Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Benjamin Clason, the father of our subject, was born in Bangall District, in 1775, and, after receiving a common-school education, set- tled upon the old homestead, which he inherited. While he was not especially active in politics, he took much interest in the questions of his day, and was a stanch supporter of the Whig party. He was married in Westchester county, New York, to Nancy Ayres, daughter of Reuben 1 .fit'. h.,r, . ;li:;n(; i-iiS:'3h , 'i'A r.:'.n j, ai. ,/ ' rM II J. I: .|^-.;l ./. .•^■.l' (^^n) ^m-^^^J^ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 185 Ayres, and his death occurred in 1838, his wife surviving him many years and dying in 1862. They had seven children, of whom the eldest, Stephen, is now deceased. (2) James, who served as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, died in Ohio; he married Mary Miller and had thjee children — Mary, Adolphus, and John C. (3) George W. is deceased. (4) Lewis (deceased) married Susan Marshall, and had live children — Stephen I., John W., George L., Charles C, and Mary A. (5) Samuel died in Stamford.. (6) John, our subject, is mentioned more fully below. (7) Joseph W. married Louisa Smith, and has one daughter — Lillian; they reside in Ohio. Mr. Clason, our subject, was born Septem- ber 8, 1825, at the old homestead in Bangall District, of Stamford. His education was begun in the common school near his home, his at- tendance being usually limited to a three-months' term in the winter each year. These privileges only served to stimulate his desire for knowledge, and later, as he could afford it, he took private instructions under John Lyell, A. M., a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, with a view to civil engineering as a profession, making thorough preparation in the mathematical branches. In 1841 he became a clerk in the store of Alanson Studwell, of Roxbury, with whom he remained one year, and later he taught for two years in the common schools of Roxbury and Turn River Districts, one term being spent in the last named district. About i 844, he engaged in farming on the homestead, and for many years he was also interested in dealing in native ticnber. His operations were uniformly profitable, and he enjoys the reputation of being the most success- ful agriculturist ever in Stamford. In 1862 he sold his farm, but he devotes much attention to the care of his homestead of twenty acres, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. At an early age he became interested in practical politics, identifying himself with the Whigs, and since the organization of the Republican party he has been a zealous defender of its doctrines. His .interest in educational advancement is shown by his active work in his own town, where he has held every office connected with the schools, and for four years he was a member of the board of education, resigning when elected Judge of Pro- bate for the district of Stamford, Fairfield Co, Conn., at the State election in November, 1876, serving ten years. He proved a most capable judge, courteous and painstaking, discharging his duties with true fidelity, and justly deserving and receiving the full praise and appreciation of the public. In 1851, at the age of twenty-six, he was elected to the Legislature, being the youngest member of that body, and in 1854 he was again chosen to that office. His legislative service was resumed in 1871, after an interval, and he then held the position for five consecutive years, that being the longest continuous service as repre- sentative from Stamford since the adoption of the Constitution in 18 18. While in the Legisla- ture he was ever active in promoting the best in- terests of his locality and the State at large, and was noted for his sound, practical judgment, his patient, intelligence in investigations connected with committee work, and his sturdy opposition to dishonesty in any form. In 1855 he was elected assessor of his town, an office which he filled satisfactorily for twenty-five years, and from 1876 to 1886 he served as judge of the Probate Court for the District of Stamford, while at times he has held other local offices, including that of justice of the peace. His business ability has been called into service in various enterprises, and he was one of the incorporators of the Stam- ford Savings Bank, in which he served as director until he resigned, in accordance of law, to take office as director in the Stamford National Bank, with which he is still connected. His honorable and upright conduct in all relations, public and private, has won and retained the confidence of all classes in the community, and at all times he has proved himself a friend of progress, assisting generously in the support of Churches and other worthy enterprises. In this connection we quote a well-deserved tribute from " Picturesque Stam- ford": " A gratifying and memorable incident which developed in connection with the preparations for the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the town of Stamford, was the gift to his native town, by Hon. John Clason, of the sum of $43,- 000, to be used for the purpose of erecting a public hospital. Mr. Clason had quietly made this donation a year and a half previous, in Octo- ber, 1892, and the fact was known only to him- self and the three gentlemen, Messrs. Charles A. Hawley, George H. Hoyt, and Edwin L. Sco- field, whom he had selected as trustees of the fund. It was also disclosed that Mr. Clason had, some years previous, given the sum of $10,- 000 to another useful public institution, the Fer- guson Library. With characteristic modesty he was reluctant to allow these generous dona- tions to become known, but finally yielded the point on the advice of friends, who felt that there could be no more appropriate time for such a disclosure than in association with an interesting epoch in the town's history. The donor was 186 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. himself a representative citizen, identitied with the town all his life, and directly descended in a line of honorable ancestry from men whose pious, brave and industrious labor had contributed to nurse its infancy." His gift of forty-three thousand dollars laid the foundation for the organization, through which a charter was granted for the establishing of the Stamford Hospital, and while Judge Clason, with his characteristic modesty, has re- fused to have his name in any manner coupled with the corporate name of the institution, he is nevertheless its recognized father. During the three years of its existence it has afforded relief to more than six hundred inmates. The State evidenced its interest in the work of the hospital by originally appropriating twenty-five thousand dollars, conditioned, on one hundred tiiousand dol- lars (including the donation of Judge Clason) being raised by subscription among the residents of Stamford. The Legislature of 1898-99 appro- priated six thousand dollars for the general uses and purposes during the next two years. E\DWARD BANKS (deceased), late of the '/ town of Redding, where he had been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits the greater part of his life, was a native of Fairfield county, born in Redding May 29, 1822. He was a great-grand- son of Johnathan Banks, a grandson of Nehennah Banks, and a son of Salmon B. Banks. The last-named married Martha Jackson, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth Jackson, and they reared a family of five children, viz.: Three sons — Aaron, Stephen and Edward (our subject); and two daughters — Bessie and Sallie — all now de- ceased. Edward Banks received a common-school education. In early life he went west and for a number of years was engaged in the lumber busi- ness in California, following same also in New York State. On returning to his native county he located on a farm, and from that time until his death he was actively engaged in agriculture. During the Civil war he served his country faith- fully, and for disability incurred therein he re- ceived a pension from the Government. Becom- ing a member of Company E, 23d Conn. V. I., he continued in the service throughout the war, participating in the various skirmishes and bat- tles in which his company and regiment were engaged. He was an obedient soldier always, and prompt for every duty assigned him, received an honorable discharge, and on returning to his home at the close of the struggle resumed his life work. Mr. Banks was a good citizen, held in high regard in the community in which he lived, and gave his influence to the support of all meas- ures calculated to benefit his feilowmen. His death occurred December 8, 1896. He married Mrs. Jane Hall, widow of Amnions Hall, and a daughter of Sanford Benedict, of Redding, and to their marriage were born two children, Irving J. and Benjamin B., who are mentioned more fully below. Irving J. Banks was born in the town of Redding, March 19, 1873. He was reared on the farm and received a good common-school education, after his school days were over en- gaging in farming and later in the dairy business; recently, however, he sold his farm and interests to his brother Benjamin, and at present he is carrying on no business whatever. He is a bright, genial young man, and has many friends. On January 4, 1899, he was united in marriage with Miss Clara L. Zenerkow, of Redding. Bi;nj.\min B. Banks was born October 19, 1876, in the town of Redding, and was brought up on the farm. He commenced his ed- ucation in the common schools, later attending the high school which is conducted in the town, and on December 17, 1893, he entered the East- man National Business College, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he graduated in June, 1S94, taking away the merit of honor, etc. Returning home, he conducted the farm with his brother until, as above stated, he bought him out, and he is now carrying on a dairy and general truck- ing business; he has made many extensive im- provements about the place, and has every pros- pect of a prosperous business future.