USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 34
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On the 6th of May, 1847, Captain Hamilton wedded Mary Rogers, a daughter of S. Rogers, of Hartford. She passed away May 22, 1859, leaving a son, Charles Alfred, born May 3, 1849. On the 9th of June, 1863, Captain Hamilton married Miss Mary Elizabeth Birely, a daughter of William Birely, of Fredcrick, Maryland. Her death occurred August 27, 1870. Her son, Lewis Birely, born in 1864, was graduated from Yale in 1886 and is a civil engineer by profession. The daughter is Katherine Hamilton. On the 1st of September, 1871, Captain Hamilton was united in marriage to Isabel L. Ely, a daughter of John Griswold Ely, of Lyme, a descendant in the eighth generation of Richard Ely, who came from Plymouth, England, in 1660 and settled in Boston. His grandfather, Leonard Ely, elder of Wouston, who died in 1615, was the grandson of Jolin Ely, who was born about 1492 and was the warden of the palace of the bishops of Winchester in 1540. When Richard Ely canic to the new world he was accompanied by his two sons, William and Richard, his wife having previously passed away. In 1664 he married Mrs. Cullick, a widow and a sister of Colonel Fenwick. He settled at Lyme, where he and his sons owned four thousand acres of land. He died in 1690 and was laid to rest in the Ely burying ground at Lyme. His son, William Ely, born in 1647, died in 1717. He married Elizabeth Strong, a daughter of Simon Strong, who with twenty-eight others took up all the land between Haddam and Saybrook except Six Mile island, whereon William Ely made his home. His son, William Ely, Jr., was married in 1715 to Hannah Thompson, of Ipswich, Massa- chusetts, and for his second wife chose Mary Noyes. His family numbered ten children, seven born of the first marriage. James Ely, of that family, was born in 1718 and passed away in 1766. He wedded Dorcas Andrews, of Ipswich, in 1742 and they had ten children. All six of their sons served in the Revolution and Aaron was killed at the battle of Kings Bridge in 1776. James Ely, the second son of James and Dorcas (Andrews) Ely, was born in 1743 and in 1768 married Catherine Hayes, while later Prudence Hewitt became his wife. Of the nine children of the first marriage, John Ely was born in 1781 and died in 1817. He wedded Lucy Miller, who passed away in 1859 at the age of eighty-two. Their family of six children included John Griswold Ely, who was born in 1810 and died in 1863. In 1830 he wedded Sally Pratt Williams, who was born in 1812 and died in Lyme in May, 1901. They had eleven children, the sixth of whom was Isabel L., who became the wife of Captain Hamilton.
The only child of this marriage was Paul D. Hamilton, who was graduated from Yale
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with the class of 1894 and received his initial business training with the firm of Rogers & Brothers. In 1895 he went to Providence, Rhode Island, to become secretary of the E. C. Church Company, dealers in heavy hardware. He remained in Providence until 1902, when he opened a branch establishment for that concern on Grand street in Waterbury and he took charge in this city. In 1903 he organized the Hamilton Hardware Corporation, of which he became the president and treasurer, with G. A. Gove as the secretary and W. U. Harris as a director. A year later Mr. Gove retired and two years afterward Mr. Harris withdrew from connection with the business. Mr. Hamilton remains as the president and treasurer of the company, with R. J. Boland as vice president and general manager and J. W. Littlejohn as secretary. The plant is now located at Nos. 90-94 Bank street, in a building thirty by one hundred and fifty feet and four stories in height with basement. In the rear is a large warehouse. They conduct both a wholesale and retail business and are represented on the road by two traveling salesmen, while in the Waterbury estab- lishment they have twenty-five employes. Their trade covers the Naugatuck valley, including a radius of about twenty-five miles.
On the 8th of January, 1902, Mr. Hamilton was married to Miss Mary Peters, of West Newton, Massachusetts, and their children are Katherine, David B. and Lawrence M. Mr. Hamilton has an interesting military chapter in his life record, having served for three years as a member of the Rhode Island State Militia, while during the Spanish-American war he enlisted for active duty with the First Rhode Island Infantry and saw hospital service. He belongs to the York Hall Society of New Haven and is a member of the Graduates Club of New Haven, of the Waterbury Club, of the Waterbury Country Club, the Sons of Veterans, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In politics he is a republican and he belongs to the Connecticut Civil Service Reform League. He is interested in all those questions which are of vital moment to the community or have significance in relation to its development and progress. He represents two of the oldest families of the state and their splendid record of patriotism, loyalty and progressiveness is upheld by him.
JAMES E. DEAN.
James E. Dean is a retired coal merchant of Winsted still actively connected with real estate interests. Enterprise and determination have been crowning points in his career and his salient characteristics have ever been such as to have commended him to the confidence and goodwill of business colleagues and contemporaries. He removed to Winsted- in 1869 from the town of Canaan, Connecticut, and he is numbered among the native sons of the state, his birth having occurred in Sharon, Connecticut, January 8, 1842. His parents were William and Charlotte (Richardsen) Dean. The father was a farmer by occupation and upon the old homestead farm in the town of Sharon, Litchfield county, James E. Dean was reared with the usual experiences of a farm-bred boy. He had perhaps better educational opportunities than conte to some, for he supplemented his district school education with instruction in the best select schools in town. At the age of twenty he was examined for service in the Civil war but on account of his frail health was rejected. At his present age of seventy-five, however, he is quite strong and vigorous. He came to Winsted in 1869 and purchased a farm in the suburbs of the city. He entered into business relations with the late Edward Manchester and was for many years actively and successfully engaged in the dairy and creamery business. It was Messrs. Manchester and Dean who started the first creamery in Winsted. He finally sold his interest in the business to his partner after his activities had brought him a substantial measure of success. For the past twelve years he has been active as a real estate dealer and broker and handles his own property and also buys and sells for others on commission. Years ago he was connected with a confectionery business, owning a plant in which he hired others to do the manufacturing, while he attended to the sales end of the business. He continued successfully in that field for several years and in fact it has always been characteristic of Mr. Dean that he carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, for he has never allowed difficulties nor obstacles to brook his path if they could be overcome by persistent, earnest effort. After retiring from the confectionery business he spent about twelve years as a prosperous coal merchant and finally sold out his coal yard to the Tiffany & Pickett Company.
In 1861, Mr. Dean was united in marriage to Miss Sarah M. White, then a young maiden of eighteen. They celebrated their golden wedding on the 26th of September, 1911. On the occasion of both their twenty-fifth and fiftieth anniversaries their friends
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gathered to celebrate the event, remembering them with handsome presents. On the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary they were presented by the official board of the Methodist Episcopal church with a gold-lined loving cup handsomely engraved. They have a son and daughter, Mrs. Edith A. Allen and James L., both of whom are residents of Winsted. They also had twin daughters, Nellie M. and Nettie J., but both have passed away, the former having died at the age of twenty-four years and the latter when thirty-four years of age. She was the wife of Frank Sackett and at her demise left one son, George S. Hackett, now twenty-one years of age, who is a college student in Hanover, New Hampshire. Mrs. Allen has one son, Raymond B. Allen, twenty-three years of age, who is a plumber at Bristol, Connecticut. James L. Dean, the only son of James E. Dean of this review, married Jennie Darling and has one son, Earl Leonard Dean, who is twenty-two years of age and is a draughtsman with the Hendey Machine Company of Torrington.
Throughout the entire period of his residence in this city Mr. Dean has taken a deep inter- est in its public welfare and has served as selectman, commissioner, tax collector and burgess, filling the last named position for fifteen years. In politics he is a republican but has never been a prejudiced partisan. In fact he supports men rather than party. although he is a firm believer in republican principles. However, he holds general good above partisanship and never has he sought personal aggrandizement at the sacrifice of the public welfare. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and was chairman of its build- ing committee when the present splendid house of worship was erected. He has served as treasurer of the church for twenty years and is president of its board of trustees, a position which he has also filled for two decades. Hc belongs to the New England Order of Protection and his cooperation has always been a valued element in every direction into which he has put forth his efforts. Throughout his long and active business career in Winsted, covering nearly a half century, he has gained that prosperity which comes as the reward of persistent, earnest and honorable effort and is now the owner of an estate from which he receives a most gratifying income. His property interests include the entire business block in which the Boston Store is located and his realty possessions also include other property in and near Winsted. His life has ever been honorable and upright and all who know him speak of him in terms of the highest regard. In fact he stands as a man among men, his guiding principles making his career one which is most worthy of emulation.
REV. HORACE BLANCHARD SLOAT.
Rev. Horace Blanchard Sloat, pastor of the First Baptist church, was born in New Brunswick, Canada, October 30, 1872, and is of English descent. His ancestors have lived in Canada since Revolutionary war days, his great-grandfather having removed to New Brunswick from the United States. His parents are Zebedee and Sarah Jane (Adams) Sloat, who still reside in New Brunswick, where the father has devoted his life to milling.
Rev. Sloat pursued a public school education, also attended the Provincial Normal School and graduated from Acadia University of Nova Scotia with the Bachelor of Arts degree. In young manhood he taught school for two years and in 1892 he was licensed to preach in New Brunswick, while on the 5th of October, 1899, he was ordained to the ministry. He preached his first sermon in 1896 in the village of Nashwaak, New Bruns- wick, and was supply pastor at the Olivet Baptist church at Marysville, New Brunswick, for a year and a half. In 1901 he was called to the pastorate of the old historic First Baptist church of Milton, Nova Scotia, there remaining for five years and six months, but in 1906 he resigned to enter the Newton Theological Seminary, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in 1909. He was for nearly three years pastor of the First Baptist church at New London. New Hampshire, and since March, 1912, he has been pastor of the First Baptist church of Waterbury. During this period the present splendid church edifice has been erected to replace the former church, which was destroyed by fire in April, 1912. Work on the plans of the new church was started in May of that year and on the 22d of July, 1914, work on the building was begun. The edifice was com- pleted in October, 1917, at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars.
On the 15th of May, 1901, Rev. Sloat was married to Miss Grace Eliza Fisher, a teacher of music and painting, who was born in New Brunswick and is of English and Scotch descent and a daughter of Charles F. and Elizabeth Augusta (Magee) Fisher. The chil- dren of Rev. and Mrs. Sloat are four in number, namely. Charles Raymond Milton, Sarah Cecil, Harold Fisher and James Donald Magee.
Rev. Sloat is a Mason. He finds his chief recreation in fishing, in baseball and in
REV. HORACE B. SLOAT
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tennis and greatly enjoys various phases of outdoor life, especially gardening, of which he is very fond. Guided by the highest principles, he is putting forth every effort to pro- mote moral progress in his community and his church has become a potent force for good among the people of this section.
JOSEPH F. CAREY.
Joseph F. Carey, a general contractor of Winsted, was born in the town of Colebrook, Litchfield county, Connecticut, August 7, 1852. He resided in the town of Winchester since 1876 and has lived in Winsted for the past fifteen years. He learned the trade of a stone and brick mason in early manhood and for a quarter of a century has been en- gaged in business as a general contractor and builder, most of his work in the building line being in brick and stone construction. He has erected many of the best buildings and public works of Winsted, including St. Joseph's church, the Winsted Methodist Episcopal church, the Litchfield County hospital, some additions to the William L. Gilbert Home, the Crystal Lake dam, the New England Pin Company's factory plant in Winsted and various other structures of importance. He rebuilt the T. C. Richards Hardware plant, the Fitz- gerald Manufacturing Company's plant and others. As the years have passed Mr. Carey las prospered and has accumulated a large amount of valuable real estate, so that he could retire from active business at any time if he so desired and yet enjoy all of the comforts of life; but he prefers to remain active, for indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and thus he continues a leading contractor of Winsted. In addition to his attractive residence on Prospect street, which he owns, and other town property, he has two large farms aggregating seven hundred acres, just west of Winsted, in the Highland Lake district, a portion of his land bordering on Highland Lake.
In early manhood Mr. Carey wedded Miss Mary Barry, a native of Norfolk, Con- necticut, who died a few years ago, leaving six children: Mary, who is the wife of Dr. Maurice J. Reidy, of Winsted; Charles F., who is now in the United States army; Ruth, who keeps house for her father; Joseph E., now attending a reserve officers' training camp; and Catherine and William, who are at home. Mr. Carey and his family are com- municants of St. Joseph's Catholic church and he is identified with the Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks. In politics he has always maintained an independent course, nor has he ever sought or desired office, preferring to concentrate his attention and energies upon his business interests, which have been wisely conducted, and with industry and determina- tion as a foundation, he has built up a successful career that places him among the sub- stantial residents of Winsted.
RALPH L. FRENCH.
Active in the control of many of the great manufacturing interests which have done so much for the development of the Naugatuck valley are men who have risen to their present positions of executive control from a most humble place in the business world, their advancement coming to them in recognition of merit and ability. Among this number is Ralph L. French, who is general superintendent of the Thomaston mill of the Plume & Atwood Company. He was made assistant manager of the business in 1916 and is also one of the directors of the company. He was born in Thomaston, October 17, 1861, a son of Asahel and Hulda (Churchill) French. The father was born in Oxford, Con- necticut, and represented one of the early colonial families of that place. In 1857 he estab- lished his home two and a half miles west of Thomaston, where he engaged in farming until his death, which occurred about thirteen years later. His widow survived him for some time, passing away in 1903. Mr. French served as selectman and was active in com- munity affairs. He was also successful as a farmer.
His son, Ralph L. French, acquired a public school education and started in the business world as a clerk. On the 1st of October, 1887, he entered the employ of the Plume & Atwood Company at their Thomaston mill in the capacity of caster's helper. He worked through the various departments. earning advancement from time to time, and in 1905 was put in charge of the casting department. His broadening experience led to increasing ability, resulting in frequent promotion, and on the 14th of June, 1912. he was made general superintendent of the Thomaston mill, in which position of executive
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control he remains, directing the activities at this place. He was made assistant manager in 1916 and is also one of the directors of the company, having voice in shaping the policy of the organization. His long and varied experience has made him thoroughly familiar with every branch of the business and he ably directs the hundreds of workmen employed in the Thomaston establishment.
On the 22d of April, 1888, Mr. French was united in marriage to Miss Aurelia McBurney, who was born in Sharon, Connecticut, and, with her parents, later removed to Brooklyn, New York. She is a daughter of Christopher McBurney. By her marriage she has become the mother of three children: Clifford, who is with the Plume & Atwood Company; Walter; and Hazel.
Mr. and Mrs. French attend the Congregational church and he votes with the republi- can party, which he has supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, believing firmly in its principles. He has never sought office preferring to concentrate his energies and attention upon his business. The Thomaston mills employ about four hun- dred people in the production of sheet metal, rods, wire, etc., and the business has grown to extensive proportions. As directing head of the Thomaston plant of the Plume & Atwood Company Mr. French is classed with the prominent representatives of industrial activity in the Naugatuck valley.
CHARLES ANDREWS COLLEY.
Charles Andrews Colley, who has been president of the Waterbury Chamber of Com- meree, is a leading real estate operator and ranks with the progressive and substantial citizens of Waterbury, where his birth occurred January 18, 1858. He is the only ehild of James M. and Cornelia A. (Minor) Colley. The former, who was born in Bridgewater, New Hampshire, December 16, 1827, came to Waterbury in 1849 and engaged in business as a contractor. For eighteen years he served as street superintendent and on the 24th of August, 1890, passed away. His maternal grandfather, Amos Leavitt, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. James M. Colley was born in Woodbury, Connecticut, April 25, 1835, a daughter of Horace G. and Sarah (Leavenworth) Minor and a descendant of Colonel John Minor, who upon coming to this country located at Stratford, Con- necticut, where he became widely known as a prominent man and leading citizen. The parents of Charles A. Colley were married in Waterbury, July 6, 1856, and the mother, surviving her husband for some years, died in 1912, at the age of seventy-seven.
Charles A. Colley was graduated from the Waterbury high school with the class of 1876. A review of the wide field of business and professional activity convinced him that he preferred a legal career and in preparation for the bar he entered the Yale Law School, from which he was graduated in 1878. He then located for practice in Waterbury and was an active member of the bar until 1893. Since that time he has devoted his attention primarily to the management and development of his real estate interests. While practicing law he served for ten years as prosecuting agent of the county of New Haven. Since concentrating his efforts upon his real estate interests he has developed Colley street in West Waterbury, building every house on the strect with the exception of two. In 1913 Mr. Colley took the initiative steps toward the organization of the Chamber of Commerce and became its first president, in which capacity he served for four years or until January, 1917, when he was succeeded by Nathaniel R. Bronson. He is still one of its directors and is also a director of the State Chamber of Commerce and a national councilor of the United States Chamber of Commerce. He has thoroughly studied the opportunities and possibilities of such organizations and is not only the founder and promoter of the Waterbury Chamber but is said to be "the best advertising agent the city has ever had."
On the 17th of January, 1884, Mr. Colley was united in marriage to Miss Mary Anna Bryan, who was born in New Haven, August 4, 1861, a daughter of the late Edward Bryan, who for forty years was a wholesale grocer of New Haven. He was born in Waterbury, September 20, 1825, and in 1843 removed to New Haven, where he passed away in 1900. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Martha H. Ritter, was born in New Haven, August 24, 1831, and her death there occurred March 26, 1894.
Mr. Colley is a Knight Templar Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine and of Harmony Lodge, No. 42, F. & A. M., is a past master. He is also identified with the Elks. His chief recreation is fishing and his reputation in that connection is known throughout New England. For the past twelve years he has made an annual trip to Nova Scotia for the
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CHARLES A. COLLEY
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salmon fishing. Mr. and Mrs. Colley have traveled extensively in this country, Europe, South America and once made the tour around the world. Mr. Colley has been toastmaster at more Waterbury banquets perhaps than any other man and he has done more through his efforts as president of the Chamber of Commerce than any other single individual to make the city and its resources known to the American public. It was Mr. Colley who fathered the movement which resulted in the erection of the handsome clock on the Green in the center of Waterbury. It cost approximately four thousand five hundred dollars, of which two thousand five hundred dollars was donated by Truman Lewis. He declined to serve longer as president of the Chamber of Commerce but has never ceased to take active and helpful interest in all the projects which are promoted for the welfare and upbuilding of his city. He was also chairman of the general committee having charge of Waterbury's Old Home Week celebration in 1915, which up to that time was the most pretentious celebration ever accomplished in this city. He is now a member of the com- mission having charge of the construction of the new city hall. His home is most attractive by reason of its fine collection of art and curios from all parts of the world which have been gathered by Mr. and Mrs. Colley in their extensive travels.
ALISON E. PALMER.
Alison E. Palmer is manager of the Winsted Silk Company, a department of Belding Brothers & Company, with which business he has been continuously connected for thirty- one years. He is therefore thoroughly familiar with every phase of the business and in his present position is largely responsible for the successful conduct of the enterprise. He was born in Windermere, Connecticut, December 29, 1871, and is the only son of the late Churchill Strong Palmer, who at one time was a well known teacher of Winsted. He had been principal of one of the local schools for several years when in 1885 he was called to his final rest. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Emma Florence Ely, is still living and a daughter of the family also survives.
Alison E. Palmer came to Winsted in 1879, when a youth of eight years, and the public schools afforded him his educational privileges, much of his instruction being re- ceived under his father's direction. In 1886, when a youth of fourteen years, his father having died the previous year, he entered the employ of the Winsted Silk Company and in that connection has gradually worked his way upward, being chosen assistant secretary and assistant treasurer in 1904. He continued in that position until the Winsted Silk Company became part of Belding Brothers & Company in the spring of 1917, and is now man- ager of the local branch. Thoroughness characterizes all that he does, and energy and perseverance have enabled him to advance to his present responsible position.
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