Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In 1843 Mr. Clarke married Miss Sarah Mmerva Beers, of Brookfield, this county, a daughter of Alonzo Beers, and granddaughter of Eli Beers, well-known citizens of the early times. Three children blessed this union: Hannah Sophia, born August 17, 1845, who married L. Burtus Booth, of Newtown, and has one child — Philo Clarke, born December 25, 1886; Emma Frances, born August 18, 1849, who died at the age of twenty-three years; and Flora M., born in October, 1856, who married Alfred Walker, a druggist at Sing Sing, N. Y., and has one child, Clarke Skidmore, born October 17, 1893. Edwin Clarke (deceased), son of Walter (above), was born September 22, 1832, at the old home in Newtown, and during the early years of his life he was interested in stock farming. About 1878 he engaged in business in New York City as a cotton broker, but continued to reside in Fairfield county, making daily trips to the metropolis. In 1887 he removed to Norwalk, where he had a pleasant home, and he and his wife were identified with the best social circles of that city. On November 7, 1854, Mr. Clarke married Miss Nancy Beers, daughter of Ezekiel and Sally (Morris) Beers, prominent residents of Newtown. She died September 13, 1869, and on May 10, 1877, Mr. Clarke formed a second matrimonial union, this time with Miss Mattie A. Parker, of Louisville, Ky. , whose father, Sam- uel Parker, was a native of Canajoharie, N. Y. By his first marriage Mr. Clarke had two chil- dren: E. Beers, a resident of Minneapolis, Minn.; and Miss Julia, who is at home. There were two children by the second union: Mattie Eu- genie, who died January 31, 1882; and Edwin P., now a student in the Norwalk High School. The father died suddenly, in Norwalk, of heart disease May, 16, 1899. He was of a quiet, re- tiring disposition, and all who knew him well wished ever to know him better. Mr. Clarke was a firm believer in the doctrines of the Republican party, but was not especially active in political work. He belonged to a num- ber of social organizations, including the Norwalk Club, and took keen interest in all that con- cerned the welfare of the community. He had been a member of the New York Cotton Ex- change for twenty years. MON. HENRY NICHOLS FANTON, who passed away September 4, 1898, was for many years one of Danbury's most honored citi- zeris, prominent alike in business, social, polit- ical and military affairs, and although in his clos- ing years less active than of yore, he was not permitted to relinquish the position in public life which his abilities and high character won for him. Mr. Fanton came of good old Colonial stock, tracing his descent from one of two brothers of the name who came from France at an early period and settled in Philadelphia. They were the first practical dyers by chemical process to come to this country. One of these brothers, our subject's ancestor, served in the American army throughout the Revolutionary war, and afterward located in western Connecticut. Hull and Mary Fanton, the grandparents of our sub- ject, resided at Weston, in this county, and his father, John C. Fanton, was born there in 18 10, but spent the greater portion of his life in Dan- bury, where he owned a boot and shoe store. He died in 1854, and his wife, Mary (Dean), who was born in Redding, Conn., in 1800, passed away in 1884. They had five children: Thomas Collier, Elizabeth Jane (now Mrs. Hiram Knapp, of Danbury), Henry N., John Hull and My- ron S. Commander Fanton, our subject, was born September 6, 1836, at New Fairfield, Conn., where he attended the district schools until he reached the age of fourteen, subsequently work- ing for some time on his father's farm. He afterward engaged in a general building and mov- ing business, as a contractor, and was thus em- ployed when the Civil war broke out, in which, in 1862, he enlisted, becoming a member of Company K, 23rd Conn. V. I., for one year. At the end .of the first month he was promoted to the rank of second sergeant, which he held during his term of service. His regiment took part in the famous expedition under General Banks, and among his most important engage- ments were the battles at Brashear City, La., now Morgan City, and at Lafourche Crossing, fifty miles from New Orleans. He was mustered out of the service on August 30, 1863, and on his return home resumed business life, settling at Danbury, where he opened a grocery. After conducting the same for ten years he sold it and c^t >fi7, ,i<0'i !'■,/. Aooie lj'r..\:loJ \'iu LchjS t'-' ^(^i 160 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. formed a partnership with his brother, John H. Fanton, engaging in the manufacture of ma- chines and machinery, but ill health compelled him to dispose of his interest in 1883, his brother purchasing it. Commander Fanton did not en- gage again in any definite business, but his well- known sagacity was called to the aid of various enterprises at times, and for some time he super- vised some gas-well interests in Ohio and West Virginia. After his retirement from active business, in 1883, our subject traveled extensively in the South and West, many of his experiences being depicted in an interesting series of letters pub- lished in the Danbury JVc-zcs. He has also visited every National soldiers' home in New England, and every National cemetery where the dust of the gallant defenders of the Union reposes. In 188 1 he was appointed a commissioner to the World's Fair at New Orleans, and in 1882 he visited that city on an errand which had great influence throughout the South in strengthening the bond of fraternal kindness with the North. It so happened that after the war there came into his possession a Confederate flag, which had been blessed by the Roman Catholic bishop of New Orleans, and had been designed with spe- cial care, as some Latin inscriptions upon it showed. Mr. Fanton wished to return it to the owner, who, after some correspondence with Governor McEnery of Louisiana, was found to be no less a person than the adjutant-general of the State, formerly captain of the Washington Guard Artillery, C. S. A. Having made known his desire to restore the precious memento of the "lost cause," Mr. Fanton went to New Orleans in 1882, and was royally received, the restora- tion taking place at a public meeting presided over by the mayor of the city, and attended by the governor and his staff. During the two weeks of Commander Fanton's stay he was feted and toasted in true Southern style. From 1868 Commander Fanton was a mem- ber of James E. Moore Post No. 18, G. A. R., Department of Connecticut, in which he held various offices prior to 1890, having served as commander, quartermaster for eight years, and three times as delegate to the National encamp- ment. In 1889 he was elected senior vice-com- mander of the Department of Connecticut, and in 1890 was chosen commander of the Connecti- cut organization. He took an active interest in the State militia also, and in 1874 was appointed by Governor Andrews as one of three com- missioners to secure permanent grounds for them, the result of their labors being seen in the present charming location at Niantic. For three years he was an aide on General Crawford's staff, and for two years he was quartermaster of the Fourth Regiment. In political faith Commander Fanton was a steadfast Republican, and his popularity success- fully endured the crucial test of candidacy for public office. In 1870 he was elected to the General Assembly, and so well were his constitu- ents satisfied with his work as a representative that he was again chosen in 1871. During both years he was secretary of the committee on Mili- tary Affairs, of which Colonel Torrence, of Der- by (now judge of the Supreme Court of Connecti- cut), was appointed chairman in 1871, and at this time the law was passed providing for a change from the old system of eight regiments to the present plan of four. In the last year of his service in the Assembly, Mr. Fanton succeeded in getting an appropriation for a new jail at Dan- bury, an undertaking in which his immediate predecessors had failed. At the time of his de- cease he was serving as one of the assessors of the city a position he held for several terms. In July, 1859, our subject was united in mar- riage with Miss Lucy A. Barnum, and they had one son, Henry N., Jr. Mrs. Fanton is a daugh- ter of Towner and Ann (Hendrick) Barnum, of New Fairfield, who were both descendants of Revolutionary soldiers. ISRAEL HUSON WILSON. The salubrious air of this favored region is certainly condu- cive to longevity, and we are fortunate in having among us many to whom old age has brought its distinctive blessings of wisdom and ripened char- acter. The subject of this sketch, a well-known resi- dent of Bethel, was born November 6, 1815, in Danbury, then called Bethel Society, and his life has been spent in this section. Samuel Wil- son, his grandfather, was a farmer in Putnam county, N. Y., and Jeremiah Wilson, the father of our subject, was born in that county, in the town of Southeast, on April i. 1795, and re- mained there until he attained his majority. He learned the details of paper manufacturing at Putnam Corners, and at the age of twenty-one went to Danbury, where he was employed for some years in the paper-mill belonging to Major Comstock. Later he settled upon a farm in the town of Danbury, and the last half of his life was occupied with agricultural work. He was mar- ried in the city of Danbury to Miss Mary Hurd, who was born July 15, 1794. and died November 26, 1864. Her father, Israel Hurd, was born i^^^t^ Jjh /y^^^^^ \^^ny COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. IGl