Genealogical and family history of the state of Connecticut, a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Volume IV, Part 2

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Clement, E. H. (Edward Henry), 1843- joint ed. cn; Hart, Samuel, 1845-1917, joint ed; Talcott, Mary Kingsbury, 1847-1917, joint ed; Bostwick, Frederick, 1852- , joint ed; Stearns, Ezra Scollay, 1838-1915, joint ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1178

USA > Connecticut > Genealogical and family history of the state of Connecticut, a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Volume IV > Part 2

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ton mills in Connecticut. He was a noted mathematician and geologist, a recognized au- thority on the glacial period. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Parker: John Dobson, married Edith, daughter of the late Dr. P. W. Ell,- worth ; Julia W., married Collins W. Ben- ton ; Lucius R., married Marie Antoinetta, of Turin, Italy, and she died in June, 1902.

(VII) Adelbert C. Parker, brother of Rienzi Belcher Parker, and son of Lucius Par- ker, was born February 16, 1844. in Manches- .ter, Connecticut. He spent his youthful years in Manchester and was educated there in the public schools. He learned the cotton manu- facturing business in his father's mills and re- mained in that business until 1868, when he came to Bridgeport and devoted his attention to real estate. Since 190; he has been retired and has made his home with his daughter. Mrs. Harding. In politics a Republican, he served two terms as alderman of the Eleventh district of Bridgeport. He married. in 1868. Jennie Andrews, born December ;. 1843, in Bridgeport. only daughter of Ali Andrews. a native of Wallingford, Connecticut, who came to Bridgeport and was prominently engaged in real estate business there until he died in 1887. Her mother was Ruth A. ( Curtis) An- drews and she was the only child of Ira and Lucy Curtis, of Bridgeport. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Adelbert C. Parker : Alice. died aged two years: Ruth Ann. mentioned below. Mrs. Parker died January 21. 1906.

(VHI1) Ruth Ann. daughter of Adelbert C. Parker. was born May 28. 1876, at Bridge- port. Connecticut. She married. in 1896. John Studwill Mead. a real estate broker. of Bridge- port, who died in 1907. She married, Janu- ary 12. 1911, Harvey Harding. president of the Bainbridge & North Eastern Railroad Companies of Georgia, having offices at At- lanta and New Haven. Mr. Harding has for some years resided in New Haven. Connecti- cut, at the Union League Club. during part of the year, and spending his winters in the south.

DOBBS William Dobbs was born in New York City of an oll colonial tam- ily and English ancestry, in 1713. He died in his native city. September 6. 1781. and was buried in Trinity churchyard. Broad- way. He married Catherine Van Size, born in New York City, January 25, 1710, died May 4. 1790. Children: Ann. Polly. Cath- erine, William, mentioned below, and eight others.

(II) William (2), son of William (1) Dobbs, was born in New York City in 1757. died January 30. 1829. He was a soldier in

the revolution in the First Regiment. New York Line, Colonel Goose Van Schaick. He married, June 17, 1777, Urania Hoyt, born 1760, died October 15, 1854. Children: I. William, born September 17, 1778. died Mat 30, 1804. 2. Joseph, January 18. 1,8t, died April 16, 1813: married Anna Read; their eldest child, Mary A., born August 23, 1807, died January 11, 1890, married George Crane Mecher. 3. Betsey. December 11, 1782, died December 3. 1869. 4. John, November 4. 1784. died December, 1872. 5. Oliver, Feb- ruary 8, 1787. 6. Russell, March 29. 1789, died March 13. 1879. 7. Rachel, December 22, 1702, died September 10. 1848 8. Cath- erine. December 26, 1794, died November 23, 1883. 9. Urania. August 14, 1797, died Feb- ruiary, 1875. 10. David, March 14, 1799, mentioned below, ched February 8. 18;0.

(III) David, youngest of the ten children of William (2) Dobbs, was born March 14, 1799, died February 8, 1870. He was very prominent in the Masonic bodies of Dan- bury, and was one of the organizers and the first to sign the charter of the First Hatters Beneficent Society, now known as the United Hatters of North America, with thousands of members. He was twice married. his first wife being Maria Hull. Four children were born to the couple: Theodore. Elizabeth. Louise. Frederick. mentioned below The second wife of David Dobbs was Martha Phillips, who survived him.

(IV) Frederick, son of David Dobbs, was born at Danbury, Connecticut, January 1, 1835. died there August 5. 1205. He was educated in the common schools and was a hatter by trade. In early life he learned hi- trade in New York City and became vers skillful in making silk hats. He married. December 21, 1859, Sarah R. Bennett. Chil- dren : William F., mentioned below : Sitsan, born at Danbury, died there in infancy, Jan- uary 27, 1865.

(V) William F., son of Frederick Dobbs. was born January 29. 1861. at Danbur .. He attended the jaiblic schools and high school of Danbury. In 18;6 he entered the employ of the Danbury News and has continued on that paper. with slight intermission. until the present time In 1000 he went to Dayton, Ohio, as advertising manager of the Na- tional Cash Register Company. After one season in that capacity he returned to Dan- bury and resumed a position as superintend- ent with the News, and at the same time es- tablished the Dobbs Advertising Agency. which he has built up to a high standard in the business world. especially in the general newspaper advertising fieldl. He attends to

Albert Miller

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the advertising of nearly all the most promi- F. Wintter of Bridgeport. The deceased nent local merchants, also of the famous Dan- was well known here and his death will be regretted by many friends. He was about seventy years of age. Dr. Wintter for many years had an extensive medical clientage in Philadelphia, but retired from active practice in [890, when he took up his residence in Stuttgart, where he spent his last days in medical study and research. The funeral of Ernest Frederick Wintter took place from the late residence of his brother. Albert F. Wintter. 313 Seaside avenue. Mr. Wintter was very well known here, having entertained so hospitably at "Frohheim," the country resi- dence of the Wintters in Long Hill. For the last eight years he resided in Newark, New Jersey, where he died March 1, 1911, after a long illness. bury Fair, and has a part in nearly all the publicity for which Danbury is noted. He is vice-president and treasurer of the Danbury Square Box Company. He is a director of the Danbury Business Men's Association and chairman of its publicity committee, belongs to all the Masonic bodies of Danbury and to Pyramid Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Bridge- port. He is an Elk and a member of the Royal Arcanum, and a member of the Dan- bury Club. He is a Methodist, and in poli- tics a Republican. He married, April 19. 1882, Katherine M., daughter of Harris and Sarah ( Keeler) Eames at West Haven, Connecti- cut. Three children were born to them: 1. Frederick Eames, born at Danbury, Janu- ary 27, 1883, now holding a responsible posi- tion with the Standard Oil Company, in Brooklyn, New York : married, July 9. 1904. Marie Cromwell. at Brooklyn, New York: children: Marie Cromwell. born April 15. 1905: Natalie, June II, 1906. 2. Edward Harris, born at Danbury, May 27, 1888. now a member of the New York Produce Ex- change. 3. Mabel R., born at Danbury, June 18, 1892.

Albert Frederick Wintter, WINTTER late secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Con- necticut Breweries Company, and for many years a well-known resident and successinl business man of Bridgeport, was a native of Stuttgart. Wurtemberg, Germany, born No- vember 7, 1842, son of Dr. William and Car- lotta Wintter, and grandson of Dr. William Wintter, all of whom were natives of Stutt- gart, Wurtemberg, Germany. The family were originally of Sweden, but have made their home in Germany for the past three hundred years, their history being interwoven with that of both Sweden and Germany. Many members of the family were profes- sional men. Dr. Wintter ( father, was a very prominent physician in the city of Philadel- · phia, Pennsylvania, taking up his residence there in 1848, and he continued in the prac- tice of his profession until his death at the age of fifty-nine years. He was the father of eight children, one of whom is living at the present time ( IQUI) : Lydia, widow of John Benz, who was the first man to operate a brewery in Connecticut, operating what is now known as the Connecticut Breweries : after his death his widow returned to Ger- many. News was received from Stuttgart. Wurtemberg, Germany, of the death of Dr. William Wintter, brother of the late Albert

Albert F. Wintter was educated in the schools of his native place, and at the age of thirteen years joined his father in Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. Not being satisfied with the advantages offered in that city, after a residence of a few years, he crossed the plains to California in a prairie schooner. He then went to Nevada, where he resided in Carson City and in Virginia City, engaged in min- ing, and made and lost several fortuncs. While west he was a member of the United States Cavalry, and at the outbreak of the civil war embarked in the service of carry- ing the mail across the plains. On the death of his brother-in-law. John Benz. in 1871, Mr. Wintter came to Bridgeport. Connecticut. at the request of his sister, to take charge of the brewery formerly conducted by her late husband. Two years later he purchased his sister's interest in the brewery. By good man- agement he increased the capacity and value of the plant immensely, and in 1882 he formed a partnership with the late John H. McMahon and Peter W. Wren. the firm becoming known as A. Wintter & Company. brewers. Later this company was consolidated with the Meri- den Brewing Company, which now forms the Connecticut Breweries Company, in the man- agement of which Mr. Wintter played so prominent a part. Mr. Wintter was the soul of honor and his word was as good as his bond. He was one of the best known men in his section of the state, and his honor and integrity in all business transactions won for him a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances who loved and respected him, and by whom he is sadly missed and sincerely mourned. He was generous to a fault and contributed large sums to charity, also aiding many less fortunate in business, but with char- acteristic modesty kept his identity in the background. He at one time represented the

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old fourth ward in the common council, ren- dering valuable and efficient service in that ca- pacity.

Mr. Wintter married, in 1875. Pauline K .. only daughter of the late Godfrey and Chris- tiana C. Veit. She survives him, as do also three children, as follows: 1. Lydia, who has traveled extensively: married Clarence B. Payne, a promoter of various enterprises in New York and Boston. 2. Wilbert, a gradu- ate of a military academy and also of Wes- levan University. 3. Cora, a graduate of Cort- landt School and ex-member of Smith Col- lege ( 1910). The children reside with their mother, and all are members of the South Congregational Church, Bridgeport. Mr. Wintter passed away at his home, 313 Sea- side avenue, Bridgeport. March 10, 1002.

AMIrs. Christiana C. Veit. widow of Godfrey Veit, and mother of Mrs. Pauline K. ( Veit ) Wintter, passed away at her home in East Bridgeport, where she had resided for over half a century, being one of the oldest German residents of the city. For many years she was connected with the Bridgeport Protestant Orphan Asylum, being a member of the board of managers, and shortly before her death having been made an honorary member. She was a charter member of the German Re- formed church of Bridgeport. and was ac- tively identified with many local charities. During the civil war she took an active part in the auxiliary work which was carried on in the northern cities. supplying linen for bandages and other hospital supplies for the wounded. Her demise was mourned by a large following of friends and acquaintances about the city, she being well known and highly respected. Mr. Veit was a carriage maker in Bridgeport. He learned his trade in Germany, and subsequently came to the United States where he conducted business for many years, up to his death at the age of sixty-two, being one of the representative business men of Bridgeport. His wife died at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of five children: Pauline K., widow of Albert F. Wintter : Henry F., a prominent merchant of Bridgeport, engaged in the cloth- `ing business : Robert J., a resident of Bridge- port ; Theodore, who died in Germany, a child who died young.

The Wilmot family came from WILMOT good old English stock, and was closely allied to the Eng- lish nobility, being a lineal descendant of Sir John Eardly Wihnot.

(I) Dr. Samuel Wilmot was a surgeon in the British army. He came to America dur-

ing the revolutionary war, being taken pris- oner at the battle of Bunker Hill. Before an exchange was effected he met General Washington, and became his ardent admirer. Dr. Wilmot was a man of prominence in his profession, and served as surgeon to the king. ( II) Dr. Robert Wilmot, son of Dr. Sam- uel Wilmot, was born at Exeter, England. He was a graduate of Eton College in Eng- land, and a physician and surgeon by profes- sion. He came to America in 1837, bringing his family, four sons, one of whom was drowned during the voyage, and one daughter, Eliza Eardly Wilmot. He followed the Hand- son river and Erie canal from New York to Indiana, where he bought and settled on a farm. He continued to practice and study, and in the course of his researches, when sev- enty-three years of age, made an important discovery of the functions of the brain, and published a book on the brain. After his death his son Robert conducted the farm, which was sold a few years later, when Rob- ert and his widowed mother removed to Michigan.

( III) Samuel Russell, son of Dr. Robert Willnot, was born in England, July 28. 1829, died in Bridgeport. Connecticut. February 4, 1807. He came to this country with his par- ents, residing during his youth on his fath- er's farm. He attended the local school, but was largely self-educated. He was by nature a vigorous, manly, self-reliant character. and being possessed of great inventive ability be- came a skillful machinist and manufacturer. His trend of mind was essentially mechanical and inventive, and during his life be obtained about one hundred patents for his inventions from the United States government. many of which were patented in England and other foreign countries. His first conspicuous in- vention was a portable steam sawing machine for felling forest trees and sawing them into lumber in an incredibly short space of time. It was known as the Wilmot Steam Saw, and it added greatly to the wealth of the country by making available timber that was formerly innaccessible to the water-power mills or water courses. Nathaniel Wheeler and Mr. Hough, of Watertown. were interested in the manu- facture and development of this invention. The machines were easily moved from one location to another. At the outset they were manufactured by Fairbanks & Company. of Brooklyn, New York, of which concern Mr. Wilmot was a member. having surrendered his patents for the transfer of their estimate i value in the capital steck of the company. Later on disaster came to the company, and the entire thing, with the patents, passed into

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the hands of parties in New Orleans, Louis- jana, Mr. Wilmot thereby meeting with a crushing reverse in his early business career. This experience came in 1830, but had little effect upon his indomitable will, as he soon turned his attention to other lines and his inventive genius was never at rest. A promi- nent business at this time was the manufac- ture of hoop skirts out of whalebone, but the material soon became too scarce to meet the requirements of the business, and Mr. Wil- mot conceived the idea of substituting steel spring metal for whalebone, which proved so successful that he derived a large and profit- able income from it. the result of which gave him the financial basis for the more extensive business enterprise that followed. It was in 1859 that he started a brass business in Brook- lyn. New York, soon after taking with him a younger brother. Daniel W. Kissam be- came his bookkeeper, and later on he put a small amount of money into the venture, with the privilege of withdrawing it in a year if he so desired. But the prosperity of the business warranted a larger plant, and in 1865 they removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and or- ganize the Bridgeport Brass Company. All the plans for the new plant and provision for its prospective possibilities were arranged for and drawn by Mr. Wilmot's own brain and hand. He was president of the company for many years, Mr. Kissam being secretary.

After retirement from active connection with the Bridgeport Brass Company. Mr. Wil- mot spent several years in experimenting with details for larger schemes. meanwhile patent- ing various small inventions that brought him many thousands of dollars. He concentrated his thoughts upon a new caloric engine with a system of tubing suggested by the intesti- nal principles of the human body, and while constructing a large model of it there came a necessity for steel of different quality than he could buy, and a need for tubing with a seam so perfect that it must be invisible. From this grew a large business and the postpone- ment of his larger scheme. After six years of hard work and much expenditure of money. he had completed a cold rolling mill for steel. all the details being done under his personal supervision and according to original ideas of his own. In 188; he organized the Wilmot and Hobbs Manufacturing Company: former- ly known as the firm of Wilmot. Hobbs & Company. which business was established in 1877 by Mr. Wilmot : in 1804 Mr. Hobbs sold out his entire interest. The list of this firm's entire products is a long one. Bessemer, open hearth, and the celebrated "Swedch" steel, billets, bands, sheets and strips for pressed,

stamped and drawn work, anti-rust, copper- ized, and nickel-plated oilers, lamps, engineers' and steamboat sets, bicycle tubing and nickel- plated stove edge and ring trimmings, may be mentioned among them.

For a number of years these works were conducted on the departmental plan, and the hot rolling department was deserving of spe- cial mention. This was advantageously lo- cated on a branch track of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad. Here. each year. the company received its raw materials, thousands of tons of domestic and foreign billets, these to be cut by enormous shears to the desired size and weight, heated in large gas furnaces capable of turning ont one han- dred tons per day, passed to and fro through the hot rolling mill train, operated by engines of some fifteen hundred horse-power, and this turned into bands and plates. A portion of the annealing and pickling of hot rolled steel was conducted at the hot rolling department. or lower mill, situated at the corner of How- ard and Wordlin avenues, and a portion at the main works at Railroad and Hancock ave- nues. On the night of February 4. 1895, the cold rolling mills were burned to the ground, destroying machinery, and the patterns and drawings therefor that had been the work of years to accumulate. Shortly afterward a substantial fireproof structure was erected in the place of the old, with greatly increased facilities for handling the extensive business. At the time of Mr. Wilmot's death he had in development several mechanical ideas which were designed to add to the already completely appointed plant. the perfecting of which de- volved upon his son, Frank A. Wilmot. who? was his successor as president of the Wil-not & Hobbs Manufacturing Company.

For many years Mr. Wilmot was a mem- ber of the First Congregadonal Church of Bridgeport, being one of its deacons for twelve years. He recognized the need of re- ligious privileges in the neighborhood where he resided. and purchased a property on East Main street, near Stratford avenue. on which he erected a church building and parsonage. A society was formed called the Berean Church, which steadily grew and was a bless- ing to many people. Mr. Wilmot was the first president of the Christian Alliance. of which Rev. A. B. Simpson, of New York City, was the moving spirit, and to this cause Mir. Wilmot gave liberally. Ilis private charities were numerous, and the substantial aid he was wont to give to young inventors by his quick insight into the value or uselessness of their inventions brought men from far and near to seek his counsel. In politics he was a staunch

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Republican, but never sought or held public office.

Mr. Wilmot married, in 18:5. Sarah Ml .. born September 20, 1838, at Sharon, Con- neeticut, daughter of Ebenezer Guernsey. of Watertown, Connecticut, whose ancestors set- tled in Connecticut in 1663. Children : I. Florence E., born September 5. 1859, at Watertown, married Willis F. Hobbs, of Providence, Rhode Island ; child, Clifford R. Hobbs. 2. Jendall, died aged six months. 3. Effie May, born at Watertown, died aged three years. 4. Frank Ashley, see forward. 5. Ethelyn M., married Percy L. Bryning.

(IV) Frank Ashley, son of Samuel Rus- sell and Sarah M. ( Guernsey) Wilnot, was born in Brooklyn, New York, February 21, 1865. During his early infancy his parents removed to Bridgeport. Connecticut, and that city has been his home ever since. The sun- mers of his boyhood were spent in Water- town, Connecticut, part of which is known as Guernseytown, named for his maternal grand- father. He attended the Bridgeport public schools and Mr. Strong's private school. He was an intelligent and earnest reader. espe- cially of books devoted to mechanical engi- neering, metallurgy and finance. At the age of fifteen he began his business career by working in the summer time as a cashier. Two years later, upon the completion of his studies, he entered his father's business. then known as the Wilmot & Hobbs Manufactur- ing Company, which is now the American Tube & Stamping Company. and since the death of his father, in 189;, he has been presi- dent and treasurer of the company. He be- gan at the lowest round of the ladder, working at the humblest mechanical work in the fac- tory and in the office. and was advanced through all the grades of factory and office work. During the years just preceding and following his coming of age he was a travel- ing representative of the company. Ile was soon afterward inade secretary, in 1804 be- came treasurer and vice-president. and later president. Under his management the com- pany has been greatly enlarged in its plant, its capital and its business, and has been changed in style to its present form. Through his influence and skillful handling he brought about the establishment of Connecticut's first basic open hearth steel ingot-making fur- naces and billet mills. When the organization of the steel trust made it difficult to secure the special quality of steel billets used in his company's finishing rolling mills. Mir. Wil- mot originated the scheme of making them from scrap iron and steel produced in New England which had previously been shipped

to the steel makers in Pennsylvania. His phan of thus supplying his rolling mill plants and others with raw material in the form of the best open hearth steel billets, slabs and even ingets weighing as high as forty to fifty vons in one piece for large forge work proved highly successful, saved his concern from cles- ing because of the withholding of its raw ma- terials, and has tended to increase the con- pany's output many times. Mr. Wilmot has made many important inventions connected with his manufacturing interests 21. has United States and foreign patents cov aring them.

In addition to his own business, be serves in the capacity of director in the city National Bank of Bridgeport. He is an at- tendant of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Republican. He is a member of Corinthian Lodge. Free and Accepted Masons: Jerusalem Chapter. Royal Arch Masons: Royal and Select Masters; Hamilton Commandery, Knights Temalar. and of the other bodies including the cherty - second degree. fle belongs to the Bridgeport Board of Trade, Manufacturers' Association Hartford Club, Transportation Club of NOW York, the Brooklawn, Seaside, Brooklyn Country, Algonquin, Calumet and Yacht clubs of Bridgeport.

Mr. Wilmot married, September 26, 1888. at Bridgeport, Florence Margaret, daughter of Charles Cartwright ( see Cartwright). Children: 1. Russell Cartwright. born De- cember 12, 1880. 2. Margaret Florence. April 21, 1891. 3. Dorothy Eardley. May 31, 1892. 4. Gladys Elizabeth. September 15. ISO3. 5. Frank Ashley, December 20, 1899. 6. Edwin Gueruses, February 3, 1902.

(The Cartwright Line).

The surname Cartwright belongs to a large class of English surnames formed fromn trades and occupations of progemiors. The trade name "wright" is from the Anglo-Saxon wyrhta, meaning about the same as the Latin Faber, a workman or mechanic. Gradually "wright' came to mean a worker in wood in distinction from smith, a worker in nietals. We find the trade namescopperwright, wheelwright. plowwright, arkwright, tellwright. allwright, all in use as surnames after the introduction of surnames in Eng'and about the year 1200. The family are found scattered throughout England. Ireland and Scotland. Jeffry Cart- wright. of Dublin, in February, 1636, hore these arms: Por fess embattled sable and or three catherine wheel, counterchanged a cre -- cent for difference. It is similar to the coat- of-arms of the Cartwrights of Devonshire.

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