History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Mr. Higby hiis ever been alive to the interests of his native city, and has occupied numerous positions of trust and responsibility. He was treasurer of the city of Bridgeport in IS.j."?, ''A, '55, '56, and 1857, and town treasurer in 1858, '59, '60, '61, '63, '64, '65, '66, '67, '68, and 1872. He was a member of the Common Coun- cil two years; is director, secretary, and treasurer of Jlountain Grove Cemetery Association, and has been since 1861 ; was a director in the Bridgeport Savings Bank about fifteen years; is a director in the Con- necticut National Bank, and also in the Bridgeport Gas-Light Company. Mr. Higby luis always manifested a decided interest in Masonic matters, and is one of the highest mem- bers of the fraternity in the State, having taken the Thirty-third Degree. He was initiated in St. John's Lodge, No. 3, in 1852, and was the first tcmjjlar in Hamilton Commandery in 1855. He is one of the two active mcml)ers of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Northern Masonic Juri.sdiction of the United States. He has also been Commander of the Grai^d Commandery of Connecticut. Mr. Higby is a Republican in politics, and attends the South Congregational church, in which his father was for a long time a deacon. In 1846 he united in marriage with Mary Ann Johnson, a native of New Haven, Conn., and has two children living, — Martha Louisa and Helen Augusta. A son, Henry Cornelius, is deceased. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS BARTRA.M. Tlie Bartram family was among the ])ionccrs of Fairfield County, and has an honoral)le record from that time to the present. Several of the family served in the Revolution, among them Daniel, grandfather of the .subject of this sketch, who marched to the de- fense of Danbury when that town was invaded and burned by Tryon in 1777. The Redding branch of this family removed from Fairfield in 17.33. This was David Bartram, and he located in Lonetown. Frederick A. Bartram, son of Gurdon and Lorraine Sanfiird Bartram,* was born in Redding, Sept. 13, 1824, and was the youngest of eight sons. He re- mained with his fother on the farm until sixteen years of age, when he entered as an apprentice the employ of Bartram & Wilson, carriage-makers at Redding. In 1848 he removed to Fairfield and com- menced the butchering business. In 18-54 he established the business of pork-packing in Fairfield, and con- ducted the business at that place until 1867, when he disposed of his interest in the Fairfield establishment and removed to this city. Mr. Bartram is an energetic and thorough business man, and every year from the beginning of the business to the present time his sales have increased, until from one thousand dollars the first year they now aggregate over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He conducted the business as sole proprietor until 1874, when George H., a nephew, and Edgar B., a son, became associated with him, and the business is now carried on under the firm-name of F. A. Bartram & Co. Nov. 11, 1851, he united in marriage with Amelia Burr, a native of Fairfield, and they have four chil- dren living, — viz., Edgar B., Lillian Francis, Belle, and Jesse. He is a staunch Rei)ubliean, and although never an active i)olitieiaii lias lield various city offices. He has been a member of the Common Council, and is a present alderman. He is in all respects a |>racti- cal man, and has lent his aid to all projects which in his judgment would advance the interests of the people, and was the prime mover and manager of the movement which resulted in giving the people of Bridgeport the " Rosedale Line" of steamers with New York City, and is now the general manager and agent of the line. Mr. Bartram is essentially a self-made man, and his great success has been the natural result of an in- doinitalile will coupled with good judgment, keen business foresight, and integrity of character. ASAIIEL LEWIS LYOX. A.sahel L. Lyon was of Scottish ancestry, and the family trace their lineage back to 1681, when the first of the name in this country emigrated from "old Scotia." He wils a son of Hezckiah Lyon and Sarah Hendricks, both natives of the old town of Fairfield. The latter was a daugliter of f«aniuel Hendricks and Catharine .Jennings. Asahel L. was born in Loutlibury, Conn., Sept. 26, 1810, and obtained his education at the common * Sw liUtor>' of Redding, olMwhero In tbia work. t Photo, by Wilsi.ii, Brid^«|iwrt. /Oot^i ^-t /( f A. L. LYON. BRIDGEPORT. 150 schoolti. At the oarly age of sixtecu he cuiniiu-ncuil working at the traile of carpenter anil joiner, and continneil as an apiirontiee until he was twenty years of age, when he purehased his " time" and removed to New Haven, Conn., where ho formed a copartner- ship with one Brown, which was continued under tlie firm-name of Lyon & Brown until 1S4I), when he came to Bridgeport and entered into business with his brother-in-law, the late Ezra Curtis. Tliis firm built lip a largo and prosperous lundier business, whieh is still carried on by their heirs under the firm-name of Lyon, Curtis & Co., anil they rank among the largest dealers in the .State. Sept. 14, 1837, he united in marriage with Lucy Loomis, a native of Torrington, Conn., born .July 1(>, 1817, by whom he had one child, Lucy Loomis, born Oct. lo, 18;5S, and died in 18.')!). His wife died in 1S;«), and in 1843 he married Marietta Clarke, a na- tive of East Haven, Conn., born May 20, 181(), and died in IS.^O. Their family consisted of two children, Marietta Francis, born Nov. 23, 1841), and died in 18G3, and Loui.s H. Lyon, born May 4, 1857, a resi- dent of Bridgeport and engaged in the huubcr busi- ness. In 18(il, Mr. Lyon was married to Louisa, daughter of Frederick P. and Mary A. Whiting, of Torrington, Conn., by whom ho had three children, — Louisa K., born July li!, 18(is ; Frederick W., born May 24, 1872; and Asahel L., born Aug. 2(1, 1874. Mr. Lyon was a publie-spirite<l citizen, and one of the sid)stantial men of the city. Although not active iu political matters he was an earnest Democrat, and a mendjcr of the Congregational Society. He died Oct. 4, 1874. JAMES Vf. BEARD.SLEV. James W. Beardsley, son of Elisha H. and Betsey Walker Beardsley, was born in Monroe, May 8, 1820. He was educated in the district schools of his native town and at the preparatory school of Sanuiel B. Beardsley. In ISoO he removed from Monroe to this town and located on the premises where he has since resided. He occupies the old Walker liomestead, whieh was built by James Walker, his great-grand- father, in 1739. (See accompanying view.) Jlr. Beardsley commenced business for himself as a cattle-dealer at the early age of seventeen years, and lias since continued in that vocation. He is a gener- ous and piiblic-s])irited citizen, and has done much to advance the welfare of the city and town of Bridge- port. As an evidence of the above statement, in 1878 he donated to the city of Bridgeport Beardsley's Park, a tract of land containing one hundred acres, delightfully located in the northeast part of the city, for which he hail been offered the sum of twenty thou- sand dollars. AVhen thoroughly improved it will bo one of the finest public i)arks in New England. He commenced the ornamentation oftlie ]iark in 187li by planting with his own hands two I'ows, four rods apart, of tine elm-tree-^, cxteiiding a mile iu lengtli. Politically, Mr. Beardsley is a Democrat, who cast his first vote for Janic-; K. IVdk. He is an Episco- palian and attends service at Trinity ehurch, Nichols' Farms. He has iu his possession many interesting relics of "ye cdden timi\" one of the most interesting being a huge clock wdiich originally belonged tn the Rev. Mr. Muirson, the first Episcoi)al clergyman iu tlie State of Connecticut. STEPHEN NICUUL.S. Stephen Nichols, son of William and Hiildah Nichols, was born Sept. 16, 18l»4, in Trumbull, Fair- field Co., Conn. His great-grandfather, Theoiiliilus Nichols, was one of the early settlers of the county; died April 7, 1774, aged seventy-one years, and was interred in the old cemetery in Stratford. His grand- father, Philip Nichols, was a man of much infiuence in the county. A magistrate lor many years. Was a large landholder; owned several slaves; dealt ex- tensively in horses and mules, many of which he ex- ported to the West Indies, together with produce of various kinds. He owned several vessels, in wdiich he made several trips to the "West Indies. William Nichols was a farmer by occupation. lie was a mem- ber of the Episcopal Church, as was also his father and all of his family ; two of his sisters married Ejiis- cojial clergymen, — viz., Uev. Philo Shelton and Kev. Mr. Allen. He died July 22, 18:!7, and was buried in the Pequonnock Cemetery. He was twice married; eight children were born of the first marriage, and 160 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. seven by the second. Stephen Nichols was one of the latter. When he was thirteen years old his mother died, and ho was forced to seek a home for himself, whidi he did by coming to Bridgeport, where he had a sister residing, with wliom he made his home. He worked by the month for farmers for several years, and then learned the boot and shoe trade, which business he followed as an occupation for about twenty years, and then gradually turned his attention to farming, whicli business he has since been engaged in. Mr. Xichdls has taken an active part in polities. He was a Whig before the organization of the Republican party, but since that time he has been a strong advo- cate of the principles of the Republican party. He was elected to represent the town of Bridgeport in the State Legislature in 1878, and was apjiointed a mem- ber of the committee on cities and boroughs. He has been justice of the peace, assessor, selectman, and a member of the Common Council.