USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut, 1639-1928 > Part 43
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Mr. Allen was born in Farmington, Hartford county, Con-
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necticut, on the 9th of August, 1877, a son of George Lewis and Albina (Marble) Allen. He is a representative of an old Ameri- can family, antedating the war of the Revolution, in which strug- gle one of his great-grandfathers, Daniel Hovey, fought and was captured by the British, being sent to Quebec, Canada. Mr. Allen's uncle, George Edward Allen, was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war and was killed in action. The pater- nal grandfather, Philander Allen, was born at Lyme, New Hamp- shire, of which locality he was a lifelong resident. He followed farming, and was a republican in politics. George Lewis Allen, a chemist by profession, was born at Lyme, New Hampshire, and his death occurred in Stamford, Connecticut. He was a repub- lican in politics, and his religious faith was that of the Protestant Episcopal church. Albina (Marble) Allen was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, and died in Stamford, Connecticut. She was a daughter of Ezra Marble, who was born in Fall River, of which city he was a lifelong resident and there held a position as master mechanic for many years.
Walter C. Allen received his education in the public and high schools of Stamford and then went to work for the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company as a truck boy, which position he held for about six months, when he was promoted to clerical work in the office. Two years later he began as a toolmaker, being thus employed for four years, after which he served a similar period as a draftsman. He was then appointed assistant to the gen- eral superintendent, after which he served in succession as super- intendent, general manager and vice president, and in 1915 his long and faithful service was rewarded by his election to the presidency of the company, in which capacity he is still serving. He has shown a high type of executive ability and under his lead- ership the great concern of which he is the head has made sub- stantial progress in all lines, being now the leading company in its line in the world. Mr. Allen is also a director of the First- Stamford National Bank and of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company of Boston, Massachusetts.
On April 22, 1897, in Stamford, Mr. Allen was united in mar- riage to Miss Susie C. Travis, who was born in Peekskill, New York, October 6, 1874, and is a daughter of William G. and Olinda (Hyatt) Travis, the former of whom was born in Peeks-
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kill and died in Stamford, Connecticut, while the latter was born at Croton Lake, New York, and died in East Orange, New Jer- sey. Mr. Travis was a machinist by trade and was for a num- ber of years connected with the Lidgerwood Manufacturing Com- pany, of Brooklyn, New York. He was a veteran of the Civil war; gave his political support to the republican party and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Allen, who received her educational training in the public and high schools of Stamford, is a member of the Woman's Club, the Schubert Club and the Stamford Garden Club and was active in Red Cross work during the late war. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are the parents of three children, namely: Mildred Louise, born March 18, 1898, was graduated from the Low-Heywood School for Girls in Stam- ford and the Skidder School of Arts, at Saratoga, New York, and is now the wife of Frederick L. Reid, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and the mother of two children, Frederick Allen and Mary- lin. Mary Frances, born December 25, 1908, was graduated from the Low-Heywood School for Girls at Stamford and the McLean School, in Paris, France. Walter Cleveland, Jr., born August 25, 1913, attended King's school in Stamford and is now a fresh- man in the Hotchkiss School for Boys at Lakeville, Connecticut.
In his political views Mr. Allen is a republican and has always shown a live interest in public affairs. During the World war he took a leading part in promoting the first Red Cross drive in Stamford and later entered his country's service, enlisting in October, 1917, and being honorably discharged in March, 1919. He was a casual officer with the rank of major in the overseas air service and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He is a member of Union Lodge No. 5, F. & A. M .; Puritan Lodge, No. 14, I. O. O. F .; the Suburban Club of Stamford; the Stamford Yacht Club; the Engineers Club, the Lotus Club and the Up- town Club, all of New York city; the Woodway Golf Club and the High Ridge Golf Club, both of Stamford; the Stamford Ro- tary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a trustee. As an active diversion from the routine of business, Mr. Allen indulges in farming, being the owner of a country place of one hundred and forty acres, on which he finds an agree- able opportunity for recreation. The splendid success which
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has come to Mr. Allen is directly traceable to the salient points in his character, for he started his business career at the bottom of the ladder, which he has mounted through the force of his in- dustry, loyalty and efficiency. He is a splendid example of the virile, progressive, self-made man, who does thoroughly what- ever he undertakes, and he has well merited the high place which he. now holds in the business world.
+=5/19 ROBERT LINTON CHAMBERLAIN
The constructive faculties have predominated in the career of Robert Linton Chamberlain, a successful business man and financier, to whom Greenwich is largely indebted for its upbuild- ing and prosperity. His breadth of view has enabled him to recognize possibilities not only for his own advancement but also for his city's development, and his loyalty and public spirit have prompted him to utilize the latter as quickly and as effectively as the former. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, September 15, 1871, his parents being Robert Linton and Ellen Steele (Per- kins) Chamberlain, the former a native of Allentown, Pennsyl- vania.
Robert L. Chamberlain, Jr., was a pupil in the public schools of his native city and attended the Knapp school in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Going to California, he continued his studies in the Belmont school near San Mateo and returned to the east after his education was completed. For a time he lived in Mamaroneck, New York, and then came to Connecticut, becom- ing vice president of the old First National Bank of Greenwich. Afterward he was associated with the Aetna National Bank of New York city for three years and on the expiration of that period returned to Greenwich, where he has since resided. Open- ing an office in the Smith building, he organized the Greenwich Real Estate Company, of which he was elected president, and under his guidance the firm developed what is now known as the Putman Terrace property as well as several other important tracts, doing much to improve and beautify the city. In 1914 Mr. Chamberlain enlarged his field of action by identifying him-
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self with the banking interests of Greenwich and in association with others he organized the Putnam Trust Company, an enter- prise which prospered from the start. In 1916 he was elected to the office of president and has since been at the head of the institution, whose growth he has fostered by the adoption of a broad policy of cooperation and the protection of the interests of its stockholders and depositors.
The institution, which reflects his high standards of service, has gained the confidence of the community as a result of strict adherence to those princi- ples which characterize sound commercial banking, and today has a capital of four hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Chamber- lain is also president of the Putnam Cemetery Association, the Title Insurance & Mortgage Company of Stamford and the Greenwich Cab Company, all of which have profited by his ad- ministrative power and rare judgment, and he is likewise a director of the Mead Stationery Company.
Mr. Chamberlain was married in August, 1892, in Mama- roneck, New York, to Miss Rose I. Brady, a daughter of John F. and Ann Brady. Robert Linton Chamberlain (III), the only child of this marriage, was born September 21, 1893, and re- ceived his higher education in the Storr Agricultural College. During the World war he enlisted in the United States army and was assigned to duty with Squadron A, which was attached to the Twenty-seventh Division. His term of service covered seventeen months, nine of which were spent with the American Expeditionary Force. He is now connected with the Title Insur- ance & Mortgage Company of Stamford.
Robert L. Chamberlain (II) is prominent in Masonic affairs, belonging to Acacia Lodge, No. 85, F. & A. M .; Armour Chapter, R. A. M., of Port Chester, New York, of which he is a charter member; Lafayette Council, R. & S. M., of Bridgeport, Con- necticut; Bethlehem Commandery, K. T., of Mount Vernon, New York; and Mecca Temple of the Mystic Shrine of New York city. Something of the nature of his recreation is indicated by his connection with the Coscob Tennis Club, the Riverside and Indian Harbor Yacht Clubs and the Sound Beach and Green- wich Country Clubs. He was one of the founders of Greenwich Hospital and is chairman of the board of trustees of the Young Men's Christian Association, a director of the Greenwich Social Service Society and secretary of the Greenwich highway com-
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mission. Mr. Chamberlain is always found in the van of move- ments for the general good and his loyalty and patriotism were particularly manifested during the World war when, in addition to his support of all the relief and social organizations, he served on the Greenwich war bureau as chairman of the citizens committee and as chairman of the instruction committee of the local draft board. To the exacting duties of these positions he gave liberally of his time and effort. His activities have touched life at many points and his career has been a constantly expand- ing force for good citizenship.
JOHN WILEY ANDERSON
John Wiley Anderson, president of the Plastic Moulding Cor- poration of Newtown, was born in White Hall, Baltimore county, Maryland, October 17, 1896, and is a son of Marion and Caroline (Wiley) Anderson. His early educational opportunities were supplemented by a course of study in the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, which he attended for two years, after which he entered the College of Engineering of the University of Maryland and completed his course as a member of the class of 1913, receiving the degree of Mechanical Engineer. He then entered the employ of the Crown Cork & Seal Company of Baltimore in order to gain a knowledge of the practical side of tool making and was thus employed for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he went to the Bartlett-Hayward Company as superintendent of production and later he became connected with the Wright Roller Bearing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At a subse- quent date he accepted the position of factory superintendent with the American Insulation Company of Philadelphia and in 1928 he became president and general manager of the Plastic Mould- ing Corporation at Sandy Hook, Newtown, Connecticut.
In February, 1927, at Danbury, Connecticut, Mr. Anderson married Miss Marion Bloom and they are already widely and favorably known in Newtown. In a review of the life record of Mr. Anderson it will be seen that each step in his business career has been a forward one, bringing him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. His labors have resulted beneficially to every or-
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ganization with which he has been associated and through study and experience his efforts have continuously expanded in scope and importance.
ELIJAH HOLBROOK
Elijah Holbrook, an influential citizen of Bridgeport, has won a gratifying measure of success in the shoe business and as an enterprising merchant he has furthered the commercial develop- ment of several cities in Fairfield county, while his activities have also extended beyond the boundaries of the state. He was born in Randolph, Vermont, September 29, 1855, a son of Caleb and Nancy (Thayer) Holbrook, the former a native of Braintree, Massachusetts, while the latter was born in Randolph, in the Green Mountain state. The father was a stanch republican and served in the state legislature of Massachusetts. For several years he was postmaster of Ashland, Massachusetts, and his life was guided by the teachings of the Baptist church. He remained in Ashland until his death and his wife also passed away in that town.
In the acquirement of an education Elijah Holbrook attended a boarding school at West Newton, Massachusetts, and his first position was that of clerk in a grocery store at Uxbridge, that state. Afterward he learned the shoe business and for thirty years was a traveling salesman for Hosmer, Codding & Com- pany of Boston. He covered a wide territory and was one of the most successful representatives of the house. While thus en- gaged he established retail shoe stores in Bridgeport, Greenwich, Danbury and Manchester, Connecticut, and Worcester, Massa- chusetts. For several years Mr. Holbrook was the proprietor of these establishments and developed a business of extensive pro- portions. He has discontinued all of the stores in the chain except the one in Danbury, which he has owned and operated since 1886, a period of forty-three years. He carries a general line of shoes and conducts the leading establishment of the kind in the city as well as one of its oldest stores, enjoying an enviable reputation as a merchant, for his dealings have always balanced up with the principles of truth and honor. Mr. Holbrook is excep- tionally well informed on matters pertaining to the shoe industry,
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of which he has made a life study, noting with deep interest the various stages in its development.
On the 22d of November, 1875, Mr. Holbrook was married in Keene, New Hampshire, to Miss Lena Clark, a native of that place, where she was reared and educated. In the paternal line she is descended from Captain Asia Ware, who was an American officer in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Holbrook's father, Alson L. Clark, was a lifelong resident of Keene, was a painter and decorator and gave his political support to the democratic party. His wife, Eva (Leonard) Clark, was born in Virginia and passed away in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Holbrook have a daughter, Madge E., who was born in Melrose, Massachusetts. She was educated in the grammar and high schools of Bridgeport and resides in the family home at No. 1108 Fairfield avenue.
Mr. Holbrook is a Congregationalist in religious faith and his wife also attends that church. In politics he follows an inde- pendent course and votes for the candidate whom he considers best qualified for office. For a number of years he was president of the Bridgeport Club and holds a life membership in the Bene- volent Protective Order of Elks. He is also identified with the Royal Arcanum and the Improved Order of Red Men. His leisure hours are devoted to reading and he also enjoys motoring. His prosperity has resulted from concentrated effort and good man- agement and his personal characteristics are such as inspire esteem and friendship.
1 GEORGE WASHINGTON ROSEVELT
It has been truly said that time is the measuring rod which proves the worth of each individual, and judged by this test, George Washington Rosevelt was a man of exceptional worth. In him the subjective and objective forces of life were well bal- anced, making him cognizant of his own capabilities and powers, and at the same time he was thoroughly appreciative of his oppor- tunities and his obligations. As a shipbuilder he was a dominant figure in business circles of New York city and although his resi- dence in Stamford covered but a brief period, his admirable qualities were widely recognized.
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A native of Plattsburg, New York, Mr. Rosevelt was born July 20, 1824, a son of Solomon and Hester Ann (Smith) Rose- velt, and represented one of the old Knickerbocker families of that state. He was the seventh in line of descent from Claes Martens- zen Van Rosenvelt, who left Holland in August, 1649, in company with his wife, Jannetje (Samuel Thomas) Van Rosenvelt, and set- tled in New Amsterdam, now New York city, being the first of that name in this country. The family early obtained a large grant of land in New York city, extending from Chatham street to the East river and lying between Pearl, Roosevelt and Cath- erine streets, a district originally called Rutger's old farm.
Nicholas, the elder son of Claes M. Rosenvelt, was a bolter and followed that trade in New York city. On the 23d of August, 1698, he was admitted a freeman. In 1701 he was allied with the Leislerian party and although a burgher he espoused the cause of the colonists in the contest with the mother country. From 1698 to 1701 he was a member of the board of aldermen and in 1715 was reelected to that office as the representative from the West ward. He remained a resident of New York city until his demise, which occurred on the 30th of July, 1742. His wife was Heyltje Jans (Kunst) Rosevelt and they became the parents of Nicholas Rosevelt (II). He was a goldsmith and became a free- man March 20, 1738, or 1739. He married Sarah Fulman and their son, Nicholas Rosevelt (III), was baptized February 16, 1715, in the Dutch Reformed church of New York city. In 1740 he was admitted a freeman and during the Revolutionary war he was a first lieutenant in the Corsicans, one of the militia com- panies formed in preparation for the approaching conflict of 1775. These men wore on their short green coats a red heart of tin, bearing the words "God and the Right." Their small round hats had a cock on one side and around the crown was the inscription "Liberty or Death." Nicholas Rosevelt (III) also enlisted in the Albany company of militia and served with the First Regiment. On November 23, 1754, he was married in the Reformed Dutch church of New York to Elizabeth Thurman, who was baptized May 9, 1725, and they became the parents of Nicholas Rosevelt (IV), who was baptized October 11, 1758, in New York city. He married Betsy English and they resided in Stillwater, Sara- toga county, New York. Their son, Solomon Rosevelt, was born
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in Fishhouse, New York, now a part of Saratoga, November 17, 1778, and remained in that state until his death on March 15, 1832. His wife, Hester Ann Smith, was born September 6, 1796, in Chazy, New York, and passed away at Syracuse, that state, April 19, 1893.
Their son, George W. Rosevelt, was educated in Plattsburg and when a young man went to New York city. Starting at the bottom, he worked his way steadily upward and eventually be- came a member of the firm of Rosevelt & Griffith, shipbuilders. Endowed with rare judgment and executive ability of a high order, he created an industry of large proportions and remained at its head until 1893. A large sailing vessel was named for him and a picture of this ship is among the treasured possessions of the family. He was also identified with financial affairs and served on the directorate of the Farmers & Traders Bank of New York city. In 1893 he retired from business and established his home in Stamford, where he passed away November 7, 1894, at the age of seventy years.
On March 7, 1843, Mr. Rosevelt had married Miss Mary C. Young, a daughter of William Young of New York city, and his second union was with Miss Sallie Hubbard, to whom he was mar- ried January 25, 1893. She was born November 26, 1850, in Stamford, was educated in private schools of the city, and passed away August 4, 1928, in the city which had always been her home. She was of English and French lineage, the daughter of George Mckay and Rachel June Hubbard and a descendant of George Hubbard, who came to this country in 1633 and married Mary Bishop. The Hubbard family is one of the oldest and most prom- inent of western Connecticut. An old mill in the Riverbank sec- tion, a well preserved farmhouse, a golf club bearing the name of the family and covering some of the acres once included in the Hubbard farm, two streets-Hubbard avenue and Hubbard's Hill-and a section of the city known as Hubbard Heights all bear witness to the prominence of the family in this section of Fairfield county. The American progenitor of the family, George Hubbard, settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, on his arrival from England in 1633 and married Mary Bishop, daughter of John and Anne Bishop. On October 15, 1635, George Hubbard with his family migrated "towards Connecticut with their cows,
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horses and swine and after a tedious and difficult journey arrived safe there," Wethersfield, Connecticut, having been their destina- tion. They resided there for about three years, during which time there are recorded many Indian transactions in which George Hubbard was mentioned, and he was also a member of the general court. On November 20, 1639, he moved with his family from Wethersfield southward to the shore of Long Island Sound and settled in Milford, being assigned Milford Island as his grant. He was admitted to church there January 15, 1644. Be- fore 1650 he sold Milford Island and moved to Guilford, where he was admitted to church membership October 6, 1650. He was a deputy magistrate during the years 1652, 1655, 1657, 1658, 1660, 1662, 1665 and 1666. In 1666-7 he was a member of the assem- bly of the Hartford and New Haven colonies. In May, 1670, the court invested him with authority to "joyne persons in Mar- riage." A man of high standing and prominent in the politics of his time, he died in Guilford in January, 1683.
His youngest son, William Hubbard, was born in Milford, Connecticut, in 1642, married Abigail Dudley and removed to Greenwich, Connecticut, before 1664. He was one of twenty- seven proprietors of 1672 who bought "Miosehasseky," a tract known as Horse Neck and later West Greenwich, from the Indi- ans. He removed to Stamford and died in 1684. His eldest son, William, Jr., born in 1670, married Hannah Mead and died in 1723.
Abraham Hubbard, one of the sons of William Hubbard, Jr., married Abigail Rose, of Guilford, and died in Greenwich in 1780. His eldest son, Abraham Hubbard (II), was born in Greenwich in 1729 and married Sarah Jenkins. Their eldest son was Henry Hubbard, who was born in 1751 and died in 1825. In 1771 he had married Lydia Dickson, who was born in 1748 and died August 18, 1784.
Nathaniel Hubbard, eldest son of Henry and Lydia (Dick- son) Hubbard, was born March 9, 1772, and was a physician and a miller. He married Mary McKay and they became the par- ents of six sons and six daughters, their seventh child being George Mckay Hubbard, who was born June 10, 1810. He mar- ried Rachel June, May 4, 1835, and they were the parents of Emily Hubbard, who for seventy-five years has been a resident of the Hubbard farmhouse and is the last to bear the name of this illustrious family. She was born November 23, 1838, and had
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one brother, George William, now deceased, and a sister, Sallie (Hubbard) Rosevelt.
Three brothers of George Mckay Hubbard-Alexander, John Wheaton and William-owned lands adjoining the Hubbard farm and were prominent citizens of Stamford throughout their entire lives. They died leaving no descendants.
Henry Hubbard, the great-grandfather of Miss Emily Hub- bard, served as a private in the Ninth Regiment of Connecticut during the Revolutionary war and the members of the family living at the time of the Civil war were stanch supporters of the Union cause. The farmhouse of the Hubbard family opened its doors to George Washington on his trip from New York to Bos- ton and in it Lafayette was entertained over night. For many years after the death of George Mckay Hubbard his daughter Emily had entire charge of the operation of the farm of several hundred acres and throughout her long life she has stood for all that is noble and upright in womanhood, supporting all right en- deavors on the part of her fellowmen and lending a helping hand to many along life's highway.
The only other living descendant of the Hubbard line is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Rosevelt, Emily Hubbard Rosevelt, who was born December 19, 1893, and completed a course in the Low-Heywood School of Stamford. Afterward she attended the Gardner School in New York city and was graduated from the Pratt Business College. She was trained in secretarial work but did not follow that line of activity. Instead she began the cultivation of her voice in New York city under the instruc- tion of Florence Wessell and has appeared in opera and on the concert stage in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and other large cities of this country. Her talents have placed her with the cele- brities of the world of music and she is known by the stage name of Emily Rosevelt. At first she was a member of the choir of the Congregational church of Stamford and for three years was solo- ist in the Universalist church of this city. For four year bars she sang in the First Presbyterian church of Stamford and is now soloist in the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, in New York city. On November 24, 1925, she was united in marriage to Archibald McIntyre Cook, then a resident of Stamford and now engaged in the insurance business in New York city. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are identified with the Stamford Yacht Club and the Hubbard
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