History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In January, 1K70, he visited Florida, making a tour through the Southern States, visiting five State Cap- itols, in which the Legislatures were in session, com- posed largely of colored members. In May following he returned to Florida and arranged for the construc- tion of the St. John's Kailway, running from the St. John's River toSt. Augustine on the co;ust, furnishing the entire means tor building and eqniiiping the same, hf and his two sons operating it for five years. In 1875 he disposed of his interest in the road to Mr. Lanier, of Winslow, Lanier & Co., Now York. In 1K76 he purchased the entire machinery, patterns, and material of the steam fire-engine works of William Jell'ers, Pawlucket, U. I., and remove<l them t») Bridge- port, and has since carried on that branch in con- nection with his other business, producing some of the ^-z-t,^— €>'*21<::^-7, '-^ f BRIDGEPORT. 155 liiicst specimens of steam fire-engines ot' tlie |iresent times. Since that year his time has been diviiled lie- tween tlie care and oversight of liis farm and Iln' worlcs at Bridgeport. On the niglit of ilay 2i\ the worlcs were destroyed by fire. His loss was lieavy and insnrance small, but undannted by the sceniing great disaster, and believing that (iod rules in the af- fairs of nu'M, he set to work vigorously, ami not only j rebuilt but largely extended his works, and has now one of the most complete establishments for the maun- facture of machinery of all kinds, boilers, and f mn- dry-work in tlie Xew England States. The fire cause^l the dissolution of the firm of Skid- more & Jloore, and the works are now' carried on by himself and two sons, under tlie firm-name of !'. II. Skidnnire t<i: Sons. The revival of business has lllled their shops with work to their utmost capacity. Rig- orous, almost severe, in his habits of diet and sleep, his vigor now at the age of sixty-three is unabated, and his health jierfect. In .lanuary, 1880, he visited New Orleans, traveling through Texas and States bordering on the Missis- sippi River, and was so well pleased with Xc>w ()r- leans, its people and climate, and so fully impresseil of its certain future growth and prosperity, that he not only made investments in real estate, but made arrangenu'uts for re.-iding there jicrmaneiitly during the fall and winter months, and is at present I fall ol' 1880) there on his plantaticpii near the city. Such is brierty the history of one of our successful self-made ('onnecticut men, based upon self-reliance, industry, and eeonomy. With a family of seven children, five of wlioni are living, — three sonis and two daughters, — with a rea- sonable competence, his declining years are the pleas- antest of his life, and amply repay the struggles and hardships of his early days. .lULIU.S W. KXOWLTOX. Julius W. Knowdton was born in .Southbridge, Wor- cester Co., Mass., Nov. 28, 1838. His boyhood until he was seven years of age was passed in his native town. He then went with his parents to Norwich, Conn., where they rcnuiined three years and then re- moved to Bridgcjfort. He was educated at the public and private schools in this vicinity, giving i)articular attention to mathematical studies and civil engineer- ing. In 1800 he ])urchased a coal interest in this city, and was conducting that business ui)on the Ijreaking out of the Rebellion. He was not one of those to stand idly by when his imperiled country called fiir brave men to strike at the hideous head of rebellion, and in 1862 sacrificed his business and enlisted as a private in Company A, Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and upon the organization of the regiment was made commissary -sergeant. He subseipiently ! acted as brigade-commissary in the brigade com- numded by Gen. Dwight Jlorris, coluiul c.f tin- Four- teenth Regiment. In all the walks of life .Mr. Kuowl- ton has exhibited great execuli\e ability, and at no time has this more coiispicu<iusly appeared than on the night of the memorable battle of Antictam, when with the utmost dispatch he pushc(l his ]irovisioii- train to the front, and his brigade was the first to re- ceive supplies. He was complimented by his .--upcridr ofliciTs, and w.-is promised |iromotion in tlie commis- sary department, — a iiromise, however, w hiidi was never fulfilled. He was promoted to second lieuten- ant of (.'(Jiiiiiany C, the color company of his regi- ment, and was in eommand of that coiii]iany at (Icttysburg. On the third day (jf the battle of Cet- tysburg he was severely wouiideil, and remained in a hospital on the field eleven days, and was then re- moved to Baltimore, ami soon after came leniie. Early in the following .lanuary he returiu'd to the front, but was unable to perforin arduous military duty, and, JIarch 2!), lS(i4, was discliargeil for ]ihysi- cal i!isnbility, and at the sin n-nder of Eee was clerk in the ]irovost-marshars citlice at Bridgeport. I'pon the (dose of the war Jlr. Kiiowlton rei-eived aiipointment in the Adams Express Company, and subsequently, in October, 18(i(;, w;is one of three who ]iureliased the Ilriih/rjKirf iS/iiDi/iird, whicdi was orgaii- ize<l as a stock company in the Ibllowiiig .lanuary. with Jlr. Ivnowlton as secretary and trea^urrr and business manager. He resigned this po--itioii in March, 187^, to take the superintemh-uce of the Moore Car-Wheel Company, of .Tcrsey City, N. .1., a large establishment doing an extensive liusiness, but that ever-memorable " Black Friday" came and the business was ruined. Oct. 1, 1874, he accepted the position of (diit'f of the division of dead letters at Washington, which division at that time was in a deplorable condition, the busi- ness being fourteen months in arrears. Here Mr. ICnowlton's executive ability received a fresli demon- stration. He at (nice reduced tlie wlnde business of the (livisi(ni to a system, and in less than three months the fourteen months' arrearages were cleared up and the vast niaehinery (jf the office was running smoothly. Postmaster-* iciieral .Tewcll then made him chief (derk of the post-ofiice department, a |iosition which he ludd until Oct. 15, 187."), when he received the appointment of pxjstmastcr at Bridge]>ort, and N'ovember 1st took possession of the ofiiee and Ikh since ullieiatcd in that capacity. His genial and courteous manners won him hosts of friends during his stay in \Vashingt(ni, and upon his departure he was the recipient (jf a vast number of letters both from the heads cd' the department and Ids subordinates regretting his departure and express- ing the warmest frien(lslii|). INditically, Mr. Knowltiui is a Republican, and is active and prominent in the councils of the party. He has served two terms in the Legislature, has been a member of the Republican State committee, etc., 156 HISTOllY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. aiifl was on Governor JewcH's stafT witli tlu' rank of colonel. lie is also a prominent member of the Mii-sonic fra- ternity, and at present is Captain-General of Hamilton Commandery. Ho still manifests a lively interest in the " Boys in Ulne," and has been assistant adjntant- fjeneral of the Grand Army of the Republic of ('on- necticut, and also a member of the National Council of administration of the Grand Army, and this year (1880) was a delegate to the National Encampment of the Grand Army. Dec. 17, 181)6, he united in marriage with .Jennie E. Fairchild, a native of Newtown, Conn. They have had two children, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Knowlton traces his genealogy back to Thoma.s Knowlton,* who was the youngest of three brothers who came to the United States in 1G.'{2 or 1633 and settled in Ipswich, Mass. He married Susanna ,t and was a deacon in the church in Ii)swich. He had two sons, — Thomas, Jr., and .Joseph. Deacon Thomas died April 3, 1692, aged seventy years. Thoma.s (2) .Jr., born 1643-44, married Hannah Green, November, 1668. He was jailer in Ipswich in 1680, and died Feb. 28, 1717, and liad diildren as fol- lows: Thomas (3), Robert, Katherine, Deborah, Eze- kicl, Zerubbabcl, Susannali. Tliomas (3), born May 11, 1070, married Margery Goodhue, Dec. 9, 1692; married (2) Margery Carter. Cliildren, Robert, born Sept. 7, 1693, married Hannah Robinson ; Asher Knowlton, who resides in Staflbrd Springs, Conn., is one of his descendants; Margery, Sarah, .Vbraham, Deborah, Joseph, Ezekiel f4). Ezekiel (4), born Mardi, 1707, married Susannah Morgan in 1728. Ezekiel died March 14, 1774, and Susannah died March 19, 1794. Their children were Mary, Deborah, Luke, Susannah, Ezekiel, William (5), Sarah, Margery, Thomas. William (.')), born April 29, 1741, married Han- nah Hastings, Oct. 22, 17()4. He resided in Shrews- bury. She was born in Watertown. Dr. William died Sept. 13, 1820; Hannah died Oct. 2.5, 1832. Their children were Hannah, Asa, Susannah, Arte- mas, William, Dr. Seth (6), and Joseph H. Dr. Seth (6), born in Shrewsbury, May 11, 1781, married Relief Howe in 1802. He died April 12, 1832. Children of Dr. Seth were Darwin, Charles, Eunice (died when two years old), Artemas, William S., — father of the .subject of this sketch, — Eunice, Nancy, Calvin, and Dolly. DAVID M. HEAD. David M. Read was born in Hoosic Falls, N. Y., Oct. 12, 1X32. His parents soon alter removed to North Adams, Mass., where most of his boyhood days • They wcro from Clioswick, Kfnt Co., Knglaltd. Tlie rQllicr wiw cap- tain of n linrk, aiiil ■liwl nn llie jpnngr. t Full Doinc not glrcn.