Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Silas Keeler, above mentioned, was a son of Seth Keeler, who married a Mrs. James and had two children, Hannah and Silas. Hannah mar- ried General Guire, of Norwalk; Silas married Mary Gray, of Westport, Poplar Plains, and had seven children, viz. : Frank, who is dead ; Catherine, deceased wife of Judge R. S. Pickett, of New Haven; Susan A., unmarried; John G., living in Oneida, Kans. ; Morris, who lives in Kan- sas; George S. , living in Medford, Mass.; and Hannah M., of Redding, Connecticut. T^ALCOTT BARLOW (deceased), late of Bridgeport. Few of the residents of that city have passed as many years in active busi- ness as did this deeply lamented gentleman, who, beginning his career as a bread-winner 206 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. when eight years old, was still "in harness" till within a few years of his decease, which oc- curred October 2 1, 1898, when in his seventy- fourth year. Mr. Barlow was a native of Connecticut, born May 3, 1825, in the town of Westport, Fairfield county, a son of Samuel and Eunice (Mills) Barlow, of Westport, the former of whom was a shoemaker in that town, well-known and much respected. Our subject's youth was spent in Westport, and at the age of eight years he began working for farmers in that locality. At fifteen he was apprenticed to a carpenter, and after serving a term of live years he was employed by Peter Norman, a contractor, with whom he remained •five years. Coming to Bridgeport when a yuung man, he engaged in the carpentering and building business with the late Wakeman W. Wells, who was county jailer for many years. This part- nership was known as the firm of Wells & Bar- low, but it did not continue for a very long time, and after its dissolution Mr. Barlow carried on the business until a few years ago, when he re- tired. In 1846 our subject married Miss Emeline Gray, of Danbury, Conn., who died in the year 1893, leaving five children, all yet living: George F., who was in business with his father, and now succeeds him; Charles H., a plumber in Bridgeport; Albert T., a resident of Waterbury, Conn. ; and Amanda F. and Linnie, both at home. Socially, the family is held in high es- teem. Mr. Barlow was a member of Arcanum Lodge, I. O. O. F. , at Bridgeport. While he was not ambitious for official honors, he always took keen interest in public questions, and throughout his life was an ardent supporter of the Democratic party. II^^RTHUR ALMON HOLMES, M. D., of ^^!L Bridgeport, has won a high reputation as a physician and surgeon, his skill in the latter branch of professional work being demonstrated by a number of difficult operations successfully performed. At the beginning of his career he had exceptional opportunities for gaining a prac- tical knowledge of surgery, as he served for a time on the medical staff of the United States army in responsible positions. Doctor Holmes is of Scotch descent in the paternal line, but his ancestors came to America at an early period, and his great-grandfather, John A. Holmes, is supposed to have been present at the battle of Bunker Hill. This worthy patriot was a manufacturer of linen wheels, and resided at Londonderry, Mass. (now New Hampshire). Jonathan Holmes, the Doctor's grandfather, was born at Londonderry, but for many years pre- vious to his death made his home in Canaan, Maine. In early life he was engaged in the manufacture of linen wheels, but later he de- voted his attention to the furniture business. William E. Holmes, the father of our subject, was born at Reedfield, Maine, November 16, 1804, and became a farmer by occupation, al- though in winter he was engaged in the manu- facture of furniture. He died February 8, 1892, in Gardiner, Maine, aged eighty-eight years. His wife, Lydia P. (Wyman), who was of Eng- lish ancestry, was born at Lakeside, Maine, a daughter of David Wyman, a well-known hotel keeper; she died January 8, 1892. They had two children, our subject being the younger. William L., eight years the elder, entered the Union army as a member of the First ^faine Heavy Artillery, and lost a leg in the battle of the Wilderness, his death resulting therefrom. Doctor Holmes was born February 13, 1839, at Athens, Maine, and his literary education was chiefly obtained at Somerset Academy, in that town, and at Titcomb Academy, in Belgrade, Maine. He taught school for fourteen terms, and then having decided to enter the medical profession he began his preparatory course with Dr. James S. Tobey, of Athens. He attended two terms of lectures at Bowdoin Medical Col- lege, Brunswick, Maine, but completed his course in the medical department of Harvard University, graduating early in 1865, when he passed an ex- amination before the State board and received an appointment as assistant surgeon of the 15th Maine V. I. After Lee's surrender the regiment was ordered to Washington to participate in the Grand Review, and later was sent to Savannah, Ga., and then to Georgetown, S. C, to preserve order during the reconstruction period. While at Georgetown, S. C. , the Doctor was appointed chief medical officer of the Eastern district of South Carolina, and for three months he had charge of the Post Hospital, containing at one time 300 sick men.. In November, 1865, he was ordered to Chester, S. C, where he had charge of the medical service of his regiment, and on July 17, 1866, he was mustered out in New York City. Returning to Maine, he engaged in prac- tice at Belgrade, where he remained seven years, during a portion of which time he was superinten- dent of the city schools. Since August, 1873, he has been in active practice in Bridgeport, where he met with success from the start. He is med- ical examiner of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., also advisory physician of the Preferred COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 207 Life Insurance Co. of New York, and is identi- fied with the State and County Medical Societies, and the Bridgeport Medical Association, of which he is a charter member and was president in 1889. Politically, he is a Republican, but he does not take an active part in the work of the organization, his professional work occupying his time. On March 24, 1864, Doctor Holmes was married to Miss Myra N. Shattuck, daughter of Luther Shattuck, a well-known resident of Corn- ville, Maine, and three children have blessed the union : Miss Ina Z. ; Arthur A. , who died in 1877; and Miss Florence A. The daughters are both living. €\HARLES W. MURPHY, of Danbury. The ^^ Fairfield County Bar has always been noted for the high character and attainments of its members, and to have achieved prominence in such a goodly company is, of itself, a notable dis- tinction. The subject of this sketch entered upon his professional career in 1892, and in a remark- ably brief period established a fine practice, his ripe judgment and wide knowledge of men and affairs, developed by his previous experience as a successful business man, having secured for him prompt recognition in his new field of work. Mr. Murphy was born and reared in Dan- bury, and the schools of that place afforded him his earlier education. On completing a four- years' course in the high school, he took a posi- tion as a clerk in a store, where he remained one year, and during the year following he taught school in the Mill Plain and Ridgefield districts. He then entered the employ of D. W. Meeker as bookkeeper, and also superintended one portion of his hat factory. Four years there gave Mr. Murphy practical knowledge of the hat business, and at the same time he also gave some atten- tion to the study of law, reading for two years under the direction of the late William F. Tay- lor. At twenty-three he formed a partnership with Philander Brotherton, under the firm name of C. W. Murphy & Co., and began the manu- facture of men's stiff hats. They built the factory which stands back of the present "Turner House," and continued in business together for six years, enjoying a fine trade, their output averaging seventy-two dozen hats per day, and employing over one hundred hands. Mr. Murphy sold out his interest to his partner, but a few months later purchased the entire business, and after conduct- ing it for a time he sold it to its present owner, Mr. Delohery. While Mr. Murphy was in this line of business he served for a number of years