USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Danbury > History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896 > Part 41
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the accommodation of the poor of this town, and should they deem it expedient to have a work-house established in con- nection therewith, they shall ascertain the additional ex- pense necessary for that purpose. They are further instructed to inquire if the necessary land and buildings for the poor can be leased for a term of years, and on what terms; and they shall make their report at a future meeting as soon as possible."
The vote was carried by a large majority, although there was a determined opposition to it in the meeting, and much sneering outside at buying a big farm for paupers. A second town meet- ing was called on May 9th, to hear the report of the selectmen. Those officials reported in favor of the town farm, and a vote was adopted authorizing the selectmen to purchase the land of George C. White, containing about seventy-three acres, to build the necessary structures thereon, and also to put up a work- house.
The selectmen were appointed a committee to take charge of the building operations, and were authorized to draw on the town treasurer for a sum not to exceed $15,000 to defray ex- penses of land and building.
So far so good; but the opposition was not downed. Its leaders succeeded in getting a call for a meeting to rescind the action of this last meeting. The gathering took place on May 23d. Its action was very brief. As soon as the meeting was organized a vote was offered to dismiss the assemblage. It was carried by a large majority. Still the opposition lost none of its bitterness. A fourth meeting was called to abandon the farm purchase. It met with exactly the same fate as its predecessor. The opposition to the town farm took no more definite action, but subsided.
Early in August, 1868, there appeared a call for a town meet- ing. It was singularly worded. It stated that the meeting was called to authorize the selectmen to give bond that they will repay to any person or persons whatever money is donated for the purchase of a town farm and the erection of the necessary buildings thereon should the town abandon the system of sup- porting the poor on a farm owned by the town, the money to be paid without interest.
The meeting was held on August 22d, and the subject of the
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
call was made into a vote and passed. One other vote was passed, which read as follows :
" Voted, That the town accept with thanks and gratitude the donation of $6000 toward purchasing a farm and erecting build- ings for the accommodation of the poor."
What led to the call for this meeting and its action is thus explained. Eli White, a former Danburian, but then a resident of New York City, was anxious that the farming-out system pursued by the town in the treatment of its dependent poor be abandoned, and fearing that the opposition to the farm might prevail through the bugbear of burdensome taxation, he and his wife offered to contribute the sum of $6000 to the cost of the farm, simply stipulating that the money be returned whenever the town abandoned its farm and returned to the old system. It was a generous offer, and gladly accepted.
In 1869 the farm-house was built, and was ready for use on October 1st of that year. This was occupied until the present Almshouse of Danbury, known as "Broadview," which is a substantial structure of brick and stone, was completed in 1894. It stands upon high ground east of the city, and commands a fine view of Danbury and its surroundings. The building is three- storied, is 42 feet in height, 52 in width, and 145 feet in length.
The first floor has the apartments of the superintendent, offices, parlor, dining, reading, and work-rooms, with pantries and toilet-rooms. Five spacious stairways lead to the floor above, which is divided, on the west side, into two large dormitories. There are also single rooms and bath-rooms on this floor. The third floor has two hospital wards, twenty-one single rooms and three bath-rooms ; each floor is well equipped with closets for storage purposes.
The cellar is used for heating and storage ; two large boilers furnish heat, and a gas-engine is used for pumping water from the artesian well to the attic, which contains two large tanks holding 5000 gallons each, which furnish an unfailing supply of pure water. The well is 181 feet deep, was bored through solid rock, and has a capacity of 30 gallons per minute.
The farm contains about one hundred acres, and the value of its products for 1895 was estimated at about $1800. J. Albert Pulling is the present superintendent. Broadview was designed by Warren R. Briggs, of Bridgeport, and built by Foster Brothers, of Danbury.
CHAPTER XLIII.
BANKS.
IN 1824 the Fairfield County Bank, located at Norwalk, was chartered by the Legislature of the State with the provision that it should have a branch at Danbury. At the first meeting of the Directors of the Fairfield County Branch, held on Tuesday, August 10th, 1824, the Danbury Directors were directed to look out some suitable building to be occupied by said branch bank, ascertain the rent thereof, and report at the next meeting of the Directors.
At a meeting of the Directors, held on August 24th, 1824, Zal- mon Wildman (the father of the late Frederick S. Wildman, so long the President of the Savings Bank of Danbury) was elected president of said branch bank, and David Foote was appointed to contract with Dr. Comstock for a room in his house, and see to fitting it up for the use of the bank. On September 20th, 1824, Curtis Clark was elected cashier of said branch bank, and the bank commenced business.
The subject of building a banking house was soon before the Directors, and on August 29th, 1825, it was " Voted, That in the opinion of this board it is expedient to build a banking house for the accommodation of the institution as soon as may be con- venient," and David Foote was appointed agent to procure mate- rials for said building.
On November 17th, 1825, he was appointed to superintend the building of a banking house according to plans submitted by him.
On December 26th, 1826, the accounts of the building of the new bank by David Foote were settled, and his services as agent met with the entire approbation of the Board of Directors.
There is no record of the occupying of the new building, but it was probably about this date. The building is still standing on the corner of Main and Bank streets. It was occupied for a
DANBURY NATIONAL BANK. BUILT, 1888.
LIBRARY. BUILT, 1878.
POST OFFICE. BUILT, 1893.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
period of twenty-nine years by the Fairfield County Branch Bank and the Danbury Bank. In July, 1844, the latter institu- tion, having secured a charter, took the place of the Fairfield County Branch Bank, with the same Board of Directors and the same President.
On April 14th, 1855, Lyman Keeler, Frederick S. Wildman, and Edgar S. Tweedy were appointed a committee by the Board of Directors to ascertain if a suitable location could be obtained on which to build a banking house, north of the Congregational meeting-house (now Monument Square).
On May 5th, 1855, the committee were instructed to purchase from Colonel E. Moss White a building lot on the southeast side of his garden, and it was " Voted, That Edgar S. Tweedy, George Hull, and Lyman Keeler be a committee to propose a plan and obtain estimates for a building," and on June 30th, 1855, that committee were authorized and instructed to make a contract for the building at their discretion.
The committee proceeded to erect the building, formerly known as the Old Bank Building (now the Foster Building), after plans made by Henry Austin, of New Haven ; the contractors for the work being George M. Raymond, mason, and Darius Stevens, carpenter. This building was occupied for the first time on Jan- uary 10th, 1856. Additional ground was purchased at four dif- ferent times, and on February 6th, 1886, L. P. Hoyt, L. D. Brewster, and J. Amsbury were appointed a committee to make plans for a new banking house-the business of the bank neces- sitating more room for its work-and on March 13th, 1886, the committee made its report. The matter was discussed in all its bearings, and the erection of a new bank building was post- poned.
On February 9th, 1887, a plan was submitted, and after vari- ous delays was on April 30th, 1887, accepted by the Directors, and bids advertised for its building subject to plans and super- vision of Architect W. R. Briggs, of Bridgeport. On June 4th, 1887, the bids were opened, and the contract awarded to P. E. Read, of Hartford. A building committee consisting of L. P. Hoyt, L. D. Brewster, S. H. Rundle, and J. Amsbury were appointed. June 6th, 1887, ground was broken for the new bank and building operations commenced, ending in the com- pletion and occupancy by the bank on August 27th, 1888.
460
HISTORY OF DANBURY.
During the existence of this bank the following have been its executive officials-viz .:
Zalmon Wildman, President, from August 24th, 1824, to May 26th, 1826.
Samuel Tweedy, President, from June 22d, 1826, to November 22d, 1833.
David Foote, President, from December 22d, 1833, to June 20th, 1835.
Samuel Tweedy, President, from June 20th, 1835, to June 18th, 1864.
Lucius P. Hoyt, President, from June 18th, 1864, to January 16th, 1892.
Samuel H. Rundle, from January 16th, 1892, to the present time.
Curtis Clark, cashier, from September 20th, 1824, to May, 1837.
George W. Ives, assistant cashier, from June 20th, 1835, to July, 1838.
Aaron Seeley, cashier, from July 2d, 1838, to June 1st, 1854.
Ephraim Gregory, cashier, from June 1st, 1854, to October 1st, 1855.
Jabez Amsbury, cashier, from October 1st, 1855, to the present time.
George H. Williams, in the service of the bank since 1865, was appointed assistant cashier January 26th, 1893.
DAVID FOOTE .*
David Foote was born in Danbury, Conn., May 28th, 1765, and married Elizabeth, daughter of Asa Bull, of Litchfield, Conn., in December, 1792. Mr. Foote was in the State troops when fifteen years of age, and at sixteen was in the service of his country in the War of the Revolution. He was twenty-four years Justice of the Peace, twenty-five years Treasurer of the First Ecclesiastical Society of Danbury, Director of Branch of the Fairfield County Bank at Danbury for twelve years, and its President two years.
WOOSTER BANK.
This bank was organized in May, 1853, with a capital of
* A portrait in oil of David Foote has been recently presented to the Danbury National Bank by David T. Foote, of Bridgeport, Conn.
AARON SEELEY, 1ST PRES'T. PRESENT NATIONAL PAHQUIOQUE BANK BUILDING, BUILT, 1886. BARNABUS ALLEN, 2D PRES'T.
W.H. P. SEELEY, 4TH PRES'T.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
$100,000 and the following officers : Edgar S. Tweedy, Presi- dent ; George W. Ives, Cashier. The business was carried on in the little savings-bank building of Mr. Ives. In June, 1854, the Wooster Bank was merged into the Danbury Bank.
NATIONAL PAHQUIOQUE BANK.
This bank was organized as a State bank on May 1st, 1854, with a capital stock of $100,000. The President was Aaron Seeley, and his son, Augustus, was cashier. The Directors were Aaron Seeley, William Montgomery, Charles Hull, Hiram L. Sturdevant, Alvah T. Pearce, Lucius H. Boughton, William F. Taylor, Oliver Stone, Frederick T. Wildman. The bank com- menced business in the north front room of the old homestead of the late Charles F. Starr, on Main Street, on the day of its organization.
On June 24th of the same year it was voted to increase the capital to $150,000.
October 7th, 1856, the capital was increased to $250,000, and on October 15th the bank removed to its new quarters in Pah- quioque Block.
In January, 1857, Augustus Seeley resigned his position as cashier, and William P. Seeley was elected in his place.
In 1865 the institution was reorganized as a national bank with a capital of $250,000, and the following Board of Directors, which were the same as those of the State bank : Aaron Seeley, Alvah T. Pearce, Charles Hull, William F. Taylor, Nathaniel Selleck, James E. Hoyt, B. B. Allen, W. F. Lacey. Aaron Seeley, President ; William P. Seeley, Cashier ; H. W. Starr, Teller.
Aaron Seeley died in May, 1872, and in July Barnabas Allen was made President, and held this position until January, 1879, when B. B. Kellogg was elected President.
Barnabas Allen died March 20th, 1881, and B. B. Kellogg died the same year.
In 1882 William P. Seeley was elected President, and M. H. Griffing, Jr., Cashier.
On April 4th, 1884, William P. Seeley died, and May 3d, 1884, A. N. Wildman was elected President, which position he holds at the present time.
On March 1st, 1885, S. C. Holley, R. McLean, and B. A.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Hough were appointed a committee in reference to changing the location of the bank, which resulted in the purchase of the pres- ent location for $13,000. In June, 1887, the new bank was occupied.
The board of officers and managers of to-day is : A. N. Wild- man, President ; M. H. Griffing, Jr., Cashier. Directors : Sam- uel C. Holley, B. A. Hough, A. N. Wildman, D. W. Meeker, S. S. Ambler, Robert McLean, C. A. Mallory, M. H. Griffing, Ar- thur E. Tweedy.
DANBURY SAVINGS BANK.
Nearly a half century ago, when Danbury had no electric lights, no pavements, no street railway, but was a pretty town with grand old trees and beautiful gardens, one of her vener- ated citizens, Horace Bull, suggested to George W. Ives that a savings bank would be a blessing to many of the town people. To one so keenly alive to the interests of Danbury and of his fellow-citizens the suggestion had but to be made to be acted upon, and the Savings Bank of Danbury, chartered in 1849, commenced business on June 29th of that year, with the follow- ing officers and directors :
Frederick S. Wildman, President ; Eli T. Hoyt, John W. Irwin, Vice-Presidents ; George W. Ives, Secretary and Treasu- rer ; Directors : David P. Nichols, Lucius P. Hoyt, Aaron See- ley, Nathan Seeley, Jr., Edgar S. Tweedy, Henry Benedict.
Notice was duly given that deposits would be received at the house of the Treasurer from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday of each week.
The old Ives homestead, so well known and so full of pleasant memories, thus became the cradle of the first savings bank. A desk in the dining-room was the safe, and in the absence of the Treasurer Mrs. Ives received deposits and attended to the busi- ness of the bank. After a time it seemed necessary to have a building and a safe, and Mr. Ives built at his own expense the little building, still standing in the corner of the dooryard of his old homestead, and the savings bank had a " habitation" as well as a "name." From this small beginning the assets of the bank have increased to the sum of $2,869,922 on March 30th, 1895.
Mr. Frederick S. Wildman held the office of President from
DESK IN IVES HOMESTEAD, USED AS SAFE FOR SAVINGS BANK IN 1849.
WM. JABINE.
PRESENT SAVINGS BANK BUILDING.
FIRST
SAVINGS BANK BUILDING.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
June 29th, 1849, until his death, on October 16th, 1893, and was succeeded by John W. Bacon, the present incumbent.
Mr. George W. Ives held the office of Secretary and Treasurer until September 29th, 1860, and was succeeded by Mr. William Jabine, who served until July 30th, 1873, when the present Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Henry C. Ryder, was elected.
DAVID P. NICHOLS.
Among the more notable men of the city deserves to be men- tioned David Philip Nichols, who for several years filled the position of State Treasurer with an excellent record. Born in Danbury, July 7th, 1810, he was descended on his mother's side from Josiah Starr, one of the founders of the town in 1693.
From 1860 he filled important positions in the Legislature : Committee on Railroads, Committee on New Towns, Committee on Finance, and other committees directing public affairs. He was an alert, kindly, sanguine man, full of interest in every- body's welfare, comprehensive of view, and open-minded. He was always ready to entertain new ideas and give hearing to whatever seemed to promise public advantage. In early life he was active in church matters, but in later days took more inter- est in secular movements. He was always of liberal opinions in every direction, having the instincts of a truly modern mind.
He was a ready, forcible, and inspiring speaker, an entertain- ing conversationalist, a picturesque narrator, fond of poetry, novels, and newspapers, skilled in theology and politics, with much business ability. He died in January, 1881, while filling the office of State Treasurer.
UNION SAVINGS BANK.
This institution was incorporated in June, 1866. The list of the original incorporators is as follows :
James S. Taylor, President ; Martin H. Griffing, Vice-Presi- dent ; John Shethar, Secretary ; W. F. Olmstead, Treasurer ; Directors : Charles Hull, Martin H. Griffing, Samuel C. Hol- ley, Almon Judd, Lucius H. Boughton, Elijah Sturdevant, Wil- liam H. Clark, Amos N. Stebbins, James Baldwin, William S. Peck, James S. Taylor, George C. White, Norman Hodge, Orrin Benedict, Alfred A. Heath, Francis H. Austin, William F. Tay- lor, Levi Osborn.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
The first Trustees elected were : William S. Peck, Francis H. Austin, Amos N. Stebbins, William F. Taylor, John Shethar, Samuel C. Holley, Lucius H. Boughton.
Samuel Stebbins was elected as a corporator in July, 1867, and at the same time was elected President, which office he held until 1873.
Mr. Olmstead continued as Secretary and Treasurer until 1873, when L. P. Treadwell was elected, and has been re-elected up to the present time. S. C. Holley was made President in 1873, and is the present incumbent.
THE DANBURY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY.
This company was chartered in 1850 for the purpose of fur- nishing to citizens of Danbury and vicinity insurance at reason- able rates. It has been in business continuously since that time, has always paid its losses promptly, and has accumulated a large cash surplus, which is annually increasing. The following have been its principal officers :
President : Aaron Seeley, from 1850 to 1872; Frederick S. Wildman, from 1872 to 1893; Norman Hodge, from 1893 to present time.
Secretary and Treasurer : Roger Averill, from 1850 to 1853 ; Oliver Stone, from 1853 to 1867 ; William S. Peck, from 1867 to 1884.
Secretary : George B. Benjamin, from 1884 to 1890 ; James B. Wildman, from 1890 to present time.
Treasurer : William Jabine, from 1884 to 1886; Henry C. Ryder, from 1886 to present time.
The following is a list of its present Board of Directors : Nor- man Hodge, John W. Bacon, Henry C. Ryder, Lucius P. Hoyt, Lyman D. Brewster, Russell W. Hoyt, James B. Wildman.
SAMUEL STEBBINS,
ALMON JUDD,
UNION SAVINGS BANK.
CHAPTER XLIV.
THE "DANBURY NEWS" A COUNTRY NEWSPAPER THAT ACHIEVED A NATIONAL REPUTATION .*
THE Danbury News was originally the Danbury Times, estab- lished in 1837 by Edward Osborne, later of Poughkeepsie, who died in 1890. Mr. Osborne associated with him as assistants in his work Harvey and Levi Osborne, his brothers. The wooden press used by them was of the same pattern as that which was used by Benjamin Franklin, and was a simple contrivance en- tirely of wood. Unfortunately it was destroyed at the time when the metal hand-press was purchased.
A newspaper owning this (then) quite modern press was estab- lished here, but did not succeed and was moved to Norwalk. There it also failed, and this press was bought by Mr. Osborne and brought back to Danbury. For two years after the pur- chase of the Times it was used for printing the papers, and is now, as it has been for many years, used in the News office for taking proofs. It is now sixty years old.
Mr. Osborne continued the publication of the Times until August 24th, 1865, when James M. Bailey and Timothy Dono- van, two freshly returned soldiers, bought the business. The Messrs. Osborne were given the privilege of issuing the next paper and making their farewell bow therein, and the new pro- prietors commenced their newspaper career with the issue of the Danbury Times, Wednesday, September 7th, 1865.
In 1866 they purchased for $150 a small Degner press to help out their jobbing business.
In 1867 they contracted for a cylinder press, the first brought into Danbury. For this they paid $500. The first paper printed upon it was on December 26th, 1867.
In August, 1870, they bought a new single-cylinder press of
Contributed by George W. Flint.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
the Taylor make. It was on this press the News was printed when it reached the marvellous circulation of 30,000 copies.
In February, 1870, Bailey and Donovan bought the Danbury Jeffersonian, the only other weekly paper printed in Danbury. They united the Jeffersonian with the Times, and the two became the Danbury News.
On October 2d, 1871, they established the first daily paper in Danbury, called the Evening News, a paper of four pages, five columns to the page, about one eighth of the size of the Evening News of to-day. This lived three or four months, when the sur- plus money of its proprietors being exhausted, it was given up.
In 1872 water power was used for the first time in Danbury, to run the printing machinery.
In 1873 steam power was substituted, and in the summer of that year the since enlarged and remodelled News building was erected, the office being moved into it on October 1st, 1873.
A double-cylinder press was added to the outfit of the office, the great circulation of the News at the time necessitating the use of such a press.
The year 1873 was remarkable in the history of this journal, then but a country newspaper. On January 1st of that year it appeared in an eight-page form, and had a circulation of 1920. This was entirely local, being confined to Danbury and the neigh- boring towns. On September 1st following the edition of the paper numbered THIRTY THOUSAND copies. This is perhaps the greatest gain made by a newspaper, and far distances the record of the New York World, remarkable as that is. The News was simply a country newspaper at the time, with no attractive literary features ; but the dry humor and wit of the "Danbury News Man" brightened its columns and made it a welcome guest in many homes.
In 1874 the paper was made into two separate editions, one being local and the other general ; the latter being merged into the former in 1880.
In February, 1878, Mr. Bailey purchased Mr. Donovan's in- terest, and became sole proprietor of the paper, remaining such until his death in March, 1894.
On September 8th, 1883, the present Evening News was estab- lished, and printed on the Taylor single cylinder until June, 1887, when a Hoe double cylinder was bought.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Until 1886 the papers issued from the News office were folded by hand. That year the first newspaper folding machine seen in Danbury was put up in the office.
The Hoe press had folders attached, and by it two copies of the News were printed and folded at the same time. This press was in use until February 25th, 1890, when it gave way to a Hoe web perfecting press. This marvellous piece of machinery now in use was not bought to gratify ambition or to display enter- prise, but the edition of the Evening News had grown so rap- idly that greater facilities were needed to produce it. The con- trast between this and the first machine is astonishing. The first (hand) press could make one hundred and seventy-five im- pressions in an hour. As it could print but one side of the paper at a time, it required four hours to bring out three hun- dred and fifty complete papers of four pages. With the last press the News can now produce two hundred complete papers, of eight pages each, folded, pasted, and cut, in one minute.
The present owners and publishers of the News, bequeathed to them by the late J. M. Bailey, are George W. Flint and William L. Smith.
CHAPTER XLV.
WATER SUPPLY-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-BOARD OF TRADE.
Danbury's Water Supply.
IN 1859 and 1860 the idea of building water-works for our borough was projected, and earnestly advocated by some of our go-ahead citizens against considerable opposition. After much discussion an application was made to the Legislature in 1860, and a charter granted to the borough for the construction of a water-works, and at a borough meeting held on May 17th, 1860, the charter was ratified by a vote of 249 yeas to 30 nays. At the same meeting Messrs. John W. Bacon, Charles Hull, and Henry Benedict were elected water commissioners, and acting under powers vested them in the charter, they promptly made contracts for the construction of the works.
On May 22d, 1860, the contract for furnishing and laying the pipes was entered into with the Patent Water and Gas Pipe Company, of Jersey City, the contractors agreeing to complete the work on September 22d, 1860.
On June 22d, 1860, the commissioners contracted with G. & R. Redfield, of, Danbury, for the construction of the dam, to be com- pleted by September 1st. On June 4th, 1860, the commissioners contracted with William E. Hunt for the trenching of pipes, etc. Mr. Hunt abandoned the contract shortly after commenc- ing, and the commissioners voted to employ him to continue the work until further notice, they to pay for the hands and teams ; they waiving no claims they might have against him for damages arising from the non-completion of his contract.
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