USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut, 1639-1928 > Part 12
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Since 1910 William Arthur Honan has been continuously identified with the business interests of Hawleyville, where he is engaged in general merchandising and in the undertaking bus- iness. He was born in Newtown, Connecticut, December 16, 1881, and is a son of Daniel and Catherine Honan. He is a graduate of the Newtown Academy and on the completion of his school course he started out in the business world by entering the employ of Levi Morris, a general merchant of Newtown, with whom he remained until 1910, when he established business on his own account as an undertaker. He has since continued in this line and has been accorded a liberal share of the public patronage.
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In 1913 he purchased the property of Charles Blackman at Haw- leyville, where he has since conducted a general store in connec- tion with his undertaking business. He carries a well selected line of goods to meet the demands of varying tastes and puts forth every effort to please his patrons.
On the 12th of June, 1920, Mr. Honan was married at New- town to Miss Margaret Hayes and they have four children: Dorothy, Marion, Margaret and William.
Mr. Honan is a member of the Knights of Columbus at New- town and also belongs to the Danbury lodge of Elks. He is serv- ing on the Newtown school board and is interested in all that has to do with public progress and the general welfare. He stands for all that is best in citizenship and his cooperation can at all times be counted upon to further measures for the general good.
MARTIN LEE
In boyhood Martin Lee formed habits of industry, persever- ance and thrift which have constituted the basis of his success in later life, and in the steps of an orderly progression he has risen to the cashiership of the West Side Bank of Bridgeport, while he also has other financial interests of importance. He was born on a farm near Culpeper Court House, Virginia, August 17, 1883, a son of William J. and Margaret (Martin) Lee. When a youth the father came to America and lived for a time in Vir- ginia. During the conflict between the north and the south he gallantly defended the Union cause and was only eighteen when the war was terminated. Afterward he migrated to Delaware and followed agricultural pursuits in that state for many years. Thomas Newman, a great-uncle of Martin Lee, resided in Penn- sylvania when the Civil war was in progress, living near the scene of the battle of Gettysburg, and narrowly escaped death, as he was sitting at one end of his home when the other end was blown out by a shell. On the spot he later erected a marble tablet, on which was inscribed the date of the engagement. The maternal ancestors of Martin Lee emigrated from Holland to the United States and were pioneers in the manufacture of hosiery in Pennsylvania.
O
MARTIN LEE AND FAMILY
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Mr. Lee was reared on the homestead and attended a district school about two miles distant, walking four miles each day while pursuing his studies. He assisted his father in tilling the soil and remained on the farm until he attained the age of eighteen, when he went to Wilmington, Delaware. On the 14th of February, 1905, he was graduated from a business college of that city and then went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entering the Farmers & Mechanics Bank, which was the first to receive a charter under the national bank act. Starting as a messenger, he soon won promotion and remained with the bank for thirteen years. When he left the institution he was at the head of one of its depart- ments and his next position was that of cashier for the Delaware Trust Company, a DuPont bank, located at Seaford. At the end of two and a half years he severed his connection with the com- pany and in August, 1920, came to Bridgeport. In March, 1921, he entered the West Side Bank in the capacity of assistant cashier and in September, 1923, was elected to the office of cashier, of which he has been the incumbent for five years, contributing to- ward the success of the institution by efficient, conscientious work. This is regarded as the most modern suburban bank in Fairfield county and occupies a site in the manufacturing district. The business has grown steadily since its inception and the standing of the institution is indicated by the fact that its deposits amount to about three million, six hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Lee is secretary, treasurer and a director of the Peoples Title & Mort- gage Company and one of the trustees of the Guardian Invest- ment Trust of Connecticut, which have also benefited by his financial experience and acumen.
In New York city, November 8, 1916, Mr. Lee was married to Miss Edith A. Jackson, of New York city. Mrs. Lee is a daughter of William A. and Edith A. (Loud) Jackson, and grand- daughter of Ebenezer Loud, who was an officer on the ship of Commodore Perry at the battle of Lake Erie. Ebenezer Loud was a brother of General George Loud, of Washington, D. C. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have two children: Martin Ellsworth, who was born August 4, 1918; and William Howard, born September 8, 1926. The family reside at 55 Jackman avenue, in Bridgeport, and their summer home is at Fairfield Beach. Mr. Lee is identi- fied with the Masonic order, the Algonquin Club and the Brook-
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lawn Country Club. Golf affords him the requisite exercise and relaxation and he also enjoys motoring. Mr. Lee occupies an enviable position in financial circles of Bridgeport and has a wide circle of friends, whose esteem he has won by an upright life and wisely directed endeavor.
3/1/41 7 WILLIAM WINTHROP WRIGHT
For more than twenty years William Winthrop Wright has been an official of The Artistic Bronze Company, of which he is now the executive head, proving an able successor of his father, and he worthily sustains the traditions of the family, which is one of prominence in Bridgeport. ' He was born in this city, December 2, 1888, a son of Dr. John Winthrop Wright, and is the fifth in line of descent from an American patriot who served in the Revolutionary war.
Dr. John W. Wright was born in Cromwell, Connecticut, June 8, 1852, and his parents, Leveret and Lucy Stowe (Smith) Wright, were also natives of this state. His father served in the Civil war and was one of the brave defenders of the Union cause. Dr. Wright was a student at Amherst College, from which he won the A. B. degree in 1877, and three years later received the degree of M. D. from the University of New York. In 1880 he located in Bridgeport and here followed his profession for more than forty years, drawing his patients from a wide area. Dur- ing the Spanish-American war he was in the service of his country, filling the post of acting assistant surgeon, and after receiving his honorable discharge returned to Bridgeport. In 1900 he founded Galen Hospital at Nos. 808-12 Myrtle street and associated with him in its ownership and conduct were Drs. W. Lee Weadon and Dr. Robert D. Roller. With their able assist- ance Dr. Wright developed a fine institution and successfully managed the hospital for many years. He specialized in surgical work, in which he acquired marked skill, and for twenty years was a member of the staff of Bridgeport Hospital. Dr. Wright devoted much time to study and research and was a frequent contributor to the leading medical journals of the country. A distinguished representative of his profession, he was honored
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with the presidency of both the Bridgeport City and Fairfield County Medical Societies and was also a member of the Connecti- cut State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He was also a sagacious, farsighted business man and success- fully controlled the activities of The Artistic Bronze Company.
Dr. Wright was married December 8, 1886, to Miss Elizabeth Curtis Knapp, who was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, October 27, 1857. She was a daughter of Captain William Knapp, who was lost at sea while in command of the Evening Star, which was then the largest steamer afloat. Dr. and Mrs. Wright became the parents of three children: Elizabeth Curtis, who was gradu- ated from Smith College; William Winthrop; and Marion Trubee, a graduate of the Sargent School of Physical Education at Cam- bridge, Massachusetts. The Doctor was a Master Mason and belonged to the Brooklawn and Seaside Clubs. In politics he was a republican, and his religious views were in harmony with the doctrines of the Presbyterian church, of which he was an earnest member. He loved his profession for the good which it enabled him to do. His useful, upright life was brought to a close in February, 1926, and his wife passed away August 10, 1925.
William W. Wright attended the Park Avenue Institute and was also a student at the Hotchkiss school. In 1907, when a young man of nineteen, he became connected with The Artistic Bronze Company in the capacities of secretary and treasurer and in 1910 was made vice president and general manager, thus serv- ing until 1918, when he succeeded his father as president. The company was incorporated in 1902, taking over a business in this line established many years before in New York. The industry was transferred from New York to South Norwalk, Connecticut, and since 1911 has been located at No. 2050 Fairfield avenue, in Bridgeport. The plant is sixty by one hundred and thirty feet in dimensions and one story in height. The company does job cast- ing in brass and bronze and manufactures cabinet and builders' hardware and automatic screw machine products, as well as white metal specialties and automobile hardware specialties. They handle several patented articles and do a considerable amount of special contract work. They employ only skilled labor and pay good wages. Mr. Wright has devoted the best years of his life to the business, formulating well devised plans for its develop-
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ment, and closely supervises every detail of the work, which is of uniform excellence. He is also treasurer of the Rustic Well Foundry, Inc., of Bridgeport, and in the conduct of his affairs is dominated at all times by an accurate sense of business exigency.
Mr. Wright was married August 2, 1910, in South Norwalk, to Miss Marguerite C. Williams, who was born June 28, 1888, in Norwalk, and is a daughter of Charles E. Williams. Mrs. Wright was reared in her native city and is a high school graduate. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have two sons: John Winthrop, who was born June 27, 1911, and is a senior in the Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampshire; and Laurence Leveret, who was born June 14, 1916, and is attending the Lincoln high school in Fair- field, Connecticut.
Mr. Wright is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Bridgeport Manufacturers Association, the Algonquin Club, the Fairfield Beach Club and the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis. His wife belongs to the Garden Club of Bridgeport and is vice president of the Parent-Teacher Association. He is a thirty- second degree Mason and has crossed the hot sands of the desert with the Nobles of Pyramid Temple of the Mystic Shrine of Bridgeport. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, and his religious views are indicated by his affiliation with the First Presbyterian church. Mr. Wright is a public-spirited citizen, a progressive business man of high standing, and a native son whose record reflects credit upon the city in which his life has been spent.
AUGUST W. BLYCHER
August W. Blycher, a prominent contractor and enterprising business man of Bridgeport, has been the architect and builder of his fortunes and represents that type of well bred foreign born American citizen whose inherited tendencies of industry, energy and integrity have added so much to the development and pros- perity of our nation. A native of Esberg, Denmark, he was born March 14, 1873, and is a son of Jacob and Annie (Warn) Blycher, lifelong residents of that place. The father followed the profes- sion of a civil engineer and was a Lutheran in religious faith.
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY . 167
The public schools of his native town afforded August W. Blycher his educational opportunities. At the age of seventeen he severed home ties, and, following the example of many of his fellow countrymen, he came to the United States. He worked for a year in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and in 1891 located in Bridgeport, where for several years he was employed as a brick- layer. During that time he saved a certain percentage of his earnings and in 1908 was able to establish a business of his own, becoming a general mason contractor. He prospered from the
beginning and later organized the firm of A. W. Blycher & Son, which has become one of the foremost organizations of the kind in Bridgeport. They construct houses and everything in the building line. Their work is performed with thoroughness and skill, and the activities of the firm have constituted a direct agency in the city's upbuilding and improvement. A. W. Blycher has long been recognized as an expert craftsman and in the administration of his affairs brings to bear the foresight, bus- iness acumen and executive force which insure success.
Mr. Blycher was married May 23, 1899, in Bridgeport to Miss Annie Hansen, who was born in Germany, March 28, 1872, a daughter of Anderson and Bothilde (Berthelson) Hansen, who always resided in that country. Mrs. Blycher was educated in Germany and came to America when a young woman of twenty- five. Mr. and Mrs. Blycher became the parents of four children but lost their daughter Annie, who died at the age of fourteen months. Their son, Frederick, was born April 22, 1900, and since his graduation from high school has been associated with his father in the contracting business. He married Miss Edith John- son, of Bridgeport, and both are prominent in the social life of the city. The daughter Bortilda was born August 18, 1902, and attended the public schools of Bridgeport, afterward completing a course in a local business college. She is the wife of Henry De Veny, of Bridgeport, and they have two children, Henrietta and Bettie. Annie Elizabeth, who completes the family, was born March 25, 1907, and is now the wife of Joseph Letzenbaugh, a Bridgeport electrician.
In 1898 Mr. Blycher enlisted for service in the Spanish- American war and was a private in Company H of the First Regi- ment of Connecticut Infantry. Along fraternal lines he is con-
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nected with Pequonnock Lodge, No. 4, I. O. O. F. In politics he is non-partisan, voting for the candidate whom he considers best qualified for office, and his religious views are in harmony with the tenets of the Danish Lutheran church, of which he is a con- sistent member. For thirty-seven years a resident of Bridgeport, he has witnessed notable changes in its aspect, and in the work of progress and improvement he has played an important part. His life has been well spent, and his worth is recognized and appreciated by his fellow citizens, who speak of him in terms of high regard.
GERHARD FREDERICK BEHRE
Gerhard Frederick Behre is a successful young representative of financial interests in Fairfield county as treasurer of the New Canaan Savings Bank, with which he has thus been officially identified since 1925. His birth occurred in Brooklyn, New York, on the 22d of January, 1892, his parents being John H. and Anna M. (Moller) Behre. The father, who has represented his district in the state senate, occupies the presidency of the New Canaan Savings Bank.
Gerhard F. Behre was still but a child when his parents estab- lished their home in New Canaan, Connecticut, where he began his education in the grade schools. He continued his studies in the King school at Stamford and subsequently matriculated in Williams College of Williamstown, Massachusetts, from which he was graduated with the class of 1914. His initial experience in the banking business came to him during three years' service in the National City Bank, while afterward he was employed in the First National Bank of New Canaan for several years. In 1924 he was made assistant treasurer of the New Canaan Sav- ings Bank and the following year was elected treasurer and secre- tary of the institution, which he has thus represented to the present time, being also a member of its board of managers. Thoroughly familiar with every phase of the banking business and watchful of the interests of depositors, his efforts have con- stituted an important factor in the continued growth and success of the New Canaan institution.
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On the 16th of September, 1916, at New Canaan, Connecticut, Mr. Behre was united in marriage to Ethel Lawrence, and they have become parents of two children, John Edward and Ethel.
Mr. Behre has always given his political support to the repub- lican party. He is a member and trustee of the Congregational church of New Canaan. A worthy exemplar of the teachings and purposes of the Masonic fraternity, he belongs to Harmony Lodge, No. 67, F. & A. M., of which he is treasurer. He holds to standards and ideals which make for reliability in business, for progressiveness and loyalty in citizenship and for faithfulness to all the duties and obligations of life.
MRS. BERTHA M. BETTS
One of the oldest and most reliable plumbing establishments of Norwalk is that owned by Mrs. Bertha M. Betts, at 11 Wall street. It has a well earned reputation for keeping abreast with all modern improvements in sanitation and heating and has long commanded the patronage of the representative people of the city and vicinity.
Mrs. Betts is the widow of the late Alfred W. Betts, a son of Allen and Ann (St. John) Betts, of Norwalk. He was a young man of ability and character, who was graduated from the Yale Business College of New Haven, and in 1895 bought a third inter- est in the business on the formation of the Jones & Hotchkiss Company. He soon afterward became president of the company but lived only two and a half years after he entered the business. The present executive force consists of Mrs. Betts and Josiah G. Gregory, manager. Mrs. Betts employs none but skilled work- men, some of whom learned their trade with this concern and have been loyal and efficient in its service. Indeed some of the older men recall when a part of their work was the making of copper bottomed wash basins with a handle, which were usually used at the black iron kitchen sink, water being supplied from a cistern by a hand pump. The business is located in what is known as the Lockwood Hall building, within a few doors of the place where the business was started many years ago.
The B. M. Betts concern gives its attention to the fitting of
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modern bathrooms, water systems for country homes, steam, hot water and vapor heating, hot air engineering, slate and tin roof- ing and sewage disposal, in all of which lines it has gained a wide reputation for thorough workmanship, prompt service and reasonable prices. Many of the finest buildings, large factories and costly homes of this locality bear evidences of the high char- acter of the work done by this concern and it stands among the leading business houses of Norwalk. Mrs. Betts is a woman of gracious and tactful manner, as well as sound business judgment, and commands the esteem and confidence of all who know her.
C. HOWARD MARTIN
Stable in purpose and energetic and decisive in action, C. Howard Martin has steadily progressed and is now classed with the leading morticians of Stamford, his native city. He was born October 20, 1889, and is a son of Charles Holly and Deborah H. (Swift) Martin. His grandparents, John Paul and Rosanna Martin, were born in Dumbarton, Scotland, and always remained in that country. The grandfather was a merchant tailor and shaped his conduct by the teachings of the Methodist Episcopal church. Charles H. Martin was born March 14, 1858, in Stam- ford and became president of the Lyman Hoyt & Sons Company, a furniture and undertaking firm. For a considerable period he successfully conducted the business but is now living retired in Stamford. He is a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal church and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. He was made first selectman and was a member of the common council of Stamford for four years. He has always evinced a deep interest in matters touching the welfare and progress of the community and occupies a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens. His wife was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, March 29, 1859, and is seventy years of age, while he has reached the seventy-first milestone on life's journey. Henry Swift, the father of Mrs. Martin, was a lifelong resident of Cape Cod and followed the trade of a harness maker. He was an adherent of the republican party and a Congregationalist in religious faith.
C. HOWARD MARTIN
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His wife, Deborah (Calhoun) Swift, was also a native of Cape Cod, and her demise occurred in Middleboro, Massachusetts.
C. Howard Martin was a pupil in the public schools of Stam- ford and continued his studies in the Bordentown (N. J.) Mili- tary Academy, from which he was graduated in 1906. Under his father he was thoroughly trained in the furniture and under- taking business and was in the employ of the Lyman Hoyt & Sons Company until 1917, when he responded to the call of his country. He was assigned to duty with the Four Hundred and Thirty- seventh Company of Engineers and was sent to Camp Meade, Maryland, for training. There he was stationed until December 23, 1919, when he was honorably discharged with the rank of first sergeant. For two years thereafter he was a traveling salesman for the National Casket Company of New York city and in April, 1922, opened a business under the name of Martin & Martin as funeral directors in Stamford, in partnership with his brother Leslie. In August, 1925, he purchased his brother's interest and since then has conducted the business, being the sole owner. Mr. Martin has one of the finest funeral homes in Stamford and the rapid growth of the business is proof of his ability and high standing.
C. Howard Martin was married October 18, 1924, in Stam- ford, to Miss Kathryn Decker, who was born August 16, 1899, in East Orange, New Jersey, and completed her education in the Low-Heywood School for Girls. She is a daughter of Harrison and Jane (Edgar) Decker, natives respectively of East Orange, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. They reside in Stamford and Mr. Decker is one of its progressive realtors. He is a member of St. John's Episcopal church and gives his political allegiance to the republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have one son, Charles Howard, Jr., who was born May 4, 1926.
Mr. Martin is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church, and his wife is a member of St. John's Episcopal church. She belongs to the Junior League, the Woman's Club and other local organizations and during the World war was active in Red Cross work. Mr. Martin is a member of the Suburban Club of Stam- ford and the Chamber of Commerce. He belongs to Union Lodge, No. 5, F. & A. M., and gives his political allegiance to the repub- lican party. His loyalty to Stamford prompts his hearty coopera-
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tion in projects for its growth and betterment, and his worth is attested by his fellow citizens, who speak of him in terms of high regard.
LOUIS W. RANDALL
Louis W. Randall, treasurer of the American Bank & Trust Company of Bridgeport, was born in Trumbull, Connecticut, November 2, 1904, and is a son of Howard F. and Eva (Wakeley) Randall, the former a native of Port Jefferson, New York, while the latter was born in Connecticut. Reared in his native town, Louis W. Randall obtained a public school education, and in 1920, when sixteen years of age, became a messenger for the American Bank & Trust Company of Bridgeport. His ability, trustworthi- ness and close application were rewarded by successive promo- tions and in 1929 he was made treasurer of the bank.
On the 6th of May, 1922, Mr. Randall was united in marriage to Miss Harriet N. Burton of Trumbull, and they reside at Long Hill, in the town of Trumbull. Mr. Randall's record is proof of the fact that merit and ability will come to the front, and he has amply justified the confidence reposed in him.
HON. PHINEAS CHAPMAN LOUNSBURY
Hon. Phineas C. Lounsbury, banker, statesman and ex-gov- ernor of Connecticut, was one of Fairfield county's most distin- guished sons. He was born in Ridgefield, a son of Nathan and Delia A. (Scofield) Lounsbury, and descended in the sixth genera- tion from Richard Lounsbury, who came to America in 1663 and became one of the first settlers of Rye, Westchester county, New York. He was one of the company that purchased land from the Indians, his portion being in Stamford, and the family name has had a continuous identification with Connecticut history to the present day.
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