USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 5 > Part 37
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Mrs. Bond, of whom ten survive. Their children were as follows: Nellie M., Her- man E., Harry Slocomb, Frederick H., Harriet R., George Calvin, Lena M., Sam- uel F., Edith L., Grace C., Edward E., and Bernie E. Mr. and Mrs. Bond were members of the Congregational church.
Harry Slocomb Bond, son of George Calvin and Abbie (Holbrook) Bond, was born in Shirley village, Massachusetts, May II, 1871. He attended the public schools of Holden, where his parents then resided, up to the age of seventeen years. He then made his entrance into the line of work in which he has since proved so successful, accepting a position as bell boy in the Old Mansion House at Green- field, Massachusetts, in which capacity he served for three years, and as clerk for one year. He also served as clerk for one sea- son at Piney Woods Hotel, Thomasville, Georgia. At the age of twenty-one years he came to Hartford, Connecticut, and became a clerk in the United States Ho- tel, holding the position for one year. The following three and a half years he served as assistant manager for Mr. Ryan at the Elm Tree Inn, and then Mr. Ryan and Mr. Bond formed a partnership and opened a restaurant at No. 232 Asylum street, under the firm name of Bond & Ryan. At the expiration of the first year, Mr. Bond purchased his partner's inter- est, and subsequently conducted the bus- iness for nine years on his own account. The business increased very rapidly, and acquired a name throughout New Eng- land. During the last year Mr. Bond found that the space was insufficient to meet the demands of his numerous pa- trons, and he accordingly sought larger quarters, opening the Harry Bond res- taurant at No. 734 Main street. This was the old Mattie Hewins billiard parlors, probably the best known billiard parlor in the United States, frequented by all the
famous players. At first Mr. Bond leased only one floor, but at the expiration of one year he was compelled to lease an- other, and at the expiration of another year leased the third floor, and at the pres- ent time (1917) is one of the largest res- taurants in the State of Connecticut, rivaled in size by not more than one or two other places in the New England States, having a seating capacity for one thousand and fifty people. Mr. Bond rec- ognized the demand for better hotel ac- commodations in Hartford, and decided to erect an up-to-date hotel, which he accordingly did at Nos. 320 to 328 Asy- lum street. The Hotel Bond was success- ful under Mr. Bond's management, and at the expiration of the first year the original space, which consisted of sleep- ing accommodations for two hundred people and dining accommodations for five hundred and fifty, was totally insuf- ficient for the number of its patrons, and he leased the Dillon Court Hotel, remod- eling and refurnishing it, making it an up-to-date transient hotel, changing the name to the Bond Annex, this having sleeping accommodations for three hun- dred and fifty people. Mr. Bond's man- agement of both of these hotels has been so successful that he was compelled to build a larger addition to Hotel Bond. In March, 1912, the Hotel Bond Company was incorporated, with Harry S. Bond as its secretary, treasurer and managing di- rector. Mr. Bond is justly proud of his success in the hotel business, and is known by the traveling public as a gen- uine boniface and host. He is a self- made man in every sense of the word.
Mr. Bond is one of the most popular hotel men in the United States, and he keeps in touch with the men in his line of work by membership in the New Eng- land Hotel Men's Association, the New York State and New York City Hotel as-
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sociations, the Hotel Men's Mutual Bene- fit Association of America, the Greeters of America and the Greeters of New York City. Socially and fraternally, Mr. Bond is a member of many organizations, in- cluding the Hartford Club, City Club, Sequine Golf Club, Republican Club, Ro- tary Club, Kiwasnis Club, Charter Oak Ad Club, Auto Club of America, Auto Club of Hartford, Hartford Chamber of Commerce, Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation of Hartford, Evening Star Lodge, No. 10, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, of Unionville; Washington Com- mandery, Knights Templar, of Hartford ; Sphinx Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Hart- ford; Connecticut Consistory, Supreme Princes of the Royal Secret; Crescent Lodge, No. 7, Knights of Pythias; Hira Temple, D. O. O. K .; Hartford Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; For- esters of America, and the Putnam Phalanx.
EPSTEIN, Albert Jacob, Business Man.
Albert Jacob Epstein, one of the most progressive and active business men of Thompsonville, Connecticut, is a son of Albert and Barbara (Guyer) Epstein, old and highly honored residents of East Windsor, Connecticut. Mr. Epstein's parents were born in Germany, and both emigrated from that country in their youth and settled in Connecticut. Here in this country Mr. Epstein became a tin- smith and followed that trade for a num- ber of years. He was also a member of the Twenty-second Regiment of Connec- ticut Volunteers for nine months.
Born March 10, 1866, at East Windsor, Connecticut, Albert Jacob Epstein passed his childhood and early youth in his na- tive region. Here it was that he received his education, attending for this purpose
the excellent public schools of the neigh- boring town of Windsor Locks. He was a bright lad and showed, even as a stu- dent in school, the qualities of diligence and indefatigable industry which have so greatly marked him since, and which have been among the chief elements of his success. Upon completing his school- ing Mr. Epstein, following in the foot- steps of his father, became interested in the tin business and engaged in this line for some three years, with a very satis- factory success. Mr. Epstein then saw an opportunity to purchase the express busi- ness of James Stinson, of Thompsonville, and this, with his usual intelligence and foresight, he at once availed himself of. This was in the year 1889 and since that time he has continued to actively operate this business which under his skillful man- agement has grown to large proportions and is now one of the most important of its kind in the town. Mr. Epstein oper- ates one, two and one three and a half ton trucks, and in addition to this uses several wagons in his extensive business. Since purchasing it he has also branched out into the livery trade, and has added a department of this kind to his original establishment. In this also he has met with notable success and operates six car- riages and the requisite horses.
Mr. Epstein has always been keenly interested in all matters concerning the public affairs and the general welfare of the community, and has played no little part therein himself. He is a Republican in politics, and in 1916 was elected on that party's ticket as first selectman, and reëlected in 1917. He is a prominent fig- ure in social and fraternal circles, and is affiliated with a large number of organ- izations here, among which should be mentioned the Griffin A. Stedman Camp, Sons of Veterans, of Hartford; Doric Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma-
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sons, of Hartford; Friendship Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Thompsonville; Enfield Encampment, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Knights of Pythias, of Thompsonville ; and Eastern Star Lodge, of Ware- house Point. He is also a member of the Thompsonville Board of Trade, the Thompsonville Chamber of Com- merce and the Masonic Social Club. In his religious belief he is a United Presby- terian, and is a member of the church of this denomination in Thompsonville. He has been exceedingly active in the life of the church and is an elder thereof. He has also been a trustee for about seven years, an office that he holds at the pres- ent time.
Albert Jacob Epstein was united in marriage, January II, 1888, at Thompson- ville, Connecticut, with Mary Jane Bryan, a daughter of the late James and Elizabeth (McMullen) Bryan, both of whom have resided in Thompsonville for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan, natives of Ireland, of Scotch-Irish parentage, came in early youth from Ireland and settled here. To Mr. and Mrs. Epstein the following chil- dren have been born: Elizabeth Guyer, June 11, 1889, at Thompsonville; and Samuel Raymond, October 9, 1892, also at Thompsonville.
LAMBERTON, Walter John, Farmer, Mechanic.
The name of Lamberton is of British origin, and this family appears to have been of Scotch-Irish lineage. James Lam- berton came from northern Ireland, and settled in Palmer, Massachusetts, very early in the eighteenth century. Obed Lamberton appears in Windsor as early as 1747, and was married there May 27 of that year to Elizabeth Taylor, who was probably a daughter of Nathaniel and
Ruth (Stiles) Taylor, and granddaughter of Stephen Taylor. The latter had land in Windsor, and was admitted to the church there, March 6, 1644. About 1656 he removed to the east side of the Con- necticut river where he purchased, in as- sociation with another, "forty acres by three miles" with a house, barn and other buildings, and died there in 1668. He married, October 25, 1649, Elizabeth Newell, who was admitted to the church at Windsor in August, 1666, and died De- cember 14, 1717. Their youngest child, Nathaniel Taylor, born November 24, 1668, married, May 31, 1711, Ruth Stiles, born February 5, 1691, eldest child of John and Ruth (Bancroft) Stiles. Her grandfather was John Stiles, born about 1633, in England, and her great-grand- father, John Stiles, baptized December 25, 1595, in Millbroke, County Bradford, England, removed with his wife Rachel in 1640 to Windsor, Connecticut, where he died June 4, 1663, leaving an estate valued at £222, 4s. His widow, whose name has not been preserved, died Febru- ary 3, 1674. Their second son, John Stiles, died in Windsor, December 8, 1683; he married Dorcas Burt, daughter of Henry and Eulalia Burt: there is an interesting tradition concerning the lat- ter; after being laid out in a coffin for burial, she showed signs of life, recovered and came to America, settled in Spring- field, Massachusetts, where she reared a large family of children.
Obed Lamberton, who lived in Wind- sor until his death, had a second wife, Mehitable, who died May 27, 1790, in Windsor, aged seventy-nine years. Their third son, Moses Lamberton, baptized February 10, 1765, in Windsor, married Rhoda Blanchard. Their son, William Blanchard Lamberton, was born Febru- ary 15, 1801, at Hayden's Station in Windsor, where he engaged in agricul-
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ture throughout his life, and died there October 8, 1872. He married, August 5, 1822, Ellura (Elvira) Skinner, who was born June 27, 1802, in East Windsor, Con- necticut. She was descended from one of the oldest Windsor families, the Amer- ican founder of which was John Skinner, one of the members of Rev. Thomas Hooker's company who probably came from Braintree, County Essex, England. He was a kinsman of John Talcott, of Hartford, Connecticut ; himself one of the founders of that town, where he died in 1650-51. His eldest son, John Skinner, born in 1641, lived in Hartford, where he died September 15, 1690. He married Mary, daughter of Joseph Easton; she died June 18, 1695. Their fourth son, Richard Skinner, born January 16, 1674, lived in Windsor, where he died June 20, 1758. He married, December 25, 1702, Sarah Gaines, born 1680, died November 18, 1753. Their second son, Samuel Skinner, born December 4, 1705, was a resident of Windsor, and married, March 24, 1741, Sarah Ward. Their third son, Samuel Skinner, born March 13, 1755, lived in Scantic, East Windsor, and died November 23, 1827. He married, April 25, 1776, Elizabeth Hinds, born March 2, 1758, died April 10, 1843. Their eldest child, Elisha Skinner, born March 13, 1777, made his home in East Windsor, and died October 30, 1851. He lived most of his life at Hayden's Station in Windsor, and married Abigail Fish, born June II, 1775, second daughter of Levi and Susannah (Blodgett) Fish. They were the parents of Ellura Skinner (in the Windsor records Elvira), who became the wife of William B. Lamberton.
All their children were born at Hay- den's Station. They were as follows: I. Eliza A., born April 14, 1823, died No- vember 27, 1839. 2. Albert O., born De- cember 27, 1824, died in his second year.
3. Maria L., born May 29, 1827, became the wife of John O. Phelps, of Windsor, and died November 11, 1899, leaving a daughter, Ella E. Phelps. 4. Melissa L., born July 27, 1830, married Austin Seig- ler, of Fowler, Ohio, and died November 9, 1858; she was the mother of three daughters : Permelia, Mary and Julia, all of whom live in Ohio. 5. Belinda A., born September 21, 1832, married Hanni- bal Taylor, of Fowler, Ohio, and removed to Kansas, where she now resides; she is the mother of three children: Scott, Charles and Nellie. 6. Albert O., born December 18, 1834, died in Fowler, Ohio; he married Charlotte Holton, and they had four children: Mary, Albert, Leona and Nellie. 7. Eli H., born February 22, 1837, died unmarried at Hayden's Sta- tion, October 6, 1866. 8. Joseph W., born June 3, 1839, died July 18, 1864, in Fowler, Ohio; he married Celeste Terrell, of that town, but left no issue. 9. Edward J., born September 20, 1841, living in Windsor, unmarried. 10. Walter John, of further mention.
Walter John Lamberton, youngest child of William Blanchard and Ellura (Skin- ner) Lamberton, was born July 27, 1847, at Hayden's Station, and in his youth attended the public schools of Windsor. His early life was passed upon the pater- nal farm, in whose labors he shared, and after leaving school he continued to en- gage in agriculture until he was thirty- nine years old. At that time he took up the carpenter's trade, and after complet- ing an apprenticeship continued in that occupation for several years, in the em- ploy of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company. He was subsequently employed as carpenter by the Merwin Paper Company, of Poquo- nock, and has continued in that capacity ever since. He has always taken an inter- est in the progress of his country, and
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associated politically with the Democratic party; though often urged to do so he has never consented to accept a public office. He is active in promoting the interests of his party in both national and local politics. Mr. Lamberton is a mem- ber of Washington Lodge, No. 70, An- cient Free and Accepted Masons, of Windsor; a charter member of Palisado Lodge, No. 23, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of that town; a member of Eureka Chapter, No. 56, Order of the Eastern Star; and Charter Oak Council, United American Mechanics, of Hart- ford. His religious affiliations are with the Spiritualist church of Poquonock. Mr. Lamberton married, April 7, 1874, Eliza A. Clark, daughter of Salmon and Laura (Thrall) Clark, of Windsor. Mr. and Mrs. Lamberton had a daughter, Laura Ellura, born March 28, 1880, lived only one day.
JOHNSON, Marcus Morton, M. D., Physician.
One of the most distinguished among the prominent physicians of Hartford, Connecticut, was Dr. Marcus M. John- son, who was born April 21, 1843, and died at Hartford, March 15, 1914. He was a lineal descendant of Sir John John- son, Sr., who was a sea captain in com- mand of an English vessel, and who set- tled in the State of Connecticut in the latter part of his life.
John Johnson, Jr., his son, was an early settler of Rutland, Vermont, in 1773, and was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, where he served in the company of Cap- tain John Burt, a company which was drafted from the regiment of Colonel Samuel Fletcher. His wife was Mehitable (Sperry) Johnson, who lived to the great age of one hundred and two years, her death at that time being accidental; she
perished in a fire which occurred in 1836. They were the parents of three sons, the youngest of whom was Silas, mentioned below.
Silas Johnson, who removed from the homestead in Rutland, Vermont, to Ma- lone, New York, where he was one of the pioneer settlers. As might be assumed from one who had the courage to go forth into a strange country, which was largely a wilderness at that time, Silas Johnson was a man possessed of much force and energy of character and un- daunted by the ordinary obstacles which confronted him. He was a believer in the maxim that if you cannot surmount ob- stacles plough around them. He was the father of Marvin L., mentioned below.
Marvin L. Johnson married Polly Chapman, a daughter of Joshua Chapman, Jr., and granddaughter of Joshua Chap- man, Sr. The Chapmans were early set- tlers in Norwich, Connecticut, and the elder Joshua Chapman served in the Rev- olution in a company commanded by Cap- tain Chapin. Marvin L. Johnson was the father of Marcus Morton, mentioned be- low.
Marcus Morton Johnson attended the public schools of Malone, and prepared for entrance to college at the Franklin Academy of that town. He was gradu- ated from Brown University with the degree of Ph. B. in 1870, and subsequently became connected with the faculty of the
Connecticut Literary Institute of Suf- field, Connecticut, as professor of mathe- matics and sciences, where he continued for five years. After severing his con- nection with the institution as an instruc- tor, he was identified with its interests as a member of the board of trustees, serving at one time as president of the board.
The medical education of Dr. Johnson was received at the University of New
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York, where he held high honors, the recipient of the Valentine Mott Gold Medal awarded for the highest excellence in anatomy and dissections. He subse- quently went abroad and engaged in ex- tensive medical study under the precep- torship of such celebrated surgeons as Thomas Keith, of Edinburgh; Sir Joseph Lister, of London, and Billroth, of Vienna. He also received instruction in the science of gynecology from Martin in Berlin, and operative surgery from Von Legenbeck of the same city.
Returning to America, Dr. Johnson took up his permanent residence in Hart- ford, Connecticut, in 1879, and was on the Hartford Hospital staff for one year. In 1880 he opened an office on Pearl street, where the Dime Savings Bank is now located. He engaged in the prac- tice of his profession, specializing in sur- gical operations. In this special line of work he possessed perfect mastery and his quality of coolness combined with his extreme care were important factors in his success as one of the foremost sur- geons of his day. He was the instigator and founder of the first Free Dispensary in the city of Hartford. This was started some time about 1884, and at the begin- ning Dr. Johnson furnished free treat- ment and supplied the medicine at his own expense to the poor of the city who came to his dispensary. He sought the aid and cooperation of the worthy of the city, but those who seem to always take an active part in other welfare move- ments seemed very reluctant about help- ing the good cause of Dr. Johnson. He, therefore, had a hard struggle to firmly establish his dispensary, and for some time it was necessary to bear the total expense of its upkeep personally. At length it was established in the base- ment of the North Baptist Church. A short time after his return to Hartford
an epidemic of diphtheria spread through- out the city, many persons dying of the dread disease. Dr. Johnson was the pion- eer in the city in the use of bichloride of mercury to combat the plague and attained a remarkable success in its use. This was indicative of his quick percep- tion and firmness in the face of profes- sional opposition. Dr. Johnson was also the pioneer in the study and practice of Ex-Ray in the city, and owned the first ex-ray machine. He invented a machine for electrical massage and was one of the first to use such a method.
The training received by Dr. Johnson under the supervision of Sir Joseph Lis- ter was such that he fully realized the inability of conducting operations from house to house with the best results for the general good of the patient. About 1890 he established the first private sani- torium in the city of Hartford for surgi- cal work located on Asylum avenue. Later he removed to Wethersfield and occupied the residence of F. S. Brown, the same being "Waternook Sanitorium." He remained there until 1898, and in the latter year erected on Woodland street, Hartford, one of the most splendid insti- tutions in every way to be found in the East, known as the "Woodland Sanitor- ium." The dominant note throughout was the extreme cleanliness, and the oper- ating room contained every facility and necessary article needed in the perform- ing of a successful operation. This prop- erty was subsequently sold to the St. Francis Hospital Corporation in 1910, and fitted up as a maternity hospital.
Among a few of the more important and unusual operations performed by Dr. Johnson was a case of a nineteen-day-old infant which was performed for strangu- lated inguina hernia, a condition which had existed for about thirty-five hours previous to the operation. An excellent recovery
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was made by the child and it is without doubt the youngest case of its kind on record. More than eight hundred and fifty times Dr. Johnson performed opera- tions where it was necessary to open the abdominal cavity with a large percentage of recoveries to his credit. The rapidity with which he worked was remarkable, the sureness and acuteness of his touch giving one the impression of actually see- ing. In spite of the great demand upon his time and the amount of work which his calling necessitated, Dr. Johnson found opportunity to prepare and read before many of the medical societies many valuable papers and treatises, among them being: "Diphtheria, its History, Etiology and Treatment;" "The Techni- que of Removing the Appendix Vermifor- mis ;" "Treatment of Pus Cases in Ap- pendicitis Operations ;" "History of the First Twenty-three Cases of Gastron- omy;" "Report on the Progress of Sur- gery ;" "Etiology of Hernia of the Ovary ;" "Gastrotomy ;""Improved Tech- nique for Cure of Ventral Hernia ;" "His- tory and Treatment of an Unique Injury of the Face." After the death of Dr. Johnson, his widow donated to the Hart- ford Medical Society over two hundred volumes of great rareness of medical sub- jects which were not included in the col- lection possessed by the Medical Society, and his entire outfit of surgical instru- ments was donated by Mrs. Johnson to the New Hospital of Malone, New York, the birthplace of Dr. Johnson. In 1910 Dr. Johnson retired from the more active part of his practice, but still retained an office on Pratt street.
Dr. Johnson held membership in the American, Hartford County, Connecticut and City Medical societies ; was a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine ; surgeon of the Governor's Foot Guard
for twenty-one years, from 1879 to 1900; member the American Sanitation Society of Boston. He was a founder of the Fed- eration of Colleges and University Clubs of the United States ; a founder and char- ter member of the University Club of Hartford; was the founder of the surgi- cal department of St. Francis' Hospital, creating the plans by which that depart- ment of the hospital was built, giving much of his personal help and advice to the Mother Superior of the Hospital. By his untiring labors St. Francis' Hospital, from small primitive accommodations, has progressed to be one of the largest and most successfully managed hospitals in this part of our country. For many years Dr. Johnson was the head of the hospital staff, with large classes of nurses under his instruction, who have done great credit to their training.
As a man Dr. Johnson was bright, gen- ial, and full of hope and encouragement to the most pathetic of his patients, always indulging in stories of good cheer. He was a great favorite in hospital and private practice, making strong friend- ships and doing much charity work with modesty and generosity and his memory stands for the highest ideals in medicine.
By virtue of his ancestry, Dr. Johnson was a member of the Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth Branch, Connecticut Society, Sons of the American Revolution. Fra- ternally he was a member of Lafayette Lodge, No. 100, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons; Washington Command- ery, Knights Templar; and member of the Asylum Avenue Baptist Church.
On February 14, 1884, Dr. Johnson was married to Helen Lucinda Lyman, a daughter of Sylvester Strong and Lu- cinda Smith (Gaylord) Lyman, and they are the parents of two daughters, Helen Gaylord and Ethelyn Chapman Johnson
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THRALL, Willard A.,
Peach and Tobacco Grower.
For many generations the Thrall fam- ily has been seated in Windsor, and has furnished many prominent and active citizens to the town. The ancestor, Wil- liam Thrall, born 1605-06, was probably a native of England, as he is found in the English Colony of Windsor as early as 1640, in which year he had a grant of land in the town. In 1676 he contributed 2s. 6d. to the Connecticut Relief Fund for the poor of other colonies. He died Octo- ber 3, 1679, having survived his wife three years. Her name does not appear on record. She died July 30, 1676.
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