Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

a well-known family of that town. She died in 1893. Of their six children, our subject was the youngest. Sarah M. (now deceased) married Thomas Reed, a carriage blacksmith, of New Jersey ; Mary J. is the widow of L. O. ISanks, formerly a carpenter in I^ridgeport ; Galeta mar- ried William Lobdell, a farmer in the town of Fairfield ; Eunice (now deceased) was the wife of Ephraim Osborne, a merchant in Weston ; and Harriet married John Williams, a farmer in Stratford. Daniel C. Wood was born December 25, 1840, in Weston, and was educated in the public and private schools of that town, attending dur- ing the winter time, as his summers were occu- pied in assisting his parents. He was reared to farm work', but at the age of twenty-one he went to Bridgeport and entered the employ of DeWight & Chapin Company, manufacturers of guns and military supplies, who were then en- gaged in filling large orders for the government. Later he went to Lime Rock, Conn., where he was employed in a similar establishment for a time, and on his return to Bridgeport he became a sub-contractor for the Wheeler & Wilson Sew- ing Machine Company, with whom he remained about twelve years, finding his contract a profit- able one. He then engaged in business in West Stratford, now part of Bridgeport, as a dealer in groceries, meats and notions, and for seven jears he had an extensive trade in that line, employing six or seven wagons. On disposing of his store he purchased his present sawmill property in Stratford, and engaged in lumbering, which he still continues in connection with farming, as stated above. Politically, Mr. Wood has always affiliated with the Democratic party, and he has held various important township offices, serving a number of terms as selectman, also for many years as justice of the peace, and while he was in West Stratford many cases were brought before him for trial. In 1877-78 he represented the town in the State Legislature, during his service in that body acting on a committee to consider the question of equal suffrage. The business of the Legislature was at that time conducted in the old court house, occupying the new Capitol, which they were first to use, toward the close of the session. Mr. Wood is a member of the Social Club at Stratford, and is also connected with St. John's Lodge No. 8, F. & A. M., and Hamilton Commandery No. 5, K. T., at Bridgeport. In i860 Mr. Wood married Miss Celestia Sturges, daughter of Edwin Sturges, of Weston. She died in 1877, and in 1878 he married Miss Mary A. Fray, daughter of John S. Fray, of Bridgeport. His second wife died in 1890, and for his third he wedded Miss Mary A. Beards- ley, of Stratford, daughter of Lewis Beardsley. She died in 1897, and May 10, 1898, he married Miss Eliza Stacey, who was born and reared in England. The only child of the first union, Ed- mund C, is now engaged in the real-estate busi- ness in Bridgeport; he married Miss Anna Warner, daughter of Rev. G. H. Warner, of Hartford, Conn., and they have four children — Florence, George, Catherine and Dorothy. By the second marriage there were three children: Laura B. , Nellie F. and Jessie A., all of whom are living. In 1895 Mr. Wood built his handsome home, one of the finest in the township, on land adjoining the old homestead, which was one of the old Colonial houses. S\ERENO S. HURLBUTT, who is now living ./ practically retired from active life, was in his earlier years one of the most enterprising and influential citizens of the town of Ridgefield, Conn., both in commercial and public circles. He is a native of the place, born January 4, 1825. Daniel Hurlbutt, his grandfather, was a resident of Wilton, Conn. He married Anna Gilbert, by whom he had three children, namely: John H. ; David ; and Anna Gilbert, who, for her second hus- band, wedded Daniel Burchard; they had two children — Betsy Ann (who became the wife of Sturges Bennett) and Edwin. David Hurlbutt was born November 19, 1801, at Wilton, on Vion Hill. He learned the hatter's trade, and coming to Ridgefield followed same here for a number of years, until he took up the butcher business, which was the principal occu- pation of his active life. It was established prior to 1 84 1, and continued by David Hurlbutt until his death, in 1858. He had a large number of apprentices, and under his able management the business was a flourishing financial success, the income therefrom placing him in comfortable circumstances. On February 6, 1823, Mr. Hurl- butt married Julia Maria Higgins, daughter of Michael D. Higgins, of New York City, and five children blessed this union, namely: Sereno S., Hester Ann, John D., Sarah Maria and Aaron Gregory Higgins. Of these, Hester Ann, born November 8, 1829, was married June 7, 1855, to John W. Rockwell, of Ridgefield, and died De- cember 5, 1861; JohnD., born August 8, 1832, married Margaret Olmstead, of Ridgefield, and died February 11, 1866; Sarah Maria, born May 30, 1835, was married November i, 1855, to Isaac D. SprouU; Aaron G. H., born May 21', 1 84 1, died July 17, 1878. The Hurlbutt resi- dence was erected in 184 1. } 11'. ;•><: -il.i , :t T ;a !;iMn ,.I ,(.11?;; J r. If. ■ ■.u: ( .. ; ; .I'J ;(■■.. > :• ,\]!> yilt ^.M: ■, -il .nri-! ; ; L.r.M O'll M -liirtinij '<":Vi i[-! -t'- ,1 ', ^\_.:l ,. COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 205 Michael D. Higgins, father of Mrs. David Hurlbiitt, was in his day a well-known merchant of New York City, highly respected for his integ- rity of purpose and many sterling qualities. He married Sarah Stuart, daughter of Isaac and Olive Stuart, of Wilton, Conn., who were born September 7, 1749, and October 7, 1749, re- spectively. A brief record of their children is as follows: (1) Betsy was born July 9, 177 i. (2) Alice, born in November, 1772, died in Septem- ber, 1778. (3) James, born in 1775, died in 1776. (4) Martha, born December 24, 1776, died March 26, 181 1. (5) Moses, born March 26, 1780, died January 4, 1852, was one of the leading educators of his day in New England, and was for many years professor of theology in Andover Seminary; he married a Miss Clark, of Danbury, and they had a family of eight chil- dren— Isaac, James, Mary, Abbie, Elizabeth, Sarah, Moses and Mary. Austin Phelps mar- ried two of the daughters of this family, and the daughter of one of these was Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, the writer. (6) Sarah, born in 1781, died April 6, 1805; she married Michael D. Higgins. Sereno S. Hurlbutt received his early educa- tion in the district schools of his birthplace, and completed it in the private school conducted by Samuel Sidney St. John and Hugh S. Banks, the latter of whom was a brother-in-law of Lewis H. Bailey, of Ridgefield. When he was about sixteen years old his school life ended, and at the age of seventeen he commenced to learn the car- penter's trade, as apprentice to Albin Jennings, with whom he remained until he reached his ma- jority. He then worked one year as journeyman at his trade, and divided the year following between carpentering and farm work, at the end of that time entering the firm of Brush, Olmstead lS; Co., as partner in the business. This co-part- nership lasted for five and one-half years, until Mr. Hurlbutt, being dissatisfied, withdrew from the concern and for a time engaged in various lines of business on his own account. In Ridge- field, finally, he found employment with his brother-in-law as clerk in the candle-stick busi- ness, shipping candle-sticks, and continued with him some three years. His father dying at this time, Mr. Hurlbutt and his brother found them- selves with the butchering business above men- tioned on their hands, and to this our subject devoted the remainder of his active life, giving it his principal time and attention for a period of over twenty-five years, until his practical retire- ment in 1883. It was located at the corner of Main and Market streets, and was the principal busi- ness in that line in Ridgefield, Mr. Hurlbutt being no less successful than his father before him. During those years he had a partner at times, but he was always the head of the con- cern, and displayed considerable business ability in the management of his affairs. During 1865 he was engaged in the carpentering business at Bridgeport, Conn. Since 1883 he has not given his attention to any line in particular. In political sentiment Mr. Hurlbutt was orig- inally a Whig, becoming a Republican on the organization of the party, for whose welfare he has since been an earnest worker, especially in his own community. He was elected tax col- lector in 1872, and continued in the office for three consecutive terms ; in 1879 he was elected representative to the State Legislature from the Eleventh district ; since 1885 he has annually been elected to the office of collector, and he has also served as constable for many years. His re-elections speak louder in his praise than any mere words, and it is safe to say that a more public spirited, upright, faithful and capable offi- cial could hardly be found within the limits of Fairfield county. Fraternally, he affiliates with Jerusalem Lodge No. 29, F. & A. M., of Ridge- field, and with Pilgrim Lodge No. 46, I. O. O. F., Ridgefield, in which he is especially promi- nent, having passed all the chairs ; he and Lewis H. Bailey are the only charter members of Pil- grim Lodge now living. Mr. Hurlbutt was married April 3, 1855, to Miss Julia Keeler, daughter of Silas Keeler, of Belden's Hill, Wilton, and, of their three children, David died in infancy; the living are Julia M., and Frank Stuart, who married Annie Dunker- ton, of Waterloo, N. Y. , and has one daughter, Hester Elizabeth. The family attend the M. E. Church, of which Mr. Hurlbutt is a trustee, hav- ing held that office a number of years.