Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

of president as well as general manager. In this connection should be made some mention of Mr. Wheeler's inventive ability, which, in itself, af- fords a proof of his versatility. Mostly as sole inventor, but in some instances jointly with others, he took out patents for inventions in wood-filling compounds, power-transmitters, polishing the eyes of needles, refrigerators, ventilating railway cars, heating and ventilating buildings, and for a multitude of devices having relation to the con- struction of sewing machines. In 1856 the works of the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company were removed from Watertown to Bridgeport, and from that time forth Mr. Wheeler was a resident of the latter city, to the best interests of which he was zeal- ously devoted. His intelligence and activity contributed largely to the success of many im- portant enterprises. He was one of the cor- porators and a trustee of the Peoples Sav- ings Bank; a director in the Bridgeport City Bank, the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company, the Bridgeport Horse Railroad Company, the Fairfield Rubber Company, the Williinantic Linen Company, and the New York, New Ha- ven & Hartford Railroad Company; one of the founders and the first president of the Seaside Club, and always an- active member of the Bridgeport Board of Trade; a member of the Bridgeport board of education from its establish- menl until shortly before his death, and a mem- ber of the building committees of the Bridgeport high school and the Fairfield county court house; while he was also the directing commissioner in the laying out and completion of Seaside Park, of which he was one of the chief donors. He was chiefiy instrumental in putting Mountain Grove cemetery into its present creditable form, and St. John's church received from him its most munificent donations. He was a member and a liberal supporter of the Fairfield County Historical Society, and the Bridgeport Scientific Society. Nor was his interest confined to. local affairs, and he was the most active member of the commission for the building of the State Capitol at Hartford, a magnificent structure, which is especially notable for the fact that it was completed without a stain of jobbery and within the appropriation. In politics he was a Democrat. He served a number of years in the common council of the city of Bridgeport; from 1866 to 1872, inclusive, he represented Bridge- port in the House of Representatives, and in 1873-74, he served with distinction as State sena- tor. It should be added that he repeatedly de- clined higher political honors than he ever con- sented to accept. Mr. Wheeler was blessed with robust health until early in the autumn of 1893, when it began to fail, and after a painful illness he closed a life of intense activity and widespread usefulness, on the last day of that year. In 1842 Mr. Wheeler took to wife Huldah Bradley, of Watertown, who died in 1857. By this marriage there were four children: Martha, born August 24, 1843, died February 19, 1857. Samuel H. , born September 16, 1845, was for many years the head of the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company's house in Chicago, and is now one of the leading business men of Bridge- port, having been elected president of the Whee- ler & Wilson Manufacturing Company soon after the death of his father; Ellen B., born June 19, 1848, is the wife of Edward Harral, of Fairfield, Conn., and Anna B., born September 6, 1851, died January 26, 1852. On August 3, 1858, Mr. Wheeler married Miss Mary E. Crissy, of New Canaan, who survives him. By this marriage there; were four sons: Harry De Forest, born April 6, 1863, died July 10, 1881; Archer Crissy and William Bishop (twins); born September 14, 1864, reside in Bridgeport; and Arthur Penoyer, born October 20, 1875, died July 13, 1877. The beautiful residence on Golden Hill, in which Mr. Wheeler lived for so many years, and where he breathed his last, is now occupied by Mrs. Wheeler and her sons. The artistic taste of Mr. Wheeler is displayed in the interior appointments of the spacious dwelling, and in the treatment of the surrounding grounds. It is hoped that the homestead may long remain as it now is — an ornament to the city he loved so well. CHAUNCEY AYRES, M. D., of Stamford, _ Fairfield county, at this writing nearing his ninetieth birthday, is honored by the distinction rarely given to any man — that of being the oldest living physician of the State in which he resides, and the oldest living graduate of so celebrated an institution of learning as Yale College. Himself a conspicuous character in New Eng- land through several generations, he has decend- ed from ancestry that were prominent in the days of the Revolution, and froui his have come pos- terity that have honored the name in high posi- tions. The original spelling of Ayres was Ayr, Ayres being derived from the name of Ayr, a small river in Scotland that runs westerly and empties into the sea at the town of Ayr. There were three brothers from England that settled in this country some time before the Revolutionary war, bearing the family name of Ayres. One of the brothers settled in Massachusetts, another in COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 11 Connecticut, and the remaining brother in New Jersey. Doctor Ayres, the subject of our sketch, is a descendant of the brother that settled in Connecticut. Dr. Chauncey Ayres was born August 14, 1808, in the town of New Canaan, Fairfield county. He was prepared for college at the New Canaan Academy; then went to Yale Col- lege, and was graduated from the medical de- partment in 1 83 1. His first practice was at Greenwich, Conn., and from there he went to New York City. He was one of the surgeons in the New York Cholera Hospital in 1832. Fol- lowing this for a period, he was the surgeon of the United States Coast Survey. Sixty-four years ago he settled permanently at Stamford, Conn., and through all that period his name has been a household word. He has known every- body that has come to and gone from the hamlet and city during that long span of years, and everybody has known him. None to-day are better known, more favorably known, and more generally respected than the venerable Doctor. He has held the confidence of the profession and of the community for si.xty odd years, during which period he has filled various positions of honor and trust. I^ack in the days of Stamford as a hamlet and borough, he was its clerk and, later, for three years, was its warden. He has figured conspicuously in the State, County and City Medical Societies. In 1831 he was married to Miss Deborah Ann Percival, a daughter of Dr. Warren Percival, of Darien, and to the union came a son, Samuel L. P. (a sketch of whom appears farther on), and three daughters, two of whom — Augusta (Mrs. William Wilson) and Annie D. (Mrs. Frank Povie) — are still living. Doctor Ayres' second wife was Mrs. Julia A. Simpson, widow of Montrose Simpson, of Brook- lyn, N. Y. , and to this union were born three children, namely: Chauncey Edward, Charles Gordon, and Elizabeth W., all deceased, except Elizabeth W. , who resides with her aged father. Doctor Ayres' second wife died April 20, 1897. Chief Engineer Samuel L. P. Ayres was born July 29, 1835, at Stamford. He was given a liberal education, and on July 21, 1858, was ap- pointed from his native State to the position of third assistant engineer in the United States navy. In 1858-60, he served on the frigate " Roanoke," flagship of the Home squadron; in 1861, on the "Michigan," in the lake service; in 1861-63 on the " Pensacola," in the West Gulf squadron; 1863-65, on the " Nipsic," in the South Atlantic squadron; 1865-67, on the '-Ju- niata," Brazil station; 1870-73, on the "Shen- andoah," European station; 1876, on the " Brooklyn," in the North Atlantic squadro^r 1876-79, on the " Alliance," European statio"; 1885-89, on the flagship "Brooklyn," as fleet engineer of the Asiatic squadron. His land ser- vice in 1860-61 was confined at the navy yard. New York; 1867-70, duty at the Portsmouth (N- H.) navy yard; 1873-74, was inspector of ma- chinery of the Norfolk (Va.) navy yard; 1885 was inspector of machinery at Chester, Penn. ; 1891-95, was chief engineer of the New York navy yard. Chief engineer Ayres has served as a member of the Naval Engineering Examining Board during the following years: 1874-7C, 1880-84, 1889-91, and 1895-97. He was presi- dent of the Board of Engineers for the trials of the cruisers "Baltimore," "Philadelphia" and "Newark," and the battleship "Maine." He was ]3romoted to second engineer January 17, 1 861; to first assistant engineer April 25, 1863; to chief engineer March 21, 1870; to relative rank of commander June 30, 1887; and to rela- tive rank of captain July 13, 1894. Chief En- gineer Ayres is a member of the American Society of Naval Architects, and of the military order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He retired from the service on July 29, 1897. Chief Engineer Ayres married Miss Almira Stonacher, and the union was blessed with chil- dren as follows: Percival C, Samuel, and Car- rie (Mrs. Ellis Jackson). C^jHARLES D. CURTIS (deceased) was for J/ many years a prominent resident of Strat- ford, and by his upright life and character he maintained the high standard of citizenship which has been associated with the family name from pioneer times. He was born in Stratford in 1806, and was of the seventh generation in descent from Elizabeth Curtis, a widow, who came to Stratford at an early day with her two sons, John and William. II. William Curtis married and had a large family, among whom was a son Josiah. HI. Josiah Curtis (i) was born August 30, 1662, and died in 1745. IV. Josiah Curtis (2), son of Josiah (i), was born in Stratford, January 6, 1702 or 3. V. Abner Curtis, son of Josiah (2), was born in Stratford. October 11, 1732. He mar- ried a Miss Selby, probably daughter of Thomas Selby, and had several children, among whom was a son Isaac Judson. VI. Isaac Judson Curtis, our subject's father, was born in Stratford April 12, 1767, and was baptized in June of the same year. He died July 17, 1845, and his wife. Charity 12 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.