USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 28
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Mr. and Mrs. Everitt hold membership in the First Congregational church and the rules that further guide him in his life's relations are indicated in the fact that he is a member of the Masonie fraternity. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he stands for all those things which are most worth while in city government, stanchly supporting those interests which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride.
GEORGE H. BRAMAN.
George H. Braman is one of the general officers of the American Brass Company, his position being that of production superintendent, and thus he is active in carrying on one of the most extensive and important business interests of the Naugatuck valley. He was born in Easthampton, Massachusetts, May 12, 1870, a son of Henry and Sarah Elizabeth (Birney) Braman. The father now resides in Torrington at the age of seventy-five years. He was born in Easthampton, Massachusetts, March 12, 1842, and is a direct descendant of Daniel Braman, a Revolutionary war soldier, who is buried at Ellington, Connecticut. The same spirit of patriotic loyalty guided him when the country became engaged in civil war and he responded to the call for troops, joining the Union army as a member of Company A, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment. He participated in twenty-seven different engage- ments and was in three southern prisons, namely, Castle Thunder, Libby and Andersonville. In the last named he was incarcerated for eleven months. At the close of the war he returned to his home in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and was there married in 1869 to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Birney, George II. Braman being their only child. In 1871 the father brought the family to Torrington and here secured a position in the Coe Brass Works, where he was employed for fully a third of a century, or until he retired from active business life a few years ago. His first wife passed away in 1891 and later Henry Braman was married to Miss Amelia Carrier.
George H. Braman was but a year old when brought to Torrington, where he has since made his home. He attended the public schools here and the high school and afterward was a student in the Hudson River Institute, a military academy at Claverack, New York. His connection with the American Brass Company began when he was but sixteen years of age. He devoted the school vacation periods to work with the Coe branch at Torrington and in April, 1888, he accepted a permanent position with that branch, with which he has since been connected. After filling different minor positions he was promoted in 1903 to the position of superintendent of the Coe branch and thus continued until January, 1914, when he was again promoted, becoming one of the general officers of the American Brass Company, his position being that of production superintendent, with office at the general head- quarters of the company in Waterbury. He has mastered every task assigned him and in the faithful performance of each day's duties has found inspiration and encouragement for the efforts of the succeeding day. He now has supervision over all production of this great corporation, looking after the interests of each plant in this particular, and as a directing head of manufacturing interests is contributing in substantial measure to the success of the business. When the Coe Brass Company took over the Wallace factory, now the Coe Ansonia branch, he spent a year in Ansonia reorganizing the different departments of the business there along the lines of the Torrington branch. He then returned to Torrington
GEORGE H. BRAMAN
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and became superintendent at that place. His knowledge is that which has come from practical experience with every phase of the business and he has comprehensive understanding of the great scientific principles which underlie the work, making himn an expert in his field. He is vice president of the Torrington Trust Company, a director of the Torrington Manufacturing Company and a director of the Torrington Ice Company.
In 1893 Mr. Braman was united in marriage to Miss Eunice Helme Meeker, of New Preston, Connecticut, and also of Revolutionary war descent, as is indicated by her member- ship in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr. and Mrs. Braman have become the parents of three living children. Arthur Henry, born August 4, 1897, was formerly a student at Phillips Exeter Academy, and at the present time is a student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, having enlisted for service as a naval aviator and receiving training at that institution. The daughters, Sarah Elizabeth and Eunice Helme, are attending the public schools.
Mr. Braman is a member of the Torrington Club, the Greenwoods Country Club, the Waterbury Country Club, and is also a Mason and an Elk. He votes with the republican party and sees in its platform the best elements of good government. Connecticut has ever been the scene of his activities and here he has found scope for his ambition and energy, his dominant qualities, which have brought him continuous advancement until his name is now prominently known in the manufacturing circles of New England.
HERBERT S. ROWLAND.
Through individual effort Herbert S. Rowland has reached a position of executive control in connection with one of the important and growing industrial enterprises of Waterbury, being secretary and treasurer of Berbecker & Rowland. He was born in Weston, Connecticut, August 21, 1866, a son of Samuel S. and Emily (Thorpe) Rowland. The father was a farmer by occupation and removed with his family to Southport, Con- necticut, when his son Herbert was ten years of age. Both he and his wife are deceased.
After attending public and private schools Herbert S. Rowland became a student in Fairfield Academy and also attended the South Berkshire Institute at New Marlboro, Massachusetts. In 1885 he came to Waterbury and entered the employ of the Waterbury Button Company, with which he was connected until 1894, when he purchased an interest in the Tucker Manufacturing Company, which had been established on the 31st of July, 1886, and was engaged in the manufacture of brass nails. When Mr. Rowland bought part of the business the name was changed to Berbecker & Rowland and at that time Julius Berbecker became president, with C. H. W. Berbecker as treasurer and. H. S. Rowland as secretary. In 1917 the officers are: E. N. Berbecker, president; Herbert S. Rowland, secretary and treasurer; and Robert S. Booth, assistant treasurer. The factory has doubled its capacity several times by the building of various additions. The company owns about twenty acres of land upon which a number of substantial buildings now stand. These are of mill construction, supplied with sprinkler system and equipped with electric power with individual motors. The company manufactures cabinet, upholstery and drapery hardware, which is sold all over the United States and abroad, and the operatives of the factory number two hundred and seventy-five. For twenty-three years Mr. Rowland has been a factor in the upbuilding and development of this business, which is an expression of his ability, his enterprise and his progressive methods.
On October 6. 1894, Mr. Rowland was married to Miss Susie S. North, a daughter of Dr. Alfred North, who was for a considerable period a prominent physician of Water- bury but is now deceased. He was a son of Phineas and Louisa (Wetmore) North and was born in Goshen. October 5, 1836. He attended the Norfolk Academy and then entered Brown University, from which he was graduated in 1859. His professional training was received under the direction of Dr. Buell of Litchfield and in the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which he was graduated in 1861. He was immediately appointed a member of the house staff of the New York Hospital and during the second year of the Civil war was connected with army hospital work at Frederick City, Maryland. When that hospital was closed he returned to New York and completed his appointment as house surgeon in the New York Hospital. . He began practice in Waterbury in 1863 and soon won distinction as an able physician and surgeon, becoming particularly promi- nent in the latter field. He was surgeon for the New York and New England and the Naugatuck Railroad Companies, was a medical director of the Connecticut Indemnity Association and medical examiner for several insurance companies. He became chief of
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the staff of consulting physieiaus at the Waterbury Hospital and he held membership in the Connectieut State Medieal Society and was vice president of the Waterbury Medieal Society. His professional brethren spoke of him in terms of the highest regard, recognizing at all times his marked ability. He was married September 24, 1863, to Amelia Henrietta Buck, a daughter of Dr. Gurdon Buek. Dr. Alfred North passed away November 17, 1893. To him and his wife had been born five children of whom three died in infaney, the others being Susie Saltonstall and Annie Wetmore, the former becoming the wife of Herbert S. Rowland and the mother of two children: Alfred North, now in the Taft sehool; and Helen North.
Mr. Rowland and his family attend the First Congregational ehureh. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Odd Fellows. He is also well known in elub eireles, belonging to the Water- bury, Waterbury Country and Home Clubs. He has been the architeet of his own fortunes and has builded wisely and well; in manufacturing cireles his reeord is an untarnished one and worthy of mention in this work.
THOMAS D. ROBINSON.
For a third of a eentury Thomas D. Robinson has been a resident of Waterbury, where he is now engaged in business as the president and treasurer of the Robinson Tool Works, Ine., a business which he established in 1906 and which was ineorporated in 1912. A native of Birmingham, England, he is a son of Robert and Sarah (Cummings) Robinson, who about 1873 removed with their family to the United States, establishing their home in Bridgeport, where the father was employed in various factories until 1883, when he eame with his family to Waterbury and again engaged in factory work.
Thomas D. Robinson was a pupil in the publie schools of Conneetieut and when his text- books were put aside he erossed the threshold of business life by becoming a machinists's apprentice with the E. J. Manville Machine Company. After a short time spent with that company he was employed in various faetories, working his way steadily upward, each year adding to his experience and to his knowledge of iron manufacturing. He was ambitious to engage in business on his own aeeount and, living economieally, at length gained the eapital as well as the experience that enabled him to embark in business for himself in 1906. His first location was at Pearl Lakes, but in 1911 he established his factory at Baldwin and Kelsey streets, in Waterbury. He has a one story factory of eement eonstruetion, fifty-one by twenty-four feet, and is there engaged in manufacturing the Hartford die filing machine, which was developed by the Henry & Wright Manufacturing Company, of Hartford, and was taken over by the Robinson Tool Works. This was the pioneer among the filing machines and is today sold all over the United States and largely in foreign countries as well. In fact it is used extensively in all parts of the world for making dies and jigs. The company employs four meehanies and in addition to turning out this machine does metal manufacturing work and manufactures metal novelties. The business was ineorporated in 1912 with Thomas . D. Robinson as president and treasurer and Robert Robinson as seeretary. Mr. Robinson gives praetieally his entire. time and attention to the business and its continued growth is the result of his close application. He has not been active in polities but is an adherent of the republican party.
MARTIN SCULLY.
Martin Seully, son of Jeremiah and Bridget (Lawless) Seully, was born at Ballyeagle, Queens eounty, Ireland, in 1856. In that country he spent his boyhood. At the age of seventeen he eame to the United States and took up his residence in Waterbury, Conneetieut. He was employed in one of the factories until he engaged in newspaper work, first as manager of The Valley Catholie and later in the eapaeity of reporter for the Waterbury Demoerat. He remained with the Democrat more than twenty years, and retired to aecept the office of mayor, a position to which he was elected in the fall of 1913. Mr. Seully is a demoerat and has always taken an active part in publie affairs. Prior to his eleetion to the office of mayor he served eight years on the board of public works, four years in the aldermanie ehamber, two years as eity auditor, and he was elected agent of the Bronson
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THOMAS D. ROBINSON
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Library Fund for two terms of twelve years.each. He is now the president of that institu- tion.
Mr. Scully has always taken a deep interest in Irish affairs. He was a member of the local branch of the Irish National League and held, in turn, each office within that organiza- tion, including that of president. In 1888 he was chosen by the Irish societies of Water- bury and New York to convey to Ireland the remains of Stephen J. Meany for interment in his native Clare, a mission which Mr. Scully performed to the satisfaction of his country- men both in this country and at home. On his return he was banqueted by many prominent citizens, including "Catalpa" James Reynolds, who pronounced the work performed by Mr. Scully in connection with the Meany funeral the most clean-handed affair of the kind that ever came to his notice.
In Waterbury, Mr. Scully filled the position of Sunday school superintendent of St. Patrick's parish for eleven years. In 1893 he was sent to the World's Fair Catholic Columbian Congress, at Chicago, by Right Reverend Lawrence S. McMahon, as one of the lay delegates from the Hartford diocese.
The First Division, A. O. H., was organized in Waterbury early in the '70s. Mr. Scully became one of its members and has been identified with it ever since. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Patrick Sarsfield Club, and was for a quarter century one of the most prominent members of the Catholic Literary Association.
In 1895, Mr. Scully married Miss Margaret O'Reilly, a native of Waterbury. They have eight children, six boys and.two girls.
In January, 1918, having served two terms in the mayor's office, Mr. Scully again entered the employ of the Waterbury Democrat in the capacity of city editor.
HON. EDWARD H. PERSONS.
Through successive stages of clerkship and merchandising Hon. Edward H. Persons has come to his present enviable position in financial circles, being now president of the Realty Securities Company, a brokerage corporation of Winsted. He was born in Sandis- field, Massachusetts, April 27, 1850, the town of his birth being just over the state line in Massachusetts and but ten miles north of Winsted, his present home. He was the youngest in a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, who were born to Torrel and Sylvia (Bristol) Persons, both of whom have passed away. The father, who was a native of Massachusetts, took up the occupation of farming and in early life also worked in a tannery. He was born in 1799, while his wife was born in Connecticut in the year 1804. Only two of their eight children are now living: Wallace J., who was born in 1840, and Edward H., born in 1850. Both are still residents of Winsted.
The latter has made Winsted his home since 1867, or for a half century and was a youth of but seventeen years when he took up his abode in this city. Up to that time he had been reared in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, upon the old homestead farm, and had attended a country school, while later he continued his education in the South Berkshire Institute of New Marlboro, Massachusetts. After becoming a resident of Winsted he engaged in clerking for five years, spending that time in two different stores, the latter part of the period being passed as an employe in the general store of O. D. Hunt. When twenty-two years of age or in 1872 he was admitted to a partnership in the business and the firm became known as O. D. Hunt & Company while still later the style of the firm was changed to Hunt & Persons. Later again the firm style of Persons & Baldwin was assumed. When that partnership was dissolved, Mr. Baldwin retained the grocery store, while Mr. Persons took over the dry goods stock and thus established the dry goods store of Edward H. Persons, which is the same establishment now. owned by George W. Gage in the Opera House block, Mr. Persons selling his interest to Mr. Gage in 1902. He then retired from business and enjoyed a period of rest covering three years. In 1905 he became a member of the investment and brokerage firm of Griswold, Hallett & Persons, which in February, 1917, was incorporated under the name of the Realty Securities Company, of which Mr. Persons became the president, with Gilbert L. Hart as treasurer and Isabel E. Wilcox as the secretary. Frank D. Hallett is also one of the directors and was a member of the former firm of Griswold, Hallett & Persons. The business was originally conducted under the firm name of Williams & Hallett, this being succeeded by Williams, Hallett & Griswold and eventually by Griswold, Hallett & Persons and today their interests, important and extensive, are carried on under the name of the Realty Securities Company. They have made for themselves a prominent position in financial circles and the business has now reached
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extensive proportions. Mr. Persons is also a director of the Carter & Hakes Machine Company, of Winsted, and of the First National Bank of Winsted; also a member of the loaning committee of the Winsted Savings Bank.
In September, 1878, Mr. Persons was united in marriage to Miss Mary Isabel Cook, who was born at Winsted. They have one daughter, Helen, who is now a young lady and is a graduate of the Gilbert school of Winsted. Mr. Persons gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is one of its recognized leaders in the state. He has served as a member of the state legislature during the session of 1904-5 and was inade. a member of the appropriations committee. He has also been a burgess of Winsted and has been a member of its board of education. He cooperates heartily in all plans and projects for the welfare of the community and the upbuilding of its interests. He is a supporter of and attends the Second Congregational church and he belongs to the Winsted Club. He is fond of motoring, which constitutes his chief source of recreation. His time and attention, however, are largely concentrated upon his business affairs and through the steps of an orderly progression he has advanced from a humble place in mercantile circles to a promi- nent position as one of the leading representatives of real estate and financial interests in his adopted city.
JOSEPH DENNISON WELTON.
Joseph Dennison Welton, an automobile painting contractor residing at the old Welton homestead in Waterville, is a descendant of one of the oldest and best known families of the Naugatuck valley. He was born in Waterville, July 30, 1871, a son of Homer Heber and Ellen Jennette (Garrigus) Welton. The ancestral line is traced back to John Welton, who eame to America from England or Wales about 1667 and while crossing the Atlantic wedded Mary Upson, a native of England. They established their home at Farmington, Connecticut, and about 1679 removed to Waterbury, where their remaining days were passed, the death of Mr. Welton occurring June 18, 1726, while his wife died October 18, 1716. They were parents of ten children, including Richard Welton, who was born in Waterbury, September 27, 1679. He was the first male child of European parentage born in Waterbury and he there spent his entire life, devoting his attention to general agri- eultural pursuits. He wedded Mary Upson, who was born March 5, 1683, a daughter of Stephen and Mary (Lee) Upson and a granddaughter of John Lee, of Farmington. The death of Mr. Welton occurred in 1755. He was the father of Eliakim Welton, who was born in Waterbury, January 21, 1715, and was a lifelong resident of that city. He owned and cultivated a large tract of land on Bucks Hill and passed away November 20, 1794. He had married Eunice Bronson, a daughter of Moses and Jane (Wiah) Bronson. Among their children was Richard Welton, who always remained a resident of Waterbury, passing away February 26, 1820. On the 27th of April, 1766, he had wedded Margaret Warner and they had two children. The wife and mother died on the 19th of October, 1768, and Richard Welton afterward married Hannah Davis, whose death occurred December 11, 1839, when she was ninety-four years of age. One of the seven children of the second marriage was Joseph Davis Welton, a native of Waterbury, who determined to devote his life to the church and was ordained a deacon December 18, 1802, while on the 23d of December, 1810, he was made a priest of the Episcopal church. He afterward accepted pas- torates in Woodbury and Easton, but in 1819 the condition of his health obliged him to give up the active work of the ministry. He then returned to Waterbury, taking up his abode on the farm of his father-in-law, where he spent his remaining days, and during that period he conducted a private school in which many young men were prepared for college. He married Eunice Tomlinson, a daughter of Victory Tomlinson. She was born April 27, 1788, and died February 20, 1832, while the death of Rev. Joseph D. Welton occurred January 16, 1825. In St. John's Episcopal church in Waterbury is found a fine baptismal font of carved marble which was there erected to his memory by Hobart V. Welton.
Joseph Welton, son of Rev. Joseph D. Welton, was born May 15, 1814, and was the third of four children. He displayed special aptitude in his studies and when a youth of but fourteen made a careful survey and prepared an outline map of the Green in Water- bury Center, which is still preserved and has furnished useful information for the history of the city. In 1836 he removed from his birthplace on the Wolcott road to the west side of the Naugatuck river and there made his home until called to his final rest, his attention being given to general farming. He voted with the whig party until its dissolution and
HOMER H. WELTON
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then joined the ranks of the new republican party. His religious faith was evidenced in his membership in the Episcopal church. On the 20th of January, 1836, he wedded Mary S. Pierpont, a daughter of Seabury Pierpont, and they became the parents of three children: Homer Heber; Eunice C., who was born October 7, 1839, and became the wife of Orrin Scott, while her second husband was Lewis Garrigus; and Lucy A., who was born November 14, 1841, and became the wife of A. B. Pierpont. Joseph Welton died May 1, 1894.
His only son, Homer Heber Welton, was born in Waterbury, February 22, 1837, and attended the district schools and the Waterbury Academy and high school. In his youthful days he assisted his father in the farm work and afterward engaged in teaching during the winter months at Bunker Hill and at East Side, Watertown. For a year and a half he was employed in the Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine factory and at twenty-four years of age went to Hartford, where he secured employment in Sharps rifle factory, being there engaged during the period of the Civil war. He also spent a year in the pin factory at Oakville and on removing to Waterville engaged in the cutlery business as a partner of Messrs. Sprague and Boyden. On retiring from the firm in 1876 he became a contractor for a portion of their work, to which he devoted the succeeding sixteen years. In his later years he managed his father's estate on Bunker Hill and other property. He was always greatly interested in taxidermy and possessed a fine collection of stuffed birds, doing the work himself, although he had no instruction along that. line and never saw anyone engage in taxidermy. He was married in 1868 to Ellen Jennette Garrigus, a native of Morristown, New Jersey, and a daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Sheppard) Garrigus. They became parents of three children: Julia A., now the wife of Rev. Walter Warner, a minister of the Adventist church, their home being in the state of Washington; Josepb Dennison; and Edith J., who died at the age of eight years. The death of the father occurred in 1902, while his wife passed away in 1908. He was a member of St. John's Episcopal church and Mrs. Welton of the Methodist Episcopal church of Waterbury, and the nature of his interests was further indicated in the fact that he held membership with the Sons of Temperance and in the Mad River Grange. His political endorsement was given to the republican party.
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