USA > Connecticut > Illustrated popular biography of Connecticut > Part 57
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
ORRIN E. MINER, NOANK (GROTON) : Physician and Druggist.
Dr. Orrin E. Miner is one of the best-known physicians in his section of the state. He was born at North Stonington, September 29, 1834, and re- ceived a classical educa- tion at Greenwich, R. I. At the age of sixteen he began teaching, but in 1855 gave up that profes- sion for the study of medi- cine. After reading medi- cine in the office of Dr. L. W. Kinney of North Ston- ington, he continued the study at Castleton Medi- cal College in Vermont and in the medical depart- ment of the University of New York city, graduat- O. E. MINER. ing in 1858. He also received a diploma from Bellevue Hospital. Dr. Miner located at Groton soon after his graduation, and has remained in practice there since. He also has a large practice at Mystic Island and at Fisher's Island during the fashionable season at these places. He is the senior member of the drug firm of O. E. Miner & Son at Noank, which was originally established in :867. The son, O. E. Miner, Jr., was admitted to the partnership in 1874. Dr. Miner was postmaster from 1869 until 1886, and has been a notary public since 1860. He has also been a commissioner of the superior court, and is the medical examiner. He has always been identified with the republican party. The Doctor is a member of Relief Lodge, No. 71, F. and A. M., of Mystic Bridge, and is an influential representative of the order in southeast- ern Connecticut. His family consists of a wife and two children, a son and a daughter. The latter is a member of the senior class at Mt. Holyoke College, and the son is a railway postal clerk on the Providence & New London road. Mrs. Miner was Miss Abbie J. Latham, daughter of James A. Latham, Esq., of Noank. The marriage occurred in 1859.
31I
BIOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT.
CHARLES B. POMEROY, WINDHAM: Farmer.
Charles B. Pomeroy of Willimantic (town of Windham), sheriff of Windham county, was born at Somers, May 15, 1832, and was educated in the common schools of that locality. Most of his life has been spent in farm- ing. He has occupied important public posi- tions, serving on the board of selectmen, and repre- senting his town in the general assembly. In 1886 he received the re- publican nomination for sheriff in Windham County, and was elected by a plurality of 936. C. B. POMEROY. This fact expresses the popularity of the man in the county of which he has been for years a resident. He is an able and efficient officer, and his public career has been thoroughly satisfactory. Sheriff Pomeroy is a member of St. Johns Commandery, Knights Tem- plar of Willimantic, and also of the order of Odd Fellows. His family consists of a wife and six children. Mrs. Pomeroy was Miss Mary E. Pal- mer before marriage. Sheriff Pomeroy and family are connected with the Congregational church in Willimantic.
JOSEPH KELLOGG WHEELER, HARTFORD: Grand Secretary of the Masonic Grand Bodies of Connecticut.
Mr. Wheeler was born in Bloomfield, Conn., on the 27th of August, 1834, and was christened Jo- seph Kellogg, the last name indicating the line of · descent on his mother's side. It is through the Kellogg family his gene- alogy is traced to Samuel Kellogg, one of three brothers who came to this country from Scotland, in 1660. Their names were Joseph Kellogg and Sam- uel Kellogg, who located in Hatfield, Mass., and Daniel Kellogg, who lo- cated in Norwalk, Conn. His ancestors on the J. K. WHEELER. Wheeler side were among the early settlers in Keene, N. H., the record going back to Abraham Wheeler, who was born about the year 1700, of English or Welsh parents, sup- posed to be Welsh, as Wheeler is a very common name in Wales. He was raised a farmer's son in the town of West Hartford, being early accustomed
to the labors which came naturally to one in his position. He received a common school education only, with the addition of two terms in an academy located in his native town, and at the age of nine- teen was employed as teacher of a district school in the vicinity of his home. In 1854 he engaged as clerk in the grocery business in the city of Hart- ford, and finally entered the business for himself, which he conducted for many years, until the du- ties of the office of grand secretary absorbed so much of his time that he was obliged to relinquish all business.
He was made a Master Mason in St. John's Lodge, No. 4, of Hartford, May 30, 1860. He was exalted as a Royal Arch Mason in Pythagoras Chapter, No. 17, of Hartford, May 9, 1862 ; received the degrees of the Cryptic Rite in Wolcott Coun- cil, No. 1, Hartford, April 3, 1863, and was knighted in Washington Commandery, No. I, of Hartford, July 28, 1863. He received the degrees of the Scottish Rite to the thirty-second in Rhode Island, September 28, 1863, and was created a grand inspector general, 33º, in Boston, Mass., May 18, 1865. He was elected master of St. John's Lodge, No. 4, Hartford, January 3, 1866, and held the office two years, those years being marked with great prosperity. He was elected high priest of Pythagoras Chapter, No. 17, January 3, 1868, and served two years ; elected thrice illustrious master of Wolcott Council, No. 1, January 4, 1872, and eminent commander of Washington Commandery, No. I, January 2, 1877, having filled the subordi- nate offices in those bodies. He was one of the original members of Charter Oak Lodge of Perfec- tion, which was organized at Hartford in 1870, and for ten years or more was its presiding officer, and helped to constitute Hartford Council, Princes of Je- rusalem, and Cyrus Goodell Chapter of Rose-Croix, serving as presiding officer over each. In the grand bodies of Connecticut he holds the following official positions: He is grand secretary of the Grand Lodge, having been first elected May S, 1867; grand secretary of the Grand Chapter, to which office he was first elected May 7, 1867; grand recorder of the Grand Council, his first election be- ing May 7, 1867, and grand recorder of the Grand Commandery, his first election being March 21, I882.
In all these positions of labor and responsibility he proved himself to be the right man in the right place, and his services have been produc- tive of the best results in all the depart- ments where his thought and energy have been ap- plied. He is an enthusiastic craftsman, and loves freemasonry for its truths, principles, and symbol- isms, not less than for its social feature and practi- cal helpfulness. His conservative opinions, his generally correct judgments, his catholicity of sen-
312
AN ILLUSTRATED POPULAR
timent, and his devotion to the best principles rep- resented by the Masonic system and organization, have given him a justly-earned and widely-extended reputation among intelligent brethren. Mr. Whee- ler was a member of the city council of Hartford in 1873-4 ; belongs to the Windsor Avenue Congrega- tional church; the Connecticut Society of the sons of the American Revolution, his great-grandfather, Daniel Kellogg, having served in the war, enlisting first in the fall of 1775 under Captain Bulkeley of Colchester ; and acts with the republican party. He is married, and has three children.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HODGE, WINDSOR: Paper Manufacturer.
George W. Hodge was born at Seymour, Conn., July 5, 1845. He received his education at the Connecticut Literary Institution at Suffield, and a further preparation at Eastman's Business Col- lege at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He learned the busi- ness of tissue paper man- ufacturing in the mills of his father at Rainbow, to which place his father's family removed from Sey- mour in 1853. He was married to Miss Jennie A. Clark of Tivoli, N. Y., in August, 1865, and ad- G. W. HODGE. mitted into partnership with his father in 1866, continuing business as a firm until 1874, when he sold his interest and was out of business until 1876. He then purchased a one-third interest with House & Co., manufacturers of press paper ; in 1882 he further purchased the interest of one of his part- ners, and in 1889 the interest of the remaining partner, and is now conducting the business per- sonally, though under the old name of House & Co.
In 1881 Mr. Hodge represented the town of Windsor in part in the house of representatives. In 1885 he was elected selectman, and served for five consecutive years. In 1889 he was elected to the state senate from the third senatorial district. At present he holds no public office. He has always belonged to the republican party, and as their can- didate was elected to both branches of the legisla- ture as above specified. He joined the Baptist church when a lad of twelve years, and has been connected with that body ever since. He was one of the leading agencies in the organization of the church, and in building the house of worship and parsonage at Rainbow. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having been a member since 1866.
OLIVER GILDERSLEEVE, PORTLAND: Ship Builder
Oliver Gildersleeve, son of Henry and Emily F. Gildersleeve, was born on the 6th of March, 1844, in that part of the town of Portland now called Gil- dersleeve. He received his education at the Hart- ford High school, and at the age of seventeen en- tered his father's ship- yard, where he soon ac- quired the art of practical shipbuilding, and to-day is the fifth generation of shipbuilders in that place. At the age of twenty-one he became a partner, since which time he has largely increased the busi- ness, having added a ma- OLIVER GILDERSLEEVE. rine railway, capable of hauling vessels of eight hundred tons burden, and built a large ice-house, provided with steam machinery and the necessary appliances for gathering ice from Connecticut river for shipment to New York and southern ports. In 188I he became a member of the firm of S. Gilder- sleeve & Co., shipping and commission merchants, 84 South street, New York, he being the active managing owner of the fleet of vessels controlled by that house, and principally then owned by the Gildersleeve family. As a young man he was very desirous of seeing the world, and at the age of twenty-seven had visited the principal cities of his own country, Europe, and Canada. Possessing an excellent memory, he acquired a fund of informna- tion, which has been utilized to good advantage in his business. In works of charity and benevolence he has fully sustained the reputation of the Gilder- . sleeve family. He is senior warden of Trinity Episcopal church of Portland, and has variously officiated as lay-reader, Sunday-school superintend- ent, and teacher. He is a trustee of the Gilder- sleeve high school fund, also of the Freestone Sav- ings Bank, and has served three years on the dis- trict school committee, also as one of the building committee in the erection, in 1890, of the elegant new school building in district No. 1 ; was also for many years a prominent debater and officer in the Portland lyceum. In 1887, in connection with the late Horace Wilcox of Meriden, he established the Gildersleeve & Cromwell Ferry, and has ever since been the president of the company. In 1889, in connection with Wheeler & Parks of Boston, he or- ganized the Portland Water Company and built its works, which, with its twelve miles of piping, now supplies the citizens of Portland with the purest and best of water. He has been president of the Water Company ever since its organization.
313
BIOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT.
On the 8th of November, 1871, he married Mary Ellen, daughter of the Hon. Alfred Hall of Port- land ; by her he has had eight children : Alfred, born August 23, 1872; Walter, born August 23, 1874 ; Louis, born September 22, 1877 ; Emily Hall, born June 9, 1879, died August 12, 1880 ; Elizabeth Jarvis, born June 6, 1882, died January 18, 1883 ; Charles, born December 11, 1884 ; Nelson, born September 14, 1887, and Oliver, Jr., born March 9, 1 890.
HON. JAMES PHELPS, ESSEX: Judge of the Superior Court.
James Phelps was born in Colebrook, in the county of Litchfield, in 1822. He is a son of Dr. Lancelot Phelps, who was for many years a promi- nent citizen of the state and one of its representa- tives in congress in the administrations of Jack- son and Van Buren. The subject of this sketch received a thorough aca- demic education, and entered Washington, now Trinity, College, but sick- ness prevented the com- pletion of his course. He acquired a legal education in the law department of JAMES PHELPS. Yale College, and in the offices of the Hon. Isaac Toucey and the Hon. Samuel Ingham, and was admitted to the bar at Middletown, in October, 1844, and practiced his profession at Essex where he has resided during all his professional life.
Besides holding other prominent local positions, he was a member of the state house of representa- tives in 1853, 1854, and 1856, and of the state sen- ate in 1858 and 1859. He was elected by the gen- eral assembly in 1863, a judge of the Superior court for the regular term of eight years, and was re-elected in 1871; and in 1873 was elected a judge of the Supreme court of errors, which office he re- signed in 1875 on his election to the forty-fourth congress of the United States from the second con- gressional district, composed of the counties of New Haven and Middlesex. He was re-elected to the forty-fifth, forty-sixth, and forty-seventh con- gresses, and declined further congressional service. While in that body he was placed on several of its most important committees, including ways and means, foreign affairs, reform in the civil service, investigation of the Louisiana election, etc .; and in the contest in the special session of the forty-sixth congress, between the executive and the legislative departments of the government respecting the ap- pointment and service of deputy U. S. marshals,
and the stationing of U. S. soldiers at the polls while elections were being held, he was selected as one of the joint committee of democratic senators and representatives to consider and recommend suitable legislation with reference to those im- portant questions.
Soon after his retirement from congress he was again appointed a judge of the Superior court and is still discharging the duties of that position.
September 30, 1845, he married Lydia A., daughter of Hon. Samuel Ingham, who still sur- vives. They have had two sons, viz: Samuel Ingham Phelps and James Lancelot Phelps. The former died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 10, 1891.
Judge Phelps has been for many years a mem- ber of the Protestant Episcopal church in Essex, to which his liberal support and benefactions are well known.
EMIL C. MARGGRAFF, WATERTOWN.
Emil C. Marggraff is a native of Germany, and was born May 25, 1841, in Landstuhl, in the Bava- rian Palatinate, a locality celebrated in history as the birthplace of Francis of Sickingen, the valiant knight who assisted Mar- tin Luther in the Reform- ation. Mr. Marggraff came to America when a boy of twelve years. He attended General Rus- sell's military school in New Haven, and acquired a thorough elementary education with a good knowledge of English lit- erature and the sciences. E. C. MARGGRAFF. At the breaking out of the war of the rebellion on the 16th of April, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, First regiment Connec- ticut Volunteer Infantry, for three months, under the first call of President Lincoln for 75,000 volun- teers. He served the full term and was mustered out July 30, 1861. Shortly afterward he again en- listed, joining Company B, First Connecticut Vol- unteer Cavalry, for three years. He went through numerous engagements, and was severely wounded at the battle of Winchester. September 19. 1$64. After the close of the war he became editor of a German newspaper, but resigned his position when the paper changed its politics from republicanism to democracy. In 1868 he came to Watertown, where he engaged in the harness business. Mr. Marg- graff hias followed literary and musical pursuits quite extensively, being the author of several musi- cal compositions, and having written and published several war stories, under the title of " Reminis-
314
AN ILLUSTRATED POPULAR
cences of a German Officer." In 1869 he was married to Miss Sarah Dutton, by whom he has three children living. He is a staunch republican in politics, and has been chairman of the republican town committee of Watertown for the past seven years. He has also been a member of the school committee for three years.
Mr. Marggraff is known to be highly educated in music, having studied harmony and counterpoint under some of the most eminent and successful in- structors and masters. He is thoroughly literary and musical in his tastes, and devotes all his leisure time to the further study of his favorite topics.
HON. BENJAMIN NOYES, NEW HAVEN.
Mr. Noyes was born in New Canaan, Conn., and is now a little past sixty-eight years of age. He was the son of Dr. S. S. Noyes of New Canaan, who was great-great-grandson of the Rev. Joseph Noyes, whose ministerial services continued with the Center church in New Haven for forty-five years; and his tablet forms one of the seven now ornamenting the inside walls of the church. Mr. Noyes came to New Haven into the college book store of Gen- eral Howe in very early BENJAMIN NOYES. youth, and when seven- teen years of age became half owner in the establishment; and a few years after became sole owner, up to 1847, when he sold it all out by dividing it up and putting it into the hands of others. He then devoted himself to the study of life insurance in New York for one year, and prepared the charter of the American Mutual Life Insurance Company, which was organized with Professor Benjamin Silliman as president and Mr. Noyes secretary, in 1848. Mr. Noyes, as a re- sult of his reading and studies, believing that the average longevity of man was increasing in the United States, succeeded in inducing the directors to reduce the then standard rates of premiums for life insurance. The company thrived about twenty-eight years, and accumulated a fund of more than one million dollars, over and above all losses and expenses, and built the insurance build- ing. In 1857 the legislature of Connecticut, with- out his solicitation, appointed him a bank commis- sioner for three years, which office he held the full term under Governor Buckingham. In discharging these duties Mr. Noyes examined personally every bank and savings bank in the state, and made a personal balance sheet each year of each one of
them, and reported the same to the legislature. During this period the country was carried into the suspension of specie payments, and his recommen- dations to the legislature and the banks were so uniformly complied with by both, that the banks were enabled to reduce their circulation from twelve million of dollars down to about four mil- lions without disaster to the banks or the public. Mr. Noyes was appointed the first insurance com- missioner of the state by Gov. Buckingham for three years, and was re-appointed by Gov. English for the same term. Full annual reports of the ad- ministration of nine years of official life as bank and insurance commissioner by Mr.Noyes to the leg- islature were presented and printed every year, which are now much sought after as valuable con- tributions to banking and insurance. During the period of Mr. Noyes' public life he was active in the affairs of men, and was the author of many charters, among them the following: Four insur- ance charters, three railroad charters, and three bank charters, all of which were organized and went into business. He re-insured three life insurance companies by combining them with his own. Among other things, he wrote the charter and constructed the Fair Haven Water Company, and built four large reservoirs. He was a member of the board of education for several years, and participated in legislation in Washington, Albany, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; and at the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, after the banks in Hartford and New Haven had declined to advance any money to Governor Buckingham, towards sending into the field the first two regiments, under the requisition of President Lincoln, Mr. Noyes in less than one hour raised the necessary amount, to wit: $200,000; by his own insurance company, $50,000, from Mechanics Bank, $50,000, and from Elm City Bank, $100,000, which money was immediately sup- plied to Governor Buckingham, and the regiments were at once gotten up, equipped, and sent to the war without the delay of calling the Connecticut legislature together. The accumulations of the in- surance company under the management of Mr. Noyes, after paying losses and expenses, was largely devoted towards the erection of stores, factories, and houses, and assisting with cash, enterprises, to large amounts of money, which neither private capital nor banks would supply; and it is a fact worthy of mention that not one dol- lar of principal or interest thus loaned or invested during twenty-eight years of uninterrupted man- agement was lost, and it contributed largely to the growth and advancement of the city of New Haven. Mr. Noyes is now engaged in writing and printing a volume of 400 pages, octavo, exemplify- ing constitution, laws, and legislation, under a re- publican form of government, to the end that the
315
BIOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT.
people shall better understand how to protect and enforce their rights, including an exposé of the scandal of state requisitions as practiced by the governors of most of the states, as he says, without the authority of the constitution of the United States.
In early life Mr. Noyes married Miss Bates of Sharon, Conn., and they had five children. After her death he remained a widower six years, and then married Miss Maryland Virginia Gardner, daughter of Ira Gardner of Gardnerville, N. Y. Their beautiful daughter, Birdie, died at five years of age, of malignant diphtheria. Four of the first children are now living, and three of them are married.
FRANCIS RUSSELL CHILDS, HARTFORD: Pro- fessor of Latin and Greek.
Professor Childs was born in East Hartford, April 19, 1849, and is one of the best-known educa- tors in the capital city. He prepared for college at the Hartford Public High school, entered Yale in the class of '69, graduat- ing with honors, having an oration stand. He was also salutatorian of his elass in the High school. After graduating at Yale he took a post graduate course of two years. He was principal of the Thompsonville High school for one year, and for a short time was prin- cipal of the West Middle F. R. CHILDS. District school of Hartford. In 1870 he became a teacher in the Hartford Public High school, his alma mater, and continued in that service until the fall of 1890. For a number of years he had charge of the senior class, and was instructor in Latin and Greek in the preparatory course for eol- lege. His success in instilling into the minds of his pupils a love for the classics and thorough scholarship is one of the traditions of the school, and his "boys" in college have uniformly made that progress which can only be made upon sound foundation principles of study. Professor Childs has hosts of friends in the alumni of the Hartford Public High school, who are all willing to cordially testify as to his eonscientious work as a teacher. He has also been secretary of the alumni associa- tions of the school since its formation. While a resident of East Hartford he was sehool visitor for some fifteen years, and for the most of the time was secretary of the board. Professor Childs mar- ried Adéle Amélie Dunham of Windsor ; she died
November, 1886, leaving one child, a son. He has for the most part been connected with the democratic party, so far as politics go, but has not taken any especially aetive part. He is a Congregationalist.
RALPH I. CRISSEY, NORFOLK: Farmer.
Mr. Crissey is a native of Norfolk, and has spent almost his entire life there. He was born Febru- ary 4, 1833, and educated in the public schools, fin- ishing at Norfolk Acade- my. He has one daugh- ter, Mrs. Winthrop Cone. His present wife was Miss Mary E. Buell of Col- chester. He has held near- ly all the local offices within the gift of his town, repeatedly, and now holds that of select- man and justice of the peace. He was a mem- ber of the general assem- bly, representing Norfolk in 1867 and again in 1883, R. I. CRISSEY. serving on the committee on probate districts, and on contested elections. He has always acted with the republican party and has been their town committee for several years. For more than twenty years he has been the business agent for his section of the Barnum Richardson Company of East Canaan. Mr. Crissey is a member of the Norfolk Congregational church, and of the Masonic fraternity.
STEPHEN WALKLEY, SOUTHINGTON: Manufac- turer.
Stephen Walkley was born at Southington, June 27, 1832. At the age of eighteen, owing to his father's financial reverses, he left Lewis Academy, where he was nearly fitted to enter college, and en- tering a factory learned the machinist's trade. He also studied land survey- ing, and was appointed county surveyor. He en- listed as private in Co. A., 7th Conn. Vols., in Sep- tember, 1862, and served three years. For most of this time he was detached as clerk in the adjutant- general's department at STEPHEN WALKLEY. the headquarters of Maj. Gen. A. H. Terry. On the organization of the Peck, Stow & Wilcox Company, in 1870. he was ap- pointed its secretary. After holding this position
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.