USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Plymouth > History of the town of Plymouth, Connecticut : with an account of the centennial celebration May 14 and 15, 1895 : also a sketch of Plymouth, Ohio, settled by local families > Part 30
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Mr. Sutliffe is serving his third term as selectman. He was married December 31, 1870, to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Kirk, of Waterbury. His children are : Edith E., born October 10, 1875; Daisy B., born April 4, 1879, and John Thomas, born December 26, 1882.
JOEL BLAKESLEE.
Joel Blakeslee was born in that part of Plymouth now called Thomaston, September 2, 1812. He died in Bridgeport, Conn., January 18, 1895. The Blakeslee family in Plymouth descend- ed from Samuel Blakeslee, who was a planter in Guilford, Conn., in 1650, but who afterwards removed to New Haven, where he died in 1672. His grandson, Moses Blakeslee, moved from New Haven to Waterbury (Northbury, afterwards called Plymouth), about 1739, and settled on land previously "laid out" to him on what is now known as Town Hill. His house stood near the residence of the late Oliver Stoughton. He was appointed a deacon in the Congregational Church at Plymouth at its organization in 1740, and was an active and influential member of the church and the community.
From him, Joel, the subject of this sketch, descended through John, born in 1725 ; Joel, born 1752, and Ransom, born 1781. Of the generation on the stage at the time of the Revo- lutionary war, two at least are known to have served in the Con-
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Joel Blakeslee.
Gen. Erastus Blakeslee
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
-
tinental army, one in Captain Joseph Mansfield's (of Litchfield) company of infantry, and one in the "Light Horse " (cavalry).
Ransom Blakeslee, known in his later life as "Squire Blakeslee," father of Joel, established himself in business about 1803, at the water privilege, on what was then known as the Goss place, about half way between Thomaston and Northfield. Here he did country blacksmithing, and also by aid of trip-ham- mers, run by water power, carried on quite a business in the manufacture of heavy " Guinea hoes," for plantation use in the South. These hoes, without handles, were packed in molasses hogsheads and hauled to Hartford or New Haven for shipment, the iron for making them being brought back on the return trip. This is very much in contrast with our modern ways of doing business. He, however, was enterprising and made money, so that after his father's death in 1814, be bought the family estate on Plymouth Hill, on which he lived until his death in 1868. He built the brick shop, still standing, opposite the house in which he lived, and for a time continued his general blacksmith- ing there, but gave up the manufacture of hoes. About 1834 he formed a partnership with Mr. Cooley, of Reading, Conn., for the manufacture of carriages in the brick shop. This was the beginning of the carriage manufacturing industry in Ply- mouth. Two or three years later he assisted in the formation of the carriage manufacturing firm of Cooley, Bradley & Co., with- drawing from the business himself, but putting capital into the new firm for his son Joel, then a young man. The business in later years grew to large proportions, but since has steadily de- clined, owing to severe competition by western manufacturers.
From about that time his only business was the care of his farm. He was at one time a member of the legislature, and al- ways a much respected citizen. He will be remembered by the older residents of Plymouth at the present time for his native wisdom, his dignified and genial presence, and his upright and honorable character.
His son, Joel, was a delicate child, and was never in robust health, although he lived until his eighty-third year. He partly fitted for Yale College, but on account of his health gave up his studies. On the formation of the carriage manufacturing firm of Cooley, Bradley & Co., he became a member of it, as above stated, and continued with it until its close. Afterwards he car- ried on the carriage business for himself, in connection with his son Arthur. In 1871 he sold the old homestead and moved to Bridgeport, where he remained until his death. He was very feeble for the last two or three years of his life, but finally passed away quite suddenly.
GENERAL ERASTUS BLAKESLEE.
Erastus Blakeslee, son of Joel and Sarah Maria (Mansfield) Blakeslee, was born in Plymouth, Conn., September 2, 1838. He was fitted for college at Williston Seminary, Easthampton, Mass., and entered the freshman class at Yale in the fall of 1859.
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Oliver Smith.
-
Byron Tuttle,
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
During his spring vacation in 1861 occurred the firing on Fort Sumter. At a public meeting held shortly afterwards in Ply- mouth, he was one of the first to sign the enlistment roll in answer to President Lincoln's call for volunteers. Owing to the large over-enlistment at that time he was not mustered into service, but returned to college. In the fall of the same year he left college for good and enlisted in Company A, First Battalion Connecticut Cavalry Volunteers. His military record was as follows :
Enlisted in Co. A, Ist Bat. Conn. Cav. Vols., Oct. 9, 1861 Commissioned 2d Lieut. in same company, Oct. 18, 1861
Promoted to be Ist Lieut. and Adjutant, Nov. 26, 1861 Promoted to be Capt. Co. A, Feb. 28, 1862 Promoted to be Major,
July 14, 1863 ·
Promoted to be Lieut .- Colonel, May 21, 1864 ·
Promoted to be Colonel,
. May 27, 1864 Must. out by reason of expiration of term of service, Oct. 26, 1864 Commissioned Brevet Brig. Gen. of Vols. "for
gallant conduct at Ashland, Va., June 1, 1864," March 13, 1865
During the spring and summer of 1864 he was in command of his regiment, as a part of Sheridan's cavalry, in the famous Wilderness campaign, during which the regiment saw much hard service. He was wounded in battle at Ashland, Va., June 1, 1864. As soon as he had recovered from his wound he rejoined his regiment, which he commanded during a portion of Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley campaign in the autumn of the same year. After leaving the army General Blakeslee was en- gaged in business for a time in New Haven, Conn., and afterwards in Boston, Mass. In 1876 he again took up the course of study which had been interrupted by the war, and entered Andover Theological Seminary in preparation for the gospel ministry. After graduating there in 1879, he held pastorates successively, in the Second Congregational Church, Greenfield, Mass., the Second Congregational Church, Fair Haven (New Haven), Conn., and in the First Congregational Church, Spencer, Mass.
While in Spencer he became greatly interested in an effort to improve the methods and results of Bible study in Sunday Schools and among young people, and devised a system of study, which met with such favorable reception, that in the summer of 1892 he resigned his pastorate, moved to Boston, and has since given his whole time to this important work. His lessons are now used to a greater or less extent in nearly all the evangelical denominations in America, and have been translated into eight or ten different foreign missionary languages.
OLIVER SMITH.
Oliver Smith, now deceased, the son of Theophilus M. and Salome Smith, was born in Milford, Conn., September 15, 1800, and settled in Plymouth with his parents in the spring of 1808. His father was a native of Milford and was a shoemaker and farmer by occupation. He was twice married. By his first
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Residence of Byron Tuttle.
Byron Tuttle's Birthplace.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
wife he had two children, and by his second marriage seven, one of whom, Salome, married Chauncey Jerome, a celebrated clock maker of Plymouth. He continued to reside in Plymouth until his death in 1849. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and a captain of the State militia for many years. Oliver Smith was reared on a farm, but was engaged at tanning, and worked for a while at joinering. He married Harriet, eldest daughter of Allen Bunnell, of Plymouth, October 16, 1822. Her father was a son of Titus Bunnell, who settled in Plymouth at an early day. Mr. Smith had the following children: Lyman, born February 5, 1824, died in California, August 10, 1862 ; Edwin, who died young ; Candace, born June 14, 1830 (married Byron Tuttle, and has two children, Hattie A. and William B.) ; James E., born March 11, 1833, died September 24, 1872. Mr. Smith was a staunch Republican, and was selectman twelve years, and held various other town offices.
JOSEPH SHELTON.
Joseph Shelton was born October 20, 1783, in Plymouth, Conn., and died June 20, 1864. Martha, his wife, was born November 19, 1786, and died February 24, 1842. Their chil- dren were : George Edward Shelton, born December 18, 1809, in Portland, Me., who has been a prominent citizen of Plymouth for many years; Augusta Maria, born August 30, 1811, in Port- land, Me. ; Elizabeth Amelia, born July 19, 1813; Augustus Canby, born February 7, 1816, and died August 27, 1880; Martha Jane, born July 22, 1818, and died September 30, 1819 ; David, born November 3, 1820; Nancy Martha, born February 25, 1823, and died September 30, 1874 ; Emily, born December IO, 1824; Isaac Wells, born January 14, 1828; William Joseph, born November 13, 1829, died September 16, 1830; Mary Ann, born April 4, 1832, died October 22, 1832. George E. Shelton was first married October 3, 1848. to Miss Betsy Clark, who died March 17, 1850, and second to Mrs. Elizabeth Adah Jones, March 20, 1867, who is also dead.
BYRON TUTTLE.
Byron Tuttle is of Welsh descent and the eighth generation from William Tuttle, who came from Devonshire, England, in the ship Planter, and landed in Boston in 1635. He removed to New Haven in 1639 and lived on and owned the land where the Yale College buildings now stand. Mr. Tuttle was born in Plymouth, Conn., August 23, 1825, the son of a farmer, and his early years were spent at home farming. He had the advantages of a common district school of those days. On the 26th of August, 1847, he entered the carriage establishment of A. C. Shelton of Plymouth, afterward entering into partnership with him under the firm name of Shelton & Tuttle. In 1854 Mr. Tuttle went to Chicago and established a carriage repository for the sale of their carriages in that city. Later repositories were
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
MILSCOTT & CƠI
Store-W. H. Scott & Co.
Storehouse-W. H. Scott & Co.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
opened at New Orleans, La., and Burlington, Ia., where he spent much of his time for a number of years. The venture proved successful, and the firm made money. In 1865 they built a repository on Madison street, Chicago, which was burned in the great fire of 1872, without much loss to the company, when the property was sold and Mr. Tuttle retired from the business.
Mr. Tuttle was married to Candace D., daughter of Oliver Smith, of Plymouth, April 10, 1853. They have two children, Hattie A. and William B. Aside from private business Mr. Tuttle has occupied a prominent place in the affairs of the town, having been elected justice of the peace in 1864, which office he still holds, and selectman in 1878, holding the latter office thirteen years. He has been for a number of years the agent of the town, having filled this position with ability before the legislature and the courts in cases where local interests were involved. He has also been a judge of probate for ten years in the district where he resides. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Congregational Society and has served with credit as the society's committee. Mr. Tuttle is an energetic, thorough business man.
W. H. SCOTT & CO.
The store at Terryville station, owned and operated by W. H. Scott & Co , has been in existence about forty-one years, having been established in 1854, by the late N. Taylor Baldwin, who was station agent when the railroad penetrated this region. He was succeeded by Gaius A. Norton, who sold out his inter- est to Walter H. Scott, with whom was associated Edwin R. Dimmock, the firm name being Scott & Dimmock. After five months Mr. Dimmock retired on account of ill health, selling his interest to J. P. Crawford, who held his interest in the con- cern for three years. His health failing him he retired and W. H. Scott carried on the business single handed for a year, when he took into the store W. R. Guernsey, and for a year the firm was Scott & Guernsey. At the end of a year Zelotes F. Gran- niss and W. C. Andrews were admitted, and the firm was then first known as W. H. Scott & Co. Z. F. Granniss became the sole junior partner in 1867. The entire real estate, with build- ings thereon, was then owned by Andrew Terry, who sold it to W. H. Scott & Co. in 1868. Since then they have steadily added to the store property, which at present consists of eight buildings.
The most important building in connection with the store is a three-story storehouse, covering an area of 60 x 40 feet, with a spur track from the New York & New England railroad, run- ning into the building, from which coal is unloaded directly into coal bins underneath, having a capacity of from 600 to 700 tons. This building will easily hold twenty cars of hay, grain, flour, feed and other supplies, and it is an interesting fact, that during the first year of its occupancy, 149 cars, aggregating 2,235 tons,
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTII.
Saw Mill-W. H. Scott & Co.
Coal and Wood Yards, Waterbury-W. H. Scott & Co.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
were unloaded therein. Besides the articles mentioned above, the firm are dealers in dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware, wood, fertilizers, patent medicines, and, in fact, are literally, as formerly printed on their business cards, " dealers in everything."
In connection with the business, they operate a saw mill, the site of which was bought at auction from the old Eagle Bit and Buckle Company, in 1878. Their first mill was erected in ISSO, and for twelve years they carried on a very good lumber and wood business from the same. In January, 1892, the mill was burned, but was rebuilt in the following summer, larger and stronger, and the concern now turn out a large product in sawed lumber and firewood, besides doing quite an extensive business of planing, sawing and turning, and running a grist mill. They also own about 450 acres of wood and farm land, most of the latter being " cleared" by Z. F. Granniss. In 1884 the firm bought of Mrs. Alfred Schermerhorn, the old home of Andrew Terry, about 500 feet south of the store, where W. H. Scott and family reside. Until that time they lived in the present home of Z. F. Granniss, adjoining the store.
In 1885, finding that they were producing more firewood and charcoal than they could readily dispose of in Terryville, the firm bought out a wood yard in Waterbury, where they are doing a large business, employing seven or eight men and as many horses. W. H. Scott & Co. give employment, in all their estab- lishments, to an average of thirty men the year around.
In 1879, they found their bills for repairs, horse shoeing, etc., were becoming quite large, so they established a black- smith shop for their own work, and have, besides, done a large general blacksmithing business. They build their own wagons, besides doing custom work and horse shoeing for others.
WALTER H. SCOTT.
Walter H. Scott, Terryville's oldest and most widely known merchant, is a native of the town of Plymouth, and son of Riley Scott, the veteran builder. He was born on Town Hill, July 29, 1851, obtained his education at the " little red school house " near by, and in the village school, and entered the employ of Gaius Norton, November 13, 1860, becoming clerk in the store in which he has been so closely identified for nearly thirty-five years. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Scott has devoted most of his time to a large business, he has also served his native town in public affairs. He was a member of the board of select- men from 1875 to 1881, inclusive. For quite a number of years he has been a member of the board of relief, and represented his native town in the State legislature in 1876. Mr. Scott was ap- pointed postmaster of Pequabuck in President Johnson's admin- istration in 1866, the post office being located in W. H. Scott & Co.'s store, and continued as such until 1876, when his brother- in-law and partner in business, Z. F. Granniss, was appointed by President Grant, until 1892, when Mr. Scott was reappointed
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Walter H. Scott.
W. H. Scott's Residence
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
by President Harrison. In addition to his store duties he was for five years station agent for the old Hartford, Providence & Fishkill railroad, and for twenty-five years agent for Adams Ex- press Company. Mr. Scott is an indefatigable worker and a firm believer in the old proverb, "The early bird catches the worm." He starts from his store every morning generally as early as 6 o'clock in quest of orders, and on Mondays usually at 5 o'clock. This custom he has followed, in all sorts of weather, for about thirty years. He is probably one of the most active, as well as respected business men in Litchfield county.
Mr. Scott is a devout member of the Terryville Congrega- tional Church, and for eighteen consecutive years was assistant superintendent of the Sunday School. On January 21, 1864, he married Miss Sarah R. Granniss, sister of Z. F. Granniss. They celebrated their silver wedding in 1889, when a large com- pany assembled at their home in their honor. They have had three children, viz: George A. Scott, book-keeper for W. H. Scott & Co., and general manager of the store in the absence of his father, and also superintendent of the Congregational Sun- day School, who was born January 23, 1865; Frederick A. Scott, attorney-at-law, with an office in Hartford, and the assist- ant clerk in the House of Representatives in the Legislature of 1895, born November 8, 1866 ; Anna, born in September, 1868, died in February, 1871.
Z. FULLER GRANNISS.
Z. Fuller Granniss, now one of the selectmen of Plymouth, was born in Hardscrabble, a section of the town of Warren, in Litchfield county, in 1840, and was the son of Charles D. Gran- niss and his first wife. In early life he worked at farming and trading, and in 1862 was in the butchering business, when he enlisted in the Nineteenth Connecticut Volunteers, afterwards the Second Connecticut Heavy Artillery, and went to the front with the boys in blue. He was in the army nearly three years, and never missed a march or battle that his regiment was en- gaged in. His company participated in the terrible conflicts at Cold Harbor, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Fisher's Hill, Thatch- er's Run, Petersburg, and at the close was with Grant when Lee surrendered. Mr. Granniss while in service was one of the cleanest, most efficient, ready for duty, hardy soldiers in the regi- ment, and by his imperturbable good nature under all sorts of privations and discouragements, by his wit and oddities, con- tributed not a little to keep up the spirits of the company. When the Sixth army corps lay in the fortifications in front of Petersburg, at one of the weekly inspections he was selected for having the best packed knapsack, best polished shoes, cleanest clothes and person, brightest buttons and accoutrements, and polished arms, of any man in the regiment, and was given a furlough of thirty days. He was mustered out in 1865, and entered the employ of Scott & Crawford, at Pequabuck, and has continued in the business ever since, being now a member of the
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Z F. Granniss
Residence of Z. F. Granniss.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
firm which is styled W. H. Scott & Co. He was appointed postmaster in 1876, and held the position until he resigned to look after the mill business of his company. He was at first a Democrat, then followed " Joe" Hawley into the Republican party, and stood by that party staunchly until he became per- suaded it could not possibly antagonize the saloon. Since he has acted with the Prohibitionists, and is determined to do all in his power to " pulverize the rum power."
Mr. Granniss is a worker, toiling early and late, and is one of the best business men in town. He is married, and has one daughter, Laura. Three children have died.
BEACH AND BLACKMER.
Messrs Beach & Blackmer, the enterprising merchants of Plymouth, have become widely known during their business career in the past few years, by their energy to suit the people, promptness and thoroughly honest methods they have used in catering to the wants of their customers. Their business is now carried on in the store and buildings owned by Mrs. Hattie M. Beach, near Plymouth Green. O. D. Beach came here from Litchfield a number of years ago, and has been engaged in the mercantile business since. L. E. Blackmer came to Thomaston in 1880 from Woodbury, and had become well known here before entering in business with Mr. Beach. The business became known under the firm name of Beach & Blackmer, Jan- uary 1, 1890, and before that was conducted by Beach Brothers.
Their success in business is mainly due to the large and complete stock of goods that they continually keep on hand, such as dry goods, groceries, hats and caps, boots and shoes, hardware, crockery, hay and feed.
NATHAN BEACH.
Nathan Beach was born in the town of Plymouth, March 16, 1806, his parents coming here about 1795, from Milford, Conn., For seventeen years he was engaged by Silas Hoadley, Eli Terry, and others, in painting clock dials, but finally, on account of his health, was obliged to abandon the work, and in 1838, moved into the place on Town Hill, where his widow and son, Everett A. Beach, now reside. Mr. Beach was married Decem- ber 22, 1830, to Miss Lucy Case of Southington. He died Jan- uary 23, 1886.
D. W. C. SKILTON.
De Witt Clinton Skilton was born in that portion of the present town of Thomaston, which was then known as Plymouth Hollow, on the 11th of January, 1839. His parents were John Chester Skilton, born in Watertown, and Anna Heaton, born in Northfield (both from old New England families), the former being in the employ of Seth Thomas, the elder, for twenty
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Beach & Blackmer's Store.
Nathan Beach.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
years. His first American ancestor was Dr. Henry Skilton, who was born in the parish of St. Michael, Coventry, England, Nov- vember 19, 17IS, and sailed for America in a "gun ship," April 1, 1735. He left the ship the same year on its arrival in Boston, boarded a while in Roxbury, and is next heard of in Preston, Conn., where he was married in 1741, to the daughter of Joseph Avery of Norwich. He removed to Southington in 1750, ten years later to Woodbury, and finally in his old age to Watertown, where he died in 1802, at the age of eighty-four.
The subject of this sketch removed from Plymouth Hollow to Hartford in 1855, and began his business career in the dry goods trade. In October, 1861, he first entered the insurance business as a clerk in the office of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company. In 1862 he joined Company B, of the Twenty- second Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, and was elected sec- ond lieutenant, serving with distinction in the army until he was mustered out, having been promoted, in the meantime, to first lieutenant. On his return from the army he resumed his old position with the insurance company. In November, 1867, he was elected secretary of the Phoenix Insurance Company, and re- mained in that capacity until August 1, 1888, when he was elected vice-president and acting president ; and February 2, 1891, was elected president of the company. He ranks unques- tionably among the expert underwriters of the country, and the Phoenix owes much of its success to his able management.
Mr. Skilton was married August 8, 1865, to Miss Jennette Andrews, daughter of Lyman Andrews, of Hartford. They have had two children, a son and daughter, neither of whom is now living. In addition to his official connection with the Phoenix Insurance Company, Mr. Skilton is a director in the Hartford National Bank, a corporator and trustee of the State Savings Bank, was president of the National Board of Fire Underwriters for three years, a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and of the Hartford Club. He held the office of committeeman of the West Middle school district in Hartford for several years. He is a Republican in politics, and his relig- ious connections are with the Asylum Avenue Congregational Church, of his city.
PORTER SANFORD.
Porter Sanford was born in Goshen, Conn., September 7, ISIO. He was the son of Ephraim Sanford, who was born in Plymouth, January 2, 1785, and grandson of Amos Sanford, born December 29, 1740, who was a descendant of Thomas and Sarah Sanford. When still a young child his father returned with his family to Plymouth, where the remainder of his life was spent. September 13, 1835, he married Sarah Ann Allen, who was born in Harwinton, March 9, 1815. She was the daughter of Roswell Allen, who was born in 1794, and granddaughter of John Allen, born in 1756, and who died November 28, 1831. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
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