The Romance of Norwalk

Orris Sanford Ferry, of whom mention has just been made was perhaps one of the ablest lawyers in the history of Norwalk. Born August 15, 1823, he studied law under Judge Osborne of Fairfield and Hon. Thomas Belden Butler of Norwalk, was admitted to the Fairfield County Bar in 1846 and from the first took a leading position in his pro¬ fession. For a few months Ferry served as judge of pro¬ bate for the district of Norwalk. In 1855 and 1856 he was a member of the state Senate and from 1856 to 1859 state’s attorney for Fairfield county. He served with dis¬ tinction in both houses of Congress. When the Civil War broke out, he volunteered and was made commander of the Fifth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers and was promoted to be a brigadier general and served through the war. Josiah Mason Carter was born in New Canaan in 1813. In 1847 he removed to Norwalk and formed a partnership with the Flon. Thomas Belden Butler. He was a member of the state assembly three times and later was speaker of the state house. He was appointed State’s Attorney for Fairfield County in 1862 and held that office until his death. Sidney P. Beardsley, born in Monroe in 1822, commenced the practice of law in Norwalk where he remained until 1846 during which time he was judge of probate here. Hon. Thaddeus Betts was born in Norwalk, was twice elected lieutenant governor of Connecticut and at the time of his death was United States Senator. In addition to the above early lawyers, mention must be made of Taylor and Roger Minot Sherman whose names appear under “Nor¬ walk” on the roster of the Fairfield County Bar in 1797. The list of 1881, Norwalk membership in the Fairfield County Bar includes the following: Alfred E. Austin, H. H. Barbour, Joseph F. Foote, J. B. Hurlbutt, John E. Keeler, John H. Perry, F. W. Perry, Albert Relyea, John S. Sey¬ mour, William R. Smith, Levi Warner, Asa B. Woodward, Joseph W. Wilson, Nelson Taylor and Nelson Taylor jr. WORLD WAR 407 Norwalk lawyers have made a creditable showing down through the years, not only within the confines of their own community, but in state and national affairs. The following local lawyers have held state offices : Governor: Thomas Fitch, 1754 to 17 66; Clark Bissell, 1847-1849. Lieutenant Governor : Thomas Fitch, 175 1-1754; Thad- deus Betts, 1832-1833 and 1834-1835; Edwin O. Keeler, 1901-1903. Treasurer, Tallmadge Baker, 1879-1881. Attorney General: John H. Light, 19 10-19 15. Chief Justice: Thomas Fitch, 1750-1754; Thomas Bel- den Butler, 1870-1873. Speaker of General Assembly: Josiah M. Carter, 1862; John H. Light, 1901-1903. County Treasurer: John H. Light, 1899-1906; Edwin O. Keeler. Common Pleas Court: John H. Light, 1900-1905; John J. Walsh. The following Norwalk lawyers have served in the U. S. House of Representatives: Thomas Belden Butler, 1849- 1851; Orris S. Ferry, 1 859-1861 ; Levi Warner, 1877-1879 ; Ebenezer J. Hill, 1895-1913; Jeremiah Donovan, 1913- 1915; Ebenezer J. Hill, 19 15-19 17. These served in the United States Senate from Norwalk: Thaddeus Betts, 1839- 1840; Orris Ferry, 1867-1875. At the present writing, 1929, Hon. Emile Hemming and Hon. Freeman Light are the two representatives from Norwalk in the Connecticut congress while John D. Milne of Norwalk is state senator from the 26th Senatorial district. An able group of lawyers now takes care of Norwalk’s needs, the names of these lawyers being given in the appendix. NORWALK PHYSICIANS The “good old days’’ when office calls cost but $.50, home calls $1 and confinement cases $4, Dr. James G. Gregory, ROMANCE OF NORWALK 408 725 West ave., dean of Norwalk’s doctors and a practicing physician for 60 years, can recall. Yet long before Dr. Gregory’s time there were physicians in Norwalk, the first one appearing to have been here about 1705. At least Dr. George Sumner, speaking before the Fairfield County Medi¬ cal society in 1851, in a talk on “Early Physicians of Con¬ necticut” made mention of John Copp, a schoolmaster, who obtained the recommendation of the selectmen of Norwalk and applied for a license to practice medicine in 1705. This Medical society to which reference is made was begun in April, 1825, the first meeting being held at the home of Silas Camp in Bridgeport. In 1871 and 1872, Ira Gregory of Norwalk, who was the father of Dr. James G. Gregory, was chairman of the society. Most of the early meetings appear to have been called for the purpose of discussing “irregularities of practice and undercharges.” In 1880, the following Norwalkers belonged to the Fairfield County Medical society: James G. Gregory, W. A. Lock- wood, John C. Kendall, Robert Nolan, F. V. Buesch, E. C. Clarke, W. J. Wakeman, A. B. Gorham, R. L. Higgins, John Hill and W. C. Burke, jr. In 1881, according to the records of the society, there were two homeopathic doctors in town, G. S. Comstock and Dexter Flitchcock. In those days there was constant bickering between the homeopathic and the allopathic physicians. Dr. Gregory, who can look farther back than any other physician in the city, says that in the old days, when he first started practice, a doctor’s life was no joke. The country physician had to answer calls at all times of the day and night and travel in his horse and buggy to all parts of the town and to the outskirts. There was no hospital in the community then, for the Nor¬ walk hospital did not come into existence until 1893. Did a man fall sick he remained at home where the country doctor did his best to bring him back to health. Few opera¬ tions were performed. Were a doctor needed in the night, some member of the sick family would have to go on foot WORLD WAR 409 or on horse to the physician’s home for there were neither telephones nor telegrams. Dr. Gregory says that the first telephone he had in his home boasted no less than 13 persons on its party line, one of whom was an undertaker, and another a clergyman. One of the earliest physicians in Dr. Gregory’s memory was Dr. Bissell who always rode in a sleigh to see his patients in the winter time; then came the McLeans, Dr. John McLean, Sr., and Dr. John Mc¬ Lean, Jr.; then Dr. Ira Gregory, father of Dr. James G. Gregory; then Dr. Samuel Lynes and Dr. Sammis, who lived near the present Mathews’ estate on West ave., and the two doctors Pardee: Dr. Pardee, the husband and Dr. Emily Pardee, his wife. Others are given in the appendix. In 1890, the Norwalk Medical Society was reorganized. For some time previous to this date there had been a society in town, but meetings had lapsed and the group was gen¬ erally disorganized. Commencing in 1890 gatherings were held regularly once a month at the members’ homes. It is interesting to note that at one of the early meetings held at the home of Dr. W. J. Tracey, whose home and office is at 637 West ave., his two weeks’ old son, W. W. Tracey was formally introduced to the assembly in his father’s arms and was forthwith made an honorary member of the society. When the Norwalk hospital was organized in 1893, the Norwalk Medical society offered the services of its mem¬ bers to the institution and so it came about that the first staff of the hospital included all the members of the society. There were about 12 members at the time. The Medical Society now meets once a month at the hospital. Its mem¬ bers are divided into an attending staff which takes charge of the hospital, has charge of charity cases and in turn serves, and the general staff which includes the remainder of the members of the society. All members of the Norwalk Medical society have the privilege of placing their patients in the hospital, in the wards, if desired. The names of Norwalk’s present able physicians will be found in the ap¬ pendix. 4io ROMANCE OF NORWALK FIGHT FOR SUFFRAGE After weeks in filthy jails, months of weary picketing, and years of struggle on the part of the “weaker sex” all over the country, women in the United States were given the vote in August, 1920. Norwalk women took a prominent part in the struggle, not only within the confines of the city, speaking, writing and organizing, but also in the fierce “battles” in Washington, D. C. In addition, many Norwalk women contributed funds for the militant movement. Be¬ tween the years 1917 and 1920, women from all over the country picketed the White House for many discouraging weeks at a time and interspersed their terms in jail for this “offense,” with persistent and organized calls on President Woodrow Wilson. During that time, more than 2,000 women did picket duty and 256 served jail terms. Among those from Norwalk and vicinity who picketed were: Mrs. Helena Hill Weed and her two sisters, Miss Clara Hill, now of Mexico, and Mrs. Elsie Hill Levitt, now of Ridge¬ field, and Mrs. Weed’s two daughters, Eleanor and Mary. Mrs. Weed served four terms in jail and her sister, Elsie, two, the latter also being arrested but not sentenced, in New York. Both Mrs. Weed and Elsie Hill Levitt participated in the hunger strike in jail which resulted in the pardoning of 28 imprisoned women. This strike took place in August, 1918, when Mrs. Weed was serving her second “term.” The women, at the time, were lodged in the almshouse or workhouse of the Federal district jail, Washington, D. C., in cells which were 15 feet underground, and which had been abandoned for eight years and declared “unfit for hu¬ man habitation.” The old stone building was filthy, damp and dark, and was outfitted with thick colored glass win¬ dows which permitted no sunlight to enter. In addition, the women were offered to drink, water which ran through rusted pipes unused for eight years. As a protest measure against the unsanitary conditions, 28 of the women went on a hunger strike. When the President finally pardoned WORLD WAR 411