USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 4 > Part 43
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of his country's integrity, becoming a member of Company C, Second Connec- ticut Volunteer Infantry, which was dis- charged August 7, 1861, at the close of its three months' term. He again enlisted September 21 of the same year, becom- ing a corporal in Company G, Eighth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, where his faithfulness and capacity very soon advanced him to the rank of sergeant. He was promoted, February 7, 1863, to second lieutenant, and on October 22, of the same year, was made first lieutenant of Company E, of the same regiment. He was in command of his company at the engagement at Fort Harrison, Virginia, September 29, 1864, in which engagement he received a wound, which compelled him to go to a hospital. He was sent to McClelland Hospital, at Fortress Mon- roe, and was honorably discharged on account of his injuries, December 15, 1864. Lieutenant Rathbun's rapid ad- vancement testified to his efficiency, faith- fulness and ability, and his popularity with his comrades and superior officers. His promptness in enlisting at the out- break of hostilities received recognition on the part of the State, although it came rather late. He was one of the fifty who re- ceived medals because of their being the first to enlist, accompanied by the follow- ing letter :
STATE OF CONNECTICUT. ADJUTANT GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT. HARTFORD. SIR :- Enclosed find Connecticut Volunteers' medal awarded to members of the First, Second and Third Regiments, Connecticut Volunteers, in accordance with act of Legislature at its Janu- ary session, 1903.
Respectfully,
GEORGE, M. COLE, Adjutant-General.
After his discharge, Lieutenant Rath- bun returned to his home on crutches, and was still for a long time unfitted for
any active employment. In September, 1865, he was appointed postmaster at Mystic Bridge, and with the exception of eight months continued to hold that office until the autumn of 1886, when a change of administration deprived him of his position. He served in all some twenty years, and during his incum- bency the office was advanced from the fourth class to the second class. Upon his retirement from the office of postmaster, Mr. Rathbun engaged in business as an undertaker, soon adding the furniture business, in partnership with Frank Smith, under the name of the Mystic Furniture Company. In this he was successful, and from 1884 until 1893 he also acted as agent for the Adams Ex- press Company at Mystic. In 1902 his son became a partner in the undertaking business. Though he did not receive a liberal education, Mr. Rathbun was a well read man and a very interesting con- versationalist. His reminiscences of ad- venture at sea and in the army were always interesting and eagerly listened to by his neighbors and friends. He was a student of men and affairs, charitable in his estimate of people, benevolent in his treatment of those about him, ever cour- teous and cheerful, and was absolutely without enemies. His political affiliations were naturally with the Republican party, but his only official station was that in which he served under the United States government, which he had previously faithfully served upon the field of battle. He was a member of Williams Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and the Sons of Veterans, his father having been a soldier of the Civil War. His great- grandfather was a soldier of the Revolu- tionary War, and his grandfather in the War of 1812, and thus it appears that this family has ever been patriotic, brave and enterprising. Mr. Rathbun was also a
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member of the Knights of Pythias, An- cient Order of United Workmen, and of Charity and Relief Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, which he joined while at home on a furlough during the war. Like all his family, he was an active worker in the Baptist church, in which he held the office of deacon. In every relation of life he was ever found faithful and true, and is mourned, not only by his family, but by all the people of the community in which he spent a peaceful and exemplary life.
Mr. Rathbun married in Mystic, No- vember 19, 1863, Hannah Ashbey, born at Mystic, in the same house in which she now resides, daughter of Simeon and Hannah (Rathbun) Ashbey, both natives of Groton. Simeon Ashbey was a sea captain. He was the father of two daughters: Fanny, now deceased, was the wife of Roswell S. Edgcomb, now postmaster at Groton, and Hannah, widow of John A. Rathbun. Her chil- dren are: I. Fanny Ashbey, widow of Edwin Elmer Saunders, with children : Walter Scott, John Alden Rathbun, Ed- win Elmer, Stuart Benton and Stanley Rathbun ; John Alden Rathbun Saunders married and is the father of two children : Louise Ashbey and Ruth Wheeler Ting- ley Saunders. 2. Arline, wife of Rob- ert D. Bradley, of West Mystic: has children: Edith Fish, Bertha Louise, Marion Elizabeth, Carl Robert and Frank Harmon; Bertha Louise is the wife of Charles Wesley Collins and they have one son, Charles Wesley, Jr. 3. Eliza- beth Stark, Mrs. Alfred W. Butler. 4. Mary North, wife of Horace Bernard Lamb, and mother of : Elenore May, Dor- othy and Kathryn Rathbun. 5. Simeon Ashbey, died at the age of twenty-seven years. 6. Edgar Alden, married Elsie Ellis Lathrop, and has a son, James Lath- rop Rathbun. All the members of the
family are regular attendants of the Union Baptist Church of Mystic. In this body the father was for many years a deacon, and held in the highest esteem for his irreproachable Christian character and worth as a citizen.
BLAKESLEE, Charles Wells, Jr., Business Man, Public Official.
Seldom do we find a more conspicuous case of the inheritance of virtues and abil- ities from one generation to another than that of the well-known Blakeslee family of New Haven, Connecticut, the record of which for two generations, both in business and the general life of the com- munity, is such as to place the name high among those which are honored for serv- ices done to the city. One of the most conspicuous for talent and merit among the members of this most able family was the late Charles Wells Blakeslee, Jr., whose career deserves long to be remem- bered by his fellow citizens for the ex- ample that he set for business probity and the maintenance of the highest stand- ards of life. His death, which occurred on April 28, 1915, was considered un- timely despite the fact that he was ap- proaching the completion of his seven- tieth year, for his faculties and power for usefulness were entirely unimpaired, and was mourned as a public loss by a large proportion of the community.
Charles Wells Blakeslee, Jr. was born June 9, 1844, in New Haven, Connecti- cut, the city that was to remain his home and the scene of his notable activities throughout his life, the oldest son of Charles Wells Blakeslee, who died in January, 1916. On both sides of the house he comes of splendid old Connec- ticut stock, although his father was born in Massachusetts, and all his associations were with that State and, indeed, with
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the city of New Haven. It was in New Haven that he gained his education, at- tending the excellent public schools there for that purpose, and proving himself an apt and intelligent scholar. His father, a man of unusual business ability, had en- gaged in the contracting business in New Haven at about the time of the birth of
our subject and had succeeded admirably in building up a large establishment. Charles W. Blakeslee, Jr. was not a member of the firm, but was associated with the firm and had charge of the quar- ries. From the time of its foundation by the elder Blakeslee the firm had earned an enviable reputation for the complete- ness and ability with which it carried out its contracts, abiding by the spirit as well as the letter of them, a reputation that, combined with the masterly policy of the father and sons, was the foundation of the immense business that developed. The character of this business was as sat- isfactory as its size and included the con- struction of many of the largest and most important edifices in and about New Haven and many other parts of the State. Much of their work was through public contract and often involved the expendi- ture of millions of dollars. As an ex- ample of the magnitude and importance of their work it should be mentioned that they were among the contractors to whom the city of New York awarded the build- ing of the huge Ashokan aqueduct which conveys the great new water supply of the city from its origin among the Cats- kill mountains. A section of this monu- mental work, four miles in length, was awarded to C. W. Blakeslee & Sons on the east side of the Hudson river which, according to the contract, they were to complete in four years time. So energetic were they, however, in carrying out the work that they were able to finish it some ten months before the agreed period,
while the character of the material and workmanship were such as to win for them the unreserved commendation of the city government and the admiration of even their rival contractors.
Mr. Blakeslee was active in many other departments of the city's life besides the business referred to above, and in every movement in which he took part earned the approbation of his fellows. As a young man he had enlisted in the First Regiment of Connecticut Volunteer Heavy Artillery at the outbreak of the Civil War, but, through no lack of will- ingness on his part, his participation in that momentous struggle was very brief. He was mustered in in the early part of the year 1862, but a few months later was seized with typhoid fever which incapaci- tated him for further service and he was honorably discharged on the first of Au- gust following. He became later a pri- vate in the Second Company, Governor's Horse Guard, and served in that cele- brated body twelve years, rising in that time to the rank of major. He took an active part in local politics and served a number of terms both as councilman and alderman in New Haven, doing efficient service for the community in both capac- ities. He was also extremely prominent in social and club circles in the city and belonged to many important organiza- tions, in all of which he was active. Among these should be mentioned the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the New Haven Historical Society, the Citi- zens' Corps, the Grand Army of the Re- public, the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Founders and Patriots Society. He was an Episcopalian in religious belief and was a conspicuous member of Christ Church, New Haven, and a vestryman for a number of years.
On October 14, 1868, Mr. Blakeslee
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was united in marriage with Grace Caro- line Fowler, also a native of New Haven, born October 18, 1845, a daughter of Tim- othy and Mary Eliza (Stevens) Fowler, old and highly esteemed residents of that city. Mrs. Blakeslee survives her hus- band and one of their four children also survives, Edith May, now Mrs. George Clarence Razee, of New Haven, Connec- ticut.
CHAPPELL, Alfred H., Man of Affairs.
Alfred H. Chappell, in whose death on August 4, 1912, the city of New London, Connecticut, lost one of its most highly respected citizens and most prosperous business men, was a member of a very old Connecticut family, both his paternal and maternal ancestors having lived in the State, the one in New London and the other in Norwich, from the earliest Colonial times. The Chappell line was founded in this country by George Chap- pell, who at the age of twenty years set sail on board the good ship "Christian" from London bound for the New Eng- land colony in 1635. The particulars of his voyage and landing are not known, but in 1637 his name appears as a resi- dent at Wethersfield, where he seems to have remained until somewhere about the year 1650, when he probably removed to New London, then known as Pequot. From that time down to the present date the family has maintained its high posi- tion in the community. The maternal family of Huntington is even more dis- tinguished than the Chappells, many of the Huntingtons having been historical figures, especially at the time of the Revo- lution, in which they took a prominent part in the Continental army. The com- ing of the Huntingtons to this country seems to have been in 1633, when Simon
of that name embarked for the New World, bringing with him his wife and children. He died on the voyage here, but the remainder of the family arrived in safety, and the son, Deacon Simon Hunt- ington, a mere infant at the time, sur- vived and in due course of time became a prominent man in Norwich. The most illustrious figures of this long and dis- tinguished line are probably those of Gen- erals Jabez and Jedediah Huntington, father and son, who at such great sacri- fice threw themselves with all their might into the cause of freedom. The elder, General Jabez Huntington, was most active on the Committee of Safety and was appointed one of the two major- generals to command the Connecticut forces at the opening of the war. Upon the death of the other, General Wooster, he assumed entire command of the militia of his State. The younger man also dis- tinguished himself in that momentous struggle, and was recommended for ad- vancement to the rank of brigadier by General Washington himself.
The parents of Mr. Chappell were Franklin and Hannah Sage (Huntington) Chappell, the latter a granddaughter of General Jedediah Huntington, mentioned above. Franklin Chappell was a man of great prominence in New London in his day, and was well known as an honorable and successful man of business there. Their children were Frank Huntington, born February 4, 1843; William Salston- stall, born April 15, 1847; and Alfred H., the subject of this sketch.
Alfred H. Chappell, third and young- est child of Franklin and Hannah Sage (Huntington) Chappell, was born May 12, 1849, at New London. He was edu- cated at the schools of his native city, re- ceiving there an excellent training, and leaving them to take up his business career directly upon the completion of his
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studies there. In 1865 the great coal business, ever since in the possession of the family, was founded by the two elder brothers, Frank Huntington and William Salstonstall, and a little later Alfred H. was taken into the firm. In 1898 the eld- est and youngest brothers incorporated the business which then became the F. H. & A. H. Chappell Company. The opera- tions of the great concern are carried on on an enormous scale, and two other cities besides New London, namely, New Haven, Connecticut, and Newport, Rhode Island, are included in their sweep. In all three cities the company has wharves for the reception and dispatch of coal and the other commodities in which it deals, such as lumber and builders' materials. There is also an office at No. I Broadway, New York, through which port the coal passes on its way from the mines to Long Island sound and thence to its destination in New England. Thousands of tons of coal and thousands of feet of lumber are thus handled every month, to say noth- ing of the large trade in building sup- plies. It is estimated that no less than one million five hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise is handled annually in the three cities by this great concern. This represents an increase in the volume of business, between two and three times over what it amounted to at the time of incorporation in 1898, an increase which is still continuing with unabated strength, and which has put the concern among the foremost of its kind in New England. The carrying on of these extensive opera- tions necessitates the employment of large numbers of men and all sorts of modern appliances for transportation, in- cluding a large number of motor trucks, all of these means owned by the com- pany and to which they constantly find it necessary to add. During the life of Mr. Chappell he held the position of treas-
urer of the company, and was one of the board of directors which consisted be- sides himself of his elder brother, Frank Huntington Chappell, Frank Valentine Chappell and Donald Chappell. It was due in no small degree to the initiative and resourcefulness of Mr. Chappell, which he was in a position to render effec- tive in his capacity as treasurer, that the great development of the concern noted above has come about. His business tal- ents and capabilities were of an unusual order and rendered him a factor of great moment in the growth of the trade. This has now reached a magnitude such that under the able direction of its present managers there seems little doubt but that it must continue undiminished as a result of its acquired momentum.
Mr. Chappell's great business talent was certainly not the less remarkable from its union in him with a number of traits, not often found with it in the same personality. For Mr. Chappell was a man of the strongest aesthetic appreciation, a natural musician, who devoted much time to the cultivation of his art. He was also of a deeply religious nature, and espe- cially in his youth he gave much time and attention to theology and cognate sub- jects, and contemplated at one time en- tering the ministry of the Episcopal church.
From early youth onwards he showed a marked talent in music, and that to such an extent that it was thought advisable by his parents to cultivate his ability. He took lessons with a number of musi- cians, especially with the well known Pro- fessor Mills of New York City, and learned to play the organ admirably. When a youth of eighteen he had an op- portunity to travel abroad with the Rev. Mr. Halem, of St. James' Church, New London, an opportunity which he em- braced with alacrity, being of that age
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when such a trip is especially dear to the heart. The journey was fraught with most important developments for him, and among other things he was able to carry on his musical studies in Europe for a time. Upon his return he took a number of positions as organist in vari- ous churches in New London, enjoying thoroughly the relaxation which this occupation gave him from the labors of the week.
The history of Mr. Chappell's religious experience is one of great interest and indicates clearly the type of his character. His youthful associations were all with the Congregational church, his family having been actively connected with that body for many years. His maternal grandfather was a very well known Con- gregational clergyman in his day, the Rev. Daniel Huntington, D. D., and an uncle was the first pastor of the "Old South Church" of Boston. His parents were both members of that church, and of the strictest type. Indeed Mr. Chap- pell himself may be said to have inher- ited his share of the "Puritan conscience" from his ancestors in the stern old colo- nial days,nor did this almost austere man- ner of regarding his duties and obliga- tions ever leave him, however far he may have departed from their belief. Strong within him, however, was the aesthetic impulse already noted, which urged him strongly towards beauty wherever found. How large a factor this may have been in his religious life and the changes which marked it, is, of course, conjectural, but it may well be supposed to have played its part. During the trip in Europe with the Rev. Mr. Halem, already remarked in connection with his musical studies, Mr. Chappell's interest was greatly awakened in the services of the Episcopal church, in which Mr. Halem was a clergyman, and it was not long before he joined that
body. Returning to the United States, with the purpose of entering the min- istry, he became a student in the well known Berkeley Divinity School at Mid- dletown, Connecticut. The same im- pulses and reasons which led him to aban- don the Congregational form for the Episcopalian, urged him yet further, and it was not a great while afterwards that he joined the Roman Catholic church. Here, at length, he found rest from his questionings, and during the remainder of his life he continued staunch in that faith and a devoted member of the St. Mary's Parish, in New London. Mr. Chappell's personality was a many-sided one, and his interests very broad and varied. He was very prominent in social circles, not only in his native city, New London, but also in New York, where he was a member of many prominent and select clubs.
The marriage of Mr. Chappell took place on April 14, 1875, to Adelaide E. Shepard, of New London, a daughter of George T. and Lucretia (Turner) Shep- ard, old residents there. Mr. and Mrs. Chappell were the parents of nine chil- dren, five of whom are now living, as fol- lows: Frank Valentine, treasurer of the F. H. & A. H. Chappell Company and connected with many other important concerns, married to Miss Carol Simp- son, by whom he has had three children, Huntington, Elizabeth Ice and Adelaide ; George Shepard, now a resident of New York City, married Amy Beard, of Cam- bridge, Massachusetts, and by her the father of four children, George S., Jr., Ruth, Jean and Annie; Henry C., a resi- dent of New London, married Constance Morgan, of that city; Edith, now Mrs. Kyle Sheppard, of New London, and the mother of one son, Alfred Chappell Shep- pard ; Alfred H., Jr.
It is always difficult, if not impossible,
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to estimate the effect upon their environ- inent of such men as Mr. Chappell, men whose influence depends not so much upon the concrete deeds that they accom- plish as upon that subtle force which communicates itself unseen to all about from a fine and gracious personality. But though any accurate gauge is impossible, we are surely justified in valuing such in- fluence very highly. In Mr. Chappell's case, his tastes and instincts were blend- ed in so fortunate an admixture as to seem predestined for the gain and redis- tribution of knowledge. It would per- haps be difficult to say whether travel, with its first hand instruction, or reading with its more indirect road, ranked higher in his tastes, but certain it is that he loved both and was able to gratify the tastes extensively. Yet love them as he did, they did not interfere with his equally deep fondness for home and the domestic side of life. He never enjoyed himself more thoroughly than when the dispenser and recipient of those amenities which a man knows only in his own home and in the midst of his own household. It thus came about that the knowledge he won in his excursions into the land of experi- ence or the realm of books was again given out to those fortunate enough to meet him in an intimate relationship, and thus he indirectly influenced the com- munity in the direction of refinement of taste and general culture. His taste in reading led, naturally enough, to the sub- ject of music, and besides this to history and languages, in all of which subjects he was well versed. How chaste and refined his tastes were is exemplified perfectly in his home, which reflects these qualities in its every detail. His spirit was essentially youthful, and to the end of his life he found young inen to be the most congenial of companions. If it is difficult to estimate accurately the influ-
ence for good of such a man, it is at least easy to set it high. Mr. Chappell was one of the founders and was the first treas- urer of the Connecticut College for Women, which position he held at the time of his death.
MACDONALD, Theodore H., Prominent in Insurance World.
The city of New Haven, Connecticut, during the period of its great industrial development has been fortunate in num- bering among its citizens an unusual number of men gifted with a broad vision, a capable hand and disinterested devotion to the welfare of the home community. Men who have served this community in many different capacities, in the building up of its industries and commercial enter- prises, philanthropists and educators, and, by no means less than these, poli- ticians of the better order, politicians in the meaning of that term before it had been degraded by its application to a par- ticular method of conducting public affairs, the most unsavory of the products of the modern epoch; men of all these kinds have flourished here and communi- cated the high lustre of their own achieve- ments to the honor and glory of the city. Among the last class of public benefactors none may claim a fairer record, a more honorable place in the regard of their fel- low townsmen than Colonel Theodore H. Macdonald, whose death in New Haven on May 24, 1915. closed a long life of civic usefulness and brought a sense of severe loss to the whole community.
Colonel Macdonald was a native of the city where he spent his entire life, having been born in New Haven, March 11. 1862. He was by parentage half a New Eng- lander and half a Scotchman, the former relationship being through his mother who had been Harriet Newell Nims, of
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