USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 12
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 12
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MATTHEW GAULT EMERY.
The Hon. Matthew Gault Emery, the son of Jacob and Jane (Gault) Emery, now and for many years past a citizen of Washington, D. C., was born in the town of Pembroke, N. H., September 28, 1818. come." He was also guilty of the further He was one of six brothers, all of whom enormity of "using argument" for the lawfulness of his conduct. Although the select men of the town, and fifty citizens, a goodly number in those days of spare fine remitted, it was not done. were born and spent their youth on the farm which had been their grandfather's, the farm where their father, Jacob Emery, was born and spent his life, and where he population, signed a petition to have this died in 1867, after having reached the great age of ninety-two years.
Joseph, the paternal grandfather of Matthew Gault Emery, was a soldier six years during the Revolution, serving first as a lieutenant, and afterwards as a cap tain in the Thirteenth regiment New Hampshire militia. His maternal grand- father, Matthew Gault, was four years in the patriot army, in which he enlisted July 11, 1775, at the age of nineteen years. soon determined on his future vocation, His regiment of "Rangers," raised by the that of builder and architect. As cus- colony of New Hampshire, served first with Gen. Montgomery's northern divi- sion of the continental army. Matthew Gault afterward became a member of Capt. Samuel McConnell's company, with which he marched to Bennington and Stillwater. tomary in those days of thorough and energetic preparation for life's work he began with the necessary manual training and patiently served the time required to make himself a skilled stone-cutter, thus mastering the elements of his profession, and acquiring an accurate knowledge of
Looking back to the pioneers of the all its practical details.
Emery family in this country we find
Anthony, who, with their families emi- grated from Romsey, Hants, England, and landed in Boston, April 3, 1635. They settled in "Ould Newberrie," of the Massachusetts colony. It may be re- corded here that twenty years later John, one of the two, the great-great-great- great-grandfather of the subject of the present sketch, was fined four pounds, with costs and fees, for obeying the dic- tates of a kind heart, and a conscience enlightened beyond his day and genera- tion. To quote the old record: "Two menne quakers wr entertained very kind- lie to bed and table, and John Emmerie shok ym by ye hand and bid ym wel-
Matthew Gault Emery attended the best schools and academies in his native town, and his father desired to have his education completed at Dartmouth col- lege. He, however, decided to begin business life at once, and in 1837, when eighteen years of age, left his home on the farm and went to Baltimore, where an elder brother was then living. Here he
In 1840, Mr. Emery received his first
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government contract, and, conspicuous Before the breaking out of the war Mr. Emery organized a militia company, of which he was made captain. His com- mission, signed by President Lincoln, and Simon Cameron, then secretary of war, then as ever after for the honest and pains- taking fulfillment of every obligation, he went with a force of men to the quarry, where he directed the cutting of the stone for the post-office department building in bears date, May 16, 1861. The company Washington, D. C.
was several times called out for the pro-
In 1842, Mr. Emery established his per- tection of the government buildings, manent residence in Washington. Being and to do patrol duty, until the arrival debarred since that time by his citizen- of the Sixth Massachusetts regiment ship in the District of Columbia from par- ticipating in the general election of the Mr. Emery was treasurer of the New country, he has voted for but one presi- dential candidate, William Henry Har-
rison, whom he saw inaugurated, but he and disabled soldiers' from his native has had a personal acquaintance with all the presidents excepting the five who pre- ceded Harrison.
Demands for the construction of public buildings in different parts of the country came at an early date to Mr. Emery, as well as contracts for the construction of many important buildings in Washington, both for the government and for private citi- zens. Numbers of the most notable structures erected by him during this period have ever since been well known landmarks in the solid architecture of the city. He did much of the stone work of the capitol, and cut and laid the corner stone for its extension, Daniel Webster deliver- ing the oration. With his force he also prepared, cut and squared, and on the fourth of July, 1848, himself laid the cor- ner stone of the Washington monument. The board of directors passed resolutions thanking him for this service, which were signed among others by John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and Robert C. Win- throp. When the cap stone of the monu- ment was set in place in 1884, by Col. Casey, the engineer officer under whose supervision the great work was completed, Mr. Emery was invited to be present.
in the spring of 1861. During the war Hampshire soldiers' aid association in Washington, and took charge of the sick state. In performing these duties he vis- ited Gettysburg and other battle-fields. During the first year of the war he lived at Brightwood, in the northern suburb of Washington. Apiece of his country prop- erty which adjoined Fort Stevens was in- jured to the amount of several thousand dollars during and after an engagement there, but no claim was ever presented for damages, the owner saying that if the soldiers were made comfortable by his loss he was amply repaid. Early in the war he gave up his Brightwood home for the use of the officers of our army. Be- ing the highest point of land in that part of the country it was made a signal sta- tion and many were the messages trans- mitted between it and the dome of the capitol. Marks of the occupation of " Brightwood " by the soldiers, in the way of raised plateaus of earth for the floor- ing of tents, etc., are still visible, and are looked on by the family with patriotic pride.
Taking a deep interest in the improve- ment of the city, the services of Mr. Emery were naturally sought at an early date for various offices under the local government. He was for several years a
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member of the board of aldermen, in to decline what he would have felt most which position his varied business ex- congenial work, he was said by the super- intendent at that time to have done more, by his appreciation and activity, to ad- vance the cause of education, than had ever been accomplished by one person in the same length of time. perience, and broad and progressive ideas in all matters relating to the advance- ment of the city, proved of great value. In 1870, after a memorable struggle, he was elected mayor as the "citizen's can- didate," by a majority of 3,194, every ward In 1872, in accordance with a resolution formed at the time of entering upon the business of builder, contractor and archi- tect, to the effect that he would not con- tinue in that vocation more than thirty giving him a plurality of votes. In his inaugural address Mr. Emery said, "I am a republican, but my republicanism is based on principle, and is not mere par- tisanship;" and further, "I claim no right years, he disposed of his interests of this
class to his brother, Mr. Samuel Emery, and arranged to devote himself thence- forward to the superintendence of his other business interests. During this long period, when strikes, and dissatisfaction with the rate of wages and manner of payment were not infrequent throughout mony of sentiment, and a unity of action the country, it is worthy of record that for this paramount object, is my ardent desire."
which I am not willing to accord to all Americans, without regard to race or re- ligion." In conclusion he said, "let us all unite in an honest effort for the greatest good to the greatest number, and for the steady and healthful growth of our be- loved city. That there should be a har-
This election, although held in the in- terest of reform, had been made a party issue, but it is a matter of record that the mayor scrupulously redeemed the prom- ises of his inaugural address, and fulfilled the duties of this highest office in the gift of the citizens of Washington, in the in- terest of no class or faction. Mr. Emery was the last mayor of the city, the terri- torial form of government, which had long adopted by congressional enactment be- fore his term of office expired.
Mr. Emery always refers with pride to the fact that several of the best school- time of his presidency. He has been a houses in Washington, among them the regent of the Smithsonian institution, and Franklin, the Seaton, the Jefferson, and was, for a long period, a trustee of Dick- the Sumner buildings, were erected dur- inson college, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. ing his mayoralty. His services were For ten years or more he has been a re- sought as school commissioner, and al- gent, and is now vice-chancellor of the though compelled from press of business National university, organized in Wash-
there were no disturbances among those employed by Mr. Emery. His system of fair and punctual payment was so known and relied upon, that he could at any time secure the best men, even from the gov- ernment service, did he so desire.
Mr. Emery has always been distin- guished by his active personal interest in undertakings of a religious, educational or charitable nature. He was one of the seven persons who organized the Metro- politan Methodist church of Washington, been under consideration, being finally was chairman of its building committee,
is now, and for twenty years has been, president of its board of trustees, of which General Grant was a member during the
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ington; he is also a regent, one of the | of the American Printing Press company. incorporators, and the treasurer of the recently established American university. He is a director, and has been president of the Night Lodging association of Washington; has been for many years, and is now a director, and the treasurer of the associated charities of the city.
The more purely business enterprises, in connection with which the services of Mr. Emery have been sought, have been neither few nor unimportant. As early as 1854 he aided in procuring the charter of the Mutual fire insurance company, was made treasurer, and was and still is one of its directors. He was for some time president of the Franklin insurance com- pany, and of the National Capital life insurance company, a director of the Met- ropolitan insurance company, and first treasurer of the Metropolitan street rail- way company. He aided in organizing the Washington Market House company, of which he was president for eighteen years, and of which he is still a director. He was for many years a director of the Electric Light company of Washington, and a portion of the time its vice-presi- dent. At an early date he was a director of the Patriotic bank, and afterward, in connection with Mr. Fitzhugh Coyle, he established the bank of the Republic, of which he was a director for eight years, and one year the acting president. In 1877 he was elected president of the Sec- ond National bank, to which office he has been re-elected for fifteen consecutive years, and which he still holds. He was one of the organizers, and for twenty years a director, of the National Savings bank, and is now a director of the National Savings and Trust company, its successor. He is also a director of the American Trust company, and president
The home of the Emery family in Washington is one of a row of three spacious houses built in 1860 by Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, and Senator Rice. These houses were not entirely finished when the war broke out, and were taken possession of by the government for hospital purposes. After the close of the war they were completed, and the Breckinridge mansion was occu- pied for a short time by a relative of General Grant, but was shortly afterward bought and presented to General Grant by his friends. Here he lived until he went to the White House as president. The house was afterward purchased and presented by friends to General Sherman, and was his home until he removed from Washington to St. Louis in 1875. It was then purchased by Mr. Einery, and has since that time been his home. This dwelling is one in which the citizens of Washington feel a patriotic interest, and a local paper notes the fact that its exterior has undergone no change since the house was the abiding place of the commander of the victorious legions of the republic.
During a residence of half a century in Washington, a period which has increased the population of the capital from eighteen to nearly two hundred and fifty thousand, Mr. Emery has been con- stantly identified with all the more im- portant movements for the improvement of the city, has been unceasingly active in the cause of education, unremitting in his efforts to advance the best welfare or the people " without regard to race or re- legion," and above reproach in fulfilling the duties of the many positions of trust and honor to which his fellow-citizens have so frequently called him.
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The family of Matthew Gault Emery | City of Churches is built. He died there has been called to many duties pertaining in 1802. to the hospitable life of Washington; the manner in which these duties have been performed may perhaps best be shown by an editorial in one of the leading dailies regarding a reception given to the dele- gates of the world's conference of the Methodist church, held in Washington in 1891.
" But rarely, even in the history of Wash- ington, is such an aggregation of distin- guished men seen in a private residence as was last night in the home of ex-Mayor and Mrs. Emery. Nearly five hundred delegates to the Methodist Ecumenical conference enjoyed the hospitality prof- fered them, and almost as many Washing- tonians shared in the social pleasures of the evening. When the conference, ten years ago, held its session in London, Lord Mayor McArthur entertained its delegates in just such a manner as that adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Emery. It was fitting and proper that on this occasion a representative American Methodist should do the appropriate honors." W. V.C.
DR. ABRAM P. FARDON.
The father of Dr. Abram P., also named Thomas, was born in Brooklyn, in 1793. He was a non-commissioned officer in the war of 1812-15 and was in all the princi- pal battles in New York and Canada. He was with Gen. Scott at Lundy's Lane, and was aid-de-camp to Gen. Pike when the latter was killed at Little York. After the war he taught school and was principal of a large academy at Holmdel, N. J., where he married Eliza Ketcham, of English descent, whose ancestors set- tled there in 1686. After their marriage they removed to Staten Island and estab- lished the Tompkinsville academy, which. he conducted for a number of years-the late Wm. H. Vanderbilt being one of his pupils. In connection with others he went to Texas in 1832 and formed the "Trinity Land company," establishing mills and trading posts, all of which were swept away during the Texas revolution. He returned to the United States and settled in Monmouth county, N. J., resumed the profession of teacher for a while, and then became a nursery-man and fruit- raiser. He was an active church-worker and held the office of justice of the peace for thirty-five years, and several other positions. He died in 1877 at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
This well known real estate owner and broker of Washington, D. C., is of French and English extraction, and descends from a branch of the Fardon family that settled in America in the seventeenth Abram P. Fardon was born at Holm- del, Monmouth county, N. J., and received his earlier education at Holmdel classical institute, but later took a course of study at New Brunswick, N. J., teaching during the interval to earn money to defray his tuition expenses; thus exhibiting his characteristic energy and self dependence. century. His great-great-grandfather, Abram, was born in France, and great- great-grandmother was a daughter of Lord Littleton, of England, and, emigrat- ing to America, settled upon a large grant of land at Hempstaed, Long Island. His grandfather, Thomas, was born there, and afterward was a large property holder His father was a prominent democrat, and merchant in Brooklyn, N. Y., owning though an anti-slavery man; but after the land upon which the finest portion of the war modified his views and became a
ASFarton
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republican. The son on the contrary was the soldiers in every other northern state. a republican from his first comprehension He remained in Washington several months upon this mission and became well acquainted and friendly with Lin- coin, Johnson, Seward, Stanton, Welles and other leading republicans, with the result that over 4,000 soldiers went to part in the campaign that resulted in the their homes and voted. Mr. Lincoln manifested much interest in him, and was anxious to reward him by a suitable appointment. In the spring of 1865, Mr. Fardon was appointed to a position in the internal revenue office by President Lincoln, whose intention it was ( as Mr. Fardon was informed ) to appoint him as collector of internal revenue, in New Jersey, after he had served a sort of apprenticeship as a minor officer in the revenue service. The death of Mr. Lin- coln, soon after, prevented this design being carried out. He retained a posi- of party differences, going on the stump in his native county, at the early age of eighteen, and earnestly urging the cause of the party with whose views his own coincided. In 1860 he took a very active election of Abraham Lincoln, for whom he cast his first vote. At that time he was almost alone in his political views in his native town, there being less than a dozen republicans in the township. The repub- licans of his native county were so well pleased with the young champion of their principles, that unknown to him they pur- chased the Monmouth Inquirer, one of the oldest newspapers in the state, for $4,000, and presented it to him, on condi- tion that he would become its editor; he finally consented to do so, and success- fully conducted the journal during the tion in the internal revenue office until he year 1861 and part of 1862, when he sold resigned as chief of division in 1871, to it at first cost and returned the money to accept the office of paymaster for the the liberal donors ( after considerable District of Columbia. This office he held for nearly four years, disbursing several millions of dollars.
effort in obtaining the names of all of them ), preferring not to start in life under obligations to any one, but to rely
It was at this time that he began to turn alone upon his own efforts for success. his attention entirely to real estate, which He served for a period as a member of a he had really commenced in 1867, being military commission created by the state and was deputy marshal; soon afterward, he removed to Brooklyn, N. Y., where,asso- ciated with Dr. Abbott, he practiced his profession. He afterwards returned to his native state and continued practice until 1864, when he removed to Washington, among the first to purchase and develop property in the neighborhood of Dupont circle, which was then in rough fields, but now the finest portion of Washington. In 1867, after two years' residence in Washington, he was elected secretary of the board of trustees of the public schools, partly for his health and also on a polit- which position he held for several years, ical mission :- the object of which was to afterward serving as trustee; he was also secure leave of absence for soldiers and connected with the board of health. In civilians to go to their home in New Jer- 1869 and 1870 he represented the first sey to vote, as the democratic legislature of that state had denied them the privi- lege of voting in the field, a right granted ward of Washington as a member of the common council. He originated the street parking and tree-planting system,
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which is the grand, if not the grandest, his home in Washington and his summer feature of the national capital. Dr. Far- place in New Jersey frequently with them. don is vice-president of the " West End National bank;" president of the Columbia FRANCIS R. FAVA, Real Estate company (a perpetual cor- poration ) with a large capital; director in the Brightwood Railroad company, the Columbia Insurance company and other corporations.
He is a large holder of city and sub- urban property and has quite a large property interest in Brooklyn, New York. He owns a large farm near his old home at Freehold, New Jersey, and takes great interest in its improvement and cultiva- tion. He has always taken an active part in political matters, and has for a number of years been president of the New Jer- sey republican association. He is well known throughout his native state, and has represented his county in former years as a delegate to all important polit- ical conventions, where his executive abilities and oratorical powers gave him prominence. He has always manifested much interest in presidential campaigns, earnestly advocating the republican party's cause-speaking in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other states. He has always taken much interest in charitable organizations, both in New Jersey and Washington. He is a Baptist and attends the First church at the corner of Sixteenth and O streets, of which Dr. Stakeley is pastor, and was much interested in the selection of the site and the erection of the fine edifice. Ile is not forgetful, however, of his old church in New Jersey, in which he re- ceived in his youth religious instruction. He is a bachelor and greatly devoted to his two brothers and sister and their children, and finds much pleasure in their visits to him, and shares the comforts of
architect and civil engineer, was born in Trieste, Austria, near the Italian frontier, in 1860, and was educated principally in Switzerland, having graduated in Zurich in 1881, from the National Federal Poly- technique school; he was then engaged in the city engineer's office at Zurich for a while and then went to France, where he was engaged in bridge building, making a specialty of iron structures. He was resident engineer of the bridge at Saumur, which was then the longest and largest bridge in France, it being a double-track railroad through bridge of fourteen spans, continuous beam, the bridge being 3,500 feet long, each span weighing 500 tons. He was next engaged in railroad building in Austro-Hungary, overcoming many natural obstacles in the shape of friable ground, quicksands, etc. He had general charge of the construction of the line, depots, etc. In 1887 he came to Amer- ica, remaining several months in New York, where he was engaged at his pro- fession, and in December, 1887, removed to Washington, D. C., where his father had preceded him in 1881. Since living in Washington he has been connected with many metropolitan and suburban enter- prises, and is now engineer of the Wash- ington & Arlington railroad company; he has also done work for the Choctaw Coal & Railway company, of the Indian territory, and has laid out many towns and additions to towns in Virginia, Mary- land and West Virginia. In architectural matters he has been most prominent, the following buildings, among others, having been planned by him: Young Ladies' seminary near Tuxedo Park, N. Y., Music
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hall, Washington, addition to Welcker's his attendance at the university he was hotel, Washington, and a number of de- elected to the chair of mathematics of signs for industrial plants in the south, Columbia college (now Columbian uni- having devoted more attention to large public than to private buildings. versity) at Washington, D. C., which chair he held until the summer of 1860, In 1889 Mr. Fava was apointed pro- fessor of civil engineering in the Corcoran Scientific school, of the Columbian uni- when he was elected to the chair of mathematics and astronomy in the Mis- souri state university. In 1861 he was versity, and since his incumbency, the appointed adjutant general of the state classes in engineering have largely in- creased. He is a member of the Wash- ington board of trade, the American society of civil engineers, the French society of civil engineers, and of the Mystic Shrine ( Masonic fraternity) and is a thirty-second degree Mason and a Knight Templar. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and is president of the Columbian Engineering society of Washington, D. C., and of the Hungarian society of engineers and architects. Baron Xavier Fava, father of F. R. Fava, has been Italian minister to the United States since 1881. and was sent beyond the Mississppi river for duty in the Confederate service, and while thus engaged took steps to raise a regiment of cavalry and soon resigned his office of adjutant. He was then com- missioned colonel of the regiment, which was denominated the Seventeenth Mis- souri cavalry, and held his command until the close of the war, having participated in the battle at Helena, Ark., the fights on retreat to Little Rock, Ark., daily fighting on outpost in northern Arkansas, until Price's expedition into Missouri, in 1864, where he fought at Iron Mountain, Osage river, Franklin, Boonville, Lexing- ton and Independence. At Blue river he had command of Freeman's brigade and PROF. EDWARD T. FRISTOE, defended the ford gallantly. He was
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