Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Mr. Beers, our subject, was born and reared at the old homestead, now occupied by Mr. Pratt, and he has always been engaged in agri- cultural work. In 1865, at the age of twenty- eight, he located upon his present farm, which had previously been held as a homestead by three generations of his mother's family, so that his children make the fifth generation to oc- cupy the place. The estate contains 148 acres. Like all of his family, Mr. Beers is a firm be- liever in the doctrines of the Republican party. He is also active in religious work as a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church at Monroe, in which he has been vestryman for many years. On April 3, 1861, he married Miss Sarah Eliza- beth Warner, daughter of Zacheus Warner, a well-known citizen of Roxbury, Conn., and two children came of the union: (i) Carrie Fenn, born September i, 1862, was married January i, 192 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 1890, to Edwin Sudliff, of Southington, Conn., and has had one daughter, Lois Adelaide, born January 20, 1891; and (2) Morris Daniel, born January 16, 1869, is not married. ^\ LLEN MEAU has resided upon his present farm in Greenwich township, Fairfield Co., Conn., for over twenty years. He is a native of this county, born February 7, 1837, in Stanwich, in which place his father, Reuben Mead, was also born. Edmund Mead, the grandfather, was a farmer by occupation and lived to the age of eighty-four years. He was a large man physically. He reared a family of twelve children — six sons and -six daughters — of whom, Reuben married Sarah Reynolds, a native of Roxbnry, Stamford town- ship, this county; her father, Abel Reynolds, also had six sons and six daughters. Reuben Mead was trained to farm life, and he also learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed more or less all his life in connection with agriculture. After his marriage he located in Greenwich town- ship, where he passed the rest of his life, living to the age of eighty-three years. Mrs. Mead passed away at the age of seventy, and they sleep their last sleep in Stanwich cemetery. They were Methodists in religious connection; polit- ically he sympathized with the Whigs and, in time, with the Republicans. They were the par- ents of five children: Charles E., who is a hotel- keeper at Talmadge, Neb. ; Rebecca (Mrs. James Lockwood, of Sing Sing, N. Y.); Allen; AbelR., a farmer of Greenwich; and E. Hibbard, who joined the army and went to the South, dying in Memphis, Tenn., at the early age of fifteen years. Allen Mead attended school in Stanwich, re- ceiving his earlier instruction under Mrs. Louns- bury and Mr. Gibson. After leaving school he worked on the home farm a short time, and when sixteen years old he commenced work at Ridge- field in the carriage-making business, learning to do the wood-work. He was subsequently in the employ of the Phoenix Company, at Stamford, but ill health compelled him to abandon the trade, and he soon after went to New York, where he commenced work as a house carpenter. That vocation he continued to follow in New York until 1861, when he removed to Stamford and opened a butcher business; but this he was also obliged to give up on account of his health. After two or three years' rest at his home he lo- cated on a farm in Greenwich township, which he rented for three years, and finally, in 1877, be- came the owner of the farm he has since occu- pied, buying it from Nathan Finch. The place contains ninety-two acres of fine land, which he has improved and cultivated in the most ap- proved manner, and, with the assistance of his capable wife, he has succeeded in making a com- fortable home, which they enjoy thoroughly. Liberal and good-hearted by nature, Mr. Mead is alwa3's ready to wish every man well and encour- age his friends and neighbors over the rough places, and he is as popular throughout Green- wich for his hearty good nature as he is respected for his many sterling qualities. In January, 1868, Mr. Mead wedded, in Stamford, Miss Mary E. Weed, daughter of Lewis Weed, of that place. She died leaving no children, and on January 24, 1878, at Port Chester, he married, for his second wife. Miss Harriet E. Ferris, a native of Stanwich, who was born December 15, 1846. Mrs. Mead is the eldest in the family of Gilbert and Harriet (Howeth) Ferris, farming people, who had three daughters, viz.: Harriet E., Luwilla E. and Fanny A. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mead: Florence A. and Emma H., both of whom are at home. The family attend the Con- gregational Church at Stanwich, of which Mrs. Mead is a member. Mr. Mead supports the Re- publican party in National matters, but in local elections he votes for the man he considers best fitted for office regardless of party ties. Fra- ternally, he unites with the Jr. O. U. A. M. at Banksville. MOBERT VAN BUREN. The advantages of this section as a place of residence have long been recognized by the wealthy and cultured classes from the metropolis, who desire to escape the unwholesome environments of city life while remaining in touch with its better influences. In the social circles of our towns, permeated as they are by the refinement and good breeding derived from generations of honorable and high-minded thought and life, the new comers find a most con- genial atmosphere, and in their turn they add a cosmopolitan tinge which is quite noticeable. Among the families thus attracted to the pleas- ant little city of Norwalk is that of the subject of this biography, formerly the chief engineer of Brooklyn, N. Y., and now the consulting engi- neer for a number of important public works in various places. Mr. Van Buren was born in New York City March 25, 1843, and comes of good old Dutch stock, his family having been identified with that city since the year 1700. The first of the name to cross the ocean from Holland was Dr. John Van Buren, our subject's great-great-grandfather, ',d ji •id.v .I.r:.: .'. -III.' i.i-i f ■• ■'■ ■, . ci¥'%' ,;:j*iv/ 'iJOM 'r ":.i i:j' . ■ :.'ii ft' f . .'S,^ ■:■■>/ 'V ■ I .,-; -.-^.. ■ -J i. .inv.l-i ?-;■ i-''.'!;u' in -i;!:.t:' ■...:, ^.;'.';I 'iBn .'l,v ,.)l,;'..,rj :ji,j':ni1 , pic^'j La;, it/ ill ,,.,..7 J ,v i,.);;.i,l;' o'?/ r .;. , J, ) 'U.v ,1... ^^^^c^/Uu COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 193 who became a successful physician in New York. His son, Dr. Beeknian Van Buren, our subject's great-grandfather, was even more noted than he, and was the first to introduce vaccination into his practice. This well-known physician began his professional career in New York in 175 1, and continued there until his death, with the excep- tion of a period of service as a surgeon in the Revolutionary army. Michael Van Buren, the grandfather of our subject, was born in New York in 1787, and the greater portion of his life was spent in mercantile business in that city, but his last days were passed in retirement at Pater- son, N. J. He married Miss Ann Dash, a daughter of John B. Dash, of New York City, and had ten children. " Col. John D. Van Buren, our subject's father, was born and reared in the metropolis, became a prominent lawyer and politician, and was also widely known as a public speaker and a contrib- utor to the current literature of that day. He was a leading Democrat, served for a time as a representative in the New York Legislature, and was twice a member of constitutional conven- tions in that State. At another time he held the office of paymaster-general of New York. His friends included public men of the highest rank, such as Chief Justice Chase, and he was espe- cially intimate with Governor Hoffman, of New York, for whom he acted as private secretary during his term. He married Miss Elvira Ay- mar, a lady of French Huguenot descent, whose father, Benjamin Aymar, was a prosperous mer- chant of New York City. Our subject was the youngest of five children, the others being Ay- mar, now a resident of New Windsor, N. Y. ; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Thomas H. White, of New Haven, this State; John D. , Jr., a lawyer and civil engineer at Newburg, N. Y., who served one term as engineer for the State of New York; and Frank R., deceased. The father of this family died December 1, 1885; the mother passed away March 20, 1898. Mr. Van Buren spent his youth in New York City, and in 1864 he was graduated at the Ren- sselaer Polytechnic Institute with the degree of civil engineer. In 1865 he entered the depart- ment of public works of the city of Brooklyn, and remained as assistant engineer until 1877, when he was appointed chief engineer, with the general oversight of all the public works of that city. The responsibility finally told severely upon his health, and in 1892 he resigned; but in Brooklyn and other cities his skill was still called into serv- ice as consulting engineer when necessary, and on December i, 1897, he was appointed to the position of consulting engineer on the water sup- 13 ply and sewerage works of the city of Brooklyn. On March ), 1898, he was apppointed engineer- in-charge of the water supply of the borough of Brooklyn, and now holds that position. On February 4, 1875, Mr. Van Buren mar- ried Miss Louisa Aymar, daughter of Samuel Aymar, a merchant of New York, and a half- brother of Benjamin Aymar, mentioned above. Three sons have blessed this union: Robert S., Frank A. and Cortlandt. In 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Van Buren began to spend their summers in Nor- walk, and in 1891 they became permanent, all- the-year-round residents. They have always shown a generous sympathy with every form of philanthropic and religious work, and are liberal contributors to the Episcopal Church, with which the Van Buren family has long been connected. Mr. Van Buren is a vice-president of the Nor- walk Hospital, and belongs to various organiza- tions, including the Norwulk Club, the Delta Phi Club of New York City, and the National Society of Civil Engineers. In political faith he has al- ways been a Democrat.