Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

the age of seventeen he left school to take a po- sition as bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Jamesburg, N. J., where he remained three and one-half years. He then became an officer in the New Jersey State Reformatory, of which his father was the superintendent, but a few months later he resigned to take a more lucra- tive position in the Nebraska State Reformatory. His stay there was not long as his father took charge in the meantime of the Rhode Island State Reformatory, and our subject went there as assistant superintendent and clerk, and re- mained eight and one-half years. In the fall of 1892 he gave up this work to accept a position with the Rogers Silver Plating Company, and he has since acted as superintendent, assistant secretary and finally as secretary, the duties of each suc- cessive post being discharged with marked abil- ity. He is also a stockholder and director in the company. On August 18, 1890, Mr. Eastman married Miss Helen Estelle Atkinson, of Montville, Me. The only child of this union died when six months old. Mr. and Mrs. Eastman attend the Congregational Church, and are popular in the best social circles in their city. Nlr. Eastman belongs to the F. & A. M. ; Union Lodge No. 40, of Danbury; the Ancient Essenic Order, Justin- ian Senate No. 68, of Danbury; the I. O. O. F., Park Hill Lodge No. 44, of Auburn, R. I.; Narr- agansett Encampment No. i, of Providence, R. I., and Paugusset Tribe, I. O. R. M., of Dan- bury. Politically he is a Republican, and while residing in Cranston, R. I., he was a member of the town committee. S\ MERWIN MEAD, a venerable and highly ^ esteemed resident of Greenwich, is a man whose life and character do credit to a family which has long been honored for good citizen- ship. The mention of his name in the commu- nity in which he resided since his birth calls out unmistakable evidences of the respect and affec- tion with which he is regarded by all classes, and a host of friends,- won by his genial, kindly nature, brighten his declining years. Mr. Mead was born October 3, 1823, and notwithstanding his advanced years he is still in good health and spirits, his hardy pioneer ances- try having bequeathed to him a sound constitu- tion which his wholesome mode of life ha^ preserved. He is of the seventh generation in descent from John Mead [other authorities say William], one of the first settlers of Greenwich township, the line being traced through John, son of the pioneer, Ebenezer (i), Ebenezer (2j, Jared, and Daniel S., Sr., the father of our sub- ject. His mother, whose maiden name was Rachel Mead, was also a member of the well- known family, as will be seen in a more extended account of the family given the biography of Daniel S. Mead, Jr., a brother of our subject. Mr. Mead's education was begun in the dis- trict schools of Greenwich village, and Leonard and Horace Mead were among his early teachers. The school was of the kind only too common in that day, the scholars being seated upon long wooden benches with no backs, the writing being done with the old-fashioned quill pen. The course of study was limited, and after acquiring a knowledge of the rudiments, our subject attended the academy at Greenwich where he pursued higher courses under competent teachers. Phi- lander Button being in charge of the institution during the latter part of the time. At the age of twenty Mr. Mead left school, and soon afterward engaged in agriculture as a business. When he was but eight years old his father died, leaving him a good farm, which he sold about eight years later to his brother Edwin; but he doubted the wisdom of this arrangement afterward, and when twenty-two years old he bought halt the tract which he held throughout his remaining years as a homestead, although for one year he resided in Stanwich. The farm includes some of the best land in the township. In 1882 Mr. Mead retired from active work, and he now resides with his son George. On May 20, 1851, Mr. Mead was married in Greenwich to Miss Elethea Reynolds, who was born in that town May 4, 1826, a daughter of Joshua and Rachel (Reynolds) Reynolds. She died April 28, 1890, deeply mourned by all who knew her, and her remains now rest in Putman cemetery. Of the children of this marriage, (i) Mary L., born February 24, 1853, married May 15, 1873, A. B. Brush, a prosperous farmer of New Fairfield. (2) EUaR., born July 17, 1857, died November 13, 1896, unmarried. (3) George M. born August 14, 1859, is a successful agricult- urist of Greenwich, owning a farm which for- merly belonged to Ambrose Reynolds, his great- grandfather. He is a good citizen, and politically he is a Republican. On September 29, 188G, he married Miss Georgia E. Graves, daughter of George W. Graves, of Danbury. She died August 23, 1887, leaving no children, and on October 17, 1893, he married Jeannette Mead Finch, born May 9, 1868, at Amboy, Lee Co., 111., a daughter of Jared and Hannah B. (Mead) Finch, the latter the daughter of Elkanah Mead; she was reared in Greenwich, this county. They had three children: Theodora L. , born August COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 173 26, 1894; George M., Jr., bornjuly 4, 1896; and Hobert R., born June 14, 1898. (4) Anna R., born September 25, 1861, married October 12, 1 88 1, Nelson B. Mead, of Belle Haven. (5) Miss Elathea G. , born August 23, 1863. (6) Joshua R., born January 8, 1866, died July 11, 1885. (7) Miss Ada B., born June 12, 1869. The family hold a high place in the best social circles of the town. For tifty-five years Mr. Mead has been connected with the Congregational Church at Greenwich, of which his wife was also a devout member, and he has always been ready to assist in religious work with his time and means. CHARLES A. BEERS is one of Bridgeport's ,_ most esteemed citizens, and for many years he has been prominently identified with the lead- ing business interests of his locality. At present he is not actively engaged in business, but a good judge of human nature will observe under his habitual quiet and unassuming manner the reserve force which indicates both ability and energy. Mr. Beers is a descendant of an old and highly respected family, now numerously represented in this county, and his great-grandfather, Isaac Beers, and his grandfather, Isaac Beers (2), were residents of this section. Andrew Beers, the father of our subject, was born and reared in Easton, this county, receiving only the limited educational privileges of the early days, and as his abilities and inclination turned toward me- chanical lines he became an edge-tool maker. While the manufacture of commoner kinds of im- plements, such as axes and hoes, occupied much of his time, he was capable of duplicating almost anything. He built Beers' factory in Easton, which was operated by water power, and at one time he had three water wheels running, and em- ployed several workmen. The product of the factory was peddled around the country, as was then the custom, and while on one of his frequent trips he caught a cold which resulted in asthma. From that time his health seemed to fail, and during the last ten years of his life he did noth- ing except an occasional piece of light tinkering. As an inventor he contrived some valuable ma- chines, but they cost him a small fortune for the defense of his patents and the prosecution of in- fringements by others. His industry brought him a good income, and his home was supplied with every essential comfort. In politics he »■ as a stanch Republican, although he never sought prominence in public life, and in religious faith he was a Methodist, he and his wife being members of Church. He died at the age of seventy-five, and his wife, Mary (Wheeler), who was born at Booth's Hill, in the town of Monroe, lived to the age of eighty-nine. Her death oc- curred in Bridgeport, where she had made her home for several years, but her remains were taken to Easton to be interred beside those of her husband. Our subject was the youngest in a large family of children, the others being George W. ; Marietta, who married (first) a Mr. Booth, and (second) Nathan R. Sherman; Mrs. S. E. Lewis, who resides in Bridgeport; and Charles W., who died in childhood. George W. Beers was born in Easton, May i, 1829, and died in Bridgeport, July 26, 1892, his remains being laid to rest in Mountain Grove cemetery. He had a most honorable and successful career. His schoolings was limited, but he seemed to have inherited his father's mechanical genius and skill, and as a boy he was often employed to alter old flint-lock guns to the more modern percussion guns. At twenty-one he went to Bridgeport where he entered the brass factory of Wheeler Beers, in whose employ he remained for some time. As his savings permitted, he engaged in manufactur- ing on his own account, meeting with success from the start. He became connected with numerous business enterprises, being at the head of several, and for nearly thirty years he was identified with the Spring Perch Company, of Bridgeport, of which he was in charge for some time, giving especial attention to the brass-work- ing department. During the Civil war he was employed by Jerusalem Shaw to travel over the- United States to buy old gold and silver, and in this as in other lines of business he was success- ful. He was the inventor of the Beers patent curtain roller and the Beers concealed hinge, both for use in coaches, and in connection with- his varied enterprises he acquired a handsome fortune. At times he suffered loss by fire, but: he was not of the kind to be discouraged by reverses. He was an excellent marksman, and; while attentive to business he believed in recrea- tion and often found time to go hunting. Polit- ically he affiliated with the Republican party, but beyond voting regularly he took no active part in the support of the organizatian. He never married.