The Romance of Norwalk

Greek Evans, baritone star of musical comedy and oper¬ etta and the original Franz Schubert of “Blossom Time” has an estate in the Winnipauk section of Norwalk. His neighbors include : Helen Lowell, stage star famous from the time of “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch” until the time of “The Show Off” in which she made the mother role famous; Charles Goodrich, who played the father in “The Show Off” and his gifted actress wife, Camilla Crume; Roy Gordon, accomplished in drama and in musical comedy. 442 ROMANCE OF NORWALK Ira H ards, stage director; Zelda Sears Wiswell, play¬ wright and actress; Harry Archer, musical comedy com¬ poser; Sanford E. Stanton, producer and writer; Jack Charash, theatrical writer; Felix Krembs, actor; Henry West, actor, and his wife, Amelia Gardner, actress; Fred¬ erick Burton, actor; Ruth Putnam Mason, actress and play¬ wright; J. R. Bray, film producer and Agnes Elliot Scott, are other members of the theatrical colony of Norwalk. Eminent figures in the world of music have come to Nor¬ walk to make their homes. In past years there was Anna Carey Raymond, opera soprano. One of the most dis¬ tinguished singers today is Henriette Wakefield, American contralto, a leading member of the Metropolitan Opera Company who has lived in Norwalk for years. She is the wife of Greek Evans. There are many others: Rudolph Thomas of Silvermine, now conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra; Edward Kreiner, noted violinist; Alma Simpson, concert singer known for her folk songs of many countries; Robert Hood Bowers, composer; Victor Biart, pianist; Edward J. Sims, organist, and Orville Harrold, tenor for many years a resident of West Norwalk. J LITERARY COLONY Not alone in the fields of art, music and the theatre, do Norwalk men and women figure with honor. In the field of literature, local people have made their mark. Mention has already been made of Johnny Gruelle, John Erskine, Richardson Wright and Ruth Hawthorne. One of the best known writers of children’s books is Emma Patten Beard, 2 6 Arch st., author of “Jolly Book of Boxcraft,” “Jolly Book of Playcraft,” “Jolly Book of Funcraft,” “Childlife” and many other books. The late Blanche Elizabeth Wade, 93 East ave., well known children’s writer and author of “The Garden in Pink,” “The Stained Glass Lady” and many others, was one of the first women to broadcast tales for boys and girls over the radio. Miss Wade died in 1928. MODERN NORWALK 443 George Philip Krapp, now of New York but who lived on East ave., has written a number of books including several on the English language and on English grammar. He is at present professor of English in Columbia Uni¬ versity. Another Columbia professor of English who has gained fame in the literary world is William P. Trent, County st. Mr. Trent, who has since retired from active work in the university, is the author of some 15 books, one of the last being “Great American Writers,” (with John Erskine). For the past 20 years, Trent has been engaged on an exhaustive biography and bibliography of Defoe, in ten volumes. Fred Leroy Piper, pastor of the Advent Christian church, this city, and president of the New Eng¬ land School of Theology, Boston, is the author of several books, two of which are “Second Advent in Poetry and Song,” and “Return of Christ.” Augustus Field Beard, clergyman, retired, 79 East ave., corresponding secretary of the American Missionary Association since 1886, has been editor of the American Missionary Magazine since 1905. He has also written several books among them: “Story of John Frederick Oberlin,” and “Crusade of Broth¬ erhood.” He is the father of Patten Beard. Then there is Alyse Gregory, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. G. Gregory, 725 West ave., author of “She Shall Have Music” who has just brought out another book; George Scotson-Clark of Silvermine, who died last year and who was known for his books on cooking: “Eating Without Fears,” “Half Hours in the Kitchenette”; William Almon Wolff, Perry ave., author of “Behind the Screen,” “Path of Gold” and “The Show Off” (with George Kelly) ; Frederick Buckley Newtown ave., writer of western stories: “Sage Hen,” “Gold Mounted Guns” and “Way of Sinners”; Har¬ riet Tyng, poetess; Robert Alexander Wason, until recently of Norwalk, author of many stories and sketches including: “The Steering Wheel” and “Knight Errant”; and Harvey S. Root, 19 Morgan ave., author of “Boy’s Life of P. T. Barnum,” “The Unknown Barnum,” and “Way of the 444 ROMANCE OF NORWALK Circus.” Albert Lee, Winfield st., newspaper man, editor and publisher, and manager of the foreign editions of Vogue since 1919, has written numerous works, among them: “He, She and They,” “Pie And The Pirate,” (books) : “A Dutch Daisy.” (play). Elwin R. Sanborn, 32 Van Buren ave., who is the official photographer for the New York Zoologi¬ cal Park is editor of the “Bulletin” and other publications of the New York Zoological Society. Mary Emma Wooley, born in South Norwalk and now president of Mt. Holyoke College, has written numerous works including: “Early History of the Colonial Post Office,” and “Development of the Love of Romantic Scen¬ ery in America.” Then there is Elsie Williams Chandler, poetess. EMINENT MEN In many other walks of life have Norwalkers done justice to themselves and to the community. In years gone by, great men have stepped forth from the highways and by¬ ways of Norwalk. Of Thomas Fitch, patriot, and Thomas Fitch, Governor, of Dr. Jonathan Knight, Yale professor, of Governor Bissell, of Congressman Ebenezer Hill and others, mention has already been made. Included in the list should be Rev. Abraham Jarvis, second bishop of the Episcopal church in Connecticut; Prof. Moses Stuart, leader in Oriental literature study in this country; Rear Admiral Francis Gregory of the United States Navy; Nathaniel Bouton, father of the National American Home Missionary Society; Hon. Charles H. Sherman, judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio; the Norwalk born parents of the Hon. John Sherman and the General William Tecumseh Sherman. Eminent men of high standing in the business, diplomatic and professional worlds make their homes in Norwalk: John Cavanagh, Old Saugatuck road, president of Cavanagh- Dobbs, Inc., which organization is owner of The Crofut and Knapp Co., Hodshon-Berg Inc., the Streb Co., John Cav¬ anagh Ltd., the Crown Quality Co. of Milford and Dobbs Modern Norwalk Map of the city in 1929. From the tiny settlement in 1651 in the heart of East Norwalk, the “plantation” has spread until it now covers more than 24 square miles. MODERN NORWALK 445 and Co.; Judge John H. Light, noted attorney and scholar, whose story in brief has already been told; Warren Wil¬ liam Foster, 13 Arch st., judge of the Court of General Sessions in New York for 15 years; Judge Edwin S. Thomas of Highwood ave., U. S. District Judge, District of Con¬ necticut; L. Walter Lissberger, Newtown Ave., capitalist and owner of the Liberty Laboratory of Chemical Research; General Russell Frost, 41 FFigh st., lawyer, former mem¬ ber of the General Assembly and general in the Connecticut National Guard; Hon. FFomer Byington, 725 West ave., son-in-law of Dr. and Mrs. J. G. Gregory, American Consul General in Italy from 1923 to 1929 and recently promoted to a position in the State Department at Washington with Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson; and James Augustine Farrell, Highland ave., director of the American Bridge Co., the Federal Steel Co., the Tenn. Coal, Iron and R. R. Co., and the Minnesota Steel Co., chairman of the National Foreign Trade Council, and president of the United States Steel Corporation. With this imposing list of nationally known local people, comes to a close the “Romance of Norwalk.” The work has taken time, it has been beset with difficulties because of the scarcity, vagueness and unreliability of the material; it has at times seemed almost hopeless because of the unbelievable tangle of facts; but withal it has been of absorbing interest. The romantic story of Norwalk from 1640 to the present day, it has been the purpose of | the author to include in this work, with special emphasis on: Norwalk’s Indian background, its colonial life, its place in wars and place in peace, its setbacks and progress, its schools, churches, libraries, theatres, public buildings, chari¬ table, religious and social institutions, its first homes, first ! roads, first bridges, first stage coaches, first steamboats, first trains, first telephones, first autos, its government, its consolidation, its fight for suffrage, its clubs, its art, music, literary and theatrical colonies, its vast hat and oyster in¬ dustries, its businesses, its prominent people and its modern advantages. ROMANCE OF NORWALK 446 Too valuable are the records of Norwalk to allow decay; too interesting, to pass unnoticed; too precious, to permit their being lost to posterity. For the past 30 years no word has been written on the history of Norwalk. It seemed a ripe time for another, a little later edition: — thus the present work. In years gone by, it has been found necessary from time to time to revise histories; in years to come it will no doubt be necessary to revise this history. For the present, the author’s only hope is that Norwalkers will be able to find just a few of those ideas and ideals, facts and figures which they hoped to find, within the covers of the “Romance of Norwalk.” THE END APPENDICES Selectmen Samuel Lynes and Frank H. Merrill have been delving deep into the history of “ye ancient toune of Norwalk” and have succeeded in compiling a list of “towns¬ men” and selectmen, with but few exceptions, since Dec. 18, 1653. it was a labor that involved much research, its successful result will interest everyone who is at all con¬ cerned about the town’s past. Here is the list: First Town Meeting — May 9th, 1653. First mention of “Townsmen” — December 1 8th, 1653. Norwalk Townsmen and Selectmen April, 1654 — Mr. Fitch and Goodman Moore. March 29, 1655 — Richard Webb and Richard Seamer. March 20, 1655 — Nathaniel, Eli and Samuel Hales. March 23rd, 1656 — John Griggorie and John Ruskoe. March 5, 1657 — Isacke More and Nathaniel Haies.