Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

?OHN DAYTON. There are men in some fortunate communities whose deeds and vari- ous interests in life are seemingly inwrought in the very fiber of that communal existence whose memory is instinctively recalled at men- tion of such and such a city or village. It is in a manner akin to this that the name of John Dayton is associated with the history of Green- wich, Conn. For forty-six years he has been one of its promif^ent business men, and, for forty- six years and longer, his influence has been di- rected in an almost incalculable degree to its up- building and advancement. Mr. Dayton is one of the third generation that has been prominently identified with the history of Greenwich. His grandfather, David Dayton, a tanner and currier by occupation, and also a boot and shoe maker by trade, toward the close of the last century settled in the town of Greenwich. The family, however, extends far back into an early American history. In 1640 two brothers, Ralph and Robert Dayton, emi- grated from England and settled in East Hamp- ton, Long Island. John Dayton is the lineal descendant of Ralph Dayton. The great-grand- father of our subject was Jesse Dayton, who was born in 1735. It was David Dayton, the son rf Jesse Dayton, who became the pioneer settler of the name in Fairfield county. Conn. David Dayton was born at East Hampton, Long Island, in 1 761. He was married January 21, 17S9, to Elizabeth Osborne, who was born at East Hamp- ton. Long Island, in 1778. The six children of David and Elizabeth (Osborne) Dayton were as follows: Betsey, who was born November 9, 1790, married Jonah Brundage. and died in New York; Jacob, born March 10, 1797, a farmer by occupation and for some time constable, died in Greenwich; Sarah, born July 26, 1795, married William Wood, and died in Greenwich; David, father of our subject, born March 6, 1798; Amy, born February 3, 1800, married B. Rundell, and died at North Castle, N. Y. ; Mehitable, born June 21, 1802, died unmarried. David Dayton, the grandfather, died January 23, 1838, aged seventy-three years; his wife died April 10, 1S37, aged sixty-one years. David Dayton, the father of our subject, in his youth received only the education afforded by the district schools. On March 6, 1827, at the age of twenty-three years, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Brush, a native of Greenwich, and a daughter of Edward Brush. He had adopted the quiet vocation of farming, to which he was devoted throughout his life. Politically he was a Democrat of the school of Jackson and Jeffer- son. He neither sought nor accepted political position, but was content to devote his energies at home, farm and church, and in the latter con- nection he and his wife were consistent and de- vout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He practiced the virtues of industry, kindness and justice, and bequeathed to his children the legacy of a spotless name and the example of a blameless and active life, mellowed by affection and kindly sympathy. The mother died Sep- tember 20, 1863, and the father on January 26, cv^-hS^ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 29 1872. A brief record of the seven children of David and Elizabeth (Brush) Daj'ton is as fol- lows: John, the subject cf this sketch, was born February 5, 182S; Sarah (Mrs. George Selleck), born February 15, 1S30; Charles, born Decem- ber 4, 1S32, died in Greenwich; Henry born September 10, 1S34, is connected with the Amer- ican Fire Insurance Company; Mary E., born December 28, 1836, married Solomon Mead, and died in 1897; David O. , born February 23, 1840, died in New York; George H. (the youngest child), born August 22, 1842, enlisted in Com- pany I, loth Conn. V. I., and served during the Civil war, participating in several engagements; he was shot through the right lung at the battle of Newbern. ' John Dayton spent the first eighteen years of his life on his father's farm, and as the eldest son the burden of its cultivation was shared largely by him. During the winter months he attended the district schools, which were the old-fash- ioned kind. The building had slab seats and similar rude appliances. Jesse Lounsbury, a characteristic schoolmaster of his day, was his \^ first teacher, and lingers deep in the memories of his many pupils. When eighteen years of age John Dayton resolved to learn the shoemaker's trade, with the aim of finally attaining a mer- cantile career. He began an apprenticeship un- der George Sherwood, for r,i\ years served faith- fully at the bench, and acquired the trade thor- oughly. His next step was to open in Green- wich a boot and shoe store, which he did in the spring of 1852, at the age of twenty-four years, and has continued the business, thus auspiciously begun, without interruption, during the past forty-six years, being to-day the oldest mer- chant in Greenwich. He has not confined his attention, however, to this mercantile pursuit. From time to time, as the village grew and changed in character and aims, and different public enterprises were suggested, there were various public improvements demanded, all call- ing for public-spirited and leading citizens to ad- vocate and support. To this material advance- ment of the community it would be difficult to find a citizen who has contributed so largely as John Dayton. Mr. Dayton was one of the founders of the Greenwich Water Company, and one of the first to suggest a site for its reservoir, he and E. C. Benedict making the first preliminary survey which determined its location. The first water used for domestic purposes was turned into Mr. Dayton's home, and one year after the organiza- tion of the company he took charge and has since been its superintendent. He was one of the founders of the Greenwich Savings Bank, and has been its first vice-president from the date of its organization. He is a prominent member of the GreeuNvich Board of Trade. In politics Mr. Dayton has been a Democrat, and he has frecjuenlly been honored by the suf- frages of his fellow citizens. For twenty-six years he has served as constable, while for six years ke has been deputy sheriff; was warden of the borough for several years, and assessor for many years. During President Johnson's admin- istration he was postmaster. He was elected to the State Legislature for 1870 and 1871, and served both years with credit and distinction. He has frequently been a delegate to the local County and State Conventions, and has for half a century been regarded as a leader of his party. Mr. Dayton was marrried Septembel~g, 185 i, to Miss Matilda Selleck, daughter of Shadrack and Anice (Waterbury) Selleck, and a native of Stamford, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Dayton have one child, Mary Frances, whose home is with her parents. In 1895 he erected his elegant home on Field Point road, Greenwich. Throughout the long and active business ca- reer of Mr. Dayton there is one fact that stands conspicuous: it is that no taint or suspicion of dishonesty has ever been attached to his name. Elven through the passion of political strife, when men too often take unwarranted liberties with reputation, he has passed unscathed. Mr. Day- ton has been universally respected, and his polit- ical enemies have been his warm peirsonal friends. In the fullest sense of the term he has been a self-made man. His judgment has been keen and unerring, and the general recognition of this fact in the community in which he lives gives unusual weight to his opinion in business affairs. Mr. Dayton has attained the age of three-score years and ten. If the records did not show it, the observer would be deceived, for Mr. Dayton is exceptionally well preserved, both in physical and mental powers. He is still active in business affairs, for he belongs to the hardy and long-lived race of his forefathers. LEVI CURTIS, (deceased.) The Curtis ; family has long been prominent in the town of Stratford, and the old homestead of the sub- ject of this memoir is one of the noted Colonial estates. The present dwelling house has been occupied by succeeding generations of the Curtis family for more than one hundred and fifty years, and the farm has been in their possession since the settlement of that part of the town, this being the second house erected by them on 30 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the premises. Elizabeth Curtis (a widow) came with the first settlers, from Massachusetts, ac- companied by two sons, William and John, and our subject was of the seventh generation in de- scent from this honored pioneer, who braved the dangers of the wilderness in order to establish a home for herself and her children. II. William Curtis married, and had nine children: Sarah, born in 1642; Nathan, 1644; Joshua, 1646; Abigail, 1650; Daniel, 1652; Eliz- abeth, 1653; Ebenezer, 1657; Zachariah, 1659, and Josiah, 1662. III. Josiah Curtis, the next in the line of descent in which we are now interested, was married in 1692 to Miss Judson, by whom he had two children: William, born September 22, 1693, and Abigail, February 28, 1696. By his sec- ond wife, Mary , he had nine children: Eu- nice, born August i, 1699; Abraham, May 10, 1 70 1 ; Benjamin, December 25, 1704; Peter, April I, 1707; Josiah, January 6, 1708; Mary, July 25, 171 1 ; Matthew, December i, 171 2; and Charles and Mehitabel (twins), born January i, 1716. Josiah Curtis, father of these children, died in 1745- IV. Abraham Curtis was married in 1724 to Elizabeth Webb, who died in 1770, and his own death occurred in 1779. They had two children: Stephen, who is mentioned below; and Elizabeth, born November 25, 1729, who married Tomlinson, of Huntington town- ship. V. Stephen Curtis was born June 3, 1727, and died May 8, 1806. He was married in 1746 to his first wife, Jerusha Gould, by whom he had one son, Abraham, born in 1746. In 1750 he was married from the present residence of the family to Sarah Judson, and the following child- ren were born of the union: Jerusha, August i, 1751; Abraham, February 6, 1754; Stephen J., July 5, 1757; Stephen (2), October 30, 1760; Sarah, August 4, 1763; Bette, February 6, 1767; Phcebe, September 6, 1769, and Levi.