History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

were pii-sscd. He commenced his education at the district .school, finishing it at the old Drury Academy, North Adams, at the age of fourteen, working during the summer vacation for farmers and in stores to help pay for clothes and schooling, as his jiarents were not able to keep him at the academy. After leaving school he engaged with a former at four dollars jxr month, and his first work was sawing and splitting wood in the hot .sun. With blistered neck, but lots of "pluck," he kept at his task until one day the farmer came to him and said, " Now, David, I am going to set you to farming." Never was there a boy more de- lighted. With a quick step and a Uglit heart he ac- companied tlic farmer away uji on the mountain-side to an open lot in the rear of a piece of woods, and wa.s set to picking up ninne ! This capped the climax. If farming for him meant sawing wood and picking stone he was through with it. So he abandoned his dreams of agriculture and went with his older brother Charles, who had taken a cloth-mill in Pownal, Vt., for the nmnufacture of cloths for men's wear. This business, however, proved unsuccessful, and he \va.s soon out of employment. He afterwards clerked successively in Williamstown, Stockbridge, and Lenox, continuing his studies during this time, and finally, in March, 18-i2, came to tliis city, and entered the em])loy of E. Birdsey & Co., with wliom he remained until .Vug. 1."), 1857, enjoying the entire confidence of the firm in his honesty, judgment, and ability. Sept. 1, 18.07, having saved about one thousand dol- lars, he was kindly loaned fifteen hundred dollars by the late Hanford ].,yon, and, a.ssociating with liiin W. B. Hall, 0])ened a dry goods and carpet-store at 227 Main Street. This firm continued at the old stand until Jlay, 1869, when they removed to the store in Wheeler's block now occupied by Mr. Read. The partnership of Hall & Read continued until Aug. 1, 1877, when .Mr. Hall withdrew, and the business has since been continued by Mr. Read. The business of Hall & Read increased rapidly, and at one time their sales amounted to If500,000 per year. During the panics of 1H.')7, 1861, and 1873 this house remained firm, and at their dissolution enjoyed the distinction of having always paid one hundred cents on the dollar. Mr. Rea<l, with his brother, Charles A., began the manufacture of ingrain carpets in a small way in Water Street, with two hand-looms. They sub- sequently purchased their present location on Middle Street, ami increa-scd their business until they were operating twenty looms. The business Wivs condticted b>- this firm— D. M. & C. A. Read— until 1873, when a stock company was formed with a capital of fifty- five thousand dollars, under the name of the Read Carpet Company, David M. being president and sell- ing agent. This company owns the block corner of Fairfiehl Avenue and .Middle Street, with a frontage of one hundred feet on the former and two hundred on the hitter, and have now in process of erection a ^f^T" :"- BRIDGEPOKT. 15^ Mock iuljoiniiifc one liiiiidrcJ and twoiity by lifty-six li't't. The estal)li!il)nu'iit will lie luriiished with fifty ]"i\ver-lc)iinis, and will manul'ai'tniv ingrain, Urnssels, and Axniinstcr earpets, with a eapaeily of funr hun- dred and fifty tliousand yanis per year. Mr. Read has been a member of the Common ("oun- cil, first alderman of the city, member of the lioarcl of I'dueation, member of the seho(d eommittce. is a di- rector in the 15ridge])ort National BanU, and, with the c.\ce|)tion of the first year, lias been president <jf the Board of Trade since its organization ; a director in the Mountain (Jrove Cemetery Association and the Fair- field County Agricultural Society, lie was a member of the Connecticut National (iuard for eight years as a brigade comtnissary with the rank of major, and was an efficient officer, lie was acting commissary -gen- eral at the encamimn-nt of the Conneetii'Ut National Guard at tlie Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 187(i, and was highly coniidimented by tien. Trow- bridge Ibr the executive ability displayed in the man- agement of his dciiartment. Politically, he was a Republican until 1872, since wliich time lie lias been an Indejieiident, although generally vf>ting with tlie Democratic [larty. He is a nieinber of the vestry of >St. .Folin's Church. Dee. .'!, IS.V), he united in marriage with Helen Au- gusta, daughter of the late Pliilo F. Barnum. They have two soils — Charles Barnum, wdio is cashier in his father's busiiK\ss, and David F.. who is in Yale College — and one daughter, May Louise. (.)ne daugh- ter, Helen A., died Oct. V.i, 1872. That Mr. Read's business career has been one of markeil prosjierity liis large business interests and handsome residence in I'ark Avenue artiird ample proof He is a puldic-spirited citizen, nf a genial and social nature, and very pojiular with the masses. CAPT. IP.A.\C BUUKOUOIIS. Ca])t. Isaac Burroughs, son of Stephen Burroughs, was born in Bridgeport or Newfiehl, Conn., in 1778, and died at liis residence in Bridgeport, Conn., .Ian. 8, 18t)l. His father, Stephen Burroughs, was a native of Stratford, Conn., and was born in the year 172'.l. From the personal recollections of an old friend and ]iartner in business, Isaac Sherman, we glean the following. Stephen Burroughs, Es()., a farmer, shipbuilder, Boston coaster, shipmaster, mathema- tician, astronomer, and surveyor, was a self-made man. He was about live feet eight inches in lieight, strongly built, never sick during his long life, a cold- water man. He died in the year 1817, aged eighty- eight years. It is related that he and Isaac Sherman sent the first American vo.ssel into the ])ort of Mobile, in June, 1817, after that city came into the jiossession of the United States. He w:us an active jiatriot dur- ing the Revolutionary war, raised a militia company called "Householders," of which he was made cap- tain. He was often a representative to thrtienrral Assembly and magistrate of his town for many year^. Besides his extensive business in the slii]iping trade he owned the jiarish grist-mill, called Burroughs' trills, that stood where the Pe(|Uonnoek \\'uolen Mills miw d<i. He was blind several years before his death, when it is saiil he invented, in 17118, the present system of Federal- money. It is said (jf him that he was the lir.^t man in Bridgeport to take a daily New York jiaper, calU^d the Diiihj Jtmniiil aj Ciuiiiiicnr, which he took f<ir its marine intelligence, as he was then engaged in trading between New York and Riehmond, \'a. Upon the arrival of the mail, by the C(msent of Jlr. Burroughs, his paper was eonsidereil ]mblic property for a short time, and the citizens would assemble to hear the news read by some good reader chosen for the occa- sion. His chililren were as follows: Stephen, Jr., Isaac, David, Abijah, Knnice, Betsey, and Huldah. David died of fever taken I'nnn a German wdiile in Boston, and was buried at Martini's Vineyard in 17;i(), Abijah w-as lost at sea, Eunice married a J\[r. Pendleton, I'etsey married Capt. .loseph Sterling I'.ilwards, and Huldah marrieil Jose[ih ISackus, of liridgeport and filaston- bury. Conn. Isaac Burroughs, like his father beliire him, was ex- tensively engaged in navigation, and owned a large number of vessels, which plied between Boston, New- York, and nearly all the South-ern ports, besides vis- iting many of the islands of the sea. He was a large owner of real estate in this city. He was a director in the old Bridgeport Bank, of which Isaac Brunson was its first president. He was a life-long Whig and Republican, and as such represented hi.s town in the State liCgislature. He was a warden for several years of St. John's Episcopal Church of Bridge])0rt, Conn., and one of its most liberal supjiorters. He married Kebecca, daughter of Andrew Hiird, of Old .Mill, Conn. Their children were six in number, all of wdiom are dead except Catliarine k., who married A. A. Pettengill, an aeeoin|ilislied gentleman and sidiolar, of Briilgepurt, Conn. WILLIAM K. lIir.BY. AVilliam R. Higby, son of Hcrvey and Charlotte Baldwin, both of whom were natives of !Milford, Conn., was born in Bridgeport, t'onn., Aug. (!, 182'>. His father, Hcrvey Higby, was born Jan. 27, 1801, and in 1S2(( located in Bridgeport and became one of the leading and substantial citizens of the town. In addition to the saddlery business, in wliicdi ln' was engaged until 18.'),S, lie occupied iinmerous ollieial positions. His good judgment, ability, and correct- ness were recognized in the coiiimunity, and brought 158 HISTORY OF FAIIIFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. into requisition as appraisor, flistributor, executor, or administrator on numerous estates. He was presi- dent of the Farmers' (now First National) Bank, and subsequently of the Connecticut National Bank ; was special and financial agent of the city and town, and agent and active manager of city and town sinking- funds, trustee and president of the Bridgeport Savings Bank, etc. William R., the subject of tliis sketch, was educated at the private schools in this city and in New'Haven. He commenced business as teller and book-keeper in the Connecticut Bank, where he remained seven years, and then engaged in the maiuifacturing business, which was destroyed by a fire a few months later. He then assisted in organizing the Pequonnock Bank, became its first cashier, and officiated in that capacity until 1.8(59, when he resigned and engaged in the busi- ness of fire insurance, and has continued in that to the present time. In 1871, T. B. De Forest became associated with him in the business, and the firm has since been Higby & De Forest.