USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 28
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HON. JOHN L. GILSON
Among those who have been active in directing the develop- ment and progress of New Haven is numbered the Hon. John L. Gilson, judge of the probate court of the city, an office which he has continuously filled since 1912 with credit to himself and satisfaction to those who have had business dealings with the court. A native of New Haven, he was born March 21, 1878, his parents being John Williams and Anna (St. Lawrence) Gilson, both of whom were natives of Hartford and were reared and educated in this state. In early manhood the father became identified with mercantile interests in New Haven and for many years was an outstanding figure in commercial circles here. He passed away in 1905 at the age of fifty-four years and is survived
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by his widow, who yet makes her home in this city and who, like her husband, is a representative of one of the old families of New Haven.
Judge Gilson was the second in order of birth in a family of nine children. His high school course was completed in 1895, and he then matriculated in the academic department of Yale University, from which he was graduated in 1899. He was also a student at the Yale Law School and after winning his profes- sional degree in 1902 entered upon active practice in New York city. When a year had passed, however, he returned to New Haven and from that time forward has been accounted one of the able members of the bar. He is well versed in all departments of the law and is an acknowledged authority on probate matters in Connecticut. He first became connected with the probate court when appointed to the office of clerk under Judge Studley, and in 1912 he was made the republican nominee for the probate bench. He served out the term of his predecessor, was reelected in 1914, again in 1916, at which time he received the endorsement of the democratic party, and at each biennial election since that time. His record as probate judge is one which receives the unqualified endorsement of all familiar with the work of his court, and no higher testimonial of his faithful service in this connection can be given than the fact that he has been retained in the office for a period of eighteen years. He has membership in the New Haven County, Connecticut State and American Bar Associations, and at all times he has closely adhered to the highest ethical standards of his profession.
In New York city, Judge Gilson was married April 17, 1907, to Miss Alice E. Mulgrew, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Mulgrew, natives of Maine. Judge and Mrs. Gilson have two daughters: Alice St. Lawrence, who was born in 1908; and Con- stance, born in 1912.
The Judge has membership in the Roman Catholic Church. His military experience covers service as chief of staff on the Governor's Foot Guard and connection with the New Haven Grays. Fraternally he is associated with the Red Men, the Elks and the Moose. In club circles he is well known as a member of the Graduate Club, the Republican Club, the Union League, of which he has been one of the governors, the New Haven Lawn Club, the New Haven Country Club and the Yale Club of New
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York. His social qualities make for popularity wherever he is known, and Judge Gilson has many friends throughout New Eng- land and the east.
HECTOR P. AURAY
Since qualifying for the practice of law Hector P. Auray has practiced in Waterbury, his native city, and is accorded a position of prominence in its legal circles. He was born October 29, 1891, and is a son of Napoleon and Rebecca (Roy) Auray. The father has long engaged in merchandising, gaining a substantial com- petence which now enables him to live retired.
In the public schools of Waterbury, Hector P. Auray pursued his studies until the completion of his high school course, and hav- ing determined to become an attorney, he enrolled as a student in Georgetown University, which awarded him the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1920. Admitted to the Connecticut bar in the same year, he entered upon his professional career in Water- bury in connection with the law firm of Pierce & Coleman but soon afterward the senior partner passed away, while the death of Mr. Coleman occurred on the 23d of March, 1928. Mr. Auray has since practiced alone, and his legal acumen and tireless appli- cation have brought him a liberal clientele. Studious by nature, he is constantly adding to his store of legal knowledge and de- votes much time and thought to the preparation of his cases. His studies were interrupted during the World war, when he entered the second officers training camp at Plattsburg, New York, where he was commissioned a lieutenant and assigned to duty with the Three Hundred and First Machine Gun Battalion. This was later transferred and became Company D of the Three Hundred and Second and Three Hundred and Third Machine Gun companies, constituting a unit known as the First Provincial Machine Gun Regiment, with which Mr. Auray served overseas. After the war he returned to Waterbury and continued his law studies.
On the 10th of September, 1924, Mr. Auray was married in Waterbury to Miss Anna Withey, and they have become the par- ents of two children, Robert Roy and Jeanne Anne. Mr. Auray has always been active in outdoor sports and during his college days was a star sprinter. For ten years he has been a prominent
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member of the New Haven Amateur Athletes, winning honors as a sprinter. He is a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church, and his political support is given to the republican party. He loyally cooperates in well defined projects for the upbuilding and improvement of his city but never neglects his law practice and is steadily advancing in his profession.
WILLIAM MANSFIELD GILLETTE
William Mansfield Gillette, clerk of the common pleas court, has devoted many years of his life to service of this character, establishing an enviable record as a public official. He was born in Waterbury on the 19th of February, 1869, a son of Charles William and Katherine E. (Vaughan) Gillette, and represents one of the colonial families of the state. Among his early ances- tors was William Gillette, who settled in Milford, Connecticut, in 1638 and prchased prouperty there. Born at Beacon Falls in New Haven county on the 2d of April, 1831, Charles W. Gillette spent his early life in the home of his parents, William and Amy (Johnson) Gillette, and attended the public schools of Seymour, Connecticut, continuing his studies in the academy at Wilbraham, Massachusetts. In 1856, when a young man of twenty-five, he came to Waterbury and in preparation for a legal career entered the office of J. W. Webster, under whom he studied until his ad- mission to the Connecticut bar in 1859. Entering upon the prac- tice of law in the same year, he soon gave proof of his ability as an advocate and counselor and successfully handled the important litigation entrusted to his care. Recognition of his worth led to his selection for various public offices, which he filled in a most creditable manner, conscientiously and efficiently discharging every trust reposed in him. He became town clerk in 1858 and in 1862 was again chosen for that position. He assisted in drawing up Waterbury's first charter and was twice commissioned post- master of the city by President Lincoln, receiving his first appoint- ment in May, 1863. He served for several years as city attorney and was the first clerk of the city court, over which he later presided as judge, acting in that capacity from 1866 to 1871. In the latter year he became probate judge and because of his excep- tional qualifications was continued in the office for sixteen years.
WILLIAM M. GILLETTE
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During the session of 1882-83 he represented his district in the state legislature and at one time was a member of the common council of Waterbury. In every instance he acquitted himself with dignity, fidelity and honor, retiring from public office with an unsullied record, and resumed the practice of law, in which he continued until his death in June, 1906, when he was seventy- five years of age. In addition to his legal work, Judge Gillette was identified with financial interests of Waterbury as a director of the Dime Savings Bank, having become a member of its board at the time the bank was incorporated.
On the 4th of July, 1859, Judge Gillette had married Miss Katherine E. Vaughan, a native of Morristown, Vermont, and a daughter of Hubbard S. Vaughan, of Southbridge, Massachusetts. Three sons were born to them, Alexander Vaughan, Edwin John- son and William Mansfield.
The last named attended the public schools of Waterbury, aft- erward reading law in his father's office. In 1898 he was ap- pointed assistant clerk of the district court, thus continuing until 1907, when he was made clerk of the court, and occupied that position for seven years. In November, 1915, he was appointed superintendent of the Connecticut Free Employment Bureau at Waterbury and in that connection did effective and important work in securing employment for those in need of positions and in meeting the employers' requirements in the way of competent help. On the 25th of March, 1918, he resigned the position, having been recalled to the office of clerk of the Waterbury district court, which has been known as the court of common pleas of the judicial district of Waterbury since April 27, 1927. Of this court he has been the clerk for three years, discharging his duties with rare fidelity and notable efficiency, resulting from nearly thirty years of experience in court work.
Mr. Gillette was married July 6, 1903, in Waterbury to Miss Iva Miller, a daughter of Heman and Augusta (Somers) Miller, representatives of old families of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Gil- lette have a son, Mansfield Miller, who was born April 6, 1906, and is a teller in the Dime Savings Bank of Waterbury; and a daughter, Lois, who was born July 7, 1913, and is attending the Crosby high school.
Mr. and Mrs. Gillette are members of Trinity Episcopal Church and active in its work, Mr. Gillette being one of its vestry-
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men and treasurer of the Missionary Society of the church, while Mrs. Gillette is president of St. Elizabeth's Guild. During the World war period he was supply sergeant of the Machine Gun Company of the Connecticut National Guard and is now serving as president of the State Guard Veterans Association. He is a director of the local Rotary Club and for several years has been treasurer of the Waterbury Bar Association. Fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows and the Masonic order, in which he has attained the Knight Templar degree in the York Rite and the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite, while of the Sphinx Kaaban Club and Sphinx Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Hart- ford he is a director. Mr. Gillette is a lover of fine horses and an enthusiastic booster of Connecticut scenery and has traversed practically every part of the state. He keeps off the beaten road, following alluring paths and byways, and knows the topography of this region better than most natives. A lifelong resident of Waterbury, he has a wide acquaintance here and has ever been guided by those principles and impelled by those motives which win for a man the respect, confidence and esteem of his fellows.
HON. ALFRED CARLETON BALDWIN
Hon. Alfred Carleton Baldwin, judge of the superior court, was born in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, December 5, 1872. His father, Herbert Clark Baldwin, was a native of Oxford, Connecti- cut, and followed the occupation of farming as a life work. He was prominent in public affairs, serving for twenty-three years as the first selectman of his town and eight sessions as a member of the house of representatives. He married Josephine Helen Jones, who was born in Homer, New York. His demise occurred July 6, 1915.
After attending the public schools of Beacon Falls, Alfred C. Baldwin entered the Seymour high school, from which he was graduated in 1892. His law studies were pursued in Yale Uni- versity, and he is numbered among its alumni of 1894. On June 27 of that year he was admitted to the bar, this being the day of his graduation. In the following September he entered upon active practice in Derby, Connecticut, where he continued until October 18, 1925, achieving prominence as an attorney. Earlier
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in that year he was nominated by Governor Trumbull as judge of the superior court, the nomination being confirmed by the general assembly March 15, 1925. He has served continuously on the bench since the 18th of October of that year, and his record as a jurist is in harmony with his record as a man and as a lawyer, be- ing distinguished by a high sense of duty and a masterful grasp of every problem presented for solution. This does not constitute his initial experience in public office, however, for he was city attorney of Derby from July 1, 1899, until July 1, 1901. He was assistant clerk of the house of representatives at the January session of 1901 and clerk of the house at the January session of 1903. In the January sessions of 1905 and 1907 he was clerk of the Connecticut senate and clerk of bills in the general assembly, session of 1909, and engrossing clerk in the session of 1911. In 1915 he assisted the clerk of bills and again at the sessions of 1917, 1921, 1923 and 1925 he was clerk of bills. He thus had broad and valuable experience in drafting the statutes of the state, and his labors were of far-reaching and beneficial effect. In 1895 he was appointed a prosecuting agent for New Haven county and continued in that office for eight years, or until 1903, the time of his departure from the county. He acted as prosecuting attor- ney in the Huntington town court (now the city of Shelton), from 1903 until 1912, when he returned to Derby. In 1915 he was ap- pointed judge of the city court of Derby, over which he presided until July, 1925. He was corporation counsel of Derby from Jan- uary 1, 1921, until January 1, 1923. The record of his official career is one over which there falls no shadow of wrong or sus- picion of evil. He has ever been loyal to the trusts committed to his care, thoroughly justifying the confidence reposed in his abil- ity and integrity.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Judge Baldwin has been a stalwart republican, and his opinions have carried great weight in the local and state councils of his party. He has been a delegate to many of the state conventions, was a member of the republican state central committee from March, 1917 until August, 1925, and was also an alternate delegate to the national convention held in Chicago in 1920.
On the 10th of December, 1896, Judge Baldwin was married to Miss Emma R. Gillette, and they became the parents of four chil- dren : Harriet G., Alfred C., Jr., Ralph V. and Herbert E. On
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the 27th of May, 1919, he married Jane Annette Swift, of An- sonia, Connecticut.
The Judge finds his recreation largely in fishing and in golf. He is a member of the Triton Fish and Game Club of Quebec, the Oak Hill Fishing Club of Nova Scotia and The Race Brook Country Club. His religious faith is that of the Unitarian Church, and fraternally he is a Knight Templar and Consistory Mason, having membership in Hamilton Commandery and Lafayette Consistory, both of Bridgeport, and in Pyramid Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Along strictly professional lines he is a member of the New Haven County Bar Association, the Connecticut State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. No matter what his outside interests and activities have been, the practice of law has been his real life work, and upon the bench he is mak- ing an excellent record as a fair and impartial judge whose rul- ings are based upon a comprehensive knowledge of legal principles and the ability to apply these principles to the points in litigation.
MARTIN L. MARTUS
An expert mechanic with broad experience in the manufactur- ing field, and an enterprising, capable business man, Martin L. Martus has become an outstanding figure in industrial circles of Connecticut as president of the Waterbury Battery Company, with which he has been identified in executive capacities for nearly twenty years. Born in New Haven. Connecticut, March 5, 1881, he is a son of Theodore and Emily (Kaehle) Martus, the latter a native of New Haven.
The grammar and high schools of his native city afforded the educational advantages enjoyed by Martin L. Martus, who en- tered upon his business career in 1901 as an apprentice in the factorv of the Scovill Manufacturing Company. There he re- ceived thorough training as a machinist and tool maker and through successive promotions became assistant to the chief draftsman. In 1906 he entered the service of the American Brass Company as chief draftsman, later becoming one of their engi- neers, and was sent to Germanv to study the processes followed by manufacturers of metal hose in that country. Closely observing their methods, he saw how they could be improved upon and with
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his return to Waterbury he was entrusted with the task of estab- lishing here a plant for the manufacture of metal hose. He contin- ued with the American Brass Company until 1911, when he ac- cepted the post of factory manager, tendered him by the officers of the Waterbury Battery Company, and a year later was elected its secretary. In 1921 he assumed the duties of president and during the nine years of his incumbency in the office the business has made notable progress. The company manufactures batteries for railroad signals, police telegraph systems, burglar alarms and fire alarms. It operates on an extensive scale, having agents and serv- ice stations throughout the world, and under the leadership of Mr. Martus the continued growth of the business is assured. In addition to serving as the chief executive of the Waterbury Bat- tery Company he acts as treasurer of Charles B. Schoenmehl, In- corporated, and efficiently manages the financial end of that busi- ness. While in the employ of the American Brass Company he was tutored by leading engineers, under whom he studied for three years, and throughout his career his constant endeavor has been to attain to a high level of service.
Mr. Martus was married January 9, 1907, to Miss Agnes C. Schoenmehl and they have two children : Ethel L., who was grad- uated from Brown University and is preparing for the degree of Master of Arts at Wellesley College; and Theodor C., who at- tended the Salisbury Preparatory School before entering Wes- leyan College, and is taking a special course in preparation for the career of a physicist.
The family are Episcopalians in religious faith and Mrs. Mar- tus devotes much time to charitable work. She is also active in social and fraternal affairs, being a member of the Woman's Club and a past matron of the Eastern Star. An ardent champion of the Boy Scouts of America, Mr. Martus has been local scoutmas- ter for ten years, doing particularly effective work in instructing the boys in sea scouting. He is the owner of a boat and greatly enjoys sailing. He belongs to the Pootatuck Yacht Club, the Waterbury Club, the New York Railroad Club, the New England Railroad Club, and is a director of the Rotary Club. For several years he has been a member of the school board of Woodbury, do- ing all in his power to further advancement along educational lines. In Masonry he has attained the thirty-second degree and is a past master of King Solomon's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of
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Woodbury. His fraternal connections also extend to the Bene- volent Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. For two years he has acted as chairman of the Waterbury section of the American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers and he has membership in the American Electro-Chemical Association and the American Railway Association. That Mr. Martus is a broadgauged man is indicated by the variety and scope of his interests and activities, which have reached out along constantly widening lines of helpfulness and of service. While he entered the business world in a humble capacity, he has out- distanced many who started far in advance of him, and the record of his achievements should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, showing what may be accomplished when effort and ambition combine.
THE WATERBURY BATTERY COMPANY
The Waterbury Battery Company was organized in 1898 by Charles B. Schoenmehl, who had been experimenting with elec- tricity and electro-chemistry in his spare time while employed as a foreman for the Waterbury Brass Company. Mr. Schoenmehl had patents on a battery which he was making and distributing under the name of the Excelsior Cell. This battery was first placed on the market in 1896 and was the first product of The Waterbury Battery Company. The company was organized on a few hundred dollars of borrowed money with which to start operations. Subsequently additional finances were secured and these were all repaid later from the profits of the company's busi- ness.
The company started operations with one employe and its manufacturing plant consisted of a small building twenty by thirty feet in the rear of 1036 South Main Street, Waterbury, Connecticut. The first source of power was a small water turbine designed and constructed by Mr. Schoenmehl. In 1904 the first compressed cylinder type of copper oxide cell was manufactured and offered to the trade under the trade name of Schoenmehl's Primary Battery. This battery was the forerunner of the various types of closed circuit batteries which the company is still manu- facturing.
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In 1906 the company placed on the market a plate type of battery, and a short time later a patent for a multiple plate bat- tery was obtained by Mr. Schoenmehl. For a long time prac- tically all the multiple plate type of compressed copper oxide batteries were being produced under license granted by Mr. Schoenmehl.
In 1911 M. L. Martus became associated with the company as secretary and factory manager, and in 1912 a new type of copper oxide battery, which had a high internal resistance, was brought out. This was a special battery for track circuit use and was used in many instances to displace the gravity battery which up to this time was in general use on track circuits. In 1912 the Gordon Primary Battery Company was acquired by Mr. Schoen- mehl and with it all of the patents covering the Gordon battery. This battery was and is still being manufactured by The Water- bury Battery Company. G. A. Nelson who had been associated with the Gordon Battery Company for years became associated with The Waterbury Battery Company as sales manager.
In 1917 E. E. Hudson became associated with the company as vice president and general sales manager, and in this year the Waterbury Unit Cylinder Cell was placed on the market. This cell was invented by M. L. Martus and was the first high effi- ciency cell of the copper oxide type manufactured. This same type of cell is the principal product of The Waterbury Battery Company today.
In February, 1921, on the death of Mr. Schoenmehl, E. E. Hudson was elected president of the company. In June, 1921, at the death of Mr. Hudson the following officers were elected: M. L. Martus, president; G. A. Nelson, vice president; Francis T. Reeves, treasurer; and Harold B. Schoenmehl, secretary. These are the present officers of the company.
In 1924 the Waterbury Telecell was placed on the market. This was the first closed circuit primary battery which is sold ready for use with the mere addition of water. Shelf life of the Waterbury Telecell is practically infinite. It has no deterioration in stock and it was due largely to this feature that the Waterbury Telecell was selected by the Byrd expedition in its recent An- tarctic exploration flight.
Waterbury Primary Batteries are being used throughout the world from the Antarctic to the Arctic, and from the Occi-
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dent to the Orient. The products of The Waterbury Battery Com- pany are known in India, New Zealand, Australia, China, South Africa, South America, and the various countries in Europe as well as in the United States, where Waterbury batteries are oper- ating railroads from coast to coast and from Canada to the Gulf. The products of this company are also used for burglar alarm, fire alarm, police signal alarm, time clocks, and annunciator service. The company at the present time has a plant covering several acres and many employes, and the name WATERBURY is well known throughout the railroad signal field.
THE BRADLEY FAMILY
The Bradley family seems to have originated in the town of Bingley, in the western part of Yorkshire, England. According to tradition, the father of the first representative of the family in America was William Bradley, an officer of the Parliamentary or Cromwellian army, who fell in battle in the early days of the English Revolution of 1640. The son, William Bradley, took the oath of allegiance at New Haven in 1644, having previously lived in Saybrook, Connecticut. He was soon followed to American shores by his stepmother, Elizabeth Bradley, and her daughter, Ellen, and four sons, Daniel, Joshua, Nathan and Stephen, of whom the two last named settled with their mother in Guilford. Francis, founder of the Fairfield branch of the Bradley family, seems to have been a cousin.
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