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 4

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 4

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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army, as well as a part of the three hundred and fifty men raised in the colony of Connec- ticut. During King Philip's war, in June. 1676, he went on several expeditions agamst the Indians, to Rhode Island. Taunton, and beyond Westfield. Massachusetts, on the way to .Albany. On one of these expeditions the company ascended the Connecticut river to Northampton, where they joined Major Tal- cot with supplies of which the army was in urgent need. On January 21. 1707-08, he was living at New London. Children : John, men- tioned below: Benjamin, born about 1663: Rebecca, about 1665.

(\') John (4), son of John ( 3) Beebe, was born in New London. about 166t. He gave deeds of land there in 1087-88-90. the last two being to Richard Shaw, husband of his sister Rebecca. These deeds were recorded in June, 1696. No further mention of him has been found. Children : Joseph, mentioned be- low: Mary, born 1686: Stephen, married. November 16, 1716, Mary Leach; Jerasha : child.

(VI) Joseph, son of John (4) Beebe. was born about 1684 in New London. He mar- ried, December 26. 1706. Elizabeth Graves. born April 16. 16;1. The New London rec- ord says, "Joseph Beebe married Elizabeth Graves," while his wife's name is given as Mehitable in the records of baptism of his children. A Rebecca Graves is recorded just before Elizabeth Graves, as marrying Jona- than Daniells, and the two were very probably sisters. A history of the Graves family con- firms the marriage of Elizabeth. Children : Joseph. born December 4. 1707: Jonathan. March 2. 1700: Ephraim. mentioned below : Stephen. July 13. 1714: David, about 1716: Elisha. about 1718: Simeon, about 1720: Abi- gail. baptized October 20, 1728: Mehitable. baptized October 20. 1728.

(VII) Ephraim, son of Joseph Peehe, was born in New London. May 5, 1712. He had a son Reuben.

(VIII , Reuben. son of Ephraim Beebe, was born about 1750. died July 20, 1812. He mar- ried. June 24. 1775. Ilannah. daughter of Enoch Scott, and she died February 25. 1807. Children. born at Waterbury: Amzi, men- tioned below : Chloe. August 13. 1778; Hanc. January 1. IfSo: Reuben. August 3. 1;8 :: Hannah. November 15, 1782; Thankful, Au- gust 8. 1784.

( IN) Anzi, son of Reuben Beebe, was born February 23. 1777. at Waterbury. He mar- ried. March 28. 1802. Jerusba Summers, of Milford. Child. born at Waterbury: Lockey or Lockie. mentioned belos ..

( X) Lockey or Lockie, daughter of Anzi

Beebe, was born May, 1804. She married Jan- uary 1. 1825, Charles A. Russell, born March 16, 1803. at Prospect, Connecticut. He was a farmer at Middlebury, Connecticut. where he died at the advanced age of eighty years. He was the son of Enech and Sally Russell. En- och Russell died at Woodbury in 1834. his wife. Sally. September 30, 1850. Children of Charles A. and Lockey Russell: Amzi. born January 1, 1826, at Middlebury, Connecticut : Henry K. (twin). February 16, 1828: Charles M. (twin ) : Caroline Elizabeth. February II. 1830, married Sylvester Curtis (see Curtis VIII ) ; Stearns, February 25, 1832.

( III) Israel Curtiss, son of

CURTISS John Curtiss (q.v.). was born in Stratford. Connecticut. Ap-

ril 3. 1644. With his cousin. Joshua Curtiss. he was an original proprietor of Woodbury. Connecticut, in 1672. He attained the rank of lieutenant in the train band of Woodbury. and in 1689 was chosen a depuis to the gen- eral court. He was also a commissioner of Woodbury. He died in Woodbury, October 28. 1704. and the settlement of his extite was filed in Fairfield. Connecticut. November 10. 1704. He married Rebecca Chit- dren : Israel, born Match 18. 1606 67, at Wood- bury, died young: Israel, May 12. : 668. Woodbury: John. October 7. 1670. mentioned below : Stephen. August 24. 1973. Woodbury: Peter. died young: Hannah. Woodbury: Re- becca. November. 1677. Woodbury: Rath. baptized 1680-81. died young : Josialt. baptize i November 1682-83, Woodbury: Ruth. han- tized September. 1686-8 ;. died young.

( TV) lohn. son of Israel Curtis, was born in Woodbury. October 7. 1675. He was en- sign in the train band, and in 171; was sent a- a deputy from Woodbury to the general court. Ile died April 14. 1754. and his wife September 1. 1749. He married Johannah BURG, about 10,6. Children born in Word- bury: Elizabeth, baptized September. 160 ;: Harriet. November 1099: Nathan ( Elnathan ,, February 2. 1701-02: Abigail. February 20. 1703-04: Esther. April 5. 1700: Joanna. September 5. 1708 . Hannah, No- vember 1. 1700: John. February 3. 1,25; Olive, May 6, 1713: Peter. January 1. 1,15- 16: David. January 21. 1708. mentamed ve- low: Eunice, March 20. 1720.

(\') David, son of John Curtiss, was bora Tanuary 20, 1718. in Woodbury. He married Eunice, daughter of Lieutenant Francis and Mary States of Southbury, Connecticut Ile died September 15, 1782: she died March & 1793, aged sixty five years. Children : Dott. baptized January 30. 1743, at Woodbury, men-

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tioned below: Asa, baptized August 3. 1746. Woodbury: Eunice, baptized February 20. 1750, Woodbury: Olive, baptized April 5. 1752. Woodbury; Love, baptized August 31, 1755. Woodbury.

(VI) David (2), son of David ( 1) Curtiss, was baptized January 30. 1743. Woodbury. He married, September 27. 1764. Sarah. daughter of Captain Matthew Minor, of Woodbury. He died there. November 11. 1819, and his wife February 14. 1820, aged seventy-seven years. Children, born in Wood- bury : Phebe. February 14. 1766: David Stiles. January 14. 1767, mentioned below : William Preston. May II. 1769: Anna, October 20. 1771; Sarah, January 23, 1774; Elizabeth. October 26, 1776: Currence, baptized October 5. 1783.

(VII) David Stiles, son of David (2) Cur- tis. was born January 14, 1767, Woodbury. He was a farmer by occupation and lived in his native town. where he died January 21. 1846 He married Sybilla. daughter of Dan- iel and Sybilla Huntington, of Woodbury. She died December 31, 1837, aged sixty-eight years. Children. baptized in Woodbury: Sy- billa Cleora. November 23, 1794: David Hunt- ington. April 3. 1796: Sarah. February 11. 1798: Nathan. March 19. 1799. died young : Daniel. November 8, 1801. mentioned below : Elvira. November 13. 1803: Mary Ann. June 6, 1805: Maria. August 13. 1808: Caroline. August 13. 1808: Harriet, baptized August 13. 1808: Eliza. baptized August 13, 1808; William. baptized September 24. 1809: Charles, July 5. 1812.

(VIII ) Hon. Daniel Curtiss, son of David Stiles Curtiss. born September 18. 1801. baptized at Woodbury. November 8. 1801. He was educated in the public schools, and for two or three winter terms taught school in Middlebury and Litchfield before he came of age. He began his business life as an itinerant merchant in the employ of a New Jersey firm. Returning at length to Wood- bary, he established himself as a dry good- merchant and also had a general stock includ- ing groceries. He continued in this business many years with much success. He was a pioneer in the manufacture of silverware. spoon, thimble-, spectacles, in this part of the inte. He was one of the first in this coun- try to use German silver in his goods. At first the product of his shop was sold by peddlers who traveled throughout the country on foot and hor-e-back carrying their stock with them. At times Mr. Curtiss had as many as seventy-five of these itinerante in his employ. About 1840 he sold his manufacturing busi- new and it was removed to Waterbury, Con-

necticut. About the same time he engaged in manufacturing woolen goods and established the industry conducted after his death by hi- sons under the firm name of Daniel Curtiss Sons. After 1845, when he sold his store. he devoted all his attention to manufacturing. In 1851, when the Woodbury Bank was estab- lished. Mr. Curtiss became its president. He was active in town affairs and often elected to offices of honor and trust. He was selectman for a number of years, represented the town in the general assembly for three years and was state senator one year. In politics he was originally a Whig. afterward a Republican. He was active in supporting the government during the civil war and gave freely of his time and means to furnish troops and aid the Union army in the field. He was public- spirited and always held the respect and con- fidence of his townsmen. He was essentially a self-made man, possessing rare hu-iness talents, great force of character and high ideals. He was not only quick in his mental processes, ready to seize upon a new idea and develop it. but he was vigorous and enterpris- ing in his business. He acquired a large for- tune in a legitimate way that benefited the community as well as himself.

He married. January 27. 1835. Julia F. Strong. born at Woodbury. February 9. 1812. daughter of John and Flora ( Preston ) Strong. Her grandfather was a lieutenant in the revolution. About the time of his mar- riage Mr. Curtiss bought the labez Dacon farm where he lived the remainder of his life. . He died May 16, 1878. Children: Walter Stiles. born February o, 1336: Emily Amelia. October 30. 1837. married Homer Tomlinson : Ellen C .. Noven ber 8. 1839. married Perry Averill, of Jackson, Michigan : Horace Daniel. mentioned below: Cordelia S .. March 13. 1843. married George C. White Jr .. of Brook- lyn. New York: Edward John, January 24. 1845: Francis J .. July 7. 1848; Elizabet !! Stiles. September 7. 1850. married Edward F. Cole. of Waterbury.

ifX) Horace Daniel. son of Hon. Daniel Curtiss, was born in Woodbury. July 25. 1811. died August 12, 1000. He attended the pub- lie schools of his native town, and then en- graged in business with his father in the manu- facture of woolen goods and in the course of time became a partner in Daniel Curtiss' Sons. He was a prominent and successful voylen manufacturer all his active life. He was iden- tified with public affairs of the community and held a high position in the esteem of his em- plovees and town-men. He served on the board of education and was selectman of the town. He represented the town in the gen-

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eral assembly of the state and was state sena- tor. He was a delegate also to the last con- vention which revised the state constitution. He was a prominent member and for many years treasurer of the First Congregational Church of Woodbury. He married. October 6, 1868, Harriet F. Atwater, born at New Haven, now living at Woodbury, daughter of Ira Atwater. Children : Horace Atwater, born at Woodbury, 1871, died in infancy; Charles Atwater. mentioned below: Olivia Harriet, born at Woodbury. March 30, 1878. lives with her mother at Woodbury.

(X) Charles Atwater, son of Horace Dan- iel Curtiss, was born at Woodbury. Connecti- ent, May 24. 1875. He was educated at the Woodbury Academy and the Sheffield Scien- tific School of Yale University, from which he was graduated in the class of 1805 with the degree of Ph.D. He took a post-graduate course at the Philadelphia Textile School and afterward engaged in business in the mill of Daniel Curtiss' Sons at Woodbury. He rose step by step until he became superintendent and general manager of the concern. After the plan was destroyed by fire and the affairs of the company settled. he became associated with Firth & Foster. woolen goods. Phila- delphia. for a short time, and with the Win- sted Hosiery Company of Win-tel. Connecti- cut, where he remained until the death of his father. when he returned to Woodbury to take charge of the estate. In Ico; he was ap- ' pointed assistant postmaster of Thomaston and since igio he has been postma-ter. He represented the town of Woodbury in the state legislature in 1905-06 and served on the finance committee. In politics he is a Repub- lican and a man of wide influence in public at- fairs. fle is a director of the Woodbury Water Company and president of the Auto- matic Telephone Company. He is a member of King Solomon Lodge, No. 7. Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Woodbury, and was master of the lodge two years; meraber of Granite Chapter. No. 36. Royal Arch Masons, Thom- aston, serving as treasurer: of Litchfield County University Club. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Wood- bury and succeeded his father as treasurer of the society. He was for four years clerk and treasurer of the Sunday school. He mar- ried, June 21. 1905. Jane M. Bidwell, Forn December 20. 18;8. daughter of Henry A. and Martha ( Foster) Bidwell, of Thomaston. Child. Horace Daniel, born February 12, 1008.

HAWLEY

The first representative of the family here under considera- tion wa- Joseph Hawley, born

1603, died 1690. He emigrated from Eng- land to the new world about the year 103y. coming from Derbyshire, and was among the first settlers of Stratford. Connecticut. He married, 1646. Katharine, daughter of Birdsey. Children: Samuel, see forward . Joseph, Jr., born 1649. died 1691; Elizabeth. 1651, died 1676: Ebenezer. 1654. died 1681: Hannah. 1657: Ephraim, 1659. died 1600: John, 1661, died 1729: Mary. 1663. died 1731. ( 11) Samuel, son of Joseph and Katharine ( Birdsey ) Hawley, born 1647, died 1734. He married (first ) 1673. Mary, daughter of Thomas and Ann ( Wills) Thompson, of Farmington, Connecticut; she died 1001. Married (second ) Patience, daughter of "Widow Hall." Children of first wife: Sam- uel Jr., born 16;4. died 1754; Joseph. 1675, died 1752: Thomas, 1078, see forward : Mat- thew, 1680, died 1003: Ebenezer. 1682; Jehiel. 1685, died 1727: Elizabeth. 1687, died 1;65. Children of second wife: Ephraim, born 1694. died 1771: Catharine. 1693. died 1690: Stephen. 1695, died 1790; Benjamin. 1600. died 1765; Mary, 1699; Nathamel. 1701. died 1754.

( III) Deacon Thomas Hawley, son of Samuel and Mary ( Thompson ) Hawley. horn 1678. died 1;22. He married. 1701, Joanna. born 1978, died 1761, daughter of Ephraim and Mary ( Clarke) Booth, of Stratford. Con- necticut. Children : Ebenezer, born 1703: El- len. 1705. died 1:40: Elizabeth. 1700, dicd 1731; Thomas, 1708-09. died 1726: Ezra. 1211, see forward; Mary, 1713: Hannah. 1715; Hester. 1717. died 1773: Samuel. 1719. died 1740: Katharine. 1722.

: IV ) Captain Ezra Hawley, son of Deacon Thomas and Joanna ( Booth) Hawley. born 17!1. died 1772. He married Abigail, born 1715. died 1,86. daughter of Hall. Children : Thomas, born January. 1736, died November. 1730: Elizabeth. 1737, died 1770: Thomas. 1738. died 1797 : Hannah, 1742. died 1822: Ezra. 1747. see forward : Samuel. 1751: Grissell. 1754. died ISIG.

(V ) Ezra (2). son of Captain Ezra ,!) and Abigail : Hallo) Hawley, born gar. died [;go. He married (first) 17rt, Abigail, Lora 1748. died 1773. daughter of Abraham and Mary ( Wheeler) brin made. of Trumbnli. Connecticut Married recondi 17-2. Rath. born 1754. died 1820, daughter of samuel and Ruth : Wilsono Morehouse. of Fairfiell. Con- necticut. Children. Gurdon, born April 20. 1775. died January 20. 18.7: Wilson, born April 15. 1776. see forward: Samvel. De- cember 20. 1778, died 1924: Ruth. 1;80, died 1876: Ezra. 1781. chied 1858 : Abraham. 178 ;. died 1868: George, 1794. died 1636.

Charles alenitisa

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(\1) Wilson, son of Ezra (2) and Ruth (Morehouse) Hawley, born April 15, 1770, died October 30, 1846. He married. October 3, 1799. Charity, born May 19. 1775. died Au- gust 30. 1844. daughter of Captain Stephen and Mary ( Holburton ) Summers. Children : Bronson, born September 27, 1800, died Feb- ruary 12, 1880; Mary, January 12, 1803. died December 26, 1847: Catharine. January 25, 1805, died May 11, 1833: Cornelia, De- cember 9, 1806, died May. 1893: Ruth Abby, November 19, 1808, died April 24, 1891; Francis W., January 2. 1811. died March I. 1845; Edmund Summers, June 15, 1813, see forward; Eusebia M .. December 12. 1816. died May 30, 1818; Charles F .. March 3, 1819, died May 27, 1846.

(VII) Edmund Summers, son of Wilson and Charity (Summers ) Hawley, was born in Bridgeport. Connecticut. June 15, 1813, died February 10. 1894. When about twenty-one years of age he removed to Catskill, New York, where he remained in business some years, and while there became associated with the Catskill Bank. After his return to his native city he was engaged in the dry goods and clothing business. and in 1849, with his father-in-law. Thomas Cook Wordin, and Monson Hawley. was extensively engaged in the California trade, they being among the first to ship goods to that then new country. For many years he was a prominent merchant and business man, but later gave up his mer- cantile business and devoted his time and en- ergies to banking. In 1859 he became presi- dent of the Farmers' Bank ( now First Bridge- port National). which office he held for more than thirty years. He was connected with the Bridgeport Savings Bank a- direc- tor. trustee, vice-president, president for over forty years, being the sixth president of this bank, elected in 1875, and was regarded as a conservative. sagacious and successful finan- cier. At the age of eighteen Mr. Hawley united with the Second (South : Congrega- tional Church, then under the able mimstry of Rev. Nathaniel Hewick, D.D. Although not active in politics, he was always a staunch Republican.

Mr. Hawley married. July 19, 1842. Lucy Sherwood, born November 17. 1816. died Oc- tober 30, 1883. daughter of Thomas Cook Wordin. Children: Mary Wordin; Charles Wilson, married. April 17. 1884. Katharine A .. daughter of Frederick J. and Margaret ( Edmond ) Beardsley, of Stratford. Connecti- cut : children: Marguerite Wordin. married. December 23, 1909. Lieutenant Chauncey L. Fenton, of the United States army : Edmund Summers.

WHEELER (III) Samuel Wheeler fifth child of Moses (q. v.), and Sarah ( Nichols ) Wheel- er. was born in Stratford. February 27, 1082. He lived at Oronoque. one of the outlying districts of Stratford. and died in 1721. His estate was appraised at fourteen hundred and fifty pounds. He married ( first ) May. 1708, Mary Brinsmade. Children: 1. Sarah, born November 6, 1710. 2. Samuel, July 25. 1712, removed to Derby, married Abigail Wheeler, four children. Samuel Wheeler married ( sec- ond ) 1713, Lois, widow of Ebenezer Riggs, of Derby : she married (third ) John Obertius. ( fourth ) Abraham Tomlinson. and died in Derby, September 11. 1767. aged eighty- seven. Children of Samuel and Lois . Riggs ) Wheeler: 3. Mary, born May 30. 1714. 4. Janies, see below.

( IV) James (known as captain . fourth child of Samuel Wheeler by his second wife Lois, was born in 1716. Removing to Derby Narrows. Connecticut, he was a representa- tive, and an influential and very substantial citizen. In 1756 he was commissioned cap- tain in the military forces of Connecticut. He died July 9, 17 S, leaving, like li's father and grandfather an estate of large amount for the period. He married. May 9, 1736. Sarah, daughter of Lieutenant Ebenezer Johnson Jr .. of Derby; she died September. 1812. aged ninety-two. Chiliren: I. Sarah. horn De- cember 27. 1737. married Stephen Whitney : they were grandparents of the noted Stephen Whitney, of New York City. 2. Samuel, born September 24. 1739. married Lois Fairchild : eight children. 3. Simeon. born April 15, 1741, died 1776; married Captain Timothy Baldwin of Derby: seven children. 4. Ruth. born May 20. 1713, married Nathan Fair- child. 5. James. born April 6. 1745, see be- low. 6. Daughter, born March 1. 1747. died soon. F. Joseph. born May 2. 1748, lived at Derby Narrows: married (first Sarah. daughter of Ephraim Wheeler: no children : married ( second ) Lucy - -, and had six children. S. Moses, born July 28. 1;30. mar- ried Lucy Hecock, of Waterbury: eight chi- dren. o. Anna, born August 10, 1752. 10. David. born March 14. 1754. II. John. born June 2. 1756. married ( first ) Sibyl Todd : one child : married ( second ) Sarah Jolinsen : thres chillren. 12. Elijah, born December 22. 1758. died May 5. 1775. 13. Hannah. Forn March 25, 1761. 14. Sarah, born April 5. 1764.

(V) James (2) (known as deacon,, fifth child of Captain James and Sarah ( Johnson> Wheeler. was born April 6, 1745. For most of his life he resided m that portion of Derby which is known now as Beacon Fails, but

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. finally established himself at Watertown, Con- nerticut. where he died May 25. 1819. Hle married, June 13. 1767. Mary Clark, of Mil- ford, Connecticut. Chiklren: 1. Mary, born February 5. 1708. 2. Lucy, December 23, 1769, died March 6, 1787. 3. Ann, born Sep- tember 12. 1771. 4. Sarah. December 12, 1773. 5. Hannah. January 30. 1776. 6. Lois, March 14. 1778. 7. James, March 1. 1;SI. 8. Huldah. September 16. 1784. died July 4, 1786. 9. Ilullah (20), April 21, 1787. IO.

David, September 6, 1789, see below. II. Lucy, May 28; 1791.

(VI) David. tenth child of Deacon James (2) and Mary (Clark ) Wheeler, was born September 6, 178g. A resident of Watertown, he was engaged successfully in the carriage manufacturing business. He died in Water- town. He married (first ) Phoebe De Forest. Children: 1. James, born September 26. 1811. 2. Mary, born August 14, 1814. David Wheeler married (second ) Sarah De Forest, sister of his first wife. Children : 3. Nathan- iel. born September 7, 1820, see below. 4. Jane, December 20. 1823. 5. George. Febru- ary 24. 1826. 6. Belinda Polly, May 18. 1828.

The De Forests were originally a Huguenot family of Avesnes, France, some of whose members fled to Leyden, Holland, to escape religious persecution. One of these. Isaac De Forest, son of Jesse and Marie ( De Cloux) De Forest, came from Leyden to New Ani- sterdam in 1036, and there married Sarah De Trieux, who bore him fourteen children; a son. David. settled in Stratford. Connecticut. and was the ancestor of Phoebe and Sarah De Forest, wives of David Wheeler.

(VII) Nathaniel Wheeler, organizer of the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company. and also executive head and president from its inception until his death, was the chief promoter throughout the world of the great and beneficent labor-saving invention of the sewing machine with which his name is in- dissolubly connected. and the colleague of its inventor in its marvellous development.

He was born in Watertown, Litchfield coun- tv. Connectiont. September 7, 1820, third child of David Wheeler and eldest by bis second wife. Sarah . De Forest ) Wheeler. After ni- taining a sound English education in the copy- mon schools of his native place he apprenticed himself to his father and karned the carriage maker's trade. Having a special taste that way, he was given charge of the ornamental part of the work, but on coming of age he assumed the management of the entire busi- ness in order that his father might be able to devote himself more fully to the cultivation of the farmn. About five year- later he took

up the manufacture of various small metallic articles-largely buckles and slides for hat- bands: and, substituting machinery for hand labor, very greatly reduced the cost of pro- duction --- thys displaying that eminently prac- tical ability manifested throughout his life. In IS48 he united lus business with that of Messrs. Warren & Woodruff, manufacturers of similar articles. The new firm. taking the style of Warren. Wheeler & Woodruff. erected a building for the enlarged business. of which Mr. Wheeler took entire charge. In a short time he discovered that the plant could be still further utilized, and it was while seek- ing something new to manufacture that he became interested in the machine with which his whole subsequent business life was iden- tified.

While it is true that the act of sewing by machinery vone of the most important of all mechanical arts relating to labor-saving ma- chines ) was essentially American in its ori- gin and has been pre-eminently so in its pro- gressive development, European genius and skill had been groping toward it for nearly a eentury before practical results of value were reached by American inventors working with no knowledge of the efforts of their European brethren. Weisenthal, as early as 1755. Heil- mann, Thomas Saint ( granted an English pat- ent in 1700). Thimonier twlie first obtained a patent in France in 1830). Newton and Archbold. in England. and possibly others. essaved the invention, but not one of these, nor all collectively, ever pointed the way to what would now be considered a practical sewing machine. Something was done. it is said. by Walter Hunt. of New York. as early a- 1832-34. but the contrivance alleged to have been made by him was abandoned or neglected until the success of others had become pub- licly known. The imperfect production of Elias Howe. patented in isjo, was undoubt- elly the first important step toward a prac- cal machine, but the perfected "Howe" was not patented until INS ;.

The American inventor whose work in this field first reached satisfactory restilts was Al- len B. Wilson, a native of Cortland. Nex York. While working at his trade as a Four. nevinan cabinetinaker in Adrian, Michigan. in 1817. he conceived the idea of a sewing machine. He knew nothing of what others had thought or done in this direction. IS48, while working at his trade in Pittsfield. Massachusetts, he completed the drawings of his projected machine, and in the spring of the following year finished his model. Al- though not a machinist, and not able to pro- cure suitable tools, he made with his own hand

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