Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

II. William Curtiss settled in Stratford, this county, in 1639, with his widowed mother and his brother John, being among the first to locate at that place. He died December 15, 1702, and his will, which was dated December 15 of that year, was proved on the 31st of the same month. The name of his first wife is not now known, but in 1680 he married Mrs. Sarah Goodrich, widow of Ensign William Goodrich, of Wethersfield, Conn., and daughter of Matthew Morris, of Hart- ford, Conn. She died about 1702. William Curtiss had nine children, whose names, with dates of birth, are as follows: Sarah, October 10, 1642; Jonathan, February 14, 1644; Joshua, Oc- tober I, 1646; Abigail, April 2(, 1650; Daniel. November 16, 1652; Elizabeth, September 13, 1654; Ebenezer, July 6, 1657; Zachariah, No- vember 14, 1659; and Josiah, August 30, 1662. HI. Zachariah Curtiss died in June, 1748, aged eighty-nine years, and his wife Hannah, a daughter of Nathaniel Porter, died in 1738 at the age of seventy-three. They had three chil- dren: Zachariah, who is mentioned below; Nath- aniel, who was married November 27, 1712, to Hannah Wells; and Jeremiah, born in May, 1706. IV. Zachariah Curtiss was married January 9, 1 72 1, to Mary , and died June 12, 1748. They had seven children, whose names with dates of birth are as follows: Mitchell, January, 172-; Eunice, October 3, 1722; Mary, November 6, 1724; Rhoda, January 19, 1726; Beulah, February 5, 1727; Mitchell (2), Septem- ber 21, 1729; and Susannah, October 6, 1736. V. Mitchell Curtiss (2) was married February II, 1753, to Phcebe Peet, daughter of Deacon Thomas Peet, and had the following children: Zachariah, born September 17, 1753. who mar- ried Verona Edwards; Daniel Mitchell, who is mentioned below; Mary Ann, born November 7, 1756; Phcebe, born July, 1764; and Isaac, born in Dec..mber, 1766. VI. Daniel Mitchell Curtiss, the grandfather of our subject, was born January 5, 1755, and died April 27, 1830. On June 24, 1779, he married Huldah Burr, and they had ten children, whose names with dates of birth are here given: Justus 230 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Burr, January 27, 1780; Ely, September 16, 1 781; Mary, August 2, 1783; David, February 9, 1786; Daniel, March 8, 1788; Hepzibah, Sep- tember 29, 1790; Lucy, November 28, 1792; Huldah, January 23, 1795; Alvin, September 29, 1798; and Ira, December 8, 1800. VII. Ira Curtiss, our subject's father, who died June 21, 1849, was reared in the town of Trumbull, near Nichols, where he attended school during boyhood. He followed farming as an occupation, and always resided at the old homestead. In politics he was a Whig, while in religious faith he was a Methodist. On Decem- ber 26, 1833, he married Mrs. Sally (Bradley) Burritt, of Stratford, by whom he had three children: Caroline, born October 28, 1834, died September 2, 1835; Lewis Mix, our subject; and Henry Burr, born September 29, 1840, who now resides at No. 348 Noble avenue, Bridgeport. Our subject's mother, who was born April 28, 1798, and died April 3, 1885, was a daughter of Israel and Mary (Hotchkiss) Bradley, formerly well-known residents of Milford, Conn., and her marriage to her first husband, Isaac Burritt, oc- curred March 3 i, 1818. VIII. Lewis M. Curtiss was born August 27, 1837, at the old homestead near the village of Nichols, and his education was begun in the pub- lic schools of that place. Later he attended the high school at Milford, and on leaving school he served an apprenticeship there to the tinsmith's trade. He then entered the employ of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company at Bridgeport, remaining five years, but in 1862 he returned to the old homestead, where he has since resided. The estate is beautifully located, and is known as City View Farm. Mr. Curtiss makes a specialty of dairying, in which he has met with gratifying success. On July II, 1861, Mr. Curtiss was married in Milford to Miss Catherine Miles Baldwin, daughter of Elijah Baldwin, a prominent citizen of Milford, and two children came to brighten their home: Walter Bradley, born January 28, 1866, and Eveline Baldwin, born August 21, 1870, and died February 22, 1884. The family is much esteemed socially, and Mr. Curtiss is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Nichols, and affiliates with St. John's Lodge No. 8, F. & A. M., at Stratford. MEV. WILLIAM H. HOLMAN, pastor of the First Congregational Church at Southport, has ministered to the spiritual needs of that so- ciety for more than twenty years, and during his long term of service his faithful and efficient labors in the cause of Christ have been recog- nized as a potent influence for good throughout the community. While the duties of his sacred calling have received the most devoted care, he has not been unmindful of the many channels of helpfulness which lie outside of Church work, and at all times he has manifested a hearty sympathy with educational and philanthropic movements of all kinds. The history of the Church of which he has had charge for so many years will be of interest to our readers. The pioneers of Southport were at first dependent upon the churches at Fairfield village for religious privileges, but in the year 1843 a movement was set on foot for the estab- lishment of a more convenient place of worship. Accordingly a meeting was held in Southport on February 18, 1843, at which it was resolved by the members of the Fairfield congregation pres- ent to organize themselves into a separate body to be denominated "The Congregational Church of Southport." Letters were sent to five Churches in the vicinity, namely, the First Church of Fairfield, the First and Second Churches in Bridgeport, and the congregations in Greenfield and Norwalk, inviting them to send their pastors and delegates to meet in council with the South- port members "for the purpose of organizing a Church of Christ in the Borough of Southport." This council met on March 7, 1843, and as the purpose of the petitions was approved, the new Church was formally organized with a member- ship of twenty-eight. A sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Atwater, of Fairfield, and in the evening of the same day the house was dedi- cated, Rev. Dr. Hewit, of Bridgeport, preaching the dedication sermon. On application, the Church was received into the Consociation of the Western district of Fairfield county, on June 6, 1843. The first members of the Church were Mrs. Elizabeth B. Alvord, Elias P. Benham, Mrs. Rachel M. Benham, Mrs. Miranda Bulke- ley, Levi Down, Mrs. Peggy Lacey, Frederick Marquand, Mrs. Hetty Marquand, Anna Osborn, Mrs. Eleanor Osborn, Jeremiah Osborn, Mrs. Abigail Osborn, Austin Perry, Mrs. Emily A. Perry, Mary A. Perry, Delia F. Perry, Fran- cis D. Perry, Mrs. Ann Eliza Perry, Oliver H. Perry, Mrs. Eliza P. Robinson, Mrs. Mary A. Sherwood, Mrs. Catherine G. Sherwood, Edward A. Smith, Mrs. Esther M. Smith, Walter Thorp, Mary C. Thorp, and Maurice Wakeman. In 1880 the Church had a member- ship of 167, and at present there are 190 mem- bers. The building, completed in 1843, was used by the congregation as a place of worship until COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 231 1874, when it was removed and a handsome and substantial edifice erected on its site. This was dedicated February 2, 1876, Rev. S. J. M. Mcr- win, then of Wilton, preaching from Haggai 11, 9: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts, and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts." He was assisted in the service by Rev. Dr. Atwater, Rev. Charles E. Lindsley, and Rev. George E. Hill. The first pastor of the Church was Rev. Samuel J. M. Merwin, who was ordained December 18, 1844, and remained in charge until May 3, 1859. He was followed by Rev. Charles E. Lind- sley (February 29, 1860-February 16, 1869); Rev. George E. Hill (March 22, 1870-Decem- ber 27, 1876), and Rev. William H. Holnian was ordained and installed as pastor on June 12, 1878. Among other worthy enterprises to which Mr. Holman has given his influence we may mention the Pequot Library at Southport, a public insti- tution which would be a credit to any city in the United States. Except in the number of vol- umes it is not surpassed in any respect by the libraries of our largest cities, and the choice se- lection of works reduces that disadvantage to a minimum. The library was opened in 1S94 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Elbert B. Monroe. In 1898 numerous improvements were made, and at present the building is a model of its kind, containing the latest appliances for con- venience and system in the care of books. It is equipped with a steam-heating plant and electric apparatus for lighting, a storage battery of the latest design supplying the power, and in every way the managers have sought to carry out effectively the beneficent purpose of its founders. \ BENNETT BLACKMAN, of Newtown, has . been for many years regarded as a leader in public affairs in his locality, and although he has now retired from active participation in business and political life, his influence is still marked in the community. Mr. Blackman belongs to one of the old families of Taunton District, town of Newtown, his grandfather, James Blackman, having come from some western point to locate there previous to the Revolutionary war. This well-known pioneer was a farmer by occupation and owned a large tract of land. He was prominent as a citizen, and was especially interested in religious work, being an active member of the Episcopal Church and a singer in the choir. He married Miss Sylvia Hitchcock, and they had five chil- dren, viz.: Beers, who became a prominent resi- dent of Danbury; Lucy, who married Peter Hurd; Eunice (Mrs. Sherman); Hawley and Samuel B.