has filled important posi- tions in the city government, among them that of a member of the Board of Public Safety, and alderman from the Third Ward under the administration of Mayor Hotchkiss. He has been very active in promoting the interests of the State Militia of Connecticut, and is a charter member of Company H, Second Infantry. In this he filled the offices of first lieuten- ant, battalion adjutant of the Second Bat- talion, and was very popular among his comrades. Mr. Burrall is still a young man and gives promise of further activi- ties in promoting the advancement of various interests of the city of Water- bury, of which he is justly proud.
Mr. Burrall married in New York City,
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May 20, 1905, Inez Hart, born in Newark, New Jersey, daughter of Era Thomas Hart, a prominent manufacturer of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Burrall are the par- ents of three children: John Milton, born April 3, 1908; Henry Driggs, No- vember 15, 1911 ; Stephen Hart, February 21, 1913.
BURRALL, John Booth, Business Man, Financier.
There is a very appropriate admiration in this country for the type which we most aptly term the self-made man, for the man who has started from humble beginnings and worked his way up to a place of prominence in the community. The admiration is appropriate because, beyond question, these men are the most characteristic of American types, the type to which we owe the great material de- velopment which this country has en- joyed in the few centuries of its existence. Yet we should not forget, because of our admiration, that, although of rarer occur- rence, although less typical, there is an- other class that, as individuals, are deserving of an equally great meed of praise and approval. These are the men who have started as children of wealth and yet made themselves important and worthy factors in the life of the com- munity. For the temptations of wealth are not less than those of poverty, nay, rather more for in the latter case the sting of necessity adds a compelling impulse to our good resolutions to succeed, which, in an environment of ease and plenty, must undertake our salvation unaided. The feeling of discouragement at having to face the world without assistance is doubtless bitter, yet it is not more diffi- cult to overcome than the temptation not to face it at all which those who are born with silver spoons must contend against.
And then, too, that bracing and strength- ening of the moral tissues that comes with the necessity to labor from an early age is lacking in the lives of those who, in popular phrase, are called the for- tunate, who must, if they would make themselves laborers in the great fields of human endeavor, make a conscious effort to perform much that, with the other, has become a mere habit. So it is that we must yield an equal credit to those who, having overcome the difficulties of good fortune, are become a part of the active portion of the community, who have made their lives significant in the general sum of human effort. Such a man is John Booth Burrall, of Waterbury, Connecticut, one of the youngest, yet most prominent, figures in the industrial and financial world of that flourishing city.
Mr. Burrall's father was Edward Mil- ton Burrall, one of the most prominent manufacturers of Waterbury during the last generation, and president of the American Ring Company, manufacturers of artistic brass goods and other metal work. He was a member of the Water- bury Board of Hope, an early organiza- tion connected with the church and Sun- day school. Mr. Burrall, Sr., met his death on November 4, 1901, in New York City, and is survived by his wife, who was Mary Eunice Booth, of Waterbury, daughter of John C. Booth, to whom he was married May 17, 1877, and who is now residing with her son, the Mr. Bur- rall of this brief sketch.
John Booth Burrall was born on Octo- ber 14, 1879, in Waterbury, Connecticut, and received the earliest portion of his education in the local private schools. In the year 1884, having reached the age of fifteen years, he was sent to the Taft School at Waterbury, where he prepared himself for a college course. In 1898,
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after four years spent in this institution, he matriculated at Yale University, where he distinguished himself as an apt and industrious scholar, and graduated with the class of 1902. Shortly after Mr. Bur- rall entered the employ of the American Ring Company, of which his father had recently been president, and thus began his career in the business world in which he was soon destined to become so impor- tant a figure. The American Ring Com- pany is one of the oldest concerns in Waterbury, having been established as early as the year 1810 and incorporated in 1852. It has known over a century of well nigh uninterrupted prosperity, and of comparatively recent years under the able management of the Burralls, father and son, has grown to very large pro- portions. For Mr. Burrall did not long remain in a subordinate position, but be- came treasurer of the corporation, and president in 1914, an office which he holds at the present time. But although he is, perhaps, more closely identified with the American Ring Company than with any other concern, his business interests are by no means limited to it and he is asso- ciated with a great number of important institutions, financial and industrial in various official capacities. He is a mem- ber of the executive committee of the Colonial Trust Company, a trustee of the Dime Savings Bank and a director of the Morris Plan Bank, all of Waterbury. He is also president of the Plume and At- wood Manufacturing Company of Water- bury, and a director in the following con- cerns: The American Pin Company, the Waterbury Castings Company, the Homer D. Bronson Company and the Waterbury Hotel Corporation.
Even for a man who had spent a long lifetime in control of great business inter- ests such tasks, as involved by the various offices held by Mr. Burrall, might well
prove an exacting burden which would leave but little time for taking part in any other aspects of the community's life. It is all the more surprising, therefore, to note in so young a man the ability to discharge these tasks adequately and yet reserve time for other occupations and pastimes. For Mr. Burrall is a conspicu- ous figure in the social life of Waterbury and a member of many prominent clubs. Among these should be mentioned the University Club and the Yale Club of New York City, the Graduates Club of New Haven, the Waterbury, the Home and the Country clubs of Waterbury and the Country Club of Farmington, Con- necticut. Mr. Burrall is an Episcopalian in religion and a member of St. John's Church in Waterbury.
The career of Mr. Burrall is as yet but beginning, but it is a beginning of a kind that promises brilliant things for the future. To a man of his talents and ver- satility very few doors are closed and his many friends and admirers are not un- warranted in looking forward to a large accomplishment. For not the least of Mr. Burrall's achievements is that he has many friends, adding, as he does, to his other talents that of winning and retain- ing the affection of his associates.
On May 20, 1916, Mr. Burrall married Margaret Fallon Barber, daughter of William Hassett and Agatha (Ottman) Fallon, of New York City.
HAMPSON, Robert William,
Merchant.
Robert William Hampson, one of the successful merchants of Waterbury, Con- necticut, is a descendant of an excellent English family, the seat of the family for a number of generations being the city of Manchester, which is the great center of the cotton manufacture of the northwest
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of England, also a depot for all kinds of textile fabrics, and does a very large export trade.
Thomas and Sarah (Knight) Hampson, grandparents of Robert William Hamp- son, lived and died in Manchester, Eng- land, and their son, Thomas Hampson, father of Robert William Hampson, was born in Manchester, in which city he spent the greater part of his life, sub- sequently emigrating to the United States, making his home in New Haven, Connecticut. He was accompanied by his wife, Sarah (Aucock) Hampson, who was of Smaith, Yorkshire, England, and four of their five children, all of whom are now living in the United States. Their children are: Ada, the wife of Amos H. Osborne, of Waterbury, Connecticut ; Lewis, a resident of Springfield, Massa- chnsetts; Phillip Henry, a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Robert Wil- liam, of whom further ; Charles Goodwin, born in Hartford, Connecticut, and now a resident of New York City. Thomas Hampson (father) died in New Haven, in 1872.
Robert William Hampson was born in Manchester, England, July 1, 1868. He was brought by his parents to this coun- try, where he resided until he was four years old, when, upon the death of his father, he was sent back to England, having relatives in Manchester, and in the schools of that city he received his education. At the age of fifteen years he returned to the United States and at once secured employment in the shipping room and office of the Waterbury Button Com- pany, Waterbury, Connecticut, where he remained five years. He thien entered the employ of the L. F. Haase Company, who conducted a retail wall paper, carpet and drapery establishment. Shortly after- ward he became secretary of the com- pany, with whom he remained for eight years. In 1900 he engaged in the furni-
tnre business, forming the stock company known as the Hampson-Sellew Furniture Company, which continued until 1909, and then, after erecting a new building on the south side of Waterbury's Green, the present firm of Hampson, Mintie & Abbott, Incorporated, was formed. The new corporation's success in the furniture business has been phenomenal up to the present time (1916) and promises still better for the future. Its trade has grown enormously and the partners have established for it a reputation for integ- rity and straightforward dealing second to none in the city. Mr. Hampson now occupies a prominent place among the merchants and business men of the city and is regarded by them as a leader. He is an ex-president of the Waterbury Busi- ness Men's Association now absorbed by the new Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Hampton is a conspicuous figure in the general life of Waterbury, a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He at- tends the First Congregational Church of Waterbury.
Mr. Hampson married, October 18, 1893, at Waterbury, Connecticut, Annie Russell, a native of that city, daughter of Dr. Isaac N. and Flora (Sackett) Russell. Dr. Russell died in 1902, having been for many years one of the leading dentists of Waterbury, and Mrs. Russell, a native of Warren, Connecticut, resides at the present time in Waterbury. Mr. and Mrs. Hampson are the parents of one child, Edmund Russell, born July 26, 1894, now a student at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, class of 1918.
HULL, Hadlai Austin,
Lawyer, Legislator, Soldier.
The Rhode Island Hull family which descends from the Halls of Somerset- shire, England, is one of the oldest in
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New England, and members of this fam- ily have been prominent in business, political and military circles for gener- ations. In Hadlai Austin Hull, of New London, Connecticut, a descendant of Jo- seph Hull, an early settler of Rhode Island, and his wife, Hannah (Perry) Hull, a cousin of Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the "Battle of Lake Erie," is found a worthy representative.
Hadlai Austin Hull was born in Ston- ington, New London county, Connecticut, August 22, 1854, son of Joseph and Mary Ellen (Fish) Hull, the former named having served in the capacity of school teacher, also actively engaged in the sea- faring and whaling industry, and grand- son of Hadlai Fish, a representative of a family who were among the early settlers of Stonington and Groton, Connecticut, in the development and improvement of which localities they took an active and prominent part. On the maternal side Mr. Hull is a lineal descendant of John P. Babcock, who was killed by General Arnold at Groton Heights, Connecticut, September 6, 1781.
Hadlai Austin Hull spent the early years of his life amid rural surroundings, gaining health and strength from the various pursuits connected with the con- duct of a farm, and considerable of his time was also spent in a grist mill, thor- oughly mastering the details of that line of work. His preparatory education was obtained by attendance at the Natchaug High School in Willimantic, after which he pursued a course of study in Amherst College, which he attended for one year. The following three years were spent as a teacher, for which profession he was well qualified, and then, having decided upon the profession of law for his life- work, he entered Yale Law School, from which institution he was graduated in
1880. In August of that year he began the active practice of his chosen line of work in his native town, and there re- mained for a number of years, removing thence to New London, where he con- tinued his practice and made his home, and the interest he displays in every case entrusted to him, together with his ability and thoroughness in every detail, is the secret of the success which has attended his efforts. During President Cleveland's administration, Mr. Hull acted as collec- tor of the port of Stonington; in 1884 represented that town in the State Legis- lature ; was a member of the Stonington Board of Education in 1884; for twelve years served as prosecuting attorney of the Criminal Court of Common Pleas of New London county ; and on March 3, 1906, was appointed State's Attorney. Mr. Hull displayed his patriotism by offering his services to the government of his country in time of need, which was the period of the Spanish-American War, when he recruited and became captain of Company H, and later major of the Third Battalion, Third Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He also organized the First Company, Coast Artillery, in the Con- necticut Militia, and is now a retired major, Coast Artillery. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of New Lon- don, a thirty-second degree Mason and a Shriner, and an adherent of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands, but casts his vote for the candidates best qualified for office, irre- spective of party affiliation. He is an enthusiastic advocate of out-door sports, his favorite pastime being baseball.
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