History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1928. Volume III, Part 42

Author: Burpee, Charles W. (Charles Winslow), b. 1859
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1390

USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1928. Volume III > Part 42

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In his youthful days Nelson Case Taintor was a pupil in the West Middle dis- trict school and afterward attended the Hartford public high school, from which he was graduated in 1905. His advanced course was pursued in Yale College, which in 1909 conferred upon him the Bachelor of Arts degree, and thus equipped by liberal educational training for a business career, he continued his work with the Connec- ticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, with which he had become identified during his senior year in college. Immediately following his graduation he went to Nor- wich, Connecticut, as district manager for that company and in 1912 was transferred to New Haven, where he occupied a similar position. In 1918 he came to Hartford as associate general agent and in 1923 the firm of Thompson & Taintor was formed to become general agents for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. Thus throughout his entire business career Mr. Taintor has remained a representative of this corporation and has thoroughly familiarized himself with the business, while his diligence and determination have been the basic elements of his growing prosperity.

On the 19th of October, 1910, Mr. Taintor was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Mowry Thayer, of Norwich, Connecticut, daughter of Charles F. and Mary (Hewitt) Thayer. They are the parents of three children, namely: Ruth Mowry, born May 2,

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1913; John Thayer, who was born November 9, 1916; and Nelson Case, Jr., born January 10, 1925. The family residence is at 14 Marshall street in Hartford. Mr. and Mrs. Taintor are well known socially in Hartford, where they have an ex- tensive circle of friends. Mr. Taintor belongs to various clubs, including the Univer- sity, Farmington Country, Twentieth Century, Lions Instructional, and also to the Graduates Club of New Haven, the Arcanum Club of Norwich, Connecticut, and the Yale Alumni Association. His political endorsement has been given to the repub- lican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he is now a member of the republican town committee by virtue of being chairman of the tenth ward. In April, 1925, he was elected alderman from that ward, was reelected in 1926 and again in 1928, and since 1926 has been chairman of the traffic committee and is also serving on the fire committee, working earnestly and effectively on these two committees for the good of the city. He is likewise a member of the Hartford Underwriters Association, of which he is a director and vice president. He is in- terested in the civic welfare, working diligently in that field, while at the same time his business interests have been so directed that substantial results have accrued, while the consensus of opinion concerning his methods is altogether favorable.

WILLIAM E. WIGHTMAN

William E. Wightman long figured prominently in industrial circles of Bristol as treasurer and a director of the New Departure Manufacturing Company, with which he had been continuously identified for nearly a quarter of a century when he passed away March 6, 1928, in the sixtieth year of his age. He was born in South Meriden, Connecticut, September 28, 1868, son of Jonathan Stoddard and Olive (Davis) Wightman. His early life was spent in his native place, where he attended the common school, and later he was graduated from the Yale Business College in New Haven. He embarked upon a business career as bookkeeper in the dry goods store of H. Dayton Humphrey of New Britain. After eleven years in this position he was engaged as an accountant at the office of the Russell & Erwin Manufacturing Company in that city, in the service of which he continued for five years, from 1898 until 1903. Early in the latter year he became associated with the New Departure Manufacturing Company of Bristol in the capacity of chief accountant, and he had just about completed twenty-five years of faithful, able service with the corporation at the time of his death. On February 24, 1909, he was appointed as assistant to Charles T. Treadway, who was then treasurer of the company. On October 21st of the same year he was elected a director of the company and on the retirement of Mr. Treadway as treasurer on November 1st was elected to that position. The New Departure Manufacturing Company maintains branches in Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and London, England, and has built up an extensive business in the manu- facture of ball bearings, coaster brakes and bells.

On the 22d of October, 1890, at South Meriden, Connecticut, Mr. Wightman was married to Katherine Watts Bristol, who died March 25, 1915. They are survived by a son and a daughter: Maybelle, the wife of A. L. Sherwood, of New Haven, Connecticut; and Stoddard E., of the New Departure Manufacturing Company. The latter married Louise Faulk, of Saybrook, Connecticut, and has two children, Elinor and William Stoddard.

When the city of Bristol was instituted in 1911, Mr. Wightman was elected one of the city auditors, in which capacity he rendered excellent service to the municipal- ity throughout the remainder of his life, being reelected biennially. In Masonry he attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, belonging to Franklin Lodge, No. 56, A. F. & A. M .; Pequabuck Chapter, R. A. M .; Ionic Council, R. & S. M .; Washington Commandery, K. T .; Norwich Consistory, S. P. R. S .; and Sphinx Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He was also a member of Bristol Lodge, No. 1010, B. P. O. E .; New Britain Council, No. 738, Royal Arcanum, the Endee Club, of which he was treasurer, the Compounce Rifle Club, and the Chippanee Country Club. He enjoyed the social side of life and his sincerity, kindliness and geniality won for him the esteem of many friends. His religious faith was indicated by his connection with the First Congregational church, in which he held membership for a number of years.

The following is an excerpt from a review of the career of Mr. Wightman which

(Photograph by The Johnstone Studio)

WILLIAM E. WIGHTMAN

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appeared in the New Departure News under date of March 31, 1928: "Mr. Wight- man was a man of conservative tastes, devoted to his family and a friend of every good cause. He loved his home and enjoyed good reading. He rarely was away from his family except during the summertime when, for years, he spent his week- ends cruising in his motorboat. On these trips his companion was usually his son, Stoddard. He cruised along the Connecticut and Long Island shores of the Sound, always finding much pleasure in entertaining his friends on such trips. Mr. Wight- man was also mechanically inclined and was accounted by his friends who knew of his hobby in that direction as being clever with tools. The attic of his home was fitted up as a shop and for some time previous to his death he had been greatly inter- ested in perfecting a mechanical device for loading gun shells. Previous to this interest he built several rowboats, and when he purchased his first motorboat he designed and redesigned its interior, always effecting improvements, many of which were unique and demonstrated his cleverness. He was adept in handling carpenter's tools and many of the improvements in his home were made by himself. Among his fellowmen he was a true friend, simple, charitable and congenial. Quiet in his dis- position, he nevertheless had positive opinions which were always on the side of constructive welfare and development. Mr. Wightman's personality will be missed by his friends for a long time to come and the memory of his sterling character will remain always with those who knew him."

One well acquainted with him said: "It was my great privilege to be associ- ated for eighteen years with William E. Wightman, to know him intimately and to respect him profoundly. I shall be grateful all my life for those years in which I enjoyed close contact with his lovable personality. Of all his upright characteristics I think I admired most highly his absolutely clean and clear mind, a mind above any impure thought and incapable of the slightest evasion or dishonesty. The honesty and intensity of his convictions vented themselves in strong and courageous expres- sions and it was a delight to listen to him when he was exploding a fallacy or exposing a fake. I admired him for his enduring faithfulness to his friends, his principles and his work. He gave, beyond the fullness of his strength, a devoted and disinterested loyalty to the corporation he served. I cherish as one of the finest things in life the memory of his beloved characteristics, his engaging friendliness, his constant unselfishness and his honest and undaunted spirit. He was the captain of his soul. It was a high command and the flags at his masthead waved strong and true for honor, loyalty and human kindness."

MAJOR PAUL A. LARNED

Major Paul A. Larned, district manager for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, with offices at 15 Lewis street in Hartford, was born at West Point, July 6, 1885, and is a son of Colonel Charles W. and Louise (Alexander) Larned, the former a native of New York city, while the latter was born in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, being a daughter of Edmund B. Alexander, a brigadier-general in the United States army. Colonel Charles W. Larned was the senior member of the faculty at West Point for thirty-seven years and was with the reconstruction branch of the army in the south after the Civil war and also served under General Custer on the western plains in warfare with the Sioux Indians. Not only did he occupy a prominent position in military circles but was also widely known in Washington, for he was chosen to act as aide to President Grant at the White House. He passed away in 1911 and is still survived by Mrs. Larned, who now resides in New York city.

Paul A. Larned was educated at West Point, completing his course by gradua- tion with the class of 1907. Coming in both the paternal and maternal lines from military ancestry, it was natural that he devoted twenty years of his life to service in the regular army, holding all grades from that of second lieutenant to major. He served with the army of Cuban pacification and was with the first military force doing guard duty in the Canal Zone. His military activities brought him wide ex- perience in various sections of the country and for nearly four years he was an instructor at West Point. He was also on duty under General Leonard Wood at the Business Men's Training Camp at Plattsburg, New York, and following his retirement from the regular army in 1920 he served for four years as assistant professor of

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appeared in the New Departure News under date of March 31, 1928: "Mr. Wight- man was a man of conservative tastes, devoted to his family and a friend of every good cause. He loved his home and enjoyed good reading. He rarely was away from his family except during the summertime when, for years, he spent his week- ends cruising in his motorboat. On these trips his companion was usually his son, Stoddard. He cruised along the Connecticut and Long Island shores of the Sound, always finding much pleasure in entertaining his friends on such trips. Mr. Wight- man was also mechanically inclined and was accounted by his friends who knew of his hobby in that direction as being clever with tools. The attic of his home was fitted up as a shop and for some time previous to his death he had been greatly inter- ested in perfecting a mechanical device for loading gun shells. Previous to this interest he built several rowboats, and when he purchased his first motorboat he designed and redesigned its interior, always effecting improvements, many of which were unique and demonstrated liis cleverness. He was adept in handling carpenter's tools and many of the improvements in his home were made by himself. Among his fellowmen he was a true friend, simple, charitable and congenial. Quiet in his dis- position, he nevertheless had positive opinions which were always on the side of constructive welfare and development. Mr. Wightman's personality will be missed by his friends for a long time to come and the memory of his sterling character will remain always with those who knew him."

MAJOR PAUL A. LARNED

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military science and tactics at the University of Vermont. He has a wide acquain- tance among those who are most prominent in military life in the United States and enjoys the warm friendship of many.

In September, 1924, Major Larned joined the Equitable Life Assurance Society at Hartford and with the thoroughness that marked his previous experience he mas- tered the business and in March, 1927, was advanced to the responsible position of district manager in charge of the entire eastern territory, having a large number of representatives under his direction in this section of the country.

On th 17th of August, 1911, Major Larned was married to Miss Cecilia H. Davenport, of Charlestown, West Virginia, and they have two children: Cecilia A., born June 10, 1912; and Louise D., born September 12, 1913. They reside at No. 1 Lilley road in West Hartford, where they occupy an enviable social position. Major Larned is a member of the Union League Club of New York city and of the Associa- tion of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. He is also a member of the Sons of the Revolution, the Aztec Club of 1847, the Military Order of the World war, the Military Order of Foreign Wars and the West Pc: Army Mess. He also belongs to the Geographic Society and something of the nature of his recreation is indicated in his membership in the Windsor Golf Club. Having given so many years of active service to his country, it is to be expected that patriotism is one of the strong elements of his nature-manifest not so much in words as in practical service for the country and active support of those ideals which make for American progress and advancement.

EDWARD BEECHER HOOKER, M. D.

Dr. Edward Beecher Hooker, a man of national prominence in the practice of medicine as a representative of the school of homeopathy, was for almost a half century an honored and successful physician and surgeon in Hartford, where not only his professional skill but his genial spirit, his helpfulness and his sympathetic nature endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. He was born in Hartford on the 26th of February, 1855, his parents being Hon. John and Isabella (Beecher) Hooker. The former was for forty years reporter of the supreme court of Connecticut and the mother, a sister of Henry Ward Beecher, was equally distinguished as a leader in the woman suffrage movement. In tracing the ancestral record of Dr. Hooker it is learned that he was a direct descendant of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, who led the party that left Massachusetts to found the city of Hartford in 1636, and through all the intervening years down to the present representatives of the name have played a most important part in shaping the history and promoting the development and progress of Connecticut and of other sections of the country. The grandfather of Dr. E. B. Hooker was the Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher, an eminent divine, whose family included Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, long one of the most distinguished ministers of the gospel in the United States, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, world-famed author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Dr. Edward B. Hooker thus had the advantage of being reared in a home where intellectual culture was predominant. He used his innate talents wisely and well and gained intellectual power through wide reading and study. Following his gradua- tion from the Hartford high school he received most thorough preparation for his chosen career as a medical practitioner, studying for some time at the Ecole de Medicin in Paris. He was graduated on the completion of a medical course in the Boston University in 1877 and pursued postgraduate studies in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. Returning to his native city, Dr. Hooker here opened an office in 1879 and remained in active practice from that time con- tinuously until his demise, having his office for forty-five years in the Waverly Building. His powers constantly increased through the exercise of effort, through comprehensive study and broad experience, until he became one of the eminent repre- sentatives of homeopathy in the United States, and in 1907 was honord with the presidency of the National Institute of Homeopathy, while on many occasions he was chosen president of the Connecticut State Homeopathic Society. He gave much time and energy to the work of prevention of tuberculosis and his labors as president of the Hartford Tuberculosis Society were far-reaching and beneficial through a

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DR. EDWARD B. HOOKER

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period of many years. He always stressed the importance of building up the health of children to prevent disease and was active in promoting health clinics in the public schools. Although he attained the age of seventy-two years, he remained an active factor in the world's work to the last, although he had contemplated retiring in order to give all of his time to civic betterment.

There was no man who held the interests and welfare of Hartford dearer than did Dr. Hooker. He labored strenuously to maintain a high record of civic virtue for Hartford and to promote its growth and improvement along every line of prog- ress. At one time he was president of the Hartford Get Together Club, the meetings of which he regularly attended, and when he passed away his successor as president of that club, A. B. Meredith, said: "I have heard with deep regret of the death of Dr. Hooker. From my associations with him during the last seven years, and par- ticularly in relation to the work of the Get Together Club, I came to esteem him most highly as an open-minded, tolerant and interested citizen. The Get Together Club has been greatly stimulated by his courage with respect to public questions, a courage growing out of wide interests and associations. Hartford has lost a most distinguished physician and friend." Dr. Hooker also held membership in the Twi- light Club, the Hartford Club and the Jeremiah Wadsworth branch of the Connecti- cut Society of Sons of the American Revolution.

In 1879 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Hooker and Miss Martha C. Kil- bourne and they became parents of two sons and a daughter, namely: Thomas, born July 20, 1886, who was a graduate of Yale University and a student in the Yale Forestry School at the time of his death, on the 20th of June, 1909; Joseph Kilbourne; and Isabel Hooker, wife of Walter Gordon Merritt, of New York. Dr. Hooker was a devoted husband and father, finding his greatest joy in promoting the welfare and happiness of his own household. Moreover, his interest in his fellow- men reached out in kindly sympathy to the needy and unfortunate and in warm friendship and brotherly kindness to those whom he met through social ties. His contribution to medical science was of the greatest benefit, for throughout the years he not only kept abreast with the latest researches and discoveries but was a leader in that progress which has greatly broadened the efficiency of medical and surgical practice at the present time.

Joseph Kilbourne Hooker, son of Dr. Hooker, was born in Hartford, September 12, 1887, and after attending the public schools entered Yale, from which he was graduated with the Master of Arts degree in 1909. After leaving college he entered the employ of the Van Norden Trust Company of New York, with which he remained until he joined the forces of the Standard Fire Insurance Company of Hartford on its organization in 1910, this being a part of the Aetna group of insurance interests. Mr. Hooker has occupied the vice presidency of the company since 1924.

On the 21st of June, 1924, Mr. Hooker was married to Miss Margaret A. Eddy, a daughter of E. B. and Mary (Welles) Eddy, of New Britain, Connecticut, and they have two children: Isabel Beecher, born April 15, 1925; and Mary Welles, October 3, 1927. Mr. Hooker is a republican in politics and socially is connected with the Hart- ford Club, the Hartford Golf Club, the Yale Club of New York and the Graduates Club of New Haven.

WILLIAM C. SKINNER, JR.

A community depends in notable measure upon the efforts of its real estate men for the character of its development and improvement. Those who handle its realty transfers have every opportunity to add to or detract from the beauty of a given district or to further its industrial and commercial development through the segrega- tion of its activities in those lines. Among the alert, wide-awake and progressive men in the realty field of Hartford is numbered William C. Skinner, Jr., a native son of the city, born December 27, 1888. His father, Colonel William C. Skinner, former president of Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, passed away March 22, 1922, having for many years survived his wife, who died August 4, 1904. They are mentioned at length on another page of this work.

Having attended the public and high schools of Hartford, William C. Skinner, Jr., continued his education in the Hill School at Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and then had

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the benefit of further training in Trinity College, which numbers him among its alumni of 1911, in which year he received his Bachelor of Science degree. When his textbooks were put aside he joined his brother, Robert K., in organizing the firm of Skinner Brothers to handle automobiles. This association was maintained from 1910 until 1913, when they turned their attention to the real estate business, and the firm of Skinner Brothers occupies a position of leadership in their chosen field. They are also associated with Winthrop A. Haviland and the three partners are men of progressive spirit whose enterprise has enabled them to build up a large and satis- factory patronage. In addition to his other interests William C. Skinner is a director of the Fernwood Company of Hartford and a trustee of the West Hartford Trust Company, the Travelers Insurance Company, the Travelers Indemnity Company and the Travelers Fire Insurance Company.

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History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1928. Volume III, Part 42

Author: Burpee, Charles W. (Charles Winslow), b. 1859 Publication date: 1928 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Burpee, Charles W. (Charles Winslow), b. 1859
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1390