USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
In early manhood Mr. Merriman was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Andrews, of Wolcott, Connecticut, who has passed away. They were the parents of five sons, namely: Edson Ar- thur, a graduate of grade and high schools, who was killed in an accident at one of the local plants in 1917; Irving Howard, who attended grammar and high schools of Waterbury and was also a student in Storr's Academy for two years and who is now a resident of Westbrook, Connecticut; Warren Elmer, who served in the United States Navy for a period of twenty-seven months on convoy duty during the World war, is one of the offi- cials of A. H. Merriman & Sons, Inc .; and Walter F., and Roy
271
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Vincent, who are also associated with their father in the dairy business. Of the above named, Warren Elmer Merriman mar- ried Doris C. Wooding, of Waterbury, and has two children, Nancy Ruth and Arthur H. In 1918 Arthur H. Merriman was again married, his second union being with Miss Sarah Manning.
In politics Mr. Merriman maintains an independent attitude, supporting men and measures rather than party. He has not sought or desired the honors and emoluments of public office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his bus- iness affairs. Fraternally he is affiliated with Friendship Lodge, No. 33, A. F. & A. M., of Southington, and with Eureka Lodge, No. 75, I. O. O. F. Travel is his favorite form of recreation and each summer he spends a few weeks at his cottage in Maine. Straightforward and thoroughly reliable, he is widely recog- nized as a man of genuine personal worth and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know him.
HAROLD EDWARD CHITTENDEN
Harold Edward Chittenden, who came to Naugatuck as super- intendent of schools in 1918 and for twelve years has acceptably filled the position, was born in Madison, Connecticut, October 9, 1888, a son of Edward A. and Clara E. (Munger) Chittenden. His preparatory work was done in the Morgan school at Clinton, Connecticut, and his college degree was obtained on the completion of a classical course at Yale in 1909, when he became an A. B. For two years thereafter he taught in the Adirondack-Florida School and subsequently was with the state board of education as superintendent of rural schools for eight years. Naugatuck then called him to the post of superintendent of schools, and he has since administered the affairs of the office, doing much to further educational progress here. He keeps in touch with the trend of modern thought and advancement, and his labors have been far- reaching and resultant. For a number of years he has served on the state teachers retirement board; is also a member of the board of directors and a past president of the Connecticut Teach- ers Association, which now numbers ten thousand members.
On the 8th of August, 1915, Mr. Chittenden was married in Guilford, Connecticut, to Margaret Lowry Beers, by whom he
272
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
has four children : Harold E., Jr., Margaret, Clara E. and Jane. Mr. and Mrs. Chittenden attend the Congregational Church, and he is identified with many movements which have a direct effect upon personal and community welfare. He is now president of the Boy Scout Council and president of the Rotary Club. He is a director of the Naugatuck Building & Loan Association, a di- rector of the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Graduates Club of New Haven. All that contributes to ad- vancement or to the promotion of high ideals receives his endorse- ment and cooperation, and especially has the educational system of the city benefited by his labors.
WILLIAM RICHARD LIBOLT
The more recent growth and success of the dairy business conducted under the name of A. H. Merriman & Sons, Inc., in Waterbury, is largely attributable to the able direction and broad experience of William Richard Libolt, who fills the official posi- tion of treasurer and general manager. His birth occurred in Goshen, New York, July 7, 1886, his parents being Eamuel K. and Sarah (Knapp) Libolt, who were also natives of the Empire state, the former born at Bloomingburg and the latter at White Lake. Samuel K. Libolt, now deceased, devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits throughout his active life.
William R. Libolt obtained his early education in a country school and continued his studies in the high school of his native town. For a year following his graduation he worked on his father's farm and subsequently spent two years as a salesman in the service of the Howell Condensed Milk Company. There- after he identified himself with the Sheffield Farms in Orange county, New York, where he superintended the construction of nine milk plants and had charge of milk production for three years. It was in 1908 that he became associated with R. F. Wor- den & Sons, Inc., of Waterbury, Connecticut, and was placed in charge of the creamery department of the plant. Four years later, in 1912, he was made general manager of the concern, the business of which he developed from three retail routes and one wholesale route until it became the largest of the kind in this part of the state, with thirty-two routes. On the 1st of January,
WILLIAM R. LIBOLT
275
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
1928, Mr. Libolt purchased an interest in the business of A. H. Merriman & Sons, Inc., and during the two years of his connec- tion therewith has increased the patronage eighty per cent. The making of ice cream was begun under his direction in 1929, and the average daily output of the dairy is seventy-five hundred quarts of milk. The Merriman products, including milk, cream, buttermilk, acidophilus milk, butter, eggs, prepared chocolate and ice cream, are distributed over seventeen retail and three wholesale routes. As above stated, Mr. Libolt has been made treasurer and general manager of the business and in this con- nection bids fair to eclipse his success with the competitive Water- bury concern which his capable control brought to a point of leadership.
On the 28th of April, 1923, Mr. Libolt was united in marriage to Ada M. Reilly, of New York city, and they are the parents of a daughter, Ruth Elaine, born in February, 1930. By a former marriage Mrs. Libolt has two sons, John and Fred, who are at- tending the McTernan School for Boys in Waterbury. They have been legally adopted by Mr. Libolt and bear his name.
Fraternally Mr. Libolt is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and with the Masonic order, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, belonging to Liberty Lodge, A. F. & A. M .; Clark Commandery, K. T .; Lafayette Consistory, S. P. R. S .; and Sphinx Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Second Congregational Church, in the work of which his wife also takes an active and helpful interest. He is likewise a member of the Rotary Club, the Reciprocity Club, the Waterbury Club, the Country Club of Waterbury and the Mattatuck Country Club, and he turns for recreation to golf.
EDWARD BERGEN
Practically a lifelong resident of Waterbury, Edward Bergen left the impress of his individuality upon the history of the city's upbuilding and improvement, becoming widely known as a mason contractor and as a business man of ability and integrity. Com- ing to Waterbury when a lad of eight years, he attended the public schools but his opportunities for securing an education were few.
276
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
When very young he obtained work in the brass stamping depart- ment of the Scovill Manufacturing Company and at the age of fourteen set a record for hand stamping in that plant which in seventy years has never been equaled.
Enlisting in the United States Navy on the 31st of August, 1863, Mr. Bergen was a seaman on the battleship Eutaw in the engagement on Chesapeake Bay and was with Admiral Farragut's fleet on the Mississippi river. He was mustered out of the serv- ice in 1864 and following the close of the Civil war he learned the trade of a brick mason while in the employ of a Mr. Gilbert, afterward becoming a partner in the firm of Thompson & Car- roll, but a few years later entered the field of brick mason con- tracting under his own name. For fifty-eight years he conducted the business, erecting St. Francis Church, St. Joseph's Church, the Elks building and many other large and imposing structures in Waterbury. He specialized in the making of foundations on which the boilers used in industrial plants are set and did practic- ally all of this work in Waterbury and the surrounding district, putting in the foundation wherever M. J. Daly sold a boiler. As a mason contractor he was unexcelled, and with the passing years his business assumed extensive proportions. Mr. Bergen was most thorough and painstaking, never undertaking a task unless he considered it worthy of his best efforts, and his honesty was above question. He retired from business in 1923 and responded to death's summons five years later, passing away on Memorial day of 1928.
On the 18th of October, 1865, Mr. Bergen had married Kath- arine Downey, of Waterbury, and they became the parents of five sons: William J., who is well known in transportation circles of the country as vice president of the Nickel Plate Railroad and resides in Cleveland, Ohio; and Francis X., Edward A., George A. and Raymond, all of Waterbury.
Mr. Bergen adhered to the Roman Catholic faith and was a charter member of Sheridan Council of the Knights of Columbus. He largely found his recreation in music and was the organizer of Bergen's Band. In the early days he was an active member of the old Rose Hill Volunteer Fire Company and always mani- fested a deep and helpful interest in movements for the growth and betterment of his community. His admirable traits of char- acter endeared him to all who were brought within the sphere
277
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
of his influence, and in his passing Waterbury sustained the loss of a citizen of the highest type.
The business which he founded is now being successfully car- ried forward by four of his sons under the style of Edward Ber- gen's Sons, Incorporated. The officers are: George A. Bergen, president; Edward Bergen, vice president; Francis X. Bergen, treasurer; and Raymond Bergen, secretary. Theirs is a highly efficient organization, permeated with that spirit of harmony and cooperation without which no commercial structure can long sur- vive. Under the father's instruction the sons became expert car- penters, bricklayers, masons, plasterers, paper hangers, etc., and each member of the corporation has qualified as a master builder, forming a combination of craftsmen rarely found in business cir- cles of any city of the country. They are located at 652 Baldwin street, and their business is steadily increasing, keeping pace with Waterbury's growth and progress. The high standards set up by the father are maintained by the sons, and the name of Bergen has long been synonymous with the best in materials, workman- ship and construction in this section of New England.
CLARENCE M. BLAIR
Clarence M. Blair, a civil engineer of state-wide prominence, is practicing in New Haven, his native city, as senior member of the firm of Blair & Marchant, Inc., with offices at 100 Crown street. Born August 21, 1885, he is a son of William H. and Mary (Moore) Blair, natives of New York. They established their home in New Haven about 1875, and the father embarked in the general contracting business.
Following his graduation from the Hillhouse high school in 1901, Clarence M. Blair enrolled as a student in the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, which conferred upon him the degree of Ph. B. in 1904. He then entered the office of A. B. Hill, a prominent civil engineer of New Haven, with whom he was associated until the latter's death on the 2d of January, 1930. In connection with Orson Marchant, Mr. Blair then pur- chased the business, which has since been conducted under the style of Blair & Marchant, Inc., engaged in general engineering and surveying. Their work has been chiefly for the New Haven
278
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Water Company, the Stamford Water Company and other organ- izations of a similar character. They excel in this line of engineer- ing and have already won an enviable clientele.
Mr. Blair was married April 15, 1909, in New Haven to Miss Fanny Belle Rand, and they reside at 785 Edgewood avenue. A descendant of one of the colonial families of this country, Mrs. Blair has become a member of Eve Lear Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is also identified with the New Haven Colony of New England Women and the Daughters of Founders and Patriots.
In local politics Mr. Blair is a member of the thirtieth ward republican committee. He belongs to the Graduates Club of New Haven, is serving on the state board of civil engineers, and has membership in the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the New England Waterworks Association. His work has been of an important character, involving a clear understanding of the broad scientific principles as well as the practical phases of his profession, in which he has steadily advanced, becoming widely and favorably known as a civil engineer.
EDWARD A. BERGEN
Edward A. Bergen, an enterprising business man and one of the forceful executives who are responsible for the success of the firm of Edward Bergen's Sons, Incorporated, engaged in contract- ing in Waterbury, his native city, was born January 2, 1880. Like his brothers, he pursued his studies in the Crosby high school and is numbered among its alumni of 1896. The business training which he received from his father was most thorough and comprehensive, bringing him an intimate knowledge of every phase of contracting, and his broad experience, combined with his keen discernment and commercial sense, have been effectively used in the development of the contracting business of Edward Bergen's Sons, Incorporated, which he represents in the capacity of vice president.
In April, 1908, Mr. Bergen was married in Waterbury to Miss Helen Burke, who died in 1920, leaving two daughters; Helen, a graduate of the Sacred Heart School and Perry's Secretarial
279
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
School; and Dorothy, who is attending the Catholic high school in Waterbury. Developing his musical talent, Mr. Bergen joined the old St. Thomas Cadet Drum Corps and while connected with military affairs he served as bugler of old Company G for twelve years, winning the stripes of a corporal in camp in competition with regular army men. He is a member of the Waterville Rod & Gun Club and an enthusiastic sportsman who greatly enjoys hunting and fishing trips. One of his hobbies is the breeding of fine bird dogs and hounds, and he has also been successful in rais- ing canaries. However, he never allows these interests to interfere with his real life work and in the discharge of his duties as a business man is systematic and efficient, making his efforts count for the utmost and thus sustaining the high standards of the fam- ily.
JOHN J. KINNEY
Bending his energies to administrative direction and executive control, John J. Kinney has become one of the successful real estate operators of New Haven, his native city, which has bene- fited through his progressive spirit and constructive activities. He was born February 24, 1872, a son of Frank P. and Mary (Corcoran) Kinney, who are now deceased. They were natives of Ireland and crossed the Atlantic about 1860 as passengers on a sailing vessel bound for America. They established their home in New Haven, and the father entered the employ of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, continuing in its service for many years.
The advantages of a public school education were accorded John J. Kinney, whose initial business experience was gained in the store of Mallory, Wheeler & Company, locksmiths and hard- ware dealers, for whom he worked for about six years. He was next a street railway conductor and through industry and thrift accumulated a captial large enough to enable him to enter the liquor trade as a wholesale and retail dealer. He prospered in the venture and was thus engaged until the advent of prohibition in 1919, when he discontinued the business. He then opened a real estate and insurance office in New Haven and is now located at 70 College street, operating under the style of The Kinney Realty
280
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Company, Inc., of which he is the president. The business was incorporated in 1920 and has grown rapidly since its inception, owing to efficient management and the policy of fair dealing fol- lowed by its founder, whose advice in regard to investments in business or residential property is sound and dependable. Mr. Kinney has been entrusted with many important realty deals, and the insurance department is also an important and profitable feature in his business.
On the 22d of June, 1920, Mr. Kinney was married to Miss Katherine F. Corbett, of New Haven, and their children are Kathryn M. and John J., Jr. Kathryn M. was graduated from Hillhouse high school in June, 1930, and was offered a scholarship in one of the leading colleges, but passed the college examinations and has arranged to enter Vassar College. John J., Jr., was gra- duated in June, 1930, from Troup junior high school and was president of the class and showed promising qualities in this position.
The family are communicants of the Roman Catholic Church, and Mr. Kinney is identified with the Knights of St. Patrick, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Union League Club and the Race Brook Country Club. A lifelong resident of New Haven, he has an intimate knowledge of property values in this locality and in development projects has always worked for the growth, improvement and betterment of his city, to which he is deeply attached.
RAYMOND BERGEN
Raymond Bergen, a member of the firm of Edward Bergen's Sons, Incorporated, and a representative of an old and honored family of Waterbury, his native city, was born July 21, 1889, and at the usual age became a grammar school pupil, passing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the Crosby high school with the class of 1908. He immediately joined his father and brothers in the contracting business, evincing a natural aptitude for construction work, to which he has since given his attention. Upon the organization of the firm of Edward Bergen's Sons, In- corporated, he was elected to the office of secretary, which he is still filling, figuring prominently in connection with the manage-
281
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
ment of a large and rapidly growing contracting business which has been a vital force in the upbuilding and improvement of this district.
On October 12, 1915, Mr. Bergen was united in marriage to Miss Verna Wall, a native of Pennsylvania, and their children are Joseph and Bernice, aged respectively twelve and eight years. Mr. Bergen belongs to the Fraternal Order of Eagles, now serv- ing as president of his aerie, and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while something of the nature of his recreation is indi- cated in his membership in the Mattatuck Country Club. With- out party bias, he supports the men and measures that he deems will best conserve the public weal, and is liberal and broad-minded in his views on all subjects.
ANTHONY J. VERDI
In years of continuous activity Anthony J. Verdi is one of the oldest coal dealers in New Haven, where he has engaged in busi- ness for more than a quarter of a century, winning a position of leadership in local trade circles and establishing an enviable repu- tation for commercial enterprise and integrity. He has served his city in various capacities and is now filling the office of police commissioner. He was born in Sorrento, a town in the province of Naples, Italy, June 24, 1869, a son of Dominick and Rosa (Rug- tierro) Verdi, who were also natives of that country. They came to America in 1873, settling in New Haven, and both are now deceased.
Anthony J. Verdi was but four years of age when his parents established their home in this city, and his studies were pursued in one of its grammar schools. His first money was earned in the plant of the Candee Rubber Company, and his ready adaptability and conscientious application enabled him to rise to the position of assistant foreman. While thus employed he took charge of a night school, conducting it under Superintendents Calvin Kendall and F. H. Beede, and was very successful in teaching his fellow countrymen the English language. In 1904 he entered upon his career as a coal dealer, opening one of the first yards here, and has engaged in that line of merchandising for thirty years. He sells to both the wholesale and retail trade and is now operating
282
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
under the style of Verdi & Balsamo, located at 444 Grand avenue. Year by year the enterprise has expanded, keeping pace with the growth of the city, and Mr. Verdi now heads one of the largest organizations of the kind in this part of the state. His executive capacity is also manifest in the successful conduct of the business of the G & O Manufacturing Company, of which he is the presi- dent, and he likewise exerts a beneficial influence in financial af- fairs as a director of the New Haven Bond & Mortgage Com- pany and the Citizens Bank & Trust Company.
In 1920 Mr. Verdi was married in New Haven to Miss Rooa De Marchi, of New York. They are communicants of St. Mich- ael's Roman Catholic Church, of which Mr. Verdi is a trustee. He belongs to the Rotary Club, the Race Brook Country Club and the Union League Club, while his standing as a business man is indicated in the fact that he has been selected as the president of the New Haven Coal Dealers Association, which he is now representing in that capacity. Although his commercial and fin- ancial interests make heavy demands upon his attention and energy, Mr. Verdi has found time for public activities and for a number of years was one of the selectmen of New Haven. At one time he was a deputy labor commissioner and is now serving as police commissioner, discharging his civic duties with the thoroughness, fidelity and efficiency which he brings to bear in the conduct of his individual interests. His prosperity was won by hard work and honest dealing, coupled with the ability to meet and master situations, and is well deserved.
DAVID JOY GREENE
Commercial activity in Milford finds a worthy representative in David Joy Greene, who is secretary and treasurer of the Mil- ford Ice Company and who has been an active factor in the suc- cessful conduct of other business enterprises here. He was born in New York city, July 21, 1873, and is a son of Darwin Alanson and Elizabeth (Joy) Greene. The father, who was born in Wil- liamstown, Vermont, was a mechanical engineer of note and died in 1918. The mother, a native of Nantucket, Massachusetts, was a descendant of one of the original families who settled at Nan- tucket.
DAVID J. GREENE
285
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
In the acquirement of his education David Joy Greene at- tended the public schools of New York city and the College of the City of New York, where he remained a student for three years. He next entered Columbia University, where he won the Civil Engineer degree in 1894. Later he attended Cornell Uni- versity, which conferred upon him the degree of Mechanical En- gineer in 1895. He thus received liberal and comprehensive train- ing that well qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. For a time he was associated with the Standard Silica Cement Company of Long Island City, devoting three years to experimentation and to the manufacture of Silica Portland cement, being in charge of engineering, construction and opera- tion with that company. When he severed this connection he became identified with the American Cement Company of Allen- town, Pennsylvania, as superintendent of its plant at Jordan, New York, for a year. He next spent six months with the Metro- politan Street Railway Company of New York city in charge of all cement construction work, and in 1899 he came to Milford to help build and develop the Milford Water Company. He was con- struction engineer and built the plant, while after its completion he filled the position of plant superintendent. About the same time he became construction engineer for the Guilford Water Company and the Chester Water Company, which organizations later merged under the name of the Guilford-Chester Water Com- pany, of which corporation Mr. Greene is vice president. In 1907 he sold most of his interest in the Milford Water Company to the New Haven Water Company but remained a director of it. In 1900 he organized the Milford Ice Company, and as secre- tary and treasurer of this corporation devotes much of his time to the development of the business, but is also vice president and a director of the Clinton Electric Light & Power Company and a director of the Milford Savings Bank. At a recent date he sold the coal department of the Milford Ice Company but continues to follow his profession of engineering in an advisory capacity to the various public utility companies of which he is an officer and director.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.