Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

built there. He was industrious, and took a deep interest in all matters to improve the community. The four children of Isaac and Susan Williams were as follows: Louise, who resides on the old homestead; Isabelle, who married William J. Bird, and died in Green- wich township, leaving four children — IJelle L. , Isaac, Margaretta and Charles; John Max- well, our subject; and Anna M., now Mrs. Jacob V. Close, of Darien, Conn., who has five children — Miriam, Gertrude, Jessie, Leland and Clarence. John Maxwell Williams was born September 4, 1854, and was reared in New York, there at- tending school. He graduated from the gram- mar school, and then took the Junior year in the College of the City of New York. He entered the law department of Columbia College, and completing the course was graduated in 1877. The young lawyer then took charge of the ex- tensive business interests of his father and uncles in New York. He has since practiced his pro- fession in New York City. When his parents removed to Mianus he remained m New York, and had always been a resident of that city until in recent years, when he removed to Mianus. In 1888 Mr. Williams married Miss Hannah Gertrude Close, who was born near Round Hill, Greenwich township, and is a daughter of Allen H. Close, a representative of one of Greenwich's oldest families. Two children have been born to John M. and Hannah Will ams — John M., Jr., and Gertrude. Mr. Williams, while a Democrat in politics, is liberal, and in 1896 voted for McKinley. He is a prominent member of the Larchmont Yacht Club, Indian Harbor Yacht Club, New York Ath- letic Club, and is prominent in the social life of Greenwich and New York City. ^ALTER' B. BOSTWICK. There are times in the history of states and munic- ipalities when changes of great moment are made in the organization of the government. These occasions, like the formative periods of history, require that the right man should be in the right place — at the helm of the ship of state. A new law, involving many changes in its official organism, became effective at Bridgeport in the spring of 1893. At that time, as events well proved, the electors of the city made no mistake in choosing their mayor. He was Walter B. Bostwick, trained by an active business life and by an intimate acquaintance with the govern- ment of the city. Mr. Bostwick is connected with several fam- ilies prominent in the early history of Connecti- cut. Seven generations back the original American Bostwick left his native home in Cheshire, England, and settled at Stratford, Conn. This was in 1664, and his family were among the earliest pioneers of the wilderness in that vicinity. Later the family ascended the Housatonic river and settled at New Milford, where many descendants yet remain. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Benjamin Bostwick, a farmer. He married Anna Wells, who was a descendant of Governor Wells, the first governor of Connecticut. The father of our subject, Solomon E. Bostwick, was for thirty years a prominent merchant of New Mil- ford, retiring in 1856. Solomon E. Bostwick married Adeline Booth, daughter of Walter Booth (for whom our subject was named), and granddaughter of Ithemar Canfield, who was in his day one of the prominent citizens of New Mil- ford, and widely known as "Squire" Canfield. Solomon E. Bostwick died in 1882, leaving three children: Henry E., who died in December, 1893; Elizabeth, who married J. Leroy Buck; and Walter B. The last named was born at New Milford August 26, 1840. He was educated at Alger Institute, which he attended two years, and at G. B. Day's school, at Golden Hill, Bridgeport, which he also attended two years. After leaving school he remained at home six years, and as- sisted his father, who was postmaster during President Buchanan's administration, subsequent- ly engaging as a salesman in New York City. In 1868 Mr. Bostwick embarked with his brother Henry E. in the manufacture of buttons at New Milford. Fire destroyed their plant in June, 1884, and Walter B. purchased his brother's interest and removed the establishment to Bridgeport, three years later selling his large establishment to Wilison Knight & Co., of New York, and retir- ing from the manufacturing business. Meantime he had become interested largely in real estate in the "West End," or State street extension, as it was known, and to him is due a large part of the credit for the development of that portion of the city. He was one of the three "B's, " Bar- num, 15ostwick & Bassick, who were chiefly re- sponsible for its improvement and appreciation in value. Mr. Bostwick has been a lifelong ardent Dem- ocrat. He was elected alderman from the Sec- ond ward in 1888, 1889 and 1890, and during the latter two years was president of the board of aldermen. Under Mayor DeForest he was for three years chairman of the finance committee, served also on various other committees, and for £2-^^l^ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 2G5 a considerable portion of the time was acting mayor. In April, 1S93, Mr. Bostvvick was elected mayor of Bridgeport, being the first elected to that incumbency for the term of two years, under the new law. One of the most important chan^^es occurring during his term of office was the trans- fer from the people to a board of finance of the power of appropriation. Mayor Bostwick's ad- ministration was progressive and aggressive as well. He instituted many needed reforms and gave the people of Bridgeport one of the best ad- ministrations in its history, applying as he did to the public service the same rare combination of qualities which made his business one of crown- ing success. He is one of the prominent citizens, whose opinion in matters referring to the material ■prosperity of the community in which he lives is made trebly valuable by his natural aptitude for large affairs, his wide experience and success in individual business and the wider grasp given liim through the happy and important adminis- tration of the city government. Mr. Bostwick is an active member of the Ma- :Sonic Fraternity. During the early stages of the war he was one of the thirty recruiting officers appointed by Governor Buckingham, but before he was mustered into service sickness compelled him to resign his commission. Mr. Bostwick was a close friend of P. T. 15arnurn, and during the latter's lifetime was intimately associated with him in a number of large and important enter- prises. His business interests at present are largely in the " West End." Mr. Bostwick has one daughter, Lesbia, and he had one son, Wilford W., wno died at the age of three months. 1 ZRA J. HALL, a leading business, man of Sandy Hook, is a citizen whose influence is felt as a power for good in all the various pro- gressive movements of his locality, and he worthily represents a family which has long been held in high esteem for sterling qualities of char- acter. Mr. Hall's ancestors came from England at an early date. His grandfather, Eli W. Hall, was a native of Newtown, and during the greater portion of his life was a tailor in North Center District. He married Miss Polly Booth, and they had the following children: Ira, who moved to Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; Philo B., who made his home in Jackson, Mich.; Joseph B., a cattle dealer, who resided in Chicago; Ezra B., who is mentioned below; Polly Ann, who married Ira Squires, of Bridgewater, Conn. ; Sarah, who did not marry; Booth, a merchant at Southville, Conn., who died at the age of twenty-eight, and William, our subject's father. Ezra B. Hall, mentioned above, was a carpenter by trade and did the first work in his line on the Housatonic railroad. He afterward went to Michigan and thence to Geneseo, 111., later settling in Carth- age, Mo., where, with the e.xception of a short residence in Texas, he spent his remaining days. William Hall, the father of our subject, was born in Newtown in 18 16, and became a tailor by occupation, learning the trade in Brooklyn, N. Y. After working for a few years as a journey- man, he in about 1836 established a business of his own at Bristol, Conn., and a year or so later he removed to Bridgewater, opening a shop over the store then occupied by Dunning Babbitt. There he carried on a successful trade until about 1856, when he settled at Sandy Hook and en- gaged in business, his shop being located first in his own residence and later in the building which is now used as a jewelry store. His business prospered, and in addition to its management he held the office of postmaster at Sandy Hook for many years previous to his death, which occurred in 1865, his appointment being made early in the administration of President Lincoln. Mr. Hall was one of the early members of the Republican party. In religious work he was active as a member of the Methodist Church, in which he served as class-leader bothin Southvilleand Sandy Hook. Through private study he became well- informed upon many subjects of interest, and he was especially fond of reading the Bible. His wife, whose maiden name was Susan Luckey, was born in 1821, the daughter of John R. Luckey, of Brooklyn, N. Y. , and she is still liv- ing. They had si.x children, of whom our sub- ject is the youngest; Cornelius Booth, born Jan- uary 13, 1839, was formerly a resident of Brook- lyn, N. Y.; William L. , born May 7, 1840, is a blacksmith in Danbury; Edward H., born Octo- ber 22, 1 84 1, is a boot and shoe merchant in Springfield, Mo.; Cornelia, born October i, 1843, married (first) George J. Tucker, and (sec- ond) John R. Smith, formerly of Cornwall, Conn., and now of Bridgeport, this county; Joseph, born January i, 1847, resides in Spring- field, Mo., and is the vice-president and treasurer of the National Loan & Investment Company. Our subject was born October 17, 1851, in Bridgewater, Conn., and was educated chielly in the common schools of Sandy Hook, although he attended school for two winters at Long Hill. His opportunities for study ended when he at- tained the age of sixteen, and he then began to work as a farm hand for Miles Beardsley, of Long Hill. When about seventeen years old he went 266 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.