Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Rev. Samuel C. Fessenden, the father of our subject, was born March 7, 1815, in New Glou- cester, Maine, and after graduating in 1834 from Bowdoin College entered the theological semi- nary at Bangor, where he prepared for the min- istry, completing his course in I S37. For some time he was pastor of the Congregational Church at Rockland, Maine, and in 1856 he became edi- tor of T/u' Maine Evangelist. Later he entered the legal profession, and soon afterward was ap- pointed judge of the municipal court at Rock- land. From 1864 to 1867 he was examinerin chief at the United States Patent Office, and on retiring from that position he located at Stam- ford, where he resided until his death on April 18, 1882. His service in the 37th Congress has been mentioned, and among other imijortant posts which he filled with ability and credit was that of consul at St. Johns, N. B., his appoint- ment having been made by President Garfield. The subject of this sketch was born April 12, 1847, at Rockland, Maine, and the opening of the Civil war found him a student in the academy at Lewiston, Maine. He had planned to take a collegiate course, but as the dark days of the war drew on he relinquished the hope, and as a well- grown boy of sixteen he entered the army, enlist- ing as a private in the Seventh Maine Battery. He served under Gen. Grant in that fierce yet glorious campaign which was made memorable by the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, and on recom- mendation from the General was appointed by President Lincoln as first lieutenant, and after- ward as captain m the Second United States In- fantry. As he preferred artillery service the young soldier declined promotion in the regular army, but accepted a commission in the First Maine Battery, and later he was appointed on the staff of Gen. A. P. Howe, where he served until the close of the war. On his return to the paths of peace he applied himself with character- istic energy and persistence to the study of law, and on March 4, 1869, was graduated from the Harvard Law School. His family having re- moved to Stamford, he was admitted to the Bar in Fairfield county, and began practice at Stam- ford as a member of a firm in which the senior partners were the late Joshua B. Ferris and Calvin G. Child. Upon the retirement of Mr. Child to form a partnership with N. R. Hart the firm became Ferris & Fessenden, continuing until the retirement of Mr. Ferris from all active pro- fessional labor. The firm was then reorganized under the name of Fessenden & Carter, and has later been known as Fessenden, Carter & Cum- mings. Mr. Fessenden's eminent ability as a law- yer, demonstrated in many important cases which he has brought to a successful issue, has added lustre to the fame of the Fairfield County Bar, and his work as State's Attorney has been nota- bly effective. Mr. Fessenden has always been a stanch sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party, and his political career began when he was but twenty-seven years old, by his election in 1874 to the State Legislature. During the session he attracted favorable notice by his work as a mem- ber of the judiciary committee, as well as by his eloquent and forceful speeches on various topics, and in 1879, when he again became a member of the House of Ivepresentatives, he entered upon his labors with the influence belonging to a recognized leader. In 1895 he again served as a representative in that body, and was chosen COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 259 speaker of the House, on honor which was well and ably sustained by him. In 1876 he was a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Cincinnati, which nominated President Hayes, and in 1880 he was a delegate-at-large from his State. In 1884, at the opening of Blaine's cam- paign, he was made secretary of the National Republican Committee, and during his service in that capacity he displayed executive abilit)' of the highest order, his natural desire for the suc- cess of his party being stimulated to even greater force by his admiration for the great statesman from Maine, with whom he was on terms of in- timate friendship. In 1888 Mr. Fessenden was again made delegate-at-large from Connecticut to the National Republican Convention, and served as chairman of the delegation, and was again selected for the same position as delegate- at-large to the Republican National Convention of 1896 at St. Louis, where he took a con- spicuous part as a member of the committee on Resolutions in framing the platform which was subsequently ratified and adopted by the con- vention. Throughout his life he has continued to manifest an interest in military affairs, and in 1872 he was appointed by Governor Jewell to the position of judge advocate of the Fourth Regimental District of the National Guard of Connecticut, with the rank of major. Mr. Fessenden's popularity rests upon a solid basis, the confidence of his fellow-citizens ha\ing been confirmed by many years of faithful i:f{ort in public life, and his friends anticipate for him the highest honors. State and National, which Connecticut can bestow. T^HE POST PUBLISHING COMPANY, of Bridgeport, of which George W. Hills is president and general manager, William H. Comley, vice-president, Frank \V. Bolande, secre- tary, and "Robert N. Blakeslee, assistant general manager and treasurer, are issuing two papers — 7'/n- Bridgeport Evening Post and IVie Bridge- port Mor)ting Telegram, both newsy and at- tractive papers. The Post was established in 1883 by George W. Hills, as both publisher and proprietor, the first issue appearing on February 7, from its home in a little one-story wooden building at No. 304 East Main street. The paper was started and published in the interests of East Bridgeport, and did not circulate beyond its en- vironments. East Bridgeport then, as now, teemed with busy factories, and the Post started with the idea of being the " People's Paper ", a privilege and honor which it has from that day to this jealously guarded. "Independence in politics and the cause of the people," was a sen- timent followed zealously from the first day. When first started the Post was a four-page, four-column paper with patent inside. Vincent Dawson was one of its early local editors. His successor was Louis C. Prindle, who retired (in 1884) after a term of eleven months. After Mr. Prindle's retirement Frank W. Bolande, the present editor, having less than a year's exper- ience, filled a period of three months, and was succeeded by Thomas W. Wood, who before had been night editor of the News. During this time Mr. Hills acted as business manager, but his varied experience qualified him to help out in the editorial room, the composing ro(jm or the press room as the occasion warranted, which was often. From 1883 until 1884 the J\ist was was owned and controlled by George W. Hills solely. In the latter year Mr. Hills, realizing the ad- vantage of having assistance in the management of the business which was rapidly growing, gave his brother, Henry M. Hills, a half-interest. They conducted the Post as partners until Sep- tember 15, 1891, when a stock company was formed with the following officers: President, George W. Hills; vice-president, Henry M. Hills; secretary, Frank W. Bolande; treasurer, Robert N. Blakeslee. The formation of the stock company was made under circumstances and conditions which rendered such a move a great advantage to the J'ost, and helped to in- crease its popularity and prominence. Since then its line of enterprise and progress has been followed with renewed zeal and energy. The erection of the new Post building, the enlarge- ment of the paper, the putting in of two new web perfecting presses and a type-setting ma- chine, the donning of a new dress of type, and the publication of a mammoth forty-four-page souvenir edition on November 30, 1892, were the most prominent features of the busy first year of the company's existence. We quote from the souvenir edition: " The occupancy of the finest and best appointed newspaper building in the State is certainly cause enough for the issuance of a souvenir that will mark an important epoch in the paper's history. Very few papers in a city of the size of Bridgeport accomplish as much as the Post has during its first ten years of life. The early years were full of that grim struggle which means life or death to any enterprise, while the latter years have been signalled by the growing favor of the public which has gradually developed into a stanch and appreciative support. The clientage of the Post has not been confined to 260 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. any one class; rich and poor finding features of interest that no other paper furnished. The Post is eminently the people's paper, and has always been ready and aggressive in advocating the greatest good to the greatest number. In has been steadfast in urging municipal reform and city improvements, and being bound by no party lines and subject to no clique its tone has been fearless and independent." T/ic- Bridgeport Mornijig Telegram was established several years ago by the company mentioned in the foregoing. It has at this writ- ing (December, 1898) a circulation of 4,552, while the average circulation of the Post for No- vember is given as i 1,368.