Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Charles A. Beers was born November 4, 1838, at the old home in Easton, and his educa- tion was begun in the public schools of the neigh- borhood (Hall Beardsley being his first teacher, and Legrand Beers, of Long Hill, one of his later instructors), and for a short time he studied at Easton Academy. His progress was slow, as. 3Ti )0 t>50.i' •■' liUU ', :<' no Uii ::)V0 l:.'Vi;iJ r.j ..■ 7-1, 1.,, :/1 r,T.,^ 174 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. it required much effort for him to learn, espe- cially in the district schools, but what he once comprehended he has never forgotten. Until he reached the age of nineteen he remained at the homestead, but he then went to Bridgeport where he began to learn the business of silver plating with the Spring Perch Company. At this time the clothes he wore constituted his only earthly possessions, and for a time he made but fifty cents per day by his work; but as he made good progress in the business his salary was soon increased. In time his earnings ena- bled him to buy a farm in Trumbull township, where he resided one year, but when his brother, George T. Beers, secured control of the manu- facturing business with which he was then con- nected— Brass Department of the Spring Perch Company — our subject retired to Bridgeport to engage in the business. After his brother's .death Mr. Beers looked after his interests, but in 1898 he disposed of them and retired. While Mr. Beers has never aspired to political honors, ■he is a strong believer in the principles and poli- cy of the Republican party, and as a citizen he takes an intelligent interest in all the questions of the times. In 1S91 Mr. Beers built his present comfort- able and attractive residence at No. 1258 Park avenue, corner of Vine street, Bridgeport, where he is now passing his well-earned leisure. He was married in 1872 to Miss Anna A. Gould, the only living child of Morris and Polina (Wheeler) Gould. Her father was a representative agricult- urist of l-'airfield township, and a member of one of the prominent families of the county. Mr. Beers and his wife are leading members of the Methodist Church at Bridgeport, and their fami- ly is much esteemed socially. They have five children: Morris A., who married Miss Alice C. Nelson, January 4, 1899, and now lives in Fairfield township; George G., Ellen A., Charles W., and May L., all four living at home. HON. CORNELIUS MEAD. In these days a restless desire for change leads so many to break the ties that bind them to their early home, that it is especially pleasing to find a large family connection remaining unbroken, the in- heritance from the pioneer ancestry, and show- ing a just appreciation of family tradition by the careful preservation of the associations of the past. The Mead family, now numerously repre- sented in the town of Greenwich, is one of t'.ie oldest in the county, and much of the land occu- pied by different branches of the family has been held by its members for more than two cen- turies. The subject of this sketch, a leading ag- riculturist of Greenwich, owns a valuable estate of over two hundred and twenty acres, which has been in the family many years, and his pres- ent dwelling house, although it has been care- fully remodelled and fitted up with modern con- veniences, is substantially the same as when first built in 1796. Mr. Mead is one of the most highly esteemed citizens, his long and useful life having won for him the respect of all who know him, and the following history will be read with more than usual interest. Mr. Mead was born June 20, 1829, at his present homestead, and is of the seventh genera- tion in descent from John Mead [other authorities say William], who came from England about 1642 [other authorities say 1635], and after re- siding for a time in Massachusetts, and at Hemp- stead, Long Island, located, in 1660, in the town of Greenwich, with his two sons, John and Joseph. John, son of the pioneer, had a son known in the family records as Ebenezer(i), and the latter's second son, known as Lieut. Caleb Mead, was the great-grandfather of our subject. Jonah Mead, our subject's grandfather, was a farmer by occupation, and resided at the present homestead, where he died in 1828, his remains being interred in a private cemetery on the farm. He was married three times, first to a lady whose name is not now known; second to a Miss Husted; third to Miss Mary Mead, and he had eleven chil- dren in all, seven of whom lived to adult age. Only two sons survived; Lot, a child of the second wife, and Drake, our subject's father, who was born of the third marriage. Lot Mead, who was fifteen years older than Drake, never mar- ried, and lived to the advanced age of eighty-six years. Drake Mead was born at the old homestead in 1796, and was reared after the usual customs of that day, farm work occupying much of his time. He had a fine intellect, and while attend- ing a school in Stanwich, this county, conducted by Prof. Buffett, he acquired a good practical education. It was his desire to study medicine, and at one time he began his preparation for the profession; but circumstances were so much against him that he abandoned the plan. He engaged in agricultural pursuits in partnership with his brother, Lot, at the old homestead, which had been left to them jointly, and they continued together until the death of the latter. If his early disappointment as to his calling af- fected Mr. Mead seriously, he never manifested any sign in later years as he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the work of his farm, and his success showed his ability as a manager. He was a COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 175 strong, well-proportioned man, five feet, ten inches in height, and of robust build, and he passed the allotted time of man's years, his death occurring when he was aged seventy-nine. Read- ing, especially in ancient history and the Bible, was his chief recreation, and his excellent mem- ory enabled him to gather a goodly store of in- formation. While taking keen interest in all the questions of his day, he was not a politician, and although he was a Jacksonian Democrat, he neither never sought office nor held one, e.xcept that of selectman in which he served one term only. He was a devout Christian, a strict ob- server of the Sabbath, and was a leading mem- ber of the Episcopal Church at Greenwich vil- lage. At the time the Church edifice was built there he contributed liberally, and for some years he served as senior warden. When about thirty- two years old he married Miss Julia A. Knapp, daughter of William Knapp, a prominent citizen of Greenwich. She died at the age of forty-two years, and the remains of both parents now rest in the Episcopal Cemetery at Greenwich. Our subject was the eldest in a family of three chil- dren, the others being William Jonah, a farmer in Greenwhich township, and Julia A., who died when nine months old, Mr. Mead's education was begun in the " North Street school " in the town of Green- wich, with Leonard Nlead as his first teacher. Later he attended Greenwich academy, then con- ducted by Prof. Philander Button, and one year was spent in study in a grammer school in New York City. He then returned home to assist in the management of the place, and he has ever since been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of the locality. He has never disposed of an acre of land, his inheritance being kept intact, and he enjoys a high re- putation as a scientific worker in his chosen line. At the age of thirty-one he married Miss Frances Cheesman, a native of New York City, and a daughter of Joseph B. Cheesman. They began housekeeping in a building upon the farm, but after a few years they removed to the house in which they now reside. Three children have blessed this union: Walter C, a resident of Den- ver, Col. ; Edgar T. , at home; and Miss Mary G., who married William Richmond Talbot. Mr. Mead is a stanch Democrat in politics, and his ability and public spirit have caused him to be frecjuently called upon to serve his fellow citizens in an official capacity. For a number of years he represented his town in the State Legislature, and he has held various local offices, including that of township assessor, and he was a member of the board of relief. Socially he is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge at Greenwich, and he and his iainily are prominent in social and philanthropic work, his wife and daughter being active members of the Episcopal Church at Greenwich. HENRY DWfGHT SIMONDS, the very effi- cient principal of the high school at Bridge- port, Conn, , is a native of Mansfield, that State, born October i, 1850, a son of Elijah and Eunice (Walker) Simonds. The father was born in the same town in 1821, and is still living, at Oxford, Mass., where for twenty years he has followed agricultural pursuits. He served two years as a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, being a mem- ber of Company A, 25th Nfass. V. I., and was discharged on account of illness. Mr. Simonds' mother was born in West Ashford, Conn., in 1830, and died in 1872. In their family were three children: Henry D., our subject; Ada L., who died in infancy; and L. Ernest, now resid- ing in Oxford, Mass. Mr. Simonds' grandparents were Asa and Iveziah (Conant) Simonds, the lat- ter being the daughter of Sylvanus Conant, who who was a member of General Putnam's militia, located at Cambridge, Mass., under General Washington, and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. Asa Simonds, who was the son of Darius Simonds, lived to be one hundred years and six months old.