Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

II. Deacon Isaac Wheeler, the next in the line of descent which we are now tracing, re- ceived from the town of Fairfield, on February 12, 1673, a building lot and pasture lot, accord- ing to the custom of the town with new house holders. This tract lay on the west side of what is now Park avenue, and in the vicinity of State street, and it was occupied by him as a home- stead. He also received from his parents a large amount of real estate, and became a well-to-do farmer. His interests in religious progress is seen from the fact that he was one of the first nine members of the Stratford Congregational Church. He married, and had seven children: Isaac; Samuel; Sarah, who married John Odell; Rebecca (Mrs. Benjamin Sherman); Mary, who married Henry Jackson; Experience, wife of Samuel Sherwood; and Mercy, who married Capt. David Sherwood. III. Isaac Wheeler resided in Fairfield, and on April 18, 1698, his estate was inventoried at four hundred and thirty-nine pounds, nine shill- ings and five pence. He married, and had three children: Isaac, born in 1692; Ebenezer, 1694; and Elizabeth, 1696. IV. Ebenezer Wheeler made his home in Stratford, and his estate was distributed June 12, 1747 or '48. He married Abigail Edwards, and had five children: Ebenezer, born February 21, 1732, died April 27, 1735; Sarah, who died July 29, 1733; and Mary; Rebecca; and John. V. John Wheeler was born in 1738, and was married January 26, 1761, to Esther Nallett, born January i, 1745. They had three children: Ebenezer, born February 11, 1765; David, born in August, 1767; and John M., our subject's grandfather. VI. John M. Wheeler was born January 7, 1769, and settled in the town of Trumbull, where he followed agriculture. He married Ann Walk- er, who was born July 11, 1774, the daughter of Eliakim Walker, and they had three children: Melissa, born in 1797; Walker, born January 21, 1803; and Ebenezer. VII. Ebenezer Wheeler was born November 18, 1812, in Trumbull. He always took a lively interest in all the affairs of his town, holding va- rious town offices, and was a member of the State Legislature in 1853. He was an active member of the Episcopal Church at Long Hill, being warden at the time of his death. He died Sep- tember 17, 1887. On February 20, 1840, he married Miss Cordelia Mallett, and they had two sons, of whom our subject is the elder. Hon. Wilmot C. Wheeler, born March 11, 1848, is a prominent citizen of the town of Trumbull, and has devoted much attention to agriculture. He has served as a representative in the State Leg- islature, and is active in religious work as a mem- ber of the Episcopal Church. He married Miss Sarah Curtis, daughter of Peter Curtis, of Strat- ford. VIII. Hon. Hobart R. Wheeler was born November 20, 1840, and his education was be- gun in the schools of Trumbull and New Britain, Conn. Later he attended school in New York State, but has always maintained his residence in his native county. He married Miss Antion- ette S. Fairchild, daughter of Daniel Fairchild, of Trumbull, and two children have brightened their home: (i) Edith Anna, born July 2, i 867, married Charles Mallett Cole, and has one son, Hobart. F. (2) Daniel Fairchild, born March 28, 1872, resides with his parents. 156 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. P;LATT PRICE, now living retired in his beautiful home at Norwalk, has spent a use- ful and active life, the greater portion of which has been passed in the beautiful New England city where he now lives. Mr. Price was born February i6, 1822, and passed the first sixteen years of his life on a farm and attending the local schools. In 1838 he left the sunny sands of Huntington, N. Y., and came to Norwalk, where he learned the carpen- ter's trade. For six years he followed this trade, mastering the details and becoming thoroughly familiar with the requisites for good work in that line. He then entered the contracting and building business for himself, later taking Henry Allen as a partner. This partnership lasted for twenty-seven years, or until 1873, when the firm dissolved partnership, Mr. Price continuing the business alone. In 1886 he retired from the active cares of commercial life. Nearly half a century of almost unvaried success at his calling, is a record of which he may well be proud. The many contracts that came to him bear witness that his dealing was as straight and honorable as his buildings were true. But with all his busi- ness care and responsibilities he found time to keep well informed on all topics of the day, and to take a very active part in all the political world about him. He was first a Whig, then a Republican, lastly a Democrat, and has been honored many times by being elected to various offices: Three times a member of the board of burgesses; in 1872 elected selectmen by the Democrats, and twice re-elected; in 1885-86 represented his district in the State Legislature, and he has held a number of minor ofifices. In all of these he has discharged the duties of the office he has held with strict fidelity and impar- tiality. No petty partisanship biased his deci- sion; as a representative of the people he treated all alike, and won the honest respect and esteem of all parties. In 1847 Mr. Price was married to Miss Deborah Grossman, a daughter of Newell Cross- man, of Norwalk. She died shortly afterward, leaving no children. Five years after her death Mr. Price was again married, this time to Miss Eliza Ann Richards, a native of Fairfield county, and to this union have come four children to bless and comfort the declining years of their parents: Henry P., cashier of the National Bank of Norwalk; Hattie A., wife of John A. Camp, manager and part owner of a clothing store in South Norwalk; Edgar T. , a hatter in Norwalk; and George L. , a clerk in the clothing store of his brother-in-law. In his social rela- tions Mr. Price is an Odd Fellow, a member of the Lodge that was organized in 1842, he joining in 1844; in this order he has held nearly every office in the gift of the Lodge as well as the Encampment; for twenty years he was a trustee of the local Lodge. He is also a member of the Masonic Fraternity, being initiated some thirty- five years ago. Greatly interested in educational matters, he has aided the development of the public schools by being one of the energetic members of the school committee for years. Nearly thirty years ago he became a steward of the Norwalk M. E. Church, and so faithfully has he filled the office that in spite of advancing years he is still urged to retain the office. Now on the shaded street. West avenue, he is passing his days in the enjoyment of the competency won by the toil of his early years, respected and hon- ored by all who know him, and the twilight mystery of an honorable life is slowly merging into starry night. BEV. EPHRAIM L. WHITCOME. As a faithful exponent of the Church that has survived nearly two thousand years in spite of sect, schism, of persecution and disruption, we present to our readers a brief sketch of the Rev. E. L. Whitcome, rector of St. Paul's Church at Brookfield. Rev. E. L. Whitcome was born at Townsend, Middlesex Co , Mass., Noverr.ber 3, 1832, a son of Nathaniel Whitcome and his wife Sultina Lord. Nathaniel Whitcome was born at Ashby, Mass., and was educated at the academy at New Ipswich, N. H. After graduating he taught school for a number of years; but his fondness for rural pursuits caused him to lay aside the practice of pedagogics and to take up agriculture as a life work. He married Sultina Lord, and they became the parents of six children, of whom Rev. Whitcome is the eldest living; the others were: Martin, who lives at Townsend Center; Silas, who resides at Nashua, N. H. ; George L., of Townsend, Mass., a member of the Legisla- ture, where he serves as chairman of the Agricul- tural committee; Jefferson (deceased), who, as a member of the Thirty-third Mass. V. I., served through the Civil war; and Mary, deceased wife of Elisha Phinney, M. D. Rev. Ephraim L. Whitcome passed his early days at his home in Townsend, and acquired his elementary education in the public schools, later attending Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, N. H., from which he was graduated with the class of '59. He then began his theological studies at I^/ashua, N H., under Rev. William S. Perry, D.D., LL.D., D.C.L., late Bishop of jj^H ^^^B^» M- ^^B -Ja|H^Ky^Mr.i^^ L^ ^H y^^^^^^^^ljIJkig b ^^H jH^^^^^^H ■ /^2/>t..cS. ^.AArLli^^Un^^ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 157 Iowa, and continued them at Norwich, Conn., under Kev. David Francis Banks. On May zy, 1863, in Trinity Cliurch, Northfield, N. H., he was ordained Deacon by Kt. Rev. CarUon Chase, D. D., Bishop of New Hampshire, and on July 12, 1868, in Christ's Church, Norwich, Conn., he was ordained to the Priesthood by Rt. Kcv. John Williams, D. D., LL. D., Bishop of Con- necticut. During the years he served as Deacon he had charge of services at the Chapel of St. Paul's School at Concord, N. H., and later, or from i*"ebruary 28, 1864, to October 1, 1S69, he was in charge of Grace Chapel at Yantic, Coini. From that time to February i, 1877, he was rector of St. John's Parish, North Haven, Conn., a,nd in that year came to 13rookfield, as rector of St. Paul's Church, Brookfield Centre. Since 1878 he has voluntarily taken on himself the additional burden of the mission at Southville, in I^itchtield Co., Conn., where he holds services on i^unday p. M. each two weeks. In February, 1883, he began mission work in Brookfield, hav- ing service there each Sunday evening.